Interview with Chef Alex Stratta, Alex, Wynn Las Vegas
Posted on Sep 30, 2009 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews | No Comment
Chef Alex Stratta at his restaurant Alex, Wynn Las Vegas
Chef Alex Stratta graduated with honors from the Cailfornia Culinary Institute in San Francisco. He studied pastry under Jim Dodge at San Francisco’s Stanford Court Hotel and during an internship at the Michelin three star Hotel du Paris in Monaco he was invited by Alaine Ducasse to join the cooking crew at Louis XV. His relationship with Ducasse provided an opportunity to work with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque in New York, where Stratta worked for two years. In 1989, Stratta moved to Phoenix to become Executive Chef of Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenecian Resort, which shortly won a Mobil four star rating under his tenure. While there, Stratta was featured in Food & Wine magazine as oneof “America’s Ten Best New Chefs.” In 1998, after receiving the “Best Chef Southwest” James Beard Award, Steve Wynn recruited Stratta to be Executive Chef at Renoir at the Mirage. Six months after opening, Renoir received Mobil Travel Guide’s highest rating of five stars. In 2001, Stratta was chosen as Iron Chef Italian on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” television show. In 2005, Stratta opened his namesake restaurant Alex at the Wynn resort. He also owns the more casual Stratta at Wynn.
Chef Stratta was nice enough to sit down with us during our huge tasting menu at Alex and share a glass of wine while I asked him about his career as a chef, opening up his restaurants in Las Vegas, working with mentors Ducasse and Boulud and his philosphy of cooking. Here is our conversation:
