Chef is making Forte European Tapas a local destination spot

Nina Manchev, chef/partner at Forte European Tapas, is a native of Sofia, Bulgaria, who with her family moved to Chicago and then Las Vegas when she was 3. She’s been here ever since.

Her culinary training came through her family and in trial by fire after she opened Forte, 4180 Rainbow Blvd., Suite 806, in 2009.

“When I opened the restaurant, I wanted to make sure that if something were to happen, I could take care of business,” she said. Her father, Stefan, helps out with recipes.

Review-Journal: Always in your fridge?

Manchev: Wine, fresh fruits, veggies, charcuterie and cheeses. I eat and cook mostly at Forte.

Currently obsessed with?

Lately I’ve been doing yoga.

Newest Las Vegas discovery?

I really like this juice place on Grand Canyon and Flamingo called the House of Alchemy. It’s super-cute inside and they do a really good job.

Favorite indulgence?

Caviar. I try to stay away from it, but I really love it.

I never eat …

I grew up with my dad cooking a lot of crazy stuff like sheep’s head and brains and livers and stuff like that, and I just can’t. I appreciate the art of it and I appreciate the people who do it if I go someplace and that’s the specialty, but I just can’t do it.

Favorite brunch at home?

Growing up, one of my favorite things that my dad made, mekitzi. It’s basically fried dough, but we eat it with honey or jam or cheese.

Best tip for home cooks?

Just cook as much as you can and be patient with it. The biggest things for me when I was learning were timing, being able to do multiple things at one time and understanding the seasoning. I don’t have any metric for things; it’s all eyeing and flavor.

What are you working on?

Developing the retail portion of the business, some online business as well. Developing the bakery end. We’ve been selling breads to a couple of Eastern European markets.

What are you trying to do with Forte?

I just want it to be a place where locals can come and gather and have a nice time and enjoy good food and the ambiance and make it their local destination spot. And kind of develop more dishes to accommodate the vegetarians and vegans.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at reviewjournal.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.