By Scott Cronick
Name one restaurant on the Atlantic City/Ventnor boardwalk where you can sit on the Boardwalk level and enjoy everything from a handcrafted cup of coffee in the morning to an upscale dinner in the evening while watching the waves crash while people stroll by?
If you’re having trouble, it’s OK.
Because there is just one: The Queen Bean Bistro in Ventnor.
With no dunes obstructing the gorgeous ocean view paired with new business owners who have dramatically changed the restaurant inside Vassar Square, The Queen Bean Bistro is undeniably the best-kept secret on Absecon Island.
Since taking over in October, business partners Beau Ridge and Chef Salvatore Giambrone are reinventing the way people breakfast, lunch and dinner in Ventnor, and this reinvention is certainly worth your visit.
With a made-from-scratch approach to every dish, and Giambrone’s insistence on sourcing as many local ingredients as he possibly can – the chef actually goes shopping for local ingredients nearly every day – The Queen Bean is doing things right.
And while you can get everything from a decadent smashburger to a veal cutlet, The Queen Bean certainly has a healthy cooking approach. Giambrone takes pride in using clean, healthy ingredients without sacrificing flavor. He uses real butter, no seed oils, and nearly every dish can be gluten-free on request.
Perfect Partners
Both Ridge and Giambrone are pretty well-known in South Jersey for different reasons.
Ridge is best known for Beau Ridge Photography, perhaps the No. 1 wedding and personal photography company in South Jersey. If he and his team haven’t shot a wedding you were at, they undoubtedly shot one of the many events you have attended over the last couple of decades.
“We started with photography, and we are still doing it,” said Ridge, who also has shown his entrepreneurial side in various ventures that include Queen Bean. “The community has been really great to us, so it’s time to venture into some other wonderful experiences. Our approach is to always service the local community. South Jersey is who we are. I get to work with people who celebrate down here, and maybe I’m a little jaded, but I like when people smile at me.”
One bite of Giambrone’s food and people will keep smiling.
The veteran chef has been feeding South Jersey for more than 25 years. A Brooklyn transport who came to the area to study at the Academy of the Culinary Arts in Mays Landing, Giambrone grew up around food in an Italian household.
“I was always interested in cooking,” Giambrone said. “I was always watching my grandparents, especially my grandfather. Every year we would do the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and my uncle would do all of this food, and I would help him with it.”
After attending a vocational high school for cooking, Giambrone relocated here to study at ACA, where he met his wife and, after a brief stint moving to Maryland, returned to build a home and family in Egg Harbor Township.
“I think working in the industry from high school as a dishwasher and a prep guy and working my way up is the best way,” Giambrone said. “You learn humility and teamwork.”
Along the way, Giambrone has owned his own catering company and worked for the Stone Harbor and Ocean City yacht clubs. But it was his stint working in the former upstairs Supper Club at Jon & Patty’s in Ocean City that actually made the Queen Bean happen.
The Taleses operated Queen Bean for two seasons, and according to Giambrone, were ready to pass it on.
“Jon called me, and it was perfect timing,” Giambrone said. “He called me last fall and told me to come and try it out, and, ‘If you like it, I will hand you the keys.’”
Giambrone, who knew Ridge because they trained in jiu-jitsu together for many years, approached the businessman about teaming up. And it has been a great partnership ever since.
“I have been invested in other restaurants before, but I have never had the control and support I have with Beau,” Giambrone said. “So, this is a big step for me and my family. Beau and I bow out to each others’ judgment based on the experience in the area. The fact that I have the restaurant experience and the experience of making mistakes and learning and doing work for other people and learning from them is a huge asset. We both bring different skills and connections to the restaurant, and that’s been great.”
“It’s been absolutely amazing,” Ridge agreed. “The running joke is because we met through martial arts that if we ever need to settle something, we can hit the mats and figure it out. In martial arts you have to trust those who train with you and you have to respect them. And that’s a life lesson we both bring to our business, professional and personal relationships. There is a lot of trust, no ego. We are just committed to each others’ successes – and the team’s success – and the community.”
The Queen Bean received quite a bit of renovations over the winter to transform it from a breakfast and lunch spot to a restaurant that also offers a memorable dinner experience. Wall colors changed. Custom-built tables were made by Giambrone’s father-in law. A staff member constructed the gorgeous counter area. And, of course, Giambrone experimented with the menu.
“We took advantage of the winter to make it more our vision aesthetically,” Ridge said. “We always had the vision to bring an elevated dining experience here, and we had to do some changes to allow for that.”
If you are looking for Beau Ridge Photography on the walls, you won’t find it.
“We decided to do historical photos of Ventnor,” Ridge said. “That’s who we are. That’s the community.”
With 40 seats inside and about another 40 outside right on the boardwalk, The Queen Bean offers a bustling breakfast and lunch experience, as well as a more intimate, boutique dining experience with a killer view.
