Although his first creation, cheese sauce, was a complete disaster, Chef Salvatore Giambrone (Chef Sal, for short) has come a long way since he was 11 years old. As a teenager, he attended a vocational high school focusing on culinary studies, determined to become a chef. Since graduating from Atlantic Cape Community College - Academy of Culinary Arts, Chef Sal has not stopped cooking and creating for the last 20 years. His culinary work experience reads like a menu, starting with small plates as a sous chef to his eventual entree, pun intended, into the executive chef realm. Most recently, Chef Sal creates breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Queen Bean Bistro located at the Vassar Condominiums right on the Ventnor Boardwalk.
Chef Salvatore Giambrone
It’s Just an Omelette!
Whether eggs in the morning or prime rib in the evening, Queen Bean stands ready to please. For example, if you expect to get some basic scrambled eggs with a sad piece of toast and uninspired hash browns, Chef Sal is not for you. In his own words, “Do you just want a full belly or do you want to actually enjoy your meal?” Each ingredient — emphasis on each — is carefully thought out and sourced. For example, Giambrone works with local and small farms to acquire fresh, quality eggs. In fact, he reports back to the farm on egg texture so they can adjust the feed accordingly.
Breakfast options include eggs, of course, like the Smoky Western Omelette — smoked ham, brown sugar, carefully caramelized onions and peppers, and house-made Pepper Jack cheese. Yes, house-made. And speaking of house-made, egg dishes come with a slice of homemade farm toast. There’s that word again — home-made without a speck of preservatives and chemicals.
Because Chef Sal devoutly believes in the cleanest and freshest ingredients, you can expect that attention to detail in your omelette, hash browns, or pancakes. “I want to serve food that I would eat myself, and that’s why I use real and clean ingredients like butter as opposed to some artificial oil blend — that’s motor oil!”
Name Sake
Stands to reason that someone who pays meticulous attention to each ingredient will do the same when selecting names for menu items. For lunch, the Vex'ahlia — a packed caramelized veggies sandwich — was named after an animated fantasy character that Giambrone’s children follow. Other specialized names include The Angry Tony P — a French baguette layered with mortadella and truffled burrata - in honor of a good friend.
Into smash burgers? The Queen Bean offers the King George — an Oklahoma style double patty with sweet onions and cooper sharp cheese over a potato brioche bun. And, in keeping with Chef Sal style, the buns never come in a plastic bag from big-box stores. For Chef Sal, only Hammerbacher’s small batch bakers in Egg Harbor City will do.
Dinner Plates
Directly overlooking the beach, Queen Bean offers great vibes for dinner. As the only Boardwalk restaurant in Ventnor, the cozy and intimate setting makes for a perfect date night.
Lisa Pistilli, an avid fan of “the Bean” (what loyal fans call it), appreciates Chef Sal and his team. She explains why she happily frequents the restaurant, “His dedication to his craft is demonstrated in each dish - ingredients carefully selected for optimum quality and taste. Every meal, with a view of the ocean and Boardwalk, is a culinary adventure you’ll want to repeat!”
Dinner options range from pasta dishes with addons like pulled chicken or seared shrimp or octopus to a 14-ounce Grilled Ribeye finished with brown butter and Maldon sea salt. What is Chef Sal’s favorite dinner option? Hands down he votes for the Veal Giambrone —pinned/ponded veal, seared and then topped with sliced mortadella, truffled burrata, and finished, never smothered, in a pepper broth.
If you have special dietary needs, Queen Bean gladly accommodates vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free dinner options. To be absolutely sure, Chef Sal prefers that you call a few days ahead. That way, he is ready to offer thoughtfully planned menu options to delight every palate.
Royal Plans
What does the Queen have in store for her loyal subjects as Chef Sal begins his second year at the Vassar location? Goes without saying that quality will continue to rule the Queen Bean. In addition, Giambrone would like to offer dinner every night of the week as well as add entertainment and singers to enhance the dining experience. He also wants to feature themed dinner nights like Prime Rib or Italian Night.
It’s a serious commitment to please pallets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Chef Sal has been training to take on this task for his entire career. He is not shy about expressing his love of cooking and sharing his quest to please customers, his way, with his mouth-watering creations. He wants you to understand and enjoy his food to the point of “…if you go somewhere else, I want you to regret it.”
