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Ok, this was really unexpected. You may recall that I’m doing a little tour of the Broward racinos – those combo racetrack/casinos that are popular with the gambling set. I’d never been to any of them before and felt it was time to check out these spots. I recently stopped by Gulfstream and had a nice time wandering around the restaurant and casino action there. That left two others, including the Isle Casino and Racing at Pompano Park. My plan was to save this for last, honestly because I thought I might enjoy it least of all. Anyway, the opportunity came up to visit the Isle over the weekend with my girlfriend so I thought, “What the heck?” The surprise was how much I liked it. Gwendolyn did too. So you’ll perhaps forgive the bad pun as the headline for this blog. Because yes, I will be back.
When you pull into the parking lot, you kind of think the place looks a bit tired. The outside isn’t impressive. The inside is. As you step into the middle of the cavernous casino, a long bar is surrounded with huge white screens that project moving nature images. The theme throughout the casino is Florida tropical, with palm fronds and flowing water and parrot designs and everything else. The two enormous waterfall fountains on either side of the escalator look like something right out of Vegas.
We went to the Isle on Sunday afternoon, not exactly prime time for gambling as far as I know. But we couldn’t get over how busy it was. Most poker tables were full and we noticed a waiting list. Of course, there’s no live harness racing this time of year. But big overhead banks of televisions offer simulcast racing from other parts of the country for those who still want to bet on the ponies. We really enjoyed ourselves. Everyone who worked at the Isle seemed friendly, the interior was impeccably clean and the décor was appealing. In addition to the gambling, we found a lovely shop inside the casino, a place selling quality stuff like Tommy Bahama shirts. Then there were the restaurants, four of them: Farraddays’, a beautiful steakhouse; Bragozzo, an upscale Italian place; the Isle Buffet, an attractive and reasonable cafeteria. And there also Myron’s Delicatessen, an authentic New York-style deli. We hung out at the Isle long enough to drop a couple dollars into the slot machines and have some laughs. And enjoy a great lunch at Myron’s. This deli was so good, and so unusual for South Florida, that I want to tell you about it in a separate blog later this week. Myron’s is a little corner of Manhattan tucked quietly away in Pompano Beach – and alone would justify a visit to the Isle.
When you pull into the parking lot, you kind of think the place looks a bit tired. The outside isn’t impressive. The inside is. As you step into the middle of the cavernous casino, a long bar is surrounded with huge white screens that project moving nature images. The theme throughout the casino is Florida tropical, with palm fronds and flowing water and parrot designs and everything else. The two enormous waterfall fountains on either side of the escalator look like something right out of Vegas.
We went to the Isle on Sunday afternoon, not exactly prime time for gambling as far as I know. But we couldn’t get over how busy it was. Most poker tables were full and we noticed a waiting list. Of course, there’s no live harness racing this time of year. But big overhead banks of televisions offer simulcast racing from other parts of the country for those who still want to bet on the ponies. We really enjoyed ourselves. Everyone who worked at the Isle seemed friendly, the interior was impeccably clean and the décor was appealing. In addition to the gambling, we found a lovely shop inside the casino, a place selling quality stuff like Tommy Bahama shirts. Then there were the restaurants, four of them: Farraddays’, a beautiful steakhouse; Bragozzo, an upscale Italian place; the Isle Buffet, an attractive and reasonable cafeteria. And there also Myron’s Delicatessen, an authentic New York-style deli. We hung out at the Isle long enough to drop a couple dollars into the slot machines and have some laughs. And enjoy a great lunch at Myron’s. This deli was so good, and so unusual for South Florida, that I want to tell you about it in a separate blog later this week. Myron’s is a little corner of Manhattan tucked quietly away in Pompano Beach – and alone would justify a visit to the Isle.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 2:38 PM
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