Wow! What an event! I’ve attended all sorts of wine tastings over the years, but nothing like Mohegan’s Sun WineFest!

Featuring beer, wine, specialty spirits and delectable dishes this weekend extravaganza has something for everyone. Wine and beer enthusiasts can select from over 1,000 brands or enjoy tastings of specialty sponsor spirits. Foodies can sample signature dishes from the region’s most highly rated restaurants. The Main Culinary Stage is the backdrop for two days of celebrity chef demonstrations, including Food Network stars Bobby Flay, Iron Chef Marc Forgione, Donatella Arpaia and Robert Irvine, along with fun-filled contests – Mohegan Sun WineFest Grape Stomp presented by Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka and Oyster Open presented by Bud Light Lime. Throughout the weekend there is an impressive lineup of wine and beer experts hosting seminars intimate private-dining restaurant settings throughout Mohegan Sun.

The Grand Tasting was held at Mohegan’s Convention Center, so we didn’t need to travel far.

We walked right into the event, grabbed a wine glass, and we were off!

The Grand Tasting was really crowded (shoulder to shoulder crowds in certain places), but we never waited more than a minute or two for a sample. There were THAT many wine exhibitors!

The afternoon started off innocently enough.

Lots of tastes and sips.

There were so many amazing wines to try, I knew I needed to pace myself if I wanted to survive the afternoon. My game plan: only drink the wines that I really enjoyed. If I didn’t like a wine after taking a couple of sips, I poured it out and went to find another one to try. This strategy is also known as “alcohol abuse” ended up working really well because I tried a ton of new wines, but I didn’t up totally hammered. I also drank a ridiculous amount of water throughout the afternoon, which helped too.

I discovered a bunch of new favorites (Valley of the Moon, Rombauer, and White Wedding from Sip & Give) and rediscovered some old favorites (Chateau Ste Michelle, La Crema, and Entwine), and I made sure to snap pictures of the bottles for future reference. The Chateau Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc is a MUST BUY ASAP for me. I loved it!

As the afternoon progressed, wine tasting got more and more fun!

After a few hours of tasting wine, it was time to try some beer! (Yep, this Winefest had plenty of beer too!)

Touchdown! Hooray for beer!

Clearly, some of us were super psyched about the beer part of the Grand Tasting. Beer me!

Beer highlights for me:

Blue Point Brewing Company. I love their Toasted Lager and Winter Ale.

Harpoon Brewery. Their Vermont Spruce Tip Ale (100 Barrel Series) was so delicious. FYI: One of the Harpoon reps told me that Catamount Maple Wheat is back in March! YESSSS!

Lagunitas Brewing Company. Duh. Best brewery ever. This brewery only makes good beer.

Hey, Theodora, nice Lagunitas Maximus.

The folks at the beer tasting were a lot of fun (I think everyone was feeling pretty good at this point in the afternoon), so we chatted with a bunch of random people.

Let’s just say, some were more fun than others! Haha!

Once the Grand Tasting ended, we did some drunk shopping (I bought $23 mascara from Sephora. WHY?!?) and then headed back to our hotel room for an epic game of “Never Have I Ever” and some more cocktails.

We had a dinner reservation for 10:00 PM at Bar Americain, but we were so famished, we ended up ordering a pizza to the room. (Quick tip: If you plan to dine at Mohegan after the WineFest, be sure to make a reservation well ahead of time. I called the week of the event and had trouble finding a table for four.)

I only ate a couple of snacks during the afternoon, so I housed four pieces of pizza and then passed out hard. Theodora and Anne rallied and hit the casino again, but Ashley and I called it a night. Sadly, I can’t party like I used to. #iamold

Many thanks to Mohegan for inviting us to Sun Winefest and comping our tickets and hotel stay. And, of course, a HUGE thanks to Anne, Ashley, and Theodora for a fabulous girls’ weekend! I already miss you guys!

A girls’ weekend with four runners = morning run! Yay!

The four of us set our alarms and woke up bright and early to get our run on around the Mohegan Sun grounds this morning.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any actual trails around Mohegan, so we stuck to the roads as well as a few random large parking lots and a landfill.

