Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Borgata Black Card 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. 

As a frequent patron of the Borgata, I typically amass a decent amount of comp dollars, which affords you the ability to get comped rooms, gifts, concert tickets, and dining. For those of us that amass at least $1,000 comp dollars in a calendar year, Black Label status is attainable.


Comp dollars can be used at any time, so it is only the gross comp dollars 
that are earned during the year that equates to Black Label status. So feel free to use up those comps!


If it's your first time visiting the casino, be sure to make a right and head to the registration desk to get yourself a Borgata Card! Upon registering, you can start amassing comps while playing the slots or table games. And you can even go online to My Borgata Rewards to see what offers are available to you!


As you can see, if you get enough comps, free rooms can be had 24/7! 


Even Water Club rooms and suites can be comped for most days out of the week! 


But what exactly does that entail? You get gorgeous rooms with decent vistas. 


And beautiful marble bathrooms ...


... complete with rainfall showers! 


Or if you'd like - feel free to take a dip in the indoor or outdoor pools, where drinks are brought poolside and the music is pumping. 


But surely there's more to be had when you amass $1,000+ in comps. 


You regularly get comped tickets to the comedy club, concerts, and burlesque shows! 


Heck, you can even enter into $25,000 blackjack tournaments for free! In fact, if you look closely, you'll see that a certain food blogger made it to one of the semi-finals! 


Lastly, you get exclusive access to the Amphora Lounge, which affords you the opportunity to descend down to a bar and buffet that is of higher quality than the Borgata Buffet.


Better yet, top shelf liquor is comped! Be on the lookout for a separate review of the Amphora Lounge. 


So when you visit Atlantic City - head to the Borgata and be sure to register for your standard Red Label card and rack up those points to get to Black Label status! And pro tip: it doesn't hurt to tip well and befriend your pit bosses. If you have a good weekend where you amass a few hundred in comps, there's the off-chance that you may be immediately upgraded!

FTC Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored or paid for by the Borgata. My opinions are unbiased and mine alone. 

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Smokin' Betty's Review

My favorite - yes my actual favorite - burger in the city lies at Smokin' Betty's - a casual, yet sleek restaurant that totally has the ability to transform itself into a relaxed lounge or an upscale, but unpretentious bar.


Better yet, Smokin' Betty's has a wide variety of BBQ-driven options available on their menu, along with affordable prices.


Roasted Turkey Platter [$14]
Carved turkey breast, southern style gravy, classic stuffing, whipped sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce


But before we get to my favorite burger in Philly, let's start with something apropos for this time of year. The GF went with the turkey platter, in anticipation of what was to come in a few weeks. The carved turkey was moist and juicy with a light smattering of gravy atop. The stuffing was rich, hefty, and nicely contrasted with the tart whole cranberries. The whipped sweet potatoes were creamy, light, and actually emanated a sweet potato / pumpkin pie with the additional spice - nice. 

Betty Burger [$12.95]
1/2 pound sirloin, confit pork belly, avocado, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic aioli, runny sunny side up egg
  

But let's move on to the masterpiece - the piece de resistance if you will. I stumbled upon this Betty Burger within a few months after moving to Philly and I haven't looked back since. I've had this delicious burger close to a dozen times now and I can't recall a time when I didn't enjoy it. And that price! For what's on it - it certainly can't be beat.


Requested medium rare- that's exactly how it came. The light brioche bun housed a rich, well-seasoned burger with a nice outer crust. The pork belly confit is fabulous - it should totally be shredded and put on top of fries to make a nice pork belly poutine. The mayo, airy guac, and the fried egg act to create a perfect melange of umami flavors that put this burger over the top. The fries that accompany this gut bomb are crisp and well-seasoned. Heaven.

So be sure to head a few blocks off of Restaurant Row and order the namesake burger at Smokin' Betty's. It doesn't hurt to get a few of the sides as well - many of which are less than $5! When the food is great and the drinks are flowing, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a great time.


Smokin' Betty's on Urbanspoon
www.smokinbettys.com 

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Gelato 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.

After a long evening at the blackjack tables, nothing makes the GF happier than a scoop or three from Gelato at the Borgata. Located within the Metropolitan Cafe, Gelato offers delicious, creamy gelati for every taste.


So step right up and enjoy the view!


Similar to how Capogiro in Philly showcases their products, it's nice to see the base ingredients atop  the finished product.



Small Cup ($3.50)
Reese's peanut butter, mint


The GF decided to juxtapose the heaviness of Reese's peanut butter with a scoop of cool, light mint. A perfectly dichotomous cup of gelati, with a whole Reese's peanut butter cup on top! Completely affordable and abundantly scooped, Gelato offers a refreshing break from the noise of the slots and the smoke of the casino.

Gelato
Borgata Casino
1 Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(866) 692-6742
http://www.theborgata.com/assets/pdf/Gelato_Menu.pdf