Casino Watch

       The Mashantucket drum circle readies a performance at Grand Bar.

Foxwoods, amid of flurry of colorful moves, shows off a Grand Bar at a busy casino intersection

Foxwoods Resort Casino, under the direction of President and CEO Jason Guyot, marked a series of upgrades in its central Grand Pequot Tower gathering area with the grand opening of its gilded Grand Bar near Guy Fieri's, the newish Pokemoto Poke and Boba outlet and the Tanger Outlets sign.

In remarks to a gathering of tribal members, Foxwoods officials and design/construction folks, Guyot (below, foreground) called the bar "one of many exciting evolutions" in the recent Foxwoods story. In a chat before his speech, Guyot said, "And there's more to come."

Grand Bar is the latest addition to Foxwoods’ ongoing luxury developments which also include Club Newport, a high-limit gaming area, Pequot Woodlands Casino (a 50,000-square-foot gaming space) and Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen.

Foxwoods celebrated its 32nd anniversary earlier this year with several announcements, including renovations of rooms at the Fox Tower and debut of Grace by Nia, a supper club with live music.

The huge Mashantucket resort, which is already the site of a rising Great Wolf Lodge to open in 2025 and the recently opened Hell's Kitchen and Wahlburgers eateries, also announced plans for a Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream outlet from Food Networks star chef Zac Young at that point.

In the spring, Grace by Nia, described as a soulful live music lounge, opened its second location in New England downstairs from the Grand Bar at the Grand Pequot Tower, adjacent to High Rollers. Before that, Golden Dragon restaurant had moved from that general area to a new location nearby.

On Friday, design chief Robert Macaruso of ZDS Architecture & Interiors pointed out the gold leaf, cascading colmns, custom made carpet, special lighting and other luxury touches in the Grand Bar project (some features overseen by his daughter, designer Olivia Macaruso, also at the event). ZDS has also done other projects for Foxwoods, including nearby upscale bar/gaming areas. (Grand Bar has gaming terminals on a portion of the bar counter only, so there are seats without such diversions, too.)

Many of the upgrades at Foxwoods seem not only gaming-based but boldly aimed at an upscale, moneyed crowd -- the pricey Hell's Kitchen, the tall and high-wattage slot machines with single bets ranging from $8.80 to several times that, and nearby sports betting location. The moves seem to be a nod to an economy that is anything but struggling and to the image of Foxwoods as an ever-evolving mega-resort with sky-high ambitions.

While the soul of the sprawling resort is in the adjacent Mashantucket Pequot Museum, the glitzy party face is in its latest extreme makeovers.

At the very least, it's an eyeful that can impress even the most-traveled visitor or New England regular -- gambler or not. The most amazing part is the will to refashion and gamble by the Mashantucket Tribal Council and financial backers of this highly leveraged resort. You have to admire the dramatic, Land of Oz flourishes that are at once awe-inspiring and a bit shocking in the long-labeled home of steady habits.

You may make a stop at the Grand Bar in the future for a comfy cocktail or mocktail. Or you will just raise an eyebrow and gape on your stroll toward another attraction in this eastern Connecticut behemoth that outshines any other destination in Hartford, Providence or Boston.

   Lighting fixtures chosen by design firm ZDS Architecture & Interiors.

   A bartender fashions an espresso cocktail for the grand opening celebration at Grand Bar.

Casino scene

Views from the 20th Wine & Food Fest at Mohegan Sun

Mohegan Sun's party event of the year, its 20th anniversary Sun Wine & Food Fest, produced a variety of cool scenes, including the arrival by helicopter of stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, in Uncasville to attend events celebrating their mezcal brand Dos Hombres.

