A Love Letter to Italian Cuisine From Two Valentino Alums Debuts in Summerlin

A new Italian restaurant serves as a love letter to a chef’s 30-plus year career in Italian kitchens. Aromi Italian Restaurant from executive chef German Castellanos and his partner, pastry chef Alessandro Stoppa, debuted in the former Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen space in Summerlin after the Thai restaurant moved around the corner.

They met at the former Valentino at the Venetian, where Castellanos worked as chef de cuisine and Stoppa was the pastry chef. In 2016, the pair opened Vanilla and Pepper Catering. Now the two friends have a restaurant featuring classic Italian dishes for lunch and dinner.

Castellanos highlights some of his favorite dishes on the menu. A duck prosciutto salad comes in a sweet maui onion dressing and burrata tops a golden beet carpaccio to start. Spaghetti neri in lobster bisque, rabbit ragout pappardelle, and octopus and cioppino are just some of the dishes Castellanos recommends. Other favorites include bread and thyme-crusted New Zealand lamb chop or branzino in Prosseco sauce. The restaurant also features a risotto of the day.

For lunch, the restaurant offers a three-course $18 option with a starter such as vanilla and pepper salad or polpo with grilled octopus (for $7 more); entree options such as chicken Parmigiana, a prosciutto sandwich, or branzino (for $7 more); and dessert options including vanilla wanna cotta, tiramisu, or a berry bowl.

Louiie Victa

Louiie Victa

Louiie Victa

Louiie Victa

Aromi features a wide-open dining room in Tuscan yellow with hardwood floors and a bar. Outside, a small patio awaits.

Aromi Italian Restaurant, 2110 N. Rampart Boulevard #110, 725-204-6196. Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Takeout and delivery available with online ordering.

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