So this past weekend was the Atlantic City Wine & Food Festival in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I had the chance to attend four different events: Guy’s Cheese Steak Battle, Guy’s Big Bite Brunch, Sunny Anderson’s Sliders Party, and the Sweet & Stylish Party. Last year I had the opportunity to attend the Sliders Party and Sweet & Stylish Party. They were so much fun that we were sure to add them to our agenda this year. But we also wanted to attend a couple of new events.

Last year I had an opportunity to attend the Neely’s Gospel Brunch, which was buffet style. So I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Guy’s Brunch. But before I get into my review of the brunch, I want to give a shout out to someone on Facebook, Barbara. My friend and I were interested in going to Guy’s Big Bite Brunch, but tickets were SOLD OUT!  Someone else had commented on the fact that it was sold out on Atlantic City Food & Wine’s Facebook page and I also mentioned that I was interested in going but there weren’t any tickets left. Barbara sent me a Facebook message stating that she had tickets but something came up and she couldn’t attend, would I like to buy the tickets from her? Of course I said yes! I thought it was so nice of her to contact me about the tickets and send them to me. So Barbara, if you’re out there – thanks so much! I really appreciate it!

So…back to the brunch. You have to know it’s going to be outstanding when they hand you a Mimosa (or Bloody Mary, whichever you choose) before you even sit down!

And then check out this view…is it magnificent or what?!

So we were seated at an empty table. We weren’t sure how it was going to work…would we get our own table? Would they seat two other people with us? It turned out that they sat a couple, about our age, at our table. We lucked out. They were very nice and the conversation just flowed. It was a married couple that was from Wilmington, Delaware. We were happy to be seated with people we had something in common with. And they loved Mimosas as much as we did. We definitely kept our waiter Maurico busy!

Once we sat down, we were bombarded with forks!

With all of those forks at our place setting, we realized that we must be getting all of those items on the menu! We were ready to dig in!

Course 1: Atlantic Grill Breakfast Pastries with Whipped Maple Butter

I had just enough time for a tiny little pastry. I didn’t get a picture of it though.

Course 2: “Claudio’s” Buffalo Mozzarella and “Masters Farm” Jersey Fresh Tomatoes

This dish was absolutely amazing. The Jersey Tomatoes were fresh, juicy and flavorful, and the Buffalo Mozzarella was plentiful. The Balsamic Reduction had the perfect sweetness. This was definitely a great way to start off brunch!

Course 3: Cajun Fettuccini Alfredo

This Cajun Fettuccini (their spelling!) was amazing. It was creamy and not too spicy, which is great because I’m not a fan of spicy foods. The pasta was cooked perfectly. I couldn’t believe how much chicken they gave you! It was so juicy and tender, it just melted in your mouth. The Parmesan & green onions that were sprinkled on it took it to the next level. It just added an extra layer of flavor that made your taste buds dance.

Course 4: “Steak and Egg” – Grilled Filet Mignon, Poached Farm Egg, Homemade English Muffin, Chorizo Hollandaise

I was definitely looking forward to the Steak and Eggs, but I was a bit nervous about the Filet. You see, my meat has to be well done, and Filet usually isn’t. So I cut into the steak and I swore I heard a “Mooooooo!” It wasn’t even a little pink to me, it was kinda red! So I skipped that part and focused on the Poached Egg (which was delicious!) and the Chorizo Hollandaise sauce that I’d love to drink by the gallon! As Guy would say, that sauce was off da hook! And I loved how they weren’t stingy with it! The Homemade English Muffin was soft, tender and chewy. It was the perfect vehicle to sop up that Chorizo Hollandaise!

Course 5: “Guys” Baltimore Bad Boy Sandwich and Crispy Potato Flauta

I’m a huge fan of Rye bread, so I liked this sandwich before I even tasted it. It was a beef sandwich and it was very flavorful. It had a horseradish type sauce on it that kicked it up a notch. I enjoyed it very much, although part of me desired some cheese on it. But I guess that’s not how they roll in Baltimore, lol!

As for the Potato Flauta…I did not eat that. Once I heard what was in it (Black beans, etc) and saw the sauce on it, I wasn’t interested! But everyone else at the table that ate it seemed to enjoy it.

Course 6: “Guy’s Big Bite” French Toast

I must admit that this was one of the dishes I was most excited for when I read the menu. I love me some French Toast and I was so interested to see what kind of spin Guy would put on it. When they set the plate in front of me, I couldn’t wait to dig in. I tasted a piece of banana, expecting something on the sweeter side. But it wasn’t really sweet at all. It was more lemony than anything. I was looking forward to a sweet, velvety maple syrup, but it wasn’t that at all. It was heavy on the acid/citrus side and I was disappointed. This actually turned out to be my least favorite dish on the menu.

Course 7: Pretzel Crusted Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Well look at that! The Pretzel Crusted Chocolate Covered Strawberry was delicious! They came two on a plate, but sadly each person only got one (whaaaaaaat?! I have to share?!), but this is something you can easily make at home.  I love chocolate covered pretzels…it combines the sweet and salty flavors and never disappoints. Just add in a strawberry and it’s even better!  This was the perfect way to end the brunch. It was nice and light, not too heavy. Because after all of those different courses, I was pretty full! And don’t forget the Mimosas – I think everyone at our table had at least 10!

So all in all, this was an amazing event. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to attend, and if they offer this next year I’ll definitely buy tickets right away.