Here are some moments from the Grand Tasting Saturday, which drew its typical huge crowd to the Earth Expo & Convention Center Saturday afternoon:

A casino heavy hitter, at 20

Wine & Food Fest marks 20 years 

What can you say about Mohegan's Sun Wine & Food Fest and its 20th edition? It's massive in scope and a microcosm of American entertainment. It's fun but it's dangerous if you overdo it. It's a good way to sample various vino brands and spirits but its events can be pricey, especially when Ticketmaster is involved (I am not a fan of ticket agencies. Try to get tix at the Mohegan Box Office.)

So with several wine fests under my belt, here's a primer for what fans know is a top-shelf event for this famous casino resort during winter's gray days:

There are 20 events over four days, from Jan. 25 through Feb. 28 but the two Grand Tastings (a preview Friday night and premier event Saturday) are the most accessible.

When Wine Fest first arrived two decades ago, it was a fast success and impressive -- held in one of the resort's large ballrooms. But in recent years it was moved to the gigantic Earth Expo & Convention Center, so there is plenty of room to walk and fewer jammed spaces to rub elbows with (and swap germs with) gal pals, 20something bros, moneyed middle-age couples and seniors taking a break from the slot machines.

    Celebrity chef Robert Irvine at a previous Wine & Food Fest at Mohegan.

There are celebrity chefs to see (Aaron Sanchez is a regular, as is Robert Irvine), celebs with a booze label (Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul this year), celebs with a prison record (Martha Stewart; OK, that's a cheap shot) and food bites to be had between sips.

You can even stick to nonalcoholic brews, such as the wonderfully successful Athletic variety (I have a subscription plan), but the main tastings for most patrons are generally a fun hodgepodge of various alcohol-based drinks (even the boring spiked seltzers), beers, new products, spirits, hard ciders and a large entertainment stage at one end where chefs demonstrate their skills.

A year or so back, it seemed that wine itself was being crowded out by other products at the event's variety of samples. But there's a good amount of vino, too, of course.

For those who can exercise moderation, it's a "happening" stroll in a colorful place on a cold winter weekend, including two years ago when it snowed heavily the night before but still drew a crowd.

A year before that, it was the last Wine Fest I saw my friend and liquor salesman Steve, who had cheerfully worked the event for many years. On that Saturday night, he also had ridden the bull at Comix Roadhouse after urging by a younger colleague of his. (He had them set the bull speed to 'Slow' but it typically ended in a funny fall.)

We were sitting on a bench after the Dine Around event in one of the casino public areas near the Roadhouse, just people watching, when he spotted the same colleague heading to an event at novelle restaurant/night club. I chuckled as he headed after her, to join the party. My old friend died suddenly a month later of a heart attack. So the laughs are a wistful echo now, but I still smile about it all.

There are several fond memories and opportunities for new ones at such events. And wine aficionados can also chat up knowledgeable sales folk and even some winery owners and reps. I enjoyed asking company reps at the elite-wine event Vintage Cru what one bottle retails for in stores. Answers range from $49 to $249, I recall, as I worked hard to rein in a spit-take of the fancy wine.

Here's a list of this year's events, some of which are sold out as we approach the 20th anniversary SWFF, with current, with (somewhat elevated) Ticketmaster prices as of Jan. 4. You might want to look for tickets earlier next year, we would advise:

5 p.m. Thursday the 25th. Tao Dim Sum event at TAO Asian Bistro & Lounge. ($207)

7 p.m. Thursday. The Todd English Experience, an English-hosted dinner event. ($180)

8-10 p.m. Thursday. Sun Patio Ice Bar Experience at the Sun Patio. ($98)

8-9:30 p.m. Thursday. Barrels of Beam Featuring Laphroaig Tasting at the Clay Pipe Cigar Bar ($125)

10 p.m. Thursday. Litchfield Distillery Farm to Table at Aquai pop-up bar. ($125)

5 and 5:15 p.m. Friday. Tao Whisky Dinner at TAO Asian Bistro & Lounge. ($342)

6-9 p.m. Friday.  Beam Suntory Presents: Whiskeys of the World at the Earth Ballroom ($125)

7-10 p.m. Friday. Grand Tasting Preview at the Earth Expo & Convention Center. ($125)

