Chef Marc of Mezzo Bistro Italiano located in Las Vegas

4275 N. Rancho Dr. #130
Las Vegas, NV 89130
Reservations: 702/944-8880

Chef Marc was…..
Born in upstate New York where he lived until age 13. Then growing up in south Florida where his parents moved to start a better life. There in 1973 they opened an Italian restaurant on Singer Island Florida. That is where Marc first started cooking family style Italian food. Throughout his teens in the late 70's he would balance school with working at the family's restaurant and taking trips to his home town in upstate New York. While visiting New York, Marc also trained at a very popular Italian restaurant called Grimaldi's. That is also when he started training to box for the golden gloves. After boxing and having one successful bout in New York, Marc returned to Florida in 1982 and fought two years in the golden gloves and won several fights. After a few years of intense dieting and training he decided to go back to cooking and wanted to learn the business better. He decided to lease his family's restaurant at lunchtime due to the fact that it was only open for dinner. That was his first experience at running a complete business. Singer Island was a tourist destination for the winter months. It was there that Marc saw how happy people were when they ate good food. In 1993 Marc and his father would open "Classico's" restaurant in Juno Beach Florida. It was Marc's menu and food concept that made the restaurant popular and they sold the restaurant after two years at a profit. That restaurant is still popular and remains one of the busiest in the area. Then in late 1994 marc went back to upstate New York and reopened the old Seneca Inn, which had been closed for two years. Renamed "Marc's Seneca Inn" it was an instant hit. He won customers over with his personality and enthusiasm about food, and was one of the first to have regular wine flight dinners in the area. This was when he realized his true passion for cooking and understood all its rewards. In April 1998 Marc sold at a profit and moved back to Florida. There he reopened a restaurant that was closed for 1 year and named it "Marc's Chophouse" in the town of Jupiter at the fisherman's wharf plaza. He successfully ran a high end Italian steakhouse and served several celebrities including Joe Namath, coach Chuck Daily, and Brent Mossberger, to name a few. It wasn't long before the food critics would write him in their top five categories for top restaurants in the Palm Beach County (Paul Reed, Palm Beach Post Times Food Critic). 1999 Late in 2000 he sold the Chophouse and moved to Las Vegas Nevada. He reopened a restaurant that was closed for 5 months on the corner of Lake Mead and Teneya and called it Marc's World Cuisine later becoming Marc's Italian Steak. It was in Vegas that all of what he learned would come to fruition. Taking trips too Italy to learn more about the food and wine he loved to serve so much. For five and one-half years he built his name and reputation up in the Las Vegas community. In November Marc was asked to fly to Hawaii and cook for the governor Linda Lingle. He was written up by all the food critics in the area and was voted best hidden treasure by KNPR food critic John Curtis in 2005. Marc sold in March of 2006. Marc was also feature in a Las Vegas cookbook called "Reservations Required", by Sara Lee Marks. She showcases Marc's communicative style and two signature dishes. Name Change Story Ritz To Sgrizzi After a visit to Las Vegas to see a prize fight he decided to sell his Florida restaurant and moved to Vegas for his other passion "boxing". Here he could train in the same gym where champion boxers were training for upcoming fights. Of course he was also looking for a location for his third restaurant. Mid 2001 he settled on the now popular Marc's restaurant in Las Vegas. Marcus did very well in Vegas for 5 years and then sold Marc's in early 2006. His popular reputation was spreading to several people in the community because of his unique ability to communicate food stories and food history to them while their meal was being prepared by his carefully trained kitchen staff. While owning Marc's he traveled to Italy three times where he studied cooking, watched wine makers and traveled the entire country. On his last visit he went to see and meet for the first time old family members from three generations ago in Crotone Calabria, southern Italy. At this time his name was Ritz because 100 years ago when his grandparents came to Ellis Island New York no one could pronounce the name Sgrizzi. They decided to change it to a name that sounded closer to what other people pronounced it like "Sgritz", and then it became Ritz. While visiting his family in Italy Marcus realized he wanted to use his family name from the old country and after getting his fathers blessing he officially changed his last name from Ritz to Sgrizzi. Marcus is someone that honors old world traditions that reflect a simpler style. In his cooking he brings ingredients that compliment the food, not compete with it. He still comes to your table and if you are lucky he will share a food story with you about his travels to the old country.

