The Las Vegas Pizza Legends

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat., John Curtas and Ash Watkins sit down at Amari in The UnCommons with two of Las Vegas' most passionate culinary talents: Chef Nicole Brisson and Chef Giovanni “Gio” Mauro.We're talking REAL Italian food, the Slow Food movement, heritage ingredients, Goatober, and whether Las Vegas has finally developed the appetite for a more thoughtful food culture. And, of course, there's wine. Plenty of wine.🍷 The Slow Food Movement & Goatober: Nicole and Gio discuss sustainability, heritage ingredients, and bringing overlooked foods back to the table.🇮🇹 Real Italian Food: We break down authentic Italian cuisine, Italian-American adaptations, and why quality ingredients matter.🐐 Goatober in Vegas: How goat became the star of a movement celebrating sustainable food and heritage breeds.✈️ Italy Adventures: From Parma’s incredible food and wine to a boat excursion that nearly went sideways.🦃 Thanksgiving, Italian Style: Chefs share their holiday traditions, favorite dishes, and wine pairings.Plus, a look at how Las Vegas dining has evolved and what it takes to build a stronger food culture.Featuring:Chef Nicole Brisson – Brezza & Amari Chef Giovanni “Gio” Mauro – MonzuOn Eat. Talk. Repeat., we talk food, restaurants, wine, and everything worth arguing about.🥂 Visit https://EatTalkRepeat.com📩 Send us your thoughts: [email protected] the show:Instagram: @EatTalkRepeatLV | @JohnCurtas | @AshTheAttorneyX: @EatTalkRepeat | @EatingLasVegas | @AshTheAttorney#LasVegasRestaurants #LasVegasFood #ItalianFood #EatTalkRepeat #LasVegasChefs #SlowFood #Goatober #VegasFoodie

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat., John Curtas sits down with two of Las Vegas’ pizza heavyweights, John Arena and Floriana Pastori, for a deep dive into the art, science, and culture of making great pizza.🍕 The Evolution of Vegas Pizza: From humble beginnings to a thriving pizza scene, how Las Vegas became a serious player in the pizza world.🇮🇹 From Italy to America: Personal journeys, culinary influences, and the traditions that shaped two passionate pizzaiolos.🔥 The Art of the Perfect Pie: Dough, fermentation, cooking techniques, quality ingredients, and why the little details make all the difference.🚚 Pizza on Wheels: How food trucks helped reshape the pizza business during COVID and beyond.🤌 Pizza Pet Peeves: Authenticity, questionable toppings, culinary shortcuts, and the things that make pizza purists lose their minds.From the history of pizza as street food to the modern obsession with different styles and ingredients, this episode gets into what separates a good pizza from a truly memorable one.Because making great pizza is an art. And apparently, everyone has an opinion about how it should be done.Eat. Talk. Repeat.🌐 EatTalkRepeat.comChapters00:00 Introduction to the Pizza Episode03:14 The Evolution of Pizza in Las Vegas08:12 Personal Journeys: From Italy to Las Vegas11:51 The Rise of Food Trucks During COVID15:44 Authenticity and Ingredients in Pizza18:10 Pizza Competitions and Achievements24:17 The Art of Pizza Making26:48 Recognition and Awards in the Pizza World27:35 Exploring Different Pizza Styles29:02 The Evolution of Pizza Ingredients31:05 Understanding Pizza Dough and Cooking Techniques35:11 The Growing Curiosity in Pizza Culture39:05 Influences on Modern Pizza Making41:34 Tasting and Appreciating Pizza44:12 The Art of Pizza Balance46:02 Street Food Origins of Pizza47:40 Fried Pizza: A Historical Perspective49:00 The Evolution of Pizza Trucks50:03 Creating Unique Pizza Experiences52:36 Ingredient Misuse in Pizza56:25 The Importance of Quality Ingredients01:00:58 Pizza Pet Peeves and Culinary Philosophy

