Buca di Beppo

Buca di Beppo

Allen took me to the Buca di Beppo in Atlantic City for my birthday this week. We had a wonderful Italian dinner and it was one we will always remember. Buca di Beppo serves family style so a small portion is for up to 3 people according to the menu but it can easily feed 4-5. We could not believe how much pasta was brought to our table. I almost fell out of my seat. The good thing was we took the rest to go. We have been coming to Buca di Beppo for the last 4 years and have never been disappointed. We usually go to Buca for the breakfast buffet, and in the past we also had a great lunch here during Atlantic City Restaurant Week.

Warm Italian bread with whipped butter

Fried mozzarella with marinara sauce

Caesar salad

I was looking forward to my birthday meal and read the menu online before coming. I was excited they had cake on the dessert menu. No birthday celebration would be complete without cake and being a baker, I would not let this day pass without it. The first thing that is brought to the table is their warm Italian bread with whipped butter. I have to control myself or I would eat all the bread. The whipped butter is a must and divine.

Chicken marsala

My dinner plate

For starters, we got the fried mozzarella with their signature homemade marinara sauce. When you bite into the mozzarella you get a crispy crunch followed by an ooey-gooey, yummy and warm mozzarella. The marinara sauce was perfect for dipping the mozzarella into.

Spaghetti with meat sauce

Spaghetti with meat sauce

Spaghetti with meat sauce

Next came the Caesar salad - romaine hearts tossed in their Caesar dressing with roasted garlic croutons and Parmesan cheese. The salad is tangy and refreshing. For the main course, we got chicken marsala - baby Portobello mushrooms cooked in a lovely wine reduction sauce and spaghetti with meat sauce. Whoa!!! That is a lot of pasta for 2. I was in bliss. The chicken marsala was so flavorful and the chicken was tender and seasoned perfectly. The mushrooms were cooked just right, and the wine reduction sauce was sublime.

Me and double dark chocolate cake

Me happy to have birthday cake

I loved the spaghetti with meat sauce and it reminds me of the recipe I make at home. The meat was hearty with a balanced seasoning, and the sauce was so good. The spaghetti was cooked to a perfect al dente which is a must for me. We could not even eat half of it and had leftovers. I suggest if you are 2-4 people order the small portion as it is a ton of food.

Double dark chocolate cake

My piece of cake!

For my birthday cake dessert, I ordered the double dark chocolate cake which is the portion of 1/4 of an entire cake (4 pieces). I was in awe. This was such a thing of beauty and it tasted heavenly. This cake is a chocolate lovers dream. You get a moist dark chocolate cake with a velvety smooth crumb with layers of rich chocolate frosting, topped with a decadent chocolate sauce. Oh my! This was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday with hubby.

Leftovers

We enjoyed our food and dessert and cannot recommend Buca di Beppo enough. Our server Jim Z. was great, attentive and friendly. If you visit Atlantic City be sure to come here for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Me on the Atlantic City boardwalk

Allen on the Atlantic City boardwalk

For further information, go to:
https://www.caesars.com/ballys-ac/restaurants/buca-di-beppo#.XT3cHPZFxes

https://www.bucadibeppo.com/

-Sophia/Two Frys

Walt's Original Primo Pizza

Walt's Original Primo Pizza

On our last day at Bally's, Atlantic City, we got pizza for lunch and not just any ordinary pizza folks. Walt's Original Primo Pizza reminds me of the authentic NY pizza we get at home. 2 slices were a great choice for lunch with a medium size drink for $7. This pizza tastes great and the sauce has great flavor and lots of cheese, and a delish crust. It is so cheesy good! The crust ends are so crispy which we love.

Allen and his pizza

Walt's is located at Bally's, Atlantic City and is great for a quick bite. We recommend you try it when you are at Bally's and are craving pizza.

-Allen/Two Frys

Noodle Village

Noodle Village

For our 20th Anniversary, we dined at Noodle Village in Bally's, Atlantic City where our hotel was. We ate here during Atlantic City Restaurant Week in March and returned for more of the authentic Asian cuisine this restaurant offers. We were served green tea to start.

Allen - Hello Sriracha

Sophia - enjoying green tea

For the appetizer, we ordered steamed pork bun and got 2. The pork bun was delightful and pillowy soft on the outside and inside. With each fluffy bite you get flavorful pork entwined with sauce that tasted great.

Steamed Pork Bun

Pork inside

For dinner, I ordered Korean beef strip and it came with kimchi and rice. The Korean beef was fabulous, tender, and cooked perfectly, and I enjoyed every bite with the rice. I ate all of it and loved the spices. The kimchi had a nice spicy kick and was refreshing.

Korean beef strip, kimchi, rice

Close-up of beef

Allen's dinner consisted of pork chops in a tangy-sweet sauce with rice. The pork chops were chopped in nice sized pieces and were crispy and tender inside. The pork was cooked perfectly and the sauce complimented the pork. The sauce was plentiful so we both used it on our rice. We loved the taste as it was balanced with the right amount of tang and sweetness.

Pork, rice

Pork in a tangy-sweet sauce

 We shared more green tea together after dinner.

Green tea

Our meal was satisfying and the server Sherry was really nice. She even congratulated us when Allen told her it was our 20th Anniversary. We fully recommend Noodle Village. The menu offerings are plentiful and they have specials each day as well.

Noodle Village

Noodle Village

For more information, visit:
https://www.caesars.com/ballys-ac/restaurants/noodle-village

-Allen and Sophia/Two Frys

Harry's Oyster Bar

Harry's Oyster Bar & Seafood

For Allen's birthday lunch, we dined at Harry's Oyster Bar & Seafood in Bally's, Atlantic City where we stayed for 4 days, 3 nights. I am never disappointed with my food when I come here. We also had a great server Timothy who was very attentive and friendly so that is a plus in our book.