9-11 p.m. Friday. A Spirits and Cigars program at Clay Pipe. Sold out

10 p.m.-midnight Friday. Toast with the Host featuring Loverboy Sparkling Hard Tea at novelle ($71)

noon-5 p.m. Saturday. Grand Tasting at  Earth Expo & Convention Center. ($177)

4-6 p.m. Saturday. Exclusive Antique Collection Tasting at Clay Pipe. ($547)

4-6 p.m. Saturday. Vintage Cru elite-wines collection tasting. ($179)

6-8 p.m. Saturday. Exclusive Pappy Van Winkle Tasting at Clay Pipe ($548)

7-9 p.m. Saturday. Dos Hombres Mezcal featuring Bryan Cranston & Aaron Paul at novelle. Sold out.

8-10:30 p.m. Saturday  Celebrity Chef Dine Around (and after-party). Sold out.

11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday.  Brunch with Martha Stewart & Friends at Uncas Ballroom. ($125)

A Vintage Cru event as part of the 2018 Wine & Food Fest.

New Year, new and old events

Food, spirits, music and comedy at casinos in coming weeks

It's 2024, and not only did the previous year bring world turmoil, wanton violence, social isolation and threats to democracy, but this writer had a new left hip installed. That's what age and an active life gets you -- from only occasionally being hip to getting a hip replacement.

But I've been working out (which sounds better than saying I'm doing the physical therapy exercises prescribed for me) and I'm looking forward to a healthier year of arts and entertainment.

The state has some underrated venues that deserve a hard look -- New Haven's Shubert Theatre, Hartford Stage, Seven Angels Theater and The Palace in Waterbury and The Kate in Old Saybrook. But most accessible for a meetup with friends and relatives are those big-time venues in Uncasville and Mashantucket.

Todd English’s Tuscany at Mohegan Sun.

Yes, Connecticut's two giant casino resorts, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, are full of plans to amuse and excite you as they offer a new home for your hard-earned dollars in the months to come.

The key here for real hipsters is to inhabit what I call "a happening place"-- one that provides at least a little sizzle and value for your buck, too. Here's a look at some cool events (and others I simply can't comprehend) in the new year:

Restaurant Week Returns to Mohegan Sun

Casino eateries are not cheap; well all know that. But you might enjoy some value during Restaurant Week January 21-25 (the latter being my birthday) at certain restaurants in Mohegan Sun.

Start with a basic one. From 5-8 p.m., Johnny Rockets will offer two burgers, one side and two shakes for $30. 

BALLO Italian Restaurant, meanwhile, will have a three-course meal option for $45 per person. You choose either a Caesar Salad, an Arugula Salad with pine nuts and shaved Parmigiano or Meatballs made with Pomodoro, pecorino, basil and mozz. Then you have an option of Chicken Francese, Campanella alla Vodka, Salmon served with roasted Brussels or Eggplant Parm. Third course is a cannoli.

Offerings at The Shed, coming to Mohegan Sun soon.

(Speaking of Ballo, Mohegan Sun will unveil a sister restaurant to Ballo called The Shed this spring from restaurateur John J. Tunney III. The 8,100-square-foot eatery will be located in Casino of the Earth, adjacent to Tunney’s BALLO Italian Restaurant and across from Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana (Pepe's is the sole survivor of the longtime food court in that area.)

Also for restaurant week, The Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House’s Restaurant Week specials include an Irish Trio consisting of house-made shepherd’s pie, corned beef & cabbage, banger sausage and soda bread for $36 and/or Corned Beef & Cabbage Spring Rolls made with corned beef, cabbage, carrots, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing for $16. Price of a 20 oz. Guinness? It's $15.

Specials over at MJ23 Sports Bar & Grill include a $19 triple-play of a half garlic bread, half-pound wings and two spring rolls. Other specials include a 14 oz. BBQ Rubbed Prime Rib served with mashed potatoes, smoked onion jus and horseradish cream for $42 and a 23 oz. Bud Light Draft for $6.

