Chef Geno Bernardo Unveils Fall 2009 Menu for Las Vegas’ Nove Italiano

Along with the classic spaghetti, chicken marsala, and pizza on the menu, we wanted to recommend a few of the Fall 2009 items we salivate over long after we’ve returned home to Los Angeles from Nove Italiano, such as:

Ribollita – A Tuscan country stew cavolo nero; “My Grandmother’s Ravioli” – Braised short rib, brown butter; Alaskan Halibut – Spaghetti squash, oven roasted tomatoes, shellfish brod; Duck – Slow roasted, butternut squash, heirloom apples, natural jus; Pumpkin – Sage, onion; Wild Field Mushrooms – Sautéed with thyme.

These could be just a few of the reasons Nove Italiano was recently named #1 Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas!

Executive Chef  of Nove Italiano

Chef Geno Bernardo, 34, was born in New York to a northern Italian mother and Sicilian father. His rich Italian heritage has always been an inspiration to him, and his fondest childhood memories are of cooking with “Nana” as a young boy. Those early Sundays with Nana were the humble beginnings of his lifelong journey through the culinary world.

Early Makings of a Chef

Bernardo began his professional career at just 16, cooking at Massimo’s, an Italian restaurant in his New Jersey neighborhood. These early experiences fueled the passion that first emerged in Nana’s kitchen. The aspiring chef attended culinary school at prestigious Johnson & Wales University, in Providence, Rhode Island, from which he graduated at the top of his class. After graduation, he was recruited by Boston’s Fellini’s Italian Restaurant, where he worked two years before accepting a position with Restaurant Associates in New York. Cooking at the company’s Café Centro and Naples 45, he was received by a loyal clientele and critical acclaim. The hallmarks of Bernardo’s style are the thoughtful use of the freshest fish and finest seasonal produce.

Italian to Japanese

His affinity for seafood led him to San Diego, where he boldly broke from his Italian heritage to learn the craft of a sushi chef. At Sushi on the Rock, Bernardo’s efforts were rewarded, as the restaurant was voted “Best Sushi in San Diego.” Armed with an appreciation for Japanese discipline and aesthetics, he returned to Western cooking as Sous Chef at Sally’s on the Waterfront at the Grand Manchester Hyatt before serving as Senior Sous Chef at the Marriott Hotel San Diego. For Bernardo’s first Executive Chef position, he returned to Rhode Island to run the kitchen at the Providence Oyster Bar, which opened to outstanding reviews and enthusiastic public response. When the Oyster Bar owners debuted a steakhouse, Providence Prime, they tapped Bernardo to serve as their Executive Chef.

Bernardo Goes to Vegas

Bernardo joined the N9NE Group to develop Nove Italiano, and with Bernardo in the kitchen, Nove Italiano is slated to be one of Las Vegas’s most acclaimed Italian restaurants. Just as N9NE Steakhouse, the group’s original restaurant concept, revolutionized the American steakhouse, Nove Italiano redefines Italian dining. Bernardo collaborated with Chef Michael Kornick, N9NE Group’s James Beard-nominated consulting chef and partner, and N9NE Group Executive Chef Barry Dakake to create the menu for the restaurant located on the 51st floor of the Fantasy Tower at the Palms Casino Resort. Together, these chefs create Las Vegas’ most memorable contemporary dining experiences.

The beautiful dining room and bar at Nove Italiano at the exciting Palms Casino

All that Glitters is Gold

The ambience is striking with its golden décor juxtaposed with clean modern lines and a view that will take the breath of even the most unaffected. The restaurant is a unique blend of classical and modern elements, an intriguing combination that permeates both the dining room and the kitchen. A few steps from the hostess stand is a plush, seductive lounge and bar, which are complemented by chic bar stools and a wall of purple-tinted mirrors.  Adjacent to the lounge is the main dining room, illuminated by dramatic LED Swarovski crystal chandeliers hanging from a multi-vaulted ceiling covered in high-gloss brass-and-steel mosaic.  A private dining room is slightly elevated, but a mezzanine level provides the most dramatic views of the entire restaurant.

Call for reservations or to book a party of 12-60 people: call 702.942.6856.
Or visit: www.n9negroup.com