Valanni Review

The GF used to live on Spruce Street, so we'd often walk by Valanni but never felt the urge to stop by. That being said, it's owned by the same proprieters of two other popular Spruce Street productions - Mercato BYOB and Varga Bar, Valanni differentiates itself by offers flavors that lean towards Mediterranean and Latin.

Tasting Menu [$50 pp] 

Normally the chef's tasting is $50 pp, but when I saw that Amazon Social had this advertised for $73 for 2, I jumped all over it. 

Rock Hard Mojito [$10]
Bacardi rock coconut rum, fresh lime, splenda, club soda 
  

The GF went with a drink off the skinny coktail menu. The "rock hard" mojito actually wasn't that bad, with the coconut rum providing a nice foundation, though Splenda was clearly apparent. That's not such a bad thing though as I find mojitos to typically be too sugary. 

Caipirinha [$9]
Pitu Cachaca, lime, sugar stick
  

I went with the Brazilian classic - a nice balance between tart, sweet, and citrus. 

White Mussels 
Smoked chorizo, cilantro, mint, roasted corn broth 

Succulent, plump mussels were immersed in a deliciously sweet corn broth. There were plenty of roasted con kernels which provided a nice balance to the smoky chorizo. The grilled bread was perfect to sop up the broth. In fact, I could have used more! 

Spicy Pulled Chicken Empanada 
Manchego, cilantro, chipotle-horseradish aioli
  

The spicy pulled chicken empanadas were crusty and crisply fried, with tender bits of chicken within. 

The chipotle horseradish aioli could have used a bit more bite from some additional horseradish. Still, it made for a decent dip. 

Crispy Shitake Polenta 
Sauteed shrimp, warm feta, pine nuts, roasted tomatoes, pesto
  

The shitake polenta was deftly fried, with bits of earthy mushrooms interspersed throughout. Tender sauteed shrimp and warm, salty feta came on top, along with a nice pesto. Pine nuts provided some richness and texture. 

Baked Brie 
Grand Marnier-soaked cranberries, pears, hazelnuts

It's hard to screw up baked brie and this was delicious. Sweet, creamy brie came with Grand Marnier-soaked cranberries, pears, and hazelnuts. Perfect to top the buttery, well-seasoned bread. 

Roasted Mushroom & Butter Bean Salad
Arugula, lemon thyme vinaigrette, shaved locatelli
  

The butter beans were creamy and provided some substance along with the earthy mushrooms. The bitter arugula was dressed well, with the accents of shaved locatelli providing some additional salt to each bite. 

Fontina Stuffed Meatballs
Garlic sourdough, fresh basil, roasted garlic, charred tomato marinara
  

The meatballs were presented in singular form, but based on the number of dishes, one was enough. The meatball was well-seasoned and moist, with fontina oozing out. The marinara was subtly sweet and I couldn't say no to more of that great grilled bread, perfect to sop up the remaining red sauce. 

Broiled Tilapia 
Garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, lemon basil beurre blanc
 

The tilapia soaked in the flavors of the lemon-basil butter sauce, though the mashed potatoes were a bit grainier than I'd like. I like the briny hit of the capers though, along with the texture from the asparagus. 

Rigatoni Bolognese 
Beef, pork, and veal ragu, rosemary, thyme, parmesan cream sauce
  

The Parmesan cream sauce rendered this pasta dish hearty and hefty. Though the rigatoni were just a tad over, the ragu married well with the rosemary and thyme to create a satisfying bite. 

Oreo Beignet
 

The deep-fried oreo had a wonderful cake-doughnut crust. The vanilla bean ice cream was a a nice pairing, along with the caramel which provided additional richness. 

Tiramisu
Chocolate covered espresso beans, shaved chocolate
  

Just a singluar chocolate-covered espresso bean, but no matter. This tiramisu was great - moist almost to the point of being soaked a la tres leches. A wonderful bite to wake up and cleanse the palate. 

Overall, Valanni hit the spot and was a steal of a deal with Amazon Social's offer. I'm not going to lie - with the white leather coaches and lounge setting, I didn't have high hopes for the food. But consider my expectations exceeded, with minimal missteps. 

Disclaimer: This is for a visit over a year ago. Posts are backed up and I'm working through them! Thanks for your patience.  

