20 new restaurants at the Shore offer everything from grilled oysters to sandwiches
Fresh-as-can-be New Jersey oysters.
Healthful food with a Hawaiian twist.
Baked goods that are safe for everyone.
These foods are the focus at the Shore's newest restaurants, which range from the area's first omakase spot to a waterfront seafood market with picnic tables and boat slips.
Here are 20 new and coming restaurants in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
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Baking A Difference, Aberdeen
Michael Coluccio does not have any food allergies, but during a career in supermarket management, he learned of the need for school-safe baked goods that are vegan and free of eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, wheat and soy.
After doing his research, Coluccio and his friend Peter Liota launched Baking A Difference. Their treats are sold in nearly three dozen supermarkets in New Jersey, from North Jersey ShopRites to Livoti's Old World Market in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Earlier this month they opened the doors of their bakery.
"People with food allergies typically have a hard time finding anything they can eat when it comes to going out to a restaurant, cafe or bakery," said Coluccio.
Since opening day, the bakery's doughnuts have proven most popular. They started with four flavors, quickly doubled their offerings, and now are baking a dozen flavors including blueberry cobbler, cookies and cream, strawberry glazed, and sunflower butter and jelly.
Their Italian bread, which took nearly a year to perfect, is also a hit.
"People come in and they're buying six or seven loaves at a time," said Coluccio, adding that the bread will be available in supermarkets soon, too.
Go: 1100 Route 34;347-781-3103, badafbakery.com.
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Barnegat Oyster Collective, Barnegat
From the waters of northern Barnegat Bay in Mantoloking to where the Mullica River meets the Great Bay in southern Ocean County, the Barnegat Oyster Collective is farming millions of oysters.
The collective's efforts have rejuvenated New Jersey's oyster population, and their oysters make their way to restaurants, seafood markets, and as of this summer, a retail market and beer garden on the water in Barnegat.
"The issue in New Jersey is disappearing working waterfront," said Matt Gregg, who founded the collective and owns Forty North Oyster Farms in Barnegat Light. "That’s always been a bottleneck to the success for our industry. The properties that were used for the industry have been turned into fancy houses.
"We bought this property two years ago to try and continue production, and we have an oyster nursey where we grow small seed oysters and we do all our distribution," he continued. "We figured we'd section off a little area, not so much a restaurant but as a tasting room that a winery or brewery would have."
The waterfront space, reachable by boat as well as by land, serves a menu that changes daily and is based on local, seasonal ingredients. There are raw oysters from the collectives farms; locally caught sea bass, fluke, tuna, scallops and clams; and dishes cooked over a wood-fired Argentinian grill, including a swordfish sausage sandwich, crab cakes and blackened tuna bites.
Go: 483 East Bay Ave.; 609-450-9005, barnegatoyster.com.
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The Caffeine Haven, Howell
Sometimes, moms and dads need a place where they can relax with a cup of coffee while the kids play.
That is Sammy Moreno and Justin Pettit's goal with The Caffeine Haven, opening this summer at Route 9 and Georgia Tavern Road. Their 24-seat coffee shop will be "a family-oriented coffee shop where there's kids' tables, kids' toys and a kids' menu," said Moreno, who also plans to use the coffee shop as a home base for her events business, Shop Sammy.
Young customers can look forward to housemade lemonade and sprinkle-topped chocolate milk, while adults can try lattes in flavors like cookies and cream and vanilla cinnamon; chocolate cold brew; and regular coffee. The shop's coffee will come from Ocean Brew Coffee in Wall.
As for food, there will be grab-and-go pastry items, bagels, muffins and cookies, and Moreno plans to partner with a charcuterie business "making little cheese boxes, so it's a little bit more of a lunch option," she said.
Moreno and Pettit hope to open by the end of August.
Go: 2981 Route 9 north, near Stewart's Root Beer; instagram.com/thecaffeinehaven.
Filoncino Cafe at The Rail, Red Bank
Craving a sandwich? Find more than 100 options at Filoncino Cafe, which opened in early July at The Rail at Red Bank, a retail and residential development near the borough's train station.
There is mortadella with ricotta, spicy mushroom spread and fried eggplant (the Rosa); roasted pork with mozzarella and vinegar peppers (the Pazzo); smoked prosciutto with provolone, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto (the Mamma Mia); and an Italian Cuban sandwich made with porchetta.
The sandwich menu has more than a dozen vegan options, too, and the cafe also serves breakfast sandwiches and toasts, coffee, pizza, burgers, salads and dessert..
Go: 111 Bridge Ave.; 732-377-0404, filoncino.com.
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Makana’s, Asbury Park
Healthy whole foods with a Hawaiian influence are on the menu at Makana's, a restaurant taking the place of Twisted Tree Cafe, which closed earlier this year.
Jaerene Medeiros and her fiance, Kevin Tooker, opened their restaurant in late July. Diners can expect dishes like a breakfast power bowl of brown rice, sautéed vegetables, eggs and chicken sausage with housemade green goddess dressing; vegan or gluten-free baked goods like macadamia nut cookies, ube cookies and lemon poppy muffins; and coffees with housemade syrups.
"I’m using cultural foods that I grew up eating ... so there's going to be some of that fusion," said Medeiros, who was born and raised in Kauai (Makana means "gift from heaven" in Hawaiian). She developed the menu in consultation with Elizabeth Hayes of Yes Chef Solutions.
Makana's, with 14 seats inside and a dozen outside, is the first restaurant for the couple.
