WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? SUSHI DELIGHTS

Aug 5, 2016

A specialty at Sakura Sushi is the Floating Island appetizer. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

In what might be the tiniest sushi bar on the Greater Red Bank Green, PieHole finds a lively, amusing, and loyal customer base.

And at Sakura Sushi, located in in the Acme shopping center on Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, it’s easy to strike up conversation with fellow diners, with just four sushi bar seats and four small tables occupying the diminutive space.
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August 5, 2016 - 10:59 am |

COOL INSIDE: INSIDE THE BUBBLE

Jul 29, 2016

A Lemon-Strawberry Ice Bubble from Chill Bubble Tea in Red Bank. (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

SHERRI HALL

This week, PieHole‘s Cool Inside summer series gets a little bubbly and fruity with a cold drink that pops in your mouth.
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July 29, 2016 - 4:19 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A RED LIGHT SANDWICH

Jul 29, 2016

The Big Tuna, one of only four sandwiches offered at Red Light Coffee and Espresso Bar. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Seeking out a caffeine fix, PieHole stopped in at the Red Light Coffee and Espresso Bar in Lincroft’s Acme shopping center on Newman Springs Road.

On a strip that also houses Aleo’s Italian Specialties, this 10-month-old java joint is turning out more than the expected demitasse and cappuccino. The jewel-box-sized, ruby-walled 650-square-foot space is also serving up gourmet sandwiches.
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July 29, 2016 - 11:29 am |

COOL INSIDE: A RIVERSIDE MILKSHAKE

Jul 22, 2016

A chocolate milkshake from Gracie and the Dudes in Red Bank. (Photo by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

SHERRI HALL

This week, PieHole‘s Cool Inside summer series features an old fatithful cold drink you can now enjoy overlooking our beautiful Navesink River from Riverside Gardens Park in Red Bank.

For those who missed the news: the snack stand in the park, which has barely been used over its two-decade existence, is now operating as a third location for Gracie and the Dudes Homemade Ice Cream. More →

July 22, 2016 - 3:00 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A BODEGA SPECIAL

Jul 22, 2016

Chuleta de puerco en salsa pasilla, or pork chops in a spicy gravy with cactus, is a daily special at Linares Grocery and Restaurant. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

PieHole‘s endless quest for reasonably priced lunches hit the jackpot this week at Linares Grocery and Restaurant on Monmouth Street opposite the Red Bank train station.

Don’t let the market facade and absence of restaurant signage fool you. Selling fruits and vegetables, fresh meat from a butcher’s case, Mexican grocery staples and a mindboggling array of household items, Linares also offers a takeout menu filled with traditional Mexican food prepared in-house.

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July 22, 2016 - 9:58 am |

LITTLE SILVER: BLACKBERRY PICK RETURNS

Jul 21, 2016

The National Historic Landmark Parker Homestead in Little Silver plans to host three days of pick-your-own blackberry harvesting in coming days.

The picks are scheduled for Sunday from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. and next Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon.

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July 21, 2016 - 6:25 am |

COOL INSIDE: FRUITY AND FLYIN’ AT KITCH

Jul 15, 2016

The Flyin’ Hawaiian  at Kitch Organic in Red Bank. (Photo by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

This week, PieHole‘s Cool Inside summer series features a healthy way to beat the heat with a vitamin-packed smoothie from a 100-percent gluten-free establishment. More →

July 15, 2016 - 3:29 pm |

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 |

COOL INSIDE: A JOLT OF COLD JOE AT ROOK

Jul 8, 2016

A New Orleans-Style Cold Brew at Rook in Red Bank. (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

This week, PieHole‘s Cool Inside summer series stops into Rook in Red Bank for a cold version of a traditional hot beverage that will cool your innards and wake you up at the same time.

What’s it called?

New Orleans Style Cold Brew

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July 8, 2016 - 3:39 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A WHOLE MEZZE FLAVORS

Jul 8, 2016

Appetizers, or “mezze,”from Bayroot include falafel, stuffed grape leaves, spinach pies, mouhammara, baba ghanouj and hummus.  (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

The sleepy little shopping center called Shrewsbury Village in the borough of Shrewsbury has seen a great deal of turnover lately. Rosina’s Ristorante, once an anchor there, is gone, as are the Cypress Café and the short-lived Doco Donuts.

