A One-On-One Dining Experience With Chef Marc Sgrizzi at AHERN HOTEL

SamNovak

Official Verified Account

Editor

A One-On-One Dining Experience With Chef Marc Sgrizzi at AHERN HOTEL

In the final segment of our series on Trattoria by Chef Marc, we sit down for a personal dining experience with the celebrity Chef.

The welcoming mood at TRATTORIA BY CHEF MARC reminds me of the kitchens of my childhood neighbors. I mentioned them in part one of this two-part report. You just stroll in, pull up a chair, and prepare to be treated like a member of the family.

My beloved Italian childhood neighbors still have me over for dinner...

Every visit to Trattoria by Chef Marc has been consistently inviting, so much so that it's become a go-to destination. Would that feeling continue when I finally met Chef Marc Sgrizzi, the man behind the legendary name? I was about to find out.

That warm atmosphere here is clearly fostered by the gentleman who created this dining hotspot. Chef Sgiazzi is an incredibly charismatic man, always eager to visit the tableside and share flavors of Italy with friends old and new. His bio tells the story better than I could, so let's take a look:

"Born in upstate New York, Marcus “Marc” Sgrizzi first learned to cook in his family’s Italian restaurant on Singer Island in Southern Florida. He developed his culinary expertise through the family business and training at Grimaldi’s, one of the most prestigious Italian restaurants in Utica, New York."

"Chef Marc takes pride in his food as well as the guest experience, making frequent trips to Italy to source quality ingredients, refine his regional dishes, and create stellar food and wine menus. Rising to the top of the local epicurean ladder and attracting many celebrities to his eateries, he has owned and operated a number of restaurants in Florida, New York, and Nevada."

"Opening several restaurants and a pizzeria in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chef Marc became a beloved celebrity chef among local residents. In 2019, he relocated his signature restaurant from the Summerlin area to Ahern Hotel, where the chef can share his elevated Italian cuisine to the global dining scene and continue to entertain guests with stories from his travels."

On the evening of my most recent visit, Chef Marc and his crackerjack team were preparing to welcome two large parties to the establishment, along with reserved and walk-in guests. I took a seat at a dining counter which allows you to witness the kitchen in action...and gave Chef Marc the opportunity to serve me directly in the midst of the evening's excitement.

As before, Chef Marc checked with me for food allergies and preferences, then he and Chef Jose set about whipping up individual samplers of some menu favorites, along with seasonal and some seemingly off-the-cuff creations. It was rather difficult to take in every detail of what was being presented, as things happen in the TRATTORIA kitchen with rapid-fire precision.

As I observed the chopping of vegetables, seasoning of pots, and steam rising from sautee pans, a small taste of Butternut Squash Soup appeared before me. Chef Marc admitted that it was a bit early in the season for this, but he was happy with the ingredients available at the moment and decided to make it so. An amaretto cookie crumble on top with a balsamic reduction made it special.

Balsamic vinegar would play a large role in what would follow. Next came a sampling of Charred Spanish Octopus, also laced with balsamic. A part of the ANTIPASTI selection, this dish is served over Livornese sauce with olives and capers ($22).

No Italian meal is complete without pasta, and Chef Marc whipped me up a colorful Sicilian-style Rigatoni with Calamari and Olives. You won't find this on the regular dinner menu, but the chef and his team enjoy creating daily specials that reflect the season, market availability...and perhaps even the whims of a mood.

Cauliflower has received a lot of attention of late. Conscientious dieters have turned to the nutritious, low-carb fleshy vegetable as an alternative to meat, white flour, and potatoes. Chef Marc likes to prepare his Roasted Cauliflower "Steak" using sherry cream, parmesan, and romano cheeses, which add both smoothness and an aromatic zing. Vegetarians should be aware that pancetta is included in this recipe for a saltier flavor and more depth.

Returning to ocean flavors, my next dish was Shrimp Scampi over Risotto. Trattoria by Chef Marc purchases and prepares sustainable shrimp harvested from the wild. You can request Wild Shrimp Scampi any evening and have it prepared with garlic butter and white wine then served over spaghettini ($31). https://vimeo.com/745557068 Chef Marc's persona and style are ready-made for the camera, and he enjoys creating short videos with his team. You can check out his Instagram page for dozens of great cooking ideas. Above, Chef Marc prepares a succulent New Zealand Salmon over cauliflower puree, black pepper, sweet pea, Bufalo mozzarella milk, pancetta, and gnocchi. "It has no name," he tells me as sets the dish down. "I like the colors. This is about as 'out there' as I get around here".

Since the meat course at my last visit was an amazing New York Strip steak, this time I'd be trying a pan-fried Pounded Veal Cutlet. Dressed up with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil, the veal was topped with arugula in lemon and lime. Accompanying this course were seafood risotto and baby Brussel sprouts seasoned with Italian sausage drippings.

Along with steaks, seafood, veal, and pork, Chef Marc has several mouth-watering chicken dishes that are sure to satisfy. I've tried several from the brunch menu: Chicken Milanese ($19, foreground above) is served with an arugula salad, red peppers, shaved parmesan, and lemon vinaigrette. Chicken Parmesan ($19, below) is topped with marinara sauce and comes with a side of spaghetti. The dinner size of Chicken Parm is $28.

Other evening selections include Chicken "Angelo" Picatta ($28), "Barbershop Chicken" with a spice level of 2-4 ($30), and Chicken Marsala ($28). The heavy-hitter for beef is a 2.5-pound Nebraska-raised Piedmontese Tomahawk, which serves up to four people ($170).

As with every meal I've had at Trattoria by Chef Marc, it was closed out with another visit to their signature Gelato Table. Chef Marc kindly assembled an assortment of flavors for me, then set about preparing a cart for his famous table-side Caesar Salad presentation.

In covering the scene in and around Las Vegas, I've learned one remarkable thing about the people who offer their craft to our residents and visitors. For them, it's just as important, if not more so, to have their creations experienced than to reap the financial rewards. Perhaps that's why Chef Marc Sgrizzi has chosen to place his base of operations inside Ahern Hotel, a place that makes its own rules while focusing on exceptional value and stellar service.

Whether you're in the mood for a hearty breakfast, satisfying lunch, or a stunning dinnertime experience, you owe it to yourself to discover Trattoria by Chef Marc. You may find yourself returning again and again. "La Famiglia e Tutto".

Trattoria by Chef Marc is located on the main level of Ahern Hotel, 300 W. Sahara Avenue. Call 702-214-4950 for reservations or visit online by clicking here.