Hotel Reservations and Spa Appointments Accepted for July 1 and Beyond

Exactly five months to the day after del Lago Resort & Casino opened its doors to the public, its highly anticipated hotel and Spa del Lago are set to open. The hotel is now accepting reservations and the spa is accepting appointments for its opening day — July 1 and beyond. The hotel and spa are opening two weeks ahead of schedule.

“We were always hopeful that we could move the opening date up and we are excited to officially announce that our hotel and Spa del Lago will be open just in time for visitors to enjoy Fourth of July weekend with us,” Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babinski said. “The addition of our hotel, spa, banquet facility and The Sociale Café & Bar reinforces that our property is a true world class destination in the region. We look forward to bringing in new guests to enjoy all that the Finger Lakes has to offer, especially this time of year.”

The hotel wing of del Lago Resort & Casino will feature a 3,700-square-foot banquet facility, Lavazza Italian coffee shop, pastry and gelato shop, and The Sociale Café & Bar, which will serve healthy “gastro spa” cuisine and beverages.

The 14,000-square-foot European-style Spa del Lago will offer massages, body treatments and facials plus a full-service salon. The salon will feature 10 stations including luxurious pedicure, manicure, hair and make-up areas. The spa will feature three relaxation areas — men’s, women’s and coed, private herbal infused steam rooms, private cedar wood saunas, 17 treatment stations including couple suites with private oversized hot tubs. Spa del Lago Boutique will offer guests an opportunity to purchase skin care, body and hair products, signature del Lago bath products, gifts and wearables including spa robes and yoga and active wear.

The six-story hotel will feature 205 luxurious rooms ranging from 440 to 860 square feet. There are king and queen rooms and 30 suites, with some able to expand to a 1,400-square-foot room with two bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. A number of the rooms have a balcony, including some of the suites.

Each room will be equipped with an Intelity iPad hotel directory system, making it the first hotel in upstate New York to offer the feature. Guests will be able to use the iPad to order room service, request valet service, ask housekeeping for an extra pillow or schedule a treatment at Spa del Lago. Each room will feature a personal device charging stations and custom bathrooms with detailed stonework, marble counters and rain showers. All rooms will come with additional standard amenities, including complimentary WiFi, coffee maker with complimentary coffee, a flat-screen TV, refrigerator, hair dryer and safe. All furniture is custom made, blending the Old-World charm of Italy with a Las Vegas feel. The property will offer 24-hour room service from one of its many on-site dining options and will feature a business center, a 24-hour fitness center and wellness classes. Valet service will also be available. Guests will also be able to enjoy the many other amenities del Lago Resort & Casino has to offer, including:

• 94,000-square-foot casino floor featuring 1,980 slot machines and 99 gaming tables, including 14 poker tables.
• del Lago Players Reward Club: Joining is free and winning is instantaneous. Members can receive free slot play, table games match play, exclusive gifts and food offers. With club cards members have access to special hotel rates, entertainment tickets, and spa services.
• Farmers Market Buffet: Offering diners locally sourced produce, fruits, dairy products, meats and pastries.
• The Vine: 2,400-person entertainment venue and bar serving French Quarter-inspired food.
• Portico by Fabio Viviani: Celebrity chef and “fan favorite” on Bravo’s hit reality series “Top Chef,” Fabio brings a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and handmade pastas, as well as seafood, steaks and chops grilled over hardwood.
• Centrifico: Bar complete with a lounge area in the center of the gaming floor.
• Savor NY — MacKenzie-Childs at del Lago: 2,000-square-foot store featuring MacKenzie-Childs and Jay Strongwater products, as well as a selection of special products produced by companies based in the Finger Lakes, including local wineries, breweries, spirits and cheesemakers.
• Food court: 4,200-square-foot food court with three restaurants: Finger Lakes-based Ciccino’s Pizzeria & Paninoteca, and locally owned Smashburger and Moe’s Southwest Grill.

To book reservations, guests may visit dellagoresort.com/stay or call 315-946-1777.

Del Lago Resort & Casino is a partnership between Rochester-based Wilmorite Inc. and Peninsula Pacific. Peninsula Pacific comprises the former leadership team from Peninsula Gaming, which has a combined 50 years of experience developing and managing regional casinos in five states. JNB Gaming manages the casino as JNB and its principals are widely recognized throughout the country as premier casino developers and operators.