Allen's New England Clam Chowder

Chowder with oyster crackers and Cholula hot sauce

New England Clam Chowder close-up

Allen ordered New England clam chowder and loved it. He added oyster crackers and hot sauce and it was so yummy and rich. The serving size is just right and there are a lot of clams in the chowder and it tastes great.

Crab cake sandwich, French fries, coleslaw, and spicy remoulade

Crab cake is crispy on the outside and so tender inside

Yummy French fries with spicy remoulade for dipping

Coleslaw

We both ordered the crab cake sandwich with French fries, coleslaw, and spicy remoulade sauce. We loved the crab cake which was packed with crab, was crispy on the outside and tender inside, and the seasoning was perfect. The spicy remoulade sauce was so good and we dipped our fries with it. Even the coleslaw was yummy. We planned to order dessert but were so full and passed on it.

Allen with Cholula Hot Sauce

Allen and his chowder

Allen and his crab cake sandwich, fries, coleslaw

We recommend eating at Harry's Oyster Bar & Seafood if you visit Bally's, Atlantic City. There are many menu options and the food is great.

For more information, visit:
https://www.harrysoysterbar.com/

-Allen and Sophia/Two Frys

Flor De Mayo

Flor De Mayo

I have eaten at Flor De Mayo (Amsterdam Avenue location) with my family for many years. It was my Mom's 89th birthday and we went to Flor De Mayo to celebrate and have a great meal together. I know it means a lot to my Mom to be with us all together. We had great food and spent some time together.

Broiled fish with lemon and garlic

My yellow Spanish rice

My black beans

Flor De Mayo features Chino-Latino Cuisine at its finest. I love the food here and the portions are satisfying. I ordered the broiled fish fillet with lemon and garlic, yellow Spanish rice, and black beans. The fish was so tender and flavorful. The lemon and garlic was just the right amount and did not overpower the fish. The Spanish rice was so good and the black beans had nice seasoning. We also ordered tostones for everyone with garlic sauce and I enjoyed quite a few.

Tostones with garlic sauce

Allen's prok chop and yellow Spanish rice

Allen got a big pork chop that came with shredded lettuce and tomato, and yellow Spanish rice. The pork shop was so juicy, cooked to perfection, and the spices were vibrant. He also had tostones and used hot sauce on his food of course. In Allen's book, no meal would be complete unless it has hot sauce.

Mom with her birthday flan

It was nice to be here with my Mom. She turns 89 tomorrow and I am so thankful she is still with us.  I wanted to make sure we got to spend some time together with the family. Here is Mom with her flan. She said it was yummy and ate it all.

For more information, visit:
http://www.flordemayo.com/

-Sophia and Allen/Two Frys

Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill

Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill

Atlantic City Restaurant Week takes place the first week of March and offers lunches for $15.19 and dinners for $35.19. We had a great trip this year and took advantage of this deal and went to Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars where our hotel accommodations were.

Bar area and lovely chandeliers

Cool decor

Placement and silver ware 

This restaurant used to be in the location where Mia was and the decor is really impressive and has a Londonesque feel. The menu offered is British fair and the place was crowded. All the restaurant week menus offer a choice of an appetizer, main course, and dessert. For our appetizers, Allen ordered deviled eggs - organic farm eggs, sweet Maine lobster, caviar. I order crispy "belly" - 48-hour slow cooked pork belly, cardamon carrot puree, cider-honey glaze. For our main course, Allen got the fish & chips - ale-battered, tartar sauce and I ordered chicken pot pie - roasted chicken, root vegetables, English peas, puff pastry. For dessert, I got vanilla bean cheesecake - amarena cherry, oreo cookie crust and Allen got sticky toffee pudding - double cream vanilla ice cream.

Deviled eggs with lobster and caviar

Crispy "Belly"

Allen:
I enjoyed the best deviled eggs I ever had to date topped with lobster and caviar. The fish & chips was quite tasty and the ale batter accompanied the fresh white fish perfectly. The chips were large semi quarters of potato and they added up to almost one whole potato. I enjoyed them with tartar sauce and some English malt vinegar. The toffee dessert was sticky-sweet and reminded me of a tres leche type cake.

Fish & Chips

Allen about to add malt vinegar

Fish & Chips

Great tasting flaky fish

Sophia:
The pork belly was so tender with a crispy top and melts in your mouth. The cardamom carrot puree was rich and flavorful and the glaze had a balanced tart-sweet flavor. It was exquisite. The chicken pot pie was so hearty and the perfect comfort food. The roast chicken was breast and thigh and so yummy, and the root vegetables were tender and cooked just right. The puff pastry was so crispy and flaky and I loved dipping into the chicken, vegetables and broth. It was very filling and seasoned well. For dessert, I ate the vanilla bean cheesecake. I love the richness and creaminess of the cheesecake and tart flavor of the amarena cherry. The oreo cookie crust was crispy and complemented the decadent vanilla bean flavor.

Chicken pot pie

Sophia loving the chicken pot pie

The servers were amazing as were our waitress. I was impressed that we were approached often to see how we were doing. Even both managers checked in on us during our lunch. They were courteous and professional. We will definitely dine here again. I hear they have a great Sunday brunch and dinner menu so we will come back soon. Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay would be proud!

Sticky toffee pudding

Vanilla bean cheesecake

For further information, visit:
https://www.caesars.com/caesars-ac/restaurants/gordon-ramsay-pub-grill

-Sophia and Allen/Two Frys