At Michael Jordan’s Steak House, guests can flex their wallet with a 42-oz. Tomahawk Steak served with steak sauce and fries for $99. That's more of a diet-be-damned gustatory event than a meal deal, but I couldn't pass up an ironic mention of it during a month when so many of us are watching calories.

Sol Toro has mix-and-match tacos for $4.50 each; also a Chicken Fried Rice Bowl made with Chipotle chicken, soy chili, roasted garlic and a fried egg for $22 and a Frozen Margarita Flight for $10.

Other participating locations are Jasper White’s Summer Shack, Sushi Koya, Todd English’s Tuscany and classy Tao Asian Bistro & Lounge, where you can score a Pu-Pu Platter for $30.

Restaurant Week is also notable because it leads up to Mohegan Sun’s 20th Annual Sun Wine & Food Fest which is a highlight of the midwinter season in Connecticut for the past two decades. (More on this in a coming post.)

More alcohol-based happenings

At Foxwoods' Vodka Vibes on January 20, Foxwoods has a new tasting event to be held in the Rainmaker Expo area, where guests can sip various vodka brands, including Corvus Vodka, poured by former New England Patriot and Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee Ty Law, says Foxwoods.

The vodka sampling event is being matched with disco décor to evoke the glam of the 1970s.

On February 24, the female favorite Royal Rosé is coming back to the Rainmaker Expo, where guests can sample not only rosé wines but also seltzers, spirits and more at the tasting event. Aimed at those who love a pink-surrounded selfie, there will be photo op stations and live entertainment.

Davidson and 90s tour

For comedy fans, stand-up comedian and actor Pete Davidson will take the stage at the Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in just a few days, January 6. Tickets are about $80 each.

Coming to Mohegan Sun Arena Sunday, Jan. 7, will be the I Love The 90’s Tour which promises to bring together some iconic names in Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B from the decade, including Mark McGrath, Rob Base, Kid N Play, All-4-One, Tone Loc and Color Me Badd, in the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.

Mohegan Sun. by the way, was named “Best Casino with Live Entertainment” in the 2024 Newsweek Readers’ Choice awards poll. Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic Southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun not only has gambling but also 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, two fancy spas, over 70 shops, restaurants and bars and three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena.)

Rife with popularity, even if I don't get it

OK, I'm an older guy, but I'm still puzzled by this one after watching a clip of popular, often-bare-chested comic Matt Rife.

Responding to four rapid sell-out tour dates at Mohegan Sun Arena, the casino has added a fifth show date for Matt Rife’s ProbleMATTIc World Tour February 21-25, with all shows starting at 8 p.m. This five-night run of consecutive shows is a record breaking first for the arena, say Mohegan officials.

Rife had a recurring role on the sketch improv comedy and rap show Wild 'n Out and he's best known for his self-produced comedy specials.

-- Another rising performer, Seattle comedian and actor Jo Koy, is adding Mohegan Sun Arena to his list of stops during his global tour. Koy hits the Arena stage on Sunday, March 24 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Koy recently hosted the People's Choice Awards on CBS.

Ko's fourth Netflix stand-up special, "Live From The Los Angeles Forum," premiered in September 2022.

Whoa, Nelly, and Rodia on road

Coming in March? Grammy Award-winning and diamond-selling rap performer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Nelly will take over the Mohegan Sun Arena stage on Wednesday, March 20, for an 8: p.m. show.

Two months after that in Uncasville, stand-up comic Anthony Rodia, whom we wrote about before a Foxwoods engagement in 2020, will perform two shows at The Cabaret Theatre at Mohegan Sun as a part of his Totally Relatable Tour on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11. Both shows kick off at 8 p.m.

