Casino Road Trip - Mohegan Sun Pennsylvania

First impressions: To be honest, there isn’t much that is notable as one approaches the Keystone State’s oldest legal gaming hall (it opened in a temporary structure in 2006). There are no skyscraping glass hotel towers or dramatic panoramas (although the surrounding ridges of the Pocono Mountains form a nice visual backdrop), as the 400-acre property on the outskirts of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. is in a relatively nondescript and sparsely populated area. And the small, low-key reception/check-in area is similarly devoid of the eye-catching decorations and accoutrements favored by many casino hotels. But these humble openers belie the many pleasures within the complex.

Accommodations: The seven-story hotel features 218 rooms and 20 suites. The standard lodgings are about average size (those with two queen-size beds are a little larger than those with a king), and boast such creature comforts as a stone bathroom (with a nice-sized shower); smart TV (offering dozens of channels); mini-fridge; safe and lounge chair.

Let’s eat: You certainly can’t go hungry at Mohegan Pa. The dining options start at the very top with a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. With all due respect to the Morton’s Fleming’s and Del Frisco’s of the world, there is simply nothing like a Ruth’s Chris steak. My 16-ounce ribeye was the very definition of carnivorian perfection: Superbly cooked (medium rare) and exploding with the flavor of its seasonings. The design is 21st-century steak house (modern and upscale without being fussy or ostentatious) and, as befits a top-flight operation, the service was impeccable.

For a more reasonably priced, but similarly upscale meal, there’s the homey Rustic Kitchen Bistro & Bar, an Italian-leaning dining room where I enjoyed a fabulous, generously portioned (and perfectly spicy) shrimp fra diavlo.

And speaking of reasonable prices, the tiny Pearl Sushi Bar, provides fresh sushi and sashimi at a surprisingly low cost.

Other outlets include Molly O’Shea’s Irish pub; The Hive Taphouse (serving traditional bar food); Johnny Rocket’s hamburger palace and, if you’re feeling homesick, an outpost of Tony Luke’s cheesesteakery.