AFTER DARK
The frugal gambler bets on the Hard Rock
Posted on Fri, Feb. 15, 2008
By GABE BERMAN
I recently moved into a new apartment. To compensate for the increase in rent, my New Year's resolutions were to stay away from restaurants and curtail my junkie-like spending habits on iTunes.
How am I doing so far? Not so good, but I had a contingency plan. I headed over to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (off U.S. 441 north of Stirling Road), near Hollywood, to earn some big-time cash from their two-cent slots (stopping on the way for a little Chinese food while listening to the Engineers album I downloaded specifically for the car ride).
For high-rollers like me, it's important to have a focused mind while gambling, so I had a coffee at Constant Grind. This java joint replaced Bad Ass Coffee Co. in Seminole Paradise, a complex of shops, bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Unlike the Hawaiian decor of its predecessor, Constant Grind is reminiscent of a streamlined Manhattan coffee shop.
Customers here have time to relax with coffee enhanced with shots of Kahlúa, Frangelico, Amaretto or Grand Marnier (or ''Granda Ma'' as it's known in the nightlife circuit). You can also satisfy your caffeine craving with a traditional cappuccino or experiment with a Grasshopper Crush -- a blend of espresso, coffee, mocha syrup and mint syrup.
Constant Grind lives up to its name by staying open until midnight during the week and 3 a.m. on weekends.
Venturing into the Hard Rock, I passed by a room labeled High Limit Casino. The $100 slots I found were too rich for my blood, and I didn't make it into the Plum VIP Lounge because the security guard, sporting a Secret Service-style ear piece, denied me access. Maybe my T-shirt, cargo shorts and black Nike high-tops didn't make the cut. I didn't wait to find out when he started talking into his sleeve.
But I later discovered it wasn't my outfit that kept me from the Plum Lounge -- it's dubbed a VIP lounge for ''loyal'' Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Players Club Card members.
Sign up to be a new Players Club Card member with a valid driver's license and you'll be eligible for $20 play at the slots.
Slots today are no longer equipped with those knob-adorned levers. All you have to do is stick your Players Club card in and push buttons. To me, it was about as much fun as going to the ATM machine, so I cashed out and called it quits.
On my way out of the casino, I came across the Council Oak Steak & Seafood Restaurant. Although the dress code calls for business casual, I was allowed to sit at the bar with my attire, which could only be described as ''basketball casual.'' Council Oak is upscale but the drink prices aren't prohibitive. Nurse $8 cocktails while listening to smooth jazz on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights and rock Wednesday-Saturday.
I ended up at Tatu, the Asian grill, sushi bar and sake lounge in Seminole Paradise.
Aside from the five-foot glass cones of light that virtually explode from behind the bar like underwater volcanoes and the chain-mail curtains that cordon off circular tables in the dining areas, Tatu's sleek decor is understated. It's barely illuminated by thin tracks and flickering tea lights in red-tinted glass.
The canopy-covered outdoor bar is a tad flashier. Music pumps from mounted speakers, and the gun-metal bar is covered in fractured glass, backlit by blue neon.
I mentioned to the bartender that I loved the rhythm heavy electro-lounge beats and she said the CD was for sale at the hostess station. I, of course was tempted, but this time, will power prevailed.
Tatu is about the size of a football field. The cocktail bar is in one end zone and the sushi bar is in the other. Kung Fu flicks, Japanese anime and sporting events are projected on a wall above the sushi bar.
Jizake Tenzan, Dewanansan Nama-genshu and Sho Chika Bai -- Bruce Lee's enemies? No, these are types of sake, from $8 to $200 a bottle. Try a Lycheetini, mixed with peach vodka, white cranberry juice and fresh lychees.
As for my winnings? Minus zero. And I also admit to buying the CD on the way out of Tatu.
ON THE HORIZON
• The Livid Kittens are playing with the Psycho Daisies and Fraulein at Alligator Alley, 1321 E. Commercial Blvd., Oakland Park, at 10 p.m. Saturday; $5 at the door.
• The Victor Wooten Band and Hagus Magagus perform Saturday at Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; 8 p.m.; $24.99, Ticketmaster.
Gabe Berman will answer questions about Broward nightlife. Go to MiamiHerald.com/entertainment and click on Nightlife.
Join the discussion
The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Not a registered user? It's Free!
Register here. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