“There are places that are elevated where you can see the ocean and boardwalk, and there are places right on the boardwalk (with dunes obstructing view), but we are the only place where you can sit on the boardwalk and have a clear line of sight to see, hear and smell the ocean and beach and have that full environment of breakfast, lunch and that elevated dining experience,” Ridge said. “It just doesn’t exist in this area. It’s awesome we can offer that.”
And while it’s hard not to keep bragging about that view, the food is the main attraction.
Breakfast All Day
Although Ridge and Giambrone are really concentrating on developing a dinner crowd – more on that later – breakfast is the bread and butter (or toast and jelly?) for The Queen Bean Bistro.
And its large menu certainly takes advantage of that customer base.
If you like a great omelet, Giambrone will make one for you. Every egg – sourced fresh form Walking Dog Farms in Galloway – is cracked, whipped and made in real butter fresh to order. Ridge is particularly fond of the Italian ($16) with roasted peppers, smoked ham –smoked by a friend of Giambrone’s – basil, truffled burrata and olive oil. The Smoky Westerner ($15) would be my choice with smoked pork butt, brown sugar, caramelized peppers and onions, and house-made pepper jack cheese.
But Giambrone says foodies – and true egg lovers – will appreciate the French-style omelet ($15), which is softer and wetter than you will find omelets in most places. Giambrone’s creation features caramelized mushrooms and a homemade herb-infused cream cheese.
“Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat,” Giambrone said. “And I like to cook for people how I cook for myself. I only use real butter. I use avocado oil. I don’t use any of those soy blends or anything like that.”
You will find fresh eggs on three breakfast sandwiches with the Vax’adilin ($17) really standing out. Named in honor of Dungeons & Dragons, which Giambrone likes to play with his kids and their friends, this monster of a sandwich features smoked ham or applewood bacon, avocado smash, Cooper sharp cheese and provolone on a buttered, grilled sourdough rye bread sourced from Fluffy Farms in Egg Harbor Township.
“A lot of places do sourdough bread, but you don’t typically find a sour rye,” Giambrone said of the local, scratch bakery. “It adds a whole other layer of complexity to it.”
There’s also a lox and white fish platters ($18 each), along with healthier items such as avocado toast ($17), an acai bowl ($16) and fruit and yogurt ($15). Even the pancakes can be considered healthy even though they are some of the best pancakes you will have on the island. They are gluten-free – even though you won’t know it – and Chef Sal’s Hot Cakes ($15) feature blueberries, house-made granola and a peanut butter smear topped with whipped cream.
“Even the avocado toast features a farm bread that my wife Melissa makes,” Giambrone said. “When you toast it, the outside gets really crispy, and the inside stays soft.”
Melissa Giambrone is also responsible for other fresh-baked Queen Bean goods, including the scones, another Ridge favorite that is gaining popularity as more people discover it. The latest flavors include apple cinnamon and raspberry peach.
“She has to perfect things to the point that she stays up until 3 in the morning to master it,” Giambrone said. “We inherited the idea of scones from Jon and Patty, and Melissa just ran with it. They are awesome.”
Speaking of peanut butter, my favorite breakfast item is the Lavished Monkey ($15), a clever item featuring espresso-infused peanut butter and banana wrapped and grilled inside lavash (Armenian bread) and then topped with a homemade berry compote, house granola, whipped cream and honey drizzle. Outstanding!
Other than the pancakes, Ridge steers people toward Stella’s Campfire French Toast ($16) boasting two thick slices of challah bread dipped in egg batter and then dredged in Biscotti cookie crust, stuffed with marshmallow Fluff, grilled, and then finished with dark chocolate shavings, berries and whipped cream.
Lunch = Brunch
While breakfast is served from opening to 3 p.m., lunch begins at 11 a.m. and is certainly worth exploring. The small lunch menu features about a half dozen sandwiches and a few salads, but paired with the large breakfast menu, it’s one of the best brunch experiences you will find in South Jersey.
Salads are a big hit, and Giambrone’s leafy blends sound like summer bliss, particularly the perfectly named Summer Salad ($15) with fresh fruit and berries tossed with fresh mint and raw honey. There’s also the Arcadian ($15) with house greens, English cucumbers, marinated tomatoes, dried cherries, red onions and Bulgarian feta cheese with fig-maple balsamic dressing; and the Jersey Sear ($16) with seared, thick-cut tomatoes, Bulgarian feta and avocado dollops served on microgreens with crushed crostini and finished with basil olive oil.
Every sandwich on the menu sounds like a masterpiece.
