Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Chase for the Golden Nerf:

Celebrity/Media NFL Picks Week 7: Winning awards is just gravy for celeb chef Carla Pellegrino

2013 Keep Memory Alive 'Power of Love' Gala at MGM Grand

Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com

Carla Pellegrino attends the 2013 Keep Memory Alive “Power of Love” Gala celebrating the joint 80th birthdays of Sir Michael Caine and Quincy Jones at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, April 13, 2013.

For Chef Carla Pellegrino, success isn’t about winning awards.

“I don’t work to win awards. … You’ll never be great at what you do if you are only doing it for those expectations. For me, it’s just passion. I love what I do. What matters are the guests. I work for them,” said the celebrity chef and owner of Bratalian restaurant in Henderson.

Want proof? Swing by on a weekend night for dinner and you’re almost sure to see Pellegrino in person. But don’t wait too long.

“I’m usually there on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights,” she said. “I don’t care who it is — whether it’s a movie star or the guy who works at the bakery on the corner. The minute they’ve decided to come to my restaurant, I want to go the extra mile for them. But I have a lot going on right now. I’ll be heading to Miami for 10 months in February to open a new place. It’s a chance to do a fine dining establishment, and I am excited about it.”

But make no mistake, Pellegrino is equally excited about Las Vegas and has been since arriving in 2006.

“When I first got here, the city was blooming as a culinary destination. It’s quieted down a little as far as growth goes, but that’s because we have the best restaurants and chefs here now. It’s one of the top spots in the world. When I go to New York and come back, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything here. So many great restaurants,” she said.

Pellegrino, who is also working on a cookbook that she expects to release late next year, is having fun picking games to try to win the Golden Nerf. But for her, it’s all in fun.

“I’m not a big fan of competitions in general. I feel like if I have to prove myself, I’ll never be myself. But this is just something everyone is having fun with, and I am glad to be a part of it,” she said.

Sal DeFilippo’s picks (8-9-1):

Eagles-Cowboys over 57

Falcons -7½ vs. Buccaneers

Giants -3 vs. Vikings

• • •

The media/celebrity picks:

Terry Fator, Mirage headliner (13-5)

Eagles-Cowboys over 57

Chiefs -6½ vs. Texans

Patriots -4 at Jets

• • •

John Katsilometes, The Kats Report (9-8-1)

Eagles-Cowboys over 57

Colts +6½ vs. Broncos

Chargers -7½ at Jaguars

• • •

Donny Osmond, Flamingo Las Vegas headliner (9-8-1)

Broncos -6½ at Colts

Chiefs -6½ vs. Texans

Cowboys-Eagles under 57

• • •

Carolyn Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas (9-9)

Chiefs -6½ vs. Texans

49ers -4½ at Titans

Broncos -6½ at Colts

• • •

Wayne Newton, "Mr. Las Vegas" (9-9)

Patriots -4 at Jets

Redskins -1½ vs. Bears

Chiefs -6½ vs. Texans

• • •

Marc Savard, Comedy Hypnotist at Planet Hollywood (8-8-2)

Patriots -4 at Jets

49ers -4½ at Titans

Packers -10½ vs. Browns

• • •

Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas ambassador (8-9-1)

Patriots -4 at Jets

Rams +6 at Panthers

Packers -10½ vs. Browns

• • •

Jason Feinberg, KVVU-TV morning personality (8-10)

Jaguars +7½ vs. Chargers

Redskins-Bears over 51

Broncos -6½ at Colts

• • •

Andrew Freeman, Raiding the Rock Vault performer at LVH (8-10)

Patriots -4 at Jets

Patriots-Jets under 43½

Giants -3 vs. Vikings

• • •

Claire Sinclair, star of "Pin Up" at Stratosphere (7-9-2)

Patriots -4 at Jets

Jaguars +7½ vs. Chargers

Chiefs -6½ vs. Texans

• • •

Frankie Moreno, Stratosphere headliner (6-10-2)

Patriots -4 at Jets

Bears +1½ at Redskins

Ravens +1½ at Steelers

• • •

Carla Pellegrino, celebrity chef and owner of Bratalian (6-11-1)

Jets +4 vs. Patriots

Chargers -7½ at Jaguars

Broncos -6½ at Colts

• • •

Kevin Janison, KVBC meteorologist (6-11-1)

Jaguars +7½ vs. Chargers

Buccaneers +7 at Falcons

Browns +10½ at Packers

• • •

Mark & Mercedes in the Morning, Mix 94.1 (5-10-3)

Patriots -4 at Jets

Lions -3 vs. Bengals

49ers -4½ at Titans

• • •

Carrot Top, Luxor headliner (4-12-2)

Chiefs -6½ vs. Texans

Falcons-Buccaneers under 42

Giants -3 vs. Vikings

• • •

Dana White, UFC president (3-15)

Chargers -7½ at Jaguars

49ers -4½ at Titans

Packers -10½ vs. Browns

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