Atlantic City Weekly Atlantic City Weekly

The Palm at 10

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:37:24 PST

An immediate hit, the family-owned steak house has lost none of its luster after 10 years in The Quarter

Ask anyone to name their favorite steakhouse in Atlantic City, and The Palm always seems to be one of their top recommendations.

And with good reason.

The family-owned steakhouse chain inside The Quarter at the Tropicana Casino and Resort IS one of the best steakhouses in town thanks to its amazing hospitality, belief in using the best and freshest ingredients and devotion to locals.

That simple approach is why The Palm’s 10-year anniversary in Atlantic City is being celebrated with a quiet, special offer as opposed to some over-the-top, cheesy birthday promotion. Like always, it’s keeping it classy.

“It’s been a good ride,” says General Manager Paul Sandler, who has been with the Atlantic City Palm since the day it opened. “It’s a pleasure to work with a company that shares the same values as yourself. For The Palm, it’s all about the hospitality piece, not putting numbers through the door and making as much money as possible. Hospitality and quality come first and then the money will always follow.”

Sandler is proud to say that little — if anything — has changed at The Palm since debuting 10 years ago.

A look around the famed walls that feature painted portraits of international and local celebrities along

with loyal diners reveals many more faces than originally appeared. But other than that, the place looks pretty much identical.

“The company hasn’t changed and neither have we,” Sandler says. “It stands by its original seven core values of dedication, loyalty, quality and the whole nine yards. I think the only thing that has changed because times have changed is that the controllables at store levels have changed so operators don’t have to compromise service and quality while still remaining profitable. But customers would never see that. We still have the same prime steaks and Nova Scotia lobsters since the first Palm opened in New York in 1926. We are just more astute to remain a profitable business.”

That simplicity and consistency is evident on its menu. All of the signature dishes remain such as the jumbo shrimp Bruno ($17), three jumbo shrimp served Francaise style sauteed in a Dijon mustard sauce; stellar bacon-wrapped scallops ($18) with a balsamic and basil reduction; the Louis “Gigi” Delmaestro Salad ($16) with shrimp, green beans, tomato, onion, bacon, iceburg lettuce, roasted pepper, egg and avocado tossed in a garlic vinaigrette; classic Italian fare including the best chicken parmigiana ($34) in the city; prime steaks such as the prime, bone-in, 24-ounce ribeye ($57) and a melt-in-your mouth filet mignon ($47 for 9 ounces, $51 for 14 ounces); seafood staples such as jumbo lump crab cakes ($39) and swordfish steak ($40) with a cherry tomato olive relish; signature sides ($8.50 individual, $13 family style) including Half & Half, cottage fries and fried onions and asparagus fritti with lemon garlic butter; and eyepopping, scrumptious desserts such as its bag of warm doughnuts ($10) dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with chocolate and raspberry sauces and one of the best carrot cakes ($10 or $16) — seven layers with cream cheese icing and toasted pecans — you will ever devour.

“Our menu doesn’t change that much because everything is somebody’s favorite,” Sandler says. “We cater so much to regular business travelers so that if they are fond of the Colorado lamb rib chops, they are the same here as they are in Dallas. You don’t have to overthink food. When you use quality food, it has beautiful flavors.”

Executive Chef Ron Reid, a Palm veteran who has worked at various locations throughout the United States, impresses with specials and permanent additions that aren’t printed on the menu including the steakhouse slab bacon ($18.50) featuring Neuske’s bacon with chipotle maple glaze served with homemade BBQ sauce; the prime, 40-ounce Tomahawk ribeye ($125) and a recent special offering pork belly with feta cheese and pumpkin seeds.

“Some of the things my chef does is just ridiculous,” Sandler says. “He is so talented. He does a lot of things on the corporate level for menu engineering and developing new recipes with them. He knows what works and in what markets they work in because he worked for Palms all over the country. So I let him do his thing with specials. If he wants to bring in a special fish from Hawaii, go for it. There is a lot of variety on our menu, and Ron does a great job with specials, bringing in things like stone crabs and bone-in swordfish chops seasonally when we can get them.”

Sandler and Reid aren’t the only A.C. veterans. Many of the bartenders and servers have been there since Day 1.

“And I think that makes a big difference,” says Sandler, who works side by side with Assistant General

Manager Anthony Romano. “People come in and ask for certain servers and find the same bartender smiling at them that they have come to expect and know for 10 years. And the longer they work here, the better and more knowledgeable they are. I have people coming in asking to sit in sections where certain server assistants work because those employees know exactly what guests want. They get that sense of comfort when they see me and Anthony when they walk in, but they spend an hour-and-a-half longer with the servers than they do us. That’s part of the reason we have so many dedicated locals, some who I see multiple times a week. We try not to say no to them whether it’s January or August.”

Sandler says he hopes The Palm’s next 10 years are like the first 10.

“I don’t look at how much money we made, I look at how many quality experiences we offered and how many relationships we developed because we want to be here 50 years from now,” he says. “We are looking to help Atlantic City re-establish itself one diner at a time, and we plan to stay true to our roots and continue to be a simple, family-run steakhouse.”

The Palm Restaurant

The Quarter at Tropicana

Open 4 to 9 p.m. Sundays, 5 to 10 p.m.

Mondays to Thursdays, 5 to 11 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays.

Appetizers range from $10 to $24, salads $8.50

to $16, classic Italian entrees $25 to $35, steaks

and chops $47 to $125, seafood $37 to $42, side

dishes $8.50 to $13, desserts $10 to $16.

Major credit cards accepted. Disabled access

through front door on street level or via elevator

from The Quarter. Liquor license. Catering.

Free valet parking located directly in front of Palm.

Kids’ menu. Private dining rooms available.

No smoking. 609-344-7256. ThePalm.com.

10 Reasons to Visit The Palm To Celebrate 10th Anniversary

By Scott Cronick

10. The Palm is offering a 10 percent discount

on all dinner checks in the dining room and bar

through Thursday, Jan. 29. But you have to ask for

it.

9. The Prime Time happy hour 5 to 7 p.m.

Sundays to Fridays features half-priced bar food

such as Nova Scotia lobster tempura ($7), prime

steakburger sliders ($6), Nova Scotia lobster sliders

($6.50) and more.

8. The service at The Palm is second to none, from

its friendly bartenders to knowledgeable servers.

Efficient, courteous and always professional. And

there’s no better GM in town than Paul “Paulie”

Sandler.

7. The wine list curated by Sandler is one of the

best in the city, and Sandler’s now on the beer bandwagon,

offering some great crafts on tap and by the

bottle.

6. The desserts are better than most restaurants

in the city thanks to a perfectly sweet and tart Key

Lime Pie ($10) and its Big Chocolate Layer Cake

($10, $16) with seven layers of dark chocolate cake

with chocolate ganache.

5. It’s as good as it sounds: the steakhouse slab

bacon ($18.50) featuring Neuske’s bacon with chipotle

maple glaze served with homemade BBQ sauce.

It’s not on the menu, so you have to ask for it.

4. The prime steaks are amazing, particularly the

28-ounce porterhouse ($75) that is often served as

a special.

3. Who has the best creamed spinach ever, anywhere?

The Palm does. Mix it with their goat cheese

whipped potatoes and taste heaven.

2. The Bozzi Burger ($18.50) recently took top

honors in At The Shore magazine’s Top 10 burgers

in A.C. for a reason: a pound of prime beef with all

of the trimmings including house-cut fries is something

worth clogging your arteries for. It’s not on

the menu, so again you have to ask for it.

1. The chicken parm. Yep, you read that right. The

Palm has the best chicken parm ($34) in the city.

Don’t be surprised, The Palm started as an Italian

joint in New York in the 1920s. Pounded thin,

breaded, fried and topped with awesome mozzarella

cheese and a tasty red gravy, this baby is so big it

sometimes falls off the plate a little.

The New Mariachi Loco

By Pamela Dollak — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:59:21 PST

Having outgrown its prior location, El Nuevo Mariachi Loco has become a popular destination for authentic Mexican dishes in Hammonton

Roberto Diaz almost never relocated his restaurant El Mariachi Loco to the corner of Bellevue Avenue and South Egg Harbor Road in Hammonton. The space, on the first floor of an ornate and elaborately painted 110-year-old building, the most photographed building in town, had been vacant for a while, but the owner was taking his time deciding who to rent it to.

“The owner wasn’t too sure he’d give it to us,” Diaz says. “He had a lot of interest in the space. I waited two months until he finally called. And we did it. It was empty when I got it. I built an all-new kitchen, everything. Whatever is there, I built it. I made it looked nice.”

The restaurant is technically El Nuevo Mariachi Loco (the NEW crazy musician), because Diaz moved the original El Mariachi Loco, located just a block away, to this spot only one year ago. The new space is bright and airy with cheery, yellow walls that contrast with the fierce pictures of impassioned Aztec and Mayan warriors hanging on them. The windows are adorned with images of Kokopelli, the humpbacked flute player who is more commonly known as a symbol of fertility, but also represents a musical spirit.

The original El Mariachi Loco, which Diaz had for four years, was a much smaller space.

“People liked it,” he says. “And it kept growing. We started having too many customers for the space. It was our customers who encouraged us to open a bigger spot. They said if I moved, they’d move with me. I said OK.”

Diaz, who went to culinary school in Philadelphia and worked as a banquet chef at numerous country clubs, is not only the owner, but head chef. His goal for his own place was to create “real, good, authentic Mexican food.”

And he has.

At the moment you are seated for dinner, you are brought out warm, homemade chips with three different dips: chipotle, salsa verde and bean. What’s missing? Salsa.

“I don’t want to give the customer just water,” says Diaz of the more common chip accompaniment. “I want them to have a snack. That’s the way we serve it. It works.”

The menu is extensive and can be a bit overwhelming, particularly if you are a novice to Mexican food. But ask any of Diaz’s customers who come locally or from as far as Philly, North Jersey, Delaware and the shore, and they’ll say you can’t go wrong with any item.

Of course they have fajitas, burritos and quesadillas, but when dining here, do yourself a favor and go for something slightly more exotic.

