The Beach Tavern

On a cold winter Wednesday, we got the urge to return to the water’s edge, and so we traveled to Monmouth Beach to give The Beach Tavern a try. As waterfront views go, this is a dandy. The restaurant, on the site of the former Sally T’s at the Channel... Read More

Piccola Italia

This month, we visited a restaurant that has been earning high ratings and customer loyalty since 2002. Piccola Italia is located in the Cobblestone Village strip mall in Ocean Township (or Oakhurst, depending on where you like to draw your line), just... Read More

Mar Belo

While much of the planet is searching for stuffing and turkey recipes for the Thanksgiving holiday, we chose the road less traveled and took a day trip to savor the cuisines of Portugal and Spain at Mar Belo in Long Branch. It was a trip worth making.... Read More

Belford Bistro

The Journal is very proud to be introducing our new fifth edition this month: the Middletown/Lincroft Journal. With that in mind, we set off to find a Middletown restaurant – and boy, did we! We visited the well-established Belford section of Middletown.... Read More

618 Restaurant

We’ve been on a hot streak lately finding really good restaurants, and this month, we kept the streak rolling. 618 Restaurant is a great find and full of surprises. The property has undergone several ownership changes in recent years, but chef/owner... Read More

Arugula at the White Sands

Temptation: Do I tell you about an incredible find, with killer views and amazing food, or do I keep it to myself, so I can always get a table? Well, since we’re friends, I’ll tell you about Arugula at the White Sands in Point Pleasant. This restaurant... Read More

Drew’s Bayshore Bistro

We decided to kick off the summer with a long drive along the Bayshore towns, and we’re happy to report that the rebuilding efforts are paying off in many places. But all that driving works up an appetite, so we were thrilled when we got to Keyport... Read More

Charlie’s of Bay Head

Some places seem destined to hit the ground running. They have a perfect location, a built-in neighborhood crowd, a stylish, yet friendly design, and a block of positive opening reviews. Charlie’s of Bay Head is one of those places. It had all the right... Read More

Little Szechuan

The first-ever Taste of Little Silver event is set for May 21, so we decided to take an advance tour of the town and try one of the many eateries in Little Silver. We went with a retro favorite, the Little Szechuan. I had heard so many good things about... Read More

Blu Grotto Ristorante

We got the blues, and we couldn’t be happier. Blu Grotto Ristorante is a sensory explosion. It excites all your senses, like a bolt out of the blue (and that, I promise, is officially the last bad blue reference of this column). This place is unlike... Read More