The weather was beautiful (cool, but sunny) and we enjoyed a really nice 5.6 mile run.

Hello, my name is Tina. I wear my Spibelt extra high. I also do CrossFit, so check out my huge muscles. Did you know I can climb ropes?

Snack

Before our run, I snacked on some Fig Newtons that I bought at a convenience store at Mohegan. I needed a little something in my stomach before running.

Breakfast

After our run, we headed straight to breakfast at the Seasons Buffet. (A complimentary breakfast is included with our media passes.)

I was in the mood for eggs, so I hit up the omelet station.

I got all sorts of veggies and bacon in my omelet. The bacon was a GREAT decision. I also grabbed some fresh fruit to add to my plate.

As well as a side of oatmeal with a few raisins on top.

Now, we’re having a quick blogging session before the grand wine tasting. Ooooh, boy!! I can’t wait!

Hi, guys!

Say hello to my special visitor: Anne!! I picked her up from the airport yesterday afternoon and, of course, we needed to make at stop at Marylou’s for delicious, dessert-like iced coffees. I got Anne hooked on Marylou’s the last time she visited me.

Before we hit up Marylou’s, Anne and I headed to Whole Foods for lunch. It was way past both of our lunchtimes, so we were starving! On the menu: salad + hot bar + club soda.

After lunch and a quick pit stop at Marylou’s, we hit the road to drive down to Mohegan Sun to meet Theodora and Ashley for the weekend. Our friends at Mohegan invited us to enjoy complimentary hotel stay and tickets to their Sun Winefest. Hello, girls’ weekend! Naturally, it started with champagne.

Dinner

For dinner, the four of us headed to BALLO for dinner. I loved it so much the last time I dined there, I wanted to take the my friends to see what its awesomeness was all about.

To start, we ordered a bottle of Pio Cesare Arneis, which was the same bottle of wine that Mal and I liked so much when we dined at BALLO.

The four of us also shared a bunch of dishes: meatballs.

Fried artichokes.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS!

OMG, love these!

And a sausage pizza.

I was so hungry, everything tasted especially amazing last night.

More adventures to come! Stay tuned!

Just in case you missed it, here’s the first part of our adventures at Mohegan Sun: Fun at Mohegan Sun: Hotel & Happy Hour.

After enjoying a cocktail at Bar Americain, Mal and I headed to BALLO Italian Restaurant and Social Club for dinner.

Inspired by San Galgano in Tuscany, BALLO’s décor was designed to replicate an Italian cathedral with its huge arches, stone walls, and dim lighting.

Later in the evening, servers remove the furniture in the dining room, so guests can literally dance on tables. The architecture of the restaurant was designed with a party atmosphere in mind, so there are various dancing surfaces— from tabletops to window platforms— all over the space. Mal and I didn’t stay for the dance party, but it sounded like a lot of fun!

Our meal started with fresh bread + butter and BALLO-filtered water. The restaurant actually has a state-of-the-art water filtration system for both still and sparking water, so they never need to buy the bottled variety for guests. Neat, right? How environmentally-friendly!

Up next was wine. Mal and I both enjoy white wine, but we weren’t sure what to order, so our server suggested a bottle of Pio Cesare Arneis.

The wine was light, crisp, slightly fruity, and really nice to drink. Mal and I both loved it. Great recommendation.

The wine also paired really well with stinky cheese. Again, our server suggested a number of selections from the Salumi E Formagi menu, including thinly sliced prosciutto, Boschetto (sheep’s milk truffle cheese), and Parmigiano.

The Boschetto was to die for—actually, both of the cheese selections were amazing—and the wine enhanced all of the flavors so much.

Mal and I were in heaven eating this appetizer.

Roasted tomatoes in olive oil and ricotta-stuffed hot peppers were served on the side.

