Chef Conversations

Richard Terzaghi presents authentic French cuisine in Summerlin

By Jen Smith / Photo by Louiie Victa

Born from equal French and Italian lineage, Richard Terzaghi learned the art of the restaurant business by working his way up from busboy and server positions, eventually earning an MBA in international trade and licensing in France.

He owned the longtime Italian bistro, L’Osteria del Forno, in San Francisco for 25 years and shifted locations to Las Vegas due to that state’s changing restaurant landscape.

Now Terzaghi helms the kitchen at Ohlala, an intimate eatery in Summerlin. Known for its approachable French fare and Sunday evening wine special (50 percent off select bottles), Ohlala is a local staple.

What inspired you to open Ohlala?

My inspiration was the traditional bistro dish [at a] reasonable price. The French don’t only eat expensive food. We eat mussels and fries, steak tartare, steak frites. We have basic cuisine that we eat on a regular basis.

Do you have any food and wine pairings you recommend for a Sunday evening?

With a Côte du Rhone, I would start with escargot. For a main dish, the duck magret.

What traditional French dish have you put your own twist on?

We serve warm crusted pistachio goat cheese with onion jam and honey from my town [Montélimar, near Provence]. The inspiration was to take a cheese and make it in a North African style. We bake it with a bit of honey and thyme, along with some onion and pistachio. Instead of having a traditional onion jam, that’s where the ras el hanout [comes in]. Ras el hanout is [a spice blend] from Morocco—in Arabic, it means “house blend.” It was one of the first dishes I created in my first restaurant.

What’s next for Ohlala?

I’m looking for a location in The District. I have a lot of customers coming from Boulder City and Henderson.

Ohlala French Bistro, 2120 N Rampart Blvd, 702.222.3522, ohlalafrenchbistro.com