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat.John Curtas and Ash Watkins take aim at one of their biggest pet peeves: sh!tty restaurant lists.You know the ones. They claim to know the “best” or “most popular” restaurants in Las Vegas, yet somehow manage to get it spectacularly wrong. Some are outdated, some are questionable, and others have the audacity to recommend restaurants that have been CLOSED FOR YEARS. Who’s making these lists, and has anyone actually eaten at these places?John and Ash have thoughts. Naturally. So, without further ado, here’s their Top 3 list. Because apparently, nobody’s fact-checking these things.👉 Visit EatTalkRepeat.com for updates, events, and the newsletter👉 Got a food take or hate mail? [email protected] for more Vegas food talk & behind-the-scenes flavor:X/Twitter: @EatTalkRepeat | @EatingLasVegas | @AshTheAttorneyInstagram: @EatTalkRepeatLV | @JohnCurtas | @AshTheAttorney

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat.On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat., we’re airing out YOUR biggest dining pet peeves. From restaurant habits that drive you absolutely nuts to the things that make John and Ash want to send a dish back, nobody’s leaving this conversation unscathed. Naturally, we have a few opinions of our own.👉 Visit EatTalkRepeat.com for updates, events, and the newsletter👉 Got a food take or hate mail? [email protected] for more Vegas food talk & behind-the-scenes flavor:X/Twitter: @EatTalkRepeat | @EatingLasVegas | @AshTheAttorneyInstagram: @EatTalkRepeatLV | @JohnCurtas | @AshTheAttorney

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat., John Curtas and Ash Watkins are back with another round of Las Vegas restaurant reviews, food news, and strong opinions.🥩 The Worst Steak Dinner of the Year? John and Ash review Naughty Angel, plus Lotus of Siam, Cipriani, Gaetano’s, Bar Boheme, Ada’s, Vesta, and more.🐟 Milos puts lunch on the clock. Estiatorio Milos introduces a $45 business lunch, promising three courses in 60 minutes or less.🥙 Hedary’s is back! The Las Vegas Mediterranean favorite returns at The Gramercy.🍷 Food events worth knowing about: Picnic in the Alley returns, and Monzu serves up a Bubbles & Truffles Brunch.Plus, restaurant ratings, pet peeves, and listener questions from John and Ash.📍 Las Vegas restaurants | 🍽️ Restaurant reviews | 🔥 Vegas food newsFind us everywhere @EatTalkRepeat and visit EatTalkRepeat.com for more Vegas food news and The Amuse Bouche, our weekly newsletter.📩 Hate mail, questions, fan mail & restaurant tips: [email protected]: @EatTalkRepeat | @AshTheAttorney | @EatingLasVegas | @JohnCurtas

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat.A couple of weeks ago, John posted his 55 Essential Restaurants of Las Vegas on eatinglv.com. This week's episode is the bar list to go with it. Our resident bar fly, James Reza, is back with his 50 essential Las Vegas bars, and we go through the list alphabetically over a round of absinthe.James's list is about bars that matter, not just bars that are hot right now. It includes the oldest liquor license in town (Atomic Liquors), a 1970s fern bar with live jazz and a water wheel (Dispensary Lounge), and the debate over who brought hot wings to Vegas (Four Kegs). Along the way: Bar Ginza, Frankie's Tiki Room, Double Down Saloon, Herbs & Rye, Golden Steer and its COVID mannequins, Liquid Diet, Nocturno, Piero's Monkey Bar, Silver Stamp's Halloween haunt, Sand Dollar Lounge, and why downtown has become the best drinking neighborhood in Las Vegas.CHAPTERS00:00 Cheers! Absinthe and intros01:49 John's 55 Essential Restaurants05:24 James Reza and his 50 essential bars08:56 Able Baker Brewing and Atomic Liquors11:00 Badlands Saloon and the Fruit Loop12:14 Bar Ginza15:18 Bootlegger, Chandelier and Collins Bar20:15 Commonwealth, Crown & Anchor and RIP Decatur Liquors23:28 Dino's Lounge and Dispensary Lounge (what's a fern bar?)26:13 Doberman Drawing Room and Double Down Saloon28:16 Four Kegs and John's bar exam day30:51 Frankie's Tiki Room32:31 Golden Steer's COVID mannequins34:57 Hard Shake, Herbs & Rye, Hideaway and Huntridge Tavern37:27 Italian American Club, Jive Turkey and Laundry Room39:13 Legacy Club and Liquid Diet41:38 Piero's Monkey Bar, Mountain Springs Saloon and Nocturno44:27 Office Bar, Overlook Lounge and Paymon's47:45 Petrossian Bar, Pioneer Saloon, Rebar and Red Dwarf49:47 Sand Dollar Lounge (John has a story)52:04 Stake Out, Starboard Tack and Silver Stamp's Halloween54:05 Tap House, Velveteen Rabbit and the yurt bar54:25 Why downtown is the cocktail neighborhood55:20 Wrap-up👉 Visit EatTalkRepeat.com for updates, events, and the newsletter👉 Got a food take or hate mail? [email protected] for more Vegas food talk & behind-the-scenes flavor:X/Twitter: @EatTalkRepeat | @EatingLasVegas | @AshTheAttorneyInstagram: @EatTalkRepeatLV | @JohnCurtas | @AshTheAttorney

