Alizé’s New Chef, Beni Velazquez’s New Gig

Joshua Bianchi takes over the kitchen at Alizé at the Palms, bringing almost 10 years of experience. He takes over from Chris Bulen.

Bianchi was the opening chef for Drai’s Beachclub at The Cromwell and Drai’s Vancouver. Over the past 10 years, Bianchi worked for Florida chef Norman Van Aken; Las Vegas chef Julian Serrano of Picasso at the Bellagio; New York chef Tom Colicchio at Gramercy Tavern; and chef Daniel Boulud of Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn Las Vegas.

In other food and beverage moves, Sebastian Silvestri leaves the Venetian and Palazzo for Miami. The vice president of food and beverage for the resorts now works as a senior vice president of food and beverage for SBE, which is in talks to buy out Hakkasan Group.

Those wondering where Beni Velazquez landed after leaving Herbs & Essence on Lake Las Vegas can now find his bar menu at Nerd nightclub with its bowling lanes in Neonopolis. He tells the Review-Journal that he plans to open a restaurant in Downtown Las Vegas.