Brian Coseo, Executive Chef, Sea Pines CC
For Executive Chef Brian Coseo, the move to Hilton Head Island’s Sea Pines Country Club 12 years ago brought his career full circle. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park in 1984, he began at The Marriott Corporation on Hilton Head Island, where he worked for about five years before moving to Philadelphia and eventually joining the private club sector. Prior to joining Sea Pines CC in 2013, he served as Executive Chef for The Racquet Club of Philadelphia.
Coseo’s tenured career in hospitality affords him a deep understanding of not only food and beverage, but also the inner workings of club culinary and what it takes to develop and maintain a strong culinary team.
“He’s been doing this for a long time; he knows what he’s doing, and Sea Pines Country Club benefits from that,” says General Manager Chris Signore, whose own background is in culinary, too. “You can’t undervalue the fact that he knows exactly what our members are looking for.”
Sea Pines CC is a free-standing club that averages close to $2.5 million in annual F&B revenue, roughly 60% a la carte and 40% banquet, with more than 900 memberships, or about 1,700 members, and a waitlist.
Coseo and his team, including Executive Sous Chef Joe Siano and Chef de Cuisine Chelsea Ballard, remain consistent and fully committed to providing members and guests with the high-quality experience, no matter the occasion.
“We’re not in the food and beverage business,” Coseo says; “we’re in the dues business. We’re here for the membership. Food and beverage is an amenity, and we want to make sure we’re keeping pace with all the trends. We have a great board that believes in that and a great membership that will financially back that.”
Continuous Change
In fact, in 2016, Sea Pines CC embarked on a complete overhaul of its amenities, with a focus on modernization and the member experience, with a particular focus on connecting the space to the environment’s natural beauty.
A screened in patio was added during the first phase of the project, allowing members eating at the new Blue Heron Pub and Grille to dine alfresco. A new brick paver outdoor patio and fire pit were built, providing better proximity to the marsh. A bocce ball court was added near the fire pit, the pool deck overlooking the marsh was resurfaced, a new splash pool and shade structure were installed, and the indoor saline lap pool was renovated.
Phase two included the addition of a culinary garden, as well as the opening of a new fitness center and a cafe, led by Ballard.
In 2020, the golf course practice facility was redesigned, the course was re-turfed, and the club installed a four-court pickleball facility.
“They really put money into investing in the club and in the future,” Coseo notes. “[When I joined], they had a great strategic plan for the next 5-10 years, and I wanted to be a part of that. Since I’ve been here, we put in well over $10.5 million in renovations in the club, and we’re still going.”
A little over a year ago, the kitchen underwent a $2.5 million renovation, modernizing the equipment and optimizing for flow.
“We now have a completely separate banquet and a la carte side and prep area,” Coseo notes. “We have an employee break room. We have a larger storage space in the back. … We went from three small walk-ins to two walk-ins and a huge freezer.”
“So the chef gave up his office for a bigger refrigeration,” he adds, laughing. “Now I’m in a little closet.”
But Coseo’s still planning. In the future, he’d like to start a bake shop operation, put a few beehives by the garden, and open a new restaurant above the marsh.
“In the past seven to nine years, all facets of the club have been touched, and we continue to evolve,” says Signore. “I think that’s one of the best parts of this club—we’re not resting on our laurels.”
Level-Headed Leader
Coseo’s known for meticulously high standards, but he’s also patient, and he’s a staunch supporter of his team.
“Out of any chef I’ve worked for, he’s been the most level-headed and fair,” Ballard says of Coseo. “He always thinks about a situation from every angle before he gives feedback or even a reaction. … I’ve learned a lot of interpersonal skills from [Coseo] that have helped me grow a lot faster than I would have if I stayed in other kitchens.”
Coseo cites his first chef, David Maglin, as a key inspiration to him, as well as Sea Pines CC’s prior GM, Robbie Ames (now the GM/COO of Vaquero Club in Texas), who had an incredible impact on both Coseo and the culture of the club.
“He showed me how to view the business, how to view membership, and how to view running the club,” says Coseo. “On the personal side, [he helped me] with the mental health aspects of working in the kitchen and [with learning] how to deal with stress.”
Today, the club’s leadership, as well as the culinary team, regularly circulate different books on mental health. Ballard cites “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz as among the most impactful, particularly in learning to let certain things go. Today, at Sea Pines CC, communication lines are always open, and there’s an indelible sense of respect in the kitchen.
“Chefs are known for being hot-headed,” Ballard adds. “Personally, I am a little bit intense. But it’s important to establish a calm environment. We don’t yell at each other. We use clear, concise communication. We’ll handle a situation in the moment, and then we’ll circle back and talk about it.”
Ballard began at Sea Pines CC as a grill cook and quickly became an instrumental part of the team. She went on to join a local farm-to-table restaurant as its executive sous chef. Sea Pines CC then rehired her to run its a la carte program, where she has raised the bar for the club’s member experience.
“When I first met [Ballard], when she came in for a job interview, I knew she just had it,” recalls Coseo. “Within 30 seconds, I said, ‘You got the job.’ And that is not like me. Usually I do tastings and the whole nine yards. But she has this natural ability.”
Chelsea Ballard, Chef de Cuisine, Sea Pines CC
Ballard was named one of C+RC’s 2025 Class of 40 Under 40, nominated by Coseo himself. Her talent and commitment paired with an extra dose of passion is “refreshing” to see in a young culinarian, both Coseo and Signore noted.
“She’s passionate, she’s excited about what she’s doing, she’s all in,” says Signore. “She cares about every plate that comes out of the kitchen. That’s who she is.”
“[Coseo] brought [Ballard] to the Chef to Chef Conference because he wanted her to be there for her award, but also, it’s a source of pride for him,” adds Signore. “He’s very proud of the people that he has here, and he wants to make sure he’s doing the right thing for them.”
In fact, a healthy mix of tenure and new talent just might be the secret ingredient, Signore notes.
“We have a blend of new department heads and people who have been here 20-plus years,” he says. “It’s that blend that keeps this club thriving.”
All About the Product
In addition to interpersonal skills, Ballard cites plating as among the skills she’s honed under Coseo.
“I’m a little bit more rustic. He loves very clean plates. … My plating is not as finessed as his, but that’s something I’m working on. Since I first started, my food has tightened up a lot.”
To Coseo, what’s most important is the product and the fundamentals.
“If you have good product, and you have a sound foundation on how to use that product, you’re going put out some amazing dishes,” he says.
Sea Pines CC has several a la carte venues and a robust banquets operation. Coseo hosts about nine wine dinners a year, within the 25-30-person range.
The crab cakes are famous (a secret recipe but “the perfect ratio between breadcrumb and crab”) with their many iterations; other member favorites include pecan-crusted chicken, Asian chicken salad, and tempura-friend cauliflower. All focus on quality product, scratch made and, whenever possible, local purveyors.
Click the photo for the full recipe to this tempura-fried cauliflower, courtesy of Chef de Cuisine Chelsea Ballard.
“We’ve partnered with a group based on in Charleston,” Ballard notes. “They’re like a middleman for all the small farmers from the southern coast of North Carolina to the northern coast of Georgia. We get deliveries every week.”
Sea Pines CC’s own culinary garden is growing basil, mint, and oregano. Summer will bring squash and tomatoes. Many of the club’s members have gardens, too.
“One [member] has a large garden plot, and he’ll let us visit. We can take our team to see what he’s grown, and he’ll bring it in to the club. This strengthens our team and our relationship with our membership. The sense of community is strong.”