Chef Marc was…..

Born in upstate New York where he lived until age 13. Then growing up in south Florida where his parents moved to start a better life. There in 1973 they opened an Italian restaurant on Singer Island Florida. That is where Marc first started cooking family style Italian food. Throughout his teens in the late 70's he would balance school with working at the family's restaurant and taking trips to his home town in upstate New York. While visiting New York, Marc also trained at a very popular Italian restaurant called Grimaldi's.
That is also when he started training to box for the golden gloves. After boxing and having one successful bout in New York, Marc returned to Florida in 1982 and fought two years in the golden gloves and won several fights.
After a few years of intense dieting and training he decided to go back to cooking and wanted to learn the business better. He decided to lease his family's restaurant at lunchtime due to the fact that it was only open for dinner. That was his first experience at running a complete business. Singer Island was a tourist destination for the winter months. It was there that Marc saw how happy people were when they ate good food.
In 1993 Marc and his father would open "Classico's" restaurant in Juno Beach Florida. It was Marc's menu and food concept that made the restaurant popular and they sold the restaurant after two years at a profit. That restaurant is still popular and remains one of the busiest in the area.
Then in late 1994 marc went back to upstate New York and reopened the old Seneca Inn, which had been closed for two years. Renamed "Marc's Seneca Inn" it was an instant hit. He won customers over with his personality and enthusiasm about food, and was one of the first to have regular wine flight dinners in the area. This was when he realized his true passion for cooking and understood all its rewards.
In April 1998 Marc sold at a profit and moved back to Florida. There he reopened a restaurant that was closed for 1 year and named it "Marc's Chophouse" in the town of Jupiter at the fisherman's wharf plaza. He successfully ran a high end Italian steakhouse and served several celebrities including Joe Namath, coach Chuck Daily, and Brent Mossberger, to name a few. It wasn't long before the food critics would write him in their top five categories for top restaurants in the Palm Beach County (Paul Reed, Palm Beach Post Times Food Critic). 1999
Late in 2000 he sold the Chophouse and moved to Las Vegas Nevada. He reopened a restaurant that was closed for 5 months on the corner of Lake Mead and Teneya and called it Marc's World Cuisine later becoming Marc's Italian Steak. It was in Vegas that all of what he learned would come to fruition. Taking trips too Italy to learn more about the food and wine he loved to serve so much. For five and one-half years he built his name and reputation up in the Las Vegas community. In November Marc was asked to fly to Hawaii and cook for the governor Linda Lingle.
He was written up by all the food critics in the area and was voted best hidden treasure by KNPR food critic John Curtis in 2005. Marc sold in March of 2006. Marc was also feature in a Las Vegas cookbook called "Reservations Required",
by Sara Lee Marks.
She showcases Marc's communicative style and two signature dishes.

Name Change Story
Ritz To Sgrizzi

After a visit to Las Vegas to see a prize fight he decided to sell his Florida restaurant and moved to Vegas for his other passion "boxing". Here he could train in the same gym where champion boxers were training for upcoming fights. Of course he was also looking for a location for his third restaurant. Mid 2001 he settled on the now popular Marc's restaurant in Las Vegas. Marcus did very well in Vegas for 5 years and then sold Marc's in early 2006. His popular reputation was spreading to several people in the community because of his unique ability to communicate food stories and food history to them while their meal was being prepared by his carefully trained kitchen staff.
While owning Marc's he traveled to Italy three times where he studied cooking, watched wine makers and traveled the entire country. On his last visit he went to see and meet for the first time old family members from three generations ago in Crotone Calabria, southern Italy.
At this time his name was Ritz because 100 years ago when his grandparents came to Ellis Island New York no one could pronounce the name Sgrizzi. They decided to change it to a name that sounded closer to what other people pronounced it like "Sgritz", and then it became Ritz. While visiting his family in Italy Marcus realized he wanted to use his family name from the old country and after getting his fathers blessing he officially changed his last name from Ritz to Sgrizzi.

Marcus is someone that honors old world traditions that reflect a simpler style. In his cooking he brings ingredients that compliment the food, not compete with it.
He still comes to your table and if you are lucky he will share a food story with you about his travels to the old country.

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