Robert Wiedmaier's Atlantic City Expansion Is Happening

Well, it appears that the Atlantic City project that chef Robert Wiedmaier first announced a couple of years back is actually going to happen, though maybe not exactly as originally planned. The City Paper's Chris Shott reports this morning that Wiedmaier and his new business partner Brian McBride are indeed opening a restaurant in the forthcoming Revel hotel and casino — with the aim of opening on March 15.

While reports from 2009 indicate that the restaurant was to be a second Brasserie Beck, Wiedmaier tells Shott that the spot will be named Mussel Bar (after his Bethesda restaurant) but will be styled more like Brasserie Beck. Not confusing at all. There's going to be an open kitchen, a stage for live performances and a "sexy steak" to compete with all of Atlantic City's other steakhouses.

And that's not it for Wiedmaier's expansion plans. When McBride left his post at Blue Duck Tavern in November to join his friend's restaurant group, it was clear that it was with an eye to build out the empire in the Washington area and beyond. McBride explains to Shott that the Atlantic City hiring is the first step in that process: "We're looking for guys that we can move to A.C. and move to different cities as we build. We're going to build a farm team for the future."

· Brian McBride and Robert Weidmaier Eye Atlantic City [WCP]
· Brian McBride Leaves Blue Duck Tavern For Robert Wiedmaier's Empire [-EDC-]

[Photo: Revel Atlantic City]