Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/288975
42 / the tasting panel / april 2014 42 / the tasting panel / april 2014 ON-PREMISE PATTER W hen you enter Sammy's Original, California's first ever restaurant specifically built to host mini-satellite horse race wagering, you won't see rows of trucker hats enveloped in wreathes of smoke. You also won't sense your feet gushing into sticky clumps of mystery scattered about the floor. You won't feel your skin crawl, either. "We're well aware of the stereotype of off-track betting, and all of the riff-raff that's associated with it," says Sammy's Marketing Manager and venue namesake Sammy Genovese. "One of our aims with Sammy's is to move away from that kind of connotation, and we feel that we have the right people in place to pull that off." Indeed, this isn't your shady uncle's place to play the ponies. For one thing, it's located in Lake Forest, an Orange County suburb so sleepy it practically snores. More important, it's abundantly clear that there's more to the place than placing wagers and nailing trifectas. "We consider ourselves to be an entertainment venue," Genovese states. "We can't be all about horse racing, because the horses don't run the majority of the time we're open. We have to give our guests a lot of other reasons to come. That's why we have 112 TVs, DJs on the weekend, and our kitchen is open until 2 a.m. If our guests happen to get turned on to horse racing if they come in here for other reasons, then that's great." One of the ways Sammy's plans to attract the non-betting crowd is by making sure their food and beverage program isn't an afterthought. While you can curse a slow horse over a plate of wings and a Mint Julep, you can also grab a craft cock- tail like their rum-centric Punch Drunk or a selection off the wine list designed by Southern Wine & Spirits—choices geared to accompany more upscale items like a plate of hand-shucked oysters or prime rib beef Stroganoff. And naturally, the epicurean goodness can sometimes be a conduit for other activities. "When we do brunch service, we give our customers a $2 race ticket," Genovese says. "It gives them a little taste of the fun we have here." It's the kind of fun that makes the success of Sammy's Original a sure bet. by Rich Manning / photos by Leigh Castelli Not Horsing Around SAMMY'S ORIGINAL IS ON TRACK WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPORT OF KINGS Sammy's Original's Marketing Manager Sammy Genovese. The venue that bears her name offers upscale food and drink and other entertainment along with mini- satellite horse wagering. Drinks like the rum- centric Punch Drunk, made with Malibu Spiced Rum, highlight Sammy's Original's list of craft cocktails. TP0414_034-71.indd 42 3/21/14 2:41 PM