This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Chef Mariana Alvarado, founder of Masazul in Las Vegas (which features artisanal heirloom corn tortillas), who is making her debut in the premiere of Food Network’s “Big Restaurant Bet” April 5 at 10 p.m. In this episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Chef Mariana talks about growing up in Mexico and learning the traditional art of making tortillas; moving to Las Vegas to work in the gaming industry and honing her culinary skills; why the pandemic pushed her to strike out on her own; the niche she created in Las Vegas for her organic corn tortillas; why she likes to source food from local suppliers; and how she got involved with the Food Network and its “Big Restaurant Bet.”
Chef Mariana was born and raised in the busy streets of Mexico City, with vivid memories of my childhood, gazing in awe at the hand-pressed tortillas ballooning on the hot Comal.
She started her formal gastronomical education at the age of 13, attended Universidad del Caribe in Cancun and earned a degree in Culinary Arts from the University of Las Vegas Nevada.
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