Caesars Atlantic City adds upscale restaurants in Nobu and Hell’s Kitchen

Caesars Atlantic City is upping its game when it comes to high-end dining.

The Jersey Shore hotel and casino has opened two ritzy restaurants by celebrity chefs this fall, Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, and Nobu, co-founded by Robert De Niro.

The eateries raise the bar on this section of the boardwalk and are part of a $400 million investment in Atlantic City’s three Caesars Entertainment properties, Tropicana, Caesars and Harrah’s, with $200 million of that going to Caesars resort. Tropicana also recently rolled out two hearty restaurants, Hash House A Go Go and Wild Honey Smokehouse and Tavern.

Nobu fills a gap for those on the East Coast craving the chain’s upscale Japanese food, as it’s the only location between Manhattan and Washington, D.C. Along with De Niro, the hospitality empire is co-founded by film producer Meir Teper and Japanese-born chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

The Caesars outpost opened last month in a chic space that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, with some seats offering great views of evening sunsets thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and the hotel’s spot on the boardwalk.

Expect a variety of sake, whisky and wine, along with cocktails like the Grapefruit on the Rocks, a mix of Bombay Sapphire Far East gin, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, lychee and pink grapefruit.

The sushi bar is in full view from most tables, but the real star here is the innovate dishes. The Yellowtail Jalapeño looks like a work of art with six small cuts of the raw fish forming a snowflake-like pattern, each topped with a small jalapeno slice. In the center, where they all meet, is a small heap of cilantro, meant to be paired with each bite of yellowtail.

The Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna is a fun dish, consisting of a cup full of rice squares on a stick, designed to be dipped in an accompanying sauce and then topped with a small spoonful of fish.

And classic Nobu dishes including Black Cod Miso, served buttery soft, and Rock Shrimp Tempura, are also on the menu. There’s, of course, a full lineup up sushi as well, from spicy scallop to lobster.

The dessert menu includes the Bento Box, a warm chocolate cake served with a sphere of matcha gelato.

Fans of the restaurant empire will also be able to stay in the Nobu Hotel when it opens next spring, a mini hotel within the larger Caesars property.

Hell’s Kitchen, which debuted in Atlantic City in late September, is the first such eatery on the East Coast, with the other locations being in Las Vegas, Southern California and Lake Tahoe. It joins Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars as the second restaurant here by the celebrity chef. His Gordon Ramsay Steak resides at Harrah’s Resort.

Taking up the space of a former nightclub, Hell’s Kitchen boasts three levels holding 233 seats and cool lighting. Bulbs hang overhead on brass rods that incorporate the signature pitchfork design that’s part of Ramsay’s logo. And two sides of the open kitchen glow in red and blue, a nod to the team colors on Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” reality show, with each side of the eatery being responsible for churning out different sets of dishes.

Signature cocktails include the Notes from Gordon — a blend of Plymouth dry gin, green tea, almond liqueur, lemongrass, peach and lemon — that comes affixed with a scroll of paper that features the British flag on one side and a saying made famous by the chef on the other. One such note reads, “This fish is so raw he’s still finding Nemo.”

Starters range from pan seared scallops to lobster risotto, and other small plates include oysters on the half shell, and a truffle onion soup. Entrée highlights are the 8-ounce filet mignon, and Ramsay’s signature Beef Wellington.

The Sticky Toffee Pudding is a hit at most Ramsay restaurants. Another can’t miss dessert here is the Coconut 3-Ways, which consists of the fruit’s shell stuff with coconut sorbet and coconut cake topped with passion fruit caramel and served on a bed of ice.

Over at Tropicana, also on the boardwalk, Hash House opened shop in September and Wild Honey debuted in May.

Hash House, open for breakfast and lunch, serves up heaping portions and interesting drinks. A tasty starter is the Bacon, Bacon, Bacon, which consists of four strips seasoned with brown sugar, black pepper and other ingredients and served standing up inside a Mason jar.

There are a variety of hashes on the menu — including the roasted chicken, garlic, onions, asparagus and rosemary option — all of which are served in a cast iron skillet over fried potatoes with two eggs, a biscuit and fresh fruit.

Flapjacks here are gigantic and come in flavors like classic buttermilk, blueberry, brown sugar banana, chocolate chips and Snickers.

Patrons seeking lunch can choose between options like the Hash House Corned Beef Sandwich and the Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich, each served with fries or a salad with cucumber ranch dressing. And those attempting to eat healthy here can go for the avocado toast, served on griddled milk bread and topped with sliced tomatoes, goat cheese, basil and balsamic glaze drizzle.

Wild Honey, serving lunch and dinner, is a BBQ joint in a fun space that features different types of barbecue from around the country.

Meats include the St. Louis Ribs, Charlotte Pulled Pork, Memphis-Rub Half Chicken, and Big West Texas Beef Rib. Whimsical starters and sides range from the Big Ass Biscuit with Whipped Butter to the BBQ Tater Tot Nacho Platter, which is loaded with smoked meat, cheese sauce, cilantro and sour cream BBQ sauce.

Those not worried about their waistline can go all in with the Mac and Cheese Burger, while diners looking for a healthy option can find that in the Grilled King Salmon.

The tavern also boasts live music, spanning different genres.