Tamales, beautifully served in banana leaves, can include anything from queso (cheese) and jalapenos to chicken with a mole sauce (an unsweetened chocolate sauce) to chicken with salsa verde (green sauce). Try one or get a platter with all three.

A newer menu item is the enchiladas stuffed with spinach, chicken and cheese served with a light, poblano cream sauce, which makes it a different way to enjoy this popular dish.

Mar y tierra (surf and turf, $19.50) includes a slice of ribeye steak, smoked pork chops, grilled chicken, shrimp, mussels, rice, pico de gallo and guacamole. The meat and poultry are cut thinly so they tend to be a bit on the drier side, but they are delightfully seasoned and the fresh and delicious guacamole is a nice extra.

Paella ($19), known more for being a Spanish dish, is a scrumptious combination of seafood and rice. Chiles rellenos de queso ($13), a cheese-stuffed poblano pepper swimming in a tasty Mexican tomato sauce, is a hot item here — literally and figuratively.

But it’s their mole poblano ($13) — chicken on the bone, rice and beans — that is their most popular dish by far. The sauce is comprised of numerous ingredients and is, according to Diaz, very complicated to make. It’s thinner than you might be used to elsewhere and takes three hours of meticulous effort to complete — if it’s done wrong, it can be either too sweet or too spicy. And this sauce needs to be just right.

Vegetarian options can be found here, too, such as pumpkin and mushroom quesadillas ($8.50) and stuffed zucchini ($13). The kids’ menu consists of some Mexican favorites such as tacos ($4) but also includes chicken nuggets with fries ($5.50) and chicken wings ($10).

Diaz is quite pleased with the way things are going in their new location.

“I think we are doing a good job. If we make a mistake, we fix it. But we try to stay away from mistakes,” he says. “We are working hard for the customers and want to treat them right. We wantthem to come back again.

“When they leave, they always thank us and say ‘good work.’”

El Mariachi Loco

101 Bellevue Ave., Hammonton

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends

Breakfast $7.50 to $11; tacos/burritos/quesadillas $3 to $10; enchilladas/

fajitas $12 to $16; appetizers $6.50 to $23; platters $13 to

$19.50; seafood $13 to $24; vegetarian dishes $5.50 to $13; kids

menu $4 to $10; desserts $2.50 to $7; drinks $2 to $8.

Most major credit cards accepted. Disabled accessible. No liquor

license. BYOB. Eat in. Outdoor seating in season. Takeout. Catering.

Private parties. Street parking only. Kids menu.

No smoking. Live music. Karaoke.

609-270-7224; ElMariachiLocoRestaurant.com

Continental, Souzai Special Events

By Scott Cronick — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:55:15 PST

And visit Golden Nugget this Friday, Jan. 23, where Mike Gill from ESPN 97.3-FM will broadcast his show live to celebrate the Nugget’s Big Game Super Bash contest

As we all wait for what Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein has planned for his latest purchase, The Pier Shops at Caesars, there are two amazing events worth checking out there this week.

For starters, beer lovers will certainly want to flock to The Continental 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, for a tasty and affordable culinary adventure that will pair some of The Continental’s American-style comfort food with beer from Forgotten Boardwalk, a newcomer in the beer world that is quickly making its mark throughout the state.

For just $29, the event will feature favorite appetizers from Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr’s acclaimed modern diner such as its Philly cheesesteak eggrolls to pair with four of Forgotten Boardwalk’s eclectic brews.

“We are tweaking the menu as we speak, but we are having fun matching our food with their beer,” says Continental General Manager Jonathan Karp regarding the menu that is being designed by Executive Chef and Forgotten Boardwalk fan Brandon Iacone. “We are doing some of our classics as well as some surprise menu items designed especially for their beers. One thing I know we will do is cap the night off with some mini funnel cakes to go with their Funnel Cake beer. That’s going to be awesome.”

Karp is referring to Forgotten Boardwalk’s Funnel Cake Ale, the Cherry Hill brewery’s signature beer that features 2.5 pounds of Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans per batch as well as some lactose, which is milk sugar to give the 5.5-percent alcohol by volume beer its creamy body. The beer offers an old-fashioned Nilla Wafer aroma with hints of vanilla in the aftertaste.

“It is seemingly our signature beer,” says head Brewer David Bronstein. “It started as a cream ale recipe and just evolved.”

If Funnel Cake Ale sounds interesting to you, so will the rest of Friday’s lineup that also includes 1916 Shore Shiver, a balanced, yet malty IPA brewed with Cascade, Zeus and Kohatu hops with a citrus taste and 6.9-percent abv that pairs well with spicy food; Morro Castle, a 5.7-percent smoked porter brewed with 50 percent smoked malts with a nice, roasty undertone and hints of coffee and tobacco that pairs well with bratwurst and fish and chips; and What the Butler Saw, a 5-percent “Undressed Wit” made with Belgian yeast, chamomile, ginger, orange peel, coriander and lemon peel that pairs well with mussels and duck l’orange.

“This whole thing has been a fun thing to do,” says Bronstein, who will be at the event to explain the beer and the pairings. “Our Owner Jamie Queli has been a fan of Stephen Starr restaurants, and to work with them has been a blessing for our company.”

The Continental routinely offers beer dinners and special events, but Karp says this one is particularly interesting.

“We started carrying their beer on our menu because they are definitely and up-and-coming brewery doing a lot of different things with flavor combinations and pure inventiveness,” he says. “So working with them was appealing to us because we do the same thing.”

For reservations, call 609-674-8300 or go to ContinentalAC.com.

The fun continues on the third level of The Pier Shops 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday,, Jan. 27, as the complex teams with Anchor Arts Studio and Souzai Sushi & Sake for an evening of step-by-step art instruction with local artist Brittany Czekai.

The $45 painting party will not only include endless edamame, choice of California roll, crispy shrimp roll or shiitake pot stickers and choice of one beverage — select wines by the glass, domestic beer, cup of sake or Bacardi cocktail with one mixer — but every guest will leave with their one-of-a-kind creation and talent they never knew they had.

Plus happy hour drink specials will be available all night.

Call 609-412-8985 or go to AnchorArtsStudio.com.

Golden Nugget Super Bash Contest

Head to Golden Nugget Atlantic City 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, where host Mike Gill from ESPN 97.3-FM will broadcast his show live to celebrate the Nugget’s Big Game Super Bash contest.

Gill will talk sports and the contest that runs through Tuesday, Jan. 27, that offers an exclusive VIP viewing section for the winner and 10 friends in the Main Atrium for the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

The VIP section will include a private server, complimentary Bud and Bud Light and stadium-style food throughout the game, plus the winner will go home with a Samsung flat-screen TV and a Bud Light football couch.

For details about the contest, go to Facebook.com/GoldenNuggetAC.

Randall’s Sleight of Hand

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:34:29 PST

Beloved among his show-biz peers, late entertainer Frankie Randall helped Steve Wynn lure away Ol ’ Blue Eyes

On the night Frank Sinatra jumped ship from Atlantic City’s original casino and began performing at the Golden Nugget, one of the legendary singer’s California pals — a very wealthy real estate developer — dropped $4.2 million at a blackjack table in Steve Wynn’s 2-year-old gaming hall.

Wynn was wagering $10 million that Sinatra could turn his small but opulent casino into a high-roller haven. And when he saw how much money one man lost in one night just because the iconic singer was playing the 500-seat Opera House nightclub, he knew his bet was going to pay off.

“He slapped me on the back and said, ‘I want you to work for me forever,’” jazz singer and pianist Frankie Randall, whom Wynn had hired to run his entertainment department, recalled years later.

Randall, who pulled off the biggest entertainment coup in the early years of Atlantic City’s casino era by helping Wynn steal Sinatra from Resorts International Hotel & Casino, died of lung cancer Dec. 28 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Although Randall had some success as an entertainer in the early to mid-1960s — he was a summer fill-in host on Dean Martin’s TV variety show — he was best known as an “entertainer’s entertainer,” meaning he was appreciated more by his fellow performers than he was by the masses. And Randall had no bigger fan than Sinatra, who he met one night when he was performing at Sinatra BFF Jilly Rizzo’s New York City saloon.

They quickly became buddies. Randall became Ol’ Blue Eyes’ “house pianist,” meaning he had an open invitation to play in Sinatra’s Palm Springs home, which was any Saturday night when the iconic star was home and not off somewhere singing for his supper.

So when Wynn tapped Randall to run his Atlantic City entertainment department, his first order of business was to upgrade the quality and caliber of shows at the Golden Nugget.

The casino opened in 1980 with a week of shows by Wynn favorite Willie Nelson, but country music wasn’t big business in Atlantic City, and Nelson only averaged around 50 people a night. After that, the showroom was populated mostly by a collection of static, long-running variety revues occasionally interrupted by B-list headliners.

Wynn asked Randall what it would take to keep Sinatra from re-upping with Resorts after his three-year contract expired with the First Game in Town. Money was no object, Wynn said. He was willing to double Sinatra’s then-unprecedented $50,000-per show casino salary.

“I told (Wynn) he had to offer him something (other than more money) that would perk him up,” Randall told me prior to his final casino gig in 2007. “Frank was the kind of guy who would get comfortable in one place and not be so quick to move.”

Randall suggested Wynn up the ante not just by offering him more money, but by making him a celebrity spokesman for both his Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos. In Las Vegas, Wynn was able to lure Sinatra away from his longtime home at Caesars Palace on the Strip to the Golden Nugget on Fremont Street in the city’s Downtown section.

Wynn agreed, and Randall took the proposal to Sinatra. True to form, Sinatra was in no hurry to leave Resorts and was considering re-upping with the First Game in Town.

But Randall had an ace up his sleeve. He told Sinatra that part of Wynn’s celebrity spokesman deal for the singer was a series of fun television commercials that would feature both Wynn and Sinatra.

“When I told him about the TV commercials, he really perked up,” Randall recalled. “Then I told him how much (money). Next thing I knew, he said, ‘Okay, you’ve got my attention. Now let’s sit down and work this thing out.’”

Several months later, Sinatra opened at the Golden Nugget’s 500-seat showroom in front of an invitation-only audience of better bettors (read: high rollers). Not all of the seats were filled; some players didn’t want to leave the gaming tables and slot machines just because the show was starting.

