“Now that I’m running a large team with many people, I’ve found that it’s very satisfying to teach eager minds some of the things I’ve learned over the years,” says Chef Joel. “I have nearly a decade and a half of learning from great chefs — trying, failing and eventually getting it right. That’s really the only way to truly understand and master a dish.”
Joel Ott moved from Ohio to Las Vegas at the age of 19 to attend culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. He subsequently worked for many high-end restaurants and premier properties such as the Loews Resort at Lake Las Vegas, the M Resort Spa Casino, and Koi Restaurant at Planet Hollywood.
He made his mark on the Las Vegas Strip spending seven years at the Wynn’s Allegro and Sinatra restaurants and three years as Chef de Cuisine for the Italian restaurant at the Four Seasons. He also worked at Le Cirque, Circo, Picasso by Julian Serrano, and Todd English’s Olives — all at the Bellagio. He joined Ahern Hotel in September of 2019 as Executive Sous Chef and was subsequently promoted to Vice President of Culinary. In September of 2022, he added the role of Executive Chef to his many responsibilities.
As VP of Culinary and Executive Chef, Joel has more than 70 team members reporting to him. He is involved in every aspect of Ahern Hotel’s culinary activities, from planning and executing large banquet events, to creating new recipes for Ottimo Pizza Kitchen, to assisting in the kitchen as a cook or expediter on busy shifts.
@truffleking_joel
A veteran of the Las Vegas dining scene, Chef Bruno Morabito honed his award-winning skills at various world-class restaurants
“I love to connect with people and chat about their meals and experience,” says Chef Bruno. “By creating memories through food, you create great relationships that people relish, ensuring they have fond memories of their experience at the restaurant.”
Chef Bruno, hailing from Rochester, NY, discovered his culinary passion as a teenager. After attending culinary school in Ontario, Canada, he ventured to Las Vegas in 2000. Starting at French Restaurtant, Lutèce in the Venetian Resort, he swiftly rose to Sous Chef. Transitioning to Aureole at Mandalay Bay, he later joined Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon at the Venetian. There, Bruno’s innovative touch helped him introduce and popularize his version of chicken & waffles.
Forbes Traveler magazine named Bouchon’s brunch as one of the best in America, and Chef Bruno has won numerous awards for breakfast and brunch throughout his storied career and has been named the Master of Brunch by the blog “Vegas Unfiltered.”
@chefbrunomorabito
Chef Mark says he appreciates being part of the great culinary team that has been built at the Ahern Hotel. “I love the flexibility we’ve been given,” said Chef Mark. “It gives us the freedom and ability to create new dishes and procedures.”
Chef Mark Casper graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, in 1992 with an Associates of Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Service Management. After starting as a cook and working his way up, he held positions at numerous hotels in San Diego, CA, eventually landing the role of Banquet Sous Chef at Sheraton Hotel & Marina where he remained for eight years.
His next role was at the historic US Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego where he was eventually promoted to Executive Chef. In 2007 he moved back to Providence to accept an Executive Chef position at the Providence Biltmore. In 2009, California called again, and he went to work as Executive Chef for the Sheraton Suites in downtown San Diego.
Wanting to expand his culinary skills, Chef Mark then took a job as Executive Chef for Culinart, a company that specializes in corporate dining, where he was in charge of multiple venues during his nine years with the company. This included running the cafeterias for Qualcomm headquarters and the renowned Salk Institute.
After moving to Las Vegas, NV, in 2014, he worked the Nevada State College account for Culinart. He then spent three years at Treasure Island Resort as Assistant Room Chef before being hired by Ahern Hotel as Banquet Chef.
