Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa teams up with former ‘Top Chef’ contestant.

“The key to success for every hospitality operation is to understand who you are serving,” he said.ĭining options will include Mercato Centrale, specializing in Italian fare Al Comal, featuring Mexican and South American items Prime Cuts, serving traditional steakhouse and Brazilian churrascaria items Pescato, offering a range of seafood from clam bakes to that Italian-inspired sushi Sukiru, featuring Pan-Asian cuisine and Sweet Things, offering a variety of international desserts. Viviani said a lot of the decisions about what concepts to offer within the space were based on what Morongo knew its customers would like. Sign up for our Casino Insider newsletter and get the week’s best bets for food, entertainment and fun at Southern California’s casinos. Working on the Marketplace not only let Viviani return to the Golden State, but with a massive project to boot, he said. Osteria by Fabio Viviani, his concept at LAX, is listed as temporarily closed on LAX’s website.

His Café Firenze in Moorpark closed in January 2020 because the landlord in charge of the property had different plans for it, Viviani said. Viviani said he was eager to do something in California again. Although it will have familiar buffet elements such as a set price at entry, it aims to evoke the feeling of being in a high-end food hall with multiple eateries under one roof.Ī growing number of Southern California casinos are swapping buffets for other concepts in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Marketplace will be unique in that it’s the first celebrity chef branded dining concept we’ve seen at Southern California’s tribal casinos. The Marketplace by Fabio Viviani will replace Potrero Canyon Buffet and is expected to open at the Cabazon area resort in December. Turns out, Viviani was handed a blank canvas with the casino’s former Potrero Canyon Buffet.Īlready, the celebrity chef, a former “Top Chef” contestant and cookbook author, has begun building concepts incorporating everything from the best roadside barbecue stands to a Brazilian churrascaria to what Viviani described as “sushi with an Italian twist” - and they’re all under one venue. When Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa announced a partnership with Fabio Viviani earlier this year, casino officials said he would explore everything from tweaking menus to coming up with new dining concepts.

Morongo casino resort and spa buffet