A highly acclaimed Las Vegas pastry chef is moving off the Strip and into the suburbs to open her own bakery cafe.
Megan Romano will open the doors to Chocolate and Spice Bakery on Friday in Summerlin.
Romano worked several years for Charlie Palmer at Aureole at Mandalay Bay. That's where she developed her chocolate-spice concept, a signature style that involved nontraditional combinations of ingredients, such as tangerine zest and chocolate chips.
She wrote a cook book, “It’s A Sweet Life,” and sold her signature confections online and to local cafes.
In 2011, she was named best pastry chef by the Desert Companion and Vegas Seven. Now, she’s branching out on her own.
“I envision Chocolate and Spice Bakery to be a meeting place for coffee and a light bite on the way to work, for a simple soup and beverage at lunch, and for a sweet bite any time of the day,” Romano said. “My dream has been to open a bakery, and this setting is the culmination of years of experience in developing a refreshing menu.”
Items for sale include a breakfast frittata with roasted vegetables and Parmesan cheese and a tomato-watermelon-mozzarella salad.
On the sweet side, Romano will offer bon bons, truffles, chocolate bark, ice cream, tarts, pies and cakes. Her specialties include a caramel sticky brioche bun, banana-vanilla cream pie and a tequila lime chocolate bar.
Chocolate and Spice is located at 7293 W. Sahara Blvd. and will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.