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SHREWSBURY: A STUDY IN CHILLING OUT

Edgar Davis of the Study provides some “men’s precision grooming” for Alex Goodman of Red Bank. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

A wooden sign outside a small cluster of stores in Shrewsbury is a bit enigmatic. It says, simply, “THE STUDY.”

If it sounds like the name of a coffeehouse hoping to create a certain mood, or a college-exam prep outfit, well, the tagline in small type underneath clarifies things a bit, for passersby with good eyesight: “men’s precision grooming.”

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RED BANK: LONGTIME BARBER DIES

domenick sama 061015A longtime fixture of downtown Red Bank died Monday.

Domenick Sama, who owned and operated Domenick’s Barber Shop, on East Front Street, died at his home in Red Bank, according to an obituary posted online. He was 93 years old.

The shop, run by an immigrant from Italy and veteran of the U.S Army during World War II, was “a simple, old-fashioned gathering place, a step back in time, where an excellent haircut could be had and lively conversation could be exchanged in familiar surroundings,” according to the obit.

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RED BANK: RICE & BEANS, ITALIAN & TURKEY

thanksgiving barber 3Art’s Barbershop. Chair: Jim Murphy, Barber: Rick Memmola. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)morsels medium

To get a sense of how folks around the greater Red Bank Green will be celebrating Thanksgiving, PieHole checked in with a few area barbers and hair stylists. In this, the fifth and final in the series, we pop in on three barbers.

Art’s Barbershop, Monmouth Street.

Jim Murphy, Monmouth Beach: Go over my mother in law’s, and she just cooks like a madwoman. Three different kinds of meats for about 15 to 20 people. She’ll make a ham, turkey and lamb. And she’ll make meatballs, too.

Barber, Rick Memmola: Going to a friend’s house in Long Branch, and we’ll probably have pasta or a lasagna. I’m not a big fan of turkey. I just plan on eating a lot.

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RED BANK: MOM CAN’T “COOK LITTLE”

thanksgiving barber 1Rocky’s Barbershop. Barber: Michelle Rago. Chair: Anonymous (she played hooky). (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

morsels smallTo get a sense of how folks around the greater Red Bank Green will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week, PieHole checked in with a few area barbers and hair stylists. Here’s number four in the series.

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RED BANK: WORKING, GIVING, GIVING THANKS

thanksgiving barber 5Dequanne Gibson waits for an open chair at Rigo’s Barbershop on Shrewsbury Ave. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

By JIM WILLIS

morsels smallTo get a sense of how folks around the greater Red Bank Green will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week, PieHole checked in with a few area barbers and hair stylists. Here’s number three in the series.

Rigo’s Barbershop, Shrewsbury Ave.

Dequanne Gibson, Red Bank. “I’m working on Thanksgiving, but when I’m done, I’ll go home and eat with my family. We eat turkey. My mom’s a pretty good cook. We’ll have turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing – a lot of stuffing. We’ll have apple pie for dessert and some ice cream.”

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RED BANK: MEMORIES OF MOM ON T-DAY

thanksgiving barber 42Dye4 Salon. Chair: Katherine Plosica, Stylist/Owner: Crystal Diebold. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

morsels mediumTo get a sense of how folks around the greater Red Bank Green will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week, PieHole checked in with a few area barbers and hair stylists. Here’s number two in the series.

2Dye4 Salon, Monmouth Street, Red Bank

Katherine Plosica, in the chair: I’m going to my brother’s house in Pine Beach. He does all the cooking and makes a fabulous turkey. We have a lot of fun. All the cousins get to play; all the kids get together. We have about 15 people.

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RED BANK: WHERE THEY’LL EAT ON T-DAY

morsels largethanksgiving barber 7You don’t need a PhD in sociology – or a masters in journalism – to know that the best and most scientific demographic sampling takes place in barbershops.

So to get a sense of how folks around the greater Red Bank Green would be celebrating Thanksgiving this year, PieHole, redbankgreen‘s food page, checked in with a few area barbers and hair stylists – and the people in their chairs – to find out what’s for dinner and where.

This is the first entry in a series of quick bites we’re calling ‘Morsels.’ Check them out today and in coming days at PieHole.

RED BANK: GETTING READY TO GOBBLE @ GUS’S

thanksgiving barber 7

Carl Bowles in the chair at Gus’s Barbershop in Red Bank as barber Augusta Carter works the trimmer. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

By JIM WILLIS

morsels mediumYou don’t need a PhD in sociology – or even a BA in journalism – to know that the best and most scientific demographic sampling takes place in barbershops.

So to get a sense of how folks around the greater Red Bank Green will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week, PieHole, redbankgreen‘s food page, checked in with a few area barbers and hair stylists – and the people in their chairs – to find out what’s for dinner on T-Day.

This is the first entry in a series of quick bites we’re calling ‘Morsels.’ Watch for more in coming days at PieHole.

Gus’s Barbershop, Shrewsbury Avenue, Red Bank.

Carl Bowles, in the chair: We have a family get-together in Tinton Falls. My four brothers and four sisters and my dad, my dad’s 83 and still with us. Maybe another dozen or so grandkids around.

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HAIRCUTS, JUICE, RUGS AND OTHER CHURNAGE

Robinson Hernandez cuts a customer’s hair at Red Bank House of Fades earlier this week. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Rcsm2_010508Some updates from the continual swirl of comings and goings among Red Bank businesses that we like to call Retail Churn:

• After months of dormancy, the conversion of the storefront at 8 Monmouth Street was completed this week. Or half-completed, that is.

With its opening on Monday, barbershop Red Bank House of Fades took over roughly half the space that for more than 50 years was home to Red Bank News and last occupied by Exotic Birds of Red Bank.

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WAIT: THERE’S A PATIO IN THERE?

8-monmouth-subs-2An architect’s rendering of the facades of the sub shop and barbershop planned for 8 Monmouth. An “exterior dining patio” would be hidden behind the stairwell accessed by the double doors at left. (Click to enlarge)

Rcsm2_010508

The prospective tenant of a prominent Red Bank storefront wants to build a sub shop with an open-air patio for customers.

Hidden behind a stairwell. Accessible from the sub shop only. Just seven feet wide. Surrounded by walls three stories high.

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