WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? SHRIMP, WITH BIG VIEWS

Aug 12, 2016

The roofed deck at McLoone’s Rum Runner. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

On a clear day, Tim McLoone‘s newly rebuilt Rum Runner restaurant in Sea Bright offers bird’s-eye views south along the Shrewsbury River past the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge, north toward Sandy Hook Bay, and to the east, beach clubs, interspersed with peeks of the Atlantic Ocean.

Stunning eye-candy aside, PieHole finds another reason to appreciate this back-from-the dead Sandy survivor.
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August 12, 2016 - 10:59 am |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? TACOS ON THE RIVER

Jul 15, 2016

On a clear day, views from the deck of BeachWalk Tiki Bar include the Highlands-Sea Bright bridge. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

A neighbor’s recommendation sent PieHole in search of a well-hidden oasis in Sea Bright.

“You have to try the crabby patty and crabby fries,” Fair Haven native Jeanettje McManus insisted, and the views are spectacular.

You wouldn’t know it looking at the place from Ocean Avenue: you see a modernized motel and parking lot. But tucked behind the BeachWalk Motel is an eatery dubbed the Tiki Bar. And what you get here are jaw-dropping views of both the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers that can go on for miles.
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July 15, 2016 - 9:49 am |

RED BANK: BRANNIGAN’S, TEAK REACH FOR SKY

Jun 14, 2016

The better question might be “What’s going UP here?,” as two Red Bank restaurants are busy adding second floors with outdoor decks.

Teak, above, on Monmouth Street, remains open through its expansion, and hopes to debut its new space by September, says co-owner George Lyristis. Read more about Teak’s plan here.

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June 14, 2016 - 2:00 pm |

RED BANK: MEMBERS-ONLY CIGAR CLUB OK’D

Jun 3, 2016

The club, called Le Malt, is to occupy the space previously leased to a gym, and will include a small retail cigar store accessible to the public through the front door. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

A few hundred well-heeled smokers may soon have a swank hangout in downtown Red Bank, following Thursday night’s zoning board approval of a private cigar and bring-your-own-booze club.

To be called Le Malt Club, it’ll be posh, exclusive and “absolutely” odor free to residents of the nine condos above the West Front Street storefront, let alone to passersby, according to testimony.

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June 3, 2016 - 6:20 am |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? BELLYING UP AT SURF BBQ

Apr 22, 2016

Above, a smoked-brisket sandwich, left, and a pulled pork sandwich. Below, smoked maraschino cherries at the bar. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

PieHole had been itching to try Surf BBQ in Rumson for lunch, but the newly opened East River Road restaurant and bar hasn’t yet expanded its hours and is only serving lunch on weekends.

Last Saturday, we finally made it there, and found the place not too busy at mid-afternoon, with no wait at the counter and plenty of available seating at the bar and picnic tables. Maybe everyone was attending their kids’ T-Ball games or working on landscaping, but we think we’ve found a sweet-spot in this smokin’ hot restaurant’s schedule.
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April 22, 2016 - 8:59 am |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? TASTES OF IRELAND

Mar 4, 2016

Bangers and mash, one of the Irish menu options at the Dublin House. The dining room dedicated to T.J. McMahon, seen below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

A midweek lunch meeting at the Dublin House Pub on Monmouth Street in Red Bank presented PieHole with an all-but-empty first-floor dining room — but lots of company in the form of Irish ghosts.

Bits of local and Gaelic history prevail in the renovated 19th-century Victorian house-turned-pub. The T.J. McMahon dining room exudes literary warmth, in the form of antiqued headshots of Yeats, Shaw and more on its brick-red papered walls, as well as literal warmth from a mantled fireplace.
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March 4, 2016 - 11:56 am |

RED BANK: ‘IDOL’ SINGER WOWS FANS

Feb 22, 2016

‘American Idol’ contestant-turned-mentor Constantine Maroulis set a packed house of hearts aflutter when he played a show at Taste in Red Bank Friday night.

