Atlantic City Surprises

     It had been at least 7 years since I had been to Atlantic City and I was in for some pleasant surprises.  Yes, there still exists some seedy areas but many of the Hotels are renovated with happening pool and restaurants scenes and lucky for my group a new hotel- The Chelsea.  Seated between the Hilton and the Tropicana this little known gem not only is well positioned, has a great art-deco decor and a fabulous restaurant.  We were celebrating my daughter's 21st birthday and decided to head down to Atlantic City with family. After a bit of research George found The Chelsea.  It is a boutique hotel that although does not have gambling has lots of other amenities for when you want to get away from the gambling scene.  The birthday girl wanted surf and turf but did not want to go to a chain restaurant-so lucky for us the restaurant in the hotel fit the bill.
     One of the nicest features of  Chelsea Prime is that it has a view of the ocean and at night you can see it shimmering along with the boats in the horizon. Outside the restaurant is a seating area in front of a fireplace which lends itself to cozy before dinner cocktails. If that is not appealing the bar area also has ample seating while you wait for a table-which was not too long.
     The restaurant is open and spacious unlike the restaurants that are squeezed into the casino or mall areas.  The service was quick, knowledgeable, and attentive.  The menu as promised had plethora of choices of surf and turf and everyone joining us quickly made their choices. Probably the best suggestion of the night was from our waitress who recommended the Seafood Plateau

for 4 (we needed 2 of these). This had the freshest, most delicious assortment of shellfish-jumbo shrimp, raw clams and oysters, crab legs, ceviche, and chopped marinated crab.  This alone is worth going to The Chelsea.  The entrees that followed were cooked to perfection whether the NY Strip Steak or the Black and Blue Tuna-everyone was more than delighted. As it is an ala carte menu the side dishes offered were traditional for a steak restaurant and each one did not disappoint. The potatos and creamed spinach smooth and well seasoned and the broccolini done aldente. The selection of wines was top shelf and because we were full lattes and sorbets were the choices for dessert. They brought out my daughter's sorbet with a little fanfare perfect for the occasion adorned with a candle.
     As we were leaving we noticed that they had some private parties set up for dancing and lounging on the other side of the restaurant. So, for a small boutique hotel it has exactly what their discerning customer wants.