Chef Rudy Correa: A Rising Star At The Jersey Shore

Rudy Correa doesn't just prepare meals. As the executive chef at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, a stately Dolce property in Galloway, NJ, Correa creates a culinary journey. His innovative cuisine infuses an array of fresh, local ingredients into a cornucopia of flavors.

Now in his second year as executive chef, Correa brings a straightforward approach to his cooking philosophy. "I love working with food, and I love to please guests," he told me, matter-of-factly.

Clearly, the guests love eating Correa's food. In fact, players on the prestigious LPGA Tour, which makes an annual stop at the Seaview, have voted the resort as having the best food on the tour. Also, the LPGA uses the Seaview's menu as the gold standard for the other tour events.

With roots dating back to 1914, the Seaview Hotel and Golf Club is one of the Jersey Shore's most iconic resorts. Ideally located only ten minutes inland from the hustle and bustle of Atlantic City, the Seaview offers a stark contrast to the "Gambling Capital of the East." Perhaps most widely known for its golf, the Seaview hosted the 1942 PGA and is now home to the Shop Rite Classic for the LPGA. The names of the professional golfers who have graced the grounds of the Seaview read like a "Who's Who" of golf.

However, superb golfing on two distinctly different courses is not the only reason people visit the resort. Surely the scrumptious food is a major drawing card. For years the resort was widely known for its bountiful seafood buffet on Friday nights. Although that tradition went away, their lavish Sunday Brunch now fills that void. The Sunday Brunch features different entrees that are seasonally and locally inspired, along with a salad bar and chef inspired salads, a made to order egg station, and a dessert action station serving either bananas Foster or cherries jubilee. 

Held in the elegant Main Dining Room, guests are treated to the sounds of a grand piano as they dine. During the week breakfast and lunch are offered in the Main Dining Room, while dinner is served in the quaint Coastal Grille Pub.

After a day on the beach, a variety of enticing choices await you at the Coastal Grill. A word to the wise: Begin your dinner with small plates, which include a delightful array of savory samples. Delaware oyster shooters and Great Bay clams casino, harvested that day from the Great Bay only a few miles away, are mouthwatering. A favorite among guests, spicy Ahi tuna tartar, is the perfect balance between hot and cool. Correa uses locally caught tuna belly, red onions, chive and sriracha mayo, along with salt and pepper, topped by julienned slices of apple. It's a simple dish with complex flavors. Entrees are highlighted by succulent pan seared scallops spread over a bed of blueberry quinoa bolstered by a touch of cilantro.