By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
ATLANTIC CITY – Fall is an ideal time to visit Atlantic City. Crowds thin, the weather is temperate and many outdoor venues keep the party going through Halloween. Plus, there are always new things to see, do and eat.
Restaurant Roulette
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s Chophouse at Bally’s Casino Resort shuttered in April after a 10-year run. In its place, to mark Bally’s 45-year anniversary, the space has been renovated into Park Place Prime, a nostalgic yet contemporary take on the classic steakhouse, which opened in July. The restaurant, overlooking the boardwalk, already won an Open Table Diner’s Choice Award for its hand-cut prime steaks, seafood dishes and signature Old Fashioneds. A new custom crystal chandelier graces the lounge area where an original 1979 slot machine is displayed.
This summer also saw the opening of Fieri’s second Atlantic City location of Chicken Guy! at Resorts on the ground level, accessible from the boardwalk with outdoor seating. Atlantic City’s original Chicken Guy! is at Harrah’s in the marina district, where his Sammich Joint has closed. (Resorts simultaneously opened a Wet Willie’s across the hall, the second in AC, joining the first in The Quarter at the Tropicana.
Buddy Valastro, the famous “Cake Boss” who operated a branch of his Carlo’s Bakery in Red Bank for about five years until it’s closure in 2018, has opened a new concept, Buddy’s Boardwalk Empire, at Harrah’s. The diverse menu is a “best of” featuring items from his other ventures, including Buddy’s Jersey Eats and Pizzacake, both in Las Vegas. Fresh mozzarella is made daily on the premises. Sandwiches, pizza, a pasta station and desserts are on the menu.
Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, based on the hit TV show, as well as Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, are both at Caesar’s and known for their atmospheres and the chance to try Ramsay mainstays like Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding. The Pub & Grill also serves breakfast. At Harrah’s, Gordon Ramsay Steak serves the master chef and restaurateur’s creations like Smoked Wagyu Beef Tartare, Delmonico Steak and Pan-Roasted Scottish Salmon. Visit the new Harrah’s Arcade near the pool, 5,328 square feet of classic and high-tech games plus virtual reality.
Nobu by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa at Caesar’s opened earlier this year after delays and became an AC Instagram staple. Diners praised the ocean views, décor and “delicious, photogenic” dishes. The accompanying 82-room Nobu Hotel spanning three floors of Caesar’s Centurion Tower debuted belatedly this summer with a choice of three suite styles decorated in serene, neutral tones designed for “contemporary simplicity.”
And the Award Goes To…
…Kuro Japanese Craft Kitchen, Hard Rock and Executive Chef Leslie Daniels. Daniels appeared on Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games” (hosted by Guy Fieri) earlier this year (Season 35, Episode 12) where he bested three competitors to win $16,000. Using ingredients thrust upon him, Daniels, whose kitchen nickname is “Chef Too Hype,” made Shrimp Tostadas with Avocado Banana Crema and Canned Fruit Chimichurri, and Short Ribs with Baby Food BBQ Sauce, Sausage, Scallops, and Elote (Mexican street corn). Chef Leslie has decades of culinary experience with a variety of cuisines he perfected in restaurants from Florida to Las Vegas.
Kuro’s menu of contemporary, fresh, artisanal dishes and craft co*cktails is also attributable to Executive Sushi Chef Shingo Inoue, an Osaka, Japan, native with over 40 years of experience at top sushi restaurants worldwide. The menu is divided into sections based on the five basic tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami – and features Japanese imported and local craft beers, Japanese whiskeys, shochu, 30 sake brands and 110 wine labels. Desserts like mochi and Japanese donuts complete the experience.
Council Oak at Hard Rock just won Wine Spectator magazine’s 2024 Award of Excellence, recognizing the restaurant’s “outstanding wine program of over 350 wines from more than a dozen countries, plus an extensive by-the-glass, half-bottle, and large format selection.” The restaurant’s dry-aged meats are hand-sculpted in the restaurant’s butcher shop, which has a Himalayan salt-brick-walled chamber. More flavor gets infused by a Josper Charcoal Oven and Argentine-style wood-burning grill, visible in the open kitchen. The restaurant’s Sunday Brunch (with water and boardwalk views) includes a Raw Bar Station, Build-Your-Own Salads and a Grand Buffet.
Tropicana’s Ultimate Happy Hour
No Atlantic City venue has more dining options than the multilevel Tropicana. From The Quarter to the Marketplace and pubs to clubs, there is food and fun for everyone. The newest way to enjoy 14 Trop hotspots is the Ultimate Happy Hour. Specific times and days vary and change, so check the websites. Myriad small plates are available, from $3 tacos at Casa Taco & Tequila Bar and Italian samplings at Carmine’s to bites under $7 at Cuba Libre. Obtain a Happy Trail Card at the Rewards Center, plot your own course and please drink responsibly.
Halloween Happenings
Resorts, Ocean Casino Resort and Borgata elaborately decorate their casino bars for holidays and special events, creating colorful, glittery magnets for celebratory groups and others taking copious selfies. Resorts calls theirs “Boo Bar.” Ocean promises theirs will be “haunted,” part of a weekend of activities including costume parties with prizes.
Halloween Weekend Bar Crawl begins Oct. 26 at the Hard Rock Cafe off the boardwalk with a 4 p.m. sign-up for “a hauntingly good time” creeping from one eerie venue to the next. Don a costume – or not. Tickets include Halloween swag, a digital map, live music and DJs, a costume contest, drink specials, an afterparty and more.
Check websites for the latest at other venues.
The article originally appeared in the August 29 – September 4, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
