Joseph Zanelli IN as Executive Chef at Botero

Botero now has a new executive chef who returns to Wynn Las Vegas after working with Blau & Associates on Honey Salt and Andiron Steak & Sea. Chef Joseph Zanelli heads back to Encore Las Vegas to take over the reigns of the steakhouse, filling in the final piece of the puzzle after Wynn announced that Mark LoRusso was taking over Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare with the departure of Paul Bartolotta.

“…we are looking forward to welcoming him back to Wynn as the Executive Chef of Botero,” says Deanna Pettit-Irestone, the executive director, public relations at Wynn Las Vegas.

Zanelli, a Massachusetts native, started his career in San Francisco at Hawthorne Lane under David Gingrass. He moved to Las Vegas to work with Wolfgang Puck at Spago before opening Aqua at the Bellagio as a sous chef under Michael Mina and chef LoRusso. Zanelli then travelled to New York City to work at Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud, and then opened Pazo with former colleague Patricia Yeo.

In January 2003, Zanelli was lured back to Las Vegas to become executive sous chef at the Mansion at the MGM Grand under Boulud protégé Phillippe Rispolli and he eventually became the executive chef there. He moved on to Lutece at the Venetian, and then joined the opening team at Wynn Las Vegas under chef Grant MacPherson. Zanelli opened Lakeside before joining Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla in their first independent venture Honey Salt and then Andiron Steak & Sea at Downtown Summerlin.

In an interesting twist, Zanelli and LoRusso battled in the Back of the House Brawl on food trucks in May 2013.