The entrée section on the menu had three main options: pizza, pasta, and secondi. I was tempted to order pizza since the ingredient combinations were so creative (ex: Taleggio, egg, guanciale + wild mushrooms), but I ended up ordering the Scallop and Scampi. It was served with black lentils, spinach, and sopressata. The shrimp in it were massive! I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so large! The scallops tasted fresh and the black lentils had lots of flavor. Overall, it was a great dish.

The Brussels sprouts , however, were the highlight of the meal for me. Oh, the Brussels sprouts! I don’t think I will ever forget this side dish. They were served with pancetta and honey for a sweet + savory flavor combination. Mal said the flavors sort of reminded him of charred sweet and sour Chinese food. SO GOOD!

We ate every last one.

At this point in the evening, Mal and I were sufficiently full, so we passed on dessert… until the table next to us ordered a round of Espresso Milkshakes (espresso poured over vanilla ice cream with sweet vermouth). The smell alone motivated us to ordered one to share. Holy yum! We already have plans to recreate these at home!

Over the years, Mal and I have eaten some really great meals at Mohegan (Todd English’s Tuscany and Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain), but BALLO is definitely the place to eat if you visit Mohegan. The food and wine, of course, were outstanding, but the entire dining experience was truly wonderful. Our server was really knowledgeable about the menu and restaurant and very attentive. I thought maybe Mal and I were receiving special treatment since I was reviewing the restaurant, but I watched the other servers on the floor and they were just as responsive to their tables. Overall, Mal and I were thrilled with our experience at BALLO.

This morning, I woke up feeling like I wanted to die hungry for breakfast, so Mal and I headed down to Johnny Rockets. A diner breakfast was exactly what I needed.

I ordered eggs with bacon, homefries, and a toasted English muffin.

I also grabbed a soy latte at Starbucks before leaving Mohegan. The combination of food + caffeine made me feel quite a bit better.

Mal and I forgot to snap a photo of ourselves all dressed up at dinner last night, so we took a quick one before checking out of the hotel this morning.

Thanks for the fun times, Mohegan!!

Which do you want first: the good news or the bad news? Let’s keep it positive and go with the good news first. The good news is that Mal and I had a blast at Mohegan Sun. The bad news is that I am sooooo hungover today! I guess I had a little too much fun last night.

The folks at Mohegan Sun invited Mal and me to spend a night at the hotel and enjoy dinner at BALLO, so Mal and I drove down to the casino yesterday afternoon. As soon as we arrived, we checked into our hotel room for the evening.

The room included a really comfortable king bed. Typically, hotel beds are all the same to me (unless they’re really uncomfortable), but this one was especially comfy. The mattress was the perfect combination of soft + firm and the bedding (the sheets, in particular) were incredibly soft. Thanks to the booze, I slept great last night!

There was also a nice big TV, a desk, and a seating area.

The bathroom was fancy and modern and offered some fun toiletries. (I’m such a sucker for hotel toiletries!)

Once Mal and I got settled, we headed down to the casino for Happy Hour. First stop: SolToro! The last time Mal and I visited Mohegan, we went to SolToro and liked it a lot, so we went back again.

SolToro is a “tequila grill” that offers an impressive tequila list of 80+ varieties. Neither of us are big tequila drinkers, so I’m not sure what attracted Mal and me to SolToro in the first place, but we love the atmosphere of the bar. It’s open, airy, and not too crowded, so it has a chill, laid-back vibe to it. The bartenders are also really friendly and always willing to make a recommendation, which was especially helpful for people like us, who don’t know much about tequila.

I ordered a spicy Tequila Bloody Mary (aka Bloody Maria), which tasted delicious and made me sweat because of its spiciness— just the way I like ‘em!

I also shared some chips and salsa with Mal. A huge bucket of chips + salsa was just $2! What a deal!

Mal and I spent about an hour at SolToro before heading out to explore the casino. We did a little gambling (Black Jack) and lots of window shopping.

We also checked out the massive 24-foot life-size gingerbread house on display.

Rumor has it that it includes more than 6,500 gingerbread bricks made by the pastry team at Mohegan. Isn’t that nuts?!

Inside the gingerbread house was a bunch of tiny rooms, which were decorated for the holidays. It was really cute.

