Bob Sacks - search results

Does a luxurious restaurant décor make everything taste better, or does it raise one’s expectations for the meal to an impossibly high level?

No one is more passionate about fish and seafood than Chef Bradley Rodriguez. He wants to prepare, serve and sell fresh, sustainable, locally sourced fish in ways that maximize its potential.

Lower Broadway in Long Branch is finally starting to undergo a long-awaited renaissance after many years of stagnation and decline. Apartments, retail stores and a supermarket will be under construction before the year is out and other new businesses are sure to follow.

It’s no secret that Asbury Park is a mecca for restaurant-goers. There are many dining choices on almost every street, from simple takeout and fast food, to high-end eateries. So how does a recently-opened, fine dining restaurant carve out a niche and distinguish itself from the others?

It’s always a pleasant surprise when your experience at a restaurant turns out to be beyond what you expected.

The ideal way to enjoy food is to eat what is in season.

When two very talented chefs decide to team up and create a tasting menu dinner, you can expect something special. And that is exactly what occurred recently when chef Chris Calabrese of Nettie’s House of Spaghetti of Tinton Falls and chef Bradley Rodriguez of Spring Lake Seafood joined forces to offer a seven-course Seafood Tasting dinner at Nettie’s.

There are lots of ice cream shops in the Two River area, so it seemed like a fun endeavor to select a half dozen or so, get a couple of pints from each one, and hold an ice cream tasting. We did not include pre-packed ice creams, which are readily available in the freezer section of area food markets and grocery stores; we chose only hand-packed pints and taste-tested them at home. Young and old weighed in on their favorites.

There was a pent-up demand to convene a like-minded group of food and wine lovers for a dinner that offered a sharing of interesting bottles of wine paired with specific dishes of a multicourse meal. Chef Michael Tornillo of Gaia Bistro in Monmouth Beach likes nothing better than rising to the challenge of creating a dinner menu comprised of unique dishes that are both delicious and wine-friendly, and as always, he set a high benchmark with this special menu.

Now, Little Buca, a new restaurant in Little Silver, has found the way to prepare and serve fine Italian food in an unpretentious, warm and relaxed setting.