VUE

Chef & Owner Nicholas Harary t the time of its opening, Harary gave Monmouth County something it was desperately lacking— what some even referred to as "Jean-Georges in New Jersey." It made sense from an outsider's perspective—being that Harary spent some time working there—but Restaurant Nicholas had its own sentiments from the very beginning. Harary was never concerned with conforming to someone else's vision and instead, gave Monmouth an upscale dining experience that was nuanced in its own right. "Jean George was one of many mentors. I think that we've been in Red Bank so long that I'm not sure that, other than philosophically, anything comes from those days anymore," he said. ough Harary has remained true to his ideals, he recognizes the changes in the industry and only adapts as he sees fit—a method his customers trust. Restaurant Nicholas has never been about trends but much of what we see in the industry today— like the oh-so over communicated farm-to- table—are things Harary has always done even before he opened almost 20 years ago. "We're not focused on trends, but we present them in an elegant way. Farm-to-table is a promotional word, but all fine restaurants do this. When I was at Jean- Georges in 1998, that was farm-to-table. We've been farm-to-table long before that term came about—I didn't know any other option. Everything comes from the sea or the land." Harary told me. When it comes down to it, there's always going to be a need for restaurants with an elegant feel. is is ultimately where Restaurant Nicholas excels, bringing fine dining into the 2010s and beyond. "We've been here for 18 years and we're still going strong," Harary said. "I don't know if the definition of fine dining exists anymore—I think it's constantly being redefined. We have been part of that redefining. Our servers aren't wearing tuxedos; we don't have that stuffy feel you'd expect from a fine dining restaurant. But people V U E N J . C O M 110 DINING

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