Jose Pistola's Review

A while back, a few of us stopped by Jose Pistola's for some drinks and tacos. It's located near the Avenue of the Arts area and has several floors and dim lighting. Noting that there was quite a bit of pork belly on the menu, I didn't exactly restrain myself. So, I ordered every darn item that contained my favorite ingredient. But first, let's start with a drink. And I do apologize for the dimly-lit phone pics!

Pear Mojito [$8.50] [$7.73]

I was on a mojito kick at the time and while I appreciated that this wasn't overly sweet, the mint essence was particularly weak and the drink as a whole tasted a bit watered down. While the menu listed this at $8.50, I was charged a bit less - HH prices perhaps?

Short Rib Nachos [$13]
Mexican cheese blend, crema, tomato, refried pinto beans, cilantro, pickled jalapeno, onion 
 

We started off with some short rib nachos to share - a bed of crispy homemade nachos, with a hefty portion of short ribs, pickled onions, jalapenos, cotija, and crema on top. Nice.

Tortilla Soup [$6]
Pasilla chicken broth, pulled chicken, avocado, crema, queso fresco

The GF was feeling some tortilla soup, which was surprisingly served table side. It featured a dark pasilla chicken broth with great depth. Texture came in the form of crunchy tortilla strips, with moist pulled chicken accented by the pasilla. The creaminess of the avocado and crema helped to provide even more richness to each bite.

Pork Belly Sopes [$8]
Beans, crema, cilantro, onion, salsa borracha 
 

I did promise pork belly so here's the first dish. I'm typically not a sopes fan because I find them a bit dry. The thick fried masa discs were surprisingly moist, but still a bit heavy and needed more acid to brighten them up. The thick slabs of pork belly were nice and gluttonous though. While the pickled onions, the drunken salsa, radish, and ciltanro helped to provide some balance, the dish ate a bit on the leaden side. 

Pork Belly Tamale [$6]
Tomatillo sauce
  

As a special, the pork belly tamale was on offer. So I got that too. The masa was a bit thick here as well - so much so that I could barely detect the pork belly from the masa! The tomatillo sauce helped to provide some brightness to each bite along with the pickled red onions. 

Pork Belly Tacos [$9]
Beans, crema, cilantro, onion, salsa borracha 
 

On the other hand, the pork belly tacos redeemed Jose Pistola's. Crisp, thick slabs of pork belly melted in your mouth and were balanced by the sharpness of the radish and the brightness of that drunken salsa and cilantro. Now this is how pork belly should be served!

Overall, Jose Pistola's is a decent bet near the theater district - service was especially good. Do try the pork belly tacos and get the short rib nachos. If you've got a hankering for soup, don't hesitate to try the tortilla soup.

Old Homestead Steakhouse: Atlantic City Review

This is for a series of posts for the Borgata Hotel & The Water Club including: Bobby Flay Steak, Wolfgang Puck American Grille, Wolfgang Puck American Grille [2], The Cafeteria, Tony Luke's, N.O.W., N.O.W. [2], Metropolitan, Sun Room, Sun Room [2], Old Homestead Steakhouse, Old Homestead Steakhouse [2], Fat Burger, 28 West, Gelato, the Borgata Buffet, Izakaya, Bread and Butter, and Fornelletto. 

Old Homestead is known for great service and massive steaks. And having been to the century-old restaurant in NYC, I was excited to take the GF to the outpost at the Borgata.

Executive Chef Romeo DiBona and his staff execute their dishes to perfection. I'll admit, I've had meals at many Atlantic City restaurants and there's always something that's amiss. But I can easily say that Old Homestead's execution is up to snuff.

So enter into this bastion of beef and admire the massive two-story dining room. 

But before you head in, be sure to drool at the bottles of aged Macallan that line the walls.

Strawberry Rum-Aid [$12]
Bacardi dragon berry rum, lemonade cranberry juice, 7-Up

The GF started off the night with this slightly tart, yet smooth concoction. The 7-Ip added that effervescent sparkle, which was a refreshing foil to the subtle saccharinity of the rum and lemonade.

Captain's Coconut Mojito [$12]
Captain Morgan spiced rum, Malibu rum, fresh lime, fresh mint, pineapple juice, 7-Up
  

Old Homestead's take on one of my favorite cocktails was definitely enjoyable. The sweetness was not over the top and mellowed out by the smooth coconut and rum. The bright flavors of lime and the freshness of the mint came through, with a bit of carbonation from the 7-Up.

