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damonwise1

@damonwise1

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Some dinners stay with you long after the last plate is cleared.

Sunday's reunion dinner with Chef Damon Wise was one of those evenings.

To Damon -- thank you for joining us in the backyard where Sam's Table first began, for sharing your talent, your friendship and your generosity with our team and our guests.

To everyone who joined us, thank you for making the evening so memorable.

And to our incredible team, thank you for the care you bring to every service.

These are the nights that remind us why we love what we do.

📷Photos by @ost.visuals

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Before there was a restaurant, there was a backyard.

During shutdown, that's where Sam's Table began. With a handful of tables, neighbors who became regulars, and unforgettable evenings shared outdoors.

This Sunday, we're returning to where it started for one night only.

Chef Sam and Chef Damon Wise -- mentor, friend and former owner of Pineapple Express and Oso Felipe -- have created a six-course tasting menu celebrating the place where this journey began. The menu is here and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you.

Join us in the backyard one more time.

Sunday, July 26 | 5:30 pm

Reservations through the link in bio

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SUNDAY JULY 26 // 5:30 PM // limited seats available ✨

So many things started during the pandemic: social distancing, sourdough starters, doom scrolling - and the seeds for a few special businesses. On Sunday, July 26th @damonwise1 will be firing up the smoker that started it all in 2020 with @wisemeats and led to @pineappleexpressbarbecue for a Backyard Barbecue with @chefstymest where @samstablenj all began.

Make a reservation over @samstablenj for the six course dinner from the kitchen and the smoker. Can’t wait to see you all again ✨

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@hosphq is a proud partner of @houseofgoalny! ⚽️ Be sure and stop by @industrycity until July 19th to check it out! 🏆

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🍽️ Hungry for the latest Montclair food news?

Here are a few restaurant updates to put on your radar—from Pig & Butter’s debut to a special dinner at Sam’s Table, a chef master class and new vendors at Lackawanna Station. And yes, we’re getting another bakery.

Swipe through, get the details at link in bio and then tell us: which one are you most excited to try?

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Long before opening his own restaurant, Sam cooked alongside Damon at Tom Colicchio's acclaimed Craft in New York City. Many montclair diners later came to know Damon as the chef behind Pineapple Express Barbecue and Oso Felipe.

On Sunday, July 26, they'll reunite for a one-night-only Chefs Tasting Dinner In the backyard where Sam's Table first began as a neighborhood pop-up during the pandemic.

The evening will feature a collaborative six-course menu featuring Damon's unique take on American barbecue and Sam's seasonal approach to modern American cuisine.

Seating is extremely limited.

Reservations now open through the link in our bio.

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We miss you all soo much 😢Missing our BBQ and headed to Brooklyn on Saturday? @damonwise1 will be @waywardfarebk @altacalidadbk with smoked half chickens, ribs, and burgers at outside at Vanderbilt Open Streets. Looking for our barbecue more locally? Stay tuned for pop ups or DM for catering/ pickup/ private gigs. We just might have a plan 🤫

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More to come from an all-time weekend, but gotta start with shouting out chef @damonwise1 ! Just absolutely crushing it for the Cru Cup team. I’ll be dreaming of Friday nights BBQ feast for a long time to come. Huge thanks to Chef!!!!

#bbq #ribs #brisket #smokedmeat

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🎙️ NEW EPISODE DROP — and this one feels especially meaningful for Mother’s Day ❤️

This week on Behind the Counter with the Food Czar, I sit down with the incredible mother-and-son duo behind Sam’s Table — Deborah and Sam Stymest.

What started during COVID as a socially distanced backyard dining experience for neighbors — seven courses shared apart, yet deeply connected — quickly became something people truly needed. A way to gather, feel normal again, and reconnect through food.

That experience evolved into pop-ups across New Jersey and New York City before eventually finding a permanent home in Montclair.

Today, Sam’s Table is an intimate 26-seat restaurant serving a thoughtful four-course seasonal tasting menu where every detail feels intentional and personal.

Sam, a trained chef, leads the creative vision in the kitchen while Deborah runs the front of house and business side. But what makes this conversation so special is hearing about their relationship — the trust, the pride, and the role reversal as Deborah admits that in the restaurant… Sam is the boss ❤️

At its core, this episode is about more than just a restaurant.
It’s about food, family, resilience, and the connections that bring people together.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts 📺 Full video episode available on YouTube 🔗 Link in bio

Special shoutouts: @chef_rd @tomcolicchio @damonwise1 @ceraldicapecod @ramandrooster @beneducevineyards @theforagedfeast

This episode is sponsored by @livingstoncirclecarwash and @localenj

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The rain didn’t keep us down one bit. The Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit, as usual, was a smash success at @pigbeachqueens this past weekend. It featured an all-star lineup of chefs and pitmasters, all raising money for a great cause and to keep the spirit of Jeff with us.

(THIS IS PART 1. SEE PART 2 FOR MORE HIGHLIGHTS!)

#bbq #nycbbq #pigbeachnyc #forchefjeff #nyceats

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NEW EPISODE DROP 🎙️🦪

This week on Behind the Counter with the Food Czar, I sit down with Matthew Chappina — the creative force behind Perla Oyster Bar in Maplewood, NJ.

This one is all about reinvention, resilience, and listening to that pull you just can’t ignore.

Matt didn’t start in the kitchen… he started in theater. But life had other plans. After working his way through restaurants in Brooklyn and NYC, he launched a sandwich concept that was gaining serious momentum — until COVID hit.

Burnt out and ready to walk away… he chose a different path.

That decision led to a pandemic pop-up oyster bar — and just like that, everything clicked again. In 2023, he took the leap and opened Perla… a space that truly reflects his journey and creative vision.

We talk burnout, pivots, betting on yourself… and how sometimes the right idea finds you when you’re finally ready to listen.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get yours 📺 Full video on YouTube 🔗 Link in bio

This episode is sponsored by @tonyboysnj & @esthetikamedspa

Special shoutouts to: @calexiconyc @porta_rossa_nj @buckysnjpizza @pineapplexpressbarbecue @damonwise1 @corner_slice @wheelhousecheeseandmore @arties_nj @lumscellars @sundaymotorco @sweetameliaoysters

#BehindTheCounter #FoodCzar #NJFoodScene #RestaurantStories #PodcastDrop

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Earlier this week, @damonwise1 was featured in the @nytimes to talk about the decline in alcohol sales and its impact on restaurants. It’s a tough topic to touch on when you’re a restaurateur: you want people to drink (indeed, the business model depends on it) BUT you also want to give people what they want. Restaurant owners know that this business is always in flux and is at the mercy of so many factors - and it seems like these shifts in drinking are here to stay, at least for now, in our corner of the world.

Thank you to @meghanmccarron for the coverage and excellent research and data; and to @edkashi for the photo.

In case you were wondering, Damon’s favorite NA drink @osofelipe.nj (because he, too, doesn’t imbibe) is our Gnargarita 🍋‍🟩 you’d swear it has tequila in it

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