It’s been some time since my last visit to Summit House. When Chef AJ Capella took the helm at the lauded Union County restaurant during the summer of 2023, I stated—with fervor—that Summit House was officially entering a new era. So, does that claim hold true in the big 2025?
As the warm weather seeps in, there is another kind of seasonal shift happening in New Jersey’s best kitchens, and especially at Summit House. The dishes slowly evolve into brighter—and often greener—displays. Hearty squashes and root vegetables are swapped out in favor of English peas, foraged ramps, morels, early berries and the like. This is my wheelhouse and similarly, it seems to be Capella’s too.
Whether you sit in the front tavern area, or the back dining room, which is backdropped by open-kitchen views, Summit House promises a meal that weaves between opulence and comfort. And you don’t have to wait for your first bites for this to become clear—the inventive cocktails will make it apparent from the get-go.
A Bee’s Knees riff called the Pollen Puff comes topped with a creamy foam made from bee pollen. The base of the drink is composed of gin, lemon, bee pollen honey and Centerbe Giallo—an herbal liqueur that’s aged in white wine barrels. The liqueur is further flavored with lemon peel and saffron after aging. It’s the kind of drink that excites the palate with an unapologetically spring profile and a texturally alluring outfit to go along with it.
Like all great cocktail riffs, the Pollen Puff veers away from the original enough to intrigue while still retaining the base cocktail’s core identity. This sets the mood for the meal to follow, which follows a similar game plan. It’s a commitment to innovation, sure, but more importantly, it’s a dedication to comfort above all. Food (and drink) should make you feel good. That should be every restaurant’s North Star.
Right away, this idea is made clear. A butter tasting presents itself as both a fun starter to wake the senses, but also as a way for Capella to ease you into the meal through calculated technique. Three compound butters, each one flavored quite differently and served with warm spears of warm focaccia on the side.
Left to right: one quenelle each of maple-bacon, cheddar-jalapeño and bone marrow and scallion.
My favorite being the cheddar jalapeño, which was rather boldly flavored by sharp cheddar cheese and a distinct jalapeño flavor. The magic was that the butter retained the subtleties of the pepper without overwhelming your taste buds with spice—it’s hot, but it’s not overkill.
In true Summit House fashion, the seafood tower is always there, but if it’s too much for you, at least treat yourself to a half-dozen oysters. East Coast oysters—in the case of my visit, two varieties from Barnegat Bay.
The bivalves come with an array of condiments waiting on the sidelines. Mignonette, cocktail sauce, lemon and, my choice, the housemade hot sauces. The first time I ever ate an oyster was with a few dashes of Tabasco and a nice squeeze of lemon. To this day, it’s my preferred topping. Capella’s housemade version is the right pairing for the task if you ask me. It’s spicy and sharply acidic, which complements the sweet, briny oysters with ease.
Then, we move firmly into Spring territory. Creamy burrata from Jersey Artisan Co. gets torn and draped over a medley of compressed strawberry, pickled white strawberry and mint. Dots of berry gel decorate the burrata’s revealed interior and slices of toasted sourdough come on the side. The cheese bursts with fresh milk flavor and the berries present a duality of sweetness due to their difference in variety and preparation.
The white strawberry is punchier, with a bright hit of acid, while the red berry is jammy and intensely sweet. It’s anything but monolithic, playing off the strengths of the early season produce. A great pairing along with the warm bread and burrata.
You’d be remiss to skip the handmade pasta. With a variety of both extruded and sheeted pastas—familiar and luxurious—Summit House has something for everyone. Campanelle comes coated with spicy vodka sauce and fresh English peas, while a single, large raviolo is stuffed with herbed ricotta and egg yolk, sauced with butter and morels.
But it’s the lobster ravioli that made me do a double take. Frankly, I think this is a dish that is usually overrated. However, Capella’s version was stupendously good. Creamy lobster mousse fills the ravioli, which is sauced with a brandy-butter emulsion, sweet morsels of lobster meat, fava beans and a rich Parmigiano foam. The pasta’s filling is well flavored with a mystifyingly creamy texture and the fava beans add a welcome hit of Springtime flavor. Before you tell me Parmigiano has no place on a seafood dish, consider this: yes it does.
I have an affinity for skate—the stingray-resemblant fish that populates the Jersey Shore waters. It has come to my attention that a decent chunk of people have never tried skate wing, which can be prepared a variety of ways. Summit House’s current version would be a great place to start.
The fish comes lightly floured and pan fried, which is doused with a bright piccata sauce. The fish comes laid over a bed of lemony couscous and tender artichoke comes on the side. The skate’s natural sweetness is the perfect marriage for the brightness displayed in the rest of the dish.
And to break with the light-and-bright theme is a ridiculously indulgent honey-lacquered duck. The duck is presented in two parts: its breast carefully rendered to a rosy pink interior and the thigh slowly cooked to a shreddy, unctuous texture—the skin crisped right before plating.
A chorus of accompaniments sits on the side. Crispy maitake mushrooms bring umami, a mound of sweetened rhubarb comes spooned atop the duck thigh. Wilted greens and asparagus bring a vegetal pop that excites. It’s the kind of dish that is anything but straightforward, but it’s not needlessly complicated either. It’s calculated. Each component makes sense. Each bite leaves you wanting more.
For dessert, the ball keeps rolling. A caramel-doused sticky toffee pudding is undeniably delicious, but do not look past the toasted carrot cake. Pieces of spiced carrot cake are fried on one side, creating a dichotomy of both flavor and texture. Tangy cream cheese mousse dots the cake pieces and a velvety carrot-infused ganache lines the bottom of the plate like a shallow pool. Along with an espresso or a chilled pour of amaro, I struggle to find a better way to conclude a meal.
Summit House is as exciting as ever. The Springfield Avenue staple continues to impress with its seamless combination of grandeur and ease. The cocktails are increasingly invigorating, the wine list remains varied and Chef Capella’s menu thrills with its effortless approach to seasonal cooking. All of this in the same gorgeous space that Summit House first became known for nearly a decade ago.
It’s, yet again, a new height for the Union County restaurant.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
