Jose Lopez Picazo at JULIAN SERRANO

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You get the feeling talking with Executive Chef José Lopez Picazo that he’s a great admirer of America’s two most celebrated Spanish chefs — Jose Andrés and Julian Serrano —  but that he’s more impressed with the day to day kitchen and cooking habits of Serrano. The Madrid native should know, since he’s one of the few chefs to have done considerable time with both men — working with Andrés for years in D.C. before coming west to take over the kitchen duties at Julian Serrano.

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Las Vegas Weekly – The Sushi Issue

ELV Note: The Las Vegas Weekly’s exploration of all things sushi hits the newsstands today, so we thought we’d give you a peak at some tasty snaps from our interview with Bar Masa’s Drew Terp, followed by the Weekly article(s) outlining the best sushi in town, according to Brock Radke, Jim Begley, and you know who. (ELV tip: After Bar Masa, Shibuya and Sen of Japan, everyone else is an also-ran. ELV tip #2: Anyone who eats all-you-can-eat sushi should have their head examined. ELV Tip #3: Scroll down to Terp’s Tips if you want to raise your sushi game and stop eating it like a girlie-man.)

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THE NEIGHBORHOOD JOINT

Sen of Japan (8480 W. Desert Inn Road, 871-7781) Sen, as it’s known to regulars, is a west-side staple and, unequivocally, the best “accessible” sushi in town. It’s cheaper than Bar Masa, Nobu and Roku but more expensive than your standard neighborhood joint. Don’t let that dissuade you; you will walk—or waddle—away feeling the experience was well worth the cost.

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John Mariani Interviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air

ELV note: We were surprised a couple of hours ago when tuning into News 88.9 FM Nevada Public Radio, to hear our paisan John Mariani being interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR. Click on the link below to listen, and continue after the jump to read a sample chapter from his new book: How Italian Food Conquered The World.