Celebrity Chefs Unite: Iconic Toast Kicks Off F1 Race Day At Bellagio Fountain Club

Before the engines started to rev for the big race on Saturday, Nov. 22 in Las Vegas, some of the world’s most celebrated chefs took to the rooftop of the prestigious Bellagio Fountain Club to toast the day together. The iconic moment that included Mario Carbone, David Chang, Wolfgang Puck, Jose Andres, Mark Wahlberg, and many others, was a spectacular photo opportunity overlooking the Fountains of Bellagio ahead of the evening race. 

The Blast was on hand for the unforgettable moment and was then taken on a tour of some must-visit restaurants inside the Bellagio, as well as one of the most popular F1 activations - The Shoey Bar. One thing’s for sure, the excitement of F1 fills Las Vegas with an undeniable energy that brings people into the city from all over the world. 

It was a scene right out of a movie - more than 20 world famous chefs coming together on the rooftop of the Bellagio Fountain Club on F1 race day to toast the event. And did we mention they were toasting with shoeys? (If you’re not aware of what a shoey is, we’ll explain its origin and why it’s important in a bit.)

Each chef made their grand entrance to the designated area for the iconic toast as the host, Bryan Chan, announced them. Some of the chefs included: Mario Carbone, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, David Chang, Wolfgang Puck, Antonia Lofaso, Jose Andres, Masaharu Morimoto and more. Mark Wahlberg, owner of Flecha Cantina was also on hand as a special guest. 

To prepare for the iconic toast to F1 Las Vegas, host Bryan Chan asked for shoeys to be handed out to each chef and briefly explained the origin of the shoe everyone at F1 wants to get their hands on.

"This was something that was made a tradition by Australian driver, Daniel Ricardo, usually it's champagne or beer, he actually took his shoe off on the podium and drank from it," he said. "We're not gonna ask you guys to do that. We do have clean, sanitized shoes."

Each chef then got their own shoey for the memorable toast. (There's actually a cup inside the shoes, so they aren't drinking right from the shoe, in case you're wondering.)

Chef Mario Carbone was asked to do the honors of popping the champagne with a large knife. Trying to decide which way to face to pop the cork with the knife, some insanity and laughs ensued to make it an even more memorable moment.

"Start your engines, because the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix is officially here," the host said. "We wish every driver, every team, every entertainer, every chef, every fan, and every participant involved an incredible race week and all the best. May the odds be ever in your favor."

For those unfamiliar with just what a shoey is and what the importance of it is at F1, The Blast got a little insight from Cole Nikodemus, the Executive Director of Brand Marketing at MGM Resorts, while visiting the wildly popular Shoey Bar at the Bellagio.

"The shoey is something traditional that drivers will drink out of their shoe after they win, but we made a clean version of that because that's pretty gross, so we made a custom insert," Nikodemus said. "We've got two shoes this year. All of them are Sparkle branded so these are actual race shoes."

All of the shoeys are women's size 6, so unless you fit that size, you won't be able to wear them. But that doesn't stop anyone from purchasing one. The Blast saw people walking around with multiple shoeys around their neck from previous F1 races, and the line was hours long to get to the bar, so it's definitely an F1 hot spot throughout the weekend.

"We've got a couple other things this year. We've got a helmet punch bowl. We're already sold out of them for the weekend," Nikodemus said. "We were selling them for $2,000 each. A real, actual Sparkle helmet."

They were also selling shoey shot glasses.

This was the third year for The Shoey Bar at the Bellagio, and each year it's just gotten bigger and bigger.

After the chef toast at the Bellagio Fountain Club and a visit to The Shoey Bar, The Blast was taken on a tour of some of the Bellagio's fabulous restaurants to learn more about them and capture the amazing Fountain views.

The first stop was at Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant and Lounge, where we got to see the Fountain view from the patio. Our next stop was a super chic speakeasy - The Vault - where we were treated to a demonstration on how they make one of their signature smoking cocktails. We also had the chance to sample some delicious small plates and mocktails.

Our last stop was Carbone Riviera, where we were treated to up close Fountain views on the patio and small plates that stole the show.

While our tour ended there, it's important to note that Bellagio is also home to multiple other must-visit restaurants such as Mayfair Supper Club, Jasmine, Noodles, LAGO, Spago, PRIME Steakhouse, and more.

This year's Las Vegas race was just as spectacular as the previous two years. Fans and celebrities flocked from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the cars as they flew down the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

Multiple F1 activations, events, concerts, and into-the-night parties happened all weekend long in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

It started out pretty wet in Vegas, as rain took over the first two nights of the race weekend, but that didn't stop business as usual. Although, an issue from the first year of F1 in Vegas came back to haunt drivers. Not once but twice, a loose drain cover became a red flag during Thursday's practice. But the show must go on...

Max Verstappen took the win, and two cars were disqualified after the race, meaning McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri didn't earn any points because "the thickness of the rearmost skid of both cars was less than the required thickness," according to F1.

Missed all the high-octane action in Vegas this year? No worries - F1 will be back on the streets of Sin City next year and deposits are now being taken for 2026 seats.