As I put it then, during the pandemic, New Rochelle, N.Y.-raised Rodia had been postponed from the Foxwoods date for 10 months and instead "poured his comedy stylings into online song parodies, skits and 'Road Rage Wednesday' bits featuring digitally enhanced characters Vinny and Zia (who will amuse a child with their cartoonist looks but have several adult-only moments)."

 -- Tie a yellow ribbon round the old calendar, Tony Orlando fans. The 79-year-old performer will take the stage of the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena for his last performance on Friday, March 22nd at 7:30 p.m. -- after more than five dozen other appearances at the Uncasville casino.

Tony Orlando and his group Dawn created iconic, catchy hits such as "Tie a Yellow Ribbon," "Candida" and "Knock Three Times" in the 1970s. Orlando, born to  Leo and Ruth Estanislaw Cassavitis in New York, has played for millions of fans over the course of his 60-year career, and this final performance will be his 65th at Mohegan Sun over the course of 23 years, notes a Mohegan Sun release.

“We are honored that after such an historic entertainment and humanitarian career, Tony Orlando has chosen Mohegan Sun to host his final live performance,” said Tom Cantone, President of Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan. “It’s now time for us to give him a standing ovation for entertaining over 100,000 fans at Mohegan Sun over the years, something that only Billy Joel has done, as he will be forever part of Mohegan’s entertainment family.” 

Tickets go on sale Friday, January 12 at Ticketmaster.com. Subject to availability, tickets can also be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting on Saturday, January 13th.

Connecticut Casinos

Mohegan Sun pours it on at 10th BrewFest 

Mohegan Sun’s 10th annual Sun BrewFest returns Oct. 20-21 with a Friday Seltzer Social (for the second time) and the big-brew event Saturday afternoon in the huge
Earth Expo & Convention Center.

Like other events of this type at Mohegan Sun, the pair of booze bashes will be lively, bubbly, colorful, well-run and (when it comes to Seltzer Social) open-air on the Sun Patio -- site of the free summer concerts with tribute bands -- starting at dusk Friday at 6 p.m. 

Now, if you're skeptical of hard seltzers as an event subject, consider the fact that no matter the main focus of these things, other spirits are available in the mix, as well as local food bites. Which makes the Social a bargain at $40 or $45 at the last minute (day of). Music will be provided by DJ Ray R One.

The Sun BrewFest main event kicks off in the afternoon on Saturday at Mohegan Sun’s Earth Expo & Convention Center and runs from 3-6 p.m. Tickets for that are $60 ahead or $65 on Saturday. Tix are available at Ticketmaster or the Mohegan Box Office. The fall staple BrewFest promises a wide range of local, regional, craft beers, other spirits and food from local restaurants, included in the admission price.

There will be music from the band Sugar and a Wicked Cornhole tournament to peruse.

CT casino beat

Wahlberg brothers launch latest eatery at Foxwoods

 With the Yankees and Red Sox playing a for-pride-only game on the bar TVs of the new Wahlburgers eatery at Foxwoods Resort Casino, the celebrity Wahlberg brothers marked the latest opening with an appearance Thursday afternoon that delighted fans at the massive resort.

Visitors were lined up outside as officials, invited guests and media members milled about along a red carpet and inside the compact eatery. The brothers first worked the red-carpet line of mostly social media influencers and some of the fans lucky enough to snap selfies with Donnie, Mark and Paul Wahlberg.

Walhburgers, which serves a variety of burgers, sandwiches, salads, bar-food sides such as fries and tots, along with cocktails and shakes, continues a string of recent additions to Foxwoods built around TV and movie celebrities. Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen opened this summer; Guy Fieri's Kitchen & Bar has been at Foxwoods for several years, and Sugar Factory posts celebrity photos on its pillars at the always-evolving casino concourse.

Paul Wahlberg is the chef of the three. Donnie is the singer/movie star and founding member of New Kids on the Block, and Mark is the former rapper Marky Mark who is also an accomplished actor. All three areinvolved in running the restaurants. A previous location at the Westfield Trumbull mall, which debuted in 2017, closed in 2020. A more recent outlet is in Springfield, Mass., a short walk from MGM Springfield casino. 

