Six months into his role as Sous Chef at Manasquan River Golf Club’s Coast Restaurant on the Riverview Terrace, Frank Cassalle is already making waves.
Cassalle says Executive Chef Richard Lowack, CEC, CCA, WCEC, initially asked him to change one or two dishes on the Terrace menu.
“I sat down for three hours and changed the whole menu, and they let me run with it,” says Cassalle.
Creating a Caribbean-Inspired Terrace Experience
Cassalle describes the Coast Restaurant on the Riverview Terrace as a lively bar-driven space with seating for 90.
“The vibe of the food is elevated cuisine, but with a high-end resort feeling,” he says. “We want you to feel like you’re somewhere in the Caribbean.”
When it came to building out the summer menu, Cassalle says he approached the task like most chefs—using one ingredient to springboard into other ideas.
He also saw the menu as an opportunity to let members know there was a new chef in the kitchen.
“I knew I wanted shrimp on the menu somewhere, and I wanted it to be something different than the members had experienced before so that they could tell there was a new guy in the kitchen,” he says.
Putting a New Spin on Familiar Favorites
Cassalle focused on Central American and Caribbean flavors while taking advantage of the fresh seafood available to a club located right on the water.
While he wanted members to notice the changes, Cassalle also understood that some Manasquan River Golf Club staples, including the New England-style lobster roll, needed to remain on the menu year-round.”
Some of the new items drew inspiration from classic dishes, while also taking it a step further.
“Everybody’s doing a fish sandwich with some kind of slaw on it, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to elevate that,” he says. “So, I said we will still make a blackened fish sandwich—like grouper or mahi—but instead of a regular remoulade, I did a jalapeño mango remoulade to give it some heat but also make it sweet. And instead of normal cabbage slaw, I did a Thai version of a green papaya slaw with a Nuoc Cham vinaigrette.”
Cassalle says his background provided him with a focus on American continental using a lot of cross-utilizing of flavors. That approach helped him take dishes members see all the time and give them a different twist.
He also used member feedback to tweak menu items along the way.
Cassalle says member feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, though some members have asked for less heat or small adjustments to certain dishes.
He says some dishes were slow to catch on but are now among the restaurant’s top sellers.
“I did a very simple seared scallop dish with a white gazpacho, and it didn’t sell for the first month and now it’s the number one seller,” he says.
Letting Member Feedback Shape the Menu
What makes Cassalle most proud of this menu is the feedback he’s receiving from members.
The upstairs terrace kitchen is open, allowing members to see and hear Cassalle and his team as they prepare each dish.
“Members come up and introduce themselves to me and my team. Hearing that positive feedback confirms I’m doing something right,” he says. “And that’s the whole reason you get into it. … I love food, and I like to feed people.”
