The New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association named Allen Walski of Clemmy's in Waretown its 2026 Chef of the Year at the NJRHA Awards on Thursday, November 5, at The Stone Terrace in Hamilton. Walski was picked from a field of finalists that ran from Hoboken and Ridgewood to Lambertville, and he is the only one of them cooking in Ocean County.

Clemmy's sits on Route 9 in Waretown, part of Ocean Township, between Forked River and Barnegat, and it does not take reservations. That last detail is the practical one for anyone planning to go after the award.

Who else was in the running

The association's finalists were Cliff Crooks of Viv and Jules in Hoboken, Aishling Stevens of The Grand Tavern in Neptune, Dennis Foy of de floret in Lambertville, Joseph Sergentakis of Revell Hall in Burlington and Boschetto in Montclair, Nick DeRosa of Black Sheep in Garwood, Conor Browne of Lula in Ridgewood and Sam Stymest of Sam's Table in Montclair. Stevens, in Neptune, gave Monmouth County a finalist of its own. The NJRHA Awards also honor restaurateurs, hoteliers, educators and attractions across the state each year.

What Clemmy's serves

The current menu opens with starters such as sourdough toast with house-made ricotta, pistachio and honey ($16), roasted pork belly with black-eyed peas ($18), smoked mussels with escabeche and garlic aioli ($18), a sweet potato soup with salsa macha ($14) and charred carrots with yogurt and pickled fennel ($17).

Entrees include braised short ribs with smoked onion polenta and blue cheese ($45), bigeye tuna with carrot puree and miso ($38), roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and peppercorn sauce ($30), Iberico pork with apple cider gastrique ($45), rigatoni Bolognese ($34) and Viking Village fluke with Old Bay butter and red potatoes ($38). The fluke is named for the commercial fishing dock at the north end of Long Beach Island in Barnegat Light, a few miles across the bay.

Desserts are $10 to $12 and include Grammy's Famous Orange Cake with vanilla gelato, a polenta budino with Concord grape, and sticky toffee pudding. The drinks list is non-alcoholic: house mocktails, a non-alcoholic prosecco, Athletic Brewing beer, and amaro-style aperitifs without alcohol.

How to get a table

Clemmy's seats walk-ins only. It takes reservations for just three nights a year: New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. It is closed on Tuesdays.

  • Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m. Last seating is at 9 p.m., or 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
  • Address: 290 Route 9, Waretown, NJ 08758
  • Phone: 609-891-4066

Sources