Donnie Wahlberg at the grand opening.

On Thursday, Mark Wahlberg said he was "happy to be back in New England and to see this guy," gesturing to his brother Paul. "There isn't a bad thing on the menu. We all have our own particular favorites but this guy does an amazing job and everything tastes (good)."

Asked how much he gets involved with the food business, Mark Wahlberg said, "Financially, I'm very, very involved. I let Paul handle the creative. I handle the business and the growth strategy. And Donnie's been kind of working with marketing on the creative side."

Wahlberg said he and Paul have been doing this "for a very long time. We started out with our Alma Nove in Hingham (Mass.), first restaurant we had, named after my mom."

Marketing via TV has helped Wahlburgers to open some 90 restaurants internationally, according to business reports. The TV series "Wahlburgers" ran from 2014 to 2019 and included Paul and his brothers working to expand the restaurant chain. 

The bar area of Wahlburgers.

"He (Paul) plays the schmo really good. He's not a schmo. He is a guy who is so endearing, has so many great qualities, but he's funny as heck," said Mark. "Comedic timing; he's fantastic on the show. He's just taken this character on... he's the only one who's never broken character."

The official opening of the Foxwoods location (in the spot formerly held by a more basic burger joint, Fuddruckers) follows the summer opening of the Pequot Woodlands Casino at Foxwoods in the area of an underused banquet space. A quick tour of that casino spot Thursday gave us views of oversized, high-minimum slot machines (a few with personal, side TV screens to watch sports while you're gambling) and plenty of bar seats for wagering while imbibing.

While a Great Wolf Lodge is being constructed at Foxwoods for 2025 opening, Foxwoods President and CEO Jason Guyot agreed that Foxwoods recently has concentrated a lot of renovations around the busy Grand Pequot Concourse that is already home to several of the 30-plus eateries at the resort. "It's exciting, there's bars, casino, restaurants, Hell's Kitchen, it's amazing," he said.

Mashantucket Pequot Museum's 25th

Cultural gem marks a quarter century

An historic gala in Mashantucket and launch of exhibit 'Our Moons'

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center celebrated its 25th Anniversary Aug. 11 with a colorful gala, pairing the moment with the launch of a new art exhibit called (take your time pronouncing this one) "Kunâhneepamuhshâtunônak" or “Our Moons."

The feel-good gala, with special guests, performances and awards to former museum directors and tribal partners, took place in the soaring-glass, central Pequot Museum Gathering Space.

The exhibit, which we previewed Friday in its gallery space at the 308,000-square-foot museum, opened to the public a day later and runs through summer 2024 (included with museum admission). In various artistic media, the exhibit shines a historic and cultural spotlight on the Pequot people, especially the Indigenous teachings of how the cycles of the moon have provided guidance and support for the original people of the Northeast.

It's a worthy exhibit (more on this coming in a fall edition of Connecticut Magazine). But back to the gala, which itself served not only to raise money for the museum and its educational mission during a time when many museums and theaters are struggling (the anniversary initiative is called "Meesumôk Neetôp" in Pequot) but it also proved to be a hearty affirmation of the facility's vital role in telling the dramatic and often-hidden story of this people's survival in the Northeast.

Mashantucket Tribal Council Chairman Rodney Butler, fresh back from a vacation, he noted, said the museum's grand opening in 1998 marked a profound milestone in Pequot history, representing the resurgence of  Pequot ancestors. The tribe ultimately survived and overcame "a systemic effort to exterminate and disburse us from the earliest of Colonial times.

"The Pequot museum," he said to hundreds of invited guests and tribal members, "has effectively represented our tribal history, our land and traditions, Northeastern woodland tribal culture and the history of America through an Indigenous perspective, to millions of visitors all over the world for the past 25 years."

