For the thousands of loyal Phish heads in town this weekend for the band's three-night stand at Boardwalk Hall, 11 ideas for your weekend in the resort.
Phish in action
For the several thousand Phish fans in Atlantic City for the band's three-night stand at Boardwalk Hall over Halloween Weekend, Atlantic City Weekly provides some ideas you may not have thought of to pass the time between concerts.
11. Tony Boloney's. The winner of the Guy Fieri Cheesesteak battle for best cheesesteak during this summer's Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival, this pizzeria and sandwich shop provides old-style Atlantic City-style pies, award-winning sandwiches, some great local antiques adoring the walls and the Elvis Lives. What is it? It's any Phish fan's dream concoction. Peanut butter, jelly, Nutella, banannas, something I'm forgetting, all on two plain slices of white bread. See video here and here of owner Mike Hauke making a turn of the 20th century style Atlantic City pizza. (And while you're in town looking for other good eats on a budget, try the newly opened Harlem transplant Redding's for soulful southern-style cuisine, or Tony Baltimore's Grill for pizza, or Kelsy & Kim's for downhome soul food. For Chinese, head to the Imperial Inn.
10. In honor of the Phish song "Bathtub Gin," as the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority's (ACCVA) awesome new Boardwalk Empire-themed Web site notes on its "Historic and Prohibition era locations to visit in Atlantic City" page: Go check out Gardner's Basin. Not only will you find the city's aquarium (doh, that was going to be number 2), restaurants and gorgeous sunsets but, as per the ACCVA: "If you look out from the docks at Gardner’s Basin, New Hampshire Ave. and the bay, to the houses across the way, you’ll see a couple of the original 'boat houses' that have docks under them where rum runners could unload their cargo in privacy. Some of them had speakeasies on the level above the docks." oceanlifecenter.com
(Frank Formica at his family bakery in Atlantic City)
9. When the munchies strike and the lines at the nearby White House Sub Shop are out of hand, stop into Formica Brothers Bakery, at 2310 Atlantic Avenue. Stock up on slices of the unfogetable tomato pie, pastries, fresh rolls and other fresh-baked treats. Serving the Atlantic City region from its current location since 1928, Formica's famous bread (thin crust on the outside, mouth-watering goodness on the inside) has been baked in the city's Ducktown section since 1919. formicabrosbakery.com
8. Head a few miles downbeach to Margate and check out Lucy, the world's largest elephant (9200 Atlantic Ave.). That should be all the incentive you need. lucytheelephant.org
7. The Pier Shops at Caesars. Trip out to the free hourly water show with its 150 individually controlled fountain nozzles, a 19,000 gallon reflecting pool, 179 LED and intelligent lighting fixtures, and "state-of-the-art" audio technology. It runs on the hour and it's free. Oh, and there are also two levels of stores (from Apple to Levis to Brookstone to the Phish-head friendly It'Sugar) and a third level of first-rate restaurants, From Buddakan and Phillips to the Boston transplant Game On! your hunger will never survive here. thepiershopsatcaesars.com
6. The Atlantic City Art Center \ Atlantic City Historical Museum. As long as the Garden Pier is open — it was recently closed due to storm damage — you can experience two of the resort town's most humble yet extraordinary gems — the only art center in the world to hang over the Atlantic Ocean and a historical museum devoted to Atlantic City's storied past — for free. Since the Garden Pier was christened in 1913, it has been home to a stately theater and convention hall, one of the city's biggest ballrooms (where Rudloph Valentino served for a while as a dance instructor) and then to the world's largest typewriter (http://www.acmuseum.org/promotion.html). Boardwalk Empire fans will devour the historical museum.
(A shot of three of the stars of HBO's Boardwalk Empire in Atlantic City for a premiere party at Caesars in September. Photo by Tom Briglia.)
5. Ocean City. If you're in the area for a while, check out Ocean City. About 20 minutes away from Atlantic City, and known as "America's Family Resort," the city becomes a sleepy beach town at this time of year, with mainly locals taking advantage of the less-crowded avenues, beaches and Boardwalk. Stop in GrassRoots Music Store (1059 Asbury Ave.), the area's only all-vinyl record store (they also sell guitars and other gear at great prices) and say hi to Chris. grassrootsmusicstore.com
4. Party at a Club. If this is your first visit to Atlantic City, go check out one of the city's world-class night spots. Even if you don't consider yourself to be a club person, it's a unique experience that you'll never forget. And the city's casinos offer all types of vibes, with the Borgata's one-two punch of MIXX and mur mur, the island-themed Pool at Harrah's, the recently opened and posh Dusk at Caesars, the '70s & '80s retro club Boogie Nights at Resorts and the Casbah at the Trump Taj Mahal — to name but a few — the city has more parties going on into the wee hours of the weekend than most states do. (And acweekly.com has the information that you need to know about them; click here for the Halloween Weekend Party Guide.)
