Jay’s on Third adds another fine-dining option to Stone Harbor
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Photos by Jen Arthur
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June 11, 2008
STONE HARBOR – When Tridi Jo’s and Fish Tales closed their doors for
good after last summer, the Stone Harbor culinary scene was in flux.
Both restaurants had survived long runs in the borough. Tridi Jo’s was
around for several decades, while Fish Tales had a run of about 12
years.
But as locals have found out and visitors to Seven Mile Beach will learn
this summer, things are looking up as Quahog’s Seafood Shack moved into
Tridi Jo’s, and now Jay’s on Third has opened to good reviews in the old
Fish Tales, just two blocks south of the 96th Street shopping district
on Third Avenue.
Wildwood native Jason Hippen is the chef/owner, but it was a long trip
he took to get to Stone Harbor. After working for his dad (3J’s Pizza on
the Wildwood Boardwalk) and mom (Tuti Fruity in the Wildwood Boardwalk
Mall), Hippen was formally trained at the American Culinary Institute in
Mays Landing while he worked as sous chef at Marie Nicole’s in Diamond
Beach.
After graduation, he found a job in Philadelphia that changed the course
of his career, but it didn’t come without some humbling advice from
celebrity chef Morimoto, of Iron Chef fame.
“Boy, did he ever kill me. ‘Get rid of your bad habits right now,’ he
would tell me. ‘This is a five-star restaurant. I don’t care what you
think you’ve learned so far.’ But that job really boosted my career,”
Hippen said.
He returned to the Jersey Shore to be one of three sous chefs to help
open Red Square at The Quarter in Atlantic City’s Tropicana Casino.
“That was an awesome experience, too,” he said. “After a couple years
there I was asked to help open Buddakan (The Pier at Caesars). There
were some really good chefs there – nationally known guys.”
He also had stints at Sumille in New York City and Susanna Foo’s Suilian
in the Borgata before returning to his roots to be the executive chef at
JP Prime Steakhouse in North Wildwood.
“My wife had told me we were pregnant, so I had wanted to return home so
I could experience my little boy and not be traveling around so much,”
Hippen said. “(Being executive chef) was a good experience for good
training. It’s different when you’re in charge of the kitchen.”
And now he’s in charge of the house, a 66-seat minimalist dining room
that serves extraordinary food with an ever-changing specials board.
“We’ve been blowing through a lot of fish, a lot of halibut and snapper,
local scallops, that’s what’s moving most, even more than the filet
mignon, believe it or not,” Hippen said. “It’s been amazing (since
opening on Memorial Day weekend). I don’t feel like I’m handcuffed at
all. I’m free to express myself with what I have in front of me.”
If that sounds like a different version of each menu item will come out
with each order, that’s not the case.
“No, the menu’s set, but we will be changing it to represent what’s
available, what’s fresh. So when Jersey tomatoes and peaches and corn
become available, we’ll specialize those ingredients. Like right now
we’re doing a lot of local asparagus and arugula, and I’ll be getting
some soft-shell crabs in now that we’re in June,” he said.
“I think the root now is just to do what I feel like…make the food that
makes me happy. I didn’t know much about what Stone Harbor wanted or
needed, but when I saw a 66-seater, BYOB, nice community, corner
location, I said let’s give it a shot, let’s try something fresh, not
what everyone is doing – you know, broiled flounder. I crave fresh food,
clean food, hummus, salads, and a clean, delicate presentation, nothing
too heavy but still satisfying, a good experience, period. And
apparently we’re reaching people. Customers have come to us to say thank
you for being here. I don’t know what that’s all about, but it feels
good, it feels right.”
Jay’s on Third
9836 Third Avenue
Stone Harbor
368-1000
www.jaysonthird.com
Open daily except Mondays from 5 p.m., closing at 10 p.m. weekdays and
11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Open daily in July and August.
Seats 66.
BYO
Street parking.
Major credit cards except Discover.
Takeout available.
Customer favorites:
Appetizers
Pulled Duck Sliders (toasted five spices, scallion hoison with
pineapple pickle), $9; Bamboo Beef (grilled prime beef skewers, toasted
sesame, organic soy, sweet and sour cucumber), $8; Crisp Calamari (fresh
herbs, chili salt and lime aioli), $9; Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare (avocado,
jicama, Granny smith apple and wasabi), $8.
Entrées
Line Caught Pan Roasted Halibut (with baby clams, asparagus and Japanese
seaweed salad with lemon miso broth), $26; Grilled Local Scallops (corn
risotto, shaved fennel, watercress and ginger flavors), $23; Filet
Mignon (Cashel blue cheese, fork crushed garlic potato, green beans, red
wine sauce), $28; Grilled Black Angus Hanger Steak (salted shoestring
potatoes, herbs, BBQ butter), $19; Red Snapper (baby bok choy, aromatic
jasmine rice, roasted cashews with coconut lobster sauce), $25; Pan
Roasted Free Range New Zealand Rack of Lamb (red tomato jam, chives,
goat cheese orzo), $32; Pad Thai (jumbo shrimp, green onions, bean
sprouts, lime and peanut – vegetarian version upon request), $19.
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed at seitz [at] catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog | Cape Cuisine Blog | Cape Cusine Archive | Return to Columns Home