Page 15 - May 2002 • Southern California Gaming Guide

SAN DIEGO GAMING GUIDE
Casinos in San Diego County are grand entertainment venues, providing all manner of enjoy- ment to their guests, and food not only brings people to eat and have a look at a casino (Why not? Great food, great prices—see our main feature on page 8), but offers sustenance and com-
fort. And we gamers are a hungry lot. Pushing those slot machine buttons, after all, is hard work. Then there’s the stress of winning (good stress) and losing (not so good stress) that may make us eat even again. So food is ubiquitous and available abundantly and at any time at most San Diego casinos.
Barona’s Hot Dog Stand has quarter-pound and half- pound all-beef frankfurters, and chili dogs plus chili in a bread bowl. And there’s also a sandwich seller, who walks the casino oor (just like at the circus) with a deli cart selling turkey and roasted beef or ham sandwiches (on cold days he sells hot chocolate and hot apple cider!).
Golden Acorn Casino
Golden Grill — Casual dining in an upscale coffee shop setting off the casino oor. Great trucker-sized portions. Enormous value. May special includes a $9.99 steak and lobster only on Friday (served from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.). (Look for our review of this restaurant in the June issue.)
In addition to buffets, and each casino (except for Golden Acorn in Campo) has one, all San Diego casinos have at least one restaurant. Some have three or four. And, they may have additional food services from delis, donut shops, and pizza parlors, and even game-side dining!
and their specialties. Check out hours of opera- tion in our Casino Directory. And look for our future issues with details about more of these great eateries.
Pearls of the Sea—Asian seafood, chosen fresh from a salt-water tank, Hong Kong chef, elegant surroundings—gets our vote for the best Asian San Diego casino dining (reviewed
Falls—Sidewalk-style café featuring certi ed
prime Angus beef as well as casual eats, including
burgers and sandwiches. Open 24 hours. Sunset
Deli — Hand-carved sandwiches, gourmet salads
and pizza. Hand-dipped ice cream, cheesecakes and a coffee bar. Open 24 hours. Turf Club — You don’t have to miss any exciting racing action while you eat. Order from a menu that includes burgers, salads, etc. Open one hour before post time. Closes 30 minutes after last post. Bingo Snack Bar — Located on the second oor in the non-smoking Bingo area, the snack bar offers burgers, sandwiches, pizza, Mexican food and desserts. Open during Bingo hours.
Barona Casino
’Iipay Corner Café — Wide, varied menu with quality steak house specialities and great desserts (reviewed in ourMarch2002issue).Open24hours.FoodCourt—If you want self-serve food, Barona has a “food court” with tables and chairs (more like a food row) that includes Da Boyz Pizza, Krispy Kreme Donuts, and Sombreros’ Mexican Food. Barona also has a Shrimp Cocktail Corner which serves cerviche, tostadas, shrimp cocktails, and even clam chowder in bread bowls plus peel and eat shrimp and a Baja shrimp cocktail (spicy and good!).
On a winning streak? Don’t want to leave the machine youjustknowisgoingpayoff?Butyourstomachisrum-
bling from lack of food, and you’ve got to eat something
to keep up your strength—otherwise how are you going
to count all the money you’re going to win? At Barona Casino,youcanorderfoodthroughfoodservice’sroam- in our February 2002 issue). Wachena
ing servers. Armed with special “Jackpot” dining menus, Barona gamers can choose their food, have it served on a special cart designed at the perfect height, so all a gamer has to do is turn (to grab a chicken strip, French fry or even a mouthful of Beluga caviar—on the High Stakes Jackpot dining menu) and still keep an eye on the display or your cards (where we hope they’ll be a prize!)
Now, drink service is pervasive at the casinos, and soft drinks and lemonade, cranberry juice, coffee, tea, etc. is free. Bottled water is available for a price, unless you are a vip player at some of the larger casinos, then you can drink it for free. Those casinos that serve alcoholic bev- erages charge for drinks, as required by the state. Typi- cal casino drink prices: beer domestic $2.25, imported: $2.75; wine (say a glass of Chardonnay) $3.75–$8.00; well drinks $2.75 up, with name brands higher.
Note that in the state of California, last call for alcoholic drinks is around 1:30 a.m. (We all know that, right?) All alcohol has to be off the casino oor by 2 a.m. At 6 a.m. alcohol service resumes.
Casino restaurants vary in type, price, and ambiance and there’s much to choose from. The San Diego Gaming Guide usually features a monthly dining review of a casino restaurant, but here’s a list of casinos’ restaurants
Barona Casino offers Gameside Dining from the “Jackpot” Menus
Sycuan Casino and Resort
Casino Pauma
Pauma Bay Café — Relaxed, tropical setting, great service, good food, great value (see our review in our April 2002 issue). Outdoor terrace is lovely. Specials include a 95¢ breakfast (Monday-Sunday 6 a.m. – 11 a.m) Open 24 hours.
Valley View Casino
Café De View — Small café for burgers, sandwiches, coffees, etc. And you can order breakfast off the menu on Friday–Sunday at the Market Square Buffet.
Pala Casino
The Oak Room — Fine dining; Pala Café — Salads, pizza and burgers; The Deli — Sandwiches; Coffee ’n’ More — Coffees and bagels, muf ns, etc.; and Noodles — Traditional Asian food.
Rincon Casino
Paradise Grill — Serves a daily special and burgers and sandwiches. Open 24 hours.
Viejas Casino
The Mezz — Sandwiches, and appetizers; The Grove Steakhouse—Also serves seafood and other ne dining; Sunrise Diner — Serves breakfast all day, plus burgers and sandwiches; China Camp — Chinese food
...And that’s not all!
Casinos in expansion (Barona and Rincon) will also have new and exciting food service. Look for more news in our future issues. Meanwhile, have fun and eat well at the casinos!
Alcohol is served at all but two casinos, and unlike Vegas, drinks are not free.
Golden Acorn Casino — Full bar in the Del Oro Lounge, and casino oor service.
Casino Pauma — Full bar in the Red Parrot Lounge, and casino oor service.
Pala Casino — Two full bars: The Promenade Lounge and the Palomar Lounge, and casino oor service.
Rincon Casino — Full bar in the Paradise Pub, and casino oor service.
Valley View Casino — Beer and wine only are served on the casino oor.
Viejas Casino — Full bar in the DreamCatcher Lounge and casino oor service.
Barona Casino and Sycuan Casino & Resort — No alcoholic beverages are served at this time.
Would You Like a Drink?
May 2002 Page 15