Queens Chronicle
The best gaming spots in the world all have more in common than slot machines, poker tables and glitzy shows. Travel to Atlantic City or Las Vegas or Monte Carlo and you’ll hear a lot about the food.
In fact, food and gaming go together like, well, steak and potatoes.
So it’s not a surprise that New York City’s first casino boasts elegant eateries like RW Prime steakhouse. And this culinary gem at Aqueduct Race Track’s Resorts World is not just a place for steaks.
Located on the casino’s second floor directly across from its gourmet Chinese restaurant, Genting Palace, RW Prime has the ambience of a traditional New York steakhouse with its dark wood interior and classy wine bar atmosphere. The music is soft and the wait staff surveys the dining floor dressed in uniforms that will conjure up thoughts of Downton Abbey. At the entrance sits a fully stocked bar with flat screen televisions showing the latest sporting events.
One notable feature is the open view from the dining room into the kitchen, so you can see your chefs cooking your meal.
The restaurant was quiet on this particular Monday night, but Luis, our waiter, was quick to bring us a basket of warm bread and a glass of red wine.
The first course featured crab meat wrapped in avocado and topped with parsley served with a choice of dressings. On one side, a mango puree, on the other one that includes horseradish. The sweet and the spicy complemented each other nicely in this appetizer joined by strings of pickled radishes.
The next course featured mouth-watering pan-seared-scallops that melted in your mouth like butter. In keeping with the fruits and vegetables theme, the scallops came drizzled in a carrot puree with corn succotash and baby beets.
But this is a steakhouse, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t leave without trying the steak.
Chef Josef, who was behind the grill that night, served me up a sirloin cooked to perfection. The outside was blackened, which appeared to seal in the flavor, where the meat was red and tender. The steak was served with rustic potatoes topped with a tangy blue cheese, which only helped further bring out the taste of the meat.
For dessert, Chef Josef brought the creme de la creme — almost literally: vanilla creme brulee, chocolate lava cake and pistachio ice cream — with real pistachios.
After the last bite of the chocolate cake, a freshly made cappucino topped off the night perfectly and it was time to go from great steaks to, we hope, just as good stakes at the slots.