After running a handful of different kinds of restaurants in San Francisco, Richard Terzaghi came to Las Vegas and found a niche to fill.
“I’ve always loved Las Vegas, from the early 1990s when I was here as a foreign exchange student,” says the chef and owner of Ohlala French Bistro near Summerlin, which celebrated its fifth anniversary last week. “When I chose to move here and started looking around, I realized there is no real traditional French bistro with affordable prices; everything was super expensive on the Strip.”
Ohlala epitomizes Terzaghi’s mission to democratize French food for American eaters, “to show people in Vegas what the French eat on a regular basis.”
His takes on classics like steak tartare ($13), the garlicky mussel dish moules marinieres ($13) and pan-seared sole in brown butter sauce ($28) have been among the most popular dishes since the very beginning. With the arrival of fall, no one should visit Ohlala without indulging in his French onion soup ($8) or sharing the indulgent appetizer of warm pistachio-crusted goat cheese ($11) with onion confit, honey and crostini.
The next five years could include a second location for the Henderson residents currently driving across the Valley for Ohlala’s French fare, and Terzaghi says he has some other tricks up his sleeve he’s not quite ready to reveal.
OHLALA FRENCH BISTRO 2120 N. Rampart Blvd. #150, 702-222-3522. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 4-9 p.m.
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