Alessandro Stratta facts for kids

Alessandro Stratta (born October 29, 1964) is a famous American celebrity chef and restaurateur. A restaurateur is someone who owns or manages restaurants. He was known as Iron Chef Italian on the TV show Iron Chef USA. Stratta won the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef Southwest in 1998. He was the head chef and owner of his well-known restaurant, Alex, in Las Vegas. This restaurant closed in 2011. Later, he owned "Tapas by Alex Stratta" in Summerlin until 2015. In 2016, Stratta became the head chef at Prado restaurant in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

The Culinary Journey of Alessandro Stratta

Early Life and Global Adventures

Alessandro Stratta was born on October 29, 1964. His family had a long history in the hotel business. His father was Italian, and his mother was French. Because his father worked for a big hotel company, Alessandro grew up in many different countries. He lived in places like Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, France, Mexico, and Pakistan. This helped him learn to speak French, Italian, Spanish, and English fluently. He attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, California. He finished his studies with honors in 1983.

Learning from the Best Chefs

Stratta started his cooking career learning to make pastries. He then got an internship at a famous hotel in Monaco. There, a top chef named Alain Ducasse invited him to join his team. After two years, Stratta moved back to the United States. He worked for another famous chef, Daniel Boulud, in New York City. Both Ducasse and Boulud taught Stratta a lot. They helped him become a great chef and restaurant owner. Stratta says Ducasse taught him how to make simple food taste amazing. Boulud taught him creative cooking and business skills.

Leading Kitchens as Executive Chef

In 1989, Stratta became the head chef at Mary Elaine's restaurant. This restaurant was in Scottsdale, Arizona. Food & Wine Magazine named him one of "America's Ten Best New Chefs." The restaurant earned a 4-star rating under his leadership. It was also called the best restaurant in the Phoenix area.

In 1998, Stratta moved to Las Vegas. He became the head chef at Renoir restaurant. This restaurant quickly earned a 5-star rating.

In 2005, Stratta opened his own restaurant called Alex. This was for the grand opening of the Wynn Las Vegas resort. His restaurant was a huge success. It received 5 stars from the Mobil Travel Guide. It also got 5 diamonds from the AAA. The Michelin Guide gave it 2 stars.

Alessandro Stratta on Television

In 2001, Alessandro Stratta appeared on the TV show Iron Chef USA. He was known as "Iron Chef Italian." He wasn't very competitive, but he liked the original Japanese Iron Chef show. In his only battle, he won against chef Marcus Samuelsson. In 2011, Stratta competed on Top Chef Masters. This is a reality competition show on Bravo. He finished in seventh place in the competition.

Awards and Recognition

• America's Ten Best New Chefs, Food & Wine Magazine, 1994
• Best Chef Southwest, James Beard Foundation, 1998
• Two Stars Michelin Guide for Alex
• AAA Five Diamond Award for Alex
• Five Stars Mobil Travel Guide for Alex
• Gaming Hall of Fame 2006 Inductee

Restaurants by Alessandro Stratta

• Alex at Wynn Las Vegas (Las Vegas)
• Stratta at Wynn Las Vegas (Las Vegas)
• Tapas by Alex Stratta (Las Vegas)
• Prado at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia (Scottsdale)
• Salt & Pepper at Tivoli Village (Las Vegas)