Lucy Laboz 
Montclair native Chef Sam Stymest has a new restaurant concept that opened in Montclair this fall. Sam’s Table is located at 377 Bloomfield Avenue in the former Tasca space and provides a unique dining experience with fresh flavors. Read on for more about Sam’s Table, the newest addition to Montclair’s food scene.
Photo Credit: Rob Yascovic
The Details
What started as intimate gatherings during an unprecedented time grew into five years of pop-up supper clubs across Montclair, Maplewood, Jersey City, and New York City. Now, Sam’s Table starts a new chapter, with bright flavors in downtown Montclair. After studying at Hudson County Culinary Arts Institute, Chef Sam went on to work as a chef at some of Montclair’s former staple restaurants, such as Fascino, Corso 98, and Upstairs. He then moved on to working at NYC’s Craft Bar, and eventually became the sous chef at Warner Bros. and Google’s Hemisphere Café, as well as the vegetarian Market Café. Sam also served as the sous chef at Cape Cod’s Ceraldi, where he gained his experience working with tasting menus, shaping his knowledge of bold seasonality, precision, and thoughtful hospitality.
Photo Credit: Rob Yascovic
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The menu at Sam’s Table includes vegetable-forward, modern American flavors, which will change every two weeks, based on what local farm flavors are the freshest at the moment, making every visit a little bit different. Sam’s goal is to make every meal at Sam’s Table as memorable and unique as possible, with an element of unexpected curiosity and surprise.
On the tasting menu, diners can expect anything from East Coast oysters and mignonette to Bluefin Tuna (fermented beetroot, chili, green juice, + chive), Matsutake Mushroom (chestnut, dates, pickled daikon, + mushroom dashi), Barbecued Kabocha Squash (squash seed XO, raw pickled squash, + charred onion crema), and ribeye (black garlic, speck, swiss chard, + lemon vinegar), finishing with desserts like Brown Butter Cake (plum, thyme, + crème fraiche). This will all depend on the time of year, sparked by whatever components Chef Sam may source through his relationship with the region’s farmers, foragers, or fishermen.
Photo Credit: Rob Yascovic
In the intimate 26-seat space, Sam’s Table serves a tasting menu from Thursday to Sunday. Sam’s Table is BYO, but sells retail bottles of wine from one of New Jersey’s premier vineyards to emphasize the importance of working with local growers.
The space has been completely redesigned to include a service bar lined with emerald green tile and a custom banquette, upholstered in rich green velvet with brass toe kicks to make the space feel warm and refined. The walls are lined with art by Chef Sam’s father, Brian Stymest, who is a renowned local artist originally from London. Chef Sam also incorporated dining sets and vintage glassware from his family’s collection, reinforcing the importance of an intimate setting that reflects his personal journey as a chef.
Photo Credit: Rob Yascovic
Sam aims to continue fostering the sense of community he built in his family’s backyard during the pandemic, now by opening a restaurant in his hometown where he can give back to those around him.
Follow along on Instagram @samstablenj and the website.
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