Enomatic systems are able to dispense wine directly from the bottle and use inert gas preservation to do so. With such technology, the flavors and characteristics of the wine remain intact, as if the bottle had just been opened. If you tasted a glass poured from our machines and one from a freshly uncorked bottle, chances are you wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference.

Using Enomatic’s portion control technology, our guests are able to sample wines at Hostile Grape by pours of one, three and five ounces. To choose your pour simply insert a pre-paid card into the machines and choose how many ounces you’d like to try. The wine is then instantly dispensed in a fountain-like flow right into your wine glass.

With the majority of our wine collection on display in the Enomatic Machines, we invite you to explore our selection yourself. Peruse our wine stock and personally select the wines you’d like to sample.

The spouts themselves go through an automatic self-cleaning after each pour, guaranteeing your glass is just as fresh and clean as the first.

While their whole menu is packed with items you won’t want to miss here are our top picks:

Imperial Burger

Our most regal of burgers on the menu, the Imperial Burger is topped with stout braised short ribs, mushrooms, gruyere cheese and caramelized onions. This burger pairs best with a Sierra Nevada Stout.

Lollipop Wings

Wings are good on their own, but when they’re prepared with the “lollipop” technique they not only resemble our favorite candy but they’re also much easier to eat (read: less messy). Our lollipop chicken wings are served three different ways with your choice of garlic, buffalo or ginger thai chili sauce (our personal recommendation).

Tsingtao Chicken Salad

Our Tsingtao Chicken Salad is chock-full of soy-caramel glazed chicken, cabbage, carrots, mandarin oranges and water chestnuts all topped with Tsingtao peanut vinaigrette. What makes this salad special is the dressing; Tsingtao is a Chinese beer known for its high-malty flavor and we infuse it into the peanut dressing making for one unique experience for your taste buds.

Sides

Anthony’s Gourmet Burgers has not one or two, but five different selections of fries and onion rings on their menu. We love these salty snacks so we couldn’t narrow it down to just one. You’ll be able to choose from Just Simple Fries, Garlic Parmesan Fries, Truffle Fries, Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Battered Onion Rings. Order one, more or even try them all!

Gelato Tasting for Two

We’re all about the sweets, so be sure to save room for dessert. The gelato tasting comes with gourmet gelato and cheesecake and brownie lollipops. It’s the perfect ending to your burger experience.

Anthony’s Gourmet Burgers & Brews is open nightly from 4-10pm.

Most of us have already celebrated the beginning of 2012, but the end of this month marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. The Chinese culture celebrates each New Year according to the lunar calendar which is why the date fluctuates from year to year. January 23 marks the beginning of the celebration for the auspicious Year of the Dragon.

The Dragon is the most powerful of all 12 signs in the Chinese Zodiac, which associates an animal to each calendar year. Everyone born in 2012 will be considered a Dragon. Dragons are said to be dominant, ambitious, driven, willing to take risks and unafraid of challenges. These strong character traits are said to cause an increase in births for every Dragon Year. Dragons are also said to be charismatic leaders. In the year 2000 the birth rate in China spiked and is expected to do the same this year.

Each Dragon Year is also associated with one of the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire and earth). 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow others to become involved.

To kick-off the two week celebration a traditional Dragon Dance will be held on Monday, January 23 at 6pm to bring good luck and fortune for our guests. A 63 foot-long dragon will feature adult and baby lion dancers, buddhas, musicians and festive flags and will make its way through our entire casino.

Studio B Buffet will feature eight hard-to-resist New Year specialties. Until February 6 you can feast on Meatballs with Bok Choy, Poached Chicken with Ginger and Scallions, Spinach and Bamboo Shoots, Beef Lo Mein, Tofu and Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce, Lettuce Wraps, Mandarin Oranges with Leaves and Spring Rolls. Our bars will also be serving up specialty cocktails, a Lychee Martini and a Mulan cocktail.

Starting this Friday our limited edition Year of the Dragon gaming chip will be available. Keep the good luck coming and purchase the chip at our casino cage for $8. The chips will be available until supplies last.

You can use your commemorative Dragon Chip in our Poker Room for their Live Poker Lucky 8’s promotion. From January 23 – 30 enjoy 8 days of great poker action. Flop four 8’s and win $888. Make four 8’s and receive $88. Plus, the first 88 players that make 8’s full receive a collectible Year of the Dragon Gaming Chip. Play live poker every day at 8:08am and 8:08pm and a random lucky player will receive $88!

