Mario Batali, the celebrity guru of Italian restaurants in America, claims that the keys to the cuisine in his restaurants are freshness and simplicity. But that mantra is almost contradictory to what patrons express after dining at any of the 14 restaurants. To them, these basic keys are somehow transformed into outstanding, elegant, luscious meals that linger in their culinary memories for years to come.

Mario Batali and partner/winemaker Joe Bastianich dealt diners a good hand at B&B Ristorante when they opened at the Las Vegas Venetian Resort in 2007 with elegant but classic decor, outstanding food and wine, and a helpful, cordial and personable staff that adds the finishing touch of perfection.

B&B's executive chef, Zach Allen, worked his way through the high-end restaurant ranks, working at Lupa and then as executive chef at Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, two of Mario Batali's New York City restaurants. He even created the educational component of the company's salumi program, which teaches servers and staff about the complex craft of curing meat.

It's no wonder the "our special way"-thinking restaurant group asked him to oversee the Las Vegas operations. And it's easy to tell that as Mr. Batali's protege, Chef Allen's own creative flavors are pouring out onto the plates at B&B. He also oversees the menus at the two most recently opened Batali- Bastianich restaurants. Enoteca San Marco, also in the Venetian, serves casual Italian fare, and Carnevino, an interpretation of the classic steakhouse al'Italiano, is set in the magnificent royal villa backdrop at the Venetian Resort's new Palazzo Hotel. Combined, the three restaurants serve approximately 1,250 meals daily.

"Unique," "special" and "fresh" are Chef Allen's criteria, keeping him on the search for the freshest, most special produce items to incorporate in uniquely amazing ways.

"We're big on fava when in season," said Chef Allen. "Not only the beans, but also the leaves and shoots. Leaves are new to me, but they enticed me as they kept surfacing on L.A. Specialty Produce's availability list. I wanted them only at peak spring season, so we're using them now in several ways. The leaves have a thicker pad with a spinach-like texture and a flavor similar to a pea tendril."

The menu at B&B changes daily, but Chef Allen attempts to offer the most popular dishes frequently. He prepares one, Fava Lonza, a dish of cured pork loin served with a small salad of fava beans, leaves and pea tendrils. The pork is the first muscle cured from the matured spring pig, and signifies spring, resulting in a traditional dish Italians identify with the season.

Artichokes are also a popular item Chef Allen frequently incorporates into his dishes, the most classic being Roman style. He uses violet or purple artichokes, braising them in a little olive oil, white wine and water.

"Then we remove the outer leaves, cut the artichokes in half and sear them in a little olive oil, red onion and chili flakes," he said. "The dish is finished with a drizzle of lemon juice and Ricotta Salata. All of our restaurants serve this dish in some variation."

In a perfect world, Chef Allen (for that matter, the chefs at all of Mario Batali's restaurants) would use authentic imported Italian produce. But limitations on variety due to importation barriers and problems related to shipping time from Italy means they have to seek out alternatives.

"We used to fly Punterelle radicchio in from Italy," he said. "But we're adamant about freshness, and feel that produce that travels for days is compromised. Mario and his chefs work closely with farmers in New York and here in the West to produce items we want."

The team meets with farmers every February and March to peruse seed catalogs and pick out the items they want for the coming season. Bitter chicories are typically on their list. Chef Allen said L.A. Specialty Produce does a great job at providing the basic radicchios.

"We visited L.A. Specialty Produce facility and traveled to markets with their staff," he said. "A good partnership has developed between us based on mutual trust. If we tell them we want something specific, they'll find it. They've hunted down herbs like Aruta and Lovage, and specialty melons and other unique items. We consider growing seasons and strive for produce that bears best at all times of the year. I'd rather have a fruit that is great quality, and give it an Italian twist, than have an authentic Italian product that is not perfect due to travel time."

B&B uses melons with house-cured meats, often steering away from the traditional melon-with-Prosciutto dish. Salads and cheeses are also good complements to melons, and are used in pastries, sorbets and gelatos. B&B's pastry chef, Doug Tayor, strives to incorporate fresh fruits into his dessert creations.

Besides major distributors, B&B works with other suppliers to ensure year- round supplies of seasonally available specialty and conventional items. Penguin Produce in nearby Sandy Valley, NV, has marketed to Las Vegas restaurants for some time. Last year, the Batali/Las Vegas restaurants purchased some items from the company. The partnership evolved, and now Penguin procures specifically for Batali-Bastianich's Las Vegas restaurants. Penguin has formed a cooperative among several growers in the region to ensure steady supplies to the restaurants.

Chef Allen also works closely with the University of Las Vegas extension program to determine what grows best in the Las Vegas area. It is having success with stone fruits and almonds, among other items. In its combined efforts, the university and Chef Allen are trying to get farmers to convert their land from alfalfa to produce that gives them a higher return and inspires them to continue farming in the region.

Carnevino's menu receives equal attention. A signature antipasti is the lobster crudo cotto. A two-pound Maine lobster is sectioned, the tail served crudo (sashimi style), in the fashion of coastal Italian towns, and sprinkled with sea salt, fresh horseradish and extra virgin olive oil. The knuckles and claws are fried in a light prosecco batter and served with a freshly made horseradish sauce.

Chef Allen's favorite vegetables are radishes -- every variety.

"Out of hand, radishes are refreshing and have a light bitter bite," he said. "But they are equally delicious cooked. For our braised radishes' dish, we roast seasonal varieties, such as Easter Egg, English breakfast and Watermelon radishes with Japanese turnips, nut oils, truffles, apple cider and fish sauce."

Mikuni Wild Harvest Inc., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, supplies the restaurants with wild foraged mushrooms and other specialty items. And Chef Allen makes good use of Las Vegas' farmers markets. The lineup of fresh fruits and vegetables ordered regularly by the restaurant reads like a major distributor's SKU list.

"Baby red and gold beets, baby purple artichokes, asparagus, three carrot varieties, fingerling potatoes -- about 350 pounds each week in our three restaurants, cauliflower, spring onions, stinging nettle, spring garlic, shallots, Sugar Snap peas, English and pea tendrils, Savoy spinach, wild arugula, an unlimited number of greens, including Minors lettuce, dandelion, swiss chard, Black Tuscan kale, Meyer lemons, blood oranges, tangerines and so many more that it's impossible to list them all.

"Spring is upon us, and that's an exciting time," he continued. "Our menu is taking on a new and spring-like look, overflowing with the wonderful available seasonal products."