Backed by the Rock of Ages band and fresh off an ‘Idol’ appearance the night before, Maroulis performed songs by Queen, Rick Springfield, Bryan Adams and others. NJArts.net has a write-up. (Photo by Art Petrosemolo. Click to enlarge)

February 22, 2016 - 6:17 am |

A STRAWBERRY KISS FOR YOUR VALENTINE

Feb 13, 2016

A Strawberry Kiss, by Taste manager/bartender Meagan Davis. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

It’s Valentine’s Day, and you’re out to make an impression on a certain someone. A romantic cocktail is a good start, but first you have to figure out what that moving spirit is.

An experienced bartender and now manager at Taste, in the Galleria Red Bank, Meagan Davis has a few ideas about what might set hearts fluttering.

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February 13, 2016 - 2:46 pm |

MIDDLETOWN: A RETRO CHINESE NEW YEAR

Feb 6, 2016

Shrimp lo mein, left, and shrimp in garlic sauce at House of Chong. Edward Chong, below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Chinese new year begins Monday, and diners with a yen for a little time travel along with well-made Asian cuisine might set their GPS for House of Chong in Middletown.

The restaurant, located in the Union Square Mall, has been serving Cantonese and Szechuan-style Chinese delicacies since 1976, owner Edward Chong tells us. His parents first opened House of Chong in Brick in 1969, and though that restaurant is now closed, the Middletown eatery remains a family affair — and something of throwback.
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February 6, 2016 - 2:04 pm |

RED BANK: BUONA SERA, JIMMY JOHN’S OK’D

Feb 2, 2016

The former Wayne’s Market on West Front Street is slated to open as a Jimmy John’s franchise owned by Gaslight Anthem bassist Alex Levine, at left below, and Matt Schaffert, right. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

The owners of two Red Bank restaurants left Monday night’s planning board meeting with unanimous approvals, one to expand and the other to open.

Buona Sera, at Maple Avenue and Monmouth Street, won an OK for a plan for a 1,200-square foot addition that might accommodate up to 50 standing customers. And Jimmy John’s Deli, a sandwich franchise co-owned by a member of the rock band Gaslight Anthem, got a thumbs-up to open in the former Wayne’s Market space on West Front Street.

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February 2, 2016 - 7:54 am |

SEA BRIGHT: HARRY’S ENDS ERA ON HIGH NOTE

Jan 11, 2016

Lynne Perry-Szwede, behind the bar, reminisced with Mary Orr, above, while Feli Donato and Mike Sakowski took a last turn at the pool table at Harry’s Lobster House. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

In the end, it was more about the sounds than the food as musicians and music lovers jammed Harry’s Lobster House in Sea Bright Sunday night.

With no specific plans in the near future, longtime owner Lou Jacoubs said he’d decided to retire and close the Ocean Avenue restaurant, which had been in operation for 83 years.

“I’m 65 years old,” he said. “It’s been good, but it’s time to go.”
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January 11, 2016 - 7:00 pm |

SEA BRIGHT: HARRY’S LOBSTER CLOSING

Jan 8, 2016

After 82 years in business, Harry’s Lobster House in Sea Bright is closing Sunday, when owner/chef Lou Jacoubs and longtime manager Lynne Perry-Szwede will host a goodbye party.

Jacoubs declined immediate comment, except to say that he expects to lease the Ocean Avenue space to another restaurant under a new name. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

January 8, 2016 - 11:29 am |

NEW YEARS EVE: BARTENDERS HAVE YOUR BACK

Dec 31, 2015

Ryan Matthews, bartender at the Belmonte, has a non-alcoholic cocktail for you. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

So, what’s the plan for New Years Eve? Will be ringing in 2016 at one or more bars and restaurants on the Greater Red Bank Green?

Your local bartender has some advice on how to stay safe while having an enjoyable celebration. It starts with a plan — and, possibly, a designated driver.
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December 31, 2015 - 12:21 pm |

RED BANK: FAST CLARE TO ROCK 10TH AVE.