We had about 2 hours to kill before our dinner reservation, so Mal and I headed up to our room, changed into nicer clothes, and then stopped by Bar Americain for a cocktail.

The bar at Bar Americain is absolutely gorgeous and, from what I remembered from my first experience there, the cocktails were really great— they were this time, too!

I ordered a dirty vodka martini with olives. I loved it.

Part II coming next!

Oh, boy, do I have a treat for you guys!

My friends at Mohegan Sun are celebrating their 15th anniversary this week, so as part of their Gala Celebration Weekend, they’re hosting a ton of celebrities chefs, including Bobby Flay, Todd English, and Buddy Valastro (as well as some of the Jersey Shore cast).

To help celebrate, Mohegan has offered to giveaway three SIGNED cookbooks (one from each chef mentioned above) to three lucky CNC readers. Pretty sweet, right?

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is a leave a comment on this post about which cookbook you’d like to win the most. I’ll randomly pick three winners tomorrow morning.

Good luck!

Even though Mal and I spent less than 24 hours at Mohegan Sun, I felt like we enjoyed a real vacation. We made the most of our time there and really lived it up, so our experience was the perfect little get-away.

After our Hotel Happy Hour, Mal and I headed downstairs to do some gambling at the Black Jack tables. Cameras are not allowed in the gaming area, so I didn’t snap any photos, but, honestly, you guys didn’t miss much. Mal and I played Black Jack for almost 2 hours. We had a blast testing our luck, but, in the end, the House always wins and we walked away losers.

Thankfully, we had a dinner reservation at Bobby Flay’s new restaurant, Bar Americain, so it didn’t take long for my bummed-out mood to change.

I heard great things about Bar Americain, so I was really excited to dine there.

From the Bar Americain website:

Bar Americain celebrates America’s diverse culinary heritage, inspired by Bobby’s extensive travels throughout the country. His decidedly American menu is mirrored by the energetic fast pace of the time-honored European brasserie.

“I’m thrilled to introduce Bar Americain to Mohegan Sun,” said Bobby. “Here too I will celebrate the vast culinary traditions found in the US while also featuring dishes that showcase the wealth of ingredients and traditions of New England and, given our location, that of the Native American culture.”

Bar Americain is definitely a hip place. I especially loved the modern, sophisticated decor. It made our dining experience seem even more special.

The birthday boy looked very handsome at dinner.

To start, Mal and I each ordered a Dirty Martini with extra olives.

While waiting for our cocktails, a wonderful selection of dinner rolls with whipped butter was served to our table. I dug right in and helped myself to a piece of cornbread.

Then, we ordered a couple of appetizers to share: 1/2 dozen raw oysters and Hot Potato Chips served with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Mal loves raw oysters, so, of course, we ordered them for the birthday boy.

So, I’m on the fence about raw oysters. I don’t love them, but I don’t hate them either. I’ll pretty much eat anything, so I added some hot sauce to mine and down the hatch they went. Hot sauce makes everything taste better!

The Hot Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Sauce came highly recommended, so Mal and I needed to see what the hype was all about. And, ohmigod, they were delicious. The blue cheese had a bold, sharp flavor, and the warm potato chips were thin, crispy, and a perfect compliment for a thick and creamy cheese sauce. I practically licked the bowl clean.

For my entree, I ordered the Asparagus Chopped Salad, which came with chunks of Vermont Cheddar and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. I was actually a little disappointed by this salad because I thought it would be mostly chopped asparagus, but instead, it was predominately romaine lettuce with just three spears of asparagus on the side.

Taste-wise, this salad had a nice, strong olive flavor, which I really enjoyed. But, it was doused with vinaigrette, so it was a tad on the soggy side.

Mal ordered the Grilled Venison Strip Loin with Concord Grape Red Cabbage Bread Pudding. I’ve never had venison, so he shared a few bites with me, and all I can say is WOW! It was soooo tender and flavorful. The bread pudding was pretty amazing, too. It was soaked in Worcestershire sauce.

