Joe Amiel Plans New Restaurant

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By Danielle Schipani
HIGHLANDS – Award-winning restaurateur Joe Amiel plans to open a 5,400-square foot restaurant this spring in the newly reconstructed Sandy Hook Bay Marina, to be called the Bay Pointe Inn.
“It will be an upscale seaside restaurant featuring fresh local seafood, lobster, and prime steak as well as lighter fare on the menu,” said Amiel. “It will be the kind of place for a romantic dinner or a family gathering.” A chef has not yet been named.
The announcement came at a ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday at the marina, located at 1 Willow St. in Highlands. The marina is part of a master plan for redevelopment which will feature a new basin, bulkheading, dredging and 130 new floating dock slips, 15 of them to be reserved for transient boaters.
The restaurant will take full advantage of Highlands’ prized water front views with three walls of hurricane-proof glass overlooking the bay and skyline. “There will be lovely views of the water as well as the New York skyline, including the Freedom Tower. Customers will also be able to see the Verrazano Bridge,” said Amiel.
The restaurant and café will offer indoor and outdoor seating. Inside there will be a 24-seat bar. Outside, “The Captain’s Bar” will be situated on another 3,800 square feet. Altogether, there will be space to accommodate 120 diners with an additional 30 in the outdoor area during the warmer seasons.
Amiel, who lives in Spring Lake, is originally from New York, where he managed restaurants such as the famed Rainbow Room. During his 40 years in Monmouth County, he has owned a number of restaurants, including Sallee Tee’s Water front Grille from 2010 to 2012 in Monmouth Beach, Evelyn’s seafood restaurant from 1974 to 1981 in Belmar and Joe Amiel’s Old Mill Inn from 1975 to 2001.
The $8.5 million project to improve and expand the marina is one of the largest private investment reconstruction projects post-Super Storm Sandy, and qualified for a grant under the National Boating Infrastructure Grant Program, according to the developer.
The soil, which is the basis for the new construction at the site, was dredged from the bottom of the bay and meets the new standards FEMA has set for construction since Super Storm Sandy. Dredging the bay also guarantees an eight-foot depth even at mean low tide for all vessels. Upon completion, the marina will be able to accommodate vessels from 25 to 70 plus feet in length.
James Bollerman, president and CEO of Sandy Hook Developers, LLC, credited federal, state and local officials for working together to help acquire the necessary permits and waivers to open the expanded and renovated Sandy Hook Bay Marina.
On hand to celebrate the ground breaking were state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, President of the Highlands Business Partnership (HBP) Carla Cefalo-Braswell, Highlands Council President Rebecca Kane, and Council members Doug Card, Kevin Redmond and Tara Ryan. Representatives of the HBP, contractors and engineers also attended the event.
The HBP’s Cefalo-Braswell praised the developer and his associates for working so well with local authorities to bring back what she predicted will help Highlands attract more visitors.
The council members commended Bollerman for his enthusiasm to bring back Highlands’ historic significance.
Also congratulating Bollerman on the entire project, and on hand to welcome Amiel to the restaurant community, was Jim Filip, the owner of the longtime restaurant, Doris and Ed’s, which closed following Hurricane Irene in 2011. The property he still owns, located adjacent to the marina, still stands vacant at this time.