By Scott Cronick
Ocean Casino Resort – and Revel before that – had a culinary conundrum.
Its stunning, oceanfront, luxuriously decorated and furnished dining space with breathtaking views of the ocean, boardwalk and Steel Pier’s skyline-defining Wheel is arguably the most gorgeous dining room with a view in the city.
But, whether initially as Azure by famed chef Alain Allegretti, and later as Dolce Mare, the food just never resonated with the casino’s customers or the public … a real problem when Italian cuisine is one of the top attractions for any casino around the country.
To be frank, those previous incarnations just weren’t that great.
Allegretti wanted to bring his Mediterranean style to Atlantic City, which was neither that impressive nor did it consider the average Atlantic City visitor whatsoever.
And Dolce Mare just missed the boat with consistency and lack of interesting Italian dishes and flavor, despite its always stellar service.
Ocean finally resolved that issue this summer by rebranding the space Linguini by the Sea, a much more approachable Italian-American concept with great food, the same awesome service and views, tasty recipes and presentations that jump off the plate … even if some of us aren’t 100 percent on the name.
“The space was a gem that needed to be discovered. We made a lot of menu adjustments from Dolce, and this name lends itself to accessibility, so diners know exactly what they are getting, and it’s appealing to people,” said Vice President of Food and Beverage Becky Schultz. “We were joking that when the name went into effect, the linguini and clams dish became the top-selling item, so we thought it was funny that the name subliminally got people to order that dish … and it is fantastic!”
Where to start?
One thing that you will certainly notice about the new Linguini by the Sea is that the culinary team put a lot of thought and consideration into items to the point that it’s difficult to choose what to order since there are so many great options.
That is particularly challenging when it comes to beginning your culinary journey.
“We changed a lot of our past dishes and just added a bunch of more accessible appetizer items and listened to our customers and what they were looking for,” Schultz said. “And all of the dishes have proved pretty popular to the point that our business volume has almost doubled on some days since the change.”
Led by Room Chef Ian Wilson, cold appetizers include the beef carpaccio ($20), tender slices of thinly-cut, top-notch meat that is served with black garlic aioli, hazelnuts baby arugula and pickled shallots; check out the signature lobster salad ($36) with mustard potatoes, haricot verts and avocado; dive into the Tricolore ($16), a house salad with little gem lettuce, radicchio, arugula, Granny Smith apples, candied pecans, gorgonzola and oregano vinaigrette; the new fig and fontina flatbread ($22) with gorgonzola and wild arugula; yellowtail crudo ($20) with shaved fennel, jalapeno and citrus oil; tuna tartare ($22) with avocado, cucumber and rice pearls for nice texture; raw bar items including oysters and shrimp; and an eye-popping burrata board ($29) with prosciutto, salame picante, marinated heirloom tomatoes, wild arugula and pecorino sardo.
“That burrata board is the showstopper,” Schultz said. “When it comes out of the kitchen everyone stops and looks. But one of my favorites is the lobster salad that is almost like a cold German potato salad in its flavor profile that is more creamy and has whole pieces of lobster in it. It’s a nice surprise when you see it and taste it, and I don’t think the menu description gives it justice.”
On the more traditional side, start with calamari fritti ($22) with lemon and cocktail sauce; sauteed PEI mussels ($16) with caramelized fennel, roasted tomato and saffron cream; charred octopus ($24) with warm cannellini bean salad and crispy pancetta; house-made meatballs ($15) with pomodoro and ricotta; and Luganega sausage ($14), which is basically an over-the-top version of sausage and peppers with sweet and hot peppers and melted, creamy Caciocavallo cheese.
“There’s something for everyone, and that’s the idea,” Schultz said.
Pasta, pasta, pasta
With nearly a dozen pasta dishes, including many that feature homemade pasta, Liguini by the Sea lives up its name, for sure.
Standouts include the aforementioned linguini and clams ($32) with Manila clams, garlic white wine sauce, lemon and Calabrian chili; our favorite, the braised leak tortellini ($27), with prosecco cream, chives and crispy prosciutto; tagliatelle caccio pepe ($26) with black pepper, pecorino, wild arugula and lemon; and rigatoni Bolognese ($28) made with braised pork and veal ragu.
“The frutti di mare ($63) is also a big seller with scallops, prawns, blue crab and clams in a pomodoro sauce that you can also add a half lobster to,” Schultz said. “It’s a little bit of everything from the sea.”
More than pasta
Of course, Linguini by the Sea also offers some stellar entrees aside from pasta.
At the top of the list is the speck-wrapped scallops ($42) with English peas, roasted sweet corn and Romesco sauce, but don’t sleep on the branzino ($45) with roasted cauliflower and chimichurri sauce; the superb chicken Milanese ($29) pounded thin and topped with wild arugula, cherry tomato and balsamic; chicken parm ($30) with pomodoro sauce, mozzarella and parmigiana; and veal marsala ($40) with roasted wild mushrooms and a marsala demi.
There’s also a beautiful 14-ounce New York strip ($55) with caramelized cipollini onions, gorgonzola butter and Barolo wine demi for the carnivores out there.
“Something so simple as that basil-crusted halibut had me joking with my mom if she wanted to lick the plate after she had it one night,” Schultz said. “And then I ordered the veal marsala and had to bust myself if I should lick the plate, too, because I ate the whole thing after planning to eat half of it. It was that good!”
Have any room left?
All of the desserts at Linguini by the Sea are homemade, and you certainly don’t want to miss out on the warm apple crostata ($13) with dulce de leche gelato and caramel drizzle; tartufo limoncello ($14) with raspberries, vanilla panna cotta ($9) with strawberry gelee and orange cookie; and the Frangelico Affogato ($15) with vanilla gelato, espresso and Frangelico liqueur.
“Also, we have the best tiramisu you ever had with mascarpone cream, lady fingers and espresso,” Schultz said. “I would put it against any tiramisu out there.”
What’s next for Linguini by the Sea?
Schultz said although the Ocean Casino Resort team is proud of what it accomplished so far with its new culinary creation, they are far from done.
“We want this place to be accessible, but we also want to keep evolving it,” she said. “We want people to feel like they can come in here and get a good value with fantastic service and a food experience that appeases the more adventurous eater and those who like things more traditional. So, we will keep rolling out new menu adjustments every season to keep things fresh and fun. I think our customers finally got the Italian restaurant they were waiting for. When you go in there, there’s a vibe, there’s energy, it’s a lively and fun place to hang out with family and friends to create some great memories. So, I hope people come hang with us!”
Linguini by the Sea is located inside Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Go to TheOceanAC.com
Scott Cronick is an award-winning journalist who has written about entertainment, food, news and more in South Jersey for nearly three decades. He hosts a daily radio show – “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” – 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays on Newstalk WOND 1400-AM, 92.3-FM, and WONDRadio.com, and he also co-owns Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City, while working on various projects, including charitable efforts, throughout the area. He can be reached at scronick@comcast.net.