If you’ve celebrated Chinese New Year before or if this is your first time for the occasion we hope you take part in the festivities at our resort!

Pizza

We can never get enough pizza, this Italian-American staple is sure to please. The new variety on Marinelli’s menu features unique options like the Pizza Carne. This pie perfect for meat-lovers has sopressata (an Italian cured dry salami), prosciutto, pepperoni, plum tomatoes and mozzarella. For a more traditional choice try the Bianca, this white pizza has mozzarella, mushrooms, arugula, prosciutto, shaved parmigiano-reggiano and (our personal favorite) truffle oil.

Pesce

Pesce, which translates to fish, is a staple in Italian cooking. Marinelli’s offers an assortment of four different fish including Alaskan Halibut, Pacific Salmon, Chilean Seabass and Pacific Snapper. Each fish dish can be ordered grilled or pan seared and is accompanied with orzo pasta, fennel, olives, oven dried tomatoes, asparagus, EVOO and lemon.

Pasta

There’s nothing like a classic pasta dish, especially with fresh, homemade noodles. Marinelli’s menu features many traditional dishes and all of their pasta noodles are made fresh in our own kitchens. You won’t want to miss their Fettuccini Carbonara, which has bacon, egg, parmigiano-reggiano, cream and sweet peas. The Capellini with shrimp, garlic, fresh tomato and white wine is a great option as well.

These and many more dishes are on Marinelli’s menu. There are even new dessert selections as well as a vegetarian section on the menu.

The Marinelli’s atmosphere still features intimate booths and tables with views of our outdoor pool piazza. During the warmer months, al fresco dining is available on Marinelli’s terrace. The restaurant also has a 20-seat private dining room that overlooks the piazza, which is perfect for celebrations. Stop in and sample some of their new Italian fare daily from 4pm-10pm.

So what’s the appeal of petite pastries? Any dish twice as small as its original somehow becomes twice as irresistible. The bite-sizes allow you to indulge and sample many different treats without the temptation of devouring an entire cake or pie.  Some of our most popular small sweets include classics like tiramisu, éclairs and good old fashioned cheesecake.

Our bakery team has mastered the art of scaling down full-size recipes into the smaller portions that our guests love. The recipes don’t have to be altered much, just the portioning of the actual treat. The real task is in the décor, the decorations on each pretty pastry are smaller and more intricate than its full-sized counterparts.

These guilt-free indulgences aren’t just good for your diet; they’re also good for your wallet. Miniature pastries at Baby Cakes go for about $2, a small price to pay for desserts whipped up by a gourmet pastry chef. At Studio B, all the sweet treats you can devour are included in the price of your meal.

Have you had a bite of any of our mini pastries before? Leave a comment below and let us know which ones are your favorite.

Party

We think cover charges are overrated so we invite our guests to celebrate without waiting in line or paying an entry fee. We’ll be offering complimentary party favors, and cake and champagne stations throughout our casino. Toast the New Year with us and enjoy live entertainment beginning at 9pm in Lobby Bar, Ravello Lounge, M Bar and Hostile Grape. See which venue is the right fit for your celebration style.

Ravello Lounge – The New Year’s evening will kick off in our lounge with go-go dancers and a DJ spinning hits to get the party started, beginning at 9pm. At 10pm, 80’s tribute band Loveshack will take the stage and sing the best of the 80’s and 90’s and some NYE-style party music. The entertainment in Ravello will be going all night long and is ideal for our high-energy party goers.

Lobby Bar – Relax at Lobby Bar and take in a performance by Lowkey Junction. The band is a unique blend of masterful music mixes, live percussion and saxophone. With the best people-watching views, Lobby Bar is the perfect fit for a relaxed New Year’s celebration.

M Bar – For those who like to be at the center of all the action, M Bar is for you. Located in the middle of our casino floor, DJ Simon and go-go dancers will be kicking off this party at 9pm. Get there early for a seat on M Bar’s cushy couches or get your groove on to the tunes DJ Simon will be spinning.

Hostile Grape – Take a sip of more than 160 wines by the glass in our underground wine hideaway. Veteran DJ Art will be mixing up the music for the night for the oenophiles.

Play

End the year with good luck here at M! We’ll be giving away $24,000 in free pay randomly beginning at 8pm on New Year’s Eve. Every 15 minutes we’ll be drawing 10 winners. Two players will win $300, four players will win $150 and another four will win $100. All you have to do is play with your iMagine Rewards Card to be eligible.

