Graton Casino Opens, with Keane, Gemignani, Yan in Tow

Yesterday was opening day for the Graton Resort & Casino, the new palace of gaming in Rohnert Park. While most of the press was understandably focused on the 144 table games, 3,000-plus slot machines, and $800 million price tag, Graton is also something of a dining destination, featuring casual concepts from local star chefs like Top Chef Master Douglas Keane (Cyrus), Martin Yan (M.Y. China), and Tony Gemignani (Tony's Pizza Napoletana).

The four headliner restaurants are Yan's M.Y. China, which will offer an identical menu to the San Francisco location; Gemignani's Tony's of North Beach, which has four ovens to allow for varying styles of pizza, in a manner similar to Capo's (and which features an adjacent "slice house" similar to the one adjoining the actual North Beach branch); "classic American food" chain Daily Grill; and 630 Park, a casino-operated steakhouse with all the traditional fare for high rollers.

For more casual eating, there's The Marketplace, a 500-seat food court, er, "casual dining venue" featuring nine different options, the most prominent of which is DK Wings, Keane's first-ever fast-casual wings spot. Other notables include the first brick-and-mortar for popular Santa Rosa taco truck La Fondita; an outpost of burger chain The Habit; Gemignani's slice house; a Three Twins Ice Cream scoop shop; and Boathouse Sushi Asian Noodles, which is run by the folks behind Santa Rosa's Kettles Vietnamese Bistro. A deli, BBQ joint, and a Starbucks (described in the press kit as "the coffeehouse that showed America what coffee could be") round out the options.

Drinkers can mourn their gambling losses in one of three bars: 360-degree central bar Sky at Graton; VIP lounge 8, in the high-limit area; and sports bar G Bar, which will feature 38 flat screens. Hours for the eateries vary (here's the list), but the Starbucks and Slice House are open 24 hours.

· Douglas Keane Won Top Chef Masters Last Night [~ ESF ~]
· Graton Resort & Casino [Official website]