And their casino hosts weren’t going to force them into the Opera House.

Outside the showroom, fans clutching fistfuls of cash begged, pleaded and tried to bribe their way into the room. But no dice. It was a private show. Not long after that first show, Sinatra and Wynn filmed the first of what turned into a series of television commercials for both the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Sinatra was the star of the commercials; Wynn willingly played the foil. The spots had the anticipated effect. Once they began airing, the Golden Nugget was the smallest but hottest joint in Atlantic City. And not just among gamblers. With Sinatra on board, other A-list artists were placed under exclusive contract with the Golden Nugget: Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. Even performers that weren’t traditional casino headliners, such as ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov and actress Julie Andrews, headlined privatemshows for the high rollers.

When Wynn sold the Golden Nugget to Bally Manufacturing in 1987 to help underwrite construction of the game-changing Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, the new owners cleaned house in their executive ranks. Randall survived the purge. All told, he spent nine years working at the casino. During his casino run, Randall, a New Jersey native-born Franklin Joseph Lisbona in Passaic, had one sure-fire way of dealing with the stress of working in the gaming industry. He’d occasionally go back where he came from by booking himself into one of his property’s lounges.

“I was always very careful about not doing that too often,” he said, not wanting to take work away from another performer. “I usually only did it if an act dropped out at at the last minute. But it was one way of relieving the pressure, and there was a lot of pressure in that job.

Symphony's 2015 Start

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:07:10 PST

A concert collaboration will feature works by Morten Lauridsen and Ola Gjeilo

The Bay-Atlantic Symphony and the Choral Arts of Southern New Jersey, the region’s acclaimed orchestra and choral group respectively, open 2015 with a joint presentation that combines Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” with works by composers and Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s Artists-in-Residence Morten Lauridsen and Ola Gjeilo.

The latter will be represented by Lauridsen’s “Sure on this Shining Night” and “Lux Aeterna” and Gjeilo’s “Dark Night of the Soul.” The composers will accompany their works on the piano and Bay-Atlantic Music Director Jed Gaylin will conduct.

The concerts take place Saturday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m., at the Frank Guaracini, Jr. Fine and Performing Arts Center, Cumberland County College in Vineland, and Sunday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m. at the Richard Stockton College Performing Arts Center, Galloway Township.

For this season’s subscription concert series, reduced ticket prices —$30 per concert (Service charges might apply for Stockton tickets.) — will be for all seats in all venues, subsidized by the sponsorship by Woodruff Energy.

All Bay-Atlantic Symphony performances will be preceded one hour prior to starting time with a “Pre-Concert Conversation with the Maestro.”

Morten Johannes Lauridsen is an American composer and a National Medal of Arts recipient (2007). He has been a professor of composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for more than 40 years.

In 2006, Lauridsen was named an “American Choral Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2007 he received the National Medal of Arts from the President in a White House ceremony, “for his composition of radiant choral works combining musical beauty, power and spiritual depth that have thrilled audiences worldwide.”

His works have been recorded on more than 200 CDs, five of which have received Grammy Award nominations, including O Magnum Mysterium by the Tiffany Consort and A Company of Voices by Conspirare. He was also the subject of an award-winning documentary, “Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen.”

Ola Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo) was born in Norway in 1978, and moved to the United States in 2001 to begin his composition studies at the Juilliard School. Ola’s concert works are performed all over the world, and his debut recording as a pianist-composer, the lyrical crossover album “Stone Rose,” was followed by its 2012 sequel, Piano Improvisations. Many of Ola’s choral works are featured on Phoenix Chorale’s bestselling Northern Lights album, which is devoted entirely to his music for choir. A full-time concert music composer, Ola is also very interested in film, and his music often draws inspiration from movies.

Jack Hill, Artistic Director of the Choral Arts of Southern New Jersey, received formal training was at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music and his Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance. As a professor at Rowan University, he conducts the women’s choir and teaches in both the music and theatre departments.

Music Director Jed Gaylin is in his 17th season with the Bay-Atlantic Symphony, after a national search in 1995 to find the right person to lead the orchestra into its next phase, which he has accomplished in spectacular fashion.

During his tenure, the Bay-Atlantic Symphony has grown into the preeminent orchestra in the southern region of New Jersey, serving as an arts ambassador throughout the region

NOTE: The Bay-Atlantic Symphony has been nominated for the seventh consecutive year for the Jersey Arts.com People’s Choice Award, and is asking the community to vote for the Bay-Atlantic Symphony as their favorite “Symphony/Orchestra” by going online at JerseyArts.com/peopleschoice, to the Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s website at BayAtlanticSymphony.org, or to the Symphony’s Facebook page.

“We are very proud and honored to be nominated consistently for this award,” says Bay-Atlantic Symphony Music Director Jed Gaylin.

“The nomination is testimony to the esteem with which we are recognized among our peers in the arts community. We hope, with the help of all of our supporters who take a few minutes of time to do the simple, on-line voting, to go all the way this year.”

According to Bay-Atlantic Symphony Executive Director Paul Herron, “We have been nominated every year the award has been offered and, twice, we finished second only to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, which has a budget many times that of ours.”

Vivaldi, Lauridsen, Gjeilo

Bay-Atlantic Symphony, Jed Gaylin, conductor; Choral Arts of Southern

New Jersey, Jack Hill, conductor; Artists-in-Residence Morten Lauridsen

and Ola Gjeilo on piano.

Saturday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m., Cumberland County College, 3322 College Drive, Vineland. $30.

856-692-8499.

Sunday. Jan. 25, 2 p.m., Richard Stockton College Performing Arts Center,

101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway. $32. 609-652-9000.

Fleetwood Mac Fully Intact

By Scott Cronick — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:36:21 PST

Christine McVie rejoins classic band after a prolonged absence

How much of a difference can one band member make? In the case of Christine McVie, she single-handedly transformed Fleetwood Mac from a tired, going through the motions, classic rock band cashing in on their fame to a mind-blowing, arena-worthy, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-caliber act.

That may sound crazy considering McVie is 71 years old and hasn’t performed with her legendary bandmates for about 15 years, but that was clearly the case at Fleetwood Mac’s fall concert at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia as part of their massive, international “On With the Show Tour,” which hits Boardwalk Hall 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24.

The evidence was clear from the very first song, “The Chain,” one of the few Fleetwood Mac songs ever credited to all five members — McVie, singer Stevie Nicks, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. As soon as the harmonies hit it was classic Mac. Seeing McVie behind the keyboards once again was a thing of beauty, and it was immediately clear what was missing for the last two decades: Christine McVie’s third vocal layer.

“The Songbird” personally shined all night: stepping out from behind the keys to sing the contagiously catchy classic “Everywhere,” showing what a great alto she is; making “Say You Love Me” a tour highlight thanks to its sweet lyrics and spot-on vocals; and deservingly closing the night with her trademark “Songbird,” which starts with her on piano as she is later joined by Buckingham and Nicks for a mellow, beautiful second encore.

And although the night was clearly not all about McVie, her presence obviously energized the band, which sounded tighter and seemed more energetic than any of their tours in recent memory.

Nicks, who seemed to be mailing it in on previous tours, was particularly strong. While she certainly doesn’t hit the high notes she once did, singing most tunes in a lower octave, she seems to care about the songs again, delivering them with passion and reminding everyone why she is one of the greatest female rock singers of all time.

She makes it obvious on the night’s second song, “You Make Loving Fun” and immediately continues with her distinctive vocal style with “Dreams.” It’s later evident on the smash “Rhiannon,” the groovy “Seven Wonders,” the crowd-favorite “Landslide” and her signature “Gypsy.”

For years, a Fleetwood Mac concert seemed like the Lindsey Buckingham show, and although he still plays a prominent role, he wisely steps back a bit for this tour. Buckingham highlights include “Second Hand News,” a borderline punk song that offers a fun, spirited rocker at the beginning of the night; “I Know I’m Not Wrong,” where he shows his guitar chops for the first time of the night accompanied by some impressive, pounding drum work from a 68-year-old Fleetwood; the tribal “Tusk,” with Christine McVie on accordion that still remains a great, live tune; and “I’m So Afraid,” a moody song that didn’t belong near the tail end of the first set but offered the most amazing guitar solo of the night.

With a stage more simple than you would expect on such a big tour — a large screen behind the band does help those in the cheap seats — Fleetwood Mac lets the music be all of the hype it needs.

Supported by three musicians and three backup singers, the most amazing thing about this current tour is how awesome they sound as a team … like they never missed a beat after all of these years. When all of the harmonies kick in and the rapport is in full swing, it’s something magical, particularly on the classic “Little Lies,” a complete team effort highlighted by another great Buckingham solo; the stellar “Gold Dust Woman” that featured their best harmonies of the night; “Go Your Own Way,” which ended the first set; and “Don’t Stop,” a perfect encore.

To quibble, the night could have done without Nicks’ “Sisters of the Moon,” complete with an “American Horror Story” plug to promote the FX TV series she has appeared on; “Big Love,” a Buckingham song that showed off his amazing acoustic guitar work but is simply not a great song; and “Over My Head,” a nice but boring tune.

Clocking in at nearly three hours and featuring 24 songs, one hit after another, Fleetwood Mac is offering a must-see tour, something it hasn’t done in nearly two decades.

A Soldier’s Story

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:06:56 PST

Clint Eastwood brings the emotional toll of war home in ‘American Sniper’

War is hell.

We’ve been told that and shown that in countless cinematic recreations from the heights of “Saving Private Ryan” to more recent accounts based on non-fiction books such as “Lone Survivor” and now, from Clint Eastwood, “American Sniper,” based on the book by Chris Kyle about his experiences during four tours of Iraq.

Director Eastwood nails the combat footage, making us feel the tension and the fear that must be overcome to do a job in a situation where you never know if you will find combatants or innocent civilians behind every door or around every corner.

As Kyle, Bradley Cooper, who bulked up to look the part, captures the transformation of Kyle from the macho warrior, nicknamed “The Legend” for his prowess as a sniper, to a man who eventually understands how war has changed him in good ways and bad.

Kyle was an avid hunter and rodeo rider from Texas who, like so many other young men, wanted to do their part to protect our country after watching the towers come down.

