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CasiNotes: Pennsylvania casinos beef up their food offerings

THERE'S NO question that next to gambling, casino patrons' favorite pastime is eating. And while the Philly region's four gaming halls have yet to make the kind of investments in their restaurant operations common to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, there is a surprising variety of dining options available, in total, at Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack, SugarHouse Casino in Fishtown, Bensalem's Parx Casino and Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem.

THERE'S NO question that next to gambling, casino patrons' favorite pastime is eating. And while the Philly region's four gaming halls have yet to make the kind of investments in their restaurant operations common to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, there is a surprising variety of dining options available, in total, at Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack, SugarHouse Casino in Fishtown, Bensalem's Parx Casino and Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem.

The Sands has made the biggest dining investment so far, with two eateries from culinary superstar Emeril Lagasse, the high-end Emeril's Chop House and the far less formal Burgers and More.

Hungry players also can find sustenance at the St. James Gate Irish Pub & Carvery, an outpost of the legendary New York-based Carnegie Deli and an eight-outlet food court.

"We think the culinary aspect of the Sands project is very important," said casino CEO Robert DeSalvio. He added that food operations have become increasingly valuable with the recent introduction of table games, whose patrons tend to place more importance on dining options than their slot-playing counterparts.

He predicted that dining will become even more important with next May's opening of the Sands' 300-room hotel.

While Emeril's Chop House rivals anything Atlantic City has to offer, DeSalvio is particularly proud of Burgers and More, Lagasse's first burger bar. "The Emeril connection is key" to building his gambling den's brand and setting it apart from the competition, DeSalvio explained.

Having a high-profile restaurateur set up shop in your casino is certainly a marketing asset.

But according to another famous dining entrepreneur, being invited into a casino is likewise a bonanza for the restaurant and its owner.

"I always thought the ultimate place for me to be would be a casino, that it would be a perfect match," said Pete Ciarrocchi, founder of the chain of Chickie's & Pete's sports bars that has become a local institution, and a partner (with Donald Trump, Pat Croce and former Daily News owner Brian Tierney) in a failed attempt to get a gaming license for the old Budd Co. site in Nicetown.

Ciarrocchi got his wish recently when he opened inside Parx. "I'm only the second restaurateur in a Pennsylvania casino," he said. "It's Emeril and me. What an honor."

Here's a look at the dining options available to gamblers on this side of the Delaware River.

Mien Noodles,

Harrah's Chester

Tucked behind the casino's high-limit table game parlor, Mien is the area's only casino-based, Asian-style noodle bar (a staple in Atlantic City, where table-game play by Asian customers accounts for 20 to 40 percent of chips purchased, depending on the casino).

Although specializing in traditional noodle dishes like chow fun and lo mein, Mien also serves small plates (bacon and shrimp roll, sugar cane shrimp), six soups, rice plates and daily entrée specials (lobster in ginger sauce was a recent offering).

harrahschester.com.

The Refinery,

SugarHouse

Because of space limitations, the Refinery is SugarHouse's main food outlet. The bill of fare here emphasizes casual dining - everything from ribs and wings to burgers, chili, hot dogs and specialty sandwiches (Sicilian chicken, grilled Ahi tuna). There are daily entree specials, too.

The Refinery may not be the most elaborate casino eatery, but its view overlooking the Delaware River surpasses any of its local competitors'.

sugarhousecasino.com.

Chickie's & Pete's,

Parx

This 315-seat, 52-TV, bi-level space (which Ciarrocchi proudly describes as "Chickie's & Pete's on steroids") is the crown jewel in the expanding C&P empire.

The first-floor main dining room's menu includes several items not served at other C&Ps, including crab pizza, barbecued pork wings (mini-ribs in a sweet sauce) and a cheesesteak parm sandwich with red sauce and mozzarella. Not surprisingly, the most popular dish is the chain's signature Crabfries.

But the real difference is the second tier's rent-by-the-hour booths. Spaces seat up to eight or 12 people, and they are each equipped with a state-of-the-art video-game setup.

chickiesandpetes.com.

Emeril's Chop House,

Sands

For now - and for the foreseeable future - the high-end Chop House is the gold standard of Pennsylvania casino dining.

The room features a sleek, modern interior and a steak house menu boasting top-shelf beef and seafood and Lagasse-concocted, New Orleans-inspired dishes such as grilled pork loin chop with crawfish mashed potatoes and collard greens, and duck breast with bourbon mashed sweet potatoes and greens in a dried cherry reduction.

www.pasands.com

Chuck Darrow has been covering Atlantic City and casinos for over 20 years. Read

his blog http://go.philly.com/casinotes. E-mail him at darrowc@phillynews.com. And listen to his Atlantic City reports

Saturdays at 1:45 a.m. with Steve Trevelise on WIP (610-AM) and 3:05 p.m.

on Atlantic City's WOND (1400-AM) with Marc Berman, and 5:35 p.m. on Gloucester County's WNJC (1360-AM) and at 11:05

p.m. Tuesdays on WIFI (1460-AM) in

Bucks County.