Extraordinary Eats at Foxwoods Resort & Casino

Recently, M and I had a chance to visit Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Connecticut during their month-long culinary event, Extraordinary Eats. As guests of the resort, we indulged in a fabulous wine dinner crafted in the David Burke Prime Steakhouse, paired with wines from BR Cohn Winery, in Sonoma Valley. 

A question was asked on Twitter a few weeks ago, about travel: when does a vacation really start for you? Some people said the moment they get on the plane, other said the moment they buy their tickets. For us, it’s when we finally reach the hotel room, take a deep breath, and smile because we are on vacation. And this below, is what we walked into at MGM at Foxwoods.

Photo Courtesy of Foxwoods Resort & Casino

Breathtaking view of the —–, we were instantly relaxed when we walked in the room. Decor was modern yet simple, with basic colors such as brown and blues – oddly making me crave chocolate covered blueberries.

After arriving and settling into the room, we still had a few hours to spare before heading to the wine dinner, so we walked around the hotel and let me tell you, it was majestic. We arrived on Thursday, so there weren’t many crowds of gamblers/tourists. It kind of seemed like we had the hotel all to ourselves.

Photo Courtesy of Foxwoods Resort & Casino

Majestic, right? We walked around and checked out the other restaurants we wanted to try, while making our way finally to the David Burke Prime Steakhouse for the wine dinner.

Renowned Chef David Burke brings his creative, whimsical style to Foxwoods Resort Casino with David Burke Prime. Always the culinary showman, Burke’s inventive reinterpretations of American classics are showcased in this classic American steakhouse. The 13,000-square-foot steakhouse also features a large private banquet area for functions and special events. Situated on the restaurant level of Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Grand Pequot Tower, the eatery’s three-story wine tower offers oenophiles a choice of 5,000 bottles of wines from around the world. – Foxwoods

The classic fall salad, this was even better because of the sweet but acidic cider vinaigrette. The pears were roasted to perfection and not turned to mush, which tends to happen. We loved the use of Bibb lettuce, one of our favorite tender greens.

Coming from an island where scallops are everywhere, we were happy to see them showcased in this dish. Screaming fall with a touch of summer, the scallops were seared on one side only to keep the texture perfect and sat atop the smoothest sweet potato puree. Dolloped with a corn puree and micro greens, it seems to be a little to sweet for my taste, but M loved this dish!

Squab is definitely something we don’t consume on a regular basis; it’s hard to find in the markets here for sure. A tiny game bird, this squab was roasted, keeping the meat moist and tender. Hiding in the picture is a small foie gras dumpling that used a tiny squab bone for ease of picking up. Creative idea for sure!

Now THIS is a steak! Aged for 55 days, all this steak needs is salt and pepper, and that’s what the chefs did. No fancy work, just pure joy of steak and potatoes with a touch of green to balance out all the delicious fattiness. It honestly melted in my mouth.

Last, but not least, was this bread pudding bursting with fall flavors and a hint of banana sweetness. I still don’t know what the tiny strips of fried goodness were, but those, paired with the caramelized apples and bread pudding, where the perfect sweet ending to this meal!

Disclosure: A special thanks to our friends at Foxwoods Resort & Casino for providing us with a media rate as well as complimentary invites to this wine dinner.