Las Vegas Weekly

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Chef Carlos Buscaglia’s family hails from Italy, but he grew up in Argentina. His career took off when he started working with chef Michael White in New York City in 2003, which led to Buscaglia relocating to Las Vegas to open Fiamma at MGM Grand. Today he’s the man behind the brilliant menu at Due Forni, the stylish Summerlin pizza and wine spot set to open a second location in Austin, Texas, this month.

Favorite Due Forni dish: branzino “It’s a wild Mediterranean sea bass done in our oven over arugula with pine nuts tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette. It’s completed with a sauce of capers, olive oil, garlic and anchovies.”

Favorite Strip restaurant: Botero (Encore, 770-3463) “I just love the passion that (chef) Mark LoRusso puts into his dishes. It really showcases the love he has for food. Every dish is so well composed. And it’s a fun atmosphere, a cool place to go on weekends.”

Favorite cookbook: The French Laundry Cookbook “It’s everything that I believe in, using top-quality ingredients and making it simple. Like my mentor Michael White used to say, there’s nothing you can do with a bad tomato. It’s all about the ingredients and the technique, and I love that whole philosophy.”

Favorite family meal: barbecue “I grew up in Argentina, and we loved to barbecue on Sundays and still do. We really got accustomed to that style of barbecue. My parents’ house [in Las Vegas] has a huge custom-made brick grill my dad built. We’ll do a ribeye, sometimes short ribs or sausages. It’s our Sunday tradition.”