He became a Navy Seal sniper, protecting his fellow soldiers from above on rooftops. While Kyle understood that his wife Taya (Sienna Miller) wanted him to stay home with his family, he couldn’t walk away from the belief that saving his brothers in combat was his destiny. It took the accumulation of his four tours to make him realize that he needed to walk away to keep enough of his humanity intact.

Working with the excellent Academy Award nominated screenplay by Jason Hall, Eastwood strikes the proper balance between the combat footage and the stateside visits with Kyle trying to feel at home, although he never quite gets there.

Another of the film’s six Oscar nods was for editing, and the brilliance of nominees Joel Cox and Gary Roach is shown vividly in a scene that cuts between Kyle talking with his wife while in a vehicle, and her horror at the other end of the phone when she hears the ambush that sends his husband’s phone falling to the ground.

Cooper continues to expand his range. He was an unexpected casting choice for “American Sniper,” even with his previous Oscar nominations for “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle,” both of which blended drama with his comedy chops. Here he shows his ability to show a stoic façade while letting his emotions churn away behind his eyes, earning a best actor Oscar nomination.

“American Sniper” is a nice bounce back for Eastwood after his last film, the mediocre “Jersey Boys.” Sniper is his best film since 2008’s “Grand Torino.”

American Sniper

Directed by Clint Eastwood; rated R

Casino Club & Lounge Entertainment

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 06:45:35 PST

DJ, live bands and special events at casino lounges and clubs

Entertainment from Wednesday, Jan. 21 to Tuesday, Jan. 27

BALLY’S

Mountain Bar

Goodman Fiske Thurs. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

DJ Mass Fri. 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

JJ Rupp Band Fri. 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

DJ Aiden Scott Sat. 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Power-I Sat. 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

BORGATA

Gypsy Bar

Crazy in Stereo Wed. 9 p.m.

Sidearm Thurs. 10 p.m.

Modern Bliss Fri. 7 p.m.

The Rockets Fri. 11 p.m.

Hold On Tight Sat. 7 p.m.

Steal the Sky Sat. 11 p.m.

Liquid A Sun. 8:30 p.m.

Benderz Duo Wed. 9 p.m.

MIXX

DJ Politik, Jason Smith Sat. 10 p.m.

Social Sundays w/DJ Ikon, DJWellman Sun. 11 p.m.

Mur.Mur

Fred Matters, DJ Renzo Fri. 11 p.m.

Prostyle, Doug Grayson Sat. 10 p.m.

A-Trak, PS1 Mon. 11 p.m.

CAESARS

Dusk

Savage Men Revue Fri., Sat. 8 p.m.

DJ SoDope, DJ Lisi Fri. 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

DJ Fresh One Sat. 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

DJ Sat-One Tues. 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Retro's at Dusk

Video DJ Sojo Sat. 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Toga Bar

DJ Jay Ski Fri. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Toga Dancers Fri.-Sat. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

DJ Patrice McBride Sat. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m

GOLDEN NUGGET

Haven Nightclub

DJ Gusto Thurs. 11 p.m.

Tony Junior Fri. 11 p.m.

Omarion Sat. 10 p.m.

Live Bar

Jerry Blavat Thurs. 4 p.m.

Rush Lounge

Goodman Fiske Duo Wed. 8 p.m.

Dane Anthony Thurs. 8 p.m.

Bobby & Kit Fri. 6 p.m.

Generation Next Fri. 10 p.m.

Eleven Eleven Duo Sat. 6 p.m.

Big City Sat. 10 p.m.

DJ Divine Sat. 2 a.m.

NFL Pro Bowl Sun. 8 p.m.

Lisa Bouchelle Mon. 8 p.m.

Patty & Bugzy Tues. 8 p.m.

Goodman Fiske Duo Wed. 8 p.m.

HARRAH'S RESORT

Eden Lounge

Generation Next Thurs. 9 p.m. to midnight

Funktion 11 Fri. 9:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.

DJ Lou Di Marco Fri. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Dane Anthony Band Sat. 9:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.

DJ Dino Sat. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Big House Band Sun. 9 p.m. to midnight

The Pool After Dark

Wet ‘N Wild Wedesday w/DJ Eddie Edge, Mike Pagz Wed. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Vito G, Ed Smooth Fri. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Eddie Edge, Jae T Sat. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Wet ‘N Wild Wedesday w/DJ Encore Wed. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

X-Bar

Gabor Kiss Fri. 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Jason E. Fri. 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Ed Smooth Sat. 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Pfef Sat. 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.

RESORTS

Landshark Bar and Grill

Name That Song Game Night Fri. 8 p.m.

Singing Competition Sat. 8 p.m.

Margaritaville

Cultureal Fri. 7 p.m.

Barele Rarely Sat. 8 p.m.

TROPICANA

Anthem

Free Cover Thursday

DJ N9NE Fri. 10 p.m.

All Night Party Sat 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Beat the Clockw/Sat. One, N9NE, B Lee Sun. 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Boogie Nights

AC Weekly Nightlife Awards Thurs. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Disco Dance Party Fri. 9 p.m.

I Think I Love You Party Sat. 9 p.m.

Providence

SINdustry w/DJ Klutch Thurs. 10 p.m.

Rob-Lo, DJ June Fri. 10 p.m.

Rick Wonder, DJ June, Sat. 11 p.m.

Tango’s

Johnny & Sherena Wed. 8 p.m. to midnight

Loop 4 Thurs. 8 p.m.-midnight

Tritide Band Fri. 7 p.m. to 10:40 p.m.

DJ Ralph D’Amelio Fri., Sat. 11 p.m. to 2:40 a.m.

Ann Michel Sat. 3 p.m. to 6:40 p.m.

Slamm 4 Sat. 7 p.m. to 10:40 p.m.

DJ Sammy Sun. 10 p.m. to 2:40 a.m.

Beth Tinnon Mon. 8 p.m. to midnight

Darin MacDonald Tues. 8 p.m. to midnight

DC Duo Wed. 8 p.m. to midnight

TRUMP TAJ MAHAL

Scores Red Velvet Theater

Real Men of Scores Sat. 10 p.m.

See More South Jersey Nightlife Options

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Oscar Nominations Revealed

By Lori Hoffman — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 08:04:51 PST

There were some surprising snubs as well as a lot of love for Boyhood, Birdman, The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Academy Award nominations revealed this morning followed the expected path for some favorites but some of the snubs seemed particularly harsh. Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel were the most acclaimed films with nine nods each while The Imitation Game had eight nominations.

While many worthy performances and films were recognized, some of the mayor snubs were shocking. With the Director’s Guild not providing a nomination, perhaps it should not have been a total shock that Selma director Ava DuVernay was not nominated, a squandered opportunity to provide the first best director nomination for an African-American woman. Selma also didn’t earn a best actor nod for David Oyelowo, although it was nominated for best picture.

Other films and performances not making the cut included The Lego Movie for animated film; Jennifer Anniston for Cake; Clint Eastwood as director for American Sniper despite nods for best picture and screenplay; no best picture nods for Foxcatcher or Interstellar, and how could there be so much love for Grand Budapest Hotel and not a best actor nomination for Ralph Finnes?

Here are the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominees in all 24 categories for the 2015 Oscars, which will be presented on February 22, 7pm, broadcast on ABC.

Best picture

American Sniper

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Selma

The Theory of Everything

Whiplash

Actor in a leading role

Steve Carell — Foxcatcher

Bradley Cooper — American Sniper

Benedict Cumberbatch — The Imitation Game

Michael Keaton — Birdman

Eddie Redmayne — The Theory of Everything

Actress in a leading role

Marion Cotillard — Two Days, One Night

Felicity Jones — The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore — Still Alice

Rosamund Pike — Gone Girl

Reese Witherspoon — Wild

Actor in a supporting role

Robert Duvall — The Judge

Ethan Hawke — Boyhood

Edward Norton — Birdman

Mark Ruffalo — Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons — Whiplash

Actress in a supporting role

Patricia Arquette — Boyhood

Laura Dern — Wild

Keira Knightley — The Imitation Game

Emma Stone — Birdman

Meryl Streep — Into the Woods

Animated feature film

Big Hero 6

The Boxtrolls

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Song of the Sea

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Cinematography

Birdman — Emmanuel Lubezki

The Grand Budapest Hotel — Robert Yeoman

Ida — Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski

Mr. Turner — Dick Pope

Unbroken — Roger Deakins

Costume Design

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Inherent Vice

Into the Woods

Maleficent

Mr. Turner

Directing

Birdman — Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Boyhood — Richard Linklater

Foxcatcher — Bennett Miller

The Grand Budapest Hotel — Wes Anderson

The Imitation Game — Morten Tyldum

Documentary feature

Citizenfour

Finding Vivian Maier

Last Days in Vietnam

The Salt of the Earth

Virunga

Documentary short subject

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Joanna

Our Curse

The Reaper (La Parka)

White Earth

Film editing

American Sniper

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Whiplash

Foreign language film

Ida — Poland

Leviathan — Russia

Tangerines — Estonia

Timbuktu — Mauritania

Wild Tales — Argentina

Makeup and hairstyle

Foxcatcher

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Guardians of the Galaxy

Music original score

The Grand Budapest Hotel — Alexandre Desplat

The Imitation Game — Alexandre Desplat

Interstellar — Hans Zimmer

Mr. Turner — Gary Yershon

The Theory of Everything — Jóhann Jóhannsson

Music original song

“Everything is Awesome” — The Lego Movie

“Glory” — Selma

“Grateful” — Beyond the Lights

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” — Glen Campbell... I’ll Be Me

“Lost Stars” — Begin Again

Production design

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Interstellar

Into the Woods

Mr. Turner

Short film animated

The Bigger Picture

The Dam Keeper

Feast

Me and My Moulton

A Single Life

Short film live action

Aya

Boogaloo and Graham

Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)

Parvaneh

The Phone Call

Sound editing

American Sniper

Birdman

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Interstellar

Unbroken

Sound mixing

American Sniper

Birdman

Interstellar

Unbroken

Whiplash

Visual effects

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Guardians of the Galaxy

Interstellar

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Writing adapted screenplay

American Sniper — Jason Hall

The Imitation Game — Graham Moore

Inherent Vice — Paul Thomas Anderson

The Theory of Everything — Anthony McCarten

Whiplash — Damien Chazelle

Writing original screenplay

Birdman — Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo

Boyhood — Richard Linklater

Foxcatcher — E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman

The Grand Budapest Hotel — screenplay by Wes Anderson, story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness

Nightcrawler — Dan Gilroy

Sushi Shangri-la

By Scott Cronick — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:41:46 PST

Under the au spices of master chef Armiyanto “Harry ” Setiyaki, Oshi at Harah’s is the best sushi spot in town

When it comes to sushi in Atlantic City, it doesn’t get better than Oshi Sushi & Sake. And that credit can be placed squarely on Armiyanto “Harry” Setiyaki. The Japan native learned the craft from his grandfather, improved his technique in Indonesia and eventually came to the United States, where original Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto taught him how to break down fish better than he ever did before.

