THE TEAM

ENOTECA SAN MARCO joins Zach Allen's casual cooking sensibility with Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich's restaurateur expertise. A winning collaboration, Zach, Mario and Joe have combined their interests and styles to showcase the food they love in a relaxed, comfortable setting.

ZACH ALLEN
Mario's protégé since 2000, Executive Chef Zach Allen is responsible for creating magic in the kitchen night after night. After beginning his career at Lupa Osteria Romana, Zach was named executive chef at Otto Enoteca & Pizzeria in 2003. Having studied cured meat under the tutelage of Mario and his father Armandino Batali, Zach helped launch Otto's renowned artisanal salumi program, curing over fifteen varieties of salami and meats. As the consulting salumist to all of Mario and Joe's restaurants, Zach educates servers and staff about the complexities of curing meat. Now the Executive Chef of B&B Ristorante, ENOTECA SAN MARCO and Carnevino, Zach executes his vision for Italian flavors and techniques in Las Vegas's ever-growing gourmet scene.

MARIO BATALI
A Seattle-bred, New York-based restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality, Mario Batali is known for his signature style—brazen meets sophisticated, forward meets enduring. He was named Man of the Year in the chef category by GQ Magazine in 1999. In 2002, he won the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: New York City award and in 2005 the James Beard Foundation awarded Mario Outstanding Chef of the Year. Mario is also one of the recipients of the 2001 D'Artagnan Cervena Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, a prestigious lifetime achievement award. Most recently, he and Joe Bastianich were awarded the 2008 James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur Award. Mario splits his time between New York City's Greenwich Village and northern Michigan with his wife Susan Cahn of Coach Dairy Goat Farm, and their two sons.

JOE BASTIANICH
After studying finance and spending a year on Wall Street, Joe bought a one-way ticket to Italy and explored the country's small corners, keeping food and wine a top priority. He came back to New York and opened Becco with his mother, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, and then partnered with Mario to open Babbo, which garnered three coveted stars from The New York Times and the prestigious Best New Restaurant in America award from the James Beard Foundation—indeed, the prophetic beginning of their thriving collection of restaurants. Joe is also a passionate wine-maker and teacher and wrote, with David Lynch, Vino Italiano. In 2005 he was recognized as an Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional by both the James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit. Most recently, he and Mario were awarded the 2008 James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur Award. Joe feels fortunate to be "working within the vernacular of the Italian table."

CHRIS VAUGHN
Growing up in a military family, Chris developed an appreciation for food through his travels abroad and here in the U.S. He began working in kitchens at the age of 17 and eventually went on to graduate from the Culintary Institute of America. After working at successful kitchens on both the East and West coast, Chris moved to Ketchum, Idaho, where his love of the outdoors was also easily satisfied. After 5 years in Idaho, word of the up and coming Las Vegas food scene led him to B & B Ristorante. He found the expreience of learning true Italian cuisine to be his best yet. After almost 3 years as Sous Chef at B & B, Chris has relocated to ENOTECA SAN MARCO as Chef di Cucina.

DOUG TAYLOR
Born in Sonoma County and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, Doug Taylor began cooking for his family at 12, took a dishwasher job at 17, and, at 19, started to run the pastry show in Daniel Thiebaut's esteemed restaurant where the value of locally grown products was instilled in Doug's approach. After a few years in northern California, Doug moved to Las Vegas to work for Michael Mina, where he got wind of Mario Batali's arrival to Vegas. The principles of Mario's kitchen, including the insistence on local and seasonal products and the celebration of simplicity, inspired Doug to join the Molto Vegas team in 2007.  In addition to running the pastry programs at Carnevino, B&B Ristorante, and ENOTECA SAN MARCO, Doug is an instructor in the agricultural program at the University of Nevada, which concentrates on producing sustainable ingredients in the arid dessert climate.