3. IMAX at the Tropicana. Located inside the always energizing, sleek and sultry Havana-themed Quarter at the Tropicana, catch either Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole or the equally intriguing sounding Wild Ocean 3-D on the big screen. And we mean the really big screen. Or check out the many excellent restaurants, shops and clubs in this Atlantic City hot spot. tropicana.net
2. Mexico. One of the best restaurants ever. Pick: The Torta Oaxacanea. One of the least expensive, sloppiest and best sandwiches ever created. (3810 Ventnor Ave., Atlantic City)
1. The Atlantic City Aquarium. Well, we had to throw it in here, if not in the number two slot than as the big number one. Hey Phish fans, go to the local aquarium and see other fish! How cool would that be? The aquarium also just got a new mascot. Here's a mission for you. Have a picture of yourself taken with the new mascot at the Atlantic City Aquarium, send it to editor@acweekly.com with your contact information and you'll be entered to win an extraordinary Atlantic City prize. oceanlifecenter.com
Don't forget to send in those pictures!
"I never set out to emulate Jerry Garcia. I set out, in the 1990s, to learn about music and how it was constructed, and I was playing in bands that played original music."
“The unpredictable is part of the appeal of this band. That makes it fun for the fans and those who are in the band. We do things a little differently than other bands.”
The second of four musical events has been revealed for Bader Field with the band Phish announcing on its web site a summer tour that includes a trip to Atlantic City for three nights of performances on Friday, June 15, Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17.
The food varies from Cajun po’ boys and ice cream to American-Thai and authentic Atlantic City grub. Many of the items for sale include recycled, organic and fair-trade products.
Ever since Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford stated in early January that his office was working on a deal with a "big-time" national promoter to bring a three-day music festival to Atlantic City this June, the Web has been bubbling with rumors about the possibilities. Will Phish return? Could the Dave Matthews Band make its Atlantic City debut? How about Robert Plant and his Band of Joy? Will it be along the lines of an Atlantic City version of Memphis' Bonaroo or Chicago's Lollapalooza, where there are multiple bands, stages and performance areas, and fans camping out? Web sites and blogs such as Hidden Track, Jambands.com and the Dave Matthews fan site, DMBNews.net, have been following the story closely as their users are very interested in any jam-band festival news that is revealed throughout the year, throughout the country. Many fans of certain jam-bands — a moniker that has become popular since the death of Jerry Garcia and the end of the orginal Grateful Dead more than 15 years ago — such as Phish heads, follow the bands across the country and see every show they can get into. This would mean that Bader Field, the intended site of the three-day music festival, could...
Acclaimed jam band Phish has played 10 Halloween shows over the course of its career, which are known in the Phish camp as “Musical Costume” concerts, during its well-chronicled history.
I have no idea if Gov. Christie is a Phish fan. But even if he’s not, it’s time for him to go trolling for some money so that the world knows that Phish, which could have played its Halloween shows anywhere, decided to take Atlantic City’s bait.
When the band Phish first started its rise to fame, its cross-genre blend of styles and its sort of lack of widespread, mainstream appeal eventually earned it the de facto title of America’s premier jam band — a title that for years belonged to the Grateful Dead.
Atlantic City police reported confiscating $278,310 worth of illicit drugs and more than $12,000 in money alleged to be part of drug transactions.
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Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall
1. Bob said... on Oct 28, 2010 at 12:47AM
“Here we come!”
2. Fubu said... on Oct 28, 2010 at 11:07AM
“...very excited! Can't wait to try some of these things out.”
3. Phishhead said... on Oct 28, 2010 at 11:39AM
“I think I read that the Garden Pier is closed. Even so, it's an historic site - and right next to the casino project underway by Revel. And you get to Tony Boloney's easy from there, which is nearby. Try their pizza. It's rad.”
4. Prince said... on Oct 28, 2010 at 02:35PM
“The Album is PURPLE RAIN!”
5. b said... on Oct 28, 2010 at 09:42PM
“physical graffiti”
6. A Peds Phan said... on Oct 29, 2010 at 01:40PM
“Come party with the Pedestrians at the Trinity Pub on the Pier @ Caesars all three nights after the shows :) Lotsa Jam till 4am!”
7. Anonymous said... on Oct 29, 2010 at 02:53PM
“Are you serious? Purple Rain! That would be the best thing ever.”
8. fwwank said... on Oct 30, 2010 at 06:32PM
“#1 should be Get a Beer at the IRISH PUB!”
9. lessheads said... on Oct 31, 2010 at 12:32AM
“1.Tonys Baltimore Grill-The single best pizza and meatballs on the entire planet, I swear it.
2. Hard Rock Cafe-At least to check out the memorabilia, they have cool stuff in there.
3. Sunrise Over the Atlantic Ocean.
4. Absolutely 100% have to sit at the bar at the Irish Pub for a few! And not Ri Ra or Trinity Irish Pubs, the actual Irish Pub on St James Place.
5. Take the train to Philly. If you are in town for all three days, which now is one left, but still, the train is cheap, fast, and easy.
6. In the morning, when you're coming down and want breakfast food, stop by Lenox Cafe on Iowa and Atlantic, near Tony's. They do not have pork, but everything is bangin!
7. Take a long walk down the boardwalk into Ventnor. There is really nice playground down a couple miles, but im sure youll be up and a nice long walk under the stars to a giant playground is just what the doctor ordered. Ventnor is South casinos on the right to go to ventnor.
8. White House Cheesesteaks!”