Alon Shaya goes to Las Vegas with Safta 1964

Think “extra,” he said, with dishes such as duck matzo ball soup with a pile of shaved black truffles on top; tagine filled with king crab and hand-rolled couscous; a tower of salatim — salads, spreads, and other cold appetizers — with fresh pita; and Osetra caviar-topped beef tartare. “All of these are fun takes on Safta’s cooking, though my grandma didn’t use Osetra caviar or even saw black truffle or king crab, but here we are making her take these risks and having a lot of fun with it,” said Shaya. Born in Israel and raised in Philadelphia, the chef attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., before heading to the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.