Setiyaki then worked for Philadelphia restaurateurs Georges Perrier and Chris Scarduzio at the acclaimed Le Bec Fin before wowing sushi lovers for years with his creative

— yet traditional — sushi at Oshi Sushi & Sake inside Scarduzio’s Steak, Sushi & Lounge at the former Showboat Casino-Hotel.

When Showboat closed, Harrah’s Resort, whose parent company Caesars Enter tainment owned Showboat, wisely enlisted Setiyaki to bring him and the Oshi brand to Harrah’s to showcase his talent.

And by the way, he’s a master sushi chef.

“He’s the only master sushi chef in the city and, as far as I know, the only master sushi chef in the state,” says Director of Food and Beverage Lee Sanchez. “He grew up around sushi and has dedicated his life to the craft. When Showboat closed, we just knew we had to grab him and bring him over here. His knife skills are second to none and his creativity is over the top. We needed a sushi spot at Harrah’s, and there was no better chef than Harry to make that a reality.”

Found in the Waterfront Tower location across from The Pool and adjacent to Sammy D’s that formerly housed the dessert, candy and coffee shop Temptations, Oshi — which means “modern sushi” — is already THE best sushi spot in town despite being just two months old. Minor renovations were made to the circular space including Asian-inspired decor as well as sushi stations with seating for about 40 people where Setiyaki and his team will offer appetizers, rolls, sashimi and nigiri.

“We didn’t have any Asian offerings on the property, and sushi is hot and people love it,” Sanchez says. “Temptations was a $1.8 million buildout in 2009, so it’s an absolutely beautiful space.”

Crowd favorite rolls include the New Jersey ($12) with tuna, eel, avocado and fish roe; spider ($16) with tempura soft shell crab, avocado, lettuce, massago and eel sauce; rock ’n’ roll ($12) with salmon, scallion, tempura-fried kani and eel sauce; and standards such as crunchy spicy tuna ($10), eel avocado ($12) and California ($10).

Sashimi and nigiri include kani (crabstick), ebi (shrimp), unagi (eel), maguro (tuna), sahiro maguro (white tuna), sake (salmon) and hamachi (yellowfin) ranging in price from $5 to $6 for two pieces.

But make sure you start with some of the appetizers, which are simply amazing, particularly the hamachi ponzu ($14), yellowtail with jalapeno in ponzu sauce; spicy seafood salad ($10) with a mixture of seasonal fish, spicy mayo and tobiki; and the tuna tartare ($15) — the best tuna tartare in the city — with masago, cucumber and jalapeno served with seeded wonton chips.

New additions that Oshi regulars never saw before include pepper tuna salad ($12) with fresh-seared ahi, avocado, cucumber, daikon and seaweed salad; shishito peppers ($10) with miso dressing and crispy shallots; and rolls such as the Fujiyama ($18) with shrimp tempura and cucumber inside topped with kani salad, and the Katana ($18) with avocado, spicy tuna, cucumber and seaweed topped with yellowtail.

But if you really want to be wowed, order the Omakase, a Japanese phrase which translates to “I’ll leave it to you,” where Setiyaki creates amazing experiences that cannot be ordered a la carte and chosen by the sushi master, including Ikura, salmon roe inside a box molded from daikon; soft clam cut to resemble a shark’s fin; a mosaic roll fashioned from tuna, daikon and fish roe; and Otoro, the fattiest and most desired part of the tuna taken from the belly that is lightly heated with a blowtorch and set over rice Nigiri style.

Some of his sushi, including a creation with hamachi that resembles a tulip, is so beautiful you don’t want to eat it, but when you do, you will be

glad you did.

“I love watching him build an Omakase. It’s a work of art as he builds individual crafted pieces of sushi,” says Sanchez, who notes that Setiyaki works behind glass so people can see how amazing his skills are.

“His knife skills are insane. When you see him break down the fish that he gets in every day fresh and then builds intricate sushi, sashimi and nigiri plates, it’s hard not to be impressed. It’s like he’s doing it right on stage in front of everyone. He can break down a tuna in minutes with his eyes closed. I watched him roll sushi with one hand not even paying attention. He’s that good.”

Sanchez says Atlantic City now has a world-class sushi destination. “It’s some of the best sushi I ever had, and I travel everywhere,” he says. “Whether you are in New York, Philly or Las Vegas, this is as good as it gets.”

Staff photos by Ben Fogletto

Oshi Sushi & Sake

Harrah’s Resort, Atlantic City

Open 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesdays,

Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and noon to 1 a.m. Saturdays.

Starters are priced $10 to $15; rolls $10 to $18; sashimi and nigiri $5 to $6.

Major credit cards accepted. Liquor license. Disabled access. Eat In. Takeout. Private parties.

No catering. No kids menu. No smoking.

Go to Harrah’sResort.com for more.

Oshi Sushi & Sake

WHERE: Harrah’s Resort, Atlantic City

WHEN: Open 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and noon to 1 a.m. Saturdays.

HOW MUCH: Starters are priced $10 to $15; rolls $10 to $18; sashimi and nigiri $5 to $6.

SERVICES: Major credit cards accepted. Liquor license. Disabled access. Eat In. Takeout. Private parties. No catering. No kids menu. No smoking.

MORE INFO: Go to Harrah’sResort.com.

BETWEEN YOU AND ME: Chef Armiyanto “Harry” Setiyaki is a member of the all-Japan Sushi Master Association. He was also a finalist in this year's World Sushi Cup, where he placed fifth, a remarkable achievement. Like his grandfather, Setiyaki received the coveted title of Sushi Master from the All-Japan Sushi Master Association in 2013, and is the only Indonesian sushi chef in the world that has been awarded that title.

Have a drink at Oshi

All of that good sushi Oshi offers has to be accompanied by amazing beverages, and the team at Harrah’s has that covered.

There are three sakes offered, each more impressive than the other. The TyKu Coconut ($35 for 375 ml bottle) offers a silky texture with the sweet taste of coconut and hints of vanilla; the TyKu Black ($7 by glass, $35 for 375 ml) offers a rich texture with hints of natural sweetness with peach and vanilla on the nose; and TyKu White ($90 for 375 ml) is refined and smooth with floral notes and hints of banana, vanilla and spice.

“The Black represents the top 10 percent of sakes in the world, while the White is the top1 percent of sakes in the world,” says Harrah’s Director of Food and Beverage Lee Sanchez. “They are like fine wine. And serve all of them cold because typically sakes that are served warm are inferior sakes.”

Oshi also offers about a half dozen beers by the bottle, including standards such as Lucky Buddha ($7), Sapporo ($9 for 22 ounces) and Kirin ($7), but there are two craft standouts: Brooklyn Sorachi Ace ($21 to 750 ml) and Dogfish Namaste ($7).

Wine and non-alcoholic beverages are also available.

Irish Gig

By Ray Schweibert — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:14:41 PST

The Emerald Isle's DJ Fergie Plays Haven

As a past personality on BBC Radio One, Great Britain’s preeminent authority on alternative music, a former columnist for Mixmag, Britain’s primary print source on all things EDM, and an award-winning producer, record label owner and EDM trailblazer, DJ Fergie is among the best-known party hosts on the international nightclub circuit.

Born Robert William Ferguson in Northern Ireland, and a Las Vegas resident since 2012, the 35-year-old will make his Haven nightclub debut Saturday night, Jan. 17.

Fergie began as hard-house DJ in his homeland of County Antrim, Ireland, but got nixed out of a local nightclub early on when he was discovered to be underage. He got his foot in the door at a popular Irish nightclub [Ulster Hall in Belfast] by coaxing the owner into letting him do odd jobs while learning to use the turntables and sound equipment in his spare time.

Through this arrangement — and prior to getting the boot for being too young — he struck up a friendship with legendary British DJ/producer Tony de Vit (who passed away in 1998), whom Fergie credits with immensely helping to kindle his career.

A resident DJ at Las Vegas’ renowned Hakkasan and Wet Republic Ultra Pool nightclubs, and Ibiza’s Godskitchen, Fergie is credited with championing a sort of cutting-edge EDM sound. He’s produced remixes for such new-wave and electronic pop standouts as the Pet Shop Boys, Tears For Fears, Umek and UNKLE, and his13 BBC Radio One Essential Mixes makes him one of the most featured DJs in that station’s storied history.

DJ Fergie @ Haven

Golden Nugget, A.C. marina district

Saturday, Jan. 17, 10 p.m. $39.40

GoldenNugget.com/AtlanticCity

800-777-8477

What the Hall?

By David J. Spatz — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:00:34 PST

Philly Legend Chubby Checker deserves enshrinement in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame

I had Chubby Checker right where I wanted him. We’d spent several minutes chatting about his upcoming Saturday night gig at Resorts Casino Hotel, where he’ll kick off a year-long 55th anniversary celebration of the Twist, the hip-swiveling, feet-sliding craze that swept the planet in 1960 — even finding a hole in the Iron Curtain — and changed the way people danced.

This wasn’t my first time at the dance with Chubby. We’ve chatted for columns, television and radio plenty of times during the past 35 years. Our most recent conversation was in 2007, when we recorded him for television before he became the last performer to play the Copa Room at the old Sands Hotel & Casino. After his gig, the casino closed and was imploded.

