Disclaimer: I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports. a Special thanks to Harrah's for giving us the opportunity to attend the Taste of AC Preview. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
Friday June 7th while in Atlantic City Caesar's invited us to head over to Harrah's Resort for a preview of whats to come in July's Taste of Atlantic City event. If you love to cook, love to eat or can simply appreciate a beautiful dish then I highly recommend checking out the Taste of Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. The Festival will run from July 25th through July 28th. During this four day event there will be a star-studded roster full of the world's most renowned culinary experts and TV personalities such as Robert Irvine, The Neely's (LOVE them) Rocco DiSpirto, Laurie Forster and more!
During our tasting we were given the chance to not only taste some absolutely amazing food but we also got to meet the Chefs that created these dishes.
Our Taste of AC was not just a feast for the pallet but it was to the eyes as well . If I were one who couldn't bare to eat a dish simply because of it's presentation that I would have gone hungry that night. Good thing I didn't let that stop me because everything I tried was absolutely amazing.
The first dish I sampled was the Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche. I am a huge ceviche fan and haven't been able to find it here in Oklahoma since we moved here two years ago. I will say I was a little thrown at first by the scallops that were in it since my experience with scallops hasn't necessarily been a positive one but I am glad to say that has changed. The scallops added a slightly different flavor yet similar texture to the shrimp so it wasn't a drastic change if compared to classic ceviche. The flavors were robust without being overwhelming and I personally loved being able to taste a hint of citrus throughout the dish.
Next up was Mini Crab Cakes served on bed of mixed greens atop of a light yet full flavored lemon cream sauce. When I initially saw the sauce I assumed it was some type of tartar sauce but I am so glad that was not the case. The Crab cakes were crunchy on the outside and deliciously perfect on the inside. Not too dry and not too moist crab is the only way to have a crab cake. Too dry and you just can't eat it an enjoy it. Too moist and it because soggy. The lemon cream sauce with the greens and shallots only enhanced the crab cakes flavors. This was hands down my favorite tasting of the night.
The Plantain Empanadas were topped with a Chipotle sauce & a dash of Queso Fresco to tie it all together. I have never had empanadas before so I had no idea what to expect but the milk and creaminess of the plantains combined with the bite of the chipotle was absolutely amazing.
One dish you can no go wrong with is the classic Meatballs with Marinara sauce, basil and Parmigiano Reggiano. I joke with my husband that I am glad we got married because I finally got my wish to be part of an Italian family. That wish is strictly just so I could indulge in all the Italian food I want LOL Or maybe I was an Italian in my past life. Either way these meatballs were divine. I am very picky about my meatballs, more so with marinara sauce and both of these were prepared to perfection.
Lastly we have the Mini Mushroom Truffle Grissini. When I first saw it I thought it was a quiche. Shhhh don't laugh. I had no idea what a Grissini is, I may or may not have had to look it up. The best way to describe this dish is actually similar to a quiche except instead of using a pie crust they use a more heartier substance such as crispy breadsticks ground down to make a crust. So the consistency is a little different but taste wise they are very similar. The filling I still don't grasp what all it involved but I do know it has mushrooms and truffles (not sure if they used the oil or shaved pieces) and it pared together perfectly. Again this was another dish that can easily dry out if over cooked but it was baked just right.
Looking through all of these photos I wish I was back there right now doing another sampling. If you end up attending the festival be sure to tweet our your photos so we can all see the amazing dishes the Chefs have prepared. Also make note that the Taste of Atlantic City even is not just in one location but actually across all four of the casinos and resorts that are under the Caesar's Entertainment Atlantic City umbrella which include Caesar's, Harrah's Resort, Showboat AC and Bally's.
Disclaimer: I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports. a Special thanks to Harrah's for giving us the opportunity to attend the Taste of AC Preview. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
