Jim Filip is the owner/operator of the renowned Doris & Ed’s seafood restaurant located on Sandy Hook Bay in Highlands, NJ. He bought the restaurant in May of 1978 with a mission to transform the traditional fish house into a premiere dining experience. His devoted local and regional following and the many awards he has received are testimony that Jim Filip has achieved his goal.

An acknowledged authority by top NYC restaurateurs and fish purveyors, Jim is so passionate about his seafood that he rises before dawn, drives to Manhattan’s famed Fulton Fish Market and carefully hand-selects only the most outstanding seafood available for Doris & Ed's.

His expert opinions about all things "fish" are highly respected by the purveyors (some of whom are now sons of the fathers who once supplied fish to Doris & Ed's) and among other restaurateurs who also make pre-dawn visits to the market.

Jim has the same passion for fine wine, and travels far and wide to learn about new and classic vintages. The result is Doris & Ed’s award-winning wine list (Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence every year since 1985 — that’s 23 years in a row) of over 315 wines, with ever-changing choices available by the glass.

An Oklahoma State University graduate in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Jim still goes to great lengths to continue to learn and stretch as a successful restaurateur. His passion is evident in every meal served at Doris & Ed’s. Together with Executive Chef Russell Dare, Jim Filip has transformed what was once a down-the-shore seafood restaurant into a legend in the seafood world.

Jim Filip likes to have his cake and eat it, have his wine and drink it, have his fish and cook it and share it all with you. Come visit Jim at his restaurant.

 

Chef Russell Dare is currently cooking through his 20th year at Doris & Ed’s restaurant in Highlands, New Jersey. Over the course of his tenure, the restaurant has achieved many notable awards which include Gourmet magazine’s "America’s Top Tables" and New Jersey Monthly magazine’s "Best of the Best".

The icing on the awards cake came in 1998 when Doris & Ed’s became the first New Jersey restaurant to receive The James Beard Foundations’ First Annual America’s Regional Classics Restaurant Award. Most recently, Russell Dare was heralded as one of “State’s Top 26 Toques” by New Jersey Life magazine.

The awarding-winning cuisine offered by Russell is best described as New American. His menu is creatively divided between his exceptional nouvelle fare "The Shore Today," as well as the classic seafood dishes of "The Shore Yesterday."

Russell Dare’s culinary adventurousness shows up in dishes such as seared diver scallops on Parmesan gnocchi with truffle cream sauce and foie gras. Or slow-roasted wild Copper River King Salmon with lentils and a pinot noir sauce. These "Shore Today" dishes are created weekly based on seasonal and market availability. He is equally at home preparing classics such as Manhattan clam chowder and Jersey shore favorites like fried shellfish. One common element in everything Dare prepares is the best quality seafood and the freshest ingredients.

He keeps his skills and palate on the edge by securing stages with America’s top chefs. Russell has participated in cooking stages at Per Se, NYC; Mary Elaine’s, The Phoenician, Scottsdale, AZ and Hoppa, also in Scottsdale; Elizabeth Daniel in San Francisco; French Laundry in Yountville, CA; and Kincaid’s in Washington, D.C. Russell is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.

Chef Invitationals:
James Beard House, NYC
April, 1997; May, 1999

Naples Winter Wine Festival, Naples, FL
2001

Oklahoma State University Hotel and Restaurant Administration – Great Chef Demonstration February, 2002