This time around, my plan was to soften him up with the usual stuff about “The Twist” and then lead him into a conversation about what he perceives as the biggest slight in the history of rock ’n’ roll since … well, since there was rock ’n’ roll: Why Ernest Evans, a skinny teenager nicknamed Chubby, who grew up in the projects of South Philadelphia, has been ignored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite the fact he single-handedly — by his own admission — changed the way people danced more than a half century ago.

But just as I was about to broach the subject, silence. Damned cell phones. Either he was in a dead spot or his phone died as he was driving into Tallahassee, Florida, to headline that city’s public New Year’s Eve block party.

I immediately dialed him back; the call went straight to voicemail. “Hi, this is Ernest …,” his message began. I kept trying, but never got through.

No worries, though. Chubby, now 73 and performing 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at Resorts Casino Hotel’s Superstar Theater, has repeatedly made known his feelings about not being enshrined in the Cleveland museum, along with others who have plenty of street cred in the music business.

When Checker’s fellow Philadelphians Daryl Hall and John Oates were inducted last year, Hall used his acceptance speech to call out the hall for not honoring deserving Philadelphians.

“Chubby Checker — how about the biggest single in the entire world — Chubby Checker, why isn’t he in?” Hall rhetorically asked the rock hall, the live audience and millions watching on television. Anyone who came of age during the 1960s will tell you Checker was hardly a one-hit wonder. In addition to “The Twist” (one of the only records ever to hit No. 1 twice) and his follow-up single “Let’s Twist Again,” he went on to have 18 more hit singles, many of which were dancethemed.

All hit the Top 40 between 1960 and 1965; five reached the Top 10.

Artists with far fewer hits and noticeably less of a footprint on music have plaques in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as Checker and other music industry figures have pointed out. Progressive rock, it seems, isn’t the only apparent musical

bias within the rock hall’s inner sanctum.

It also seems to have a problem with artists from Philadelphia, save Hall & Oates. Former teen idols such as Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon and Fabian Forte, the original teen idols who created mass hysteria among teenage girls long before The Beatles, aren’t in and likely have little chance

of ever being selected.

After performing “The Twist” for the first time at the late Harry Levy’s Rainbow Club in Wildwood during the summer of 1960, Checker did the dance on Dick Clark’s influential American Bandstand TV show. Before long, millions of kids around the world were doing “The Twist.” The basic moves — “like pulling a towel across your backside to dry off while putting out a cigarette with both feet,” is how Checker has described it — gave way to other dances, such as “The Pony,” “The Shake,” “The Fly” and “The Hucklebuck.” But all were merely derivations of “The Twist,” which, Chubby said, was to the music world what things like the telephone and the light bulb were to modern technology.

“‘The Twist’ is like when Alexander Graham Bell said ‘Watson, is that you?’ or when Thomas Edison turned the lightbulb on,” Checker told me before his cell phone crapped out. “It changed the way people danced and the way people interacted with one another. ‘The Twist’ is the dance that turned the dance floor on for all of us. I’m looking at her, she’s looking at me, and we’re watching each other’s sexuality while the music is being played. This is why it’s so exciting.”

Checker is so passionate about being chosen for the hall that he staged a one-man protest outside the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York the day of that 2004 induction ceremony.

But Checker, who never uses “I” and “me” and instead refers to “we” when he speaks of introducing “The Twist,” doesn’t take credit for inventing it.

Checker’s version of the song was actually a cover of a tune originally written and recorded by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters in 1959 as the B-side to their single “Teardrops On Your Letter.”

“Hank Ballard wrote (‘The Twist’), but he wasn’t a dancer,” Checker said. “The kids in the inner city were listening to (‘The Twist’), and they actually made up that dance. The song was never going to be heard again because disc jockeys stopped playing it. And people were never going to see

the dance. So we saw a window of opportunity first at (the Rainbow Club) and then with ‘American Bandstand.’ And in 2 minutes and 42 seconds, we changed the world.”

Checker doesn’t have to worry about canceling an April 18 date in Wheeling, W.V., so he can be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The class of 2015 was announced last month, and, once again, Ernest Evans/Chubby Checker didn’t make the cut. Instead, the rock hall will induct Lou Reed, Green Day, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joan Jett, Bill Withers and the Paul Butterfield Blue Band. Ringo Starr will receive the award for musical excellence.

Checker says the rock hall is running out of time to show him the love he deserves. If they induct him when he’s in his 80s, Checker says he’ll refuse the honor. “If they finally get around to doing it when I’m too old to work, I’ll tell them to drop dead,” he said. “What’s the point of putting me in when I’m too old to make a living?”

David Spatz is host of the Emmy Award winning television series Curtain Call and news director of News Talk 1400 WOND.

Chubby Checker

Resorts, Superstar Theater

9 p.m. Jan. 17. $30, $35, $40 Resorts, Superstar Theater

9 p.m. Jan. 17. $30, $35, $40

resortsac.com

All-Stars of Hip Hop

By Robert DiGiacomo — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 11:47:59 PST

 Public Enemy, KRS-One, MC Lyte, Naughty By Nature, Big Daddy Kane and Special Ed vist Boardwalk Hall on Sunday, Jan. 18 

Flavor Flav is definitely living up to his role as the “hype man” for iconic rap group Public Enemy.

“The feeling that I have when we are up there is just a phenomenal feeling,” says Flav, who will be part of the All-Stars of Hip Hop concert 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at Boardwalk Hall.

“I always love performing for my fans. I love bringing enjoyment to people’s lives and putting big smiles on people’s faces. It’s one of the greatest feelings on earth to be on stage doing this.”

Public Enemy will be joined in A.C. by a who’s who of rap acts that made their names in the ’80s and ’90s.

The lineup includes: KRS-One, a Bronx, N.Y.-born rapper who started with DJ Scott LaRock in the late ’80s, but became a solo act after LaRock was killed; Grammy-winning group Naughty By Nature, known for hits such as “O.P.P.” and “Hip Hop Hooray”; Big Daddy Kane, another Grammy-winner and a celebrated MC who was once part of the Juice Crew; MC Lyte, one of the first solo female rap artists; and Special Ed, whose hits include “I Got It Made” and “I’m the Magnificent.”

“It’s been a minute since we got to share the stage with all of my hip-hop legends,” says Flav, who was born William Jonathan Drayton, Jr.

Public Enemy, which launched in 1982, is credited with helping to develop a socially conscious brand of hard-core rap that balanced the more serious leanings of Chuck D with the clownish antics of Flav in his signature sunglasses and giant clock around his neck.

Among the group’s seminal records are “Yo! Bum Rush the Show,” and “It takes a Nation of Millions to

Hold Us Back,” as well as its track, “Fight the Power” from the soundtrack for the Spike Lee film, “Do the Right Thing.”

In 2013, Public Enemy, which also includes DJ Lord, The S1W group, Khari Wynn and Professor Griff, became just the fourth hip hop group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“I only got one word for it — ‘finally,’” Flav says of the group’s induction. “It was one of the greatest moments in my life. I know what it takes to get up into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s not easy. It takes hard work. It takes years and years of patience, being on the waiting list and all that. A lot of people in the music business are striving to get there. A lot of people will get there, and I know there are a lot of people who won’t get there. I’m proud to say, I don’t have that problem — I’m already in, thanks to all my fans and thanks to God.

“Being in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, like Tony the Tiger says, it’s grrrreeaaat!”

Public Enemy’s brand of politically minded rap is very much of the moment, given the recent police shootings in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City. The group in 2012 released a pair of new records —

“Most of My Heroes Don’t Appear on No Stamps” and “The Evil Empire of Everything” — and has plans to return to the studio in 2015.

“The message in our music hasn’t changed,” Flav says. “We still are who we are — Public Enemy.

The only thing we fight for is the right things.”

Toward that end, Flav appeared with protesters at a rally in Ferguson early last month, bearing a message of “peace and unity.”

“It’s OK to protest, but don’t get locked up when you’re protesting,” Flav says. “If you get locked up, your voice can’t be heard.

“The cops are playing for keeps. If you don’t want to get snatched up by the cops, don’t be in their reach. That’s not just my message for Ferguson, that’s my message to all of the people in America who are protesting.

“If you want it to come out right, you go to do it right.”

For Flavor Flav, left, his reality TV series over the last decade proved a way to keep his and Public Enemy’s names in the headlines.

The Public Enemy co-founder put his colorful personal life on full display through such VH1 reality shows as “The Surreal Life,” “Strange Love” and “Flavor of Love.”

“Everything I’ve done on TV, it was a learning experience,” he says. “It was a way for me to show the world I can reinvent myself, and I had fun being reinvented from Public Enemy to a television star. I haven’t had a hit TV show in over six years, but the reaction I still get from people today is like my show is still on TV.”

Flav is promising a return to the small screen that will be even bigger than before, but couldn’t share any details yet.

“I guarantee you I will be back with a show that’s so hot, it will burn every TV set in the country,” he says.

Photo provided by Boardwalk Hall

All-Stars of Hip Hop

featuring Public Enemy, KRS-One, MC Lyte, Naughty By Nature, Big Daddy Kane and Special Ed

WHERE: Boardwalk Hall

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18

HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $44, $58 and $73, are available at Boardwalk Hall’s box office and Ticketmaster

WEBSITE: PublicEnemy.com

2015 Oscar Tout Sheet

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:15:25 PST

Predictions for the Academy Award nominations being announced Jan. 15 

The Academy Award nominations will be announced tomorrow morning. Here is my annual prediction for the major categories in the form of a racetrack tout sheet. My choices are based on the multiple nominees and wins to date from the various critics associations, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild nominations. Frontrunners include the film Boyhood, Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette, Michael Keaton and J.K. Simmons.

At 5:30 a.m. tomorrow in Los Angeles, directors Alfonso Cuaron and J.J. Abrams will announce nominees for animated feature film, documentary feature, documentary short subject, film editing, original song, production design, animated short film, live action short film, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

At 5:38 a.m., actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs will announce the nominees for best actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, cinematography, costume design, directing, foreign language film, makeup and hairstyling, original score, adapted screenplay, original screenplay and best picture.

You can catch the announcement on the morning news shows at the more reasonable time of 8:30 a.m. EST. The Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 22, 7p.m., on ABC, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.

