Hidden gem restaurants at the Jersey Shore
Looking for somewhere new to dine? Check out these hidden gems in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Mark your calendars, foodies: LBI Bites Winter Restaurant Week kicks off Friday, Jan. 30.
The event, which was organized in 2017 by the founders of the 37,000-member Long Beach Island Bites Facebook page, is 10 days of dining deals and special menus at restaurants on and off the island. It runs through Sunday, Feb. 8.
As of press time, nearly two dozen restaurants are participating. In addition to those below, eateries include Jersey Girl Kitchen & Market, Buckalew’s Restaurant and Tavern and The Black Whale Bar & Fish House in Beach Haven; Joy & Salt and Russo’s Italian Restaurant in Ship Bottom; Nardi’s Tavern and Grill and Flour Child in Long Beach Township; Dolce Liberta, The Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House, Latino Flavor Grille and Manera’s in Stafford; Wally’s in Surf City, Sun Harbor Seafood and Grill in Barnegat and The Grapevine Restaurant in Tuckerton.
Here is a taste of what to expect.
Anna Bananas Bakery, Stafford
The offer: Dessert boxes for $20.
On the menu: Each box contains four treats; past boxes included “Chocolate Lovers,” “Peanut Butter Lovers” and “Classic.”
Go: 657 E. Bay Ave., Manahawkin section of Stafford; 609-488-2323, annabananasbakerynj.com
Brazzi Wood Fired Brick Oven Pizzeria, Stafford
The offer: $42 for three courses, including appetizer, entrée and dessert
On the menu: Appetizer options include a bruschetta trio, calamari fritti and Caprese salad; entrées options are linguini alle vongole, chicken Marsala and eggplant rollatini; and dessert choices are tiramisu, panna cotta, gelato and affogato.
Go: 601 Route 72, Manahawkin section of Stafford; 609-597-8161, brazzibrickoven.com
Daddy O, Brant Beach
The offer: $45 per person for a three-course meal, including appetizer, entrée and dessert
On the menu: Appetizer choices include French onion gnocchi, truffle mushroom flatbread and spicy tuna tacos, among half a dozen other options; entrée choices include Thai steak and noodle salad, local flounder piccata, short rib tagliatelle and cioppinio, plus others; and flourless chocolate truffle torte, pecan bread budding, and cranberry whie chocolate panna cotta will be served for dessert.
Go: 4401 Long Beach Blvd., Brant Beach; 609-494-1300, daddyolbi.com
Dune 18, Ship Bottom
The offer: $45 for four courses, including appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert
On the menu: Appetizer options include arancini with spicy vodka sauce and housemade ricotta, Argentine empanadas, and Margherita flatbread; salads options are spinach, Caesar, and beet and baby greans; and entrée options include Faroe Island salmon with Asian-style slaw, pork chop Milanese, and roast prime beef with garlic mashed potatoes, among other dishes. Dessert will be the restaurant’s daily selections.
Go: 1916 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom; 609-494-3354, dune18.com
LBI Pancake House, Ship Bottom
The offer: a menu of special dishes
On the menu: More than half a dozen dishes will be served, including cheddar bacon pancakes with maple whiskey sauce, sweet cream cheese-stuffed French toast topped with dragonfruit pineapple compote, and a breakfast chili made from pork and chorizo sausage with eggs, cornbread waffles and pico de gallo.
Go: 2111 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom; 609-361-8108, lbipancakehouse.com
Tuckers Tavern, Beach Haven
The offer: $45 for three courses, including appetizer, entrée and dessert.
On the menu: Appetizer options include scallop and clam chowder, chopped salad with blue cheese dressing, roasted lamb tacos, and chicken wings with thai chili mayo, plus half a dozen others. Entrée options include ale-battered fish and chips with malt vinegar aioli, pomegranate-glazed salmon with saffron gnocchi, and hot Italian sausage Bolognese with burrata, among others, and dessert is tiramisu, olive oil cake with citrus chantilly cream or flourless chocolate truffle torte.
Go: 101 S. West Ave., Beach Haven; 609-492-2300, tuckerstavern-lbi.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 sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to her weekly newsletter.
Dining and Cooking