Rock of Ages Media Dinner at Caesars
Stripe bass stuffed with crab Imperial and a white wine cream sauce.
Caesars had a media night for the opening of the fabulous hit musical Rock of Ages, playing at Caesars through Sept. 2. To pay homage to the show, the chefs at Nero’s Tuscan Steakhouse whipped up a dinner featuring 1980s’ culinary themes.
Lobster "nachos."
Nachos were hot in the 1980s so we were presented with a kicked up version featuring sweet Maine lobster, crispy Focaccia chips, Jersey tomato-sweet corn salad, chili aioli, and baby farm greens. It was like lobster salad on crisp bread, rather than a roll, and was delicious.
Next up was a twist on chili mac and cheese, another popular item from the era. This version had Chianti braised beef short ribs, Casaeccia pasta, Caciocavallo cheese, heirloom cherry tomatoes, Tuscan chilies and, basil-fresh mozzarella crust with panko breadcrumbs. I’m more a traditionalist when it comes to mac and cheese. I like the creaminess of a cheese sauce. So, while this wasn’t a favorite of mine for the night, other diners around me were enjoying it.
The main entrée showed its 1980s side with a high-end tater tot side to go with roasted stripe bass served on a plank, with a crab Imperial stuffing and Shiitake mushrooms with a creamy white wine sauce. The tots featured a really smoky-tasting bacon and Brie filling and were yummy. So was the fish. I’m not a big fan of white fish, but the bass had more depth than a standard white fish and I really loved the texture.
The dessert assortment.
The ending’s dessert was a collection of small bites and paid tribute to Little Debbie snacks with an oatmeal cream pie that tasted like the original. I loved the square hunk of cherry pie (I’m a cherry-holic!) and the dessert plate also included a chocolate mousse cup and strawberry roll dipped in strawberry flavored white chocolate.
It was a nice beginning to an evening that featured a full length, Broadway quality show in Rock of Ages (look for my story in the next issue of Atlantic City Weekly for all the details).
