TASTING TABLESIDE WITH CHEF CARLOS BUSCAGLIA
SLV GETS IT FRESH – STRAIGHT FROM THE CHEF
When you hear Naples, Italy – what do you think of? After my “Chef’s Tasting” at Due Forni restaurant in Summerlin, I have a newfound love for Naples – its San Marzano Tomatoes and Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, that is. Actually, Chef Carlos Buscaglia (former Executive Chef – FiAMMA MGM) explained, that it’s the soil that is so rich from the hills of Mount Vesuvius that makes the tomatoes so full of flavor. And the buffalo mozzarella – what makes that so incredible must be that it’s simply made by the pros. Italians have uniquely perfected many of the great foods that the two co-partners of Due Forni are willing to pay a pretty price tag to import, in order to be able to offer the finest quality to their distinguished customers. I’m not saying you have to be a foodie to appreciate their fine fare, but many a gastronomes will, once they fall upon this gem of an eatery. As Co-Owner, Alex Taylor (former Executive Director of Food & Beverage at the Mandalay Bay and Encore resorts) would explain of his 6 years in the making ‘brainchild’: “It’s all about quality.” His concept was to become the first restaurant in the world to house and serve from dual custom-designed brick ovens. Due Forni (Italian for “two ovens”), would utilize both ovens that perfectly retain their consistent temperatures: one at 900 degrees for the perfect traditional Neopolitan pizza (cooked for only 90 seconds to produce a light, chewy crust with a crisp exterior), and the second oven at 500 degrees for their Roman crust (cooked for 3 minutes) to produce a Roman pizza so authentic, you can practically see the artists painting in the streets of Roma, Italy, in each bite. The pizzas are beautifully reproduced by adding a unique freshness that cannot be duplicated here in the Valley. It starts with the imported Italian San Marzano tomatoes. Chef Buscaglia’s pizza sauce is not the typical oregano-laced thick pizza sauce most people are accustomed to, but instead the perfectly fresh, raw San Marzano tomatoes—that’s it! And that’s what makes his “pies” so spectacular. If there was one word to describe this restaurant, it would be: “Fresh”. Not only the tomatoes are flown in, but Taylor prides himself with offering his customers the finest Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella in the world – “Imported fresh from Italy, it’s simply the best.” He and Buscaglia have created what they call their Mozzarella Bar (which isn’t a bar at all, rather a unique selection of Bufala Mozzarella from Campania – Naples). Choose from three fresh and distinctly exceptional mozzarellas: classica/delicate, affumicata/smoked, and stracciatella/soft and creamy, and add any side of your choice to flavorfully accompany your selection with vegetables like roasted red peppers, basil pesto, marinated roman artichokes, white Sicilian anchovies, taggiasca olives, prosciutto san daniele or roasted tomatoes.
By no means is Due Forni to be considered a pizza parlor. Its eclectic ambience of Milan meets “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” is much like that of some of the restaurants you might experience in Italy, and though their Italian fare has more minimal menu offerings than other restaurants, patrons are filling up on their spectacular hot and cold appetizers as their meals. A must-experience dish is their Semolina Gnocchi – completely unlike any other gnocchi you’ve had before. A miniaturized version of gnocchi, (this is one of the only pastas that are brought in, rather than homemade), this appetizer screams ‘flavor’ with its smoked nueske bacon, peas, and a black truffle crema. This dish is out-of-this-world, and perfectly paired with it is their Panzanella Salad of arugula, tomato and onions topped with balsamic vinaigrette, croutons, and the undeniable flavor of pistachios. These two dishes should be shared and enjoyed with your friends and loved ones.
Alex wanted an atmosphere that met the needs of families, friends and couples on a date, so he designed an Al Fresco area for outside, plus two different dining areas inside: an open kitchen area in which the kids are glued to, as they line up to watch their pizzas prepared right in front of them, and a separate full bar area with tables for couples wanting privacy away from the main/open kitchen dining area. He added Italian jazz for an eclectic backdrop of ambience and kept the table décor simple, yet with heavy modern cutlery and serving pieces for elegance. For the avid wine lover, Due Forni offers an experience to remember. By utilizing their Enomatic wine dispenser, the restaurant gives patrons the chance to taste by the glass over 40 different high-end wines, something that most wine enthusiasts can only sample by way of ordering the entire bottle.
After preparing our screaming-with-flavor-Gnocchi and Pistachio-topped Panzanella Salad, our palates were now ready to experience the taste of pizzas d’Italia. Chef Buscaglia sat with us as we devoured our every last bite of the Neopolitan Margherita and Roman Proscuitto e Rucola pizzas, one better than the other.
SLV: How did you learn Neapolitan cooking?
CHEF CARLOS: My parents are from Sicily, but I grew up in Argentina (with a large Italian population). I spent some time in Naples, Italy, and then a lot of practice time making pizza dough for the last three months.
SLV: How old were you when you started to cook?
CHEF CARLOS: I started because my friends had an Italian deli in Argentina. I would spend every afternoon at the deli and I learned about the products, and obviously tasting them, too. I ate a lot as a kid. (laughter) When I was fourteen, I came to the U.S., where my uncle owned a pizzeria, and I used to work with him after school.
SLV: How is it different here than at FiAMMA?
CHEF CARLOS: At FiAMMA I was putting out 500-1,000 meals a day. It’s more familiar here. There’s an open kitchen, so I get to meet everybody. We get to know our customers on a personal basis. At a casino you might see someone tonight and not again for another four years. Here we see the same customer once a week and some even two or three times a week.
SLV: Everything is so fresh! It reminds me of Italy.
CHEF CARLOS: Everything is very fresh. When we cut tomatoes, we only cut enough for one day. The sauce and dough is made fresh every day. It’s not like some restaurants that make a batch of sauce to last 4 or 5 days. Even the mushrooms on the Tortufo (their signature pizza topped with a sunny-side up egg) are sliced thin so they get roasted in the oven.
SLV: Tell me about the turkey meatballs.
CHEF CARLOS: Everyone does the pork, veal and beef meatballs. I wanted to do something different, healthier, so I use turkey, Parmesan cheese, eggs and seasoning. They get oven-roasted and once they’re done, we put them in a pan with San Marzano tomatoes, basil and garlic, and let them simmer.
SLV: I see you’ve kept your menu downsized with your finest dishes...
ALEX TAYLOR: We have specials every day. The repeat business we have bodes very well for us long term. You can come here and eat three times a week because it’s so comfortable and easy going, but the quality is always there.
CHEF CARLOS: We did cannelloni’s last weekend, with all handmade pasta with ricotta and spinach inside. We’ve done homemade linguine and shrimp with vodka sauce. We do desserts too, like Zabaione with drunken berries, or orange slices with shaved Verona chocolate on top. We use the fruit that’s in season.
SLV: Thank you for a delightful meal. We will bring many more.
ALEX & CHEF CARLOS: Thank you. SLV
Due Forni Pizza and Wine
3555 S. Town Center Drive Las Vegas, NV 89135
702-586-6500 • DueForni.com • Lunch and Dinner 7 days a week
Issue 62 featuring: Aiden Ashley, Jana Jordan & Jenny Ryan
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