Last week I had the pleasure of being invited to a media dinner for the grand opening of the newly renovated Jack Binion’s Steak at The Horseshoe Casino Tunica. It’s been awhile since I’ve traveled to Tunica and my work schedule stars aligned so I made the trek down for some good food and good times!

I was treated to a room at The Horseshoe, and for a quick getaway from home, it was perfection: a fluffy king-sized bed, large lounging area, and (my favorite thing!) a granite counter topped bathroom with a huge garden tub. Of course, I had to take a selfie:

After freshening up, I headed down, mingled for a bit, and started my night off in the bar with a nice glass of red wine and sampled their appetizers: a chicken lollipop, a corn frittata with remoulade sauce, and my favorite, the chipotle shrimp with peach + mango salsa. I chatted briefly with the executive chef, Bruce Ford, who asked for feedback about the food and he was sweet enough to give me the recipe (it’s so easy to make and is a great alternative to regular salsa).

Seriously,the chipotle shrimp is SO good, I could’ve noshed on that in the bar for the rest of the night. And speaking of the bar, I love the aesthetic. Once you venture past a certain point, you don’t feel like you’re in a casino; it has a much more metropolitan feel with the onyx colored walls, warm lighting + cozy leather booths.

There’s even a smaller private dining area if you want to relax with your friends but be slightly away from the crowd.

After cocktail hour it was time for dinner and while we had carte blanche for the evening, I decided to let my server recommend my items. Yes it’s a steakhouse, but I was one of the few that went against the grain: I tried crab-cakes (which were so fresh (but not fishy) and had a slight crunch, and for my main course, I had the char-grilled salmon with a cream dill sauce, spinach + mushroom risotto, and sautéed asparagus for the sides.

Fresh salmon is always delicious but I definitely suggest pairing it with the risotto, which is seasoned a little heavier than the salmon. The flavors compliment each other but the risotto’s seasoning won’t overpower the cream dill sauce-it strikes a pretty yummy balance.

For dessert, it was hard to choose (there was so much to pick from I had to first narrowed down my selections to choose from key lime pie, carrot cake, cheesecake chocolat, and bread pudding) but I decided on the cheesecake with fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

I have a major, major sweet tooth, and this was able to satisfy it without putting me in a sugar coma. The texture is quite rich so it’s filling, but it isn’t heavy, so you can definitely share a slice with a friend and still be fulfilled.

Being that I’m not much of a gambling woman (the most I’ve ever played at one time is $40), I talked a little more with guests and then turned in early so that I could jump around relax in the king sized bed. After all that yummy food, I slept like a baby.

I had a fantastic time; the staff was genuinely hospitable, and the servers were very knowledgeable about the food, so if you’re perplexed by the menu (it’s kinda extensive), they won’t steer you wrong.  The hotel accommodations were fab as well, so if you’re going down to have some fun at the black jap table, reserve a room and make a full night of it*!

Jack Binion’s Steak 
Horseshoe Tunica
(844) 224-6466

HOURS
Lunch: Fri + Sat 11a-2p
Dinner: Sun-Thur 5p-10p Fri-Sat 5p-11p
Brunch Sun 11a-3p

*If you live in Memphis, TN and are planning to travel to Jack Binion’s Steak before November 1, 2014, shoot me an email at kimberly@kpfusion.com. I may have a little treat for you (while they last). 🙂

Good Eats lifestyle