Race 1: Best Supporting Actress 

• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood: 3 to 5 

• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game: EVEN 

• Emma Stone, Birdman: 4 to 1 

• Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year: 6 to 1 

• Meryl Streep, Into the Woods: 7 to 1

Patricia Arquette is a stone cold lock having won the Golden Globe and most of the critic’s awards to date.

Race 2: Best Supporting Actor 

• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash: 3 to 5 

• Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher: EVEN 

• Edward Norton, Birdman: 2 to 1 

• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood: 4 to 1 

• Robert Duvall, The Judge: 5 to 1

J.K. Simmons is close to a lock, but with Robert Duvall in the mix there might be an upset.

Race 3: Best Actress

• Julianne Moore, Still Alice: EVEN 

• Jennifer Aniston, Cake: 3 to 1 

• Feliciy Jones, The Theory of Everything: 4 to 1 

• Reese Witherspoon, Wild: 4 to 1

• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl: 6 to 1 

Julianne Moore has four nominations and no wins and the feeling around Hollywood is that this is her year. 

Race 4: Best Actor 

• Michael Keaton, Birdman: 3 to 5 

• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game: EVEN 

• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything: EVEN

• David Oyelowo, Selma: 3 to 1 

• Steve Carell, Foxcatcher: 5 to 1

This is the most open of the major races. Keaton’s comeback is the sentimental favorite, but the Brits — Cumberbatch, Redmayne and Oyelowo — are still in contention.

Race 5: Best Director 

• Richard Linklater, Boyhood: 3 to 5

• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel: EVEN 

• Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman: EVEN

• Ava DuVernay, Selma: 4 to 1

• David Fincher, Gone Girl: 5 to 1

This is the category that will break another glass ceiling, with Selma director Ava DuVernay becoming the first black woman to be nominated for best director.

The Oscar Derby: Best Picture 

• Boyhood: EVEN 

• The Imitation Game: 2 to 1 

• Selma: 3 to 1

• The Theory of Everything: 4 to 1

• The Grand Budapest Hotel: 4 to 1 

• Birdman: 5 to 1 

There can be 5-10 nominees in this category. My guess is six selections. Boyhood has been the award circuit frontrunner, with The Grand Budapest Hotel a close second, but Selma has been catching up. The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything are worthy of their likely nods. Birdman is all about Keaton’s performance.

Borgata Winter Poker Open Jan 13-30

By Lori Hoffman — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 09:20:52 PST

Event running in conjunction with online Garden State Super Series

Taking place alongside the annual, highly successful Borgata Winter Poker Open BorgataPoker.com and nj.partypoker.com, presents the second running of one of the state’s largest tournaments, the Garden State Super Series (GSSS) which began January 11.

The action of the market-leading $1 million plus guaranteed online tournament series runs until Sunday, January 25, and takes place alongside the on site Borgata Winter Poker Open tournament series which began today (Jan. 13) and runs through Jan. 30 at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, highlighted by the televised WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship event. Together with the land-based event guarantees, the combined prize pool is over $7.7 million.

The online GSSS II consists of 23 varied events at three different buy-in levels (69 in total) across a range of tournament formats. The series opened on Sunday, January 11. Players can try their hand at $2,500 guaranteed for a $10 entry, $15,000 guaranteed for a $20 buy-in or $200 to get into the $75,000 NLH 6 Max at 5pm ET.

Qualifiers for customers to win entry into the online events for a fraction of the cost continue to run every day with buy-ins starting from just $0.25. In addition, bounty and re-buy NLH tournaments are spread generously throughout the diverse schedule. Also featured are Deepstack, PLO, 7 Card Stud and Fixed Limit tournaments with three low, mid and high level buy-in options providing incredible accessibility.

The second installment of the series offers steeper payout structures for all tournaments. This was the result of feedback from the New Jersey poker community and, in particular, players who took part in the last GSSS, with the new payout structures meaning bigger prizes for those that cash and higher payouts for first place. Other changes introduced into the new schedule include:

•    More events - 69 from 60.

•    New Speed Down format for event #21. The tournament structure slows as it progresses.

•    Main Event is now on the final day of the series rather than halfway through.

•    Introduction of NLH Heads-Up events #15 to the schedule for the first time.

•    Introduction of Super Bounty event #16 - 50% of prize pool goes on bounties and 50% to the prize pool.

By aligning the GSSS II with Borgata’s land-based Winter Poker Open tournament series and the televised WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship event, players from around the world can take part in what will be the largest online poker tournament series ever held in New Jersey.

On January 25, the televised $3 million guaranteed WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship presented by partypoker kicks off at Borgata. The $3,500 buy-in tournament features two starting flights, and players can still qualify online at BorgataPoker.com and nj.partypoker.com in New Jersey.

There are several preliminary events running at Borgata prior to the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship, including a $2 million guaranteed re-entry event (January 13-16), a $230 buy-in shoot out (January 18), a $1,650 buy-in heads-up tournament (January 20-21), and a $150,000 guaranteed, $1,000 buy-in six-max freeze out (January 23-24).

“I am looking forward to the Garden State Super Series getting underway on Sunday and it is exciting how this major online series coincides with the live action of the Borgata Winter Poker Open tournament series featuring the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship,” said Team partypoker captain Mike Sexton, who will be in New Jersey playing the majority of the online events.

“There are so many ways to qualify plus a great variety of tournament formats and the three buy-in levels that give anyone a chance to take home their share of over $1 million. We would like to thank the community for their feedback on the schedule with steeper payout structures and the introduction of Heads-Up and Super Bounty events particular results of this.”

For the complete event schedule go here.

2014 Top Ten Movies

By Lori Hoffman — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 07:31:31 PST

Movies that ended the year at the top of my favorites list

Here are the ten movies that stayed at the top of my favorites list as the year 2014 ended, in alphabetical order. This was the rare year in which there wasn’t a film or two that rose above the rest of the choices like Gravity and 12 Years A Slave in 2013. Instead it was a year in which the top ten were more even in quality.

Begin Again

The latest effort from writer, director, musician John Carney (Once) has that same vibe as Once with lots of fun music, street scenes in New York and a plot about a songwriter (Keira Knightly) who is dumped by her boyfriend (Adam Levine) when he makes it big. She meets a down-on-his-luck music producer (Mark Ruffalo) and they begin to work together to create her debut album. It’s a lovely slice of musical life.

Belle

In this English period drama — the titled character (played by Gugu Mbatha Raw) is the child of a British admiral (Matthew Goode) and a Caribbean slave. She is left by her father to be raised in high society by her uncle (Tom Wilkinson) with the understanding that her status will always be limited by her skin color. Mbatha Raw is marvelous as the strong headed, intelligent and beautiful Belle.

Gone Girl

Based on the popular novel by Gillian Flynn, a sense of savage, yet controlled, rage permeates director David Fincher’s examination of a marriage that’s gone so wrong that a frame job and murder seem like a measured, reasonable response to the emotional transgressions of the parties involved. The highlight of the film is the performance by Rosamund Pike, who shows us what happens when a cool, Hitchcockian-style blonde explodes.

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Marvel Universe has delivered us lovable and rowdy bunch of rogues. Despite relying on a standard sci-fi storyline about a dangerous, world-destroying object that must be kept out of the wrong hands, the execution of the theme is close to flawless starting with characters we cherish immediately, headed by Chris Pratt’s star making turn as Peter Quill. Writer-director James Gunn delivered one of the most satisfying popcorn movies this past summer.  

The Imitation Game

Benedict Cumberbatch is a war hero whose actions likely saved millions of lives during World War II as a cryptologist who helped break the Nazi Enigma machine code. However, his post war life was destroyed by his lifestyle in an era when homosexuality was a crime. As biopics go, The Imitation Game is one of the best of the genre.

Interstellar

Christopher Nolan’s visual feast explores the universe and is an intimate drama that explores why love and devotion are qualities that make the human race worth saving. Nolan has found the perfect muse for his exploration of what makes us human in Matthew McConaughey, who has reignited his passion for acting in a remarkable comeback the last several years.

The Railway Man

The film by Jonathan Teplitsky features an Oscar worthy performance by Colin Firth as World War II survivor Eric Lomax, who was brutally tortured at the hands of the Japanese and had never been able to shake the debilitating nightmares that plague him until his wife (Nicole Kidman), encouraged him to confront the man who tortured him (Hiroyuki Sanada), leading to a remarkable journey of anger, hope and forgiveness.

Selma

Director Ava DuVernay’s very human look at Martin Luther King, Jr. during the period when he solidified his place in history as a great leader during the march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. David Oyelowo is superb as King, and the film is emotionally satisfying because it focus on the small details that paint an effective portrait of the big picture, the battle for civil rights that is, unfortunately, still relevant today.

Snowpiercer

Directed and co-written by Korean director Joon-ho Bong (The Host ), on a frozen earth, the last survivors live on a train that circles the globe. This train has taken the class system to a grotesque level: The cars at the back are filled with the 99-percenters; at the front of the train, the elite live as if the world hasn’t changed. Starring John Hurt, Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton, Bong’s vision of a particularly hellish dystopian nightmare masterfully avoids the clichés of the genre and presents a fresh take on where our world could be headed.

The Theory of Everything

An engaging biography of scientist Stephen Hawking, whose body is ravaged by Lou Gehrig’s disease, and his wife Jane that comes to life in the caring and lovely performances by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Directed by James Marsh (Man on Wire), it might be a conventional biography, but the performances in the lead roles elevate it to an emotionally satisfying look at a marriage that needed an incredible combination of strength and love to work.

Upcoming Casino Concerts in Atlantic City

By Lori Hoffman — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:13:12 PST

Bands, singers, comedians, sporting events and revues appearing in Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY CONCERTS, CASINOS

Click here for the latest and greatest Atlantic City Casino Promotions and deals.

Click here for Atlantic City Weekly's always updated Casino Lounge Entertainment Listings with nightlife picks, DJs, headliners, live music and more.

Questions? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

For ticket information and more details on individual shows, click on the name of the performer. Also, watch videos for some of the concert acts coming to Atlantic City below.

