Alex lavish restaurant

Alex is a lavish restaurants in Las Vegas, will close its doors Jan. 15 after a six-year run at the Wynn Resort. Chef Alessandro “Alex” Stratta will remain at the hotel to operate Stratta, a more casual restaurant that focuses on wood-fired pizza and Italian-inspired cuisine.

The restaurant served classic French cuisine with an Italian twist and using fresh ingredients. The $185 tasting menu included items including crispy carbinieri prawn with cauliflower, savory custard, vadouvan curry and carrot ginger sauce and saute of Sonoma foie gras with sweet potato, caramelized onions, black truffles and butternut squash sauce. The restaurant's jewel-box-like setting will now be used for special events and private parties.

Alex, Wynn Resort's French influenced restaurant, caters to high-end clientele. The 162-seat dining room is luxurious, with mahogany woods throughout, a sweeping staircase and a beautiful Japanese garden. The dimly-lit main dining area provides a touch of romance that is ideally suited for couples celebrating special occasions, while two well-appointed private dining rooms with terraces that overlook the resort's Lake of Dreams.

The Alex wine list earned a Wine Spectator Grand Award in 2010. “All that hard work only for the restaurant to be closed,” said Danielle Price, wine director for Wynn and its sister resort Encore. “My disappointment is beyond huge.” The resort management plans to distribute the wines in Alex’s several cellars to other restaurants at the Wynn.

The high-end Italian wines will go to Bartolotta. “The majority of the other wines from the cellar will be added to the SW Steakhouse wine list,” said Price. “Botero and Switch [at the Encore resort] will receive some of the wines.” Sommelier Paolo Barbieri, who was born in Rome, will most likely be moving over to Bartolotta, which specializes in Italian seafood.