About del Lago Resort & Casino

Del Lago Resort & Casino is a $440 million casino, 205-room hotel and spa in Waterloo, New York. The mission behind del Lago Resort & Casino has been to act as a gateway to the Finger Lakes region, leveraging the natural beauty and unique offerings while enhancing tourism. Savor NY — MacKenzie-Childs at del Lago is a unique retail outlet where local vendors bring the Finger Lakes region directly to del Lago patrons with MacKenzie-Childs and Jay Strongwater products and a wide variety of local fruits, cheeses, baked goods, wines and beers, and other area specialties. Del Lago Resort & Casino also features 1,980 slot machines and 99 gaming tables, including 14 poker tables; Portico by Fabio Viviani, a restaurant serving lunch and dinner with a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and spirits; The Vine, a 2,400-person entertainment center, bar and restaurant; Farmers Market Buffet, featuring locally sourced comfort foods; Centrifico, a bar/lounge area in the center of the gaming floor; The Sociale Café & Bar, serving “gastro spa” cuisine and beverages; and a 4,200-square-foot food court. The hotel, spa, banquet facility and The Sociale Café & Bar will open July 1, 2017. For more information, visit delLagoResort.com.

BY JANE MARMADUKE WOODMAN
[email protected]
Contributing writer

On a recent sunny (finally!) Wednesday evening, we set out for Fabio Viviani’s Portico restaurant with high hopes. After all, this new place bears the name of a celebrity chef and leads a list of nine places to eat at the new casino, ranging from fast food (Moe’s is here, as is a pizzeria) to the steak and Italian venue we hoped to enjoy.

Portico is fairly expensive for our area, and we were ready to see it with a critical eye. After all, applying a well-known name sometimes raises prices without increasing quality. However, what we found was a shiny new spot that was worth both the drive and the cost, even if only on special occasions.

The main dining room is bright, spacious and comfortable. Its proximity to the bar and a huge enclosed cube-shaped room full of wine racks lends sparkle under bright lights. Large tables in the center are surrounded by even larger cushiony booths around the edge of the room.

Portico’s menu is relatively brief and familiar, featuring starters from $10 potato skins through $12 smoked bacon and salads to a $20 charcuterie platter. Pasta dishes range from bolognese at $14 to $18 for truffle rock shrimp macaroni and cheese.

Mains start at $20 for meatloaf and include salmon puttanesca at $32, sea bass at $40, and a New York strip for $45. Sauces may be added to steaks and chops for an additional $5, and sides like mushrooms, cauliflower and creamed spinach are available for $7, with sausage macaroni and cheese for $9.

Oddly, offerings that use several types of seafood, including tuna, octopus, shrimp, clams, mussels and lobster are labeled on the menu as vegetarian. Some menu items are also marked as gluten-free or dairy-free. Given the seafood listings, it might be best to ask questions before assuming anything.

We started our meal with a bottle of Uppercut Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($55), our server’s recommendation from an enormous and mostly expensive wine list. The wine had the dark fruity spiciness we like, with a substantial edge of tannins. It went well with the heaviness of the dishes we selected.

Bread service was pretty as well as tasty, with crusty rolls, a light focaccia and bread sticks that had surprising flavor given their thinness. An accompanying tomato-olive tapenade was lighter than the usual oil or butter.

Our appetizers, a wedge salad ($12) and coccoli platter ($13), were substantial. The coccoli were popover-like dough balls drizzled with truffle honey and served with prosciutto, stracchiano cheese, and herb oil. These would make a good appetizer for three people.

Our red butter lettuce was dressed with chunks of lean smoked bacon, truffle-Parmesan dressing, lightly roasted cherry tomatoes and accompanied by a thin wedge of Muranda blue cheese. This salad would have made a more appropriate appetizer for one person. Both dishes were too good not to share.

We took our server’s recommendation for one of our mains: a whole semi-boneless chicken ($30). Presentation was interesting, the small chicken served in a casserole dish over stuffing based on focaccia and tiny sweet potato dice. The chicken was tender and flavorful, but it was the lemony sauce that made the dish.

