Alessandro Stratta

Renoir will present the French artist's extraordinary paintings in company with the award-winning chef's innovative contemporary French cuisine.

Stratta has a long list of culinary awards which include being designated one of "America's Ten Best Chefs" by Food & Wine and being named "1998 Best Chef in the Southwest" by The James Beard Foundation. In a USA Today feature about the exploding Las Vegas dining scene, Stratta was cited as "having a remarkable knack for combing fresh, seasonal ingredients in exciting ways." At Renoir, he is enticing diners with his signature dishes - Cucumber Consomme with Dungeness Crab and Osetra Caviar, Saute of Foie Gras with Peppered Pineapple and Aged Balsmic Vinegar and Roasted Turbot with Fresh Hearts of Palm and Black Truffle.

Graduating with honors from the California Culinary Institute, San Francisco, Chef Stratta's career has included positions in some of the world's finest establishments. His first experience was under the tutelage of Pastry Chef Jim Dodge at San Francisco's Stanford Court Hotel where he spent two years learning the craft of baking. Soon after accepting an internship at the Michelin three-star, Hotel du Paris in Monaco, Stratta was invited by Alaine Ducasse to join his team at Louis XV. This two year stint stands out as one of the best experiences in Stratta's life. "My cooking is grounded in what I was taught by Ducasse," he says. When Stratta planned to return to the United States, it was Chef Ducasse was also his mentor who advised him to work with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque which he did for two years.

Stratta was offered an enormous opportunity in 1989 when he was named Executive Chef of Mary Elaine's at the five-star Phoenecian Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona. During his nine years at the Phoenecian, Mary Elaine's won many awards, including a Mobil four star rating. In 1998, Steve Wynn, Chairman of Mirage Resorts, Inc. asked Stratta to become part of the expanding Las Vegas culinary circle as the Executive Chef of Reenoir at the Mirage. At Renoir, Stratta continues his work, providing guests with memorable experiences filled with a mix of fine food, fine art and superb service.

Chef Stratta is the fourth generation of a family of restauranteurs and hoteliers that began their legacy in northern Italy where his great grandfather operated a hunting lodge in the mountains of Piedmonte. Stratta grew up in some of the finest hotels in the world while his father was the President of Giga and Princess Hotels International. Having had the good fortune to live in Italy, France, Singapore, Mexico and the United States helped Stratta become fluent in French, Italian, Spanish and English.