32. DUE FORNI
Ingredients matter.
This mantra is in full force at Due Forni and it’s hard to argue with the results. Whether it’s taggiasca olives, San Daniele prosciutto; or true bufala mozzarella, the purity and inherent perfection they possess—much like one-third of the “EATING LAS VEGAS” book — overwhelms the inferior competition to which they are often compared.
Some swoon over the cracker-crusted Roman-style, but it’s the puffy/yeasty Neapolitan pies that frame these top-shelf products best. First-timers always get the namesake pizza—topped with Nueske’s bacon, house-made sausage, and piquillo peppers—but you won’t go wrong with any of the other eight, either.
For starters, get the beet salad—a goat-cheese and basil-pesto concoction that has made a convert out of this beet-hater. Not in the mood for a pizza? Then try the mozzarella tasting or a toothsome filet of sea bass balanced on a bed of tangy arugula. They also do a Daily Lasagna that is always a cheese or béchamel lover’s dream.
As good as the pizza is here (and only Settebello is in the same class as far as we’re concerned), the place also doubles as a carnivore’s dream come true. Whether it’s the smoked pork belly appetizer, or the pork cheeks, or a slap-my-ass-and-call-me-Sally strip steak, you won’t find better-cooked or conceived meat anywhere off the Strip.
The short-but-sweet roster of wines is also a big plus, not to mention the full bar and the spaghetti westerns (or other oddball pictures) always playing on the big screens.
Max Jacobson says: Due Forni, whose name means “two ovens” in Italian, is a compelling addition to the local food scene. Creative Argentine-born Italian chef Carlos Buscaglia (pictured above) is a master of all things doughy….The pies cook in a flash — approximately 90 seconds at 900 degrees. They are only a prelude, however, to a menu of delicious Italian dishes: polpette (tiny Italian turkey meatballs); semolina gnocchi with Nueske’s bacon; peas and black truffle crema; Tuscan panaznella (bread salad); and a terrific Caesar with punchy dressing and house-made croutons. For dessert, an absurd-looking chocolate pizza will actually grow on you.
Favorite Dishes: Beet Salad; Spinach Salad; Chef’s Antipasto Platter; New York Strip Steak; Carpaccio; Polpette; Pork Belly; Pork Cheeks; Daily Lasagna; Turkey Meatballs; Branzino; Mozzarella Tasting; Semolina Gnocchi with Nueske Bacon; Tuscan Panzanella; Caesar Salad; All Pizzas (On The Neapolitan Crust); Yogurt With Honey And Pistachios.
DUE FORNI
3555 South Town Center Drive #105
702.586.6500