Red Bank seems to have new businesses popping up constantly. Each time I drive through the booming downtown area, I am always oohing and aahing at new restaurants or bakeries I want to try. So this winter, I took a weekend to explore a few spots that had previously caught my eye.
I started at Paris Baguette, located on Broad Street, on the corner near Red Bank Catholic High School. I woke up early on a Saturday morning and headed over. They open at 6 am which is perfect for early risers like myself! Walking in, I was greeted with rows and rows of French pastries – just the way I’d like to start my morning. It is serve yourself, so I grabbed a tray and prongs and decided on an almond puff pastry. I then went to the register and ordered an iced latte. With my pastry and coffee in hand, I sat down with a book on this fine Saturday morning.
There is plenty of seating if you’re looking to catch up with a friend or get some work done. I noticed they also have outdoor seating which will be great in the spring. It is a lovely atmosphere, not too loud or busy: two attributes I look for in a cafe.
The cafe opened in mid-January, and I am happy to report it appears to be doing well! There were plenty of happy customers when I visited. Red Bank was in need of a coffee shop with delicious pastries and comfortable seating, in my opinion.
Next on my weekend Red Bank tour was Once Bitten Donuts. Could you tell I have a sweet tooth? I’ve had my eye on this spot for a while and finally decided I needed to stop in. To my surprise, they had more than just doughnuts! They also offer ice cream, coffee and crumb cakes. I headed for the doughnut case which had dozens of options. I settled on a Bluesberry Glazed and an Apple of Your Eye Fritter. They were both amazing, as I expected! The apple one was a yeast fritter filled with a fruit compote and topped with a crumb and glaze. The blueberry doughnut was frosted and drizzled with a traditional glaze. They are humongous, so I cut them up and shared them with my family!
You would think I was all “carbed out,” but my final stop was Sally Boy’s Pizza. Another January open date, Sally Boy’s is located at 1 Broad Street, across from Urban Outfitters. With many different pizza topping options, you choose between a neighborhood pizza and brick oven, and they also offer Sicilian. They have a great upstairs seating area that overlooks West Front Street. If you’re looking for a place to grab a quick lunch, this is the spot to visit. I ordered a pepperoni brick oven pizza for me and my family. It was unbelievable! We will definitely be repeat customers at Sally Boy’s.
Red Bank is an everchanging town, with new, delicious businesses popping up regularly. You can discover some of your new favorite spots when you take a weekend to explore your own area.
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