The current price, $55, for the butcher’s cut ribeye (a rib steak, being bone-in) seemed high. However, at 28 ounces, this steak could easily serve two people. More importantly, it was the best ribeye we have enjoyed in Central New York. Perfectly cooked to medium-rare, both its flavor and its tenderness were remarkable. A side of creamy, salty Gorgonzola fondue ($5) perfected it.

For sides, we chose roasted Brussels sprouts and a sweet potato ($7 each). The potato was well roasted, sliced in half, finished with a brulee topping, and served with a ramekin of real maple syrup. Our sprouts were the only misstep of the evening, having been nicely charred without being adequately cooked, leaving the large sprouts too crunchy.

Desserts after packing up enough food for two subsequent meals seemed superfluous, but we ordered them anyway: the chocolate dome and the limoncello cake, each at $10.

Our chocolate dome must have been based on flourless chocolate cake, as we found no cake-like element predicted by the menu. But the fudgy dome, covered in a shiny chocolate glaze and surrounded by chopped pistachios, was delicious.

Limoncello cake is wonderful, and this was served with mascarpone cream, raspberries and candied lemon slices. We shared both desserts with the last of the red wine and marveled at the sheer amount of food with which we were about to leave.

Service is excellent at Portico: Solicitous but never hovering, friendly without chumminess, and unusually well informed. Every course arrived after exactly the momentary pause we prefer. Our server told us that there is no fee for splitting plates, a good thing considering the generosity of the portions.

Portico’s goal is to offer the best New York cuisine outside of Manhattan. Situated in a noisy casino, Portico lacks the quiet and bits of pretentiousness of fine dining. But if the meal we enjoyed is their norm, it is fine enough for us.

The Details
The Restaurant: Portico by Fabio Viviani, 1133 Rte. 414 at Del Lago Resort & Casino, Waterloo. 315-946-1777.
Credit Cards? Yes
Reservations? Yes
Access to Disabled? Yes, easy.
Children’s menu? No. Diners must be 21, according to the website.
Vegetarian Options? Yes, though fewer than the menu suggests.
Hours: Dinner Sunday and Thursday 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Wednesday 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Mains on the menu range from $20 to $55. A couple can dine here for $60-$100. For our review, we ordered as varied a series of choices as was reasonable to showcase the cuisine, and our total for two including wine, appetizers, mains, desserts, tax and a 20 percent tip was $260.32.

By: Bill DeLapp

The romance between casino operations and all-you-can-devour buffets dates back to the pre-Rat Pack Vegas era, and our collective tummies are all the happier because of this unique relationship.

According to an article on the Mental Floss website, writer Jeff Wells pegs publicist Herb McDonald as the stateside smorgasbord inventor. At the El Rancho Vegas venue on the Strip during the mid-1940s, one night McDonald brought out some cold cuts and bread to feed the nocturnal gamblers. The late-night feast eventually morphed into a 24/7 business known as the Buckaroo Buffet, a concept soon copied by other Strip casinos to lure customers.

While Vegas still has other gimmicks to grab patrons, notably the super-cheap shrimp cocktails with “jumbo” shrimp the size of teensy sea horses found in old comic-book coupon hustles, most of the casino buffets along the Eastern Seaboard deliver the gustatory goods big time and at a reasonable price. That’s certainly the case with the Farmers Market Buffet, which premiered alongside the February opening of the del Lago Resort and Casino in Waterloo. (By the way, the resort still has more expansions on the horizon, including its slated opening of a 205-room hotel in mid-July.) The buffet has been an immediate success with the casino crowd, bolstered by a $10 promotion in April that pulled in more than 45,000 customers.

The brightly lit buffet area currently seats 299, with a mix of tables and booths that surround the food stations. Those areas boast names such as “Stir Crazy” (a nod to the stir-fry menu) and “Center Cut” (devoted to meaty specialties and a carving station).

The buffet adheres to the popular farm-to-fork concept, which eschews the bland food products from national suppliers and instead goes straight to the source for fresh ingredients from area produce suppliers and nearby farms. That means in-season fruits and vegetables are rotated in and out of the buffet’s menu year-round. And chances are that you’ll feel like a really good neighbor with every bite you take, knowing that the buffet chefs are creating menus from local food businesses.

