My spouse and I dined at Olon for brunch on a Saturday afternoon
in mid-July 2018. The restaurant is open for dinner on Wednesdays through
Sundays (closed Mondays and Tuesday) and for lunch/brunch on weekends. (Bar
Olon has more extensive hours; check the website for details.) You can make a
reservation using the online Open Table system.
Olon is located in the Tropicana Casino and Resort’s South
Tower on the casino level. (Note that even though thematically it would be the
perfect fit, Olon is not located in the casino’s Old Havana-themed
entertainment venue called The Quarter, where many of the Tropicana’s other
restaurants are found.) Chef Jose Garces owns both Olon restaurant and the
adjacent Bar Olon, through which guests pass to reach the restaurant. Chef
Garces also operates neighboring Japanese restaurant Okatshe, as well as two
restaurants (Amada and Distrito) at Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort (formerly
called the Revel). The Garces Group of restaurants also operate several
Philadelphia properties including Amada, Buena Onda, Distrito, JG Domestic, The
Olde Bar, Tinto, Village Whiskey, and Volver, as well as Ortzi in NYC.
Olon opened in early 2017 in the space formerly occupied by
restaurant Fin. The 130-seat restaurant features a ceviche bar at its entrance,
with a long communal table adjacent. The main dining area contains
free-standing tables, semi-table/curved and L-shaped booths, and booth nooks
located two tile-clad steps up from the main floor in order to provide maximum
views and defined by flowy white curtains that remind one of beach/pool cabanas.
An overflow rear dining room can be reserved for private events/dining. Seasonal al fresco seating on a deck that
overlooks the beach is also available.
Bar Olon is a double-sided bar and lounge that offers beer, wine,
and cocktails, a raw bar, and a casual, light fare menu. The lounge area and
bar accommodate about 50 guests; it also offers a small stage for live
entertainment on weekend nights. On weekends, it offers a create-your-own
Bloody Mary bar at brunch time. The hanging ceiling lights in the bar
look like upside-down bongo drums, and the back wall made of large box fans,
creating an island-y feel.
The coastal cuisine at Olon is inspired by the beach towns of Ecuador that
the chef’s family visited when he was growing up, so seafood features
prominently. A $29 multi-course prix-fixe brunch menu is offered on
weekends in which guests choose items from various categories including an
all-you-can eat raw bar, starter, entrée, and coffee/tea. (Although we
did not choose the prix-fixe option, we thought it was a little tacky when the
restaurant applied wristbands to indicate guests who had or had not chosen it, probably
in an effort to prevent unauthorized diners from helping themselves to the small
raw bar.)
As
an appetizer, we shared the mixed fish fry (breaded calamari, mahi mahi,
shrimp, and scallops) with a yuzu mayonnaise dipping sauce. As our entrees, we
ordered two kinds of anticuchos (marinated skewers): pork belly (with yuzu
glaze, sweet potato, ginger, and garlic) and skirt steak (with chimichurri
sauce, pearl onions, and radishes). We shared the delicious and beautifully
presented coconut parfait with mango pearls topped with
pistachio sponge cake.
We enjoyed our brunch at Olon – it would have been even better had
it not been raining and we could have better enjoyed the view.
No comments:
Post a Comment