New Hollywood Casino in Joliet showcased as entertainment destination beyond gambling

Hollywood Casino provided what amounted to a food tour of its new Joliet casino on Thursday, just days before the center is expected to open to the public.

Hamburgers flavored with root beer, taco salads made of kale with fresh fruit added and pizzas coming in more varieties than it was possible to keep track of were just some of the samplings offered to the media in a preview event.

Management emphasized that the new casino complex, at the Rock Run Collection development near the crossings of Interstates 55 and 80, is built for more than gambling.

The new Hollywood Casino Joliet will open sometime on Monday if all goes well with final tests and audits being conducted by state gaming regulators this week.

“We do have another process in front of us,” Hollywood Casino Joliet General Manager Ruben Warren said in deference to the need for final approval from the Illinois Gaming Board before the new casino can open.

But, he said, “we are rarin’ to go on Monday.”

Just how raring was evident in the sumptuous offerings of food to be sampled by the media tour that passed through eight different restaurants at the casino property.

Six of those restaurants are outside the casino, something that management emphasized in a tour that basically bypassed the casino itself.

Visitors, too, can avoid the casino completely and even bring children along to dine at Sorellina Giada, the restaurant created by celebrity chef Giada De Laurenti, or the five restaurants in the Boulevard Food and Drink Hall.

Photographers on Thursday were warned not to take pictures of slot machines, baccarat tables and other casino features.

A tour guide said the photo restriction was based on regulatory requirements, but it contributed to an introduction to the new Hollywood Casino Joliet that emphasized dining over gambling.

“All of our food is food that Giada has approved herself,” said Lisa Petkovich, general manager of Sorellina Giada.

Petkovich said the restaurant already has been making reservations, and she expects it to be busy because of the large following for celebrity chef Giada De Laurenti.

Rick Ortiz, who runs Antique Tacos at Hollywood Casino Joliet with his wife Ashley Ortiz, also expects to see customers, but not for any celebrity chef status.

Ortiz is a graduate of Lockport Township High School and said he sees many friends from his school days at the two Antique Taco restaurants in Chicago.

“I have a good amount of friends nearby,” Ortiz said, adding that they come to his restaurants in the Bridgeport and Wicker Park neighborhoods of Chicago. “They’re happy to see me in Joliet and not have to trek into the city.”

Antique Taco is one of five restaurants and one bar in the Boulevard area outside of the casino.

Others include the 5 Fifty pizzeria; Lucky Goat, a hamburger and sandwich restaurant that also ventured from Chicago to the Hollywood site; Dailies bakery; and Pretty Cool Ice Cream.

The food hall also includes a bar named Once Upon a Time.

The Boulevard restaurants were assembled by McClain Camarota Hospitality.

“We want this to be community-facing,” said Shawn McClain, explaining the business strategy for the food hall. “It was important for us to get all ages in here.”

Visitors can get burgers, tacos, pizza and ice cream at the food hall, and all of the dishes have a certain gourmet touch aimed at making the experience worth the visit.

Management at two restaurants inside the casino also believes they have something special to offer.

“I think our objective here in food is something different,” said Matt Cappellini, the property executive chef, who discussed the menu at the ESPN sports betting restaurant. “We wanted to do something that you don’t ordinarily see in a sports bar.”

Cappellini brought out the restaurant’s root beer, barbecue, bacon burger and Nashville sliders to prove his point.

The casino also includes a Red Lotus Asian restaurant, which features a mix of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese dishes.

Rafael Verde, senior vice president for regional operations at Penn Entertainment, the parent company for Hollywood Casino, noted that the casino has charging stations for electric vehicles, too.

The stations hopefully add another opportunity to attract visitors who may not be gambling, Verde said.

“I think what this does is give an opportunity for people who are looking to stop by,” he said.

Hollywood Casino expects to see more visitors stopping by with its new location. The casino is moving from a relatively obscure location off U.S. Route 6 in Joliet.