ML - Vegas Magazine

2012 - Issue 5 - September

Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.

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POWER COUPLE dynamic due I their "children," Alex's JEWELRY DESIGNER WIFE, CARLA. BY DOROTHY CASCERCERI FOOD MEETS FASHION AT THE HOME OF DUE FORNI'S ALEX TAYLOR AND HIS t's a rule in the Taylor household that one evening each month is reserved for Alex and Carla's "date night." That excludes two actual children, and their other two restaurant, Due Forni Pizza & Wine in Summerlin, and Carla's handmade jewelry line, Lola and George. "With our busy schedules, we have to save a little time for romance," Carla says. "And Alex is so good at listening to me and understanding when we need time for each other." The busy schedules of this dynamic duo, both 37, who have been married for 11 years and dated for six before that, are about to get even more chaotic. Due Forni will open a second location in Austin, Texas, by this winter, and eventually a third location on the Las Vegas Strip. The restaurant's luxe-for-less model has been a hit, with both specialty pizzas and entrées from filet to branzino at a less expensive price point than its Strip counterparts. "It's a 'come as you are' atmosphere, and that's the secret to our success," Alex says. "When the economy turned, people started watching their dollars. Our clientele wants high-level ingredients and high-level execution, but with a more budget-conscious menu." Attention to details, like setting tables with a $4 fork instead of a 75-cent utensil, is key to the restaurant's success, says Alex. These kinds of decisions on the quality of materials and the research that goes into making them is something Carla is familiar with in her work as a designer of wire sculpture and precious stone jewelry. She gleans inspiration for Lola and George, which counts Fergie, Jennie Garth, and other celebs as part of its fan base, from studying astronaut's-eye views of the Earth taken by NASA. "The Lago fall collection is inspired by aerial shots of a Chilean lake," she says. "It reflects the deep blues and that idea of not quite letting go of summer." Carla says one of the things she loves most about her business is that she can run it from anywhere—a perk that will come in handy once the family relocates to Austin for the Due Forni expansion. The move, however, will be temporary. "We will never say goodbye to Las Vegas," Alex says. "Our extended family, friends, and connections are here." V 64 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM The Taylors' combined talents make for one deliciously fashionable— if not totally edible—pizza. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK MEDIANA

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