Not to be outdone, our poker room will be giving away a grand share of money as well. Play with us and you could win the following: Heart Royal = $2,012; Club Royal = $2,012; Diamond Royal = $2,012 and Spade Royal = $2,012. All Four of a Kinds = $212 and the poker room will have $2,012 in cash giveaways. Complete details can be found in the M Poker Room.

Dine

Our restaurants will be ready for you to kick-off the New Year’s festivities. Marinelli’s, our authentic Italian restaurant will be offering a la carte specialty items in addition to its regular menu beginning at 4pm and our steakhouse, Anthony’s will be serving up a limited menu for the holiday starting at 5 pm. And of course, Studio B Buffet will be serving specialty dishes all day.

No matter which way you decide to spend your holiday night, we hope to have you at M to celebrate 2012! We wish all of our guests a happy and safe New Year.

Oyster Bar's M Girl Sushi Roll.

Part of serving great food is the presentation. A feast for the eyes is just as important as a feast for the mouth in the restaurants at M. When our chefs present a dish, it’s not only about the trendy tablescape underneath it but also how the food is displayed on top of it. Guests eat with their eyes first and they get a visual feast with what we’re plating up in our kitchens.

When plating food our chefs know the importance of balancing colors and textures. Each dish at our restaurants has its own plating guide, a step-by-step instructional sheet teaching our culinary team members the exact specifications of how a menu item should be displayed. These guides ensure that each dishes’ appearance is consistent and visually pleasing.

Combination Sashimi from Oyster Bar.

With the addition of a new menu at Anthony’s Oyster Bar, our Food & Beverage Team recently had the opportunity to create new plating guides, unique to the venue. Our plating guides show a photo of the dish, what course type it is (appetizer, entrée, etc.), which outlet it’s served at, ingredients, how to prepare and lastly how to plate.

A little color goes a long way, with our Combination Sashimi plate. The different color fish slices contrast with the shredded daikon, shiso leaves and lemon garnish. The sashimi slices are fanned out on top of one another and separated by type of fish.

Shrimp Tempura from Oyster Bar.

A great base is always the start to plating. Here, our Shrimp Tempura dish is placed upon a Ti leaf. A bed of fried rice noodles is assembled on top of the Ti leaf with the Shrimp Tempura and other tempura vegetables leaned up against them.

A diner’s experience is heavily tied to what they see on their plate and has the ability to alter their opinion of the tastes of the food. Presentation can be the difference between a dish being mundane or gourmet. The goal of every dish we send out is to create a balance between flavors and looks, creating the ultimate dining experience.

Marinelli’s

Spend the yuletide day with a meal of Italian favorites. Marinelli’s is offering a three-course dinner filled with some of their signature family recipes. Each course also has a custom wine pairing.

First Course
RAVIOLI D’ARAGOSTA paired with Marinelli’s Pinot Grigio
Spinach pasta filled with Maine lobster, leeks, scallops, vodka tomato cream sauce

Second Course
Choice of…

PESCE BIANCO
Pan-roasted Chilean sea bass, herbed gnocchi, English peas, heirloom carrots and roasted tomato-tarragon cream sauce

OR

IL GRANCHIO E’ INCROSTATO IL FILETTO DI MANZO
Crab crusted beef tenderloin, cipollini onions, pancetta, risotto cake and Brunello di Montalcino reduction

Either paired with Marinelli’s Sangiovese.

Third Course
PANETONE CON CIOCCOLATO paired with Michele Chiarlo Moscato D’ Asti
Warm homemade Italian panettone filled with chocolate nutella & crème anglaise

Studio B Buffet

Since the holidays are about indulgence, why not indulge in a buffet (the best in town, no less) including over 200 food selections and did we mention, unlimited wine, beer, hard cider, espresso drinks (and more).

Studio B will be serving up special traditional dishes on Christmas day including: parsnip-leek soup, lobster bisque with parmesan cheese twirls, roasted turkey, Yukon gold mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, wild mushroom and chestnut stuffing, green bean casserole, brussels sprouts, maple-glazed sweet baked yams with cranberries, sliced pit ham with apple raisin sauce, rosemary leg of lamb with lamb au jus or mint jelly, truffled potatoes au gratin and orange-glazed duck breast.

The buffet will also add some new favorites to the traditional Christmas feast including: lobster ravioli with lobster cream sauce and osso buco gremolata.

For those who wish to celebrate at home, we have brought back our popular Christmas Feast To Go package that many enjoyed at Thanksgiving. For the Christmas Holiday we are offering your choice of two different menus.

