Traditional Italian Favorites: Chef Piero’s Roma Kitchen

By: Bob Gourley
 
Piero Broglia is a name that has a lot of history in the valley. The legendary Piero’s Restaurant, which is still open today, has fed many generations of locals and tourists.
 
The original Chef, Piero himself, left that establishment a long time ago. He started other places like Pasta Mia and Café Chloe.

​In the last couple of months he has opened a new location in a strip mall in Henderson. Chef Piero’s Roma Kitchen has a menu filled with his famous recipes and the locals are enjoying the tastes.
 
There is a light, airy presence to the place with flower vases throughout, an open kitchen and a friendly staff ready to serve you quickly. Bottles of wine are viewable in a large display case and there are past awards that the Chef has garnered proudly displayed.
 
The list of Antipasti offerings is something you might find in the heart of Rome. There are Roasted Red Peppers and Mozzarella and Fried Calamari with Spicy Marinara. Bruschetta is topped with fresh mozzarella, marinated tomatoes and basil. Appetizer standard Fried Calamari with Spicy Marinara is also available.
 
There are more than a half dozen salads. One of the highlights is the Caesar. A Mediterranean is filled with mixed greens, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, peppers and feta. Grilled vegetables are the highlight of another offering that is topped with house vinaigrette.
 
Eggplant Parmigiano is one of his specialties and my wife was eager to order. Not only was she glad she did but she also noted that it was one of the best she has had anywhere. I also enjoyed a couple of bites and really loved just how light it was in texture.
 
Other classics abound like Chicken with Fresh Artichokes that are sautéed in virgin olive oil. They also produce a couple of notable fish dishes like New Zealand Orange Roughy accompanied by lemon butter.
 
If you are just looking for a fitting plate of pasta there are about a dozen possibilities all made with homemade noodles. Linguine with fresh clams (both red and white sauces) is one pick along with linguine and shrimp with a little heat, a spicy pomodoro sauce. Lasagna Bolognese is made in a traditional way and if you want to keep it really simple order the spaghetti and meatballs.
 
There are a lot of specials that are featured on a daily basis. The night we were there Ossa Bucca was available along with some other fish entrees. The only negative was the price as a couple of items approached Strip rates.
If you are looking for wine with your meal you won’t be disappointed as there is a nice vintage list that should please just about any connoisseur. Several wines by the glass can also be ordered.
 
The night we were there Chef Piero was toiling away in the display kitchen. I suppose that not only was he making sure everything was perfect for guests but staff training was taking place too. His wife was greeting guests and we noticed a large number of diners who seemed to be longtime fans.
 
There should soon be a new group of admirers who will no doubt visit often.
 
Chef Piero’s Roma Kitchen, Open for lunch and dinner, 1550 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy., Suite P, Henderson. (702) 331-6300.