MGM Springfield’s restaurants add menu items to tantalize the tastebuds

Smoked Salmon Pizza, available at Costa.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield is home to three restaurants, each with a unique style of food and vibe to cater to the various culinary interests of its patrons.

On Oct. 9, Tap Sports Bar, The Chandler and Costa each presented samples of new dishes they had added to their menus.

“We do it every six months or so,” said General Manager of Casual Dining Randy Hoy of the menu shake-up. “Seasonally, but also, we want people to have something new and interesting to try.” Community Affairs Manager Beth Ward explained, “We want people to do more than come to the casino and grab a bite. Come to the restaurant, and if you want to go to the casino, you can do that, too.”

Reminder Publishing stopped in to try the dishes each of the eateries had to offer.

At TAP Sports Bar

Donut Burger: Smash burger served with glazed donuts and American and beer cheese and over-easy eggs. There is a reason foodies praise sweet and savory flavor combinations. The traditional burger flavors kept the donuts from being overpoweringly sweet, while the donuts added something unexpected to the burger. “The honey glaze brings it all together,” said Hoy. Surveying the bed of loaded French fries the burger sat on, he joked, “It’s a light meal.”

Tuscan Chicken Dinner: Grilled chicken breast topped with creamy Tuscan sauce. Served with mashed potatoes. Hoy said people have been asking for healthier fare at TAP. The Tuscan Chicken Dinner and a grilled chicken sandwich that is served without a sauce were created to help satisfy that desire. Chicken and potatoes are comfort food, and this iteration did not disappoint. The creamy, cheesy sauce brought the flavors together.

Bruleed Bananas Foster Cake: Triple layer sponge cake with bruleed banana cream. This dessert was, in a word, unbelievable. Banana is my all-time favorite fruit, so they saw me coming with this light cake and rich sauce. The underlying banana flavor in every bite was not overly sweet or artificial, as some banana syrups or liquors can be.

At The Chandler

Five Spice Short Rib: Carrot and ginger puree, red watercress. The phrase “melts in your mouth” could easily have been created specifically to describe this short rib, which was clearly cooked low-and-slow to achieve the texture.

Octopus Causa: Braised octopus, chilled potato and aji Amarillo puree, dried olives and parsley oil. Remember what I said earlier about not liking most seafood? I draw the line at tentacles. Luckily for me, I had a pinch hitter who let me use their taste buds. Ward’s husband, Mark Dutille, was having dinner and agreed to sample the octopus. He said, “It’s nice. There’s a little char on the octopus. It’s tender.” He also appreciated potato and chili puree croquette.

The Chandler also offers a lobster bisque this season, with buttered lobster, crème fraîche and chive oil.

At Costa

Chicken Scarpariello: Italian sausage, cherry peppers, potatoes, served with spinach and ricotta polenta. The chicken sausage was flavorful, and the potatoes, with their skins, were well seasoned. The peppers and creamy polenta added another flavor to the tried-and-true combination.

Smoked Salmon Pizza: Dill and chive mascarpone, smoked salmon, capers, everything bagel seasoning and frisee. This pizza understood the assignment. I am not a salmon fan, or a fan of much seafood, to be honest. But the light flavor of the smoked salmon spoke to its freshness. The seasoning and salmon gave the instant and distinct impression of having a bagel and lox, but without too much bread, as the pizza crust was relatively thin. The capers added a slightly salty flavor to the combination.

Costa also added a grilled pork chop to its menu, served with apple mostarda, teardrop peppers and paprika braised cabbage.