Latest news with #FabioViviani
Chicago Tribune
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Potempa: ‘Top Chef' Fabio Viviani welcomes guests at his new ‘Alto' restaurant at Wind Creek Casino and Hotel
It took me about six months to make my way for a visit to Northwest Indiana's newest neighbor for gaming, hotel hospitality and dining at Wind Creek Chicago Southland, anchored off Hasted Street in East Hazel Crest. Crowning the top story of the 17-floor mirrored window high-rise hotel and spa is Alto, the newest restaurant opened and operated by Chef Fabio Viviani of finalist fame from the fifth season of Bravo's 'Top Chef' in 2008. Next year, the kitchen competition series celebrates its 20th anniversary since it launched in March 2006. Near the end of May, just as Alto was about to open, I had the chance to interview Viviani and tour his top floor restaurant and bar, which have remarkable views including the Chicago Skyline (on a clear day) and the mammoth Thornton Quarry, a south suburban landmark bisected by Interstate 294. Alto is the gaming property's signature Italian steakhouse. 'I describe it as an elevated dining journey with our expertly grilled steaks, fresh seafood, and house-made pastas such as squid ink lumache with frutti di mare, pistachio-crusted lamb chops and lobster fra diavolo,' Viviani said. 'The ambiance is sleek and refined, designed to match the panoramic backdrop and the menu's contemporary offerings. With Alto, we want to elevate guests' dining experience by delivering refined flavors and exceptional hospitality. I call it approachable elegance.' Viviani, 46, who already has a downtown Chicago presence at Bar Siena, BomboBar and Seville, is part of a 'multi-concept partnership' with Wind Creek Hospitality. The casino gaming space opened in November 2024, but the hotel and spa at Wind Creek in East Hazel Crest didn't open until mid-April 2025. Viviani's team was already overseeing several of the other on-property dining options, which opened earlier and are located in the arrival area lobby of the casino. They include Shuck It, a seafood and oyster bar; Abuela Cocina; Burgers'n Wiches; Bottega; and more. Even though Viviani wasn't the winner of his 'Top Chef' season, he was voted 'Fan Favorite' and the show served as the springboard to help him open more than 40 restaurants, bars, and hospitality venues across the country. Viviani has published four successful cookbooks, including the New York Times best-seller 'Fabio's Italian Kitchen' as a nod to his youth growing up in Florence, Italy. By age 11, Fabio was working nights at a local bakery before his first entrance to the world of restaurants in 1992 at age 14, working at the 120-seat Il Pallaio trattoria in Florence, where he became a sous chef by age 16. While in Italy, he married wife Jessica and the couple moved to Southern California in 2005. Among his favorite product commercial endorsements throughout the years is his partnership with Bertolli Olive Oil, which assisted in his ingredient test kitchen for many recipes, including his delicious roasted tomato and zucchini salad. For more information and other recipes, visit or Dressing: 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon paprika Salad: 6 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices 4 zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch ribbons Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil as needed 2 garlic cloves, minced Salt and pepper to taste 2 balls (6-ounce each) of buffalo mozzarella, cut into 3/4-inch slices Approximately 10 large leaves of fresh basil Shaved Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 3. Roast tomatoes and zucchini on the grill for about 10 minutes (use a grill basket if necessary), or until nice and evenly roasted. 4. To assemble the salad, place the tomato, piece of folded zucchini and mozzarella on top of each other, like a tower, with a basil leaf in between layers, seasoning each layer with a little salt and pepper and a drizzle of dressing. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.
