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Buon Appetito! Barona Kicks Off Summer With the Opening of New Italian Cucina
Italian Cucina Now Open and Seafood Plaza Coming Soon
| Source: Barona Resort & Casino
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - July 16, 2009) - Barona Resort &
Casino today announced the opening of a new Italian Cucina.
This marks the first phase of several new restaurants planned for Barona.
Later this month, a new Seafood Plaza will debut completing the second phase. Barona
has filled nearly 100 positions to staff the new restaurants.
"While many businesses and casinos are forced to cut back due to the
economy, we continue to enhance the services we provide our guests at
Barona," said Rick Salinas, general manager of Barona Resort & Casino. "We
are very excited to unveil the new restaurants to our guests and the San
Diego community."
The Italian Cucina, designed by Solana Beach-based W. Morris Architects,
Ltd., exudes warmth with vibrant colors, reminiscent of an Italian Piazza.
A highlight of the new restaurant is its 3,800 pound ceramic wood stove
hearth oven, which will produce delicious pizzas, calzones and pasta
dishes. Live kitchen cameras will capture and broadcast chefs in action on
plasma screens over the hot-line so guests can enjoy watching their food
preparation. Overlooking Barona's newest garden, complete with a decorative
labyrinth and water fountain, the Italian Cucina can accommodate up to 175
guests and also features a private dining room that can accommodate up to
20 for special events or meetings.
While the featured entrees in the Italian Cucina will be traditional
Italian classics including Spaghetti with Homemade Italian Sausage,
Meatballs and Lasagna, the expansive menu also features numerous appetizers
and soups including Minestrone, Porcini Mushroom Risotto, Bruschetta,
Crispy Fried Calamari and Hearth-Roasted Stuffed Mushrooms and Cannellini
Beans, all ranging from $4.50 to $12.95. The Italian Cucina will also offer
Ricotta Gnocchi Ragu, Spaghetti Carbonara and Hand-Cut Pasta Bolognese.
Additionally, the menu features Italian specialties such as Mediterranean
Sea Bass with Basil-Parsley Butter, "Chianti Braised" Beef Short Ribs, as
well as individual pizzas and calzones. All entrées are available from
$5.95 to $19.95 and include an all-you-can-eat Caesar Salad.
In the near future, a new Seafood Plaza restaurant will open next to the
Italian Cucina and Barona's acclaimed Culinary Institute. The casual-fare
and value-oriented restaurant offers a variety of seafood options starting
from $6.95 including Classic New England Clam Chowder in a Bread Boule,
Barona's Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Chilled Alaskan King Crab Jumbo Leg in a
Cucumber-Mint Salsa and Mediterranean-Style Shrimp Ceviche with Tomato,
Onion Cucumber, Parlsey, Lime and Feta. The Seafood Plaza also boasts a
selection of grilled menu items from its Char Grill ranging from $6.95 to
$12.95 such as the BBQ Seafood Skewer with Grilled Halibut, Shrimp,
Pineapple and Chipotle Glaze, Butcher Sausage Skewer with Three House-Made
Sausages and Pesto Drizzle ($6.95) and Classic Clams "Casino." Guests will
also be able to enjoy oysters from the Raw Bar and selections of Barona
Signature Rolls from the Sushi-Sashimi Bar.
"Our culinary team has been hard at work creating the concepts and planning
the menus," added Salinas. "We think guests will be just as excited about
our new winning dining experiences as they are about hitting a jackpot on
our loose machines."
The new restaurants will join Barona's award-winning collection of dining
options including the Ranch House Buffet, Sage Café and Ho Wan, as well as
its Food Court. Recently, Barona Resort & Casino was honored with a 2009
Gold Medallion Award for Best Casino Dining by the California Restaurant Association (CRA), San Diego Chapter.
Additional accolades include the CRA Gold Medallion Awards for "Best Casino
Restaurant" and "Best Casino Buffet"; "Best Restaurants," "Best Buffet" and
"Best Brunch" from Southern
California Gaming Guide; "Best Traditional Cuisine" from Santé magazine; and "Best Gourmet
Restaurant," "Best Buffet" and "Best Steakhouse" by Strictly Slots magazine.
For two consecutive years in 2008 and 2009, Barona Resort & Casino has won
the J.D. Power and Associates Award for the "Highest in Satisfaction in the
Southern California Indian Casino Gaming Experience" in the J.D. Power and
Associates Southern California Indian Gaming Casino Satisfaction Study.
Barona Resort & Casino blends the best of San Diego's most elegant resorts
with the gaming excitement of Las Vegas. Barona is San Diego's leading
destination resort featuring 400 luxury guest rooms and suites, ten
award-winning dining options, the AmBience Day Spa, a full-service events
center and the 18-hole championship Barona Creek Golf Club, rated the 3rd
best resort course in California by Golfweek magazine. For Barona Resort &
Casino reservations and information, visit www.barona.com, or call toll
free 888-7-BARONA (722-7662).
Barona Resort & Casino received the highest numerical score in the
proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008-2009 Indian Gaming Casino
Studies(SM) -- Southern California Region. The 2009 study, which only
surveys casinos with a minimum of 1,000 slot machines, is based on
4,452 responses from gaming players who visited an Indian casino in
Southern California between December 2008 and May 2009. Proprietary study
results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in
May, 2009. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
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