Worship Surf Bar, Crossroads at HOB, Coming to Showboat

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Atlantic City will soon be getting a new after-the-beach Boardwalk hangout and a mix of delectable dishes by Food Network start Aaron Sanchez

By Ray Schweibert

Add Comment | Comments: 2 | Posted Mar. 28, 2012

ATLANTIC CITY — On Monday, April 2, Showboat will introduce a new after-beach hot spot designed to provide a low-key hangout for surfers and all beach-goers. Worship Surf Bar will open on the Boardwalk side of the casino in a space formerly occupied by Club Worship's lower level, and is easily accessed right from the Boardwalk.

Inspired by the iconic beach bars of California and Florida, Worship Surf Bar is located on the Delaware and States avenue beach, which is one of only three beaches that permit surfing in Atlantic City and offers some of the best surfing in southern New Jersey. Visitors can take in classic photography spanning the decades of surf culture at this hang-10 hot spot.

An outdoor patio will be set up right on the Boardwalk. Eight flat-screen TVs inside will show surfer-favorite Fuse TV, Phillies games and other sporting events throughout the summer. The bar will even have an outside rack for surfers to leave their surfboards before heading in for a drink.

“Delaware and States [avenues] has always been a prime location for regional surfers, since way before my days as a lifeguard in Brigantine,” says Don Marrandino, eastern division president for Caesars Entertainment, in a release. “With Worship Surf Bar we wanted to create a really affordable and legitimate surf and sports hangout that would cater to a flip-flop kind of crowd.”

Worship Surf Bar will a offer a drink menu featuring $3 Miller Lite drafts and signature cocktails such as The Wipeout (Absolut Berri Açai vodka, Rockstar Energy drink and cranberry juice), The Big Kahuna (Malibu Coconut rum, Malibu Black rum, pineapple and cranberry juices and grenadine) and The Barrel (Avión tequila, raspberry liqueur, sour mix and orange juice), as well as refillable souvenir shakers.

Starting Memorial Day Weekend, Worship Surf Bar will also offer beach service for those looking to stay in the sun. Guests sitting in the designated Worship Surf area will be able to order directly from a beach server and have their food and drinks brought to them.

Worship Surf Bar’s food menu will feature select offerings from the Crossroads at House of Blues menu (set to open Saturday, March 31) developed by Food Network celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez. Formerly the House of Blues Restaurant, Crossroads will boast an eclectic menu of contemporary comfort food “that matches the diversity and spirit that House of Blues is known for.”

Food choices will include Street Tacos (citrus marinated steak tacos with Cotija cheese and roasted tomatillo salsa), Grilled Flat Breads (with choices like basil pesto and tomato, wild mushroom and crispy prosciutto), and Chicken Wings in flavors like smoked tomato BBQ sauce, Jamaican jerk style or Buffalo style.

In-restaurant options at Crossroads will also include classic favorites like jambalaya, slow-smoked pulled pork and signature burgers, plus new offerings like shrimp and grits, seared tuna tostadas and braised short rib meatball sliders.

“The addition of Crossroads and Chef Sanchez to House of Blues — and the top House of Blues in the nation [A.C.] — further demonstrates our commitment to offering our patrons an unparalleled level of excellence, whether it’s the music on stage or the food on the table,” said Marrandino. “We are thrilled to introduce our guests to the new menu offerings at Crossroads and are excited to welcome Chef Aaron to the Showboat Atlantic City family.”

“The House of Blues venues offer the best musical experience anywhere, and we wanted to make sure the food intersected with that experience,” says Sanchez nominated in 2005 as the “Rising Star Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation. “That’s why we’re calling the restaurants ‘Crossroads at House of Blues’ — they had a unique need for a chef that understood the music and food and an audience that ‘gets it.’ Music and food tastes are both constantly changing and that’s something that I really identify with.”