And in this polarized American culture that includes political battles over what to teach public school students about American history and racism, museum Executive Director Joshua Carter noted the state's recently successful partnership with Connecticut’s recognized tribal nations to create a new Native American studies model curriculum. The museum's scholars and artists, including Carter, whose art is represented in the show, know a thing or two about that stirring history.

Some photos from the mid-August gala:

Visitors enjoy a moment in the shadow of the 185-foot stone tower and glass gathering space that welcomes visitors and was the setting for the night's gala.

   The hallway leading to the "Our Moons" exhibit at the Pequot Museum.

The gala scene at the Pequot Museum Sept. 10.

                                 The cloud-like center area of the "Our Moons" exhibit.

                                  Artist Jonathan Perry chats outside the art exhibit.

               Jonathan Perry's Fish Moon Necklace features a large copper centerpiece.

Casino beat

Hell's Kitchen opens at Foxwoods

Foxwoods Resort Casino recently hosted the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen eatery, located in the Grand Pequot concourse at the sprawling resort.   

Taking advantage of the long-running television series featuring the mercurial Ramsay, the restaurant represents another celebrity-centered move for the culinary scene at Foxwoods, with its previous success of Guy Fieri's Foxwoods Kitchen & Bar and David Burke Prime. 

Chef Gordon Ramsay appeared only in a video to welcome guests to his latest restaurant. Afterward, attendees sampled menu items such as Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding. The restaurant opened to the public July 15. Reservations are available online.

A private dining room at Hell's Kitchen, flanked by Ramsay's images.

A chef prepares food at Hell's Kitchen.

                         A signature dish at Hell's Kitchen: Beef Wellington.

Happenings at the casino

 Spring has sprung at Mohegan Sun

Friday night (May 5) will bring a Sip and Salsa event at Mohegan Sun's Novelle eatery/night club, where dance fans can learn some steps from two-time winner of Dancing With The Stars Val Chmerkovskiy (left). As seen previously at Mohegan's Tequila event, patrons can mix their own margarita by pedaling the Patrón Bike. You also get a ticket for a complimentary Cointreau margarita in celebration of the cocktail's 75th anniversary. There will also be a taco bar station and upbeat Jazz music by Latin Essence along with beats of DJ Lezlee. Tickets are $50 on the website. 

-- Another big dance event will take place in November at Mohegan Sun. Derek Hough will return with a another experience this fall wit Derek Hough Symphony of Dance with special guest Hayley Erbert. The professional dancer and decorated choreographer will play Mohegan Sun Arena on November 25 at 7 p.m. This tour follows the sold-out successes Derek Live: The Tour, and of Move Live on Tour and Move – Beyond – Live on Tour, including multiple sellouts at top venues such as Radio City Music Hall. Tickets are $89.50, $59.50, $49.50 and $39.50.

-- Also coming in the fall, reigning ACM Group of the Year and CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Old Dominion, recently announced a new leg to their renowned U.S. No Bad Vibes tour. Visiting 30+ additional arenas nationwide, country group Old Dominion will kick off this new round of dates on September 7 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI and will arrive at Mohegan Sun Arena with special guests Jameson Rodgers, Niko Moon and Kassi Ashton on Friday, September 22.Tickets are $129.50, $99.50 and $79.50 and go on sale Friday, May 5 via ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning Saturday, May 6.

-- But back to the warm-weather events at Mohegan Sun. 

Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter Walker Hayes will return to Mohegan Sun Arena ater this month – this time on his own headlining tour. Walker  performed back-to-back sold-out shows at Mohegan Sun Arena alongside Kane Brown and Raelynn last June. Special guest Tenille Arts joins Walker Hayes on May 27th at the arena this time. Tickets are $79.50, $59.50, and $49.50.

Iconic British duo Tears For Fears will bring their North American 2023 summer tour – The Tipping Point Tour Part II – with special guest Cold War Kids to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, June 24.