"I've had a passion for this a very long time," Medeiros said. "We're really excited."
Go: 609 Cookman Ave.; makanasnj.com.
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Other new additions
Azure, Asbury Park: Enjoy seafood eggs Benedict and bottomless mimosas for brunch, mojitos and frozen margaritas at happy hour, lobster empanadas and surf and turf for dinner, and international dance shows at this new spot in the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel. 1401 Ocean Ave.; 732 228 4579, azure-restaurant.com.
Brothers Daley, Sea Bright: Formerly Rory's Pub, this new bar and restaurant is serving Irish eats — Scotch eggs, colcannon croquettes and lamb shoulder with mint jus — with a side of live music in a courtyard filled with umbrella-topped tables, trees and overhead lights. 1124 Ocean Ave.; 732-230-6056, brothersdaley.com.
Capitano Italian Coastal Kitchen, Beach Haven: Italian coastal cuisine is on the menu at this BYOB, offering indoor and outdoor dining at Bay Village. Try clams in garlic butter; shrimp, crab and lobster cocktail; and grilled lobster. 830 N. Bay Ave., Beach Haven; 609-661-7865, capitanolbi.com.
C'est Cheese, Asbury Park: Tina Haskopoulos is bringing her knowledge of cheese, gleaned through a decade working in shops from Jersey City to Brooklyn, to the city this summer. Along with her mother, Eileen, she will stock their market with more than 70 varieties of cheese from America and abroad. 516 Summerfield Ave., instagram.com/cestcheesenj.
Chocolate Moonshine Company, Asbury Park boardwalk: Boardwalk fudge gets an upgrade at this new shop, which makes flavors like salted caramel bourbon, bananas Foster and cotton candy. Truffle bars, rum cakes, pi?a coladas in pineapples, and frozen sipping chocolate are also on the menu. 1100 Ocean Ave.; instagram.com/chocolatemoonshine.love.
Faenza's Gourmet Market, Marlboro: This deli, sandwich shop and market from owners of The Skillet in Freehold Township is serving classic Italian sandwiches like sausage and peppers and eggplant parmigiana alongside The Pazzo, made with grilled chicken, hot soppressata, prosciutto balls, ricotta cream and pesto, and The Mac N Cheese, with fried chicken, cheddar cheese, macaroni and cheese bites, bacon and chipotle mayo. 184 Route 9 north; 732-863-2700, faenzasgourmetmarket.com.
Fitsips, Middletown: Fresh fruit juices and smoothies are on the menu here, including "Sunrise Zing" with carrots, apples, ginger and lemon, and the "Jersey Shore" with coconut water, spinach, mango, blue spirulina and pineapple. 551 Route 35; fitsips.com.
Gray Street Coffeehouse, Allenhurst: This relaxing spot for coffee, salads, toasts and more, with indoor and outdoor seating, is the work of Pat Trama of Long Branch's Trama's Trattoria and The Gray Harvest, an entrepreneurial and creative company. 415 Spier Ave.; thegraystreet.com.
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Hadaka, Asbury Park: The Shore's first omakase-only restaurant, which opened in late July, offers 12- and 18-course meals, plus additional a la carte dishes. The restaurant is BYOB, but each meal begins with a sake toast to the chefs. 527 Bangs Ave.; 732-361-0238, hadakanj.com.
Icarus Brewing Company, Brick: After seven years in business in Lakewood, the brewery opened earlier this month in a grand new space. Icarus' new home, which is about four times larger than the original, has a tasting room, a mezzanine bar, a lounge area and a beer garden. 2045 Route 88; icarusbrewing.com.
Loving Kitchen Indian Cuisine, West Creek: When Loving Kitchen opened in June, Ocean County gained its second Indian restaurant (the other is Aamantran Indian Cuisine in Toms River). The menu has vegetable samosas, tandoori lamb chops, chicken or mushroom tikka masala, chicken vindaloo and more. 331 Main St.; 732-851-2955, loving-kitchen.com.
Mabel, Holmdel: A newly opened patio bar is the first phase of a big project from Laura Brahn and Grace Crossman of Asbury Park's Cardinal Provisions. Located at Bell Works, the outdoor space is serving bar snacks and cocktails while inside, the pair are building a 185-seat restaurant. 101 Crawfords Corner Road; mabelatbell.com.
Ocean Brew Market, Ocean Township: Ellen Bodnovich, owner of Ocean Brew Coffee in Wall and Ocean Brew Cookie, is expanding with a new coffee shop serving a farm-to-table menu with plenty of seating. It will be "a warm and inviting space for you to gather, sit and stay a while," she said. At Cobblestone Village on West Park Avenue; instagram.com/oceanbrewmarket.
Surfside Beach Bar at Avenue, Long Branch: Located on the beach in Pier Village, this new spot is serving cocktails like an orange crush with fresh orange juice, local beer, and a menu of dishes including truffle parmesan fries and lobster rolls. 23 Ocean Ave.; avenuelongbranch.com/surf-side-beach-bar.
Whittingham Coffee House, Beach Haven: Pouring coffee from Brooklyn-based Devoción Coffee, Long Beach Island's new coffee shop is making fun and creative drinks like a grown-up version of chocolate milk with cold brew, Dutch chocolate and milk; a black and white cookie latte; and pink matcha made with dragon fruit powder. 1501 Long Beach Blvd.; 609-300-4404, whittinghamcoffeehouse.com.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore restaurants: 20 new spots to dine, drink and shop
