American Cut Steakhouse – Celebrating 5 Years of Bliss

I can hardly believe it, but Dan and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary last week. My how the time has flown in a good way, both us reminiscing on the fun adventures we’ve had these past couple of years, appreciating the good times and having a laugh about the challenges too.

We wanted to celebrate this little milestone by getting out of town for a bit, so we headed to classy Atlantic City, where we spent our anniversary weekend. Knowing what we were getting into, we did as the natives did – walked on the boardwalk, tried our luck at casino games, and explored some restaurants.

One in particular I want to tell you about here is Marc Forgione’s, American Cut, which is located in the Revel Resort & Casino– the newest high-rise construction in the area and also our home for the weekend.

Atmosphere:
While you can find most restaurants at the Revel on the casino level, American Cut is located one level below and provides a bit of seclusion and privacy from the hubbub. This was a welcome respite, especially since we were looking forward to enjoying a quiet romantic dinner.

Upon walking in and being greeted by our host, we were glad we came. The main dining room was long and spacious, boasting high ceilings and dark, deep hued furniture. I noticed a lot of leather and mahogany embellishments, which gave off a luxurious vibe and indicated to us this was exactly the place to spend a special occasion.

Once we settled into our table, we felt comfortable and close enough (I strongly dislike when I feel so far from my dining companion that I can hardly hear him/her). The acoustics were good, and we felt comfortable having a close conversation without getting the impression that our neighbors were eavesdropping. I also liked the dim lighting and candlelight, which further added to this sexy scene.

Food:
We knew what we came for, which was the steak. While the menu isn’t overly extensive, it features lots of steakhouse classics such as the ribeye, porterhouse, filet mignon, as well as seafood classics.

Crab Cake – Starting off with a lump crab cake, we were happy to see it was large enough to share. Consisting of chunky pieces of crab that were bound by a spicy aioli, we enjoyed every bite. I especially appreciated the crunchy cabbage and mango slaw that served as the bed for this dish, and that also helped cut the richness of the mayo.

Steak – Dan’s favorite cut of steak is the ribeye, and that’s exactly what he got at American Cut – a 20 oz to be exact. While most of this was the bone, so it seems larger than it is, Dan devoured it to the last bite, proving that they really did justice to an already good quality cut of meat. I tried it as well and enjoyed the juiciness and the caramelization of the outside. The steak was nicely marbled, which added extra flavor and juiciness.

I chose to go a little less traditional for my dinner and went with the beef short ribs instead. Immediately, loving its presentation, it came in a pretty red Le Creuset pot, which was dramatically uncovered by our waiter for an added effect. Loving all of this, I stared at the chocolate brown short ribs, which were topped with a satchel of fresh herbs. Once I dug in, I was in heaven, loving the thick, slightly sweet reduction that coated the tender short ribs, which surrendered immediately upon contact with my fork. Dan was impressed as well and I shared my treasure with him, both of us agreeing it was very special.

Side – Although we ordered just one side, and therefore saved room for dessert, we didn’t skimp out on richness with the potatoes au gratin. It’s rare that we have this dish at home, as it’s quite heavy and creamy, and this one also came with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. Describing it in one would be perfect, as it boasted beautifully roasted potatoes, a creamy, luxurious binder and some nice crunch from the herby breadcrumbs.

Dessert – Yes, we did save room for dessert, and couldn’t resist the AC Carbomb, which was American Cut’s version of a boozy bread pudding. Appreciating its intricate presentation, it was a layered chocolate bread pudding dish, topped with Guinness ice cream and a rustic, dark chocolate slab sticking out of it. The whole thing was then slathered in a Jameson butterscotch sauce and looked after by a perfectly bruleed banana. While Dan could’ve gone for more Guinness in his ice cream, it was perfectly balanced for me, and I especially devoured the dark chocolate bread pudding that had a tender and moist middle.

Service and Cost:
Just like the food, the overall service at American Cut was on-point. Our waiter was super professional and knowledgeable about the food and seemed to understand we were celebrating something special. Pacing out our courses in a way that we felt relaxed, we indulged in an evening of culinary and romantic bliss.

