TV chef, author, and Food Network host Giada De Laurentiis will open her first restaurant early next year at the Gansevoort Las Vegas resort.
"Ever since I was a little girl hanging out at my grandfather's restaurant, I've dreamed of having a restaurant of my own," said De Laurentiis, according to the Las Vegas Sun. "I've held back on past opportunities because I really wanted to be ready for the responsibility and challenges that come with a restaurant."
According to Las Vegas Sun, she will open her first restaurant right on the Strip, on the second floor of the Gansevoort, De Laurentiis, who stars on the Food Network's "Everyday Italian" and "Giada at Home," said the 12,000-square-foot venue, which will have Italian and lighter California influences, will open in March 2014 with al-fresco dining and views of the Bellagio fountains and mountains.
"Now, I couldn't be more excited about working with Gansevoort Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment to turn this dream into a delicious reality," De Laurentiis said in a press release. "The location, the-al fresco dining and the views were just too good to pass up!"
According to the Las Vegas Sun, De Laurentiis's restaurant will seat 300 guests.
The food will reflect her Italian heritage and California lifestyle. According to a press release, guests of the restaurant will savor "signature dishes made famous through her many cookbooks and Food Network television shows." Some of her family's favorites will also be spotlighted.
The TV chef promises that her famous family cookbook recipes of lemon spaghetti and butternut squash lasagna will be available, along with fresh-baked breads and specialty pasta. According to the Sun, diners can watch food being made through the kitchen window.
"Giada is a gem," said Caesars Entertainment Regional Vice President of Food and Beverage Jeffrey Frederick, according to the Las Vegas Sun. "She's the first female celebrity chef to join the Caesars Entertainment family in Las Vegas and will fit right in with our lineup of renowned chefs, including Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Nobu Matsuhisa and Guy Savoy."
As De Laurentiis prepares for her opening, two Food Network stars will be closing their restaurant.
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill restaurant will close after more than 20 years in New York City's Flatiron District and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's Tribeca Canvas will also shut down for good.
De Laurentiis isn't the only famous chef who will soon have food roots in Vegas. In 2014, fans of Guy Fieri will be able to dine at his 7,000-square-foot restaurant, which will be housed at The LINQ, a brand new entertainment complex, according to the Sun.
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