“Looking for the right place at the right price,” Shrewsbury resident Maher Dougan says that he and his wife, Lara, took a leap of faith and decided to open Bayroot Lebanese Restaurant there a few months back.
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July 8, 2016 - 10:29 am |

RED BANK: ICE CREAM STAND OPENS

Jul 7, 2016

For the first time in its two-decade history, the snack bar in Red Bank’s Riverside Gardens Park is operating as a regular daily business. 

Gracie and the Dudes Organic Ice Cream of Sea Bright opened in the West Front Street facility without fanfare last weekend under a two-year contract entered with the borough in April following a bid process. For most of its existence, the building was open only sporadically during borough events.

The contract is for two years, with a three-year renewal option. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

 

July 7, 2016 - 5:59 am |

COOL INSIDE: WARM AND COLD AT RALPH’S

Jul 1, 2016

A warmed-over cookie is the centerpiece of this treat from Ralph’s. (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

Warm meets cold in this week’s installment of PieHole‘s Cool Inside summer series in the form of a sweet treat from a walk-up window in Lincroft.

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July 1, 2016 - 3:30 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A HEADFUL OF ACAI

Jul 1, 2016

A jam-packed Island Bowl from Melonhead in Sea Bright. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Ravenous after a recent walk on the beach, PieHole headed to downtown Sea Bright in search of the newest kid on the block: Melonhead, whose menu basis is the acai (pronounced ah-SAH-ee) berry, a super fruit native to the Amazon.

How did partners and Monmouth County natives Nick Frangipane and Steve Barnett come to be acai acolytes on Ocean Avenue? Theirs is a story that begins on a surfing trip in Costa Rica and continues through Brazil, Puerto Rico and other stops on the planet.

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July 1, 2016 - 10:15 am |

COOL INSIDE: A COOKIE MONSTER IN A CUP

Jun 24, 2016

Hoffman’s popular “cookie monster” blue ice cream as used in shake, at left, and a banana split. (Photos by Trish Russoniello and Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

Next up in PieHole‘s summer-long Cool Inside quest for cooling summer treats on the Greater Red Bank Green is one named after a childhood icon.

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June 24, 2016 - 5:14 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? CREPES WITH A TWIST

Jun 24, 2016

A savory French crepe served at the charming Whipped Creperie & Dessert Bar.  (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Americanized crepes? “Why not?” thought Nick Napoletano, who owns Whipped Creperie and Dessert Bar in Red Bank with Erica Lieberman.

Traditional French crepes are served sweet, with sugar, Nutella, jam or a creamy cheese filling. But Napoletano envisioned “an Americanized, savory version,” he tells PieHole. “I wanted to take familiar foods like turkey and cheese and create a more hearty filling on a whole-wheat crepe.”
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June 24, 2016 - 10:50 am |

COOL INSIDE: CHIPS ON THE TABLE @LA ROSA’S

Jun 17, 2016

Cannoli chips and frozen cannoli cream from La Rosa’s in Shrewsbury. (Photos by Trish Russoniello, above, and Sherri Hall, below. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

The latest stop on PieHole‘s Cool Inside quest for cooling summer treats on the Greater Red Bank Green is La Rosa’s Pastry Shop.

The Shrewsbury desserts emporium is widely known for its cannolis, as well as for its cakes and cookies baked on premises. On this visit, we uncovered the shop’s newest cool cannoli confection.

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June 17, 2016 - 1:50 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? WINDWARD DELI, HO!

Jun 17, 2016

A seasonal grilled chicken salad and a cup of Rhode Island clam chowder from the Windward Deli.  (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

It’s easy to pass by the Windward Deli, set back alongside the railroad tracks at Drs. James Parker Boulevard and Maple Avenue in Red Bank. So PieHole is doing you a favor by telling you to stop in.

Plenty of parking in front of and behind the building makes it easy to swing by for not-your-usual take out deli grub. A small courtyard with inviting picnic tables surrounded by verdant shrubbery offers an additional reason to grab lunch and eat al fresco.

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June 17, 2016 - 9:59 am |

RUMSON: WHAT’S YOUR REAL BEEF?

