There’s the nightclub Memoire, but the R3hab show is sold out.īut I think it’s not really a casino visit if you don’t hit the buffet. There’s a fancy cafe called Bru with plenty of empty tables, while the line for Dunkin’ snakes down the hall. Rare Steakhouse specializes in dry-aged Pat LaFrieda meat and Japanese wagyu. There are plenty of other places I might check out. It’s sort of like pronouncing Target “tar-jay.”) (It isn’t until hours later that I realize Mystique is named after the Mystic River. I’m sorry to say goodbye to my new friends, the sweet but scattered servers in black corsets, and the dance remix of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that at least Kurt Cobain never had to hear. Also on the menu: lobster tempura, wagyu beef gyoza, a host of other robata items and raw fish dishes, maki and nigiri sushi, larger plates like miso cod and Singapore street noodles, luxurious steaks, and shareable dishes including Japanese fried chicken and whole roast fish. The raw scallops are served with apple and shiso, cool and refreshing.

The wings arrive on a little clay table grill filled with smoldering Japanese charcoal, infusing them with smoky flavor and keeping them hot. Before I know it, I’m sharing wings and scallop ceviche with a group that is, alas, too small for us to order the Sir Inks A Lot, a citrus-y potion of vodka, cassis, and lemongrass that serves 10 or more. It seems the possibility of losing our collective shirt really brings us together. I’m at a freestanding bar surrounded by very pretty, very friendly people. In the middle of the action is an open kitchen, where about a dozen cooks are doing their thing. Mystique is filled with thumping music there’s a lounge, and a bar area, and a dining room.

The hospitality group is also responsible for several Foxwoods restaurants - Shrine, Red Lantern - so it comes to Encore with plenty of casino experience. The Asian-inspired restaurant Mystique is run by Big Night Entertainment, another local concern, behind Empire, the Scorpion Bar, and more. It wouldn’t take much money for him to open his own bar in Florence. “Don’t forget me if you win big,” a server calls after some departing women. Everyone is wishing each other luck as they head back out to the slots.

It’s getting later, and the plastic surgery and cold-shoulder dresses are starting to appear.

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