In the Kitchen With Pablo Somers Point
Pablo brings American-Mexican fusion – with pops of inspiration from other cultures, too – and vibes for everyone to the Somers Point dining scene
EVEN THOUGH it has only been two months since opening day, Pablo – an American-Mexican fusion restaurant in nearby Somers Point – has already established a loyal following.
And, honestly, this should come as no surprise to anyone who stops in.
“Going out to eat, you’re spending your hard earned money and I think you want to go somewhere that’s beautiful and you want to feel like there’s thought put into it. You want it to be a good experience all around,” Emily Repici-Chong, director of marketing for Zest Restaurant Group, said. “Our owners really pour back into the businesses.”
Located on Maryland Avenue in the former Mexiquila location, Pablo opened May 1 to an enthusiastic line of patrons waiting at the door. It is part of Zest Restaurant Group, and the first restaurant for the company outside of Cape May. (Zest is also behind Taco Caballito, Port Marina and Fish House.)
“It’s a new community for us, but we’ve been welcomed with open arms,” Emily said. “The Somers Point community has been so sweet and generous.”
In addition to serving up creative and delicious cuisine, Pablo offers different vibes for different patrons, with sections of the restaurant dedicated to both lowkey and upbeat experiences. There are DJs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, alternating with a live saxophonist.
Ocean City Magazine caught up with Emily to find out how things are going for Pablo and what, exactly, the new restaurant is all about.
Q: What was the inspiration behind opening Pablo?
A: The owners – Ross and Lauren Hammer – met when they were younger. Ross is from Cape May and Lauren is from Vineland. Lauren would vacation in Cape May, and they met through mutual friends. They’ve always had, since they fell in love, this entrepreneurial spirit. They had a few small businesses through the years before they got into rental properties in Cape May.
The opportunity to buy Taco Caballito came up, and it was very serendipitous. They never set out to own a restaurant, but the pieces aligned. Once they renovated Taco and started seeing the power that it had to transform a space and then really hone in on the menu, the town responded really well and they realized they were creating something special.
They started dreaming, thinking, “Wow, we could do this again.” Port Marina was purchased officially in 2004, and at the same time they were closing on a deal on Fish House on Sunset Beach, so those were really close together. Those were also meant-to-be kind of spots, and then the same thing happened with Pablo. Mexiquila was owned by the same people that owned Taco Caballito, and they sold it to Ross and Lauren.
Q: What’s their mission behind expanding their restaurant group?
A: Their passion is really improving a restaurant and transforming a space, bothdesign-wise and food-wise. They’re not going to start a project that they don’t believe in themselves, in a place they wouldn’t go themselves. There’s a really heavy emphasis on atmosphere, vibe, community and food.
Q: What about the name – why Pablo?
A: Pablo is a family name. They were just inspired and wanted to keep that character and bring it to life. You can see that a lot in the design. All of the design is done by Lauren herself, and Ross as well.
Q: That’s really cool. So how would you describe the design of Pablo?
A: I would say it’s definitely moody. Very elevated. When you go in to the right, there’s this room we’re calling the Green Room. We opened it up to let more light in with skylights. It’s really bright. We wanted the focus to be on plants. It pours into the outdoor patio. So, that’s our bright space, a little more family friendly, a little less loud.
When you go to the left, it’s more dark and moody. We have cheetah wall paper. We have a DJ booth in the bar, which is very iconic and something we’ve already become known for. That’s where the night life is happening, as well as some elevated dining spaces. We have two bars, and we also have covered patio seating.
Q: What’s on the menu – can you highlight some of your more popular dishes?
A: We’re American-Mexican fusion. We kept the fajitas and improved them a little bit from Mexiquila. We brought up some tacos from Cape May that we’re really known for. A huge seller is our Coconut Shrimp Tacos – they’re super delicious. Another fan favorite is our Mexican Street Fries, which have a blend of Mexican spices and queso blanco dip on the side. They have a hint of lime, too. They’re addicting.
Q: Those sound amazing. Are there other menu offerings you consider especially unique?
A: We have these Korean Barbecue Pork Tacos. We also have Short Rib Bao Bun Tacos. We have a little bit of everything cultural wise. Oh, and I love the Brussel Sprout Tacos.
Q: Would that be your personal favorite dish?
A: I would say that’s my favorite taco. My favorite dish is the nachos; with queso blanco, pico de gallo, guacamole, crema, jalapeno, cotija cheese and cilantro, and proteins – ground beef, chicken tinga, carne asada or smoked brisket.
By Kristen Dowd