Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 | 5 p.m.
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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