Chef finds art background useful in creating dishes

     Bob Taylor's Original Ranch House and Supper Club is a Las Vegas institution since 1955.
      It's a restaurant that didn't set out to be a restaurant, and in that way the eatery's chef, Darrin Emery, fits right in, since he didn't set out to be a chef.
      He earned a degree in design and production art from the Phoenix Institute of Technology, but after graduating in 1985, Emery was unable to find work in his chosen field in his hometown of Pasadena, Calif. A friend suggested he take a job as prep cook at a small Italian restaurant. Emery found he liked the work and has been a chef ever since.
      Emery, 31, says he has combined his artistic creativity with the culinary arts.
      "I'm not classically trained, I never went to any schools or anything like that, there's no flamboyance there," Emery says. "I've learned from wonderful chefs who have taught me what they know, and I kind of put some of my own flair and creativity with colors and textures on the plate. That's the fun part of it, being creative, thinking up new dishes that people find interesting and enjoy eating. That's the reward."
      Emery's background includes stints at the Anaheim Sheraton in Anaheim, Calif., (1985-1988); the Radisson Plaza in Irvine, Calif., (1988-1993), where he worked with his mentor chef, Jack Kalustian; and the Sycamore Inn in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., (1993-1995).
      He came to Las Vegas in 1995 and took a job as executive chef for Signature Events, an events catering company that catered the opening of the Las Vegas Speedway last year. He has been at Bob Taylor's Original Ranch House for three months.
      To stay on top of trends in the ever-changing restaurant business, Emery reads cookbooks and watches chefs' shows on television. "I'm always learning. There's so much out there to learn, so many styles, so many cultures. It's just nonstop information. You've got to be on top of it or it passes you by."
      Bob Taylor's Ranch House, about 11 miles from downtown Las Vegas at 6250 Rio Vista St. near Ann Road and U.S. 95, has weathered all kinds of restaurant trends in its time. The eatery really is a ranch house. It was originally built by Bob and Ila Taylor as their home, with a shooting range in back. In fact, today you can still see the seven houses, or shooting areas, set up about 100 yards from the kitchen's back door.
      At first there was a pro shop, which served hamburgers, and later steaks, and a shotgun loading room. Taylor sponsored a $100,000 shooting contest and began inviting the winners into his home for a meal. What started as a few guests ended up being many, so Taylor added a bar and converted the inside of his house into a restaurant, according to Ranch House manager David Gist.
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