Gaetano's Ristorante

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Dream That Crossed an Ocean

The story of Gaetano's begins in Sicily, where a young Gaetano Palmeri started working at age 10, delivering bread and pastries before school. By his teens he was working the Italian Riviera, and by the 1960s he was a Captain's Assistant on merchant and immigrant cruises, traveling the world before eventually settling in Los Angeles with his wife Rory. He ran a celebrated Italian restaurant in Calabasas, California from 1981 — growing it from 6 tables to 180 seats and drawing a devoted celebrity clientele — before selling it and opening Gaetano's Ristorante in Henderson, Nevada in 2002. It was the first fine dining restaurant in that part of Henderson.

Gaetano passed away in August 2019, and the restaurant has since been carried forward by his youngest son, Nick, who grew up in the business and is committed to continuing what his father built.

The People Behind the Kitchen

Today Gaetano's is run by Nick Palmeri and his wife Sarah. Nick is a Certified Spirits Expert and former member of the United States Bartending Guild Las Vegas chapter, with a particular passion for amaro and vermouth. Sarah holds a Level 3 WSET Wine Certification alongside her own Spirits Expert Certification — a depth of knowledge that helps explain why the restaurant earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024. The wine list is carefully curated, and the couple regularly hosts wine dinners pairing producers directly with the kitchen's Italian cooking.

Executive Chef Jose Pacheco has been part of the Gaetano family since 2016, taking over as head of the kitchen in early 2020. His consistency and attention to quality are credited with cementing Gaetano's reputation as Henderson's go-to Italian restaurant.

What's on the Table

The menu draws from across Italy while staying grounded in family recipes and premium ingredients. Homemade pastas are a clear strength: the Tajarin Bolognese uses a 10-egg-yolk Piemontese tagliatelle, the Pappardelle Cinghiale is made with Tuscan wild boar ragù, and the Gnocchi comes with a choice of fresh tomato basil, pistachio pesto with DOP Dolce Gorgonzola and toasted walnut, or Bolognese. A standout vegetarian dish — the Sicilian Eggplant Rollatine — is drawn directly from Gaetano's mother's recipe: thinly sliced eggplant stuffed with angel hair, garlic, tomato, and basil, baked with marinara and cheese.

Antipasti lean into Sicilian and southern Italian traditions: baked clams, Tenderloin Carpaccio with raw filet mignon and shaved parmesan, Burrata with 18-month Prosciutto di Parma DOP and pistachio pesto, and New Zealand green-lipped mussels in spiced marinara. The Ossobuco alla Milanesa — braised veal shank with saffron risotto — anchors the heartier end of the menu.

The bar program reflects the same seriousness as the wine list, with cocktails like the Sicilian Old Fashioned built on Amaro Averna from Sicily.

More Than Two Decades of Recognition

Over more than 20 years, Gaetano's has earned consistent recognition: Best Italian Restaurant in the Best of Las Vegas awards, Best New Restaurant Off-Strip from Las Vegas Life, an OpenTable Diners' Choice award, and a spot among the Top 10 Most Romantic Restaurants in Las Vegas according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence reflects what the Palmeri family has always treated as non-negotiable — either it's the best, or they don't serve it.