Sam Stymest is the 33-year old chef and co-owner of Sam’s Table in Montclair, New Jersey. In
September 2025, he opened the restaurant in his hometown with his mother, Deborah, and in just a few months, it has earned rave reviews from New Jersey Digest and NJ.com, as well as a spot on NJ Monthly’s Best New Restaurants list.

Sam’s cooking is rooted in seasonality, hospitality, and a deep respect for ingredients. His modern
American cuisine begins with what’s freshest and most local—often conceived produce-first, then built thoughtfully around protein—drawing inspiration from close relationships with regional farmers, foragers and fishermen.

Sam trained at Hudson County’s Culinary Arts Institute before honing his craft at beloved New Jersey restaurants including Fascino and Upstairs, and later in New York City at Craftbar. He went on to serve as Lead Cook and Sous Chef at Google’s Hemisphere Café and the vegetarian Market Café, where precision and creativity met high-volume execution. A formative chapter followed on Cape Cod as Sous Chef at Ceraldi in Wellfleet, a multi-course tasting menu restaurant that profoundly shaped his culinary approach and philosophy.

In 2020, Sam reimagined his path, pivoting to intimate pop-up dinners across the New Jersey metro area. These dinners quickly amassed a following and his thoughtfully curated tasting menus fostered a meaningful connection between Sam and his guests—the experience that led him to open Sam’s Table. Designed to feel like dining in a friend’s home, Sam’s Table offers a seasonal tasting menu that changes monthly, and is open for dinner Thursday – Sunday evenings.