Dining
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It was a beautiful spring evening, and we couldn’t resist taking the plunge into
early waterfront dining, so off we went to Barnacle Bill’s in Rumson. This place
has been there for years, and the wooden walls, dotted with touches of nautical
themed decor, have been mercifully spared a trendy interior designer freshen-up.
This place has been cranking out familiar favorites for decades. It’s casual dining well
done and one of an old neighborhood’s meeting spots with a Cheers-style vibe.
We asked for some bread while we waited, and I suggest you do too. This bread
was some of the best I’ve had in a while – soft and fragrant with a delicately crisp sesame
seed crust. The frozen butter pads were too cold though, which made spreading
a bit tough, but overall I was pleased with it.
For our appetizers, we selected the stuffed
mushrooms were not timid. They were wellbrowned,
and we were pleasantly surprised
steamed artichoke. The artichoke was steamed
perfectly and ideal for a party of four with drawn
butter on the side.
Now for the entrees. Diner one selected the
Grilled Scallops with a side of fries. If you like
scallops, be sure to pick this. It’s a no-frills boatload
of thick scallops, each seared to a delicate
golden brown. Sweet, tender and abundant,
Diner two choose the Sausage and Broccoli
Rabe over penne. It was my pick for the prettiest
dish as the colors of the bright green broccoli
rabe, the well-seared sausage and tender penne
thought the dish delivered. The broth was not
COST – Low to moderate
WHAT WE LIKED – The beautiful waterfront view, the well-worn interior and the
friendly energy of the diners. The direct and not overly fancy menu and that
feeling you get when you visit a place that has been around for years.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER – Additional appetizer choices and replacing butter
pads with soft butter ramekins
34 APRIL 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ
Barnacle Bill's
Barnacle Bill’s is located at 1 First St. in Rumson. 732-747-8396. They’re open
Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 4 to 10 pm; and Friday, Saturday
and Sunday from noon to 10 pm. BarnacleBillsRumson.com.
We give Barnacle Bill's four and half Js
overly garlicky and had just a touch of heat, and each ingredient
was cooked just so. It’s a big portion too, with plenty for a
second go-around. I think I’ll try that soon.
Diner three picked the Chicken and Shrimp Scampi, and
he was quite impressed. The dish comes with two thick chicken
breasts and four big shrimp in a not-too-overpowering garlic
scampi sauce. You can have it over pasta, potatoes or rice, as he
selected. The rice, which comes with peas and carrots, was tender
and a great companion to soak up the sauce. He had never
tried this dish and said it was so good he found a new favorite
I picked the 14-ounce Sirloin Steak paired with a baked
potato. It’s a classic combination, and both items were well-pre-
pretty set of char marks. It
was a nice treat, and the leftovers
sliced thin topped a
delicious salad the next day.
The desserts are sim-
was the Plain Cheesecake
with whipped cream. It’s
dense and creamy. There are
lemon, chocolate or strawberry
– just thick, melt-inyour
mouth goodness with
that we shared among the four of us, and everyone loved it. The
cookie base is about an inch thick, perfectly baked and served
warm with melty chocolate chips. It’s topped with a generous
serving of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. That ice cream
was just delicious too, and I’m sure if you order this dessert or a
plain dish of ice cream, you will surely enjoy it. They also have
the same dish with a warm
-
nitely check out on my next
visit. The coffee was really
good too.
There is a parking lot
and tables out back on the
waterfront. Barnacle Bill’s
doesn’t take reservations,
but if you have to wait, as we
did, the view of the Navesink
is just delightful.
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/BarnacleBillsRumson.com