Costs are expensive, but not surprising for a high-end restaurant in a newly built Atlantic City resort:

Appetizers - $13-$42
Steak - $33-$110 Sides - $10-$11
Dessert - $10-$22

3 Blissful Mmmms

American Cut (at Revel Resort & Casino, Atlantic City) – 500 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401 855.348.0500
www.revelresorts.com/dining/american-cut

Old Homestead Steakhouse Mixes Old with New

This past week, Dan and I took a much needed respite, ironically in a place that never sleeps.  Not Las Vegas, but the closest thing to it, Atlantic City.  We visited the Borgata Hotel & Casino, which was a lot of fun and felt very much like a Vegas-style experience - fancy restaurants included.  And the one we chose to indulge in was The Old Homestead Steakhouse.  Very curious about this 137 year old NY institution, we were even more hungry to know what it'd be like when transported out of its original NYC locale.  

Atmosphere:
Situated on the ground floor of the luxurious Borgata Hotel & Casino, Old Homestead is one among six fine dining establishments in the hotel.  And unlike the other five restaurants, I think it draws the biggest crowds and interest, due to its long-lived reputation of serving "domestically raised, hand massaged Kobe beef."  We experienced this demand first hand, as even after we made a reservation in advance, we had to further wait another 30 minutes just to be seated.

The space itself feels very much like a modern steakhouse, with classic wooden furnishings, masculine colors like dark blues and browns, sleek velvet booths and large artwork dispersed throughout.  As you look around a bit, you'll  notice this place is populated either with couples, enjoying a nice romantic meal, or groups of men.  As I said, masculinity very much permeated the space not only in decor but also in clientele.

Food:
Overall, we found the food to be simple yet of very good quality.  The steak itself was delicious, but unfortunately the sides fell a little flat.  

Appetizers - We chose 2 apps including the clams casino and the fresh mozzarella and roasted red pepper salad.  Both were very good, but we were especially impressed with the salad, which was gorgeous-looking and colorful, with bright red peppers, milky white mozzarella and forest green basil.  The whole thing was very simple but so wonderful, as the ingredients were top notch and the flavors very clean.  I especially loved the balsamic glaze (different than just vinaigrette, as it was thicker and more syrupy) that rested on the bottom of the plate, and was just perfect for dipping the other ingredients into.

The clams were also very tasty and quite fresh.  My favorite aspect were the generous pieces of crispy bacon, which were placed on top of each one - the layering of smoky and fresh-water flavors meshing together really well.

Steaks - The piece-de-resistance were the steaks of course, Dan getting the signature Gotham Rib, while I ordered the Petit Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon.  Dan's was the stand-out of course, a massive 34 ouncer that even he couldn't believe he'd make a dent in.  While the meat had a massive bone going through the middle, as ribeyes do, there was plenty of medium rare meat to get through.  I had a bite and really enjoyed the succulent meat, flavored simply but deliciously, showing that it didn't need much else to hold its own.

My Petit Filet was really good too, being cooked perfectly to medium consistency.  I enjoyed the house steak sauce that came along with it as a condiment, giving the meat a bit more tang and personality.  What disappointed me was the bacon that was supposed to be wrapped around the meat, but which instead rested limply along the side of the steak.  While it was pretty good, I was expecting something thicker, smokier, and more substantial.

Sides - Our two side dishes included onion rings and hash browns that actually rested on the base of my petit filet.  Both were pretty good but didn't live up to our expectations or to the excellence we experienced at other steakhouses such as Ben and Jack's.  While the onion rings were crunchy enough, they were still on the greasy side and the hash browns lacked personality and pizazz.  Besides not being seasoned enough, they fell flat on texture too, as they could've been crispier on the outside.   

Service and Cost:
While the food was a little lackluster, the service was just the opposite.  Despite the modern setting we were in, the service was old-school-attentive and courteous, which I loved.  Our waiter referred to us as "gentleman" and "lady" on almost every encounter, which was charming and transported us to a different time.

I'm happy to report that all dishes were brought out in good time, glasses refilled when needed and the check expedited in a timely fashion.  It was all on-point and I'm sure the original owners would be happy to see that.

Costs are not surprisingly very expensive, given this is a fine dining establishment in a luxury hotel & casino. The dinner set us back about $180 including drinks and all the above-mentioned food.

2.5 Mmmms

Old Homestead Steakhouse - 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City NJ 08401
609.317.1000
www.theborgata.com