The Skillet by Sal has become an institution in the Freehold area – even though it’s only been open since April 2022.
Owner Sal and his wife Nancy Faenza have lived in the Freehold and Manalapan area since 1990. If you’ve lived around here long enough, you probably recognize Sal from Tuscany.
“I grew up in the food industry,” Sal said. “My dad owned a food store in Brooklyn. While my parents always wanted me to get an education and work for a large company, I graduated from St. John’s University with a B.S. in marketing and business and went to work on Wall Street.
“After five years on Wall Street I was not feeling this was what I was supposed to be doing with my life, so I decided to go back to my roots – the food industry – making friends and feeding friends and family in my community.”
With his wife’s support, Sal went into business for himself, opening a small food store in Brooklyn while living in New Jersey.
“Traveling every day, I decided to open a store in New Jersey in the town I lived in,” he said. “That’s when I opened my first Tuscany Italian Specialty Store [in Manalapan].”
He sold the specialty store at the end of 2019.
But he wouldn’t be out of the food industry for long.
“I always loved the idea of a breakfast restaurant and decided to find a location near my home in Freehold,” he said. “I wanted to bring a friendly and family feeling, with quality foods and excellent service, always trying to bring new ideas and food items for people to enjoy.”
Photos by Kathy Chang
Thus, The Skillet was born. Of course, you have to try any of the skillets, which are served in cast-iron pans, like the Classic Skillet with eggs, bacon, cheese and breakfast potatoes; the West Freehold Skillet, with eggs, peppers, onions, ham, cheese and breakfast potatoes; or The Ultimate Skillet, with one waffle, one pancake, two eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and toast.
There are new coffee flights – look out for the Pumpkin Spice, Maplee Cinnamon, Caramel Praline and Caramel Apple – and even pistachio pancakes, but diners who have been coming since the doors opened, gravitate toward the Skillet Breakfast Eggrolls, a variety of Eggs Benedict and lemon ricotta pancakes.
If you’re coming with a group, The Ultimate Tomahawk Board – priced at $135 – includes a 40-ounce prime rib tomahawk steak with pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, eggs and toast. It feeds up to five people, but you can add on two more people for $20 extra each.
For lunch, options range from salads to sandwiches to paninis to bowls. The Hawaiian shrimp tacos have grilled shrimp topped with mango slaw, guacamole and chopped red cabbage; chicken & waffles are drizzled in chipotle mayo, hot honey and maple syrup; and their rice bowls have everything from zucchini noodles with chicken to Korean marinated beef.
On the healthier side, you can opt for a frittata; the Mediterranean Bowl with scrambled egg whites and vegetables; or a Protein Sandwich packed with grilled chicken, hard-boiled egg, avocado and spinach on whole wheat toast.
There are 90 seats inside and up to 40 seats outside (with heat lamps) at the Mounts Corner restaurant. It sits on the green near the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County monument, which makes for poignant yet beautiful scenery during the warmer weather.
The space is family-friendly, with kids usually opting for s’mores pancakes, grilled cheese or a banana split waffle off the regular menu; or their choice of scrambled eggs with toast, silver dollar pancakes or chicken tenders with fries from the Children’s Menu.
This is a super popular spot, but they don’t accept reservations or call-ahead orders, so get there early or plan to wait about a half hour for a table. Their approach, they explain, “ensures fairness and efficiency” in serving all their patrons.
Diners can also choose to order online via DoorDash or GrubHub.
The Faenza family and staff support the local government, schools, hospitals, organizations, local sports teams and community organizations.
“My goal is to have an active part in my community,” Sal said, “bringing the old neighborhood feel and friendliness. I love my customers and I’m always happy to try to make everyone happy.”
Moving into 2025, Sal plans to keep innovating the menu at The Skillet and introducing new items.
But he hasn’t stopped there.
Returning to his roots, once again, Faenza’ s Gourmet Market opened in June on Route 9 in Englishtown, and celebrated its official grand opening in September.
“I’m bringing back all my old recipes from the original Tuscany in Manalapan,” he said. “I will also be selling prime meats and more grass-fed, pasture-raised meats. We offer quality products and reasonable and affordable prices so I can grow with my community and show my appreciation for the local support.”
The Skillet by Sal is located at 300 Mounts Corner Dr. in Freehold. Hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, visit www.theskilletnj.com.
