Atlantic City Weekly

For a guy who has been cooking, in his own words, "from the time I could see the stove," chef Joel Dincher retains a sense of wonder and excitement towards his chosen profession.

That playfulness and innocence becomes immediately evident upon entering his newest venture, Atlantic City's Megan's Good Grub and Pub.

The Boardwalk-based restaurant -- occupying a beautiful sunlit space, formerly Opa -- is unique among dining options available in the resort. Yes, lots of folks have jumped on the small plates/American tapas boat of late. The difference is that many of them were simply reacting to the economy, not thoughtfully conceptualizing a truly different kind of place to eat, drink and make merry.

Dincher, 33, calls himself "a constant student of the game" and adds, "I've been following the gastropub from its inception in Europe." Which means creating a welcoming environment with reasonably priced, artisan-quality food and beverages.

Walking into Megan's on a recent Sunday night, we were delighted at the menu and specials-delivery-system, where diners receive individual clipboards. That sense of whimsy is pervasive, and Dincher hopes the populace will embrace it.

While recognizing the importance of the tourist dollar, he adds, "We opened up to be here year round, and focus on locals."

A native of Hershey, Pa., Dincher's family is steeped in the industry. His mother was a food and beverage director for the famous chocolate dynasty, and his stepfather a veteran chef. Commencing a culinary career at age 12, he eventually trained at both the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology in Williamsport, and the blue-chip Culinary Institute of America.

After several years spent working in the private corporate sector of the business, he moved on to country clubs, and then crafted his first restaurant in Harrisburg at the youthful age of 27. Pesce, a modern fish house, was an immediate success, garnering nine "best new restaurant" awards.

Landing in Atlantic City, Dincher went on to become the final chef at the former Sands' celebrated Brighton Steakhouse. To this day, he still speaks magnanimously of his former boss, Paul Drew, who ironically now runs Phillips Seafood, only a few hundred feet down the Boardwalk.

Megan's opened on May 23 of this year, and Dincher promises "the social atmosphere of a pub with an emphasis on food" and expressly calls it a "from-scratch environment."

Which means everything, literally, is created and composed in-house. Like Dincher's succulent house-cured pickles, crunchy and swaddled with green sheaves of fresh dill.

These wind their way through the menu, including a trio adorning his heavenly American Kobe beef burger, served on a shiny Brioche bun with a bacon-mushroom ragout, sharp cheddar and a pile of fresh-cut pub fries.

(Dincher credits his chef du cuisine James "Wazz" Wasilewski with making Megan's a creative and efficiently run operation.)

Other standouts on the night we dined were a pair of traditionally American comfort foods: Baked mac and cheese and shrimp and grits. The former includes the triumvirate of sharp cheddar, asiago and parmesan cheeses blended into rotini pasta and served with a golden brown, lightly crisp topping.