The food selections offer a mix of every yummy item you’d want on a buffet plate, sometimes even more than expected. During one recent visit, the “Fresco Italia” section yielded three different pizza pies, a sausage stromboli, and pasta with meatballs the size of Dwayne Johnson’s fist. Vegetables ran the gamut from cauliflower to Brussels sprouts to buttery mashed potatoes, while the carving area featured shredded barbecue pork and Andouille sausage. Grazers would also find room on their plates for shrimp scampi, sweet and sour pork and melt-in-your-mouth pot roast.

Executive chef Andreas Baecker, whose birthplace is Germany and lists steak as his favorite go-to dish, assures quality control with every bite taken by ravenous customers. And for those who have made room for dessert, executive pastry chef Andrew Chambers has lined up a gaggle of goodies that includes cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, fruit tortes and much more.

Chambers, who grew up around the Keuka Lake region, has been in the food business since childhood, as his parents ran a diner in Hammondsport. And while he cites crème brulee as his favorite dessert, he acknowledges that the buffet’s sinfully rich-tasting gelato has its dedicated fans, too, especially since the venue moves 100-plus gallons every week.

The buffet area manages to always stay clean despite the occasional bursts of heavy traffic. When a sausage link was accidentally dropped on the floor by a cloddish cretin (Full disclosure: It was me.), the link was immediately whisked off the floor by an observant buffet team member before the five-second rule could even be observed.

And the very busy general manager Randolph Kramer can often be seen hovering about the buffet’s stations, observing the apparent mantra, “Presentation, presentation, presentation!” After all, the food has to look as good as it tastes.

The Farmers Market Buffet offers lunches ($15.95) Mondays through Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 2:30 to 5 p.m. Dinners ($21.95) are Mondays through Thursdays, 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30 to 11 p.m.; and Sundays, 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Saturday breakfast ($11.95) takes place from 9 to 11 a.m., while Sunday brunch ($17.95) runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A Players Club cardholder can receive a $2 discount. And during May is a special $10 price on Wednesdays for lunches and dinners.

— Sedaka’s Show will be Rescheduled for Fall 2017–

Due to an injury endured on Wednesday, Neil Sedaka postponed his May 19 performance at del Lago Resort & Casino’s entertainment venue, The Vine. Del Lago is working with Sedaka’s management to reschedule the date for Fall 2017. Tickets already purchased will be transferred to the rescheduled date, which will be announced as soon as possible. Ticketholders wishing for a refund may contact the del Lago Resort & Casino box office at 315-946-1695.

In a statement issued to media, Sedaka said, “Unfortunately, I took a fall on Wednesday morning on the streets of New York and injured my shoulder. I am so disappointed, as I was looking forward to visiting del Lago Resort & Casino and performing on May 19. My sincerest apologies to all of my fans and to all of those who were coming to the performance. I look forward to returning to Waterloo really soon. Thank you for your understanding.”

About del Lago Resort & Casino
Del Lago Resort & Casino is a $440 million casino, 205-room hotel and spa in Waterloo, New York. The mission behind del Lago Resort & Casino has been to act as a gateway to the Finger Lakes region, leveraging the natural beauty and unique offerings while enhancing tourism. Savor NY — MacKenzie-Childs at del Lago is a unique retail outlet where local vendors bring the Finger Lakes region directly to del Lago patrons with MacKenzie-Childs and Jay Strongwater products and a wide variety of local fruits, cheeses, baked goods, wines and beers, and other area specialties. Del Lago Resort & Casino also features 1,980 slot machines and 99 gaming tables, including 14 poker tables; Portico by Fabio Viviani, a restaurant serving lunch and dinner with a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and spirits; The Vine, a 2,400-person entertainment center, bar and restaurant; Farmers Market Buffet, featuring locally sourced comfort foods; Centrifico, a bar/lounge area in the center of the gaming floor; The Sociale Café & Bar, serving “gastro spa” cuisine and beverages; and a 4,200-square-foot food court. The hotel, spa, banquet facility and The Sociale Café & Bar will open in July 2017. For more information, visit delLagoResort.com.