Dec 16, 2015

Neptune City-based rockabilly artists Fast Clare, a trio led by guitarist (and Red Bank Catholic grad) Laddie Keelan, bring their to muscular sound to 10th Ave. Burrito in Red Bank Friday night. A three-song sampling of the band’s original stuff is here. (Video courtesy of Fast Clare.)

December 16, 2015 - 12:00 pm |

RED BANK: SMALL KITCHEN YIELDS BIG FLAVOR

Dec 9, 2015

Mixed green salad on the specials menu at Jamian’s Food and Drink is available for lunch or dinner. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

PieHole dipped a spoon into a bowl of black bean soup at Jamian’s Food and Drink in Red Bank while waiting for a recent weekly trivia game to begin, and swooned. Jalapeno heat and cumin-infused flavor told us that someone new was working in the kitchen.

Owner Jamian LaViola hired 46-year-old chef Andy Doelger to run the three-person kitchen two months ago, and customers are starting to notice the difference. We’ve been asked by more than one satisfied diner if we’ve tasted the braised short rib grilled cheese yet. Yes, we have and it’s seriously good.

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December 9, 2015 - 9:08 am |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A FRESH TAKE ON TAPAS

Nov 13, 2015

An unusual adaptation of taquitos, above, and a glass of made-to-order sangria, below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Gone are the heavy velvet drapes and dark, brooding atmosphere that once decorated Red in Red Bank. Renovated and re-dubbed the Belmonte, the Broad Street restaurant and bar with the panoramic front window is now lighter, brighter and much more inviting.

A cool, marble-topped bar elicits a bit of Old World charm. Banquettes lining the walls promise comfort, while high-top tables arranged down the center aisle of the room offer a variety of seating or standing options: playing off the primarily tapas menu, it’s a mixture of this and that.

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November 13, 2015 - 10:27 am |

RED BANK: BRANNIGAN’S MAKEOVER APPROVED

Nov 3, 2015

Branningan’s plans to add a two-tiered deck, complete with an open-air tower at the north end, and an outdoor bar, seen at above left. Below, the property as it appeared in July. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Wait: the drawing above shows Brannigan’s Bar & Grill?

Believe it, barhoppers. A beloved Red Bank dive is about to get a makeover that will enable imbibers and — yes — diners to take advantage of great park and river views, thanks to unanimous planning board approval Monday night.
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November 3, 2015 - 8:21 am |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? BIG MENU AT TOMMY’S

Oct 23, 2015

A Hickory-Bacon Burger and an order of oven-roasted wings at Tommy’s Tavern + Tap in Sea Bright. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Trying to enter Tommy’s Tavern + Tap in Sea Bright last Saturday was a challenge.

Pushing an empty stroller out the door, a woman sporting a Gucci diaper bag on her shoulder heard a screech from her toddler. At issue: a cup of lollipops spied on the hostess desk.

Stroller, Mom, Dad and child — now clutching a fistful of pops — finally made their way out the door, and we entered to see that the place was packed. Tables, bar stools— all taken, but a raised booth against the far wall that could have fit a party of six was available.

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October 23, 2015 - 11:24 am |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A RETURN TO YESTERDAY

Oct 2, 2015

A pizza burger from The Brother’s Restaurant, with its disco-lit dining room below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

We hadn’t been back to Brother’s Restaurant in years. A town institution at the corner of West Front Street and Morford Place in Red Bank, it’s a throwback that’s perhaps taken for granted because it’s always been there.

That is, until it’s not there.

Back in January, the 100-plus-year-old building had a flood from a burst pipe, and leading to extensive repair work that shut the place down for a few months. For many in the Greater Red Bank Green, that was a blow, because this bar and pizzeria is the family restaurant that was the meeting place after a big game or dance recital. It’s nostalgic. So it was time for PieHole to stop by and see what if anything had changes since we last visited.

