By Robin Leach
A chance meeting three years ago between “Cake Boss” superstar Buddy Valastro and Venetian and Palazzo owner and mogul Sheldon Adelson has led to an unlikely and unique partnership. Sheldon’s son wanted a bar-mitzvah cake created by Buddy, who he watched on his TLC shows.
It was about the same time that Buddy flew to Las Vegas to film “Cake Boss” at the hotel. Perfect timing? A meant-to-be coincidence? Buddy thinks it was destiny because they sat for an hour and told each other a similar rags-to-riches story.
Sheldon, who delivered newspapers as a kid, and Buddy, who took over his father’s bakery as a teen when the patriarch died suddenly. Both had the same self-starter attributes and built successful businesses.
“We had similar stories and hit it off,” Buddy said. “I told him that my dream was to one day have a restaurant in Las Vegas. The stars all lined up, and I couldn’t have better partners.”
The rest is history. Buddy teamed up with Las Vegas restaurant consultant Elizabeth Blau and her husband chef Kim Canteenwalla, and Sheldon agreed to invest and assist with space at his Palazzo. The new restaurant, Buddy V’s Ristornte, his first, opened Monday in the space formerly occupied by First Food & Bar.