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat., John Curtas and Ash Watkins are back with another round of Las Vegas restaurant reviews, food news, and strong opinions.🍔 The Worst Burger of the Year? John has some thoughts on Harlo, plus reviews of Amata Modern Thai, Zaytoon, Yu by SIJIE, Hayworth, Ada’s, YEN Viet Kitchen, Banchan, and more.🔥 SMKD BBQ hits T-Mobile Arena with smoked meats, smashed brisket, pulled pork, and a lineup of BBQ sandwiches.🍷 Wine is coming to you. Ada’s launches the Nine Lives Wine Society, while Garagiste Wine Room expands its wine club with delivery within the City of Las Vegas.🍺 Oakwell Beer Spa is eyeing the Arts District. Because apparently Vegas needed one more way to drink while relaxing.🚨 Restaurant news: Yui Sushi Edomae closes, new restaurant developments are brewing around Las Vegas, and the Vegas dining scene keeps moving.Plus, John and Ash run through their latest restaurant visits, ratings, favorite and least favorite parts, return-worthy spots, pet peeves, and listener questions.It’s another episode packed with Las Vegas restaurants, food news, reviews, wine, BBQ, burgers, and the opinions you actually want to hear.On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat.📍 Las Vegas restaurants🍔 Restaurant reviews🍷 Vegas food & wine🔥 Las Vegas restaurant news🍽️ Dining in Las VegasFind us everywhere @EatTalkRepeat and visit EatTalkRepeat.com for more Vegas food, restaurant news, and The Amuse Bouche, our weekly newsletter.📩 Hate mail, questions, fan mail & restaurant tips: [email protected]:@EatTalkRepeat@AshTheAttorney@EatingLasVegas@JohnCurtasPlease like, subscribe, and leave us a review.Bon Appétit & goodnight Canada!

On Today’s Menu:🎙️ A long-awaited guest finally joins us: James Reza, downtown insider, writer, editor, and cocktail connoisseur.📰 How Reza helped unleash John Curtas, the food critic on Las Vegas (blame him or thank him).📉 Is Las Vegas really “dead”? We unpack the tourism stats, Wall Street meddling, and the slow death of the $0.99 shrimp cocktail myth.💸 Why filet mignon is $95 in Vegas but $52 in Manhattan — and why no one’s lowering prices anytime soon.📲 Influencer culture: pay-for-play reviews, “OnlyFoods,” and the Gen Z ring-light invasion of local bars.🍸 Cocktail culture deep-dive: from Rudy at Nora’s to Bellagio’s program, to today’s booming downtown bar scene.🥃 Favorite haunts: Petite Boheme, Frankies, Herbs & Rye, and why you’ll never get a bad drink downtown.😤 Bar Pet Peeves of the Week: from charging for ice to the dreaded “Gen Z stare” to non-calibrated soda guns.Questions, comments, hate mail? Email us at [email protected]!Thanks for tuning into today's episode! If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the show, & make sure you leave us a 5-star review. Visit us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eat. Talk. Repeat.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on social:Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@EatTalkRepeat⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@EatingLasVegas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WhatsRightSam⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, &⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AshTheAttorney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@EatTalkRepeatLV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JohnCurtas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WhatsRightSam⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, &⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AshTheAttorney⁠

