Blog - Debriefing
Small FontsDefault FontsLarge Fonts

Debriefing

The Weekly continues its quest to eradicate ignorance, one blog entry at a time.


June 19, 2009 · 9:57 AM

Where’s Gene?: “Top Chef” vet still cooking in Vegas

By Sarah Feldberg

Top Chef alum Gene Villiatora is still in Vegas and still flying under the radar.

Since Las Vegas-based chef Gene Villiatora got the boot from Top Chef: New York for a red snapper gone awry, something’s just been missing for us. We can’t sleep. We can’t eat. We’re like Padma without Tom, a sea bass ceviche with no lime foam.

Until now. He’s not wearing a red and white striped sweater, but amid all the chef’s whites and kitchen lines, we’ve tracked down the Hawaiian-transplant at Martini’s in Summerlin. That the Top Chef vet has landed at a 24/7, chain-owned bar that has video poker along with Kobe burgers and oysters Rockefeller, might sound odd, but we’re not ones to look a gift horse in the mouth. Villiatora is cooking up three meals a day at Martini’s, with options like 24-hour cured Rosen lamb chops, brick oven pizzas and Riesling poached pear salad coming from a menu that tops off at $27 for the 16-ounce ribeye. See what we mean about that gift horse?

More

From the Archives
Who's washing dishes now? (12/18/09)
Beyond the Weekly
Martini's

The menu earned Martini’s a Best Bar Food nod from the Review-Journal’s Best of Las Vegas 2009, and it’ll earn our first visit to the Villiatora’s new digs.

Check back Monday afternoon for an in-depth interview with Chef Villiatora.

Post a comment

Commenting requires registration.

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Weekly editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Full comments policy.

Already Registered? Log In Below.
Username:
Password:  Forgotten your password?
 

SMS Alerts

Videos

Video Library

Flash is required

Cocktail of the Week

Cocktail of the Week Nov 5, 2009
by Xania Woodman

Beergarita

It was quite by happenstance that I came upon the beergarita, or perhaps it found me. I was blissfully unaware of the house-party staple’s existence until two glasses literally put ...
Read more...