Gelato Messina's Heather Dolton Talks Favorite Las Vegas Restaurants

The chef behind the Australian gelato restaurant at Downtown Summerlin likes Downtown Las Vegas dining options.

Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential. Know a chef who wants to share some top dining spots? The tipline is open.

Who else but a pastry chef to head up Gelato Messina, the Australian import at Downtown Summerlin? Heather Dolton learned every step involved in making the 40 flavors here. Dolton’s career started at a deli in a New York and moved to doughnuts and then the pastry kitchen. Her move west in 1996 took her to Loews Coronado Bay, The Phoenician in Scottsdale and The St. Regis Monarch Beach. After moving to Las Vegas in 2005, Dolton spent three years at The Mansion at the MGM Grand as the executive pastry chef before becoming the executive pastry chef at the Mirage. Most recently, Dolton headed up the cake and pastry department at Bali Hai Golf Club on the Las Vegas Strip. Here she goes for anything but gelato with her three favorite places to dine in Las Vegas.

Which restaurants do you turn to when you’re not working?

MTO Café, Carson Kitchen and Pizza Rock.

What dishes are most memorable?
At MTO — The Bob because it’s a solid chicken sandwich, light, fresh and amazing with chicken, arugula for bite and a great sweet mustard sauce, and the BLT because it’s a classic improved with fried egg and avocado. Their fruit side is the best. It’s not just a sad group of melon like other places. It’s sliced apples and blueberries and strawberries.

Pizza Rock — love the butcher pizza, loaded with all kinds of awesome — prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, bacon, linguica, some sausage, mortadella.

Carson Kitchen — Bacon Jam, hands down.

Why do you enjoy going there?
MTO — It’s fast but not cheaply done, well-made and fresh.

Carson Kitchen — The atmosphere is great and I love being downtown. The cocktails are perfect.

Pizza Rock — they have a great selection of Oregon brewery beers. I love that they have different pizza crust options. It’s something for everyone without being generic.