With all of the excitement over crowning Danny Veltri as the "Hell's Kitchen" winner and new Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa chef last week, some may have overlooked the news that will certainly have more impact for food lovers in Atlantic City.

It turns out that Veltri will be one of five sous chefs in the kitchen of a much more renowned, experienced and famous chef: Stephen Kalt.

Kalt will lend his culinary expertise to two brand-new restaurant concepts at Borgata: Fornelletto Cucino Italiano, in the former Ombra location, and Roma, in the former Risi-Bisi space. The chef is best known for his appearances on "Martha Stewart Living" and as executive chef of Corsa Cucina, a gourmet Mediterranean and Italian restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas.

"When I decided to leave New York for Las Vegas and Steve Wynn asked me to open at Wynn, the only reason I did it was because it was a top market and Steve Wynn has a reputation of doing the best," Kalt says. "So when I got a call from Borgata, I felt exactly the same way. This company has made an extraordinary commitment to the region. It's clearly the place at the top in Atlantic City when it comes to food and beverage."

Fornelletto, which will offer a mix of classic and contemporary Italian cuisine, is currently undergoing minor renovations, but Kalt immediately fell in love with the Ombra space.

"The valted ceiling and stunning classic d�cor aren't going anywhere," Kalt says. "It's like a classic cellar space you find in Italy, and I love it. It's a very modest makeover. It already has a great bar; the room layout will stay the same. One thing that I am changing is that we will add a bit more dynamism in the dining room. What I prefer in an urban restaurant that they generally do not do at casinos is to have a little smaller tables and have them closer together. That five-foot space between the big, oversized tables … to me, that's energy dying to be bottled up and passed around. So we increased seating and are working on sound baffling on the ceiling and under the tables because it's going to be a fairly loud space."

Kalt will condense its two action stations to one, but Fornelletto, which will open around the third week of June, will stay focused on wine and cheese.

"There will be a great cheese bar, but we will make it all Italian and focus on regional Italian cheeses with a selection of maybe two dozen at a time," Kalt says.

"We are also going to have a mozzarella bar with a dozen different sides to go with the cheeses. And we'll have a nice selection of Italian cured meats."

Fornelletto's concept will encourage people to share and have fun. In fact, half of the menu will feature small Italian plates of items like crostini and hot and cold antipasta.

"You can come and nibble at this and that or have a bowl of pasta or a Neopolitan pizza or a full piece or roasted fish or porketta," Kalt says. "We will have something for everyone."

A week before the opening of Fornelletto, which means "little oven," diners will be able to sample Kalt's more casual cuisine with the opening of Roma, which will offer pizza, pasta, paninis and more.

"In some ways, it will be similar to Risi-Bisi because you will see cabinets full of sandwiches and pastries and you come up to order," says Kalt, who lives in Las Vegas. "But it will differ because you will be able get everything from a glass of wine to pizza by day and pasta to chicken parm at night. Both concepts are going to be a lot of fun. I cannot wait to get into my car on Friday morning and drive across the country and go to work in Atlantic City."

Penn & Teller for free?

Wanna see Penn & Teller and not pay a dime? Well, Boardwalk strollers will be able to see the popular comedy magic duo on the Boardwalk in front of the Dennis Courtyard at Bally's Atlantic City at 2 p.m. Friday, May 22.

Penn & Teller, who perform at Harrah's Resort from Friday, May 22, to Sunday, May 24 (see interview on Page 6), will offer a "classic Boardwalk trick," according to a Harrah's publicist.

They will levitate a member of the audience in broad daylight. If you're a guy, you don't stand much of a chance. Penn Jillette historically picks attractive females with long hair to participate in the duo's illusions.

Those in attendance will receive $5 discounts to the Penn & Teller shows on Friday and Sunday. Sounds like a good way to start Memorial Day weekend.

Speaking of free …

If you really don't have any bucks to spend, follow up your trip to see Penn & Teller by checking out a free concert by classic rockers Jefferson Starship 5 p.m. Sunday, May 24 in the Dennis Courtyard at Bally's.

The band, which has gone through as many name changes (Starship, Jefferson Airplane) as it has members, is known for hits that include "Find Your Way Back" and "We Built This City."

Big eaters

at Trump Plaza

Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, which has hosted its own hot dog eating contest for a few years, gets very serious about it this time around as it will host one of the final qualifiers for the official Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y.

The Plaza contest, which will take place at the Trump Plaza Beach Bar 2 p.m. Saturday, May 23, will feature 10 contestants gobbling down Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, which recently opened a location in the Plaza's East Tower, along with Arthur Treacher's and Haagen Daaz.

"It really brings some attention to the new Nathan's location, as well as the Beach Bar," says Plaza Beverage Manager Jennifer Nikander. "We've been asking them to move the contest from Liberty Place in Philly for years. So when we approached them this year, they jumped all over it. It's a big deal for us because they usually draw at least 1,000 people to that event, so we hope we'll draw the same. It's a good way to kick off the summer."

Nikander says that some members of the International Federation of Competitive Eating may be on hand, including Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas.

The winner of the Plaza contest wins a $1,000 trip voucher, a grand prize trophy and entry into the July 4 finale.

Celebrity sightings

Lance Bass was dancing it up at Borgata's mixx last weekend as the former "Dancing with the Stars" runner-up and member of N*Sync hosted a party to unveil Borgata's new dance team, B Luscious.

The girls danced with Bass to the sounds of N*Sync's "Bye, Bye, Bye." Bass was also seen relaxing at Immersion Spa at The Water Club and enjoyed dinner at Izakaya, choosing crispy rock shrimp and spicy tuna cracker.

BeachBall Seafood House reopening

at Resorts

Resorts Atlantic City gears up for the busy summer season by reopening its BeachBall Seafood House on the Boardwalk level.

The restaurant will reopen with an updated menu that will feature "the best in fresh seafood with unbeatable value," according to a press release.

With a great view of the Boardwalk, the restaurant will be open Fridays to Sundays beginning this weekend.

"Resorts' customers have come to expect the ultimate in quality and value," says Senior Vice President of Marketing Kathleen McSweeney. "With the increase in 'staycations,' the Jersey Shore is the perfect place to have fun without breaking the bank."

The casual eatery features dishes such as: Chesapeake seafood chowder; crispy calamari; steamed clams with herb butter; Old Bay-seasoned shrimp, all for $10 or less.

The seafood joint will also offer a raw bar with clams and oysters on the half shell.

Other dishes expected to sell well include crabcakes, fish and chips and the fried seafood combo.

The BeachBall Seafood House will cater to landlubbers, too, with menu items like grilled Southwest chicken salad, turkey club sandwiches, burgers and more.

Dessert specials will include apple crisp, cheesecakes and the "Sinfully Delicious Molent Chocolate Chip Cookie" with ice cream.

The seafood house will be open 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, noon to 1 a.m. Saturdays, and noon to 7 p.m. Sundays. Call 609-340-6000

Hooters and bikinis at the Tropicana - nice!

Hundreds showed up last weekend for the Hooters Miss Attila Wings Regional Swimsuit Pageant at the Tropicana Casino & Resort's Showroom to benefit the Ruth Newman Shapiro Cancer Memorial and mammography unit.

Unfortunately, none of the local participants from Hooters at the Tropicana or Trump Marina Hotel Casino placed in the top five. The winner of Miss Attila Wing 2009 was Megan Dedousis, of Philadelphia, who works a the Hooters in Concord, Pa.