What Restaurants are M-I-A in Atlantic City?

Atlantic City's Hot New Restaurants, is there anything missing?

With all of the development having recently come to and also planned for Atlantic City, a thought came to mind: the casinos here are following the lead of Las Vegas and bringing in more non-gaming amenities with every passing year. Years ago there was nothing to do in this town except gambling and eating, and most casino patrons would not leave their own casino of choice to do that eating. Casino management also did famously little in the way of encouraging people to leave the building, which is why every casino is guaranteed to have a steak/seafood, Italian, and some kind of Asian restaurant on the premises, because that was all the culinary diversity that was needed back then. Now, the game has changed in town: casinos have become comfortable letting their players leave the building to enjoy a dinner somewhere else because their market research has shown that unless the casino or hotel royal flushes their customer service skills down the toilet, the majority of that person’s gaming dollars will end up back at the original property.

The previous paragraph was a necessary lead-in to this little bit of a news flash: in case you haven’t noticed, the restaurant scene in Atlantic City is exploding, and has been for a few years now. The original catalyst for the rise in food and beverage offerings was the construction of The Quarter at Tropicana, which announced its roster of high-profile tenants such as The Palm, Red Square, and P.F. Chang’s. Next came the opening of Borgata with the Atlantic City branch of Old Homestead, which was followed by the buzz surrounding the opening of The Pier and its stable of restaurants. That buzz still continues in a way, because there’s remaining undeveloped space on the 3rd floor. Rumjungle is, according to sources, still on its way, supposedly to open early next year. The name "Todd English" has not been heard in months, contrary to early reports that the New York celebri-chef was bringing a version of either Olives or English is Italian to the Boardwalk. Not to be outdone, Borgata struck again with the first phase of its expansion, giving space to such culinary luminaries as Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay. With all of these great places popping up and most of them being variations on a theme (steakhouse, seafood joint, etc.) I set out to ask people I know in the restaurant business what they feel is missing from the restaurant market here. Many of the contributors have asked for anonymity for various personal or corporate reasons, however there’s no doubt that the people who gave their answers to The Mole are at the peak of the business in this town, and their answers reflect a view from the top. The answers will be posted in a series of posts over the summer and fall, so stay tuned for more insider info.

The question that was asked of the fine ladies and gentlemen that contributed was this: "If you were not involved in the Atlantic City restaurant scene, what would you say the city is missing in terms of restaurants or foodservice options?"

The first response comes from an anonymous sales and marketing manager at one of the city’s better steakhouses: "Coming to AC from a background of consulting at resort locations in 3 other states (PA/DE/MD) the biggest missing link I see is a very large, multi-purpose waterfront location that is "on the water", not just behind glass with a "view" of the water. A tourist eating facility (in AC) that is casual and family-oriented for all matters seafood: crabs, clams, corn on the cob with buckets and brown paper and mallets. The same location could offer consistent (daily? weekly?) outdoor entertainment for the older crowds (steel drum band, torches, outdoor deck dancing). In the other states, some facilities also house finer dining and banquet facilities as well as parasailing and boat rentals. On-site parking is also a plus!"

Look for more commentaries as the summer and fall go on. Atlantic City Dining Guide

Mike Holovacs, the Atlantic City Mole, is a concierge at one of the larger casino properties in town. Feel free to leave comments or questions.

Upcoming Atlantic City Blogs!

" The Pool " at Harrah's Atlantic City is Heating up!

The Mole in Brief: Atlantic City Upcoming Blog Updates and Happenings!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July, and here’s to hoping that everyone kept all of their fingers and toes. This isn’t so much of an article as it is an update: as was well reported, the Trump deal didn’t materialize as some people thought it would. All we can do now is wait to see if Dennis Gomes ends up replacing Mark Juliano. Since the purchase of the casinos didn’t happen, Gomes might be offered the job as (for want of a better word) a consolation prize. More details about the Atlantic City Casinos and the resulting effect on Steel Pier Amusements are sure to follow.

Also, I just wanted to post up a little idea of what’s to come for the Mole. All of the following are in various stages of development as posts of their own, and it’s what the readership can look forward to (and more!) over the rest of the summer and into the fall, in no particular order:
The Wildcat Thrill Boat Ride: I just experienced this insane Gardner’s Basin attraction last Friday, and there are few words that can accurately cover the adrenaline rush this ride gives.

The Pool at Harrah’s: The Mole has heard stories. Hot stories. Supposedly the Harrah’s people forgot to invite Caligula to the theme nights, because steamy tales of not-so-private naughtiness are all over town. Who am I to not report firsthand?

MIA Atlantic City Restaurants: No, not Mia at Caesars. The Mole digs deep, pulls strings, and asks the following of Atlantic City’s restaurant managers, owners, and regulars: "If you were not involved in the Atlantic City restaurant scene, what would you say that the city is missing in terms of food?" Look for lots of candid comments from both named and nameless Friends of the Mole that are sure to make local and visiting foodies do some thinking.

Thunder over the Boardwalk 2007 Atlantic City, NJ: On top of being a concierge, writer, and all-around nice guy, the Mole has once in a while been known to take some nice pictures. He’s also been known to refer to himself in the third person every so often. Some of my work from this year’s airshow will be posted not too long after the show itself for those who couldn't attend this year. The airshow is scheduled for August 14th and 15th.

All things Limo: The Mole provides all manner of services, one of the most frequent being Atlantic City Limousine bookings. Look for an in and out guide to limos in the city that’s Always Turned On.

Mike Holovacs, the AC Mole, is a concierge at one of the larger casino properties in town. Feel free to leave comments or questions.

The Nightlife in Atlantic City has never been better, it seems like every month a new hot spot opens. Recently a nightclub called Providence opened at the Tropicana Quarter, and now the emergence of the Pool at Harrah's, 2 new really hot places to check out in AC!