REVEL ON REPEAT

A giant glass structure which looks and feels like being on a cruise ship on the Atlantic City boardwalk has been on repeat for us lately.  I've told you before about being there both here and then here.  It's called The Revel Resort, and we just absolutely love sneaking away with just the two of us or with the family for a few days every now and then.  This time we went with the kids and my in-laws to celebrate both of our wedding anniversaries.  We were there for two nights, and enjoyed dining at Carmine's in the Tropicana, dining at Lugo's in Revel, hanging out in the pool and on the beach and boardwalk.  It was a quick JetSetSmart getaway, but definitely smart on price because if you travel during early or mid-week you can get rates in the summer for about $99 a night!  These are a few of the pictures I snapped on my phone while we were there...hope you enjoy!

View from our room of the Atlantic City beach and boardwalk

The Indoor/Outdoor Pool

Having drinks and lunch for our anniversary at Landshark Bar & Grill at Resorts

View of Steel Pier and the ocean from Landshark

FASHION FRIDAY: A WHITE JACKET

Hello Jet Setters!  We're back from a few in Atlantic City at The Revel Resort.  We were there for a little r&r and to celebrate our anniversary!  I will have more on our trip next week, but for now I wanted to talk about one of my favorite pieces of clothing for travel or everyday- a white jacket.  Even in the spring and summer, living in the northeast, you always need an extra layer for cool days and nights.  I absolutely love a denim jacket, but a white jacket adds a crisp, clean look to any outfit; be it a t-shirt and jeans or a maxi dress.  I got this jacket at Anthropologie, and have worn it when we traveled to Texas last month, and brought it to Atlantic City too.  The material is so soft, plus the white is nice to show off a tan.  I also added fun pops of colors with my Anthro shirt and clutch, fun neon Target sandals, and this gorgeous Sira & Mara necklace that was sent to me for being "Fan of the Month!"  Happy Friday everyone!

Top: Anthropologie 
Jacket: Anthropologie (on sale!!!)
Tank: GAP
Jeans: Old Navy
Sandals: Target
Clutch: Anthropologie
Bracelet: Stella & Dot
Necklace: Sira & Mara

BIRTHDAY PARTY REVEL STYLE!

It's hard to believe that my little baby boys are now 3 and 1!  So as a fun little birthday trip (before our upcoming big birthday trip), we decided to take an impromptu trip to the Revel Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  This is now our third time there (read more about our first trip there here) because we just love it!  It's an absolutely gorgeous resort, located right on the beach and boardwalk in Atlantic City, with great restaurants, a beautiful indoor/outdoor pool and one of the nicest spas I've ever seen!  In addition, to help get people down to the Jersey Shore again (post Sandy), especially during the cold winter months/off-season, you can always jet set smart because the deals are so amazing!  We went for one night, and our room only cost $69!!!  I mean, that's pretty sweet, don't you think?  Anyway, we had fun splashing around in the pool with the boys, sleeping in our big comfy cozy bed, and we had an incredible tapas dinner at Amada (our first time to this one- we've eaten at the one in Philly before), and an awesome lunch of burgers and fries at Village Whiskey.  Here are some pictures from our trip.  We had the best time, and definitely look forward to going back there again soon!  If you can visit the Revel Resort, I highly recommend it!

WARDROBE WEDNESDAY: WINTER FLORALS

Hey everyone!  Sorry I've been MIA, I was helping friends and family with a couple of things lately and couldn't get onto the computer.  Anyway, I picked up this dress at Anthropologie recently for a little impromptu trip to Revel Resort in Atlantic City (more on our stay coming up tomorrow on the blog).  I think this dress is so pretty and I just love how versatile it will be in my wardrobe- I'm picturing it with leggings and sandals in the spring and with just flip-flops in the summertime.  You can't see it in these pictures, but the dress has 3/4 length sleeves which I just love because I feel like this dress can work for every season!

Dress: Anthropologie

Jacket: Nuage (purchased at Lifestyles Boutique in Saratoga Springs)

Tights: Hue

Boots: Target (found in clearance section at local store, similar here)

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Earrings: Stella & Dot

Bracelets: Stella & Dot 1, 2

Ring: Stella & Dot

Bag: Louis Vuitton

Sunnies: Fendi (old similar here)

CHEF VOLA'S

To say there's a hidden gem in Atlantic City, New Jersey wouldn't begin to do this place justice. And it certainly wouldn't come close to accurately describing how off-the-beaten path this restaurant is. Located on a block you probably would never walk down, inside the basement of a house, Chef Vola's is truly hidden, truly a gem, and truly hard to get into. If that scares you off or turns you off from wanting to try this place, then I'm glad because I would never want Chef Vola's to become another tourist trap. So why write about it then you may ask? Well, because it is that amazing, that I would honestly never venture to Atlantic City again if I couldn't get a reservation and enjoy a meal here while I was in town.

