Last year I went to the Las Vegas Pizza Festival. Its a collection of 15-20 local pizza spots here in town and by buying a ticket to the festival, you can eat all the pizza your heart desires.
I came up with the idea of having a social media pizza tournament of only the pizzerias that were in the LV Pizza Fest.
At this time, I had a clear cut winner in my mind as to who I thought would win – and boy let me tell you I was wrong. The dedicated, passionate following that Carmine’s Pizza Kitchen has is something like I’ve never seen before. And after they dominated the entire tournament, I had to go in and see the food for myself.
I’m about to say something I don’t say often…I was wrong. I was so wrong by not thinking Carmine’s would win the tourney, not because of the following they have, but because of the actual experience itself.
If you’ve lived in Las Vegas long enough, you’ve probably heard someone say “Carmine’s has the best pizza in town.”
And they’re not wrong. After sitting down with Frank Vento, the second-gen owner of Carmine’s Pizza Kitchen, it’s easy to see why.
Frank joined The Hey BigHead Show after Carmine’s was crowned Vegas Local’s Best Pizza in a city-wide fan tournament.
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What started as a random social media contest I thought of, turned into a love letter to Las Vegas’ local food scene and to a family that’s been shaping it since the 70’s.
A Vegas Origin Story
Frank’s father, Carmine Vento, came to Las Vegas in the mid-’70s when there wasn’t a true pizzeria in sight. “There was Shakey’s and Godfather’s, but nowhere you could just walk up and order a slice,” Frank stated.
Carmine had been driving a cab when he decided to take a chance and open his own spot. When the health department asked him for a name, he looked up, saw the word “Villa” on a picture, and said, “Villa Pizza.” That moment, completely unplanned, became the start of a decades-long family legacy.
From there, the Ventos built something bigger than a restaurant. As more family came west, each opened a location. Soon, their name became synonymous with neighborhood pizza.
From New York to Henderson > Aaand Back Again
Frank grew up working in those early shops, washing dishes at The Meadows Mall location and learning the grind firsthand. But by 18, he was done. He left for New York City, ready to carve his own path.
Five years later, while living in SoHo, he had a realization. “I’d go into these family-run pizzerias where the owner lived upstairs and the whole family worked together. They were happy. It hit me, I finally got it. I wanted to go home.”
When he told his father he wanted in, Carmine didn’t make it easy. “He looked at me and said, ‘I’ll pay for you to go anywhere you want… just don’t do this.’”
It wasn’t discouragement… it was honesty. The restaurant business isn’t easy. But Frank came back anyway, ready to earn his place and continue the legacy.
The Family Business Never Lets Go
Today, Carmine still “sits next to Frank while he drives,” as Frank puts it. “He’s not out of the business, but he’s let me steer. You can’t buy that kind of knowledge.”
The Vento family operates four Carmine’s Pizza Kitchen locations around the valley — from Henderson to Fort Apache — and Frank is hands-on every single day.
He calls his team “family members,” not employees. Many of them have been with him since high school. “It’s my job to make sure they come to work happy and go home happy,” he said. “That’s how you give back.”
The Recipe for Success
What makes Carmine’s different? It’s not the water, Frank insists. “People say New York pizza tastes better because of the water. Stop that right now. It’s about consistency and passion. Doing everything from scratch and never cutting corners.”
Carmine’s secret sauce, literally and figuratively, is tradition. Whether it’s their crowd-favorite pesto-Alfredo-marinara hybrid pizza (which was actually created by accident) or their eggplant parmesan, every dish is made the same way it’s been made for generations, with care.
Beyond the Kitchen
Frank’s story goes deeper than dough and sauce. He’s open about his past battles with addiction and how gratitude brought him back.
“I lost everything. My marriage, my house, my family’s trust,” he shared. “Now every morning I wake up at 4 a.m., hit the gym, thank God, and say hello to the restaurant. Because I’m grateful to still have this life.”
That mindset defines everything he does, from mentoring his staff to supporting other local pizzerias. “There’s enough pizza and enough people to go around,” he said. “I don’t want to compete. I want everyone to succeed.”