Del Lago Resort & Casino has unveiled eight new outdoor supercharging stations and two additional standard EV charging stations inside the casino parking garage. The new stations are part of del Lago Resort & Casino’s green initiative to promote a cleaner environment by helping reduce the carbon footprint on our roadways while offering guests a convenient and complimentary place to recharge.

“Since we opened in February, our team has continually demonstrated our commitment to provide outstanding service and offerings to our guests. In an effort to further enhance our guest experience and positively impact the environment, we are excited to announce ten electric car charging stations have been added to our property, which will allow our gusts to conveniently charge while they enjoy our many amenities,” Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babinski said. “With del Lago’s close proximity to the New York State Thruway, we also encourage people traveling to make a stop at del Lago to charge their vehicles and come on in for a visit.”

Electric vehicle customers will have convenient access to del Lago Resort & Casino’s charging stations. On site there are two options for recharging:

• Guests may use one of eight supercharging stations located on the west side of the property close to Route 414. Superchargers are connectors that charge vehicles in minutes instead of hours.
• The property also features two EV level 2 charging stations located inside the casino parking garage. The stations will charge most standard EV ranging from 3.3 to 6.6 KW.

About del Lago Resort & Casino

Del Lago Resort & Casino is a $440 million casino, 205-room hotel and spa in Waterloo, New York. The mission behind del Lago Resort & Casino has been to act as a gateway to the Finger Lakes region, leveraging the natural beauty and unique offerings while enhancing tourism. Savor NY — MacKenzie-Childs at del Lago is a unique retail outlet where local vendors bring the Finger Lakes region directly to del Lago patrons with MacKenzie-Childs and Jay Strongwater products and a wide variety of local fruits, cheeses, baked goods, wines and beers, and other area specialties. Del Lago Resort & Casino also features 2,000 slot machines and 89 gaming tables, including 12 poker tables; Portico by Fabio Viviani, a restaurant with a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and spirits; The Vine, a 2,400-person entertainment center, bar and restaurant; Farmers Market Buffet, featuring locally sourced comfort foods; Centrifico, a bar/lounge area in the center of the gaming floor; The Sociale Café & Bar, serving “gastro spa” cuisine and beverages; and a 4,200-square-foot food court. The hotel, spa, banquet facility and The Sociale Café & Bar will open in summer 2017. For more information, visit delLagoResort.com.

It can take a long time to build a reputation as a great restaurant. However, less than two months since opening its doors, Portico by Fabio Viviani at del Lago Resort & Casino is already earning praise from customers and critics alike with an OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award.

OpenTable, the popular mobile app and website that helps guests book reservations, determines award winners using real feedback from diners who booked through the platform. After their meal, OpenTable asks them to review the experience, and Portico’s customers have spoken. Just like Viviani, it’s proving to be a fan-favorite.

“To receive this recognition so early after opening is fantastic, and I’m just so happy that our guests are enjoying themselves at Portico,” Viviani said. “It means a lot to me that this comes directly from the people sitting at our tables, eating our meals and enjoying the scene here. This award comes right from the table, and I’m proud of what we’ve done so far, with much, much more to come.”

Viviani, who burst onto the scene starring on Bravo’s hit reality series “Top Chef” and with appearances on several shows since, opened Portico at del Lago on Feb. 23. The restaurant seats 210 people and features a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and handmade pastas, as well as seafood, steaks and chops grilled over hardwood. Starting with only dinner service, Portico debuted its lunch menu on April 1.

“This award is a testament to the planning, preparation and professionalism of Fabio and our entire Portico team,” Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babinski said. “We set out to hit the ground running with all our features at del Lago, from the gaming room floor to the dining room table. The reviews continue to be overwhelmingly positive, and this award is the result.”

In addition to Portico by Fabio Viviani, del Lago offers guests dining options at the Farmers Market Buffet featuring locally sourced produce, fruits, dairy products and meats, as well as homemade gelato and pastries; The Vine, which serves guests French Quarter-inspired dishes; and a food court with three restaurants: Finger Lakes-based Ciccino’s Pizzeria & Paninoteca and locally owned Smashburger and Moe’s Southwest Grill.

