Carla Pellegrino's Bratalian Nabs an A in the RJ

Is Bratalian Neopolitan Cantina worthy of an A rating from Heidi Knapp Rinella? The LVRJ food critic travels down to Anthem and Carla Pellegrino’s restaurant that she runs on the side with her sister and chef Alessandra Madeira.

“Don't let the name and the rumors fool you; I'd been told Bratalian was a Brazilian/Italian restaurant, which sounded like fusion confusion. While the first three letters in the name no doubt allude to chef/owner Carla Pellegrino's birthplace of Brazil, the last six reflect the heritage of her mother and Pellegrino's own years in Italy, and they and the "Neapolitan" subtext are the restaurant's raison d'etre.”

She loves the Linguine al Ragu. “All of those meats and that careful cooking give the sauce a whole range of layers you wouldn't get in a garden-variety marinara,” she writes. And she loves the Pollo alla Milanese.

Other recent A-rated restaurants include Stratta at Wynn Las Vegas and Due Forni in Summerlin.

If Al Mancini could only figure out what hours Moretti’s Eatery stays open, he’d have a better shot at reviewing the breakfast and Italian joint. Twice the CityLife food critic tried to go only to find the place locked tight before its posted closing time. “If a customer shows up within 15 or 20 minutes of your stated closing time, he has every right to expect food. Unfortunately, the people at Moretti's Eatery don't share that philosophy — which made for a very frustrating week of trying to eat dinner there.” [CityLife]

Las Vegas Weekly food writer Jim Begley expected to find Americanized versions of Mexican food at Phat Frank’s, but instead discovered tasty tacos, nachos and a carne asada breakfast burrito with “just the right ratio of potatoes, egg, meat and cheese.” He notes the restaurant is only open until 6 p.m. weekdays and closes on the weekends. [LVW]

Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina

10740 S. Eastern Ave., Henderson, NV