Get A Sneak Peak Of Summit House Opening This Winter

SUMMIT, NJ — Two Summit husband and wife couples are partnering up to open a new seasonal American restaurant and bar in town.

Dylan and Melissa Baker and Tyler and Sara Reeder are looking to open Summit House in mid-February to "bring culinary excellence to a warm, neighborhood atmosphere."

"We love this town," Dylan said. "All of our kids are in school here and Summit has everything we love. But we thought there was room for a good restaurant."

Dylan who worked in the food and beverage industry recently gave Patch a tour of the coming restaurant. He boasted of the historical throwback the eatery will have with the community.

The outside design will be reminiscent of the former Fanny Farmers candy shop that once resided in the current location offering gas lamps, black and white coloring and even three-tiered windows that will be able to open to the sidewalk on pleasant days.

The name is also tied to the community. The original Summit House, a family boarding house, was located at the current site of the Presbyterian Church on Maple Street and Morris Avenue, and established in the 1840s by town founder Jonathan Crane Bonnel.

It eventually succumbed to a fire, though the name carried on in several iterations, including a restaurant, for well over a century before finally closing in 1970. The name will once again rise from the ashes.

The Summit House will offer three different dining experiences for guests. The front area is the casual bar-side café, in the middle will be a more intimate dining area surrounded by glass partitions. And finally in the back will be an open-kitchen dining room.

The open-kitchen dining room will put guests right up front to see how Chef Martin Kester crafts his innovative menu, sourcing the finest ingredients at their peak of freshness from neighboring farms, fisherman and purveyors.

Kester joins the Summit House as the Executive Chef. He was formerly the chef de cuisine at Ninety Acres in Peapack and Gladstone and is a CIA-trained talent.

Kester will be pulling ingredients from local farms including fresh-cut and dry-aged beef from Riverbend Farm in Far Hills and oysters for the raw bar from 40 North Oyster Farms in Barneget Bay.

Slated to open in mid-February Kester is already beginning to put together a winter menu which will include:

• Raw Bar – Rotating nightly selection of East Coast oysters, shrimp, lobster and clams. Tartar of Icelandic salmon belly, with shallots and preserved Meyer lemon
• Roasted Red Kuri Squash – Cashew butter, pumpkin seed and sage gremolata
• New Jersey Fluke Crudo – Lightly cured and served with celeriac puree, green apples, pickled mustard seeds and celery hearts
• Cavatelli with Beetroot Bolognese – House-made cavatelli pasta, beetroots, slow-cooked pasture-raised beef, beet greens and ricotta salata
• Summit House Burger – House-ground blend of fresh and dry-aged cuts, served on homemade brioche bun with confit pork belly, raclette cheese, winter lettuce, and tomato and onion preserve. Served (of course) with a pickle and house-cut fries

The bar will also offer cocktails infused with a seasonally interpretive approach, locally brewed beers and a curated international wine cellar. Tad Carducci, the renowned spirits expert is designing the Summit House beverage program.

Signature cocktails will include:

• Mule of the Moment – Tuthilltown indigenous vodka, persimmon, house-made ginger kombucha, burned cinnamon
• Midtown Direct – The Summit House take on the Cosmopolitan. Kefir leaf-infused vodka, yuzu juice, fresh-pressed pomegranate

Menu prices range from $12 to $38. And the Summit House will also offer private dining and event space for 20 to 120 people.

Summit House is now hiring for all front and back of the house positions as well.

For more information on Summit House or to follow their construction progress visit summithousenj.com or call 908-273-6000 or Facebook or Instagram.

(Images provided)

Photo 1: Summit House bar area rendering.

Photo 2: Dylan Baker and Chef Martin Kester.

Photo 3: Cows at Riverbend Farm in Far Hills.

Photo 4: The oyster boat at 40 North Oyster Farms in Barneget Bay

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