Cafe Martoranos Harrah's Resort Atlantic City! DoTube's Pick Of The Week!

I had posted this review on 9/2/15, 
but for some reason, the back link was connected to spyware?
 So I could not share the original blog anywhere on social media! 
So I had to re-post it with a new blog link, Thank you for your patience!

Cafe Martorano

Even though my title says Lifestyle Vlogger of Food, Fashion ( TRAVEL ) I have never been to Las Vegas! Oh, I have been invited to Las Vegas, many of times, for the Super Bowl, Fathers Day Weekend and weddings by family and friends, but with my hectic schedule I could never find the time to go?

But I never really pushed to make time. I guess it's because I grew up in Atlantic City, and wasn't much of a gambler? YES, I know that Atlantic City is not as big as Las Vegas when it comes to all the floor shows, shopping, tourist attractions, bright lights, water shows and fabulous restaurants! I found that out the hard way when all my cousins and friends went to Vegas for Super Bowl Weekend a few years back.

My cousin Sonny invited me a few times for an all guys trip to Las Vegas, for Super Bowl Weekend, but I could not manage to get away. For those of you's who may not know? My cousin Sonny is the brother I never had! He always got my back and always looking out for my best interest, especially when it comes to food and restaurants! Whenever my cousin Sonny tells me you have to try this I usually do, then wind up doing a blog about it because it was delicious!

So Sunday night I get a call around 12 am from my cousin Sonny! Umm? Why would he call me so late while he's still in Vegas? Of course, still a little groggy from my sleep I forgot there is a three-hour difference in Vegas. So when I answered my cell the first words that came out of his mouth were MEATBALL SALAD! Still, a little groggy I thought I heard him wrong...WHAT?? He repeated it slowly MEAT... Ball ...SAL..AD!

Eww, I got this funny taste in my mouth of wet lettuce mixed with sauce and meat? But a few of my friends grab the phone and persistent, dude you have to try the meatball salad it's amazing! It was evident they had a few drinks because they made the suggested like I was on my way to the restaurant and not 2.000 miles away in Staten Island N.Y!

Let me let you in on a family secret! My family never remembers the name of a restaurant. They just refer to it by their favorite dish at the restaurant! Hey let's go to the chicken carts in NYC, I'm on my way to the pork chops do you want anything? I saw John at the cheeses steaks last night! So I was not surprised when they returned, and I asked them the name of the restaurant they replied MEATBALL SALAD! I guess what happens in Vegas, really does stay in Vegas?

So a few years has passed, and I thought I would never get to try the famous meatball salad? That was until my cousin Sonny called me and said Cafe Martorano ..umm? I really needed to start screening his calls,..what?? The meatball salad is at Cafe Martorano, and he just opened a restaurant at the Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City! I made our reservations for next week!

I actually read an amazing story about Steve Martorano, how he started in Philly with nothing and now he's a major success with Restaurants In  Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, and Atlantic City, he is living the American dream which made me, even more, excited to eat at Cafe Martorano because everyone loves a good successes story!

Cafe Martorano

So my cousin Sonny and I arrived in style! I handed the hosts my DoTube Productions business card and told them I would be doing a review! They were very enthusiastic about it and promised me a night of fine dining! Watch 15-second video to get the full spectrum of Cafe Martorano

Watch 15-second video! 

The restaurant was spectacular! It's very spacious done in black and white, flat screen TV'S playing mafia movies like the God Father trilogy and classic Italian background music like Jerry Vale and Connie Francis, so you know I'm already in love with this place! On Saturday nights there is a DJ who plays great 70's disco music and lights up those spinning disco balls and turns the restaurant into a dance party!

( DISCLAIMER )

The dispute between whether it is sauce or gravy? Has never really been settled! Who can truly say? I think it's up to the individual, especially the cook of the house! I mean if I'm hungry and the chef wants to call it gravy? Fine! Served the food and we can dispute after dessert. But if you want my personal opinion here it is! Since the food industry has total authority on what goes on the supermarket shelves, I will have to submit to their authority and go by what they consider sauce and what they consider gravy! In others words, I never saw a can of tomato gravy or a box of brown sauce?

