THESE CO-EXECUTIVE CHEFS BRING THEIR VARIED COOKING STYLES TO THE TABLE AT THIS UPSCALE BAY HEAD DINING DESTINATION

BY JESSICA JONES-GORMAN • PHOTOS BY TOM ZAPCIC

When COVID-19 swept through the state, shuttering all restaurants for a little more than three months, chefs Shaun San Pedro and Jason Kobilis who together run the kitchen at Charlie’s of Bay Head had to act quickly to braise a plan that would keep their fine dining concept a float.

“I never worked in a takeout style restaurant before so this took a lot of thought and effort,” noted Kobilis, who admitted he looked at his menu and considered how best to pack tuna tartare in a disposable box before abandoning the idea altogether. “Our dishes are elegant and not exactly made for travel, but if we wanted to stay in business and provide for our customers, we had to readjust.”

So the two co-executive chefs devised a streamlined a la carte “to-go” menu featuring a few of the eatery’s most popular dishes. And then they began compiling a service that was completely foreign to the upscale American establishment grocery.

“We quickly realized that people didn’t want to leave their houses, even to shop,” Kobilis said. “We were easily obtaining all of the staple items like milk, eggs, and vegetables. For families and for our elderly customers, it was a game changer.”

The veteran chef duo completely revamped their system, training cooks how to produce on a ticket system and how to create a brand new lineup of meals. Packing grocery bags replaced their artful skills of plating food.

“In my career I have never been more proud of a crew. They worked harder than ever and had a good attitude the entire time. Together we were dealing with fear and trepidation but we stuck together and worked hard.”

For the two seasoned executive chefs, it was the ultimate test of their cooking skills.

“This menu is chic but it is also very approachable,” noted San Pedro. “We like to offer a good variety of foods, and we never try to be overly ambitious.”

Their collaboration began three years ago when they both started at Charlie’s as sous chefs.
“We have known each other for almost ten years; we both worked at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant at the same time and have worked with each other on and off ever since,” San Pedro said, letting out a laugh. “Originally we didn’t get along.”

But after working numerous busy dinner services side by side, the chefs eventually gained each other’s respect.

“We have very different personalities and are both competitive, each gunning for the same roles in different companies,” Kobilis added. “But I think over the years that competition drove both of us to be better. We each had the same goal: to put out good food and grow our role. When I moved on to open another restaurant after Iron Hill, I really struggled to train the sauté staff, and I called Shaun in to help me. Without hesitation, he came in and busted his butt for two Saturdays. After that he became one of my closest and most trusted friends.”

Kobilis, who grew up watching his grandparents cook, took his first job in the industry because he wanted to buy a bike.

“I had to save money so I took a position as a prep cook in a small luncheonette. I’ve worked in every aspect of this business since server, manager, even maitre’d. I took one small break from the industry and worked as a land surveyor for a civil engineering firm. I realized then that I could never sit behind a computer all day. So I went to culinary school.”

While attending the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in Manhattan, Kobiles did an externship with the Harvest Restaurant Group and trained under Chef Bill Hendra. He bounced between a few different restaurants upon graduation before taking the position at Iron Hill, primarily to learn more about industry financials. He applied for a sous chef position at Charlie’s of Bay Head in 2016, excited to get back into fine dining. He and San Pedro were named executive chefs there within a few years.

“Our menu is very eclectic; it includes something for everyone. Shaun and I are both classically French trained but we are different people with different interests. He’ll create something Middle Eastern or Asian-inspired, and I’ll lean towards modern comfort food. We don’t put ourselves in a box; instead we translate our interests and play our ideas off of one another.”
San Pedro, who started scrambling eggs and making French toast when he was just eight years old, simply loves to experiment.

“I grew up watching Julia Child and Martin Yan on PBS. I got my first job in the industry when I was 14, washing dishes and bussing tables at a Chinese restaurant.”

He attended the Institute of Culinary Arts in Philadelphia and did a few stints in several Pennsylvania area restaurants before crossing paths with Kobilis at Iron Hill.

“Together we have helped to make Charlie’s what it is today,” San Pedro concluded. “This menu has expanded so much, now that we’re opening up after quarantine we are rolling out a lot of new items and doing a lot of different stuff that we have never done in the past. But that’s why this collaboration works so well. We both love experimenting and we each bring something different to the table. Literally.”

Charlie’s of Bay Head
72 Bridge Avenue, Bay Head /
732.295.1110 / charliesofbayhead.com