You wouldn’t think that the medical industry would have things in common with the food and beverage industry, right? Well, for Ariel Fowler, they do!
Ten years ago, she worked in nuclear medicine, and today she’s the general manager at Crush at MGM Grand. And believe it or not, her past life helped prepare her for her new one. “It’s almost like a second life, not even another chapter; it’s like a whole different book,” Fowler explains. “It’s exciting because I feel like even though I’m not in medical anymore, what I got from that I still use today, like bedside manner, that’s connecting with my guests, all the memorizing you need to do for medical that’s like memorizing dishes, drinks, menus.”
So why the second life? While going to school for medicine, Fowler picked up shifts working in restaurants; the longer she spent working, the more she fell in love and decided to make the change in careers. “People from all over the world come to Las Vegas every day to enjoy some of the highest-quality offerings in food and beverage, and being able to be a part of that and enhance the guest’s experience is something that I truly find fulfilling,” she says.
Fowler has worked at properties including The Venetian and Resorts World Las Vegas, and in 2022 joined Crush, “a fine dining restaurant with an accessible neighborhood feel. We focus on providing guests with the communal enjoyment of celebrating great food and great drinks with great company.”
Does she miss her old life? “Success to me is personal happiness. That’s the best life to live. Do things you love to do, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
Libation: Kiss and Tell
Handcrafted cocktails pair beautifully with the modern American cuisine at Crush, and one of the most popular cocktails is the Kiss and Tell, made with the Spring44 gin, prosecco, lemongrass, star anise, guava and fresh lemon juice.
Benefit: Ask for the secret Flecha Tequila Menu—two cocktails and a flight featuring Mark Wahlberg’s Flecha Azul Tequila.
MGM Grand. mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com
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