Tomato sauce is for Italian dishes like pasta and veal parmesan and brown gravy is for comfort food like roast beef and mashed potatoes! This concept has kept me at rest at night knowing in my heart that the dispute has been settled in my own being, of course, I'm being dramatic! Now since Mr. Martorano's catch phrase is
IT AIN'T SAUCE, IT'S GRAVY
and since I made myself clear on where I stand on this age-old dispute, I will show Mr. Martorano the respect he deserves in his very successful restaurant and calls what I consider tomato sauce tomato gravy! Now let's move on to the review!

The word that I was a restaurant blogger got around fast! because the chef wanted to meet and welcome me to Cafe Martorano, which made me feel like a star, TAKE NOTE chefs! She was extremely polite and said if I had any questions feel free to ask? I didn't have any questions but I did have one suggestion? Let's take a SELFIE!

The waitress was very kind and had a great smile which is always very comforting, TAKE NOTE waitress! She said since this is your first time here I suggest you try the meatball salad, I said YES PLEASE! The waitress and my cousin Sonny started to giggle; he told her to bring the meatball salad out first because we were both pretty hungry!

Cafe Martorano

How many of you's know when people cause to much hype about anything it puts a high expectation on it and sometimes hinders your review? Well, I must admit it was all the hype and even more!

The meatballs are made from Veal, Pork, and Beef with Italian herbs and bread crumbs, covered in delicious marinara and a dollop of ricotta cheese! The salad is made with red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil.

It's a nice size portion, so we only order one between us, the waitress split equal parts in our dishes which is the restaurant's policy whenever people are sharing, so she did the same with the rest of our orders!

The meatball was tender and rich with flavor, and the gravy was thick and taste great when I dipped the Italian bread in it! The salad had an old world charm to it, and even though they were on the same plate, the meatball and salad never cross paths! They were both deliciously independent! I can now see why the meatball salad has turned a local Philly boy into a world known chef!

Cafe Martorano

I always ask the server what they recommend? Because who would know better what the guest order most and rave about than the server? She said give me a few minutes, and I'll surprise you with something you will love! She brought out the Mozzarella & Tomato Stack! Which is Fresh Mozzarella stacked with beefsteak tomatoes topped with basil and drench in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar?

It's not that I'm bytes because I'm from N.J. but there is nothing like Jersey tomatoes! So I'm already happy with this appetizer, the Fresh  Mozzarella was firm in texture and creamy in taste, of course, the basil was fresh and the olive oil and Balsamic brought it all together nicely!

Cafe Martorano

Next, I wanted to try The Shrimp Scampi Bread! Jumbo shrimp, peas and tomatoes in a scampi sauce on small toasted garlic, this was a very odd but delicious dish, I don't automatically think tomato and peas when I think scampi? But it was good!

The tomatoes and peas held their own in this light scampi sauce while the plump shrimp absorbed all the scampi's flavor as well as the toasted bread which kept nice and crunchy! If you're in the mood for something different, I recommend it!

Cafe Martorano

I told my cousin Sonny to order our main entree since he had dined at the Vegas location, and he insisted on the Veal Sicilian, which I'm glad he did because it's one of my favorite Italian dishes! Veal sliced just right, mushroom, olives, and hot cherry peppers in a butter-based sauce is a combination that can't be beaten!

I like my food with a spicy kick to it so I was very happy!  I'm not ashamed to say I order extra Italian bread to sop up all the delicious spicy / butter sauce, there wasn't one drop left on the plate!...But Hey YOLO Baby!

Well, I must admit Cafe Martorano Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, was a great dining experienced as the host promised! Fun atmosphere, excellent service, and delicious food, what more could you ask for? Oh, by the way, I called home to check on my wife, and when she answered the first words out of my mouth were,

 ( MEATBALL SALAD! )

For More Info on Cafe Martorano Click Here! 

http://www.cafemartorano.com/

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A Few Twitter Retweets I Received From 
Mr. Martorano Himself!

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The Tap Room Pub & Grill AtlanticCity Country Club Fathers Day Weekend

I come from a long line of golfers, my great grandfather Larry, was a golfer, my grandfather Sam, was a golfer, and my father Nick is a golfer, oh, by the way, all of my cousins are golfers, and all their sons are golfers also! Of course, that particular golf gene entirely skipped my DNA! Oh, how I tried again and again to play the so-called relaxing game of golf! Which is more like an oxymoron if you ask me?

