Jackpot in My Tummy

Today, I was in Bemus Point, NY distributing postcards to businesses for the Comedy Fest like a good little intern. I figured I should switch it up and try a restaurant here since I have all summer to try Jamestown’s selection. I stopped into the Village Casino, which in fact, is not an actual casino. The closest thing to a casino they have there is a little arcade. It’s really just a restaurant on the water. I, of course, knew this before I arrived at the “casino” because I am a well-informed blogger AKA a bartender told me when I was at a different restaurant in Jamestown.
When I got there I elected to sit outside, not in the shade, subjecting myself to the harsh rays of the sun on a cloudless day also while not wearing nearly enough sunscreen. It’s a small price to pay to get that natural lighting on my photos, which is, undebatably, the best lighting for photos. This blog better take off so I can look back on my wrinkly skin in 30 years and say it was all worth it.
When I asked my “famous question” (image me saying that with the most sarcasm-laden tone,) my server took me to the entrée section of the menu. I made sure to clarify that I wasn’t just looking for the least ordered dish on the entrée section, but on the entire menu, excluding starters (appetizers, soups, small salads, and the sort.) She assured me that the least ordered dishes were in the entrée section of the menu. Why does this keep happening? The last restaurant I went to, The Family Tree, the least ordered dish was an entrée, too. I guess I should start a new blog dedicated to researching ordering habits in restaurants across the country.
My server settled on two dishes that she believed to be the least ordered dishes: Gold Rush Chicken, which she said she had only taken an order for once, and Stuffed Tilapia, which she did not comment on the number of times it was ordered. I decided to go with the Gold Rush Chicken to make this “casino” feel more authentic and because it sounded really delicious. The menu describes it as “a chicken breast grilled to perfection and topped with grilled mushrooms, crispy bacon, honey mustard sauce, and cheddar cheese. Served with rice and vegetables.” Doesn’t that sound yummy‽ I couldn’t help but wonder why it was so infrequently ordered.
My food arrived quickly, but not too quickly, like it did at Taco Hut. I couldn’t complain at the appearance of the food for I am drawn to food covered in cheese, but I mean, so are so many other people, or at least that’s what Buzzfeed makes me think.
Whenever I order chicken, I soon after ask myself, “Why did I order this? I usually never like it.” Almost every time I order or cook chicken, it’s overcooked and dry. That’s one of the reasons I want a sous vide cooking thingy. However, I was kind of pleasantly surprised today. The chicken was palatable and didn’t turn my mouth into my childhood Hebrew school classes; dry. However, that was only when I was eating bites of chicken that had all the toppings on it; the chicken was a tad dry when eaten solo, unfortunately.
I usually have the same thought process about bacon as I do with chicken when ordering out, but again, I was pleasantly surprised. I usually cook my bacon into little briquettes and most restaurants don’t do that when I ask for extra crispy bacon, but I’m usually okay with firm bacon; as long as it’s not limp (I’m looking at you Denny’s.) Here, I didn’t even have to ask for extra crispy bacon; it came out at a great texture!
The mushrooms seemed like they were from a can, but I wasn’t sure. I’m not a chef or a real food critic, so what do I know?
As for the sides, they were bland. Plain green beans. I’m not saying I dislike plain green beans, but if I’m going to a restaurant I want some pizazz added to all of my food. I can have plain green beans at home. And when I say home, I mean home with my parents. I don’t actually buy green beans for myself when I’m away. (Sorry, mom.) The rice tasted like how I feel like grass would taste. It looked like it had some seasoning on it, but all I could taste was grass. As you can see from the well-lit photos, it’s not just white rice, it’s some long grain or wild rice, so that might have something to do with the flavor, but again, I’m not a real food critic.

Gold Rush Chicken with Rice and Green Beans

Cheese, mushroom, and bacon

The Gold Rush Chicken should definitely be ordered more than once per server, but definitely ask if you can switch out the sides for something seasoned.