A much needed girls night out. It just happened to be at a casino.
It wasn’t all about the gambling though. In fact, we started at Grand Villa Casino‘s Alpina Bar to indulge in their happy hour items like California sushi tacos and the meat + cheese trays, and drinking the hard work week away.
We were there until our reservation time at ATLAS Steak and Fish. I was pleasantly surprised by how upscale this steakhouse was. In a casino. Marketed as a twist on the North American steakhouse, it felt more like we were dining in a fancy hotel restaurant, rather than a casino in Burnaby.
We all went in on the ATLAS chilled seafood tower, which consisted of Atlantic lobster tail, chilled king crab legs, seasonal oysters, mussels, jumbo prawns, with gin cocktail sauce, and champagne vinegar mignonette.
To provide even more drama, the tower was topped with some dry ice – not to be mistaken for dipping sauce or a finger bowl.
Next time I’ll try the spicy lobster spaghettini, because it looks delicious, but as I was still good from the sushi tacos and seafood tower, I ordered a la carte, rather than a main dish. I got the pan seared sea scallops and a side of charred asparagus. Just look at the size of them scallops!
ATLAS Steak + Fish opened after a $15M face lift at Grand Villa Casino last October. And it shows. The space is slick and luxurious. There’s a baby grand piano, Art Deco chandeliers, a curved white marble bar, and an open kitchen. The service was great and the food was delicious. Definitely would go back for a special occasion.
After dinner, we hit the casino floor. The ladies tried their luck at the roulette and craps tables, as well as, the slot machines. My gambling days were long behind me, so I was merely an observer.
Do I sometimes feel the itch to hit the tables whenever I’m at a casino (which is almost never)? Sure. Just FYI – my game was blackjack. And the most I ever won at blackjack was $900 in one night. It felt like a lot of work (and luck!) for a not so small sum of money.
Anyways, that part of my life is filed under “legend in my own mind” drawer. But oh, the stories I can tell of my casino days…
I’m older, hopefully wiser, and like my money in things I can experience – like vacations! Still, it was a fun night catching up with the girls, treating ourselves to flouncy dinners and feeling like high rollers (with a set limit).
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