Bread Service
 

Large walnut raisin and onion rolls came served with two pats of room temp butter. Nice.

Heavy Cut Bacon [$12]
Vermont fancy maple syrup

If you see thick-cut or cured bacon on a steakhouse menu, it's almost guaranteed to be a must-order. Old Homestead's heavy cut bacon is no different. In fact, I can easily say that Old Homestead's bacon is better than Peter Luger's bacon. Deliciously cured, juicy, and moist - the ends are crispy and almost reminiscent of burnt ends. The pecorino offered a sharp, nutty contrast with the heft of the maple-glazed bacon.

Fresh Mozzarella & Roasted Peppers [$14]
Fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar

This dish came with 3 huge slices of fresh mozzarella, topped by about a pound of roasted peppers. As expected, the unctuousness of the EVOO, the rich, acidic tang of the aged balsamic, and the fresh basil offered a great bite. The fresh ground pepper helped to bring this dish together nicely.

Before our entrees were served, our waiter brought out Old Homestead's steak sauce. I normally stay away from any sauce when eating steak, but our waiter swore by it. It's a sweet, somewhat thick glaze and seems perfect for a BBQ marinade. 

Petit Filet Mignon [$46]
10 oz, hash brown, demi glaze

The GF went with the 10 oz petit filet, ordered medium. All the steaks at Old Homestead are wet-aged and this filet was aged for 28 days, cut from a 6lb tenderloin. The demi-glace offered even more heft to accentuate the tender beef. The hash brown disc was comprised of cubed potatoes and was nicely roasted, with a crispy outer crust. 

Gotham Rib Steak [$54]
34 oz rib-eye 
  

But for the showstopper, order the Gotham rib steak. We're talking about 34 ounces of ribeye - what more could you possibly ask for? This is touted as Old Homestead's signature steak and for good reason. It's a behemoth and definitely the biggest steak I've consumed, other than a few porterhouses. This is USDA prime, with a 28 day wet age and is cut in-house daily. 

Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, each bite melted in my mouth. I'll admit defeat with this one, but only because I knew this would be just as good the next day (it was!).

Baked Mac n Cheese [$14]
Bacon tomato jam
 

Mac n cheese was on the menu, so naturally, it was ordered as well. Perfectly creamy with a crispy upper crust, the sweet tomato jam melded nicely with the caramelized bacon.

Onion Rings [$11]

I didn't stop there - crispy, crusty, onion rings were in order and more important, were delicious. Yum.

Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie [$12]
Vanilla ice cream, crushed heath bar, chocolate sauce, whipped cream
  

Lastly, being that is was the GF's birthday, the staff brought our dessert with a candle - always a nice touch. Gobs of fresh whipped cream covered sweet and salty heath. And of course, we can't forget about the huge chocolate chip cookie underneath! 

So if you're in Atlantic City, and certainly at the Borgata, be sure to plan a meal at the Old Homestead. It may be a bit pricey, but it's nothing comps can't take care of! You might be too full to go to Mixx to dance your butt off, but perhaps a trip to the blackjack tables are in order or if you've got a room at the Borgata Hotel or The Water Club, it's nothing a quick post-meal nap can't cure!

http://www.theborgata.com/dine/fine-dining/old-homestead

Bobby Flay Steak Review

This is for a series of posts for the Borgata Hotel & The Water Club including: Bobby Flay Steak, Wolfgang Puck American Grille, Wolfgang Puck American Grille [2], The Cafeteria, Tony Luke's, N.O.W., N.O.W. [2], Metropolitan, Sun Room, Sun Room [2], Old Homestead Steakhouse, Old Homestead Steakhouse [2], Fat Burger, 28 West, Gelato, the Borgata Buffet, Izakaya, Bread and Butter, and Fornelletto.

Housed at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is Bobby Flay Steak, the eponymous steakhouse for one of the first U.S. Iron Chefs. The GF and I come to the Borgata often and have previously dined here. Unfortunately, that experience wasn't very good - some of the dishes were drenched in sauce and the quality of the dishes weren't up to the standards of dishes I've tried at Mesa Grill in both 

Vegas and NY. The service was extremely lackluster as well.

Regardless, for the purposes of the blog, we were looking forward to giving Bobby Flay Steak another chance. And I'm happy to say that this time around, the dishes were simply delicious and the service was impeccable.

