Buon Appetito! Barona Kicks Off Summer With the Opening of

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.

Join Barona Resort & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.

http://www.barona.com/facebook

http://www.barona.com/twitter

http://www.barona.com/myspace

Contact Information: CONTACTS: Audrey Doherty/Jordan Cole 619-236-8397 Kelly Jacobs Speer 619-933-5013