My father went as far as hiring a golf trainer for me, and after only one day of training, he told my dad, maybe your son should pick up baseball? My father was disappointed, and I was embarrassed. So the end result is? I don't like GOLF! So you could only imagine the dilemma I was in when over 23 of my close cousins invited me to an all guys fathers day weekend in our hometown Atlantic City!

 I was so excited to hear about the plans to spend a day poolside, and a day at a beach party, and eating dinner at a fine restaurant, then watch a lounge show and then spend all of father's day at the Atlantic City, Country Club...WHAT?!?!?!?..Oh no never mind you guys go without me, I'll be fine!

 I have been with them on a golf course before, everyone becomes a mean librarian, make one sound, and you're done! And since I don't play golf, what am I suppose to do? Count the trees quietly? Well after all my ranting and raving they made a conference call to me, like Atlantic City, representative they tried the soft sell first and then went in for the kill by telling me this!

The Atlantic City Country Club has an excellent restaurant called The Tap Room Pub & Grill. You can do a review on! Of course, they hit below the belt! At first, I thought they were pulling my leg? I mean, I have been to club house restaurants before, hot dogs and turkey clubs were the special of the day! So I decided to do a little research on the restaurant itself and check their website. As I was reading, I came across words like Executive Chef Ed Daggers, day timeCulinary Institute, Chef Daggers began his career at the four star, but this is what did it to for me!
(Chef Ed Daggers has also captured numerous gold medal awards in American Culinary Federation competitions for his salt dough and sugar paste masterpieces. The Atlantic City, Country Club is honored to have Chef Daggers as we encourage you to stop in and sample some of his fine culinary delights!)

So I made the call, ok guys you sold me, I'm in!! Well needless to say Friday and Saturday was a blast! Poolside with DJ'S, beach parties with frozen daiquiris at The Golden Nugget Pool which I did a video blog about Click Here to see it now! Pool Party Blog 

 Live entertainment at The Ego Bar & Lounge, Trump Taj Mahal casino at night! 

Planet Rose Karaoke Bar Tropicana casino

 I guess no matter where you go with 23 of your best friends you'll always have a blast!

To tell the truth? I could have gone home on fathers day, and still would have been very happy with my Fathers Day vaca weekend. But my cousins were so excited about playing golf I didn't want to disappoint them, besides I could always use a new blog review for my site!

As we walked in the Atlantic City Country Club, I was overwhelmed by the Majesty of the place, and the old world charm! To think of the rich history and all the important people who walked these floors? It

was very humbling. So I finally just relaxed and told myself how privileged I was to be on this golf course, and how I should just enjoy this very blessed day with my family and friends!

Oh did I forget to mention that 20 of our friends decided to meet us on the golf course? Yup! Lol Of course, with that many men on a golf course, there was no way to play a serious game of golf. So instead of being librarians, they decided to be more like the cast of the Jersey Shore, and just have some fun! Without the fist pumping of course!

So Check Out All The Fun!!.

My cousins being silly by showing off his red socks and shoes! 

Me and my cousin Richie enjoying the beautiful scenery! 

And after all was said and done it was time to eat! I had no idea that not playing golf on a golf course could work up such an appetite? So we all met up at The Tap Room Pub & Grill for our fathers day lunch!

My cousin Jackie, Me and Mark waiting for our food! 

Time To Eat! 

 Deep Fried Bread Sticks 

These were warm and crispy! Served with a creamy Parmesan  

for dipping, these are a great appetizer. 

Chicken and Cheese Fajita and Spanish Rice 

with all the trimmings! The chicken was moist, the pita was crispy 

and the cheese was soft which makes it a great tasting fajita! 

Garlic Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Rojo Sauce! 

I love jumbo shrimp, the hint of garlic and the spicy mojo

sauce made these shrimps taste so good I didn't even mind peeling them! 

Shrimp Pot Stickers With Thai Chili & Soy Ginger Dips

These crisped golden pockets are filled with a plump shrimp and Chinese veggies! 

For an extra kick dip in the Thai chili sauce or if you're more of a salty sweet person

then the soy ginger sauce is for you! These Pot Stickers are so big you can not finish them in one bite!  

