You now have a few more reasons to go to the Tropicana Casino and Resort. For starters, Anthem Lounge will replace 32 Degrees inside The Quarter and will open May 18. The new nightlife concept will focus on an experience its owners promise to be trendy and stylish while offering reasonably priced bottle service and VIP treatment.
The club was remodeled to offer a "visually stimulating experience," according to co-owner Carrie Kauffman, who purchased the club with Lambros Tsikouras. Both are former 32 Degrees managers and lifelong area residents who have long desired to have their own spot to improve A.C. nightlife.
One of the ways Anthem will differ is that the party will not be constrained by four walls. The front window of the club has been removed so that the energy of The Quarter spills into Anthem and vice versa.
There will also be a 360-degree video screen that is visible throughout the lounge and part of The Quarter that will offer everything from music videos to photos being taken in the club's photo booth, plus graphics all controlled by the DJ.
"We created this concept because we wanted to put the energy and fun back in nightlife and take away that velvet rope personality where people think they have to spend big bucks to have fun," Kauffman says. "We want people to come in and have a good time and be able to afford to come back the next day because I think our drink prices are lower than everyone else in the city, and so are the bottle service prices."
The new club will also open earlier than 32 Degrees, featuring a happy hour with specialty martinis, champagne cocktails and other drinks beginning 8 p.m. The May 18 grand opening will offer complimentary drinks infused by Bella Dolce sweets by Franshesca. DJ B Easy will be joined by live musicians.
Other new things to check out in the Trop include:
• Talk of the Walk inside The Quarter. Owned and operated by the Lovitz family for three generations, Talk of the Walk opened its doors on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in 1951 and has been offering fine women's fashion ever since.
• The Family Fun Station in the North Tower of the Tropicana offers families an alternative to the adult choices at the Tropwith an arcade filled with videogames, pinball, skeeball and other games.
• Signatures features stylish clothing for men and women from top designers such as Columbia, Calvin Klein, Tommy Bahama and Michael Kors. Bridal and bachelorette lingerie and gift items are also sold.
• Sea Shore Kids is a baby boutique featuring Layette playwear, swimwear, bags, educational toys and clothing.
• Of course, Boogie Nights, which debuts this weekend and is our cover story. Read more on Page 22.
• The Boogie Nights-themed Party Pit, located at the entrance of the retro club, features groovy d�cor and music with games that include a Big 6 wheel, two roulette tables and two blackjack tables with Boogie Nights designs. Plus, the dealers and cocktail servers are dressed the part.
Taste of Revel
Revel, Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure are teaming up for the casino's first major culinary event: "The Taste of Revel."
The May 18 to 20 event offers unique foodie experiences that will take advantage of the casino's impressive roster of chefs while also including Food & Wine wine expert Anthony Giglio and Travel + Leisure's features director Nilou Motamed for more than a dozen events.
Notable events include:
• A kickoff bash with Michel Richard (Central), Robert Weidmaier (Mussel Bar), Alain Allegretti (Azure) and Iron Chefs Jose Garces (Amada, Village Whiskey) and Marc Forgione (American Cut) featuring two hours of fresh takes on Boardwalk favorites on Friday, May 18.
• A pastry party by Richard
• Allegretti's "The Big Fish Breakdown" with Riviera cuisine and champagne with a tutorial on preparing a whole fish.
• A Belgian beer and fine cheese tasting with Wiedmaier.
• The Art of Paella with Garces as he shows how to make lobster and seafood paella.
• Pig Out, where Revel chefs offer their signature takes on pork.
For more information, go to www.revelresorts.com/tasteofrevel; tickets start at $65 for individual events.
Cinco de Mayo events
As usual, there are plenty of Cinco de Mayo options at the casinos. Iron Chef Jose Garces offers some great May 5 specials at Distrito Cantina at Revel. The margarita bar and adjacent Guapos Tacos truck will offer specials from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., including $2 Tecate cans, $5 margaritas, $5 chips with guacamole and $3 chips with salsa.
