photo op: BUDDAKAN

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A tasty happy hour at Buddakan in Caesars ended our Atlantic City adventures for Yelp’s Spring Break.

We slowly sipped full-bodied cocktails, some hot with jalapeno and gin, others smooth with an array of sweet fruit flavors, and others still, floral with lychee and sake.

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We gorged on slippery dumplings bursting with spicy beef or gingered chicken or even pureed edamame with traces of truffle.

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We had crunchy chicken and shrimp spring rolls and crunchy tempura vegetables, sweet, meaty and green.

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And we finished with cinnamon sugar dusting our lips, residual from tiny dough pockets filled with a light cream paired with tangy sweet banana sauce.

Thanks AC (and my plus one) for the amazing time per usual!

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across the POND: Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill

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We made a mistake when making a reservation for the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill— obviously, there was no way we would make it to Las Vegas before 6:30 pm. But luckily the hostesses at the one in Caesars in Atlantic City were able to seat us right away.

The open restaurant is a little jarring as casino traffic briskly passes, but once our orders and menus were taken and the appetizers were on their way, it was like we were transported across the pond. The hubs ordered off of the special Atlantic City Restaurant Week menu, while I went for the real deal.

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He started with a very British Toad-in-the-Hole: a creamy sausage tucked into an eggy Yorkshire Pudding and drenched in gravy. The textures were unctuous and kind of slimy, with hardly enough chew and almost familiar tastes.

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My pork belly appetizer was fatty and succulent, but lightened with matchsticks of granny smith apple and a sweet carrot puree. The play of textures revved up my tastebuds and carried throughout my meal.

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The casual fillet mignon from the prix-fixe came with meaty salty mushrooms and a grilled tomato (reminiscent of a great full English breakfast). The dish erred on the safe side, as the meat lacked salt and the sauce encapsulated no real innovation or flavor.

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Plump seared sea scallops were bookended by two clamshells filled with briny clam chowder. The decadent chowder lay heavy and rich underneath the four perfect scallops. It was buttery and chunky with potatoes, large clam pieces and creamy moments. Its salt balanced the sweet of the scallops and the four blistered grape tomatoes served as reprieve for the richness of the dish.

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Dessert was magical. Both the Spotted Dick and Sticky Toffee Pudding were the kind of desserts you crave. They were warm and comfortable, dense and intensely sweet, but not complicated, like golden childhood memories. The bread pudding was swirled with spice and smooth, while the ice cream melted slowly on top. And the sticky toffee was so sweet, with different sugars.  The dark caramel cake soaked up the drizzled toffee like a sponge and the vanilla ice cream mellowed the syrupy dessert and added a complexity.

Overall, I was satisfied and stuffed. Most every bite was well-executed and brought a little something to the classic fare. The menu items are straightforward and common, but the end result is timeless and scrumptious.

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photo op: the CONTINENTAL

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Oh yea, we brunched at The Continental in Caesars, along with plenty of other yelpers as the eatery was offering a special deal for the Yelp Spring Break event. 

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Our boozy brunch started off with two very vibrant orange drinks: a fizzy mimosa for the mister and a peachy sweet astronaut for me.

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There was thick French toast with vanilla sweet butter and tart tangy raspberry compote. Not quite like our French toast, but it still stood up to the brunch staple with ease.

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Hot heuvos rancheros was served up in a mini skillet, flooded with spicy bean and chorizo chili and perfectly fried eggs served atop a crunchy corn tostada. There was a little avocado crema and chunky salsa to cool the tongue.

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To top it all off, a set of six French onion soup dumplings seared the roofs of our mouths with hot cheese and even hotter soup with stringy onions inside of the savory pouch.

The Continental offered us a lovely start to an extremely delicious day.

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photo op: YELP spring break in Atlantic City

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Even though there was still snow on the ground, a great group of yelpers and their guests headed to the boardwalk and beach-front Caesars and Bally’s casinos for Spring Break Yelp-style in Atlantic City. We all partied hard and ate harder, trying out some of the most delicious bites of the casino strip in Atlantic City.

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The festive activities commenced on Friday night with check-in, welcome packets and goodie bags filled to the brim with snackies, and a meet-and-greet with the tastes of Phillip’s Seafood. The happy-hour priced drinks were flowing and it was the perfect way to kick off a tasty and fun event.

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The munching continued through a social media scavenger hunt featuring the eateries located in the two hotel-casinos, like The Continental (more later), Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill (stay tuned for more), Boardwalk Cupcakes, and more. A board game themed party inspired by Atlantic City itself with some sweets and savories and an open bar was the culmination of the super spring break event.

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My plus one and I definitely had a fun time checking out the view, playing glow in the dark mini golf, brunching and dining and grabbing additional bites from Buddakan (more about this later) and Empire Burger. We even gambled a little!

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