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October 2, 2015 - 11:50 am |

RED BANK: ARE WE THAT DRUNK?

Sep 30, 2015

The ranking methodology includes the number of bars per capita. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

Is Red Bank the fourth-drunkest town in New Jersey?

An infotainment website based in North Carolina claims it is.

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September 30, 2015 - 9:31 am |

RED BANK: A HOT BURRITO FOR MUSIC-HEADS

Sep 14, 2015

Carley Wolf joins bandmate Jonny Wolf on the stage of 10th Ave. Burrito Tuesday night, as the Austin-based duo the Ghost Wolves helps the new venue up the original-music ante in downtown Red Bank.

By Tom Chesek

As reported earlier in redbankgreen, the recently opened Red Bank branch of 10th Ave. Burrito Company made its debut in the downtown restaurant wars equipped with an arsenal of assets that ranged from “165 seats, a coveted liquor license and primo views of the Navesink,” to more than 100 varieties of tequila and a not-so secret weapon: “live music – cover bands need not apply.”

While the town doesn’t often get mentioned in the same breath as Asbury Park and other musically-minded burgs, the fact remains that most every night of the week finds something for music aficionados to choose from; be it at the Basie or one of the borough’s bars, beaneries, sidewalk bumpouts or black-box performance spaces. But even as Red Bank regulars like Sonny Kenn, Quincy Mumford and Matt O’Ree have made a habit of stocking their saloon sets with generous amounts of originals, the town hasn’t truly seen a full-time venue for homegrown originals and national touring acts since the long-ago heyday of Big Man’s West. It’s a situation that 10th Ave owner Brian Katz and manager Chris Masi (formerly the music booker at the Downtown) seek to address with an attention-compelling slate of up-and-coming talents, cult favorites and best kept secrets that range from deliriously anarchic alt-rock to urban-hipster roots Americana, and even an unexpected visitor from across the pond — a schedule that really clicks into place as summer turns to fall.

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September 14, 2015 - 12:00 pm |

SEA BRIGHT: POPPING IN AT HARRY’S

Sep 2, 2015

redbankgreen‘s PieHole food page pops in owner/chef Lou Jacoubs to find out about at changes at Harry’s Lobster House in Sea Bright. Among them: cooking classes starting this month. Check out the story here. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

September 2, 2015 - 1:11 pm |

SEA BRIGHT: HARRY’S LOOSENS ITS TIE

Sep 2, 2015

Harry’s Lobster House owner and chef Lou Jacoubs gives PieHole a lesson in lobster anatomy. The patio is open to the street, below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Is it possible for a restaurant open since 1933 to keep its jacket-and-tie reputation while loosening its style?

Lou Jacoubs, owner and chef at Harry’s Lobster House in Sea Bright for four decades, is asking himself that very question.

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September 2, 2015 - 1:00 pm |

RED BANK: BAR PLANS DECK; CHAINS COMING

Jul 20, 2015

Branningan’s has filed plans to add a two-tiered deck to the parking lot side of its Wharf Avenue building. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Yes, it’s already time for another edition of redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn. And once again, there’s news about Red Bank food and drink.

Right around the “read more” corner are details about big changes planned at Brannigan’s Bar & Grill, plus word of two national food chains hoping to get in on the head-spinning restaurantization of Red Bank: Jimmy John’s Deli and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

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July 20, 2015 - 9:00 am |

QUENCHING A CINCO DE MAYO THIRST

May 4, 2015

Downtown bartender John Butler makes PieHole a fresh strawberry margarita. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Maybe it was the sterling weather this past weekend, or maybe it was the swarm of happy folks packing the restaurants and bars in town that put us in a celebratory mood.

Remembering that Cinco de Mayo is this week, PieHole made its way to the Downtown in Red Bank with its enormous open front window view of Broad Street. Finding a couple of empty bar stools at the ready, we joined the already cheerful customers.

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May 4, 2015 - 11:30 am |