Club Classic Clams Casino

With apple smoked bacon and casino butter, now plz don't ask me

what casino butter is because I don't know? BUT I do know it was very good, 

and the apple smoked bacon made this mini surf and turfs in a shell delicious! 

Classic Caesar Salad

With Parmesan Cheese, Croutons and Caesar Dressing. 

We actually split this salad among us, so this is the half of order which you can see 

is a nice size, The chicken was seasoned just right and the Parmesan Cheese was sliced

thin, this salad is very good!

Mandarin Salad

With Spring Greens, Mandarin Orange Sections, Crumbled Blue Cheese and
Tossed Pine Nuts, Citrus Dressing! We ordered some grilled mushroom to make this a full 3-course meal on one plate.The steak was medium well and very tender, so no salt, pepper or steak sauce was needed! Not to mention how the blue cheese crumbles and Mandarin Orange tasted amazing together.  

This Fathers Day weekend trip taught me a life lesson, never be so set in your ways that your not willing to try something a second time even if you hated the first time around because people change, situations change and most imported YOU change!

I'm so happy my cousins tricked me with the restaurant review plea because I would have missed the best Fathers Day weekend of my life, and would have missed eating at a 5-star restaurant like The Tap Room Pub & Grill at The Atlantic City, Country Club!

The best part is that the restaurant is separate from the golf course, so you don't need to play golf or pay a fee to get in! If you ever in the area stop in the Atlantic City, Country Club and put on a bright colored shirt and a pair of plaid pants and enjoy the great food at The Tap Room Pub &Grill....No there is no golfer dress code lol

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO!

 The Tap Room Pub & Grill  Atlantic City Country Club

A Few Twitter Shout Outs I Have Received!

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The Continental Restaurant Atlantic City Review!

One day as I was reading the Atlantic City FaceBook, I read a press release that The Pier Shops at Caesars was now going to be called The Playground! The whole concept of the mall was going to be changed, by putting all new stores, restaurants, live bands and nightclubs, which I will be doing a video blog about real soon!

Of course, I'm calm now, but when I first read the news I went into a panic! So I jumped in my car and took a drive from Staten Island to Atlantic City, the whole time I was praying to God, please Lord don't let them take my favorite restaurant away! Well God answers prays because when I got there, The Continental is still grooving! You may be asking yourself why was I so panic? it's just another restaurant! 

On the third floor of The Playground Mall, on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, there a restaurant which is not only my favorite place to eat but also my favorite time machine! Come with me where Martinis are shaken and not stirred, let's go to an era when leisure suits and go-go boots were the dressed code, where the jet-setters dance under funky light fixtures and dine on delicious hors d'oeuvres. 

WELCOME TO THE CONTINENTAL!

I vote The Continental the coolest restaurant in Atlantic City! Just on design alone, the restaurant brings you back to the retro era when Roger Moore was James Bond 007, and Charlie's Angels fought crime in hot pants and bikini tops, don't be frighted that's not the DRESS CODE! 

As soon as you walk in you could ask the hostess to seat you in a few different areas of the restaurant, where the mood and atmosphere are either a summer patio, ski lodge or a groovy 70's lounge! 

The Continental 

The Continental 

In the mood for a few cocktails with friends? Then come sit at the ultra mod, white bar on the patio!

The Continental 

Why not have a groovy private party in what I call The Jetsons lounge? With Spaceport windows, funky sectional, round velvet chair ornaments and really cool lighting!

The Continental 

 The waitress and managers were very friendly and would stop periodically with a smile to see if I needed anything? Which was very comforting, because there is nothing worse than feeling all alone at a restaurant, especially when they forgot your beverage refill you ordered 20 minutes ago! Can I get an AMEN?

The Continental is truly a great dining experience for a cool groovy night out!

For my full food review 

great visuals and Retro Music 

COME WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW! 

The Continental 

The Continental 

The Continental 

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Restaurant Review, Make Sure You Follow By Email, Bookmark or BlogLovin! 

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http://www.continentalac.com/

Gordon Ramsay Caesars Palace Atlantic City DoTube's Pick Of The Week!

All the locals in Atlantic City, know that the boardwalk between Missouri and Arkansas Avenue is not only the center of Atlantic City but also a year-round hot spot! No matter what the weather, season or day of the week, there is always people walking, shopping and eating in this part of town!

