Ocean Casino Resort is expanding its dining portfolio this summer through a new partnership with celebrity restaurateur Stephen Starr, the resort announced.
Starr, a James Beard Award-winning chef and founder of STARR Restaurants, will develop two new concepts slated to open at Ocean Casino in the coming months. The venues will be located on the resort’s lobby level, across from The Park.
The move brings Starr back to his childhood roots in Atlantic City, where he worked as a teenager along the boardwalk.
“It feels like a full circle moment for me to work on restaurant projects in Atlantic City, a place where I formed some of my finest childhood memories,” Starr said in a statement. “I’m excited to work with the team at Ocean Casino Resort to develop two new dining concepts this summer.”
Ocean Casino has not released exact opening dates or names for the restaurants, but Starr previewed the culinary direction. One restaurant will serve Americana-inspired comfort food for breakfast and lunch, with menu items such as pigs in a blanket, tuna tacos, pierogies, homestyle meatloaf and year-round Thanksgiving dinner.
The second concept will feature French cuisine, described as “old-school charm with a new-school twist.” Planned menu items include steak frites with herbaceous butter sauce, salmon, lobster, and other à la carte offerings.
The additions will expand Ocean’s existing dining offerings, which include three fine dining restaurants, four casual dining outlets, cafes, and in-room dining options. Starr’s involvement marks a high-profile culinary investment in Atlantic City, where casinos continue to position food and beverage as a competitive differentiator in the hospitality market.
