Horseshoe Casino Baltimore has seen its fair share of specialty events since opening in 2014, hosting everything from live concerts and karaoke nights to blackjack and beer pong tournaments. But one thing that the entertainment venue has yet to offer is a signature dining series.
“It’s harder to get those things done during your first year,” says James Johnson, executive chef at Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen + Bar. “Now we’re able to get a little more inventive and really show people what we can do culinary-wise.”
This month, the casino’s inaugural series will get underway with “Brews and Bites,” a craft beer dinner at Guy Fieri’s, and “Bubbles and Bites,” a six-course, prix-fixe menu with champagne pairings at Jack Binion’s Steakhouse. Each restaurant will continue to host the specialty meals monthly, showcasing a new menu with different regional pairings during each installment.
While Jack Binion’s has hosted its own signature wine dinners previously (teaming up with the likes of Stags’ Leap and Newton Vineyards), the launch of the series will mark the first-ever pairings event for Guy Fieri’s.
On Tuesday, February 23 at 7p.m., the laid-back burger bar will offer diners a four-course menu paired with hand-picked Flying Dog brews.
“Flying Dog is a Baltimore staple, and we want to do everything we can to support local,” Johnson says. “In creating the menu, I picked the beer first to make sure that we were complimenting it, rather than taking away from it.”
Highlights on Johnson’s beer-centric menu will include beer-brined wings paired with Raging Bitch IPA, clover-rubbed hop ribs and mac and cheese served alongside Lucky SOB Irish Red Ale, crab sliders paired with The Truth Imperial IPA, and passion fruit custard served with Flying Dog’s Tropical Bitch Belgian IPA.
This month’s dinner at Jack Binion’s, happening Wednesday, February 24 at 7 p.m., will feature dishes like crispy seared duck breast, braised short ribs, and grapefruit granita, paired with six different varieties of champagne and Cava.
“It’s exciting to be able to give people something different,” Johnson says. “We don’t want to do the same old beer dinner, we want to bring local brands to the forefront and show off what the food community is doing as a whole.”