Dining
w it h Drazin
Next we explored Thai cuisine at Bangkok House, 26
Route 35 in Eatontown. This is the most authentic Thai I have
had in recent memory. This highly rated restaurant is a real
charmer. The servers wear traditional Thai clothing, the décor
is as colorful and spicy as the dishes, and the bold taste of this
food is just amazing. Be sure to ask about the heat levels as
Thai can run right up the thermometer.
Another spicy cuisine is Mexican and our 5 J pick was
Juanito’s Restaurant at 159 Monmouth St. in Red Bank. This
family-owned eatery has been turning out incredible Mexican
food since the mid-1990s. Its brightly colored walls and
smiling staff lls you with a happy energy, and the big, tasty
portions, frozen margaritas and deep-fried ice cream desserts
complete the experience.
Don’t make me pick an Italian restaurant. There are so
many good ones I could eat at a different one all month and
still have a long list left. We will mention Gargiulo’s at 720
Tinton Ave. in Tinton Falls, which brought its more than 100
years of tradition from Coney Island to the old Portono’s. The
menu is simple, straightforward, classic Neapolitan dishes,
like eggplant parmigiana, chicken francese, and linguini and
clam sauce. Classic dishes done well.
Now for dessert. I am still thinking about a showstopper
called Cipriani which we enjoyed at the 4 ¾ J-rated Gabriella’s
Italian Steakhouse, 447 Route 35 in Red Bank. This vanilla
sponge cake with pastry crème wears a spiky Italian meringue
coat that makes it look like a giant ower or a rework.
Hopefully we’ll be bringing you a new review next
month, or maybe we take another walk together. Either way,
food will be on our menu of topics.
WHAT WE LIKED – The incredible talent of so many professionals,
the innovative recipes and perfection of the classics,
the friendly welcoming staffs, the lively bars, the unique decors
in room after room, the generosity of so many restauranteurs
who donate to food banks, shelters and charity events,
the impeccable standards and their never-say-die attitudes.
We also love the readers.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER – We wish we could take you all
out to dinner.
Compa s s ion. Change . Cure .
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The very night we were going out to review our restaurant
for April, the announcement was made – all restaurants
would be open for take-out and delivery only. Could this be
true? Is this really happening? I put down my keys, put on
my comfy clothes, sat down and started thinking. This virus,
which at rst seemed like a small threat, had become very
local and very real.
I thought of us, all of us who have enjoyed this column
every month. I thought of the many people who suggested
restaurants to review, the many conversations I have had
about these reviews with readers, and I realized that food
connects us all. We are passionate about restaurants, proud
of our chefs and culinary community of servers, bartenders
and managers, and we love our farmers and shermen who
bring us the nest ingredients. We love dining out in our
favorite spots and trying new places. We love talking about
food, and we will surely be back at it as soon as we can.
Our restaurants play a huge role in the extraordinary
quality of life we all enjoy. From the diners, the grab-and-go
lunch spots, to the ve-star dining meccas, our restaurants are
destinations. They are our meeting places and our sanctuaries.
After a week or so, I also realized I am not a good cook
and, therefore, how desperately I depend on their skill. Thank
goodness so many places are open for take-out. I’m taking
advantage of that, and I hope you are too. Your orders now
are critically important to helping your favorite places survive
this surreal time. We need them and ordering in sends them
a message to hang in there – we will be back.
I wondered about how to write a review in a month when
the restaurants were closed for dine-in, and then I thought of
us again, sitting around and talking about restaurants. So let’s
do that, let’s take a look back at some of the places we’ve visited
as we wait for the delivery guy to show up.
It’s pretty hard to pick some spots since we’ve been to
so many awesome locations. If your name is not in this article,
it’s just because of space, so please don’t hold it against
us. As always, our readers are invited to share their thoughts
too, so feel free to email me at loridraz@gmail.com with your
top choices and suggestions.
We start our trip down memory lane with Middle Eastern
food at Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant, 3475 Route
9 in the A&M Shopping Plaza in Freehold. This 4 ¾ J-rated
restaurant delivered on authentic avors, innovative selections
and specials, and an-ever present chef named Ash. I
also like that they have a lunch buffet, which is a fabulous
way to try some dishes you may have never tasted.
We give the Journal readers 5 Js
Seafood Dim Sum, Pohpia Koong and Tod Mun
Koong from Bangkok House in Eatontown
Filet of sole in a Marechiara sauce from
Gargiulo’s in Tinton Falls
Cipriani from Gabriella’s
Italian Steakhouse in Red Bank
French onion soup and goat cheese salad
from Cé La Vi in Red Bank
BY LORI DRAZ
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