Chef-Owner, Rooster Boy Cafe, Las Vegas

In this premiere episode of Ira’s Everything Bagel, Ira spoke with Sonia El-Nawal, chef-owner of Rooster Boy Cafe in Las Vegas and Bodega Bagel at the Vegas Test Kitchen in Downtown Las Vegas. In this episode of Ira’s Everything Bagel, Chef Sonia talks about her global culinary background; looking for a unique New York or Los Angeles experience when she moved to Las Vegas, and recreating it herself; why she decided to make bagels a big part of her career now; the secret of her popular bagels; the one trait she found among the great chefs she worked with; her biggest surprise order; the new concept of the Downtown Test Kitchen; and the future (which includes a short break!)

Chef  El-Nawal has traveled and worked with top chefs around the world like Chef Julian Serrano and Jean Georges Vongerichten. She  opened the popular Spoonfull Diner in Belgium, was Pastry Chef for Nobu in 1996 and moved to Mexico City to open hot spot Condesa.

The Chef’s latest adventure, in addition to Rooster Boy Cafe (combining her culinary skills as a pastry chef and baker) is Bodega Bagel at the Vegas Test Kitchen in Downtown Las Vegas.