Our first food stop on this Atlantic City press tour, we went to Martorano’s at Harrah’s casino. To be honest, I was a little intimidated when I saw a picture of the owner, Martorano. I do not want to cross this guy.
But this place is awesome. It’s fancy with a bunch of TV screens showing mobster movies. There are no prices on the menu, which meant it’s good and expensive …which from what I understand was a selling point. The wine menu did have prices …to which the waiter kept pointing me to the $700-800 bottles of wine. I quickly scanned the menu, because I didn’t want to be the asshole who ordered the $700 bottle. I chose the cheapest one I could find –$175.
Yo Cuz is Martorano’s catchphrase. It’s a tattoo on his arm and the name of this awesome martini. Get it with the Black Truffle Cheese Olives. Todd is so hooked on these, he won’t stop talking about them. He’s going to try make his own, but I keep telling him I think there is vermouth in it because it’s a martini. He won’t believe me.
Then they kept bringing out the food. I think these are the best Meatballs I’ve ever had. They are so much better than the places in my Brooklyn Italian neighborhood that I thought were awesome.
I was so stuffed by the time the big tray of Fried Calamari came out, which tasted almost like General Tso’s. Then it turned they haven’t even brought out the entrees. Wok the heck!?
Ah, it was so good, so stuffed. The best Italian experience I’ve ever had. The restaurant even turned into a dance club at some point during our long meal. It reminded me of those Brighton Beach Russian restaurants that are half disco, half restaurant.
There was a real pretty girl across the room that I felt kept looking over in my direction. So I got up when everyone was starting to dance. Looked over in her direction, trying to look cool by taking a sip of my Yo Cuz martini …then missed my mouth and spilled it all over my shirt. It was smooth …the drink that is.
When we were leaving, I totally forgot we were in a casino this whole time.
Martorano’s – 777 Harrah’s Blvd (in Harrah’s Casino) Atlantic City, NJ 08041
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