Paul Bartolotta, Chef, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare (Wynn Las Vegas)

“My first time in the [Amber Unicorn Books (2101 South Decatur)], I was like a woman buying shoes. I spent three hours reading and patrolling the shelves and couldn’t make up my mind. I went back the next day and spent two more hours there. One treasure I discovered was Luigi Carnacina’s La Grande Cucina Internazionale (American title: Great Italian Cooking), a classic from the early ’60s. I intended to buy it when I apprenticed in Italy but I never got around to it. So fast-forward 25 years and there it is in Myrna’s collection. I couldn’t believe my eyes! There’s now a whole community of chefs who go there on a regular basis, and when anyone comes in from out of town, it’s the first place I send them. I can never leave the store without a handful of books, but being a working chef gives me precious little time to read them.”