Jun 17, 2016

Jersey Shore restaurant maven Marilyn Schlossbach, below, hosted a free-food-and-drink “coming out party” Wednesday night at Rumson’s What’s Your Beef, which she and partners acquired in March.

The event was held, in part, to counteract “negative chatter” among some commenters about the change in ownership to the 47-year-old River Road chophouse, Schlossbach told redbankgreen. 

“We just wanted people to see that we’re approachable and kind, as well as to highlight some of the new menu items,” Schlossbach said, as a full-house crowd sampled new menu items, such as beef bourguignon, mussels in garlic and white white wine, and pork and shrimp dumplings. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

 

June 17, 2016 - 7:48 am |

COOL INSIDE: LIGHTHOUSE “ICESHAKE”

Jun 10, 2016

The Lighthouse “iceshake.” (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

In search of the Greater Red Bank Green’s best cold and frozen treats to help you beat the heat this summer of ’16, PieHole‘s Cool Inside series returns for a third installment  with a with a stop for a chilly treat you can sip through a straw.

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June 10, 2016 - 4:00 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? SMOKIN’ NEW BBQ

Jun 10, 2016

Chopped beef brisket on a roll with sides of collared greens and macaroni and cheese, at Local Smoke. Below, a lunchtime crowd filled the tables.  (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

Yes, there’s Lino’s Café on Shrewsbury Avenue, which despite PieHole’s efforts somehow doesn’t get the notice it sorely deserves. And still we heard the mantra, the whine, the plea: “Red Bank needs barbecue.”

Well now, in the space at West Front Street and Rector Place most recently occupied by Delfini’s Gourmet Catering, Local Smoke BBQ slips in with the requested goods.

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June 10, 2016 - 12:11 pm |

COOL INSIDE: GOING FOR FLAVOR AT RYAN’S

Jun 3, 2016

The cone in question, from Ryan’s Homemade. (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

In search of the Greater Red Bank Green’s best cold and frozen treats to help you beat the heat, PieHole‘s Cool Inside series returns for a second installment this not-yet-official summer of ’16 with a visit to a place that makes every one of its 48 flavors of ice cream.

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June 3, 2016 - 2:00 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A LITTLE FRANCESE

Jun 3, 2016

Chicken Francese served with a side salad and plenty of bread at Palumbo’s in Little Silver. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON
Alongside the tracks of the Little Silver train station in a handsome, stone-facade strip mall with plenty of parking, Palumbo’s Pizza is more than its name implies.

Inside the Ayers Lane restaurant, you’ll first hear quiet strains of Italian background music, setting a tranquil, family friendly atmosphere. The staff behind the counter converses in Italian too. PieHole takes this as a sign to join some other customers in the dining room and make lunch a more leisurely affair.
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June 3, 2016 - 10:49 am |

RUMSON: NO BEEF HERE ABOUT THIS EVENT

Jun 2, 2016

Food and drinks will be on the house when Rumson’s What’s Your Beef hosts an open-house, tapas-style sampling event later this month.

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June 2, 2016 - 10:00 am |

COOL INSIDE: SOME CRAZEE WAFFLING HERE…

May 27, 2016

A homemade waffle bowl from Crazee’s in Rumson. (Photos by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)

By SHERRI HALL

With this weekend’s unofficial kickoff of the summer of ’16, a redbankgreen fave from a summer not-so-long-ago is also back: the Cool Inside series.

As we did in the scorching summer of ’10, each week we’ll showcase a signature cold or frozen dessert from a local treatery — something guaranteed to excite the taste buds while cooling down the body’s core.

To start things off, we stopped in at Crazee’s in Rumson.

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May 27, 2016 - 3:30 pm |

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? CHINA MOON SHINES

May 27, 2016

From the lunch special menu: beef with black bean sauce. The artwork, below, is by the delivery guy. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

If it’s not already on your radar, you might never notice China Moon, squished into a corner of a Red Bank strip mall between the Windmill hot dog stand and Crate’s Beverages.

But PieHole is putting the North Bridge Avenue eatery front and center, because when it comes to lunch, China Moon offers an affordable, extensive menu — and the food is delicious.
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May 27, 2016 - 10:00 am |