Celebrity Chef Chris Santos Brings New Restaurant To Mohegan Sun

UNCASVILLE, CT — Celebrity chef, Chris Santos, who is a fixture on the Food Network's Chopped is bringing his Beauty & Essex restaurant to Mohegan Sun in the fall of 2023.

Mohegan and Tao Group Hospitality announced that Beauty & Essex will open inside the casino. Beauty & Essex first opened in New York City in 2010.

“The relationship we have enjoyed with Tao Group Hospitality has been excellent, making the addition of another high-profile restaurant offering like Beauty & Essex a no-brainer for Mohegan Sun,” said Jeff Hamilton, President & General Manager of Mohegan Sun. “TAO Asian Bistro & Lounge quickly became an unmatched dining experience in our region and the 11,000 square-foot Beauty & Essex will only further cement Mohegan Sun as the East Coast’s premier one-stop destination for the best dining, gaming, entertainment, and more.”

Created by Santos, Beauty & Essex serves global cuisine with shareable dishes and new twists on classic cocktails. Guests can expect Beauty & Essex favorites like the grilled cheese, smoked bacon & tomato soup dumplings, classic beef wellington, Togarashi spiced tuna, truffled mac & cheese as well as some new menu options exclusive to Mohegan Sun.

According to the Tao Group Hospitality website, "Beauty & Essex has an innovative design that starts in the restaurant’s entrance, a well curated modern day pawn shop replete with a saxophone, boom­box, quirky artifacts, vintage treasures and an eclectic array of “one­off” pieces of jewelry. Continuing past the pawn shop, guests encounter a grand, circular staircase wrapped around a two-­story custom chandelier..." (Read more and see photos here).

Beauty & Essex’s Mohegan Sun debut will be a homecoming to New England native Santos. “I’m very excited to bring this restaurant to Connecticut,” said Chef Santos. “New England has always been my home and I know Beauty & Essex is a perfect fit."

Santos, who grew up in Rhode Island, will also be participating in the Celebrity Chef Dine Around (CCDA) at the 19th Annual Sun Wine & Food Fest (SWFF) at Mohegan Sun. Fans can purchase tickets to SWFF 2023, a four-day event in late January, via moheganSun.com. CCDA occurs on Saturday, January 28th.