Luke Palladino may expand his culinary reach when Revel opens this spring. According to sources, the restaurateur is planning to open a concept that will blend retail and quick service in Revel's proposed Marketplace section.
Neither Revel nor Palladino would confirm the news, but sources say the two parties are finalizing a contract. The Revel location will supposedly offer upscale food served fast with an Italian focus. Also, a retail section will feature Italian imported treats including wines and cheese.
It will be the Galloway Township resident's third business in the area. He also owns Luke Palladino Seasonal Italian Cooking in Northfield, a 30-seat gourmet restaurant, as well as the much larger Luke Palladino gourmet restaurant inside Harrah's Resort.
Palladino, who is also known for debuting three restaurants simultaneously at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa when it opened in 2003 - Specchio, Ombra and Risi Bisi - has been praised for his innovative and modern approach to traditional Italian cooking, making nearly everything from scratch and using the best ingredients imported from Italy.
The chef is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and also worked in residency for four years in Italy. He has worked alongside some of the world's greatest chefs, including Emeril Lagasse, Paul Bertolli and Todd English.
Revel's other confirmed restaurants include three concepts by Philadelphia "Iron Chef" Jose Garces and American Cut steakhouse by New York "Iron Chef" Marc Forgione. Others eateries rumored for Revel that have not been confirmed include Michel Richard's Central, a 24-hour caf�, and STKout, a steakhouse concept that is aimed at women. Negotiations with Philadelphia restaurateur Marc Vetri have apparently collpased. It will be nice to have a local culinary presence in the property.
One of A.C.'s biggest cheerleaders
Augie Renna, senior vice president of national marketing, is proud to be one of Atlantic City's biggest cheerleaders. And if you are driving into Atlantic City on the White Horse Pike, you can see he is putting his money where his mouth is.
Renna bought a personal billboard that reads like a giant Christmas card: "Wishing Atlantic City and all those who visit us a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday." It's signed "The Renna Family," and has a picture of Renna with his wife Diana and daughter Raychel.
The casino executive says he did it because he owes a lot to the city that helped make him successful.
"This year, I wanted to send the wonderful people who made all this happen - and all our visitors who come our way - a special holiday card thanking them for making my last 32 years so memorable and rewarding," says Renna, a former school teacher who started his career in Atlantic City as a busboy at Bally's Park Place and worked his way up, including working as a dealer for a while. "I could think of no other way to reach so many people other than that billboard on Route 30. The Renna family is proud to be part of Atlantic City's past, present and hopefully far into its future."
Celebrity sightings
"The Howard Stern Show" was well represented at The Pool at Harrah's last weekend as Ronnie "The Limo Driver" Mund and Scott "The Engineer" Salem hosted a Friday night bash, meeting and greeting fans and even taking the stage. Unlike Stern's Christmas party, word is that the poetry-loving Mund behaved himself.
Atlantic City regular headliner Jimmy Fallon gave local DJ Matt Murray some awesome exposure when he re-tweeted Murray's tweet about playing "Teebowie" - a spoof by Fallon about Denver Broncos Tim Tebow - on 103.7-FM WMGM. Fallon's tweet, which mentioned the call letters and website, went to his enormous Twitter following of more than 4.7 million. The station's traffic increased more than 10 times the normal average.
Pop star Kelly Clarkson performed to a sold-out Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort crowd last weekend, met the Almost Angels, which perform weekends in the Taj's Ego lounge.
Over at Dusk, Nadia Ali offered a special performance at Dusk at Caesars Atlantic City.
New York woman
visited by Prize Patrol
Trump Taj Mahal's "Dollars to Your Door" promotion culminated Jan. 5, when its "Price Patrol" arrived in two stretch limos at a house in Astoria, N.Y., where a Taj customer got to choose one of three suitcases containing either $10,000, $15,000 and $25,000. Dina, whose last name was withheld, chose the one with $15,000 cash.
Martial arts at Trop
If you participate in or just love martial arts, you may want to head to the Tropicana Casino and Resort Friday and Satuday, Jan. 20 and 21, for the Action Martial Arts 12th Annual Hall of Honors, which offers everything from tournaments to demonstrations to exhibits and martial-arts celebrities.
Held in the Grand Exhibition Center, the promoters say is it is the "world's largest gathering of martial arts and mixed martial arts superstars, film and combat celebrities and renowned masters from around the world."
Expecting thousands of attendees, the event is known as "The Academy Awards of Martial Arts" and has been held at the Trop for 12 years. Scheduled participants include Frank Shamrock of the UFC, Chuck Zito ("Oz"), Don "The Dragon" Wilsson, Michael Jai White ("Spawn"), Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (WWE) and more.
A two-day pass is $39. Go to www.actionmagstore.com.
Getting ready
to Boogie
Workers moved slot machines inside the Tropicana on Tuesday to make way for what will eventually be a new location for Boogie Nights, which was formerly located at Resorts Casino Hotel. A new club will be constructed in the area that was known as the Penny Pavillion.
