Year End in Atlantic City

Sky Auction gets regular visits from Chuck, who is always looking for the ultimate deal. And because I am now on crutches, I can’t get around as easily as I’d like to. In fact, I spent many, many hours indoors because of my inability to move. However, within walking distance are mini marts and video stores galore.

The Park Lane is not an easy place to research on the Internet (RCI property), so we are left clueless as to what awaits us. It sits across from the huge Sands Hotel & Casino, and its guests can use the Sands Parking facilities at no charge. Were it not for a small red awning displaying its name, we would be hard-pressed to find the Park Lane. The main door looks no larger than an ordinary apartment door. Once inside, someone has taken the trouble to “deck the hall” with the prerequisite tree, garlands, piped-in holiday music (thank heavens you can’t hear it once you’re in the elevator), and infant Jesus in a straw basket. It smells very clean, and that has me beaming. The elevator is showing its age through a rather beat-up green carpet and a door that intends to slam shut no matter how many people need to board.

Lucky again, our room is on the 8th floor, and that allows us to view the city with all its lights. We are in the last room on the floor, which is a road trip if you are hopping on one leg. Chuck’s magical streak is right on again: this is an apartment with a separate bedroom, living room with sofa-bed, full operating kitchen with all needed utensils, eat-in nook, early '70s wallpaper, and two TV sets, which is more than I own. The bathroom is quite spacious, and the tub reveals its age by the fixtures attached to it. Taking a shower is a challenge, as there is practically no water pressure and you must act fast. I was disappointed not to find shampoo/conditioner. A few small bars of dial soap and plenty of clean towels is all you get. There is a hair dryer in one of the closets with lots of extra pillows and blankets. Housekeeping is once a week.

The apartment’s heating system is temperamental. We are either freezing or suffocating, with no way to regulate the climate ourselves. A fire extinguisher system has been installed as an afterthought, or perhaps a building-code requirement. It’s quite comfortable and roomy but will not win any decorator awards. The carpet is wall to wall, except in the kitchen and bath, and is pool-table green. The chintz on the bedspread and the couch upholstery is dated as well. Forget the art on the wall, if one can call it art. And my absolute worst nightmare is present in the living room, in the form of plastic flowers and plants.

But, I’d come back in a heartbeat.

What kind of restaurant would call itself B-52 and get away with it? Van Tran grew up in Vietnam, 100 miles from the Cambodian border. His is a story of gratitude for U.S. soldiers who fought to bring his people democracy. He pays tribute to the effort by putting his heart and soul in every morsel he delivers.

AC has a healthy community of Vietnamese expats; the majority of casino dealers hail from Vietnam. That would also explain the Christmas Eve Concert delivered by a Vietnamese chorus.

Ventnor Avenue is an important street here in that it has its own directional sign in Atlantic City. Its origin is somewhere at the end of what is Casino Row. It is mostly residential, but it is peppered with all sorts of ethnic bodegas, Asian grocery stores, and Middle Eastern shops with names that start the glands salivating.

The restaurant is quite large and has an equally large sign that touts gourmet food, crab, and other seafood, as well as barbecue. One would not expect it to be crowded on this Christmas/Hanukkah day, but there was already a party of about 8 people who looked quite comfortable. The décor is very simple, owing to the fact that the place has been opened only since September. Greeting us was Van Tran’s son, who complains the area is too quiet for him; he prefers Bensonhurst, an area of Brooklyn he calls home.

The menu is full of promise: appetizers are more American than Vietnamese; once you get down to the hors d’oeuvres and salads, things begin to get much brighter. There is a variety of stuffed rolls, chicken rice soup, red crab soup, and other salads. Pho gets its very own section, as it should. There is a My Tho variety of Pho, which brings to mind the fruit market. Everyone is looking to me to order, so I dive right in.

We begin with the Cha Gio, which are spring rolls filled with a mixture of pork, shrimp, and diced vegetables, served with lettuce leaves, fresh basil leaves and fresh mint leaves, and a special sauce prepared by Van. Put the roll on the lettuce, add a couple of twigs, sliced cucumbers, roll up everything, and dip in the sauce. You’re en route to heaven.

Next is the Shrimp & Scallop over Vietnamese rice; the fish is pan fried and sits on the side of a rice mound. Here again, it is recommended that you pour the magical sauce over the rice. Every bite is punctuated with eyes that get rounder and rounder, and oohs and aahs follow. The piece de resistance comes by way of Ragu Lamb. Here again, the special sauce in which the lamb and vegetables float is incredible; we learn it contains coconut milk and curry, and despite our well-trained palates, we cannot detect either flavor separately. The meal ends with the signature B-52 coffee, which we have iced.

This eatery was one of the few places open on Friday night, December 23rd. We had parked the car and were able to obtain a wheelchair for me from the hospitality desk; take heart in that the use of the chair is gratis if you stay within the confines of the Sands. From the ground floor, take the escalator or the elevators to the third level, where you will find the Corner Deli.

Here, the rattle of spilling coins is replaced by Christmas music, which is driving me up the wall. Three of us have been seated for a late dinner. As I look around, I realize that Las Vegas, this is not. Nostalgic murals depicting the Atlantic City of old can be seen from my vantage point. There is a buffet setting in the center, but it is now closed. The decorations look contrived and worn, but remember that this is a casual restaurant.