January

Jan. 26, 27

Eric Kearns, Resorts

Jan. 30-31

Indoor Auto Racing, Boardwalk Hall

Jan. 31

Sounds of Philadelphia w/The O'Jays, Russell Thompkins Jr. & the Stylistics and The Delfonics, Borgata

Hannibal Buress, Borgata

Revues

Now to Jan. 29 (Thurs.)

Masters of Illusion Live!, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 1-24 (select dates)

Letter’s from Home - America’s Bombshell Duo, Erinn Diaz & Serah Haley

Resorts

February

Feb. 5

Tavares, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 7

Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Borgata

Feb. 12

Village People, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 13

Marc Anthony, Boardwalk Hall

Feb. 14

The Whispers, Bloodstone and Destinee Maree, Tropicana

Charlie Wilson, Kem, Joe, Arsenio Hall, Boardwalk Hall

Easton Corbin, Resorts

Artie Lange, Borgata

Asylum Fight League, Trump Taj Mahal

Feb. 15

Lisa Lampanelli, Borgata

Feb. 19

Shalamar w/Jody Watley, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 20

Ralphie May, Borgata

Rain A Tribute to the Beatles, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 21

Aaron Lewis, Golden Nugget

Feb. 26

Gloria Gaynor, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 28

Diana Krall, Caesars

Eli Young Band, Tropicana

March

March 5

Harlem Globetotters, Boardwalk Hall

March 6

Mike & the Mechanics, Borgata

Michael Bolton, Harrah's Resort

March 7

Eddie Money, Golden Nugget

March 13

Sarah MacLachlin, Borgata

March 14

Kathy Griffin, Borgata

Pentatonix, Borgata

Joy Behar, Resorts

March 20-21

Lewis Black, Borgata

March 21

Lara Fabian, Borgata

Three Dog Night, Tropicana

March 27

Miranda Lambert, Boardwalk Hall

March 28

Sebastian Maniscalco, Borgata

April

April 4

Celtic Thunder, Harrah's Resort

The Moody Blues, Caesars

April 11

D.L. Hughley, Tropicana

Jerry Seinfeld, Borgata

April 17-18

Frankie Valli, Borgata

April 18

The Beach Boys & America, Borgata

April 25

Frank Caliendo, Borgata

Al Bano & Romina Power, Tropicana

May

May 8

Florida Georgia Line, Boardwalk Hall

May 22

The Who Hits 50, Boardwalk Hall

May 23

Dom Irrera, Tropicana

May 30

Grand Funk Railroad, Tropicana

July

July 10

Idina Menzel, Borgata

July 24-26

Straight No Chaser, Borgata

What's the Deal? Click here for the latest and greatest Atlantic City Casino Promotions and deals.

Click here for Atlantic City Weekly's always updated Casino Lounge Entertainment Listings with nightlife picks, DJs, headliners, live music and more.

Questions? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Happy Birthday Abby

By Lori Hoffman — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 10:20:45 PST

Absecon Lighthouse celebrates 158th birthday January 17

The Absecon Lighthouse staff always loves a reason to have a special event and one of the most popular is the birthday party for “Abby,” which takes place at the Lighthouse on Saturday, January 17, with free climbs from 11am to 3:30pm and birthday cake from The Bake Works in Northfield at 1pm. It will be the 158th birthday for New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse.

In conjunction with the birthday party Lighthouse Executive Director Jean Muchanic presents entries and announces the winners from the annual “Abby & the Arts” contest.

“This is one of our bigger events,” says Muchanic, “because we offer free climbs. It’s our way of honoring Abby. The more people that get to see Absecon Lighthouse, the better.” She does note that since the lighthouse depends on public support, “It’s wonderful if [climbers] feel the urge to leave a donation.”

The Abby & the Arts program, which the lighthouse has been doing for four years, provides the opportunity for visitors to see the talent on display from Atlantic City students in grades 6 through 12.

“It gives kids in Atlantic City the opportunity to look at one of the city’s historic icons and then get creative in a drawing, a painting, a photograph or a poem. It’s always delightful to see how the children interpret Absecon Lighthouse.”

Entry forms and details are available at the Website but hurry: admissions are only being accepted through Monday, Jan. 12 at 3pm. The lighthouse staff presents cash prizewinners for first and second place in each of the three categories — Drawing/Painting, Photography and Poetry. Prizewinners will be announced at 1pm.

The celebration continues Sunday, January 18, with “Buy One Get One” admissions from 11am to 3:30pm. Experience a 360-degree view of Atlantic City’s skyline, and wish a Happy Birthday to Atlantic City’s oldest historic structure, as well as the country’s third tallest lighthouse.

Absecon Lighthouse

31 S. Rhode Island Ave., Atlantic City. 609.449.1360. abseconlighthouse.com

The View From the Mayor's Desk

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:43:24 PST

Don Guardian looks back at his first year in office — and ahead to a better one

Atlantic City doesn’t have term limits for its mayor.

But its mayor certainly does.

Just one year into the job — and what a year it’s been — Don Guardian says if voters elect him to a second term as mayor in 2017, he won’t seek a third term under any circumstances. “I need to show people in 2015 and 2016 how we’re really turning around the city,” he said during a New Year’s Eve interview. “And I’m going to ask them for a second term, because I really think you need the eight years to make some positive inroads. And that will be it. Under no circumstances would I be mayor after eight years” — even, he stresses, if he hasn’t accomplished all his goals in transforming Atlantic City’s gaming-centric focus to that of an all-around destination resort. In that case, the 61-year-old mayor said, “We’ve got to find a successor who’ll follow in my shoes.”

But that’s still years in the future. Let’s take a few minutes now and look with Mayor Guardian at the state of things as 2015 dawns.

During his first year as mayor, Guardian saw four casinos close and more than 8,000 casino workers join the unemployment roles. That doesn’t include many more who lost their jobs in ancillary businesses that support the gaming industry.

When the mayor took office on January 1, 2014, it was already known that the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel’s days were numbered. The closing notice had already been posted, and it closed just 13 days later. What nobody could have predicted is that eight months later and in the space of just two weeks, three more casino hotels — Showboat, Revel and Trump Plaza — would join the Atlantic Club in shutting down, generating a global spate of negative publicity.

Guardian said even though it was in dire need of renovations and ranked last in monthly casino revenue report, he didn’t expect Trump Plaza to close in 2014. Nor did he expect the $2.4 billion Revel to go dark, even when it filed for its second bankruptcy in two years.

And he certainly didn’t expect to lose Showboat, which was still generating a profit for its owner, Caesars Entertainment.

“The Showboat was a shock to me and almost the entire city. If you had told me a year ago that [Showboat would close], I would have told you Showboat’s doing well, the finances are good, it’s a smaller casino,” he said. “But [closing Showboat] was a business decision by Caesars Entertainment.”

Guardian, who remains relentlessly and incurably optimistic about the long-term future of the city, said 2015 is shaping up to be a good year. Or, at the very least, a better year than the one just past.

By settling two tax liens against Revel and Trump Entertainment Resorts, and with a $40 million low-interest short-term loan from the state, the city received about $88 million in financial breathing room in December that will carry it well into the new year.

Another reason for optimism, the mayor noted, is the purchase of Showboat by the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, which will establish an Island Campus and University Park on the property’s 26-acre site. Stockton will operate part of the 1,200-room property as a public hotel with restaurants and likely some retail outlets while also holding classes in space once occupied by the 125,000-square-foot casino floor.

The mayor said the Bass Pro Shops under construction at Tanger Outlets The Walk, which will open around Easter and become a destination-within-a-destination, is also creating a separate 15,000-square-foot boat sales department that will result in additional tax revenue to the city.

The Pier Shops at Caesars was recently purchased by Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein; Harrah’s Resort will complete and open a new conference center this year; and other housing and retail projects have been announced. The new additions, Guardian said, should help boost public and investor confidence in Atlantic City, especially in the bond market.

If a five-bill package of legislation designed to trim the city’s operating costs and debt is approved by the state Senate and Assembly and signed by Gov. Chris Christie, “it will really put us in a very positive light in 2015,” Guardian said.

One of those bills calls for the elimination of the Atlantic City Alliance, the public-private marketing agency charged with the responsibility of promoting Atlantic City in particular—and the region in general—through advertising and special events. The ACA’s work in 2014 included two highly successful concerts featuring country star Blake Shelton and Lady Antebellum, each of which drew more than 60,000 to the beach for the free shows.

The agency also bankrolled everything from massive July 4th fireworks displays to an international triathlon, a Boardwalk wine tasting, a world-class sand sculpting competition, offshore powerboat races, a fishing tournament, a volleyball tournament and more.

“All of those were home runs for us,” Guardian said. But he’s hoping the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority will pick up some of the slack if the ACA—which was financed by $30 million annually from the casino industry—disbands. The CRDA recently signed a deal with Live Nation, one of the world’s largest concert promoters, to do as many as 12 to 16 major shows and events in Boardwalk Hall this year. n

David Spatz is host of the Emmy Award winning television series Curtain Call and news director of News Talk 1400 WOND.

BH Media Group Acquires AC Weekly

By Submission from BH Media Group — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:36:35 PST

BH Media Group and Catamaran Media Company LLC today announced that it will acquire Atlantic City Weekly and its associated website acweekly.com from Review Publishing Limited.

Atlantic City Weekly (“AC Weekly”) is a premier free distribution weekly that provides locals and visitors the most comprehensive compilation of casino, nightlife, dining and arts and entertainment news at the Jersey Shore. AC Weekly distributes about 33,000 copies a week on the Jersey Shore and its website averages 150,000 page views per month.

Mark Blum, currently the publisher of The Press of Atlantic City and of the Catamaran publications will oversee the operation of AC Weekly. Blum was controller for the Press of Atlantic City from 1989 to 1993 and took the role of the publisher of the The Press of Atlantic City in August of 2013 and of Catamaran with its acquisition in October of 2014.

“I couldn’t be more excited about getting the opportunity to work with the outstanding team of employees at AC Weekly who do an outstanding job of covering the entertainment and activities along the Jersey Shore and we look forward to continuing in partnership with them to serve both local residents, local advertisers and those visiting the region throughout the year.”

BH Media Group, headquartered in Omaha, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Company. BH Media Group now owns 30 daily newspapers and related weekly newspapers in Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida and New Jersey.