Del Lago Resort & Casino is a partnership between Rochester-based Wilmorite Inc. and Peninsula Pacific. Peninsula Pacific comprises the former leadership team from Peninsula Gaming, which has a combined 50 years of experience developing and managing regional casinos in five states. JNB Gaming manages the casino as JNB and its principals are widely recognized throughout the country as premier casino developers and operators.

About del Lago Resort & Casino
Del Lago Resort & Casino is a $440 million casino, 205-room hotel and spa in Waterloo, New York. The mission behind del Lago Resort & Casino has been to act as a gateway to the Finger Lakes region, leveraging the natural beauty and unique offerings while enhancing tourism. Savor NY — MacKenzie-Childs at del Lago is a unique retail outlet where local vendors bring the Finger Lakes region directly to del Lago patrons with MacKenzie-Childs and Jay Strongwater products and a wide variety of local fruits, cheeses, baked goods, wines and beers, and other area specialties. Del Lago Resort & Casino also features 2,000 slot machines and 89 gaming tables, including 12 poker tables; Portico by Fabio Viviani, a restaurant with a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and spirits; The Vine, a 2,400-person entertainment center, bar and restaurant; Farmers Market Buffet, featuring locally sourced comfort foods; Centrifico, a bar/lounge area in the center of the gaming floor; The Sociale Café & Bar, serving “gastro spa” cuisine and beverages; and a 4,200-square-foot food court. The hotel, spa, banquet facility and The Sociale Café & Bar will open in summer 2017. For more information, visit delLagoResort.com.

Building on the success of Portico by Fabio Viviani’s grand opening last month, this weekend Chef Viviani will be at del Lago Resort & Casino to introduce the restaurant’s new lunch menu. Beginning Saturday, April 1, Portico by Fabio Viviani will now offer lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

With an intense passion for food and farm-fresh ingredients, Fabio Viviani brings that same essence and spirit to Portico by Fabio Viviani which opened on Feb. 23, serving dinner only. The restaurant features a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and handmade pastas, as well as seafood, steaks and chops grilled over hardwood. Viviani found inspiration from the bountiful agriculture, cheese makers, wineries and breweries of the region to help develop his menu, focusing on local, seasonal farm-to-table ingredients.

For his lunch menu, Viviani will feature some of the well-known and much-loved dishes from the restaurant’s dinner menu such as rigatoni carbonara and the coccoli platter; beignet-style bread balls with prosciutto de parma, stracchino cheese, truffle honey and herb oil. He will also introduce sandwiches and additional salads to the lunch menu, including a truffle burger and caprese sandwich, which are adaptations of some of the most popular dishes at Viviani’s restaurants in LA and Chicago.

“We have received rave reviews since opening Portico by Fabio Viviani and we look forward to offering our guests additional dining options with the new lunch menu,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babinski. “Fabio’s restaurant has already proven to complement the region by using locally sourced products when available. With the lunch menu will have additional opportunities to partner with the many wonderful local purveyors in our area.”

Perhaps best known for his television debut on Bravo’s hit reality series “Top Chef” and earning the “Fan Favorite” title, Viviani’s on-screen appearances have propelled him to become one of the fastest-growing culinary names in the country. Viviani has appeared as a recurring guest on shows such as “Good Morning America,” “The Talk,” “The Chew” and “The Rachael Ray Show,” and is a recurring guest host on the Hallmark Channel series “Home and Family.” The successful restaurateur is also the owner of several well-known restaurants across the country in Los Angeles and Chicago, to name a few. He is also a New York Times best-selling cookbook author. Portico is Viviani’s first restaurant in New York state.

“I truly love this area and I’m excited to be back in the Finger Lakes to introduce the Portico lunch menu to our guests,” said Viviani. “We have received such a warm welcome over the past month and our customers have already expressed such excitement to try our new menu. Just as with our dinner menu, lunch will feature homemade ingredients made from scratch such as our breads and pastas — and our meat is aged right at Portico.”

In addition to Portico by Fabio Viviani, del Lago offers guests dining options at the Farmers Market Buffet featuring locally sourced produce, fruits, dairy products and meats, as well as homemade gelato and pastries; The Vine, which serves guests French Quarter-inspired dishes; and a food court with three restaurants: Finger Lakes-based Ciccino’s Pizzeria & Paninoteca and locally owned Smashburger and Moe’s Southwest Grill.

