August is here, which means it’s the perfect time to head to Atlantic City to try some of the top-notch and exciting restaurants that have either just opened or upgraded this summer season. And we’ve got the scoop on a few of the best to check out.
Il Verdi
This Tropicana hotspot has been a fan-favorite for years, but this past summer, the concept debuted a new ocean-side space that upgrades the experience even more so than before. The dining room and bar areas are bright and light, and even take on a vacation vibe with comfortable cabana-like tables and large windows that look directly out over the boardwalk and the ocean. And luckily, there’s a deck to take your experience outside as well.
The Italian and seafood-focused fare spans an assortment of options including a raw bar (think jumbo crab, Maine lobsters and oysters), fresh meats and cheeses from the new antipasti bar, an assortment of small bites (like calamari and crispy squash blossoms,) plus some standout entrees. The latter spans a decadent assortment of pasta that highlight ingredients like lobster, pesto or wild mushrooms, plus a selection of meat cuts from a wood-grilled pork chop to chicken parm and a lot in between.
Seafood-wise, diners can also munch on plates like sea bass or salmon, and sides span herb-roasted fingerlings and wild mushroom risotto. To finish things off on a spirited note, the establishment is also serving up an extensive wine and cocktail list that takes patrons on “a tour of Italy” along with a full bar.
2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, caesars.com
La Strada at the Shore
The chic and swanky restaurant and bar located inside of Harrah’s looks like it’s straight out of an old mob film with dark wood accents and white-clothed tables against a decent-sized bar, but there’s also some updated flair here. For one, the open-aired kitchen style lets guests see what some of the magic is that is being cooked up, and the menu at this recently opened gem also matches the atmosphere with authentically rooted dishes with some extra special additions.
La Strada is currently serving up an assortment of decadent small bites like Ligurian stuffed focaccia, meatballs with Sunday gravy, cast iron octopus, and the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp is also a must-have. Or, diners can indulge in a large meat and cheese board that almost looks too pretty to eat.
Pasta-wise, the establishment is known for its ravioli, but other stand-outs span the squid-ink pasta, rolled lasagna dish, linguini with clams and even scallops with risotto. There’s also plenty of meat and seafood (with a daily catch and a daily cut being offered every day) along with veal marsala, chicken saltimbocca and pan-roasted branzino.
Side-wise, diners can also indulge in another category of interesting picks, including potatoes calabrese, risotto cacio e pepe, and gnocchi a la crema as well. Drinks-wise, the bar at La Strada serves up delightful options, especially for espresso martinis (ask for a frosted glass if you want an upscale experience, and it’ll be done in front of you from a cart.)
777 Harrah’s Blvd, Atlantic City, caesars.com
Superfrico
This Italian-American psychedelic dining experience is located inside of The Hook—a new entertainment destination in Atlantic City from Spigelworld which spans three new food/drink concepts and a comedy burlesque show. To make it interesting, visitors will have to walk through the theater into the backstage area to enter Superfrico— because it’s located in the dressing room of it (though you won’t see any actual dressing going on.)
You can head to The Hook to see just the show, or just to dine at Superfrico. The menu at the dining establishment “pays tribute to generations of Old World Italian cooks by filtering a treasure trove of family heirloom recipes through a modern, globally-conscious lens.” Aka, diners can indulge in dishes such as salmon crudo, crab gravy pasta, chicken parm, Heritage pork milanese, lobster vodka fra diavolo, an assortment of pizza, sweets like fennel ice cream and more.
That intimate vibe is felt throughout The Hook’s entirety, even in the venue’s other two stops, the Horse Dive Bar and Cheval de Plongée. The former is a boutique bar serving up beers and craft cocktails in the lobby and the latter is a breezy new boîte located on the Atlantic City Boardwalk next to the establishment’s main entrance.
Both the Horse and Cheval are available to stop by whether you want to attend the show or not. And sticking to the theme of history, they play into the local history of AC (which involved diving horses.)
1909 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, spiegelworld.com
