Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RUMSON: RALLO TO OPEN ‘SURF BBQ’ HERE

molly-maguires-102011-500x375-5604896Restaurateur Victor Rallo plans to transform the former Molly Maguire’s Gastropub into a smoked barbecue joint. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

surf-bbq-logo-220x152-4654057The Greater Red Bank Green, teeming with culinary variety but short on ribs, is about to get some finger-lickin’ fare.

The former Molly Maguire’s Gastropub in Rumson, which closed Tuesday, will reopen in January as Surf BBQ, buyer Victor Rallo tells redbankgreen.

rallo-menna-2-090713-500x375-5152902Rallo, above left with Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna at a 2013 event, will now take on pit-smoked meats. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

Rallo, owner of the nearby Undici, on West River Road, and Birravino, in Red Bank, confirmed that he and members of the Diaco family of Rumson acquired the East River Road eatery from Kathy and Mike Maguire on Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.

Now, Rallo says, he’ll embark on a three-day-a-week apprenticeship in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn under the tutelage of acclaimed pitmaster Billy Durney, who founded and runs Hometown Barbecue there.

From a press release issued by Surf BBQ:

Since first learning to smoke meat as a youngster during visits to his grandparents’ cabin in rural Pennsylvania, Billy has spent years obsessing over his barbecue, traveling around the United States and abroad, searching for ways to perfect his techniques. Beginning in his backyard, cooking for family and friends, he has now become one of the best pitmasters in the United States.

Durney is a consultant on the Surf BBQ project. Rallo’s brother Robert, who manages Birravino, is also involved, he said.

Don’t expect white linen napkins. “In the tradition of American BBQ, patrons will stand on line to choose their BBQ and sides,” Rallo said Thursday morning. “We think that this time-honored tradition is a very important social aspect of BBQ.” Hometown Barbecue also employs the counter-service model, according to its website.

Rallo, who stars in the vineyard-wandering “Eat, Drink Italy” documentary series on public television, said the restaurant will be anchored by a custom-made Oyler smoking pit, and the menu will feature “some flavors that are representative of Americas diverse cultures.”

The bar will sell “American craft beers, a large range of American whiskeys, seasonal cocktails, and American wines,” Rallo said.

The Maguires bought the former Murray MacGregor’s Publik House in October, 2011, paying about$1.85 million to sellers Tim and Matt Harmon, who had transformed the former Briody’s into MacGregor’s in 2008.

 

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
TULIPS TOGETHER
Spring tulips taking in the sunset outside the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank Monday evening.
RIVER RANGERS RETURN
River Rangers, a summer canoeing program offered by the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association, returns this summer for up to 20 participa ...
DOUBLE DYLAN IN RED BANK
Trucks for a production company filming what one worker said was a Bob Dylan biography have lined Monmouth Street the past two days with cre ...
AFTER THE RAIN
A pear tree branch brought down by a brief overnight storm left a lovely tableau on the sidewalk in front of Red Bank's Riverside Gardens Pa ...
CONE OF UNCERTAINTY
Asked by a redbankgreen reporter why these cones were on top of cars, the owner of the car in the foreground responded: “That’s ...
RAIL RIDER’S VIEW
A commuter's view of Cooper's Bridge and the Navesink River from North Jersey Coast Line train 3320 out of Red Bank Tuesday morning.
PUT ME IN COACH!
Red Bank T-Ball kicked off at East Side park on Saturday morning. The brisk weather proved to be no deterrent to the young players, ranging ...
IT’S A SIGN!
Once proudly declaring its all-but-certain arrival in Spring 2019, the project previously known as Azalea Gardens springs to life again with ...
SPRINGTIME MEMORIES OF CARL
The Easter Bunny getup and St. Patrick’s Day hat that belonged to longtime Red Bank crossing guard and neighborhood smile-creator Carl ...
RED TRUCKS AT RED ROCK
A small dishwasher fire at Red Rock Tap and Grill was put out quickly by firefighters overnight, causing minimal damage. Red Bank Fire Depar ...
CREATIVE COVER UP
The windows of Pearl Street Consignment on Monmouth Street were smashed when a driver crashed their car through them injuring an employee la ...
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...
SPRING IS SPRUNG
RED BANK: Spring 2024 arrives on the Greater Red Bank Green with the vernal equinox at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday.
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.