One server who will be getting our drinks greets us. Chuck inquires about the wine and is told there is only house red wine, which he reluctantly orders. I decide to have water, and Dilshad, our friend in tow, has the same. The menu arrives, and we are all very hungry and very curious to see where the teeth will sink. Alas, if you are a gourmet eater, a vegetarian, or a critic of fried foods, you will be disappointed. There are lots of “fried” food choices: hamburgers with more fried sides; steak and fried chicken; a Caesar salad perhaps. Pastrami or roast beef sandwiches? Looking at the soups, I notice onion with a gratin topping or chicken noodle. I am happy to also see Matzoh Ball soup, which will be the answer if nothing else is more appealing.

I spot a shrimp bisque and decide this is it; they offer a soup and half sandwich, and after having seen some of the portions being transported around the area, I am terrified of ordering a full meal. Chuck has the matzoh ball and the half sandwich, and I’m excitedly anticipating my bisque. Well, bisque it is not. It turns out to be darkly colored broth with small (canned??) shrimp floating about. I am too hungry to be annoyed; I was hoping for a creamy, smooth paste of shrimp with maybe a hint of cognac. The tuna sandwich has to be opened and deconstructed, because I cannot open my mouth widely enough to fit in a bite.

Chuck grimaces as he takes a sip of wine, and when our food server returns, he asks if he can exchange the wine; it turns out they do have white wine after all. You begin to wonder at the caliber of the servers at some point. The water tastes fine, especially after a few twists of lemon. Not many people are eating here, except for some teenagers who are delighted with their double portions of grease heaped on a plate.

Avoid if you can.

What’s changed in Atlantic City since I was here last at the turn of the century? We were here when everyone thought the world would come to a standstill in 2000; remember the Y2K scare? Of course, we rang in the New Year at Caesar’s without a care in the world.

 

Not a gambler by nature, I am usually reluctant to go to gaming destinations; and if I do, it’s the nickel slot machines. Ever since I won $200 at Black Jack, I haven’t had the courage to do a follow up act. But Atlantic City is close enough to New York to lure the occasional gambler, with comps, prizes, free rooms and the like. It has changed quite a bit in the last five years, and these are some of the things I noticed which pointed to a more positive experience.

The whole town seems to have gone through a face lift, as this area of South Jersey is not well reputed for its run down neighborhoods. I was sad and happy at the same time, to notice a slew of stores (about 75+) a stone’s throw from the Sands Hotel & Casino that now form the Atlantic City Outlets , which opened in 2003. Alas, this cannot be done on crutches, and not even on a wheel chair. As it was year end, there were promises of outrageous rebates.

I had also heard a lot about the new Borgata Hotel & Casino, of which I caught a glimpse when we arrived on Friday evening. The entire structure appears to be a glowing ember of red, and is away from the other hotels/casinos. Atlantic City does not have a strip, as does Las Vegas , but it has its now six-mile famous boardwalk, which can be accessed from most of the established casinos.

Also of interest is the slate of entertainment projected for the first few months of the year; it used to be that most of the worthwhile concerts were to be found at the Taj Mahal . Now one can also check for happenings at the House of Blues, and the Boardwalk Hall ; too bad Neil Diamond was already there on December 3rd. However, Bon Jovi is appearing in concert on February 4th and the Johann Strauss Orchestra on May 19, 2006.

There are also quite a few Asian/Viet Namese markets in the area, owing to the flux of Viet Namese families who live here. This made my heart sing, even though I could not indulge in browsing of any kind. An Imax theater has also appeared as well as a row of lovely pastel colored townhouses, reminiscent of downtown Charleston .

One of the things I enjoyed most is closing, and that is the Legends in Concert which used to be at Bally’s. It will be replaced with a game show of sorts, which is too bad.

If you plan to spend a week or more in Atlantic City, hanging out in a time share resort, you may want to jot down some of this information which will help in making your stay more enjoyable. The very first thing I had sworn to recommend to everyone is that you must, absolutely must have pizza from Papa John’s . They will deliver, should the weather be totally inclement as it was the day we enjoyed it. A large pizza will cost you $9.99, it will be piping hot when it arrives and so fresh, it’s impossible to resist emptying the box. Pacific Avenue is peppered with pizza places, but this is the one.

You will need to stock your refrigerator with all sorts of goodies, and as I mentioned, you have the pick of the litter as far as Asian grocers go. However, for your basic, all purpose needs, though a bit farther from the Sands Casino than other grocers, is Casel’s Supermarket . It’s on Ventnor Avenue, and spills over into the Margate City area; address is 8008 Ventnor and the phone# is 609- 823-2741. They were open when most others were closed. Starbucks is right across the street, should you need a caffeine fix.

Also, before you go, please check this page , where you can print discount coupons for entertainment, attractions, services, and lodging.

In the mood for lunch with a visit to the new Imax? During the week, Tropicana is luring you to chow down at one of their new restaurant offerings in the Quarter, coupled with either a show at the Imax, or one of their own revues. The cost for the deal is only $15.00!! This promotion will expire on 2/25/2006.

If the day or night calls for snuggling on the couch and going through a couple of movies, you will not be wanting for video stores. Take note that there is a healthy interest in porn in the area, and some stores cater to this taste exclusively. The one we found on Pacific Avenue had some good titles, but requested a $20 deposit for each DVD. Outrageous? Absolutely, but when push came to shove, we gave in. You do get your money back when you return them. For live, face-to-face, entertainment spend at least five to ten minutes on the boardwalk. You will find men and or women singing, decked out in season appropriate suiting. There are always live attractions on the boardwalk, along with sidewalk vendors; I especially enjoy ogling the displays of jewelry and other trinkets. There is more of this naturally, during the summer months.

Atlantic City has its own international airport, though I’ve never arrived by flying in. The Philadelphia airport is another option, if you don’t mind the drive. There are buses coming into Atlantic City from the entire tri-state area (NY/NJ/CT) as well as NJ’s Metro North Rail.