Harrah's Resort kicks off the party Friday, May, 4, with $5 Corona bottles, $6 Patron Silver shots and music by Vida Ventura and Freezie in Xhibition Bar and Eden Lounge. Then on Saturday, there's $8 watermelon margaritas, $8 Anejo Sauza Conmemorativo shots and special appetizers like habernero wings and chicken and chorizo nachos at Dos Caminos. Sammy D's and Bill's Bar and Burger are offering $5 margaritas.
Worship Surf Bar at Showboat Casino-Hotel is offering $1 tacos, $10 Corona buckets and $5 Avion margaritas every day now through Saturday.
Bally's Atlantic City features $5 margaritas at Mountain Bar, and The Reserve is offering blackened salmon tacos at Preview Bar with pineapple and jicama salsa and chipotle remoulade for $12; a barbeque chicken flatbread with chicken braised in Dos Equis Lager and guajillo peppers, refried beans, Mexican crema and shaved chilies for $15; and cilantro and lime butter-seared mahi mahi with Mexican corn esquites and huitlacoche sauce topped with rock shrimp ceviche for $38 at The Reserve.
The Atlantic City Country Club, owned by Caesars Entertainment, will offer $5 margaritas, tacos and special Spanish menu on Saturday, May 5, followed by a Mexican Fiesta Glow Ball Night on Friday, May 11, which includes a Mexican party on the back patio as a pre-game to six holes of glow-in-the-dark golf. The $75 event includes dinner, golf and glow materials. Call 609-236-4415.
Phillips cooking class
Phillips Seafood inside The Pier Shops at Caesars continues its popular Cook, Crack & Eat series with Executive Chef Paul Drew on Saturday, May 12. Participants not only learn how to cook a fabulous meal, but get to eat it, too.
The May 12 session is "Clam Bake for Two," where Drew will offer advice on how to shop, select and create a one-pot meal featuring whole Maine lobsters, snow crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussels, potatoes and corn.
The $65 price tag include demo, wine, lunch and a bag of goodies to take home. The class begins at 11:30 a.m. Call 609-348-2273 to register.
Celebrity sightings
DJ Pauly D offered his second night of residency at The Pool at Harrah's last weekend, and he was treated to a special, custom-made cake created by Caesars Entertainment Executive Pastry Chef Deb Pellegrino and presented by Pellegrino and Sammy D's creator Sammy DeMarco. The cake featured a mini replica of the "Jersey Shore" star perched on a turntable. Pauly D hung out in a special set-up in front of the DJ booth because he wanted to be as close to his fans as possible. But he spent most of the night at the turntables interacting with his friends and fans and fist-pumping and spraying champagne all over the crowd. There was even a late appearance by Renee Graziano of VH1's "Mob Wives."
Also, Revel chefs Michel Richard and Robert Wiedmaier attended the White House Correspondents Afterparties in Washington, D.C., including the Capitol File party hosted by actress Claire Danes (HBO's "Homeland"). Also at the parties were Revel public relations representative Lisa Johnson and Revel vice president of programming Neil Cantor.
Borgata Bad Beat hits
Borgata's Bad Beat Jackpot hit twice in a four-hour span in the poker room recently for a combined $617,524, upping the total Bad Beat payouts to about $1.4 million over the last two months. In the most lucrative scenario, Marlton's David Henry was handed a loss when his four 10s were bested by Virginia's William Warner's four aces. But that loss earned him big money as the Bad Beat Jackpot was set at $567,524, with Henry taking home $227,009, and Warner earning the pot plus another $113,505. The rest of the table walked away with $32,430 each.
Carmine's wine event
Carmine's, the family-style Italian restaurant inside The Quarter at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, is offering a flight of five different wines sourced from New Zealand to California paired with samples of southern Italian dishes for just $12 from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 15. 609-572-9300.