Before any mention of a casino, there was a Howard Johnson's restaurant on the corner Arkansas and Pacific Ave. It's where my Mother would take my sister and I every Saturday for one of their famous ice cream sundaes. I was so heartbroken when I heard the news that some place called Caesars Boardwalk Regency, was going to knock down Howard Johnson's and build a casino there, BLAY! Who wants a stupid casino? When you can have an ice cream sundae any time, you want! Of course, I was seven years old at the time.

Google image

On June 26, 1979, it seemed like the whole world, including my family, rushed to the grand opening of Caesars Boardwalk Regency! I must admit in my nine short years I have never seen anything like it in my life. The bright flashing lights, the sound of ringing bells from the slot machines... WAIT! is that a game room? And right next to it was a C.W. Sweets ice cream parlor, where you can eat all the gourmet sundae's you want! And I lived happily ever after.

For those of yous who were not a part of the MTV area, you may not know that the Caesars you see today in Atlantic City, is totally different than the original Caesars from the 70's and 80's. It took years to grow into the massive Roman Empire you see today!

Google image

 The modern day structure and design was adapted from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. After you receive your valet ticket and enter the front door, you will take a ride up an escalator that will transport you from the Jersey shore to the center of an ancient Roman city. With a massive statue of  King Caesar, amazing Roman structures, beautiful palm trees and in the left corner a British Pub & Grill...WAIT!!!! A BRITISH PUB AND GRILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROMAN EMPIRE?

In April of 2015, world famous chef and star of the hit reality TV show, Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay, placed a British flag in the center of Caesars Palaces Atlantic City! Instead of blending in the Rome decor, he decided to cause a culture clash by staying true to his British roots and integrate London inspired elements and designs throughout his restaurant.

There are four different style dining areas at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. The outside dining area is right in the center of Caesars lobby, with a great view of the giant statue of King Caesar himself! The red lamps are a reference to the iconic red phone booths that London is famous for.

The second area is the main dining room with private booths, flat screen TV's, full-service bar, with a large variety of wines from around the world, and many London inspired designs!

The third dining room area is a replica of a true British pub and grill, hence the name! I have never been to a pub in London before, but this is how I imagine it to look like, gold stained mirrors surrounded by dark wood and antique lanterns hanging on the wall that light up only sections of the dark pub. The table lamps and private booths give this dining area the feeling and atmosphere of a locals favorite pub in London!

And last but not least the fourth dining area which is the most intimate. It's like Mr. Ramsay, inviting you to his living room for lunch! With black and white London inspired wallpaper, black leather sofas, table lamps and red tables that also reference to the famous London phone booths, this dining area is spectacular!

If that's not intimate enough for you? Then the large painting of Mr. Ramsay's beloved dog Rumpole hanging on the wall will make you feel like home!

I must admit, this was my favorite dining area of all, but because of the dim lighting, I could not take any pictures or video without a flash which would distort the beauty of the dining area. So I sat at a table with better lighting, just to get the right shots, OH the sacrifices a blogger must make!

I was super impressed by all the different shapes and styles of their dining room chairs, big comfortable lounge chairs with bold colorful stripes, square leather bar stools, and extra large leather sofas.

I was only one person, and the wait was about 20 minutes long. So I do suggest TO CALL AHEAD to make reservations. The host was so friendly, so I didn't mind waiting. The waitress I had was named Elizabeth, but she told me to call her Liz ( So Of Course, I Loved Her! ) She was very nice,
and very helpful when it came to service and suggestions from the menu!

For a full visual detail and review of the restaurant's atmosphere and food, go watch my video of Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill Caesars Palace Atlantic City, at the bottom of the blog! 

GORDON  RAMSAY  ENGLISH PEA & HAM SOUP

GORDON RAMSAY MOLASSES 
AND BROWN ALE GLAZED WINGS

GORDON RAMSAY CRISPY “BELLY”

GORDON RAMSAY BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

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Restaurant Review, Make Sure You Follow By Email, Bookmark or BlogLovin! 

Also Don't Forget To Share, Like, and Comment!

A Few Twitter Shout Outs I have Received! 

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CLICK HERE FOR LINK!
GORDON RAMSAY PUB & GRILL