Roast Turkey Menu
Soup
Lobster corn chowder

Main Course
Whole roasted tom turkey

Side Dishes
Savory stuffing & giblet gravy
Yukon gold mashed potatoes with sour cream & white cheddar
Maple-gazed sweet potatoes
Cranberry sauce
Asparagus with lemon zest
Honey-dill carrots
Hawaiian sweet rolls and honey butter

Dessert
Chiffon raspberry roulade
Christmas cupcakes
Gingerbread cookies

Prime Rib Menu
Soup
Lobster corn chowder

Main Course
Roasted prime rib of beef

Side Dishes
Creamed horseradish & au jus
Yukon gold mashed potatoes with sour cream & white cheddar
Maple-glazed sweet potatoes
Asparagus with lemon zest
Honey-dill carrots
Hawaiian sweet rolls and honey butter

Dessert
Chiffon raspberry roulade
Christmas cupcakes
Gingerbread cookies

Treat yourself to one of our Christmas dining options and leave all the work up to us! You’ll have more time to spend with the family and if you make it down to M on Christmas Day you can see our festive display of decorations all throughout our resort.

Jack-O-Lantern

1 oz Hennessy VSOP

1.5 oz Orange Juice

.5 oz Ginger Ale

.5 oz Grand Marnier

Combine all ingredients with ice in a pint glass, shake and pour into a bucket. Garnish with an orange wheel floating atop the drink.

Jager Monster

1 .50 oz Jagermeister

1 oz Orange Juice

Splash of Grenadine

Combine all ingredients with ice in a pint glass, shake and pour into a bucket. Garnish with an orange wedge dipped in grenadine.

PumpkinTini

1.50 Stoli Vanil

1 oz Pumpkin Spice

Cinnamon-sugar Rim

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice, shake and strain into a martini glass.

If you have a sweet tooth, skip the trick-or-treating and order one of our candy cocktails. Our casino bars offer five different sweet treats for you to sip on and they’re garnished with actual candy. Choose from a Liquid Snickers, Peanut Butter Cup Martini, Almond Joy, Milky Way Martini, Jelly Bean or a Cotton Candy Martini.

There are five different selections of Marinelli’s wine to choose from at our resort. If you visit Hostile Grape you can sample all of these wines (and 155 others) by the glass.

Sangiovese

Made from the classic Italian grape grown in the best areas of California, Marinelli’s Sangiovese has ripe aromas of red and black raspberry with a touch of bread dough. The wine projects flavors of rhubarb, blackberry and spicy notes. Its finish is marked by sweet tannins, brandied cherries and almond biscotti. This Sangiovese is made with both punch cap fermentation in open tanks and closed tanks. Each lot is aged separately for 20 months in French and Eastern European Oak barrels.

Chardonnay

The Chardonnay from the Marinelli’s wine label has notes of pineapple and honeysuckle. It’s crisp, fresh and bright with citrus and green apple flavors and subtle oak notes. Marnielli’s Chardonnay is a medium-full bodied wine, rich with excellent acid balance and firm texture. This wine is barrel fermented and aged for nine months in specially-made French oak barrels.

Pinot Grigio

This bright and crisp Pinot Grigio is dry with a rich fruit center. It’s pressed directly to a stainless steel tank and is cold fermented for three months. It is then aged in stainless steel tanks before bottling. This particular wine on the Marinelli’s label pairs perfectly with a wide range of cuisines.

Cabarnet Franc

The aromas of ripe plum, clove and hints of damp leaves come out immediately in Marinelli’s Cabarnet Franc. Black currant and pungent clove flavors abound on the palate followed by sweet tobacco, cedar plank and a welcome shot of tannin on the smooth finish. The Cabarnet Franc is punch cap fermented and then balance fermented in stainless steel tanks using the pump-over process. It is aged for 18 months in a combination of old French and European cooperage.

Merlot

The Marinelli’s Merlot has plum and blueberry on the nose, firm tannin, medium plus body, plum and blueberry on the palate and a touch of oak on the finish. It shows balance and richness with distinct Merlot flavors. It’s fermented on the skins for eight days and aged for 22 months in French oak barrels.

You might see a few bottles here and there because we occasionally give some of our signature label out for gift days. Want to take part in our gift days? Simply sign up for an iMagine Rewards Card and you might be lucky enough to snag your own bottle in the future. Otherwise, you can also sample a glass or two at any of our restaurants.