John Poppy

Back when he was the youngest senior editor the old Look magazine ever had, John Poppy gathered up his courage in a restaurant in Blackpool, England, and sent back a bottle of wine—or tried to. "What! Let me taste that," the waiter exclaimed. "Oh, it'll be better with food." John wavered; the wine stayed. Today it wouldn't. Since then, John has written more than 150 articles for major magazines; been Esquire's health columnist (1987 through 1990); collaborated on seven books and edited nine, including one nominated for the National Book Award; edited Saturday Review of the Arts and produced books and custom-published periodicals for Time Inc.; and joined VIA as executive editor. He and the waiter for his "Really Haute Cuisine" dinner in Las Vegas got along fine.

Stratosphere Hotel's Top of the World : Haute Cuisine in Vegas