When you first walk in, you enter a small waiting room that feels homey and comfy.  There are pictures  hanging on the wall of all the celebrities who have eaten here (ranging from Beyonce and Jay Z to Sylvester Stallone and Frank Sinatra...you name it! )

Once inside this BYOB, it's elbow to elbow with your fellow diners.  There are three small rooms where you can sit, all very simply decorated- think eating at mom's or grandma's house- nothing fancy, nothing frilly.  I'm talking wood chairs, white tablecloths, and blue polyester place mats.  Period.  But, that is all part of the charm.

 There is a menu, and there are specials, but as we learned (from one of the owner's sons Lou who happened to be our waiter) there are only a couple of things that you should have when you dine at Chef Vola's.

 We listened and we were impressed.  We started with their classic salad (lettuce, tomato, red onion, pepperoni slices, provolone cheese cubes, hot peppers and croutons lightly dressed in a sweet house made vinaigrette).  Simple, but well done.

 Then we had linguini in their special white clam sauce.  The clams were chopped small and the sauce was finger-licking, bread-dunking, finish your plate good!

 For main course, Rich had veal parmigiana and I had chicken parmigiana.  The meats were pounded out thin, lightly breaded, fried to perfection and topped with the best "gravy" and mozzarella you could imagine.

 For dessert (which there hardly was any room for, but how could you not?), we had their homemade frozen banana cream pie...what they are known for and what Frank Sinatra said he wanted as his last dessert supposedly!  The bananas were sweet, the crust was made of oreo cookie, and it all worked together in the most perfect way!  Simply delicious!

 Then look at how your check comes to your table, in a Chef Vola's cigar box...very cool!

Eating at Chef Vola's made our time in Atlantic City!  It's Italian food done oh so right!!!  Truth is, there was a time when Chef Vola's phone number wasn't listed and you really could not get in.  Now, it's won a James Beard award, it's written-up in Zagat, and has a listed number.  But, even with that being said, it's still tough to get a reservation (especially in the summer), and you'll be asked how you found out about Chef Vola's when you do call.  At Chef Vola's you are treated like family.  It's about good food, good times, and leaving with a very good feeling in your tummy.  If you are lucky enough to eat at Chef Vola's, you'll be very happy you did!

REVELING IN THE AMAZING REVEL

Happy New Year 2013 Jet Set Smart readers!  Hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday and good travels.  I wrapped up my 2012 with a trip to the new Revel Resort in Atlantic City.  In one word...it was AMAZING!  My husband and I have been wanting to check it out not only because it's the newest hotel resort and casino on the Atlantic City boardwalk, but also because we wanted to support the shore since business is hurting up and down the Jersey coast thanks to Superstorm Sandy.   I'm working on writing up an in-depth post about the hotel, its restaurants, and what we did while we were there.  In the meantime, here's a couple of pics I snapped with my i-phone for those of you who don't follow me on Instagram or Twitter.  

Hotel entrance on Atlantic City Boardwalk

View of the boardwalk and ocean from our room

The indoor/outdoor pool at Revel Resort

The infamous Revel card...you gotta get one!

Bathroom in our room

Hotel room at Revel Resort

ATLANTIC CITY FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL 2010

The dates are out for the second annual 2010 Food and Wine Festival in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event kicks off July 30th-August 2nd and will be held at different venues and hotels in and around Atlantic City. This year's celebrity chefs include Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-ins & Dives), Sandra Lee (Semi-Homemade), Pat & Gina Neely (Down Home with the Neely’s), Ted Allen (Chopped), Sunny Anderson (Cooking for Real), Anne Burrell (Worst Cooks in America), Claire Robinson (5 Ingredient Fix), Alex Guarnaschelli (Alex’s Day Off), and Melissa D’Arabian (Ten Dollar Dinners). I'm sad my favorite, Giada, won't be there or else I'd go. It was amazing getting to meet her and cook with her last year at the 2009 New York City Food and Wine Festival. Read more about that here. Anyway, Atlantic City is fun, and it does sound like this event will be worth checking out! There's even going to be a Guy Fieri Cheesesteak Battle...love the sound of that! :)