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Thomas E.Briglia PhotoGraphics 2018
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By Bob Waite
It is a cloudy day in July, looking like it could rain anytime here in Lower Bucks County, but as we cross the Bristol Burlington Bridge into New Jersey, Tanya and I see blue patches of sky due east. East today must be the direction to drive because the clouds seem to disappear as we head toward the Jersey Shore. Tanya says, “Can’t wait to see our room.”
On this trip to the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City as on all our other trips, the room is the focus of anticipation. Tanya hardly wastes time when we get there, unpacking and taking photos of the room to send to family and friends. I am usually thinking about what we will have for dinner.
We arrive at 3 p.m. and it is very close to the time when Public Relations Manager Tim Louie is to meet us and take us on a tour. The room at the top of the North Tower overlooking the Atlantic Ocean is beautiful. The bay windows offer a great view of Atlantic City’s famous Steel Pier, which has a variety of rides including a real helicopter and a large Ferris Wheel that is colorfully lit up during the evening.
The bathroom is large and in it is a separate little room for the toilet, separating it from the glass enclosed shower and the ‘his’ and ‘her’ dual sinks. One thing Tanya notices immediately is the vanity stool under the sinks. This, she says, needs to be in all hotel bathrooms.
The king size bed is comfortable, and I lay on it for a few seconds before we leave for the interview. Do we have to go now? I mutter. But Tanya is up and ready to be shown the Hard Rock Resort and actually so am I.
By the central escalator we begin looking for Tim Louie. Above us are colorful lights and rock videos on a circular screen that surrounds the top of the escalator. On the ceiling are bright lights of various changing colors shaped like electric guitars. Tanya says, referring to the image of two guitars we are looking at, “They look like they are made of diamonds.” Outside the hotel, of course, is the large sculpture of a guitar that says, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
We see a tall young man wearing a sports jacket and blue jeans. Somehow, we know it’s Tim. I introduce us to him and he begins to take us on a tour. Tim is thorough. He begins by showing us the astounding collections of rock music memorabilia. First, he takes us to see Elvis Presley’s Rolls Royce and we see standing in front of the limo manikins wearing the suits the Beatles wore at their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
The Atlantic City Hard Rock, we learn has the world’s largest collection of music memorabilia, nearly 500 pieces. As we walk through the Resort we see guitars owned by such musicians as Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Slash. We see such iconic treasures as Michael Jackson’s glove, John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to “Imagine,” a motorcycle once owned by Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and the list goes on. And speaking of Bruce Springsteen, there is a room which features memorabilia from all New Jersey artists, including Bon Jovi and even Frank Sinatra.
The casino is state-of-the-art. The slots are all high-tech and have high density screens and quality sound. The tables look brand new and considering that the casino opened a month before our visit, they really are new. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is so new that Tim Louie hasn’t gotten his business cards yet. And although new, it draws people. People are sitting at the slots and playing at the tables. It looks new but feels like it has been there a long time.
The Hard Rock Café itself is impressive. It is bigger than usual and has a room with an ocean view that has a black and white mural of the faces of rock stars and other musicians. We notice that prominent in middle is a portrait of a young Frank Sinatra.
We thank Tim Louie for the wonderful tour and go back to the room, taking in the view and waiting for dinner at Kuro, a Japanese restaurant that is known for their meticulous service and delectable offerings. Kuro, we learn, is a new style Japanese restaurant, featuring artisanal dishes using locally sourced and imported Japanese ingredients. We can’t wait.
We arrive at 6 p.m. sharp. Not knowing what to expect, a hostess holding menus comes to get us and as we begin to walk to our seats, she yells, “Irrashamimase!” Like a loud echo, a chorus of servers and others including the kitchen staff reply in unison, “Irrashamimase!” The hostess then explained that it is the Japanese word for “welcome” or “come in.” We laugh as we are seated right in front of the wholly visible kitchen.
Our server is Cullen Blair. He asks us if we would like to have him ask us questions about our likes and dislikes and then bring us plates based on our answers. Being adventurous we say yes. He is perhaps the best waiter we ever encountered. I will ask for him the next time I go to Kuro.
We get to taste a lot of foods since this is small plate. The first thing we eat is in the menu under “Zensai” (appetizer). It is Crispy Brussels Sprouts and they are crispy and intentionally burnt. They are delicious. We make fast work of them along with a dish of Kuro Edamame with sea salt.
In the meantime, we meet the managers, all of whom could not be nicer. First, we met Justyna Chaba, who tells about their large variety of Saki. We then meet Matthew Kenkelen, the general manager who is not only friendly but helpful in explaining the culinary philosophy of Kuro. We also meet Monika Boneva who comes to our table to be assured that everything meets our expectations. We agree that so far Kuro exceeds our expectations.
As our main courses come, we are amazed at the flavors we experience. We have Shrimp with key lime and garlic aioli, Scallop with spiced edamame, yuzu kosho yogurt, Seabass Nori (Tanya’s favorite), and Koji Lamb. We also have various rolls and Wagyu Tacos. All just incredible and to top it off we eat for dessert a Chocolate Hazelnut Bar that has raspberry gel, dark chocolate ganache and also Apple Tobanyaki with roasted pecans, whiskey ice cream and soy caramel.
It’s 8:00 and we are on way to the Howie Mandel Comedy Club to see Kevin Bozeman perform. The act that precedes Kevin is very funny and we laughed quite a few times, but Bozeman made us howl. Kevin jokes about his kids and Tanya yells, “That’s right!” Then she says in replay to a joke, “That’s good.” Keven Bozeman actually hears her and looks in our direction. He says, “Thank you.” We are roaring.
Now walking on the boardwalk, we discuss all the fun we had at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. We meet someone from our neighborhood in Lower Bucks. We go in and out of the small shops and listen to the ocean singing its song as we saunter along. Heading for the hotel, we decide to turn in and have a good night’s sleep.
Bob Waite is the editor of Bucks County Magazine and Tanya is his wife, travel companion and co-writer of this department.