An insider's guide to food and fun in Atlantic City this summer
And the entertainment is decent enough to build a weekend around. Highlights on the summer calendar include Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at Ocean Casino Resort on June 21, David Lee Roth at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Aug. 8, and Black Keys at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa on Aug. 9.
More regularly, every Wednesday through Sunday, you can check out a bawdy variety show called 'the Hook' at Caesars Atlantic City Resort. There are jugglers who strip down to their jockstraps, a woman who does freaky things inside a balloon and an emcee who never seems to run out of smutty jokes. It's old-fashioned casino entertainment with good taste gone to hell — and the crowd loves it.
5 Take in dazzling bawdy variety shows like 'the Hook' at Caesars Atlantic City Resort.
Jody Hartley
A recent trip down to the Garden State's gambling hub begins with checking into the appropriately named Ocean, where floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the Atlantic. It's something that Vegas, even at its most derivative, cannot replicate.
Other good options for lodging: Borgata, which is as Vegas-y as Atlantic City gets, the Hard Rock if you want to recall your inner Eddie Van Halen and the Nobu Hotel, which occupies floors 42 to 44 of Caesars and aims to do for Jersey Shore overnighting what the sushi master did for raw fish.
First thing in the morning, a leg-stretching stroll down the boardwalk — passing the giant observation wheel, at the old Steel Pier where horses once dove into the water, and more taffy stands than you can count — followed by a quick sit-down at a blackjack table are called for. It's worth noting that during the early hours, limits tend to be the lowest of the day.
That said, as the minimum bets rise, it's time for brunch. Destination: Cardinal, which is the reigning non-casino gem of Atlantic City. Shimmering lights illuminate the bar and décor inside is farmhouse cool, Williamsburg styler.
Fittingly, paintings of cardinals abound. Tasty offerings — which can be eaten outside, accompanied by live acoustic music — include Korean duck wings, house-made veggie burgers and a New England Benedict with smoked salmon.
For something more along the lines of elevated bar food, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall spins up burgers, pizza and kimchi fried chicken sandwiches. Taps line the length of one wall — Big Sal's IPA is named for the managing partner — and games of cornhole get competitive juices flowing in the yard.
For cheesesteaks, a local delicacy, White House Subs is king.
5 Ocean features big-name DJs.
Courtesy of Ocean Casino Resort
Upcoming at Ocean are two offerings from celebrity restaurateur Stephen Starr. Chez Frites will be a bistro-style eatery where Paris-worthy steak frites promises to rule as a specialty. Next door, breakfast and lunch views are likely to get elevated in every sense of the word at Sunny's, which will serve comfort-food with a shimmering 11-story-high view of the Atlantic Ocean.
5 Not to mention rooms with stellar views.
Courtesy of Ocean Casino Resort
When the sun is shining, HQ2 Beachclub at Ocean has big name DJs on the roster. This summer, revelers will wade into the pool to the sounds of Tiësto and Steve Aoki. On cloudy or cold afternoons, the MGM Tower at Borgata's 21-and-up indoor pool is the place to be.
And there are always rides via tram on the freshly launched Boardwalk Tours, helmed by local legend Mike 'AC Mike' Lopez.
While slowly motoring down the Boardwalk — trams top out at 5 miles per hour — he'll loop you in on the latest AC dish plus the true history of Nucky Johnson (fictionalized by Steve Buscemi, as Nucky Thompson in 'Boardwalk Empire') as well as local nightlife rogue Paul 'Skinny' D'Amato.
5 No one can pamper quite like the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
If you're a guy in need of grooming, have Mike's side kick and top-notch driver Freddy Isaac drop you off at newly opened Hammer and Nails (the classic face treatment there will erase worry lines that might have popped during a bad run at the tables). Ladies (and men for that matter) can hit up Rock Spa and Salon at the Hard Rock for topnotch pampering.
Either way, be sure to ask Freddy for a White House tip: His favorite sub, which involves a cheeseburger, mayonnaise and hot peppers.
Non casino dinners are well handled by the Italian red sauce spot Angelo's and the Vietnamese mainstay Little Saigon. Staying in house tonight, we're enjoying perfectly medium-rare ribeye at Ocean Steak. The wine selection takes up an entire side of the restaurant, the double smoked bacon appetizer is a crowd pleaser and remember to order Jersey creamed corn on the side.
This haven of hearty fare also happens to be conveniently close to Fanatics Sportsbook, the Michael Rubin brainchild that opened last September and ranks among the best place in town for watching games. Giant high-def monitors cover the walls, an enthusiastic crowd piles in and betting opportunities abound. Bottle service is available upstairs (though it's no charge down below).
5 This boardwalk empire is loaded with top casinos like Borgata.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
As the hour nears midnight, it's time for a binge of casino gambling at Borgata.
In the casino's brand new high-limit, baccarat-dominant, gaming quarters, the action is heavy and the energy level is pumped.
Gamblers shout 'Monkey! Monkey!' when calling for 10-value cards while high-rollers discreetly do their thing in private gambling dens. We ante up for a bit of baccarat — playing Banker results in a lower house edge — before heading over to pai gow poker. A woman at the table, with a tiny plastic duck on top of her chips, seems unable to lose.
Unfortunately, not possessing the duck or the luck, there is only one reasonable option: slip out the back of the baccarat room and into Noodles, the attached Asian food restaurant. Yes, a giant dinner was eaten mere hours ago. But the soup dumplings and Asian barbecue beckon. They are worth making room for.
With dinner number-two digesting, and gambling spirits buoyed, it's either off to one of AC's happening nightclubs — including Premiere in the Borgata, HQ2 in Ocean and Pool After Dark at Harrah's Resort – or else poker at the Borgata's well-appointed card room.
In the spirit of AC being a gambling town, a decision is made with the flip of a coin. Poker wins. So, it's shuffle-up-and-deal until breakfast, when it's time to chow down once more and start all over again.
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