You can't deny the fact that the design of the restaurant certainly adds a little Vegas pizzazz to Atlantic City. The Borgata has that in spades compared to the other casinos in the area.

We were seated in a nice corner booth in the back alcove section of the restaurant. Somewhat secluded and overlooking the restaurant, this is one of the better spots to dine.

Prosecco ($10) 
Le Colture Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Brut D.O.C. Fagher NV

The GF started off with a bit of prosecco. Fruity on the nose and certainly a sparkling way to start.

Grapefruit Mojito ($12)
Finlandia grapefruit vodka, fresh grapefruit, mint, agave syrup

Regular readers know I love a good mojito and this was a great one. Surprisingly subtly sweet (how's that for alliteration!), the chunks of pink grapefruit imparted a nice tartness to the drink.

Dinner commenced with a basket of warm cheddar rolls. Spreading some of the creamy whipped butter made these delicious rolls over the top. But we had to save room for the meal itself!

Lobster & Crispy Squid Salad ($19)
Sweet peppers, vinegar, chiles 
 

I had initially thought only the calamari would be fried, based on the name of the dish. But then I tasted it and remembered you really can't go wrong with anything fried. These were lightly fried with a delicious batter. The lobster wasn't overcooked and the calamari were toothsome, but not rubbery. The sweet roasted peppers and the sweet and sour sauce offered a bright element to what could have been an otherwise overly heavy dish. A nice start to the meal.

Lobster Crab Cake ($18)
Green onion vinaigrette, lemon-habenero tartar sauce 

As you can see, the Iron Chef loves playing with green and red - perhaps a nod to one of his favorite ingredients, the chile. In any case, this was actually one of our favorites from our previous dining experience so obviously, we had to re-order it. A hearty lobster crab cake with minimal filler, the accompanying sauce really brought out the flavors in the dish. The heat of the habanero was muted by the sweet tang of the lemon. 

Note: Both apps were comped by the manager due to our previous experience, which was unexpected, unnecessary, but much appreciated. 

Grilled Chicken ($29)
Bacon-mustard vinaigrette 

The GF ordered the chicken for her main (yes, at a steakhouse) and enjoyed it! The crispy bits complemented the juicy, moist chicken. The mustard vinaigrette really brightened up the dish. And you can never go wrong with extra nuggets of bacon.

Bone-in Ribeye ($49)

Check out that grilled rib-eye! Unfortunately, the steaks at Bobby Flay Steak are Choice, unless you're going for the Australian Wagyu. This is certainly surprising considering the price point. But anytime you're in a casino, the price points are usually higher than normal. And regardless, this steak was perfectly cooked and decently marbled.

This had a nice crust and unlike the Spicy Southwest ribeye I previously tried, it wasn't overpowered by spice. The accompanying sweet pepper contained caramelized onions and helped to bring another element to the dish. But what brought this all over the top? The Iron Chef's special sauce! I'm normally not a big steak sauce guy, but wow was that good! The horseradish on the finish really makes it. In fact, I think the waitstaff may have caught me dipping my fork into the ramekin numerous times. No shame in this pig's game.

Roasted Asparagus ($10)
Green peppercorn vinaigrette 

The asparagus had snap to it and maintained its innate texture. The mustard vinaigrette was a bright addition to this side, which was a necessary green that nicely contrasted with the heaviness of the mains.

Creamy Green Chili Rice ($10)

But let's get back to savory and rich. This rice was nicely al dente, but the overall dish had a nice creaminess. The green chilies added a tempered heat to the dish. The scallions were fresh and added bite. Highly recommended.

Bobby Flay Steak offered a complete turn around this time ... around. It will certainly remain on the roster whenever we stay at the Borgata. And it all starts with the service. During the course of the meal, multiple managers stopped by to check in on us and our waiter, Nelson, was simply amazing and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu - to the minutia of each dish and ingredient. Additionally, comping our apps was much appreciated. 

And while being able to dine at Bobby Flay Steak gratis with my own playing comps is great, I don't know if I would normally pay USDA Prime prices for choice steak. Regardless, all the dishes were well executed by Executive Chef Michael Charlianza and his staff - it's clear why Iron Chef Bobby Flay is often lauded for his mastery of spice and creativity.

www.bobbyflaysteak.com

FTC Disclaimer: A portion of the meal was provided gratis. Regardless, all opinions are unbiased and mine alone.