Noshing With Nina Manchev – January 19, 2023

Ira Sternberg: Welcome to Ira's Everything Bagel, where I talk with intriguing people about everything—their passions, pursuits, and points of view. My guest today is a little fishy, but in a luxurious way. She’s Nina Manchev, the "Caviar Queen" and owner of Caviar Collective, which ships nationwide and aims to make caviar accessible, and Forte Tapas, located in Las Vegas, which she opened at age 22. For everything about Caviar Collective, go to caviarcollective.com, and for Forte Tapas, go to barforte.com. You can follow both on Instagram. Nina, welcome to the show.

Nina Manchev: Thank you for having me.

Ira Sternberg: Absolutely. So before we talk about the restaurant, why did you decide caviar was a great business, given most people's budgets? I mean, it’s a luxury food item, but clearly, people love caviar.

Nina Manchev: Well, some people are surprised to find out that we’ve been in this business for almost 18 years now. I’ve been in it indirectly and directly in different ways. My dad was in it back in the early 2000s, and we kind of rebooted around the time I opened the restaurant because it’s such an amazing product, and it comes from Bulgaria, where I’m from. So, I’m really proud to showcase these luxury items. When I tell people it’s from Bulgaria, they’re often surprised since they usually associate caviar with other regions. But I’ve always been curious to see how people relate to it. We had a great product, and getting it into people’s hands to try it was key. When we started working with Joël Robuchon at MGM, he really took a liking to us, and it helped us grow our business. From there, it expanded.

Ira Sternberg: I want to give people a sense of the caviar from Bulgaria. You were born there, moved to Las Vegas—and we’ll get to that story—but where in Bulgaria does the caviar come from? People often think of the Caspian Sea, Odessa, and other places for caviar.

Nina Manchev: It’s from central Bulgaria, near a pristine, mountainous area by a large lake. It’s all farmed, so it’s a sustainable product, which is important. Farming helps ensure quality and stability, especially since overfishing has harmed the natural ecology and affected wild sturgeon, which are bottom-feeders. In our case, the farmer maintains strict standards for feeding, conditions, and purification, which adds to the quality and price, but we’ve managed to keep our prices stable for our clients.

Ira Sternberg: Caviar definitely evokes luxury, status, and prestige. And you mentioned that being farm-raised adds to its dependability. So, it’s more sustainable and consistent.

Nina Manchev: Absolutely, and the farmer also contributes back to the natural ecology by reintroducing sturgeons into the wild, completing the circle. Not everyone knows that Bulgaria has five or seven different species of sturgeon native to the Black Sea. That whole area—the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, and another sea near Russia—was once connected, and sturgeon were part of that ecosystem.

Ira Sternberg: Fascinating. So let’s talk about your restaurant, Forte Tapas, in Las Vegas. What intrigued me about it is that it features Eastern European cuisine. Most people are more familiar with Western European foods, so it’s great that you’re introducing Eastern European flavors. How did you decide to go in that direction?

Nina Manchev: I grew up on home-cooked meals, and my dad cooked for us every night, so food was always inspiring. When I first opened Forte, it was more of a European fusion with Spanish tapas and small plates, which was confusing for some people because you’re not “supposed” to mix things. But I didn’t want it to be an ethnocentric place just for Bulgarians or just for Americans. I wanted it to be a place where everyone could enjoy a unique experience together.

Ira Sternberg: That makes sense. And so many people think Eastern European food is just meat and potatoes, but you’re showing that it’s more varied and includes Mediterranean flavors, vegetables, and other dishes.

Nina Manchev: Exactly. People often don’t realize that Bulgarian food is very similar to Mediterranean cuisine. We have a lot of vegetable-based dishes and traditions for preparing special foods around the holidays. In recent years, I’ve been more focused on pushing Eastern European cuisine even further. The names of the dishes are traditional, so they might be hard to pronounce, but people are excited to try new things.

Ira Sternberg: Do you get any feedback from traditionalists who feel that you’re making it too accessible?

Nina Manchev: Not really. Making it accessible doesn’t mean it’s inauthentic. Instead of a big plate, we might serve something more thoughtfully presented, using high-quality ingredients. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from people who are reminded of their childhood, or from those who have tried Bulgarian food before and say it reminds them of home. Some may think it’s not “authentic” because it’s different from what they know, but it’s a great way to introduce people to the cuisine.

Ira Sternberg: How did you end up in Las Vegas? Did you move here with your family?

Nina Manchev: Well, I didn’t take a plane by myself at three! But it was around 1989 or 1990, and my parents immigrated to Chicago. I joined them about a year later, and then we moved to Vegas. I think my parents were tired of the Chicago winters and snow. Vegas was expanding, and it seemed like an exciting place for new opportunities.

