Restaurateur Stephen Starr, founder of Starr Restaurant Organization, expanded his growing roster of restaurants from Philadelphia to Manhattan with last fall’s openings of the Continental and Buddakan at Atlantic City’s the Pier at Caesars.

“We’re incredibly excited about expanding into Atlantic City,” says Starr.  “The city has some tremendous momentum going right now, and we’re thrilled to be a part of its amazing transformation.”

Starr retained Shawn Hausman—the celebrated designer behind hotelier André Balazs’s Standard Hotels in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Miami and Manhattan, as well as Starr’s Continental Midtown in Philadelphia and the first Buddakan—to create the Continental and Buddakan, Starr’s 15th and 16th restaurants. The restaurants each occupy 9,000 square feet inside the Pier, while the Continental features nostalgic and fun retro California architecture.

At Buddakan, Starr’s temple of modern Asian cuisine, guests proceed through an Asian garden surrounded by multi-colored archways through rocks, foot bridges, and 25-foot trees that appear to grow through the ceiling, arriving at the main dining room. The room is illuminated to reveal wood framing made from reclaimed Douglas firs; a façade of houses with clay tile roofs create the illusion of being inside the courtyard of an ancient Chinese village.  A series of “opium den” style rooms provide guests with semi-private dining nooks, while a gigantic golden Buddha watches over the entire restaurant from the head of a 24-foot communal dining table. A mezzanine area above the Chinese courtyard provides guests with a private bar, while also giving them a chance to check out the diners below.

Starr sought out the hospitality industry’s rising stars to create the culinary team for his Atlantic City debut of Buddakan. Executive Chef Barry Sullivan incorporates popular dishes from the restaurant’s two forbearers in New York and Philadelphia, while developing original modern Asian specialties to complete the menu. Buddakan’s impressive menu features char grilled aged beef with Szechuan fries and a watercress salad, edamame ravioli in a truffle shallot broth and sauternes and Shrimp and lobster chow fun with xo sauce.

Buddakan offers a tempting array of exotic cocktails, which include the Tokyo Rose (Stoli orange vodka, prickly pear and ginger juice), the Zen Martini (Grey Goose vodka, apple liqueur, and mint), and the Komodo Dragon (Herradura tequila, Cointreau, red chili, lime, and cucumber).

Pastry Chef Daniel Pino’s Buddakan delicacies include young coconut parfait with passion fruit gelée, mango and lime, a tempura chocolate cake with cinnamon infused strawberry sauce and a cream cheese wonton covered in warm brown sugar broth, bananas, and red beans.

Buddakan/The Pier Shops at Caesars/609-344-3615
Lunch: 11:30am–3pm daily/ Dinner: 5 pm–midnight, Sunday through Thursday;
5 pm–1am, Friday and Saturday
starr-restaurant.com

Hot Stuff

Executive Chef Sean Joyce, who has worked for five years as chef de cuisine at Continental Midtown in Philadelphia, developed an entirely new menu for the newest outpost at the Pier at Caesar’s in Atlantic City.  The upscale martini bar created drinks such as the Dean Martini, the Buzz Aldrin (with a splash of Tang), and the Dirty Shirley (cherry vodka). If you’re hungry, try the tuna tartare potato skins with chipotle-scallion creme or herb lamb chops with carrot hummus, pita fries and a Greek veggie salad. Pastry chef Daniel Pino’s Melted Fudgesicle is a perfect treat.

The Continental/The Pier at Caesar’s/609-674-8300/starr-restaurant.com
Lunch: 11am to 4pm; Dinner: 4pm -1am; Sat/Sun Brunch: 11am-4pm

The DJ Who Can’t Stop spinning

Valentino La Rosa is a DJ/producer who’s brought a global appreciation of music to a new audience of dance-club fanatics.

Born in the U.S., he also carries an Italian passport; as a citizen of Italy, La Rosa stays on top of the latest music from abroad. His unique sets, whether in dance music or ambient lounge tunes, earned him a decade’s work of  gigs at Frederick’s in Manhattan, Galleria Gastronomica in Barcelona, and Green Bar in Italy, and countless other events.

La Rosa has begun to focus on his work as a producer/composer/engineer.  He is producing a wide range of music from dance, hip hop, chillout, and R&B.  His first official release, a remix of “Body Shaker,” was picked up by Grammy-award winner Peter Rauhofer’s label, Star 69 Records.  He also recently did a remix of “Fate or Faith” by Ror Shak that was snatched up by Koch Records, and is generating buzz as the potential Summer of ‘07  anthem. La Rosa is currently finishing an album with singer Heather Leigh West, working on his first solo album, and lining up other projects.

In his spare time, La Rosa is also engineering the tune “Moving” for producer DJ Dove; it was picked up Stealth Records recording artist Roger Sanchez.

With all the work he’s doing, La Rosa figured it might be a good idea to stay put in one spot, so he and business partner Lou Gencarelli, owner of Complete Entertainment, have bought a 3,500-square-foot studio space in Nutley. The space will include a recording studio, DJ/Production school, dance school, and provide space for fashion shows and art shows.

In an effort to capture just what makes people in his business tick, La Rosa has picked a few of his favorite places and beats (below). The music reflects what he likes to listen to, where he hangs out, and where anyone can find the music that gets his creative juices flowing.

valentino’s picks

Nightclub Pick
Deko Lounge Sayreville, NJ
Deko Lounge is a Garden State club that conjures the Miami club scene. With a kickin’ sound system, sleek décor and world-famous DJs, it’s unlike any other place around. For more info, check out dekolounge.com

dancin’ shoes
Top Album My top pick for a CD compilation is the latest release from Choice. Compiled and mixed by legendary producer/DJ Roger Sanchez, it’s full of all-time classic tracks.

Top Dance Singles
“Proper Education,” Eric Prydz  You can grab this remix of Pink Floyd’s The Wall on iTunes.

“Nobody But You,” DJ Dove w/ Lady Life This huge hit comes from these Jersey-based up-and-coming artists. Find the track at beatport.com.

“Hypnotize,” w/ Stephen Granville Hot remix from Steve Angello.  Also found at beatport.com.

Set the Scene

Joe Carollo and Chris Cornetto are vampires. Well, okay, that might be a bit extreme, but their work really begins when the sun goes down. The pair created Elite Entertainment, a nightlife and entertainment company focused on helping top Garden State nightclubs and restaurants to create an image and commitment to customer service. Carollo and Cornetto dropped a dime on where—and when— to be seen after dark:

Thursday Night
Teak/16 Hudson Pl, Hoboken/201-653-6888
Hoboken’s newest addition to fabulous nightlife combines Japanese cuisine and and sushi in a spacious spot opposite the Hoboken Terminal. Bottle service is available.

Friday Night
Milan Restaurant & Lounge/13 Hook Mountain Rd/
Pine Brook/ 973-808-3321
Mash-ups/house/hip-hop/’80s/rock. No cover for
women. Outdoor smoking lounge; dinner served until 11 pm. Bottle service available.

Saturday Night
Diva Lounge/369 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair/973-509-3000
Best of house and hip-hop music. $10 cover for women; $15 for men. Bottle service available. Tapas menu served until 11:30, Ladies happy hour, 9:30–11:30pm: half-price cocktails