Beach
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Bart Blatstein Reopens Showboat Hotel to Make a Statement
Photos, story by Lou Perri Bart Blatstein, the President and CEO of Philadelphia-based Tower Investments, a leading developer of retail, entertainment, mixed use, residential and commercial properties, announced the reopening of Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, the largest non-casino hotel in New Jersey. On Atlantic City’s storied Boardwalk, the iconic full-service hotel began its first phase of reopening with 852 oceanfront room and suites, including 38 1,100–square-foot oceanfront balcony suites. The balcony suites include 1.5 bathrooms, a living and dining area, wet bar with fridge and Jacuzzi tubs. The hotel also includes two 1,900-square-foot oceanfront Super Suites that offer the same plush amenities as the balcony suites, as well as…
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Golden Nugget Kicks Off Summer with a Customer Appreciation BBQ
Photos, story by Lou Perri To celebrate new and existing Golden Nugget Cardholders, the casino’s outdoor bash last Sunday at Golden Nugget Casino, Hotel & Marina included complimentary BBQ and drinks, live music, and a chance to win a variety of luxurious prizes to help guests beat the heat this summer, including overnight stays, resort credits, spa treatments, and free play. A highlight of the BBQ was a contest in which a number of card members had to create a bathing suit from a local radio station banner. The results were comical as each contestant and their significant other worked to create a swim suit. The winning contestants, a local couple, received…
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Creative Chef at Atlantic City’s Cuba Libre is an Artist in the Kitchen
Photos, story by Lou Perri Exploring several of Atlantic City’s Cuba Libre‘s summer fare recently, this explorer met with the very creative senior chef, Kevin Couch, who oversees the chain’s kitchens inside the Tropicana. Chef Couch proves to be a master creator of his selected entrees, including the signature plate, Seafood Paella, seen here, on a bed of Saffron long grain rice, features an assortment of mussels, clams, large shrimp, and a split Maine lobster tail. A roasted piquillo salad also comes with this delectable masterpiece. Baby octopus gives this dish another artistic touch. The new summer specialties include a grilled artichoke heart, with salt cured tomatoes and feta cheese…
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Ocean City, N.J. Wins Best Beach in America Contest via Coastal Living Magazine
Voters nationwide have chosen Ocean City, NJ as the Best Beach in America. Coastal Living magazine announced the winner of its “Best Beach” contest on Monday morning. Ocean City received more than 100,000 votes in the final round to win the title. The contest was set up like a March Madness grid with the top beaches in 30 coastal states competing in head-to-head matchups. Online voting determined the winner of each round. Ocean City beat Ogunquit Beach (Maine), Hammonasset State Park (Conn.), Crescent Beach (R.I.) and Tybee Island (Ga.) to reach the final against Huntington Beach (Calif.). The first round started on March 11 and the final voting closed on…
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Turn Your Love of Beaches into Keepsake Collectibles with Dune Jewelry
Perhaps you’re dreaming of a warm, sandy beach right now. Or maybe you had such an amazing time with friends and family last beach season, you want to remember it forever. Or there is a beach out there far, far away that you have never even been to but want a constant aspirational reminder to visit someday. Well, now you can always have a piece of the beach with you! We chose to sample the red beach sand from Maui, Hawaii where we would love to explore someday soon! Any beach that is pure red is where we want to be. Dune Jewelry, the Original Beach Sand Jewelry Company® is a…
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Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget Grotto Ristorante Unveils New Head Chef and Tasty Menu
Photos, story by Lou Perri Grotto Ristorante, located in the Golden Nugget Casino, Hotel & Marina in Atlantic City, introduced new head chef Carmine Favuzzi and a redesigned menu at a tasting party recently. With the addition of Favuzzi, Grotto has reinvented its menu, incorporating seasonal ingredients and fresh pasta to complement the restaurant’s extensive wine selection of more than 200 varieties, 70 percent of which are Italian. Originally from Molfetta, Italy, Favuzzi studied Italian cuisine at the Culinary Institute of Bari. Upon graduation, Favuzzi worked in the kitchen of several five-star Italian hotels before coming to America, where he held several chef positions for Italian restaurants in New Jersey…
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Stockton Completes $23 Million Showboat Sale, Moves Toward Future
Stockton University today concluded the $23 million sale of the Showboat property in Atlantic City to Showboat Renaissance, LLC. “Stockton is closing this chapter in our history, and moving on to exciting plans for the university’s future, which include new academic programs, expanding both community partnerships and global outreach, and construction of major new facilities which will transform the Galloway campus,” said President Harvey Kesselman. “The university is fortunate to have worked with someone with a strong record of successful development and a commitment to Atlantic City, which is important to Stockton,” Kesselman said. “It has been a pleasure to work with Bart Blatstein on this successful sale. Stockton will…
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Tropicana in Atlantic City Helps Get Rid of the Grinch for the Holidays
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler We’re not going to lie. We were feeling a little bit like a Grinch this holiday season. But somehow a weekend girls trip to the Tropicana in Atlantic City, N.J. made us get in the spirit of the season by the end of the weekend. We even ended up getting a few unexpected gifts for family and friends! Upon arrival, it is good to know there are two parking lots. Since we were staying all weekend, we opted for the $10 for the whole weekend lot (that’s only $5 a day, a steal in AC)! We parked on P2 (or was it 2P?) but regardless, know…
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The Marine Stranding Center Saving Jersey Shore Wildlife
by Cassie Hepler Starting in 1978 with a handful of volunteers and a C.E.T.A. grant, The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is a private, non-profit organization. Founder Robert Schoelkopf and his wife, Sheila Dean, along with a small paid staff and volunteers with a wide variety of talents and professional backgrounds, continue to work with the animals. Originally based in Gardner’s Basin in the inlet section of Atlantic City, the Center is now located on the barrier island of Brigantine, which borders coastal New Jersey’s largest wildlife refuge. When we arrived for a tour of the facilities, there was a lone seal who was paralyzed in his back flipper and would be heading…
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It’s A Hard Knock Life Interviewing Miss America Mid-Atlantic Contestants
Photos, story by Lou Perri On a mild night recently, Explore NJ moseyed on over to the Golden Nugget where the 52 Miss America contestants dined at the swimming pool deck overlooking Atlantic City. While Explore NJ enjoyed seeing the most beautiful women in the United States, the purpose was to photograph and interview the four ladies from the Mid-Atlantic states, Miss New Jersey, Miss Pennsylvania, Miss Delaware and Miss New York. Here are summaries of those young women. Miss Delaware, Brooke Mitchell, of Selbyville, Delaware, is a nineteen-year-old student at Delaware Technical and Community College, hoping for a Master’s Degree in Education, and wants to be an elementary school teacher. Her platform…