Resorts’ Capriccio offers reminder of Atlantic City’s ‘good old days’

By Scott Cronick

The older I get, the more I sound like my parents.

My younger wife reminds me of this nearly every day.

“You sound like an old man,” she says when I reminisce about the “good old days.”

“And proud of it,” I reply.

I try not to dwell on the past too much, but it’s hard not to. I once asked Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller, who was reminiscing about spending time with a magician who died, if he missed the “good old days?”

His response surprised me. He told me that he thinks the later we are born in life, the better we are because of all the technological and societal advances the world has made.

I strongly disagree. Yes, I like my iPhone and I am so glad I don’t have a dial-up modem anymore, but I miss the innocence of when phones weren’t around and I didn’t have every answer at the tip of my fingers. I like that I spent from dusk to dawn outside playing baseball instead of in front of a TV playing video games. And although I love how great TV is these days, I also miss Saturday morning cartoons and the fact that there were only a handful of channels that forced everyone to watch the same things and talk about it the next day. And if you didn’t like what was on TV, it would also force you to go do other things, like play board games or just – wait for it – talk!

I also miss the “good old days” of the casino world. I didn’t start working in Atlantic City until 1994, but I remember coming here in the 1980s, when my parents would give me a stack of quarters and send me into the Playboy casino arcade as I passed by bunnies walking on the boardwalk. And yes, my parents left me alone in the arcade in Atlantic City for hours while they gambled. And I felt safe, and they felt safe leaving me, checking on me occasionally – but not if my dad was on a hot streak at the roulette table.

Every time I walk into Capriccio at Resorts Casino Hotel, it reminds me of a bygone era. Yes, the good old days.

Since Nero’s at Caesars Atlantic City closed this summer, Capriccio remains the last restaurant of its kind. It is also the longest operating casino restaurant in town, debuting when Resorts became the first casino to open in Atlantic City in 1978.

Miraculously, a good deal of the original Capriccio remains, including its marble pillars, hand-painted murals, ornate ceilings and chandeliers in a unique, Old World setting. Sure, it has gone through some renovations over the years, including renaming and sprucing up its entrance bar, now called Cielo, adding an outdoor, covered terrace that allows diners to enjoy gourmet cuisine while overlooking the ocean and boardwalk, plus paint, fixtures and various furniture and aesthetic upgrades.

But the heart of the original Capricio remains.

Diners are still greeted by a classy maitre’d – now Joseph Bradley – and waited on European style by tuxedo-clad servers, many who have been there for 30 or 40 years and know their regular customers by name.

Capriccio defies evolution. Sure, its menu has undergone countless changes, but at the heart of it remains great, old-school comfort food that Italians would be proud to call their own.

Capriccio also defies corporate America. It doesn’t seem to matter who Resorts’ president is, who runs its food and beverage department, and who is the room’s executive chef, Capriccio survives because no matter who takes those jobs, they know not to mess with greatness.

In fact, it has only gotten better.

President Mark Giannantonio, Executive Vice President of Hotel Operations Mark Sachais, Food and Beverage Executive Director Jeff Wray, Executive Chef Robert Levenson, Executive Sous Chef of Casino Operations David Wong and Capriccio Chef Thomas Boyle have continued to evolve Capriccio’s overall experience. That’s why Capriccio generally sits on top of Trip Advisor’s most recommended restaurants in Atlantic City and was voted the No. 1 Casino Restaurant in USA Today’s 10Best.com Readers’ Choice three years straight.

The food, while contemporary at times, is unapologetically classic. And that’s a good thing.

As you would expect, there are some things Capriccio cannot remove from the menu: the create your own antipasta section allows you to curate your own beginning with about a dozen ingredients; the clams oreganata are a long-running recipe; Capriccio’s meatballs are some of the best in the city; tender calamari are tossed with red cherry peppers, garlic chips and marinara for dipping; and the eggplant, chicken and veal parm are staples along with chicken and veal classics like Francese, marsala, Milanese, picatta and saltimbocca.

Perhaps the biggest and longest-running crowd-pleasers are the Seafood Zuppetta, lobster, scallops, shrimp and crabmeat simmered in olive oil, red onion, garlic, crushed red pepper and served over linguini; the Filetto Di Manzo, an 8-ounce filet with black garlic butter; and lobster ravioli with sauvignon blanc blush sauce.

Some relatively new favorites include the prime pork chop that changes presentations seasonally; trendy burrata toast with chili honey, marinated tomatoes and arugula; and our favorite new dish, torchio pasta with a gorgonzola cream sauce, figs, pancetta and cipolini onions.

Save room for dessert. Not only does Capriccio have the best peanut butter/chocolate pie you will ever devour, but Capriccio is also old-school in that it is the only restaurant left in the city – that I know of – to still offer individual souffles.

Capriccio is the last of its kind, not just here in Atlantic City but probably across the country. The good news is that Resorts has no plans to change this very special place.

The only thing that could make Capriccio better is to bring back its lavish Sunday brunch. If that happens, Capriccio will be the only restaurant in the city to offer a gourmet, over-the-top, buffet-style brunch complete with mimosas and Bloody Marys. I remember when every casino had a great Sunday brunch.

Now there are zero.

Yes … the “good old days.”

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.

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