Dessert was outstanding: Pistachio Creme Brulee.

Mal is pretty much a Creme Brulee connoisseur, so he had really high expectations for this dessert. And, I’m happy to report that he absolutely loved the Pistachio Creme Brulee… and didn’t want to share. I had to fight for a few bites!  The consistency was more like a mousse than a custard, and the pistachio flavor was really something special– bold and slightly sweet.

Delicious.

After dinner, Mal and I headed to Leffingwells Martini Bar to enjoy an after-dinner drink and watch the Celtics game. We also didn’t want the night to end!

Leffingwells is located on top of the casino’s Wombi Rock, a glowing three-story white onyx mountain. The bar has fancy, plush seating, intimate lighting, and the world’s largest indoor planetarium dome. It looks like the open sky is right above your head.

I ordered the most amazing Almond Joy martini. It was basically a second dessert made with Ciroc Coconut Vodoka and Absolute Vanilla Vodka shaken with Amaretto, Créme de Cocao, Baileys, and a dash of cream. Holy, holy yum!!!

It was heaven in a glass.

We spent a couple of hours at the Star Bar before heading back to our hotel room. Look what was waiting for us! Birthday cake! What a fun surprise!

Mal and I were pretty full from dinner at Bar Americain, so we didn’t have any. We put the cake in the fridge to take home with us.

All in all, an AWESOME trip! Thank you, Mohegan Sun, for allowing us to enjoy a wonderful get-away at your wonderful casino. I can’t wait to visit again!

Mal has been loving his birthday today! Year #28 is off to a great start for him!

Our morning started with breakfast in bed. Pretty fancy, huh? Ordering room service is always such a treat. Plus, don’t 28th birthdays deserve it?

We had quite the spread of goodies for breakfast.

Eggs + bacon + homefries.

Whole wheat toast, freshly toasted right in our room!

Fresh berries.

And lots of coffee.

With the Sunday newspaper.

It was a pretty awesome morning– and it wasn’t even my birthday!

On the ride home from Mohegan, Mal and I took a pitstop for a snack/lunch. Breakfast did not hold me over all this morning. My stomach was growling 3-4 hours later. Mal stopped at Dunkin Donuts, so I ordered an iced coffee and an egg white flatbread sandwich.

The egg white sandwich was just so-so. The egg white patty was pretty good, but the flatbread tasted super artificial. It was chewy and sort of rubbery. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised by the taste– it was a fast food sandwich after all. But, it has held off my hunger for a few hours now, so that’s good!

A little while later, we arrived at my sister’ house to pick up our little Gremlin.

Murphy played hard with Batman all day yesterday, so he was seriously fighting off sleep. He could barely keep his eyes open.

Poor guy. He’s passed out in his crate right now.

Mal and I are headed to dinner with his parents in a little bit. We’re going out for Mexican food.

Mal and I are having so much fun at Mohegan!! We don’t want to leave!

Our mini-vaca still has a few hours left to it, so I’m going to enjoy them and post my full recap later this afternoon. But, for now, here are some photos from yesterday.

Self-portrait gone wrong!

Full review of our trip coming soon!

We’re here!!! Hooray!

Quick disclaimer: The nice folks at Mohegan Sun provided Mal and me with a free stay at their hotel and a dinner out at their new Bobby Flay restauraunt, Bar Americain. Even though we are being treated to a complimentary mini-vacation, all of my reviews will be completely honest and all my own.

Mal and I checked into our hotel room and immediately kicked-off our Mohegan experience with a fancy bottle of champagne. We received a case of this champagne as a gift for our wedding, so we only break it out on special occasions. Turning 28 is most definitely a special occasion!

Hi, Mal!

He was checking out the price of massages at the hotel spa, but they are out of our price range. Bummer.

Time to pop the champange!

I love the bubbly!

I love hanging out with Mal. He brings out the silly side in me!

Mal is now patiently waiting for me to “pretty” myself so we can hit the casino. He such a good husband like that. Thankfully, hockey is on TV!

Off to enjoy Mal’s birthday! See ya!