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat., John Curtas shares a glass with two of Las Vegas’ biggest wine nerds: Eric Prato of Garagiste Wine Room and Dave Klarer of Timeless Hospitality.With Ash out, John finally gets his long-awaited wine episode with plenty of strong opinions and a deep dive into what’s actually happening with wine right now.🍷 Is the wine industry really in decline?🍷 Are younger generations killing wine culture, or just changing it?🍷 Did the wine world make itself too pretentious and intimidating?🍷 What does Las Vegas’ wine scene get right… and what does it get spectacularly wrong?🍷 Why are some of the best $20–$40 wines nearly invisible on the Strip?🍷 Natural wine: revolution, fad, or just funky juice?🍷 Are trophy wines and $3,000 bottles really worth the price?🍷 And most importantly: **How do you actually order wine at a restaurant without getting screwed?**Eric and Dave also share their insider tips for navigating a wine list, talking to sommeliers, setting a budget, trying unfamiliar varietals, and finding the hidden gems that don’t come with a famous label.And of course, John puts them through a wine nerd lightning round, covering obscure grapes, France vs. Italy, decanting, underrated wine regions, Sideways, Drops of God, and the dreaded bunghole.It’s wine. It’s Vegas. It’s a little nerdy. And yes, they opened another bottle.🍷 CHEERS!👉 Visit EatTalkRepeat.com for updates, events, and the newsletter👉 Got a food take or hate mail? [email protected] for more Vegas food talk & behind-the-scenes flavor:X/Twitter: @EatTalkRepeat | @EatingLasVegas | @AshTheAttorneyInstagram: @EatTalkRepeatLV | @JohnCurtas | @AshTheAttorney

On today’s episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat.🍽️ The Michelin Guide, food influencers, restaurant reviews & the future of Vegas dining — it’s all on the table.In this episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat., Ash Watkins and John Curtis dig into the latest happenings in the Las Vegas food scene, including a closer look at the Michelin Guide’s newest selections and what those awards really mean for local restaurants.They also dive into the ever-changing world of food influencers, discussing whether their influence is growing, fading, or simply changing shape. From there, it’s time for restaurant reviews, unique dining experiences, the Hudson Valley food scene, and a few thoughts on culinary trends that maybe should have stayed in the kitchen. Yes, we’re talking about the Cronut. 🥐Plus, the hosts look ahead to upcoming restaurant openings, new culinary concepts, and what’s next for Las Vegas dining.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates02:56 Michelin Guide Discussion05:51 Critique of Michelin Selections09:01 Local Restaurant Insights11:54 Future of Las Vegas Dining15:01 Legal Issues in the Restaurant Scene17:51 Closing Thoughts and Reflections27:38 The Rise and Fall of Influencers in the Food Scene29:57 Restaurant Reviews: A Culinary Journey34:06 Exploring Unique Dining Experiences39:06 The Hudson Valley Food Scene44:01 Critiquing Culinary Trends and Fads56:11 Upcoming Restaurant Openings and Innovations👉 Visit EatTalkRepeat.com for updates, events, and the newsletter👉 Got a food take or hate mail? [email protected] for more Vegas food talk & behind-the-scenes flavor:X/Twitter: @EatTalkRepeat | @EatingLasVegas | @AshTheAttorneyInstagram: @EatTalkRepeatLV | @JohnCurtas | @AshTheAttorney