Executive chef of Alize at the Palms talks indulgences, changes

Joshua Bianchi, who was named executive chef of Alize at the Palms this month, has worked for numerous chefs across the country in the past 10 years, including Julian Serrano at Picasso at Bellagio, Daniel Boulud at Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn Las Vegas and Tom Colicchio at Grammercy Tavern in New York. Before coming to Alize, he was opening chef for Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas and Drai’s Vancouver. He’s a native of upstate New York.

Review-Journal: Always in your fridge?

Chef Joshua Bianchi: Cheese, milk, Oreos and soppressata.

Currently obsessed with?

Training jiu-jitsu with my friends.

Newest Las Vegas discovery?

Korean barbecue.

Favorite indulgence?

My wife (who’s also an executive chef) and poke.

I never eat …

Olives. Any kind. They’re too strong for me.

Favorite brunch at home?

Waffles, pancakes and French toast

Best tip for home cooks?

Find the kind of food you like to cook. Find cookbooks about that food and keep it simple. The chefs on TV are doing a good job educating the public and bringing a good awareness to the culinary world. I think it’s great for people who cook at home.

What are you working on?

Working with the staff and learning how the operation runs as a whole and the direction that the chef/owners are going.

What sort of changes do you want to make at Alize?

I would like to help bring more business to the operation as a whole, by doing a little bit more marketing and making it known not just for fine dining but as a place to have fun, where you want to bring friends and family. Not a bistro, but more approachable. Right now I think it’s a destination kind of place.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at www.reviewjournal.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.