The already-robust culinary collection at Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa grew by one this spring with the opening of Angeline by Michael Symon.
The award-winning celebrity chef brings his Sicilian roots to the table at Angeline, which centers its menu on authentic Italian, to great success; the flavors are so rich and genuine — a welcome reprieve from the plentiful Italian restaurants whose dishes have been Americanized — they’ll have you checking the kitchen at Angeline for your Italian grandma.
For starters, the marinated artichokes are generous in portion and topped with just the right amount of toasted breadcrumbs, which helped to balance out the olive-oil marinade. The caponata is another standout. Served with grilled bread, the dish fuses eggplant and veggies to provide bold flavors that strike the right balance between sweet and sour.
On the entrée side, Mom’s Lasagne is a towering, layered mountain of homemade pasta and sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and veal, beef and spicy Italian sausage — paradise for those of us who believe the only dish worth trying is one smothered in sauce and cheese. All of Angeline’s pastas are handmade, continuing the home-cooked feel throughout the menu.
The entrées are served a la carte, with an extensive sides list to supplement your main dish. The asparagus is lightly grilled, offering a perfect texture and a flavor that bursts with light lemon. The Brussels sprouts are also seared to perfection and enhanced with a generous sprinkling of pine nuts.
Save room for dessert because, again, Angeline does not disappoint. On recommendation from our highly knowledgeable server, we tried the chocolate torta — and are mightily glad we did so. The flourless cake melts in your mouth, almost with the consistency of fudge, and is topped with a homemade whipped cream whose light fluffiness will have you convinced you didn’t just ingest a week’s worth of calories.
Like any trip to your Italian relatives’ house, you’ll leave Angeline full to the gills — but once that wears off, you’ll be making plans for your return trip.
If you go:
Angeline by Michael Symon
1 Borgata Way
Atlantic City, N.J.
Sun.-Mon., Wed.-Thurs.: 5:30-10 p.m
Fri.: 5:30-11 p.m.
Sat.: 5-11 p.m.