Eater
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The 7 Most Anticipated Las Vegas Restaurant Openings, Summer 2025
It's been an impressive year for Las Vegas's dining scene. So far, 2025 has introduced restaurants that have immediately soared to must-visit territory, like Jeremy Ford's Michelin-starred Stubborn Seed, a new food hall that not only revitalizes the trend but introduces a slate of big-deal regional fare, the latest in the highly-anticipated James Trees culinary universe, and a lakeside stunner with serious seafood prowess. The back-half of the year is equally exciting, with restaurants on deck attached to famous names, long-awaited restaurants that are finally inching toward openings, and steakhouses with Michelin-recognized talent. Here are seven openings to look forward to this summer in Las Vegas. Projected Opening: July 2025 Major Player: Fabio Viviani Celebrity chef and Top Chef fan favorite Fabio Viviani brings his signature flair to Summerlin this summer with the debut of ai Pazzi, a modern Italian restaurant at JW Marriott Las Vegas. The opening is part of a sweeping culinary revamp at the resort and Rampart Casino in partnership with Fabio Viviani Hospitality. Expect handmade pastas, fresh seafood, indulgent entrees like lobster linguini and bistecca alla Fiorentina, and comforting starters like a crostino topped with roasted woodland mushrooms, gorgonzola fondue, and black truffle prosciutto. On Top Chef , Viviani earned praise for his soulful Italian cooking approach — and meatballs were part of his repertoire. So it's fitting that Fabio's wagyu meatball makes the menu, plated with tomato sauce, whipped ricotta, basil, and grilled bread. Dessert leans decadent — think sticky toffee pudding and roasted white chocolate tiramisu — while the cocktail list leans Italian and lively, with the Montenegro Nights that blends Old Forester 100 bourbon with vanilla and caramel syrups and citrusy Amaro Montenegro, garnished with a toasted marshmallow. Projected Opening: Summer 2025 A dedicated smash burger joint is landing on the Strip this summer. Naughty Patty's will open at the Cosmopolitan just steps from Block 16, serving up crispy-edged burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches fried in mayo, furikake-dusted fries, and over-the-top ice cream concretes. It's the only burger-focused restaurant at the resort, filling the gap left by Holsteins, which closed in 2024 after a 14-year run (thankfully, it later reopened downtown). Expect a tight menu starring thin patties with caramelized edges, yuzu-sesame sauce, and classic toppings — plus chili-style hot dogs and avocado add-ons. Smash burgers are trending across Vegas, from Sorry Not Sorry's packed pop-ups to Yukon Pizza's weekend specials; Naughty Patty's brings that craveable crunch to the heart of the Strip. Cosmopolitan executive chef Mark Crane says they're not just riding a trend: 'The flavor you get — and the speed — is what makes it stick.' Projected Opening: Summer 2025 Major Player: José Andrés José Andrés's acclaimed Bazaar Meat is migrating from the Sahara to a brand-new 10,000-square-foot space at the Venetian's Palazzo tower. Since its 2014 debut, Bazaar Meat has wowed diners with playful small bites — think crispy chicken-bechamel fritters served in a sneaker — and a dining room filled with roaring open-fire grills, jamón ibérico, and dramatic antler chandeliers. Its new home, part of the Venetian's $1.5 billion reinvestment, will sit beneath Lavo in the former restaurant-cum-car museum Dal Toro Ristorante. The new digs decked to impress, meaning it will be a more than suitable home for 15-course tasting menus of Andrés classics like caviar-filled crispy cones, cotton candy-swathed foie gras, and Japanese A5 wagyu beef prepared tableside on an ishiyaki stone. Projected Opening: Summer 2025 Rare Society, the acclaimed live-fire steakhouse from San Diego chef Brad Wise, is bringing its bold take on classic steakhouse fare to southwest Las Vegas. Opening at UnCommons, the 160-seat restaurant will feature signature steak boards loaded with dry-aged, in-house butchered cuts, roasted bone marrow, and homemade sauces — all grilled over American red oak. The menu also branches out with dishes like gochujang-glazed bacon, lamb lollipops, and miso-glazed carrots, plus sustainably sourced seafood and throwback desserts like creamy bananas Foster cheesecake. Designed by GTC Design, the space will blend retro glamour and mid-century modern flair with wood paneling, a marble bar, and plush leather accents. With Michelin recognition for his earlier restaurants Trust and Fort Oak, Wise is sure to the light the scene on fire. The country's only Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse is headed to the Las Vegas Strip. Cote, the acclaimed New York restaurant known for its A5 wagyu, in-table grills, and 1,200-bottle wine list, will open at the Venetian as part of the resort's $1.5 billion renovation. The Vegas location promises all the signature favorites — like steak-and-egg tartare with caviar — served in a striking, Rockwell Group-designed space with a dry-aging room, DJ booth, and skybox-style private dining rooms overlooking the action. The restaurant will take over more than 10,000 square feet in the resort's waterfall atrium with a design that founder Simon Kim describes as 'stadium-style,' with tiered rows of seating expanding upwards and outwards from the ground-level bar. While the in-table grills evoke Korean barbecue, Cote firmly occupies steakhouse territory, with servers taking over the cooking, meticulously arranging and rotating delicate cuts of American wagyu beef, and ferrying lusciously thick-cut pork belly bacon to tables. Major Player: Gabriela Cámara Chef Gabriela Cámara, celebrated for her acclaimed Mexico City seafood restaurant Contramar, is bringing her celebrated coastal cuisine to Las Vegas with Cantina Contramar at the Fontainebleau. Designed by award-winning architect Frida Escobedo, the restaurant will serve the signature dishes that built Cámara's Mexico City seafood destination into must-visit dining — like tangy tuna tostadas and grilled whole fish splashed with vibrant red and green salsas. Partnering with Bertha González Nieves, founder of