Michael Nealy Baker, senior server for Fresco Italiano at Westgate Las Vegas, will bring you out pasta, lasagna and chicken Parm, but he does more than just serve guests at the Italian restaurant. Baker puts on a show, serenading the tables he serves. (This writer got a little taste of Baker’s singing talents and ... wow!)
“I always want to excel beyond expectation, giving guests something they’ve never seen before,” he says. “An individual or family can come and sit at the table and order their food, enjoy the cocktails and pay their check and go about their business. But the one thing I’ve always believed in, is giving them an experience that they’ll talk about, bring their friends or family back and say, ‘Hey this is what happens!’ The key is to deliver something they didn’t anticipate at this restaurant.”
Baker has a long history of performing: He comes from a performing arts family. There was always music and dancing in his house growing up in cities including St. Louis, Ill., Flint, Mich., and the Bronx, N.Y. When he got into the food and beverage industry as a server 25 years ago, he also began to serenade his guests. When he transferred to Las Vegas in 2000, he continued using those niche talents at restaurants like Top of the World at The STRAT and Carmine’s at The Forum Shops at Caesars. “I was very blessed and very fortunate to gain a large clientele and was fortunate to get the highest award in Las Vegas for service in 2015,” he says. He began to gain a reputation in the industry—and on Tripadvisor—and Westgate got wind of his talents, hiring him in 2017.
“Now I have a crazy amount of requests,” Baker says. “I’ll sing at one table and then I’ve got five behind that. But I want to make it crystal clear—this isn’t about Michael Nealy Baker, no it is not. This is about the Fresco Italiano family. Giving something to all those who walk through our threshold.”
Libation: Cranberry Mojito
Fresco Italiano offers a nice selection of handcrafted cocktails created by their mixologist. A popular pick to pair with Fresco’s Italian dishes is the Cranberry Mojito mixed with Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit Rose vodka, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, mint leaves, sweet and sour, and cranberries. If it’s a special occasion, Fresco offers a wide selection of bottled wines from Italy and California as well as champagne, prosecco and Moscato. And if you are celebrating, Baker just might serenade you. (Make sure to let the restaurant know).
Benefit: Baker works Thursday to Monday. You can request seating in his section when you call for reservations.
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