Food and Wine Corner

  BETWIXT AND BETWEEN  ( IF IT ITCHES, THEN)  Hello my Besties and welcome to that in between time year when we are all waiting  for that big yellow ball to return to the sky, for the lilies  to bloom, for  the Robin Red Breasts to make their appearance and for the Umpires ( if they are not electronic) to yell “Play Ball”. Yes my friends it is that “Almost Time” of the year when you can feel it trying to be spring. Soon you will be able to watch the commotion at the garden stores as they scramble to double their prices of anything green , knowing full well that you will be buying them twice, once far too soon watching them freeze overnight and later when it is actually warm. And so my friends, where should you go while you're waiting for the snowbirds to return to Capistrano? Glad you asked. I for one would hightail it over to one of my favorite local haunts, the consistently excellent , always  satisfying rustic Italian Skratch Kitchen (812 Main St Br...

                       MIDDLETOWN STRIP SHOW     Hello my fellow subterranean arctic dwellers ,and welcome to the darkest , dankest, most depressing time of the year. Are you beginning to regret that you were too chicken to pull the trigger on that palatial intercoastal  condo,  you could have bought for peanuts back in the day? Well, now that I have sufficiently raised your spirits, let me ask you, could all y'all, use just a little treat to hold you over until the Summer Solstice? Of course you could. Hiding in plein site,  tucked away in an unremarkable strip mall between a luncheonette and pizza shop is the very remarkable (and great) Belford Bistro (870 Main St , Belford) , winner of my  last years “best meal of the year”,  award. The owners , husband and wife team Kurt Bomberger and Crista Trovato, late of Gramercy Tavern and Aquavit i...

    UP ON THE ROOOF Hello my wonderful friends and Happy Holidays. I sincerely hope that you and yours have found your way to Tim McLoone’s   fabulous addition to the Jousey Shore , AP Rooftop (1200 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park).Take the dedicated elevator to the third floor and you’ll know you have arrived at  what feels like your private  club in the sky. And what a space this is. It is shiny and sexy with soft glowing lighting, a killer bar and  a plethora of floor to ceiling windows showcasing a 270 degree panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. Now I don’t know whether it is the warm welcoming vibe, the high ceilings or just gazing out onto the ocean but there is certainly something that makes me feel instantly calmer  at AP Rooftop. To me the place just feels special. Maybe it is the masterful job that  super restaurateur ( and super person ) Tim McLoone has done in putting this shining Asbury venue together. Now just in case you recently  land...

    WE'RE GOING TO THE CHAPEL     Hello, my very awesome and  tasteful friends. Ya know, I always felt that my home town of Long Branch was somehow missing something. It seemed contrived, lacking the personality, creativity and yes, the  coolness factor of Asbury Park. This is apart from the fact that  it was historically, the birthplace of many literary giants, including Poet Laureate  Robert Pinsky, Pulitzer Prize Winner Norman Mailer and most humbly yours truly. Now if the only Culture that concerns you, is written on the side of a Cherbani Container, it may well be time my friends to expand your horizons. Enter the fabulous art and event  venue, come gastro pub, come environmental marvel; The White Chapel Projects (15, 2nd Ave, Long Branch). The WCP is aptly named for  the bustling district in London’s infamous East End  a virtual epicenter of art, culture and most importantly the home of Jack The Ripper ( who has sinc...

             Now That The Boys Of Summer Have Gone Hello my very awesome friends ( you know who you are) . I hope you have all  heeded at least some of my recommended warm weather spots and slayed summer at Jersey Shore. Well, it had to happen sooner or later but the boys of summer  are starting to load their beach chairs  into the Woody and you are just beginning to feel  hints of the brisk chill on the back of your neck. It may well be time to check that lightweight  wool sweater in your winter drawer  for moth holes, ( “Damn  how do they get in there ?”)  top off your tank and head for the hills. But where to go? Well, I am glad you asked , my friends. I for one am heading West  to “The Blue Bottle Cafe ” (101 E. Broad Street, Hopewell) ,  just 10 miles out from nearby Princeton and downtown New Hope , PA . The  BBC is headed by Super Chef  Aaron Phillipson, late of La Cote Basque, The Ryl...

           THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ( PART DEUX)                                    LOCAL EDITION Hello  my hungry friends. Harry here. I know it hasn’t been long but it is seriously  hard for me to contain myself.  I was really not done with the list of “My Favorite Things” , which have pathetically changed my world. You know I always thought that it takes a bit of talent to find  the best takeout and dining spots , if you ask me, which you didn’t. But as usual , I feel compelled to tell you anyway. Besides, life and happy hour is short and I just can’t live with the fact you might miss something. After all, that is what I am here for. So without further ado or additional loquaciousness (another good SAT word) here it is : Tremendous Takeaway ( Mark...