The Best Restaurants in Atlantic City
Settled in 1783 Atlantic City has a year-round population of 41,000. It is 60 miles from Philadelphia, 125 from NYC and 175 from Washington, DC. The world’s first boardwalk and salt water taffy are still there. It is also the originator of the rolling chairs as well as the Monopoly board’s street names (Atlantic, Pacific, Baltic etc). Although gaming revenue was down in 2007 due partly to Pennsylvania authorizing slot machines and $3 plus gas prices, there is a lot of new building taking place. Much of the “slum” housing has been replaced with new apartment buildings and homes. The historic Boardwalk Hall, the former home of The Miss America Pageant, has been renovated into a 13,000 seat arena for boxing, the circus, concerts etc. The Atlantic 10 basketball tournament was held there a few days before my arrival.
Atlantic City casinos and boardwalk
The 11 casinos include three in the Marina area: The Borgata, built 5 years ago, is constructing a new tower, The Water Club, Atlantic City’s first boutique hotel; Harrahs, is also building a new 44 floor tower that will be the tallest building in Atlantic City. I especially liked the “tropical paradise pool area” beneath a 90 foot glass dome. It has 6 Jacuzzis and 12 private cabanas all in view of the hotel lobby. Trump Marina is also located here. The downtown hotel/casinos are: Bally’s, Resorts, Trump Taj Mahal (adding a new tower), Caesars (and its Pier Shops) and the largest casino hotel, the Tropicana with over 2,200 rooms. Also on the Boardwalk are the Hilton, Showboat and Trump Plaza casino hotels.
There were 35 million visitors to Atlantic City in 2006. This article is written for those who do not spend all their time gambling. I visited, had a meal, or spoke to every restaurant mentioned. Several were suggestions from my host Elaine Zamansky, Manager of Media Relations for the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. I also read several reviews and spoke to hotel concierges.
Harrahs Atlantic City
Best Rum Bar: Cuba Libre in The Quarter at the Tropicana Resort has 100 rums, and Thursday night “Late Night Latin Happy Hour” from 11PM-1AM. There is dancing, singing, conga lines and a Latin floor show. Upstairs at Cuba Libre is the open-air Missile Bar with a real (fake) Russian missile & the declassified history of the 13 Days in October (really 14 days) dealing with the Russian/Cuba/USA missile crisis. If you find David McGee the Director of Sales & Marketing for the Philadelphia based (soon to open in Orlando) operations ask him to tell you the hysterical story of moving the missile from Florida to Atlantic City (right after 9/11).
Best Vodka Selection: Red Square, next door to Cuba Libre with 169 vodkas & voted best Martini Bar by Casino Player Magazine.
Best Cigar/Wine Selection: Tinder Box/Vino 100 is next door to both restaurants in The Quarter at the Tropicana. Great cigar selection & 100 value wines under $25.
The Quarter is reminiscent of the original Tropicana Casino and Hotel in Havana, Cuba during the mid and late 1950’s.
The Borgata Tropicana Casino & Resort
Casino Restaurants:
Borgata- The Borgata Wine Experience is held 4-6 times a year. The "Wine-off" event is held in Ombra and is a lively competition between a male and female sommelier. "Wine Around" was a walking tour of Borgata’s fine-dining restaurants focusing on small bites of their signature dishes with wines to match. "Women in Wine" had 24 female wine maker/owners and Borgata’s chef-partners in a charity event.
All six restaurants at the Borgata have a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. In 2007 almost 64,400 bottles of wine were sold in their six fine-dining restaurants.
Bobby Flay Steak has 512 different wines
The Old Homestead has 567 wines
Specchio with 903 wines
Ombra with 106 wines
SeaBlue with 361 wines
Wolfgang Puck American Grille has 285 wines
Tropicana- The Palm at The Quarter is a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner with 165 wines and 13 by the glass.
Hilton- Patsy's restaurant straight from Manhattan with authentic Neopolitan Italian cuisine, has 122 wines.
Caesars- Mia is an Italian/Mediterranean restaurant from the creators of Le Bec-Fin and Brasserie Perrier, offers a nice selection of Italian reds and high-rolling French Bordeaux Premier Crus.
Across from Caesars, The Pier Shops, a four story shopping (80) and dining (7) paradise, which opened in 2006:
Sonsie- General Manager Andrea Luca Rossi moved from Lyon Group’s restaurants in Boston to open this eclectic bistro and lounge with 300 wines on their list. A wine room is available for private parties and a dining-walk-in glass wine cellar. They do seminars and Wednesday classes on wine and artisan cheese pairings. There are 13 servers with a first level sommeliers certification. Their goal is to serve as a suggestion tool for their guests to make educated choices as to food and wine.
Buddakan features modern Asian cuisine beautifully served in magnificent surroundings.
The boardwalk at night
Non-Casino Restaurants:
Ram’s Head Inn in Gallaway with five acres of gardens located 8 miles from Atlantic City. It is the same ownership as The Manor in West Orange. Best of Award of Excellence from the Wine Spectator with 970 wines, 100 Half bottles and 30 wines by the glass. Friday from 3-6PM is Happy Hour with over 30 wines sold at $1 per ounce.
Knife & Fork Inn has a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and is located in the Boardwalk area with a 10,000 bottle wine cellar and 20 wines by the glass. It is ninety-three years old and was purchased by Frank Dougherty in 2005.
The Dougherty family opened Atlantic City's oldest restaurant in 1897, Dock's Oyster House, within walking distance from the Boardwalk, for seafood and steaks. Also a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence list with 425 wines.
Angeloni’s II Restaurant in the Boardwalk area, featuring Italian/American cuisine with 250 wines.
Last, but not least is Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with 240 wines, at the Atlantic City Outlet Center, The Walk.
Now you can see that there are other things to do in Atlantic City besides gamble.
Before you go, visit:
Atlantic City Tourist Board – (800) AC-VISIT
Disclaimer: This website is intended for visitors 21 years of age and older.
If you are not of legal drinking age, please exit this section by clicking here.
Ron Kapon is seeking wine tasters for the New York Tasters Guild.
Visit www.tastersguildny.com
or email him at: Ron@tastersguildny.com
