Top chefs open spots at Hollywood Casino Joliet
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Chef Stephanie Izard holds her crispy chicken sammie at her new Lucky Goat restaurant in the Boulevard DIning Hall of the new Hollywood Casino entertainment complex in Joliet. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Some of the nation's top chefs are launching five restaurants at the Hollywood Casino Joliet today with dishes you can't even find in Chicago.
The big picture: Chefs Stephanie Izard (Girl and the Goat) Shawn McClain (formerly Green Zebra), Dana Cree (Pretty Cool Ice Cream), Rick Ortiz (Antique Taco) and TV personality Giada De Laurentiis have designed the menus for their new spots in this entertainment complex.
Zoom in: Most eateries are located in the Boulevard Dining Hall outside the casino space and are open to the general public, while the ESPN Bet sportsbook restaurant and Red Lotus Asian Kitchen serve casino visitors only.
- I sampled the fare at a press preview last week and here are some highlights.
Lemon bianca pizza ($14) at Sorrelina by Giada: This Neapolitan style pie, topped with candied lemons, garlic crème and caciocavallo cheese deliciously blends sweet, salty and citrus. What a crust!
- Don't miss bacon-wrapped dates ($15) over lemony gorgonzola cream and Giada's famous lemon spaghetti ($28).
You Lucky Dog ($9) at Izard's Lucky Goat restaurant reimagines the Chicago dog with chili-pickle relish, pickled caramelized sweet onions, hot mustard and a fresh poppyseed brioche bun in what may be better than the original.
- Plus, try the Lucky Goat house salad featuring greens, pickled veggies and pepitas in an herb vinaigrette ($14), and messy fries ($9) topped with hoisin mayo, caramelized onions, chili lime crunch and pickled Fresno peppers.
Line caught cod tacos ($6.50) from Antique Taco go above and beyond with thoughtful sourcing, perfect battering, tender fish and crunchy slaw.
- Don't miss the Antique kale salad with strawberries and a pomegranate vinaigrette and 16-hour smoked brisket tacos.
More highlights include McClain's New York meets Naples Gotham pizza slice ($6.50) at Five50, a rotating selection of Pretty Cool popsicles ($6.25), the root beer bacon cheeseburger ($19) from the ESPN Bet bar and salt and pepper shrimp ($16) from the Red Lotus Asian Kitchen inside the casino.
Catch more pics and videos of the food here.