Stephen Starr returns to Atlantic City with two restaurants at Ocean Casino

Stephen Starr is returning to Atlantic City this summer to partner on two restaurants at Ocean Casino Resort — one focused on Americana and the other specializing in steak frites.

Starr, who closed outposts of the Continental and Buddakan at the Pier at Caesars in 2020 during the pandemic, will be responsible for the concepts of the still-unnamed restaurants, which the casino will operate under a licensing agreement. They are due to open on the lobby level.

The French restaurant will replace Harper’s, the brunch eatery that moved to the Ocean’s casino floor, across from Starbucks. Starr told Forbes that the restaurant is inspired by Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote in Paris, combining “old-school charm with a new-school twist.” It will have a prix-fixe menu of steak, salmon, and lobster with frites.

The American concept, replacing SkyCafe, will serve a nostalgic menu of comfort foods such as pigs in a blanket, tuna tacos, pierogi, meatloaf, and Thanksgiving dinner, he told Forbes.

Starr has been on a tear of openings from New York to Florida. In his hometown of Philadelphia, he owns 18 restaurants, including Parc, Barclay Prime, and Buddakan, and is developing the Italian destination Borromini along with a recently announced restaurant on the former site of Devon Seafood Grill, both on Rittenhouse Square.

In Washington, D.C., where his name is attached to nine restaurants, he recently revived the landmark Occidental across from the White House and joined Nancy Silverton on a location of her Michelin-starred Osteria Mozza.

In New York, where he oversees nine restaurants, he’s behind the posh Le Café Louis Vuitton and is taking over the long-running Babbo and Lupa from the Bastianich family. He has five restaurants in Florida, where he is also planning a new location of the French restaurant Pastis in West Palm Beach.