Carla Pellegrino, executive chef and owner of Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina, was born in Brazil and raised in Italy. She opened Baldoria Restaurant in New York City before moving to Southern Nevada in 2006. Pellegrino competed on season 10 of the popular reality-TV competition “Top Chef,” winning one episode with a carrot soup and turkey meatball dish.
Do you have any recent news you’d like to share?
I am proud to (now have) breakfast service at Bratalian. I think the Henderson community will be delighted once they try my breakfast; it is, after all, my favorite meal of the day, and to be able to offer it makes me really happy.
What is the best business advice you’ve received?
I like to collect good points from different views on the same subjects and make my own decision from there. However, I always pay extra attention to advice when it comes from (former Caesars Entertainment Vice President and Cosmopolitan CEO) John Unwin. He is a friend and a mentor, and I like to run my business ideas by him. He always has something new and helpful to add.
What has been your most exciting professional project?
I always feel and think that my present project, the one I am in, is the most exciting one. It’s just my life philosophy.
Nonetheless, coming to Las Vegas in 2006 to open the first branch of Rao’s after 14 years of operation in New York City, it was new, challenging and super-exciting.
Then Touché Miami, which was my last endeavor, was pretty exciting and challenging, as well — my first deviation from traditional Italian cuisine and first time doing 24-hour service. They were both very successful and fulfilling experiences.
You’ve had success in the restaurant industry and have created a name for yourself, especially in Las Vegas. To what do you owe your success?
I owe it to my passion. I am very grateful to be able to work with what I love, and I have a sense of self-criticism. I always give 100 percent to everything I decide to do, because I judge myself throughout the process and I am pretty hard to please. I guess this makes me try harder to be on point.
How important is it for you to incorporate your culture into your recipes?
It is hard to measure how important, because it is organic. My recipes are results of my culture. I don’t try, I don’t think about it … my culture makes me who I am and what I do. I am my culture.
Have you encountered any obstacles being a woman in a male-dominated career?
Yes. Of course, when I started cooking professionally 17 years ago, it was harder, but already going in the right direction. I think nowadays it is little by little going away.
What inspired you to change it up with a new breakfast service at Bratalian?
A great breakfast meal sets one’s mood and wellbeing for the rest of the day. It can make you smile or can make you miserable when it is not good.
I don’t see it as a change; it is just an addition, a way to say thank you to my Henderson customers.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
I love slow cooking, braising, marinating, and all that takes more than two hours to be ready, makes me feel like an artist and makes me eat like royalty.
What do you do after work?
Clean my house, run, play with my dogs, watch TV or go for Japanese food.
Blackberry, iPhone or Android?
I was a Blackberry affectionate for many years. Now my life has been taken over by Apple and it will be Apple forever. Android? What is it? Never heard of it.
Describe your management style.
I am very bossy since my early ages. I was born to be a leader; it is in my veins, which sometimes makes me act a bit too passionate. I had to tone it down. However, my management style reaches my employees as a maternal tough love. I can be very hard. I expect reliability all the time, but I am also compassionate and protective of my employees.
I refined my management approach once I had managed union employees here in Vegas; it was a great learning experience, very positive actually.
Where do you see yourself and your company in 10 years?
Retired? Just kidding; I wouldn’t if I could.
Ten years from now I want to be out of the kitchen overseeing a chain of fun, healthy, good-food, modern-concept restaurants throughout the country.
What is your dream job, outside of your current field? Why?
I always dreamed about PR and marketing; it is just something that was in my mind since I was a kid, and I still think I could be great at it.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
Love America. Love Las Vegas. I am right where I want to be.
The only change that I would make — and I might do it someday — would be moving to Los Angeles. Yes, I think I will get old there.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Laziness. It can ruin everything!
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would love to be more introspective, have some kind of filter between my emotions and words. I am working on it.
What is something that people might not know about you?
That I am shy, and that it is hard to believe.