Shhh . . . Hear that clanging sound, planners? That's the death knell ringing for the $3.99 buffet.
Okay, we're just kidding. There are still plenty of cheap, all-you-can-eat places at casinos, where you can stuff your face and lose your shirt. But why would you want to, with so many sophisticated new restaurants popping up at gambling meccas? Today's casino eateries offer refined cuisine that's guaranteed to please the snootiest foodie in your group. How do we know? We asked planners for their favorites.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, lick your lips and roll the dice . . .
If you think typical A.C. fare is funnel cake and salt-water taffy, your taste buds are in for a treat this summer when Borgata, Atlantic City's first new casino hotel in 13 years, opens its doors. Culinary excellence is a big feature of the $1 billion venture, and of the 11 restaurants in store, top gourmet dining options will include Suilan, Specchio, Ombra, and Old Homestead.
Suilan, from Philadelphia chef Susanna Foo, will feature boldly flavored French-Chinese dishes like shark-fin soup and tea-smoked Peking duck breast. At Specchio and Ombra, chef Luke Palladino will serve up Italian specialties like veal saltimbocca and hand-cut pasta with blue crab and calamari. The Borgata launch of the Old Homestead steakhouse -- a Big Apple institution since 1868 -- marks the first time in the restaurant's 135-year history that it's opened at a second address, meaning meat lovers outside Manhattan can now enjoy its legendary, hand-massaged Kobe beef. Non-carnivores, meanwhile, will be glad to learn that much of the produce used in Borgata's restaurants is grown to order on local farms, meaning that the tomatoes, zucchini, or fennel you and your group savor at dinner were most likely picked fresh that morning.
And lest you think we're merely taking a PR person's word as gospel, we sent a spy to a recent Borgata event in Manhattan that featured sample dishes from every restaurant. Our culinary Mata Hari praised the presentations, the pairings of food and wine ("The Riesling was delicious!") -- but she especially enjoyed Old Homestead's tenderloin.
Las Vegas. It's no secret that the place that practically invented the dirt-cheap, all-you-can-eat buffet has had a mealtime makeover. Chefs from Wolfgang Puck to Emeril Lagasse have opened eateries here, giving a whole new meaning to the nickname Sin City -- as in, "sinfully delicious." Attendees can now enjoy familiar names in fine dining such as Le Cirque (French), Commander's Palace (Cajun-Creole), Spago (American), and Morton's of Chicago (steak).
One skeptical planner who had her taste buds tempted here was M. Rachel Porter, president of The Porter Event in Chapel Hill, NC. "I thought the focus in Vegas would be on showgirls and gambling, and that the food would be mediocre," she confesses. But she found herself pleasantly, and gratefully, surprised when she took a group of 15 executives to Ristorante Zeffirino in The Venetian. "Everyone just raved about their dishes," says Porter, noting that the lobster ravioli she ordered was "to die for." The service, she adds, was flawless, and the setting elegant: "It didn't feel like we were in the middle of a huge hotel at all." Porter was so impressed with Vegas' dining options, in fact, that she spent most of her free time on site eating (and shopping). "Despite all the casinos I brought my group to," she says, "I didn't spend one dime on gambling!"
When it comes to Sin City group dining, you'd be hard pressed to find a greater authority than Patti Shock. She's not only a local, she's also an expert -- department chair of tourism and convention administration at the Harrah College of Hotel Administration within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as a member of the local catering association.
Shock's favorite hometown spot for haute cuisine? Aqua, in the Bellagio, where the entrance as well as the food is exquisite, she says: "To get to the restaurant you have to pass through the Bellagio's conservatory -- an indoor garden -- so it's all fresh, seasonal flowers when you walk in." True to its name, Aqua specializes in sea creatures, and mouth-watering dishes like miso-glazed Chilean sea bass and lobster pot pie are presented so creatively the plates "are like works of art," says Shock, who also loves the attentive service and comfy decor of honey-colored woods and neutral tones. "It's a wonderful dining experience," she sums up, "and I've eaten in some wonderful restaurants all over the world!"
