TheJournalNJ.com | MAY 2021 29
Dining
w it h Draz
BY LORI DRAZ
Bedrock Bistro by Clementine's
Back in January 2018, we visited the unique Cajun-inspired Clementine’s whose
owners bought the Bedrock Bistro, also in Avon-by the-Sea, we just had to give
it a try, and it’s another goodie – with quite a different personality. The Bedrock Bistro’s
previous owners had a large and loyal following, and this restaurant stays in
that same lane with a more traditional
menu which includes breakfast, lunch
and dinner. It’s a cool cement color room
with dark tables and leather banquettes,
accents all around. The menu is a page
turner, and the enormous selection ensures
everyone from junior to the grand-
-
joy. There’s everything from burgers and
wraps to steak, ribs, seafood and pastas,
and it was easy to tell that many guests
are frequent diners.
We selected two fried appetizers to
get things started - the Potato Pancakes
and the Corn Nuggets. We picked them
because they’re not often featured, and
both were great. The potato pancakes
were crispy, and the sweet corn nuggets
were tender on the inside with a nice
crunch. There are lots of appetizers, even the oddly placed pork dumplings and nachos,
which again means there is something for everyone.
The salad selections are just incredible. There’s a dozen to choose from, and each
is massive. We split the Hawaii 5-0 three ways and still had some to spare. This one
COST – Moderate
WHAT WE LIKED – The huge menu; the monochromatic interior with its cozy
seating nooks, banquettes and seaside inspired décor; the generous portions;
WHAT COULD BE BETTER – Better takeout containers. It gets a little loud as the
Bedrock Bistro by Clementine’s is located at 300 Main St. in Avon By-The-Sea.
732-502-4455. They’re open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch and
dinner from 10 am to 9 pm. Closed Sundays.
We give Bedrock Bistro four and half Js
is greens, coconut chicken, strawberries, pineapples, mandarin
oranges, craisins, sliced almonds, thin egg noodles with a
strawberry vinaigrette. They are heavy handed on the toppings,
and the vinaigrette was refreshing with a little tang. Salad lovers
will be ecstatic and will need several visits to try them all.
Now for the entrées. Diner one picked a pasta dish called
Sylvania Avenue Pasta, which a big dish of grilled chicken,
broccoli and fresh spinach served over penne pasta tossed
with olive oil and garlic, all coated in mozzarella. Our timid
tester was not overpowered by the oil and garlic. She loved
every bite, and she also loved the cozy décor, commenting
several times that she felt like she was in a chic beach house.
Diner two chose a simpler Grilled Norwegian Salmon
which comes with a ranch chipotle sauce, although you can
also have it with a cream dill sauce. He admired the grill of
the big slice of salmon which was cooked just right, and he
thought the ranch dip was a nice touch, preferring it over
sweeter combos like teriyaki. Pair this or a steak with your
choice of potato for a straightforward selection.
I picked the provocatively named Chicken Temptation
which is a boneless breast of chicken, topped with asparagus,
roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes, portobello mushrooms,
spinach and fresh mozzarella, in a garlic white wine
sauce over penne. Again, it is a big dish, and the chicken was
juicy and just right.
We chose two twin desserts that were the opposite of
one another. Both are softball sized, lovely to look at and
big enough to share. The white one is a pillowy soft, tres
leches-style coconut cake, covered in whipped cream and
has a super dense, sticky chocolate fudge base, with a layer of
whipped peanut butter and rounded off with a delicate airy
chocolate mousse, and the whole thing is covered in chocolate
ganache and chopped peanuts. Choosing between both
equally delicious delights is a matter of choice, and both will
leave you smiling.
In addition to the
big menu, they offer
a special rib night on
Wednesdays, and on
Thursdays, you can try
the special three-course
tasting menu with a ton
of selections. The bathrooms
are large, and
the coffee is tasty. Street
parking. BYOB.
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