Borgata Hotel and Casino
Atlantic City
- Borgata Hotel and Casino
- Blue Water Grill - New York
- Parcel 104 - San Francisco
As Wine Director of the Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Anjoleena oversees the wine programs for the casino's five casual and seven fine dining restaurants. Her training started at her family's diner in Walla Walla, Washignton, For Pete's Sake, named for her grandmother's favorite saying, She tackled everything from painting and pulling up old linoleum to doing prep work in the kitchen and waiting on tables, inspiring her to a career in hospitality which has spanned two decades.
In the 1990's, Anjoleena moved to New York City and joined the service team at Blue Water Grill, one of the Manhattan-based B.R. Guest Restaurants, which mandates food, wine and service classes for all employees. Anjoleena's intense interest in the wine classes yielded her a harvest of benefits. Invited to attend "Wine College," she was named Valedictorian and took the American Sommelier Association course.
Returning to the Bay Area, Anjoleena was named Sommelier and Beverage Manager of Parcel 104, the "farm fresh" American restaurant created by the synergy of Marriott, California celebrity chef Bradley Ogden and executive chef Bart Hosmer. Anjoleena received her second Sommelier certification in March 2002, this time from the Court of Master Sommeliers.
A move to Arizona led to a brief stint with the historic Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa as General Manager of Wright's, their fine-dining restaurant. Brief, because beckoning her from just down the street was a wine-oriented trio under the direction of eloquent owner/wino Peter Kasperski. Anjoleena was nick-named the 'wine fairy' at the acclaimed corner known as Restaurant Row, which includes Cowboy Ciao, Sea Saw and Kazimierz World Wine Bar. She developed a unique wine education program for the staff of 150 tailored to three distinct levels of experience: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Anjoleena truly found her passion in wine in a relaxed manner. During this time, she passed her Advanced level with the Court of Master Sommeliers.