Lagasse’s Stadium chef now overseeing Henderson’s Rainbow Club

Chef Scott Pajak, who ran the kitchen at Lagasse’s Stadium for nearly 10 years, has taken the executive chef position at the Rainbow Club and Casino on Water Street in downtown Henderson. The 18-year veteran of Emeril Lagasse’s organization is putting the final touches on a new restaurant called Triple B (short for Brooks Brothers Burgers), which will open with the casino Sept. 17.

While Water Street is very different from Las Vegas Boulevard, the chef says he’s excited to be associated with the iconic property.

“When people mention Water Street, that’s one of the first places they think of because it’s been here for so long,” Pajak says of the Rainbow Club.

Brothers Michael and Timothy Brooks, who operates Water Street’s Emerald Island Casino, purchased the Rainbow Club from Reno-based Peppermill Resorts Inc. in December.

Pajak says he’s known Tim Brooks for years through the work the two have done on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada. In fact, Brooks had been the high bidder three years in a row on a dinner by Pajak donated to the organization’s annual charity auction. The third of those in-home experiences took place just days after Pajak learned Lagasse’s Stadium would not be reopening.

“I found out on a Friday, and we just happened to be doing a dinner for his group that Monday, so it was like three days later,” Pajak recalls. “And his eyes lit up. Obviously he felt bad for me, but his eyes lit up and he was like, ‘We need to talk.’ ”

A week or so later, the chef was on board, developing recipes for the burger concept.

The menu is still being finalized. But Pajak says patrons can expect several specialty burgers (including a breakfast burger on a Belgian waffle), a pair of chicken sandwiches, some foot-long hot dogs, and a few throwbacks to his days with Emeril, including a shrimp po’boy. All burgers will feature two 5-ounce patties that will be made fresh daily.

While Pajak is working hard to get the restaurant up and running by Sept. 17, he is also looking forward to one day off that will be a new experience for him.

“With football season coming up, I don’t have to be (at work) on opening day,” he notes. “I’ll be able to stay at home and watch the game. It’s the first time in 11 years.”