By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
Dining in the summer of 2020 has taken on a different look, a different feel – maybe a different taste.
When the state’s lockdown in response to the COVID-19 outbreak began in March, essential businesses such as grocery and specialty food stores were allowed to remain open. Many restaurants were quick to pivot, offering takeout meals to hungry and bored patrons tired of cooking, baking and microwaving their dishes.
Outdoor dining reopened June 15, albeit with restrictions, and many eateries reconfigured their outside premises to create or expand alfresco dining.
Although the reopening of indoor dining has been postponed, restaurants have taken a multitude of precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including keeping patrons 6 feet apart, ensuring that employees are all masked, gloved and have their temperatures taken, and tables, chairs and other shared items are disinfected after each use.
Establishments of all types have conformed to this “new normal” and continue to do their best to keep the community safe and appetites satiated.
Danny’s brings 50 years of tradition for families who have dined at the Red Bank location for more than five generations. From Italian classics and pizza, to being a steakhouse and sushi bar rated four to five stars, Danny’s is adept at handling any changes that come along. Adding important precautions is just part of it.
“I am most proud of being in business for 50 years in the top 2 percent of the restaurants in New Jersey,” Danny Murphy said, “and known as the restaurant of change both on menu, decor and service.”
No Limits Café in Middletown, an eatery employing adults with intellectual disabilities, was only open a few months when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We had three takeout orders so we had to set up a whole new system and change our hours,” said Stephanie Cartier, founder of the nonprofit. Also, because Cartier felt the café was not known for a particular dish, they revamped their menu. “People came for the mission.”
Since then, the café has expanded to include outdoor dining and free local delivery. Business is sporadic; employees’ hours are fewer.
“We used the slow time to try to enhance our menu,” trying new dishes and training employees, Cartier said.
And cleaning. Because their employees are dependent on car service and parent pickups for transportation, Cartier said they can’t just send employees home when business is slow. As a result, they do some more cleaning. “We’ve been told we have the cleanest restaurant around,” she said.
“Whatever changes come along, we’re going to figure it out,” she said. “We’ll keep doing it.”
Keeping customers safe and satisfied is what Stew Goldstein of Monmouth Meats in Red Bank is happy to do. “Customers are always very happy and that means a lot to me,” he said. Among the changes he has made in recent times is to close on Sundays. “I realized that life is too short,” he said. “My customers will find a way to get in before Sunday. They are very loyal.”
Crazees in Rumson has been serving ice cream, treats and cakes to the community since 1991. They provide a “crazee” atmosphere where the community can come together – masked up and 6 feet apart – to celebrate birthdays, special events, winning sports games and seasons – whenever they start again – and get “crazee” together!
Crazees features Thomas Sweet ice cream with 11 “everyday” choices available and 15 rotating flavors. Their ice cream cakes are known for their quality, variety of flavor choices, rich fudge toppings and colorful sprinkles.
These days Crazees has taken pains to maintain social distancing floor markers, sanitizing stations and plexiglass barriers. They now accept credit cards. Door handles, counter tops and benches are sanitized many times throughout the day. Masks are worn by employees and required for customers – except of course, while enjoying their treats.
As one of the oldest family-run restaurants in the country, Bahrs Landing in Highlands aims to provide a sense of community to everyone who walks through its doors. In addition to fresh Jersey Shore seafood and beautiful views of the Shrewsbury River, Bahrs Landing provides a sense of belonging and home. “We love it when customers rave about our clam chowder, biscuits coleslaw because those items were the building blocks our business was built upon in 1917,” said Jay Cosgrove, owner.
“Spanning five generations now, our family has depended on our customers to carry us along through snowy winters, world wars, Depressions, hurricanes, economic recessions, and now, global pandemics,” he said. “Grandfather ‘Buddy’ Bahrs said it best: ‘We just do whatever needs to be done to keep the place going.’ ”
The article originally appeared in the July 30 – August 5, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