Ira Sternberg: And then you went to UNLV. Did you know you’d open a restaurant when you started?

Nina Manchev: I always had ideas, but I wasn’t sure about a restaurant. I remember in elementary and middle school, I’d make handwritten menus for my parents just to make meals feel special. That feeling of gathering around food was always important to me. Eventually, at UNLV, I studied hospitality and started thinking about the industry seriously.

Ira Sternberg: You studied hospitality and food and beverage at UNLV, so it seems like you were thinking about the industry in some way.

Nina Manchev: Yes, UNLV had a great hospitality program, and I didn’t have the desire to go far away for college. I was happy here and felt there were opportunities. I actually worked my way through college. After a study trip to Europe, where I was inspired by how people valued food and social time, I felt even more drawn to it. Originally, I wanted to design boutique hotels, but I quit my hotel job and worked with my parents for a while at a small delicatessen we opened. Then, in one of my classes, we had a project to design our own restaurant, and I told my dad I wanted to do this for real. He said, “Well, you’re not going to get anywhere by thinking. Let’s start looking at spaces.”

Ira Sternberg: So, he was encouraging you to just go for it.

Nina Manchev: Yes, my dad has always been like that. I was nervous, but he’d say, “You’ll never be ready—let’s just start.” So, we did. Now, I look back and wonder how I did it because, at the time, I was fearless and thought there was no reason it wouldn’t work.

Ira Sternberg: Did your dad let you learn through experience, even if it meant making mistakes?

Nina Manchev: Yes, he let me learn my own lessons. I remember struggling with criticism when we first opened. Three years in, I actually thought about giving up. Then I got an email from the production company for Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. At first, I thought it was a joke! But that show changed everything.

Ira Sternberg: It must have been nerve-wracking when Guy Fieri came in to film. But you played a prank on him, right?

Nina Manchev: Yes, the production crew suggested it. They told Guy that my dad and I didn’t speak English and wanted to see how he’d handle it. We went along with it, and afterward, he said he couldn’t believe it—that I was going to UNLV, opened a restaurant, and supposedly didn’t speak English! It was a lot of fun.

Ira Sternberg: That’s great! For our listeners, if you go to BarForte.com, you can watch the clip under the Press tab. So after that show aired, did it really boost business?

Nina Manchev: Absolutely. People started coming in from all over, asking for specific dishes they saw on the show. That exposure brought in so many new customers and really changed things for us. They keep re-airing it, so we still get people who saw the show years ago.

Ira Sternberg: That’s fantastic. Do you know how much of your clientele are locals versus out-of-towners?

Nina Manchev: It depends on the season and events in town, but I’d say about half and half, especially with conventions. What’s funny is that sometimes visitors tell locals, “Hey, I heard about this place called Forte,” and the locals end up discovering us through them.

Ira Sternberg: Before we wrap up, let’s go back to caviar. What is the mystique about it that attracts people so much?

Nina Manchev: I think it’s because it’s always been associated with luxury and the elite, so it can seem intimidating to people who haven’t tried it. I want to make it more accessible, so people can sample it without it feeling like such a high-stakes purchase. I love seeing people trying it in new ways and incorporating it into different dishes.

Ira Sternberg: Is there a specific or unique way you like to eat caviar?

Nina Manchev: People are used to it with blinis, creme fraiche, and the usual accompaniments, but I like it simple—on bread with butter. I’m more of a purist, but there are so many creative pairings. I’ve even seen it with panna cotta or hazelnut gelato, which brings out the nutty profiles of the caviar.

Ira Sternberg: So, what are your future plans with both the restaurant and the caviar business?

Nina Manchev: I’d like to expand the Caviar Collective into more of a lifestyle brand. We started with a caviar box, and I’d like to add charcuterie and other pairings, maybe even fashion. I’m also focused on bringing more of my culture into the restaurant and creating unique experiences. Someday, I’d love to host a podcast and connect with people who inspire me, like you do.

Ira Sternberg: That’s a great way to end it. My guest has been Nina Manchev, the Caviar Queen and owner of Caviar Collective, which ships nationwide and aims to make caviar accessible, and Forte Tapas in Las Vegas, which she opened at age 22. For everything about the Caviar Collective, go to caviarcollective.com, and for Forte Tapas, go to barforte.com. Nina, thanks for being on the show.

Nina Manchev: Thank you so much.

Ira Sternberg: And join us every Thursday for a new schmear on Ira’s Everything Bagel.