Mississippi. Before taking her current job in public relations for the Beau Rivage casino, Mary Cracchiolo used to do publicity for the entire Gulf Coast region, meaning she frequently wined and dined groups at area restaurants. Her favorites include The Chimneys in Gulfport, a refurbished Queen Anne-style beach mansion serving up crab, shrimp, oysters, and fish -- all locally caught; and Jazzeppi's, an Italian restaurant and martini bar in Biloxi. As for haute cuisine at the Beau Rivage itself, you needn't take Mary's word for it; take Wendy Hanavan's. As meeting planner for the Southern Innkeepers Association in Raleigh, NC, Hanavan recently took a group to the just-opened Port House, and speaks glowingly of its succulent meats, innovative decor (diners are literally surrounded on all sides by immense aquariums), and attentive service. Those who prefer surf to turf may
enjoy Ta.ke Ma.ku, a Japanese restaurant that recently underwent a $1.5 million expansion and renovation; it features teppan tables where meals are performed in front of diners, Benihana-style.
New Orleans. Needless to say, the Cres- cent City didn't have to undergo any culinary conversion -- this town has always been serious about food. (As one planner moaned, "There are so many [great dining options] here. Where does one start?") He might try our informal restaurant poll of his colleagues, which produced this list of Creole-French must-gos: Antoine's, Bren-nan's (where Bananas Foster was invented), Commander's Palace, and Broussard's; other perennial faves include Emeril's and NOLA (both by Emeril Lagasse). Heard of those already? We also got raves about a newer place, Cuvee, where Peggy Volk, a freelance planner in Oak Park, IL, recently entertained a small group of executives, and pronounced the menu, service, and presentation excellent.
"When I bring corporate groups to New Orleans, one of my favorite places is the House of Blues," says Michael Patton, president of Travel Design Partners in San Diego. "You wouldn't necessarily think of it because it's a cookie-cutter-type place, but it has some of the most fantastic food ever. Of all the House of Blues restaurants I've been to, the New Orleans branch had the best food and beverage." Then again, maybe that's not so surprising -- after all, this city's all about eatin' (and drinkin').
Connecticut. Got a group that's belly-aching -- literally -- over last night's greasy nachos? Do as the stars do and head for The Spa at Norwich Inn, where celebs from Regis Philbin to Mariah Carey recover from indulgence. The inn's restaurant, Kensington's, features delicious, haute health food, "not dry toast and grapefruit like you might expect at a spa," notes Diane Anton, who as New England ad director for Worth magazine brings clients here every year on a retreat.
Though the inn is located just minutes from Mystic Seaport as well as both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos (and is owned by the same Native American tribe as Foxwoods), Anton's group loves Kensington's so much they've never eaten off property. Then again, why would they, when they can enjoy breakfast and lunch in their bathrobes? (Every guest gets a plush, terry-cloth robe at check-in.) Nutritional information is listed for each dish, so attendees can decide for themselves whether to splurge 26 fat grams on the pistachio and spinach phyllo, or spend a mere nine on the seafood scampi. And if lounging in your skivvies with clients sounds too, uh, informal, come for dinner, which features impeccable butler service. But you might reconsider that robe option. Not only does it allow you to graze between your pedicure and facial appointments, but, as Anton points out, "You really get to know people when you're all sitting around in your bathrobes!"
Of course if your group's less health-conscious -- or just doesn't feel like leaving the casino -- there are plenty of choices for sophisticated chow at both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. At Mohegan Sun, ones we've enjoyed include Pompeii and Caesar (Italian), Bamboo Forest (pan-Asian), and Michael Jordan's Steakhouse. At Foxwoods, try Paragon (Continental), Fox Harbour (seafood), or Al Dente (Italian).
Palm Springs. Easily accessible to the many gaming options in the Coachella Valley is Cuistot in Palm Desert, CA, whose excellent California-French cuisine once again earned it numero uno in the local Zagat Survey. Corporate groups from Ernst and Young to Federated Insurance have dined here, says owner Bernard Dervieux, who's relaunching nearby this summer in a larger venue that offers even more private banquet rooms. Has Dervieux observed any trends in group dining? "More meat -- more protein," notes the French native, musing, "Maybe Dr. Atkins has something to do with it?"