Del Lago Resort & Casino is a partnership between Rochester-based Wilmorite Inc. and Peninsula Pacific. Peninsula Pacific comprises the former leadership team from Peninsula Gaming, which has a combined 50 years of experience developing and managing regional casinos in five states. JNB Gaming manages the casino as JNB and its principals are widely recognized throughout the country as premier casino developers and operators.

About del Lago Resort & Casino
Del Lago Resort & Casino is a $440 million casino, 205-room hotel and spa in Waterloo, New York. The mission behind del Lago Resort & Casino has been to act as a gateway to the Finger Lakes region, leveraging the natural beauty and unique offerings while enhancing tourism. Savor NY — MacKenzie-Childs at del Lago is a unique retail outlet where local vendors bring the Finger Lakes region directly to del Lago patrons with MacKenzie-Childs and Jay Strongwater products and a wide variety of local fruits, cheeses, baked goods, wines and beers, and other area specialties. Del Lago Resort & Casino also features 2,000 slot machines and 89 gaming tables, including 12 poker tables; Portico by Fabio Viviani, a restaurant with a sophisticated take on Old World Italian-inspired foods and spirits; The Vine, a 2,400-person entertainment center, bar and restaurant; Farmers Market Buffet, featuring locally sourced comfort foods; Centrifico, a bar/lounge area in the center of the gaming floor; The Sociale Café & Bar, serving “gastro spa” cuisine and beverages; and a 4,200-square-foot food court. The hotel, spa, banquet facility and The Sociale Café & Bar will open in summer 2017. For more information, visit delLagoResort.com.

By Christopher Malone
February 22, 2017

Del Lago rolls the dice to lure Thruway-bound casino patrons.

On the morning of Feb. 1, the del Lago Resort and Casino’s doors were opened to the mass of patrons that had lined up outside for hours in the 30-degree temperatures. Soon afterward, most of the venue’s slot machines were jammed with customers, while the roulette wheels spun and the dice rolled.

The Seneca County town of Tyre rolled the dice, too, as it welcomed its newest privately run casino. Del Lago is one of four non-Indian casinos to be built in New York state, according to a 2013 referendum initiated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Del Lago is 40 minutes away from downtown Syracuse.

“Today is a major victory for Seneca County,” said Jeff Babinski, del Lago’s executive vice president and general manager, on opening day. In the near future, the Catskills and the Schenectady area will be seeing the same victories as they were granted casino licenses in December 2015.

Del Lago means “of the lakes,” which falls in line with designating the area as a gateway to the Finger Lakes region. “We shared a vision of del Lago Casino, and it’s off to a great start,” said co-chair Thomas C. Wilmot Sr. “Seneca County could not have been more welcoming.”

Talk about the construction of the $440 million project began in 2013, but the foundation of the project was started on shaky ground. There were several issues that the project heads, which include co-chairs Brent Stevens and Wilmot, had to hurdle.

In August 2016, a lawsuit was dismissed. The taxpayers were irritated about a $45.3 million payment in lieu of taxes. According to an article in Rochester’s Democrat & Chronicle, Joseph Spector reported that now former state Sen. Michael Nozzolio had paid Wilmot between $150,000 and $250,000, inciting a potential conflict of interest.

The Oneida Nation and other resort opposition continue to stand their ground against del Lago. In 2015, the Yellow Brick Road Casino, 800 E. Genesee St. in Chittenango, was opened by the nation. The trifecta that is the Oneidas, Turning Stone Resort and Casino and the group of taxpayers making up Casino Free Tyre claimed the project ignored environmental impact studies.

With consideration to the other casinos throughout upstate New York, competition could be an underlying factor in the now-dismissed lawsuit. More casinos mean more options to gamble, which mean a potential loss of income for established racing and gaming resorts.

WSTM-Channel 3 reporter Brett Hall also pointed out the cemetery in del Lago’s parking lot. The New York State Cemetery Association prohibited Wilmot and his team from raising the dead in this small family burial ground. Instead, they paved around it.

Town of Tyre supervisor Ron McGreevy wasn’t shy about recognizing these issues, as he reminded everyone to be patient and stay positive. “This is the economic boost the local economy needed,” he said. “We envision a bright future.”

