STONE HARBOR – Just this past March, a small and charming 40-seat BYOB made its official opening in the tony town of Stone Harbor. Housed in the same location as the former Jay’s on Third (a takeout spot), the charming new Chanterelle is named for Executive Chef and Co-Owner Jeremy Palumbo’s favorite mushroom.
“He just loves its flavor profile,” said Jeremy’s wife and Co-Owner Danielle. “Plus, it’s a beautiful name on top of being a mushroom, so we ran with the theme.”
The theme can be sensed just about everywhere, starting with the menu, where mushrooms are featured heavily. Then there’s the vibe. Call it upscale casual served with a side of funk, thanks in part to the striking black wallpaper with colorful dancing mushrooms on it. “We want people to feel welcomed – we didn’t want it to feel stuffy,” Danielle said.
Chanterelle is primarily Jeremy’s venture. He had been looking to run his own place for a while, specifically in the Avalon/Stone Harbor area where, according to Danielle, “there was a huge need for fine dining.”
After years of working at other venues such as Owen’s Pub and the Swine Bar in Wildwood, Provence in Cape May Court House, and spending 12 years at Peter Shields, Jeremy’s experience and acclaim as a chef at those locales has brought plenty of word of mouth, which has been spreading quickly and helps fill those 40 seats night after night.
The menu consists of modern American dishes, but Danielle insists that you should not come just for the food. According to her, customers have been raving about the whole experience.
“It’s more of an experience than anything,” she insisted. “There’s a great vibe going on, the music … aside from just eating our food, we want you to be creating a memory, rather than just coming out to dinner.”
Though, let’s admit it, the food at Chanterelle is why you come here. Jeremy’s decades of experience shine through in every plate, particularly in the very popular Hamachi crudo appetizer (shown in photo) with avocado, pickled red onion, Serrano pepper, mango pearls, crispy rice, lemon grass, and micro cilantro; the local day boat scallops with charred corn, chorizo, sea beans, cilantro and a mango vinaigrette; or the frequent surf-and-turf addition with grass-fed New York strip and jumbo lump crab cake (see photo) with haricot verts, herbed potato purée, lightly finished with bordelaise sauce.
However, the number one, all-time favorite to date at Chanterelle is the Japanese A-5 Wagyu (in photo), which is the highest-grade steak available with the best fat marble. It’s a recent addition to the menu, and the Palumbos are extremely excited about it.
“Everybody is loving this steak,” Danielle said. “It’s featured prominently on our social media with a video that’s been very popular.”
The Palumbos enjoy keeping things in the family, so they’ve enlisted the help of their two daughters Alexandria, 16, who works with her dad in the kitchen, and Rashelle, 19, the assistant manager.
The menu at Chanterelle will change seasonally, and they also offer an early dining experience of three courses for $60 from 5 to 5:30 p.m. on weeknights (except Tuesday, when they are closed). Chanterelle will remain open throughout the remainder of the year and is available to host small special events such as bridal or baby showers and birthday parties.
CHANTERELLE, open year-round
330 96th St., Stone Harbor (next to Dairy Queen)
ChanterelleBYOB.com
5 – 9 p.m. daily except Tuesdays
