The Casino File
When master of the fine-dining universe Stephen Starr opened Chez Frites at Ocean Casino Resort in July, 2025, the emphasis was on steak, lobster and the unlimited supply of French-fried potatoes that accompanied prix fixe meals. But a year-and-change later, the upscale-yet-casual eatery on the pleasure dome’s hotel-lobby level is looking at life through a different set of pots and pans. Today, while the signature dishes remain, the menu has significantly expanded.
“While I love the concept that we launched with, I think that as far as repeatability goes, in this market, we see a lot of [the same] faces weekend after weekend, so variety’s important,” offered John Huff, who serves as the general manager of Chez Frites and its next-door neighbor, Sunny’s, the breakfast-lunch-and-brunch spot that is also part of the Starr Restaurant Organization empire.
But it’s not just the concept of an expanded bill of fare that makes the restaurant noteworthy. It’s what’s been added to the menu that sets it apart from the Atlantic City casino-dining pack.
“The new entree additions are awesome, and they really speak to the transformation that we’re doing — more towards the French bistro concept,” explained Huff.
“So, we’ve added a duck a la orange, which is a confit duck leg that gets crisped up, and served with an orange au jus that’s phenomenal.”
Another addition he described has to be a local first: It’s from Alsace-Lorraine, a region of France that abuts Germany.
“It speaks to the leaning into the French inspiration. It’s kind of cool,” enthused Huff. It’s called ‘Choucroute Garni.’ ‘Choucroute’ means ‘sauerkraut,’ and ‘garni’ means ‘bouquet.’ It’s actually sauerkraut with three different sausages. There’s a WeiBwurst [a white Bavarian sausage], kielbasa and there’s slab bacon in there; it’s kind of like pork belly that gets cooked in with the sauerkraut. So, there’s a lot of depth of flavor there. If you’re a fan of sauerkraut or fermented things like cabbage, kimchi, anything like that, you’ll love it. It’s also phenomenal for your gut health.”
Even established menu items have received facelifts. “I’m really excited about how we modified our salmon dish,” declared Huff.
“Now, it’s really just a beautifully composed dish with a classic French sauce. It’s a Faroe Island salmon [which means it’s antibiotic-free] with seared skin on and finished in the broiler. And then, it’s served over braised Swiss chard, Chanterelle mushrooms, and this phenomenal beurre blank sauce [a traditional butter-based gravy].
The appetizer offerings have also been increased since spring, the most recent of which is a roasted beet salad.
“It’s got some real cool chef touches,” advised Huff. “It’s got ricotta cream; we call it a fennel cream, but it’s really whipped ricotta with some acid — lemon juice — and some fennel pollen that gives it a great flavor.
“And then we actually prepare these amazing hazelnuts for the salad. We slow-cook them at a low temperature with a sugar solution and some star anise and other spices. Then we drain them; when they get drained, they get fried. And the residual sugar that’s left over from that slow poach in the sugar solution forms a candy coating on the hazelnuts.”
Of course, not every palate demands such off-the-beaten-track dishes. For the less-adventurous diners there are the steaks (a prime New York strip and filet mignon), and the lobster tail, which is only available in the surf-and-turf offerings, including the Chez Frites Dinner special ($99) which includes a glass of sparkling wine, mixed-green salad, the strip steak and lobster tail and for dessert a choice of crème brulee or chocolate mousse.
The lobster tail is a particular point of pride for Huff. “It’s a cold-water lobster tail from South Africa. The sweetness that you get from it is just really unique. Before we opened, I think we tried seven or eight different lobster tails from Australia, Maine, all over the place. But this South African tail just really stood out.”
As for the “bottomless” fries provided with the specials, Huff suggested the perk makes perfect sense. After all, he noted “‘Chez Frites’ actually translates from French to ‘House of Fries.’
“So, you know, we gotta bring the French fries.”
For more, go to theoceanac.com/restaurants/chez-frites.
Rod rolling into the Rock after all
It appears rock ‘n’ roll god Rod Stewart reads Shore Local Newsmagazine!
A couple weeks ago, this column lamented that the octogenarian megastar was skipping Our Town on his recently announced 2027 tour which, he made clear, will be his final musical road trip. Well, two days ago, it was announced that Rod the Mod is indeed Boardwalk bound: He’s scheduled to perform at Hard Rock Live! At Etess Arena on March 6, 2027.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow at ticketmaster.com.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