The Bourbon Steer ($16) is not for the light eater with 3-hour braised beef, Cooper sharp and bourbon-caramelized onions on a seeded French baguette; the Angry Tony P ($18) is an Italian delicacy with mortadella, truffled burrata, spicy arugula, crushed pistachios and cherry red peppers on the baguette; the go-to deli sandwich is the Romania Setter ($16) with seared pastrami, potatoes, onions and peppers with spicy mustard and melted Swiss on grilled sour rye; and the King George ($16) immediately ranks as one of the best smashburgers in South Jersey with sweet onion and melted Cooper sharp cooked in beef tallow, drizzled with Chef Carlos Marsini’s famous, locally made “King Sauce” and served on a gorgeous brioche baked from my favorite bakery – Hammerbacher in Egg Harbor City.
“It’s the best smashburger I have had anywhere,” Ridge said.
Dinner is Served
While The Queen Bean’s menu offers flavor and creativeness all day, Giambrone particulary shines at dinner, where the oceanside restaurant is transformed physically – lights dim, linen napkins come out, servers dress the part – and culinarily.
The menu is perfectly sized, and just like breakfast and lunch, everything is made with the freshest ingredients to order.
Start with the Baked Josh ($19), pastrami-smoked salmon that is seasoned in house with warm boursin cheese, chopped dill and charred balsamic onions served with English cucumbers and toasted sour rye; the Yacht Club ($21) is a customer favorite with jumbo shrimp gently poached in aromatics and served with lemons and citrus cocktail or “dirty” with a house-spice blend; and the Michael Anthony’s ($18) gets the Italian juices flowing with charred red bell peppers and warm truffled burrata served on house-made rosemary-thyme farm bread finished with Greek olive oil and spicy raw honey.
Three salads are worth the trip alone, including The Guzzio ($21) with poached shrimp, clams and octopus marinated in grilled onion, lemon and garlic tossed with blistered cherry tomatoes and arugula.
There are more than a half dozen entrees with something for everyone. Many foodies say they never order chicken when they go out, but make an exception for Gary’s Style ($39) with a house-butchered, deboned half roasted chicken – halal – served over bechamel and topped with crispy pancetta and smoked paprika.
If you’re looking for a new seafood experience, try the King of England ($39) with cracker-encrusted King Clip Fish – a tasty, white fish – seared in beurre noisette and served with rich seafood tomato sauce and finished with a vinegar aioli.
“It’s a very mild fish with a nice, meaty texture,” Giambrone said. “It’s a fantastic fish.”
And the chef is super proud of the Veal Giambrone ($40) with thinly pounded and pinned veal that is flour dusted, seared and topped with sliced mortadella, truffled burrata and arugula and finished with a cherry pepper broth.
“A lot of the dishes on the dinner menu are more nostalgic and incorporate names from my family and family ties that I have grown to love,” Giambrone said. “The veal dish is so good. I hand pound it, which is the best way to do it. I’m only allowed to have it once a year (because of its decadence).”
Don’t leave without trying the homemade desserts ($12) including the Aunt Tootsie Vera, which will make you a fan of lemon pound cake with just one forkful that features lemon icing and served with vanilla ice cream; and the Perfect Marriage, a to-die-for peanut butter cheesecake.
“I think what sets us apart is that breakfast and lunch is a little more casual, and then dinner offers a different, elevated dining experience,” Ridge said. “The amazing experience of the ocean, the boardwalk and the salt air … why not have that same experience for dinner? You can come for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have a totally different experience for each one.”
Coffee, Please!
Coffee, of course, takes center stage at Queen Bean all day long. There is no better place on the island to sip a barista-prepared coffee while sitting on the boards looking at the ocean. And for $5.25, the specialty lattes are quite a deal coming in at 16 ounces.
Favorites include the signature Queen Bean with brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; the Purple Reign with lavender and vanilla; the Bee Sting with peppermint and vanilla; the Sunrise with orange blossom and vanilla; the Camp Fire with chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker; the Snickers with caramel hazelnut and chocolate; and many more.
“We narrowed it down from what Jon and Patty had to the home runs, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make most of what Jon and Patty offered before,” Giambrone said.
More To Come?
Although the Queen Bean is relatively new, Ridge and Giambrone have other visions.
“Eventually, we want to grow and have other locations geared toward our community,” said Ridge, who is in the midst of opening another location nearby with Giambrone that they will announce soon. “We have such a great thing going on in Ventnor offering good, clean, healthy and amazing food. We have such a great local community that wants to support us and this style of dining. So, we are very fortunate.”
(The Queen Bean Bistro is located at 4800 Boardwalk, inside Vassar Square, Ventnor. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays to Mondays for breakfast and lunch. 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays for dinner. Hours may expand in peak summer. Call 609-428-7116 or go to TheQueenBeanBistro.com)
Scott Cronick is an award-winning journalist who has written about entertainment, food, news and more in South Jersey for nearly three decades. He hosts a daily radio show – “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” – 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays on Newstalk WOND 1400-AM, 92.3-FM, and WONDRadio.com, and he also co-owns Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City, while working on various projects, including charitable efforts, throughout the area. He can be reached at scronick@comcast.net.