Tickets are $149.50, $129.50, $99.50, $79.50, and $59.50. The 1980s band sold more than 30 million albums worldwide with singles such as “Shout,” “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” “Mad World,” “Sowing The Seeds of Love,” and “Woman In Chains." In 2022, the band released their latest studio album The Tipping Point, which garnered solid reviews, including with longtime fans.

 

The Uncasville resort will mark a decade’s worth of Sun BBQ Fest the weekend of June 17-18. Once again, there will be some mouth-watering grilled food, cold beer, hand-crafted cocktails and  performances by international Country artist Kameron Marlowe and American Idol star HunterGirl. Guests will have the chance to experience 50 different BBQ options, full plate vending from nationally acclaimed BBQ vendors, sample small bites in the “People’s Choice Competition” and taste up to five different styles of Wings & Ribs in the annual competition. Sun BBQ Fest will also showcase World Food Championship sanctioned barbecue teams that compete nationally. Tix are $15 for Saturday and $10 Sunday. Kids under 12 are free.

-- Summer goes by quickly, so don't miss it. Which reminds us: Multi-platinum pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer will kick off the North American leg of their 2023 world tour – The 5 Seconds of Summer Show -- at Mohegan Sun Arena on Aug. 10.Tickets are $89.50, $69.50, $59.50. As Mohegan Sun puts it: Since forming in 2011, 5 Seconds of Summer – comprised of Luke Hemmings (vocals/guitar), Michael Clifford (vocals/guitar), Calum Hood (vocals/bass), and Ashton Irwin (vocals/drums) – have released four albums and numerous hit singles. They were quickly hailed as the “biggest new Rock act in the world,” by Rolling Stone, and are the only band in history to see their first three full-length studio albums enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1. The band has sold more than 3 million concert tickets while touring the world several times over and sold more than 13 million albums.

-- The Jonas Brothers announced their most ambitious outing yet, a massive 35-date stadium and arena run – THE TOUR – where the band will perform five albums every night. The momentum comes after their successful sold-out Broadway engagement and their two-date Yankee Stadium sell-out that will kick off off the tour in August. They'll be at Mohegan Sun Arena on August 17. Tickets are $169.50, $149.50, $129.50 and $99.50 and go on sale Friday, May 12 via ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, May 13th, subject to availability. (Tickets for this run of shows will be in high demand, so the Verified Fan presale will be fans’ best shot at tickets. The tour is using this platform in order to ensure tickets get into the hands of fans directly. Fans can register now through Saturday, May 6.)

-- If you like your music dark and Gothic, the groups Motionless In White (right) and Grammy Award-nominated act In This Moment will co-headline a run across North America this summer featuring special guests Fit For A King and From Ashes To New. The Dark Horizon Tour arrives at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, July 8. Tickets are $59.50, $49.50, and $39.50. Notes Mohegan Sun: "Motionless In White harnessed the power of an unholy union between Industrial Metal dissonance, spellbinding Gothic Pop bombast, and big screen-worthy iconography to emerge as the 21st century Rock’s most iconoclastic and cinematic force. Climbing out of the shadows of the rustbelt in Scranton, PA, the group have tirelessly earned the undying allegiance of a devout worldwide audience one record at a time."

-- Multi-platinum Danish rock band Volbeat will perform this summer in Connecticut as part of their 18-date North American summer tour in support of their eighth studio album Servant Of The Mind. The heavy metal/rock/rockabilly group is due to perform at Mohegan Sun Arena with special guest Halestorm on August 3rd at 7 p.m. Tickets are $69.50, $59.50, and $49.50. If you'd like to avoid icky Ticketmaster, you can score tix at Mohegan Box Office. 

Says Mohegan: Since forming in 2001, Volbeat has gone from the clubs of Copenhagen to headlining stages around the world, including the famed Telia Parken stadium in Denmark (becoming the only domestic artist to ever sell out the venue). Over the course of eight record-breaking albums the band has picked up number one songs and...contributed a cover of “Don’t Tread on Me” to The Metallica Blacklist, with all proceeds from the track going to charity.