Not only will the resort bring tourists into the area (indeed, there has been a mighty surge of traffic since Feb. 1, as cars take the New York State Thruway’s Exit 41 Waterloo-Clyde to reach del Lago), it will also be attractive for businesses. Recent openings have included a Byrne Dairy and an affordable housing complex, and there is an expected car dealership and Dunkin Donuts to be built in the near future.

“Our investors have committed to this beautiful property on the premise that del Lago Resort and Casino will be a world-class destination focused on community pride,” said Stevens. He promises integrity and exceeding expectations. They aim to lure 3.2 million visitors each year and $250 million in gaming revenue. Tyre and Seneca County will see $3.4 million in taxes, and the state will rake in $68 million.

Job creation is also something they’ve boasted about. On opening day, Stevens made note of 1,504 employees. When the hotel and spa are finished by the beginning of summer, 300 employees will be added to the roster. Also, 1,800 construction positions were filled to build the casino from the ground up. “Of the 1,400 craftsmen in construction, some of them worked 90 consecutive days,” said Wilmot.

The hard work helped erect a 94,000 square-foot facility with 2,001 digital slot machines. For those looking to give their eyeballs a break, del Lago offers 89 gaming tables and an additional 12 poker tables.

Juris Basens, assistant general manager, gave reporters a tour of the facility. He pointed out The Vine, the three-floor entertainment showroom that boasts a 2,400-seat occupancy and features upcoming acts such as Boyz II Men (March 3), Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (March 11), Impractical Jokers (April 1) and Trace Adkins (April 7). Bad Company kicked off the venue’s opening with a sold-out Feb. 10 concert.

He also pointed out the highlighted restaurant Portico, run by Fabio Viviani, the Italian-born chef who was a standout on the Bravo television series Top Chef. A ribbon-cutting event is slated for Thursday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m. Another offering is the Farmers Market Buffet, an all-you-can-eat dining area specializing in locally sourced produce and meat. The food court features Moe’s Southwest Grill, Smashburger and the Finger Lakes-based Ciccino’s Pizzeria.

The food court is adjacent to a MacKenzie-Childs store, which was included due to the warehouse’s proximity in Aurora. Even the bathrooms are decorated with a notable checkerboard pattern, and everyone can feel like royalty while sitting on the throne.

Whether lounging in Centrifico, the lounge in the center of the gaming room, or concentrating on the game at hand, visitors will be able to breathe in clean air. The facility, which allows 21-and-older gamblers to play, is 100 percent smoke-free. There are three outdoor smoking areas, which are heated during the winter months.

The grand opening lured plenty of local politicians, including state Assemblyman Joe Morelle, state Sen. Pam Helming and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney. The ribbon cutting and first craps rolls were preceded by Cuomo’s address.

The governor noted that every other state around New York was able to successfully pull off a gaming industry. Of course, the state education system does benefit from it. “We needed to get that leg in,” he said. “Gaming could be done by every other state around us, but we could not figure it out in New York. We had to go through the legislature with two different acts; that’s like running the gauntlet twice. But we went to the people of the state and we passed the referendum. Today we are standing in a magnificent monument of how intelligent the decision was.”

Cuomo made it clear he has high hopes for his state, especially upstate and Central New York. “No one has what we have in upstate New York,” Cuomo said. “We didn’t market it. We didn’t use it. We didn’t develop it, but nobody had our natural assets. And what we said is, ‘If we make the effort, we make the investment, you’re going to see upstate New York rise to the occasion.’”

The governor noted recent business highlights such as the resurrection of Hotel Syracuse, now Marriott Syracuse Downtown, 100 E. Onondaga St., and the 2016 New York State Fair’s record-breaking attendance. “All of these feed off each other,” Cuomo declared. “Now you’re seeing the positive synergy. Now you’re seeing an era of growth, and growth begets growth and investment begets investment. All upstate New York needed was exposure. We just had to take the first step, and you needed some courageous businessmen to believe and to step up and invest and get it done.

“That’s what today is all about, and I really believe that the best is yet to be. The growth you are seeing now all across upstate New York is going to increase exponentially. So let’s cut this ribbon, and let’s get to those slot machines!”