Las Vegas Weekly

October 4, 2009 · 4:33 PM

From Italy to the Strip, seafood takes a deluxe trip to the desert

By Sarah Feldberg

Chef Paul Bartolotta of the Wynn.

Photo: Heat Communications

In today’s foodie culture people are downright fanatical about eating food farmed right outside their front door. But locavores in Las Vegas face some unique challenges, especially when it comes to fish and seafood. No water, no fish. ‘Nuf said.

Just because we live in the desert, however, doesn’t mean that snapper you’re eating has been sitting for days on its way to your plate. Especially not if you’re eating at Wynn Las Vegas’ Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare. This month’s issue of Wired traces the path its imported Italian fish take “from pier to platter in just 53 hours.”

For Bartolotta, Sicilian amberjack and other Italian natives are treated to a deluxe trip from the Mediterranean Sea to the Vegas Strip that relies heavily on technology. It starts with a fisherman on email, moves on to a Skype-ing buyer and then takes a direct flight to LAX with microchips monitoring the watery imports every step of the way. It all ends with some very skilled chefs turning the European catch into tonight’s specials. Check out the step-by-step journey via a series of illustrations from by Rafael Macho for Wired. When technology is used this well, it’s simply delicious.

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