Red Bank’s newest restaurant combines cozy with classy

by Marisa Procopio • Photos By Robert Nuzzie

When did you open in Red Bank?” I asked.

“Two weeks ago!” replied Scott Spivak, with the laugh of a man who’s found a comfortable cruise control as Taylor Sam’s executive chef and co-owner (with wife Dawn)—not someone who hasn’t had the chance to catch his breath.

The newest Taylor Sam’s restaurant, in Red Bank, opened in mid-December, but the flagship spot in Brick goes back to 2013.

“We had heard about the building and that it had been vacant for a long time, and we had just lost our other restaurant [6th Ave Bistro] because of [Superstorm] Sandy,” said Spivak, who, oddly enough, called the situation “a blessing.”

“We were unemployed after Sandy for about ten months,” he said. “So we did considerable research on what people were looking for, searched for trends, and we wanted to be sure to make everything from scratch.”

The chef was trained at the Academy of Culinary Arts in Atlantic City, and explained that, “my wife and I have been in the restaurant business for 20 years… each.” He described the breakfast/lunch menu at his restaurants as “chef-driven diner style.” Drawing a line under his from-scratch cooking philosophy in just about the best possible way, he laughed, “We don’t even own a freezer.”

After I took that in (it’s about as rare in the business as a burger without a bun), Spivak expounded on how they decided on menu items. The couple threw some welcome curve balls into common fare: Adding apples to barbecued pork tacos, offering Angus beef, cheddar, gravy, and onion rings on a roll, with sweet potato fries with toasted walnuts and maple butter—the new dishes encourage patrons to pull up their chairs with interest and dig in. And the playful titles of Taylor Sam’s dishes are “names and stuff from family members… and dogs we’ve lost,” said Spivak.

Looking to warmer days, the chef plans to source locally for his Red Bank location, just as he does for the Brick restaurant. “During the summer, 70% to 80% of our produce come from a local farmer in Brick. He would grow special eggplants for us, plus peppers and heirloom tomatoes,” he said.

When asked what Spivak is proudest of, the chef demurred. “I’m kind of humble. I don’t know. I guess opening the place in Brick…and being able to turn around and open two restaurants
Mostly, we just want to make people feel like they’re at home.”

Taylor Sam’s I
1563 Route 88, Brick, 20 Broad Street, Red Bank
732.383.5541 / taylorsams.com