Tequila Casa Dragones and the first maestra tequilera, Cantina Contramar will also feature an exclusive tequila tasting room highlighting ultra-premium spirits. The Fontainebleau first announced the restaurant back when it opened in December 2023. While the resort has been stingy with updates, Cantina Contramar is still expected to open this year. Major Player: Happy Lamb Hot Pot Copper Sun, the first fine dining concept from the global Happy Lamb Hot Pot chain, is coming to Resorts World Las Vegas with an upscale hot pot experience that features its signature eight-hour bone marrow broth and a curated selection of premium meats exclusive to the Las Vegas location. With sleek black-and-white interiors and private dining rooms, Copper Sun aims to give a luxurious, communal dining experience that blends Inner-Mongolian tradition with a touch of Vegas grandeur — all poised over simmering and oil-dappled pots of fragrant broth that bubble and boil thin strips of marbled beef and toothsome strands of noodle. A cocktail menu will lean botanical, inspired by the herbal ingredients found in its broths. See More:
Time Out
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time Out
You can eat a tasting menu right on the NASCAR Chicago race track this summer
What's more thrilling than a high-speed NASCAR race? How about carb-loading right where the cars take off? This summer, Chicago Gourmet is rolling out one of its most daring (and delicious) experiences yet: a five-course Italian tasting menu served smack on the NASCAR Chicago Street Race track. On Wednesday, July 2, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the race's start/finish line will transform into the city's most unexpected fine-dining venue, blending Michelin-caliber cuisine with pit-lane vibes. As part of the Chicago Gourmet Festival's new 'Culinary World Series,' the event marks a high-octane kickoff to the city's biggest food celebration and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to toast with wine where tires usually burn rubber. The chef lineup is stacked with Chicago stars, including Fabio Viviani (Siena Tavern, Bar Siena), Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno), Joe Frillman and Leigh Omilinsky (Daisies) and Steve Maak (Levy Restaurants). The night's theme: bold Italian flavors, dished out trackside with flair. Diners can expect signature race-day cocktails from Jose Cuervo (the official tequila of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, naturally) and a "Cup Series" of wine pairings from legendary Italian winery Marchesi Antinori. There's even an emcee—culinary personality, Catherine De Orio—to steer the evening along. Tickets cost $250 per person, and proceeds benefit the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the state's hospitality workforce. This isn't Chicago Gourmet's only sports-forward event this year. Friday, July 25, brings a Duck Dog face-off at the Crosstown Classic, and Wednesday, August 20 features led by chefs from Virtue.
Eater
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
A Revved Up Chicago Gourmet Returns in 2025 With a NASCAR Dinner
As Chicago's street festivals struggle, Chicago Gourmet is swinging for the fences in 2025 and leaning into the city's passion for sports. Organizers have announced a battery of events, including a dinner on the NASCAR Chicago Street Course with food from the chefs behind Bar Siena, Daisies, and Piccolo Sogno. Chicago Gourmet takes place annually each summer, with many of the city's best chefs and the country's most popular wine producers gathering at the Grand Cru in Millennium Park. Over the years, the event series has transformed. COVID forced it to reduce its footprint at the park while focusing more on ancillary events such as the Hamburger Hop, which crowns the city's best burger. Those tickets will go on sale in July. This year, the fest's theme, Step Up to the Plate, puts sports front and center, attempting to inject some excitement for fans. Lord knows, even with Pete-Crow Armstrong, that Chicago sports teams haven't been inspiring lately. While the Grand Cru will still take place on Saturday, September 27, at the Harris Bank Rooftop near Millennium Park, there are new events such as the aforementioned NASCAR dinner, which will take place on Wednesday, July 2, ahead of the third annual Chicago Street Race on Sunday, July 5. Diners will eat a five-course meal at the start/finish line in what organizers bill as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But what if it's a success? We'll see how 2025 goes. Tickets, $250, are already for sale online. The chef lineup consists of Fabio Viviani (Siena Tavern, Bar Siena, Bombobar), Joe Frillman and Leigh Omilinsky (Daisies), Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno), and Steve Maak (Levy Restaurants). Then, on Friday, July 25, a lineup of chefs will be at the ballpark for Game Day Gourmet at the Crosstown Classic in concert with the Cubs' and White Sox's interleague games in July at Rate Field on the South Side. It's a hot dog competition to see whose upscale spin on a wiener will reign supreme. Chefs will be tasked with zhuzhing special Duck Dogs, a duck fat-infused frank made famous by the Duck Inn. Participating chefs include Duck Inn's own Kevin Hickey, Frontier and Ina Mae's Package Goods' Brian Jupiter, and Mirra's Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir. Win or lose, rain or shine, folks who shell out the $250 per ticket will get to sample the specialty sausages from a suite overlooking the game. Tickets are available for purchase online. Finally, Jackie Robinson may not have strong ties to Chicago, but Major League Baseball's first Black player is celebrated around the country. His No. 42 is retired by all teams, and all players wear the number during MLB's annual Jackie Robinson Day. James Beard Award-winning chefs Erick Williams and Damarr Brown of Virtue will host a tribute dinner to Robinson on Wednesday, August 20. A cocktail reception will precede a three-course dinner. Marqueal Jordan & The Wachezaji will provide the music. Tickets cost $225 per person and are available online. Proceeds benefit Virtue Leadership Development and the IRA Educational Foundation. Sign up for our newsletter.
