Oct. 1, 2026, 5:16 a.m. ET
We may have passed the time of year that brought dozens of new restaurants to the Shore, but as 2026 begins to wind down, plenty is still happening in the culinary world.
A popular dining hall welcomed a trio of new eateries, a family-owned sandwich shop announced a new location, and a late-night cookie spot opened in a busy downtown, plus more than a dozen Jersey Shore restaurants received a local dining award.
Here is the food news we reported on in September.
David Viana competes on Food Network
Chef David Viana, well-known at the Shore for his restaurants Judy & Harry’s in Asbury Park and Lita and La Otra in Aberdeen, is becoming a frequent competitor on television food shows.
Love crosswords? Explore the Crossword page and play the new MidGrid Crossword.
Following appearances on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions,” among other shows, Viana most recently competed on the latter’s new show, “The Line.” It features Bobby Flay and a team of celebrity chefs cooking against visiting chefs, who stand a chance at winning $25,000.
Viana, who once worked for Flay, appeared with his team of New Jersey chefs — Elio Lapaix, Zack Abramzon and Mike Iorio — during the show’s fourth episode, which aired Sept. 29. The theme was Iberian food — Lita’s menu is a modern take on the cuisine — and Viana’s team served the restaurant’s oysters, steak tartare, mussels, swordfish, duck and pork and clams.
After cooking more than 200 plates for 40 diners in 90 minutes, the New Jersey chefs lost to Flay’s team by just four points.
Chowder Cook-off: How clam chowder became family legacy at this LBI shopCava, Freddy’s ready to open in Freehold Township
The Freehold Marketplace shopping center on West Main Street recently welcomed Paris Baguette and Tacoria, and two more additions will open in October.
Cava, a fast-casual chain serving Mediterranean bowls, pita wraps and salads, is scheduled to open on Monday, Oct. 12. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers plans to open on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Just Salad, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Panda Express, PopUp Bagels, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Honeygrow also are planned for the plaza.
New additions at Anderson Market in Red Bank
Red Bank’s Anderson Market is a place to find coffee, Korean barbecue, seafood, steak, groceries and pantry items, and now omakase, fresh juice, cocktails and smash burgers, too.
The food hall, which opened last year in the former Sickles Market space on Monmouth Street, welcomed Studio Omakase and Lobby Bar in late September and will add Little Andy’s Burgers in early October.
The 14-seat omakase counter serves a 12-course tasting menu for dinner, Wednesdays through Sundays, and is led by Chef Steven Wong, previously of Moko Omakase in New York. Lobby Bar, which serves juice and smoothies during the day and cocktails and bar snacks at night, is led by Pat Pipi, formerly the beverage manager at Reyla and Laylow in Asbury Park.
The market is the first brick-and-mortar location for Little Andy’s Burgers, which owner Mike Solomon launched as a pop-up before putting an Asbury Park-based food truck on the road. He serves a menu of burgers inspired by Mexican and West Coast flavors.
Hoagitos expanding to Brick
Hoagitos, a family-owned sandwich shop with three locations at the Jersey Shore, soon will open restaurant No. 4.
Mark and Emma Spagnuolo and Terence McGill, who own locations in Ocean Township, Belmar and Point Pleasant Beach, are building their newest at Rita Plaza in Brick. The restaurant replaces The Chocolate Belles, a candy store at 249 Chambers Bridge Road.
“It’s a great location,” Mark Spagnuolo said. “It’s across the street from the high school, (and) the municipal building, the hockey rink, the bowling alley (are nearby).”
He said they plan to open in a few months.
Hoagitos, which opened in 2013 in Asbury Park with a menu of small, tapas-style sandwiches, serves regular-size sandwiches, burgers, sliders, and fried chicken and chicken cutlet sandwiches.
Insomina Cookies opens in Red Bank
Insomnia Cookies, known for serving and delivering warm cookies until the early-morning hours, opened in September on Broad Street in Red Bank.
It is the first Monmouth County location and eighth New Jersey store for the chain, which bakes cookies, brownies, blondies, brookies, cookie cakes and vegan treats in “a rotating lineup of limited-time flavors,” according to a news release.
The Red Bank shop is open until 1 a.m. Sundays through Wednesdays and 3 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
Prost! These restaurants and breweries celebrate Jersey Shore OktoberfestTASTE Awards honor Shore restaurants
Nineteen restaurants in Monmouth and Ocean counties were honored with TASTE Awards, which honor culinary excellence at the Jersey Shore, in September.
The awards are organized by ShoreFoodie.com, a local dining guide from the team behind Jersey Shore Restaurant Week, in partnership with the Asbury Park Press, Jersey Bites and Exit 98 Living. Diners were invited to vote online for award finalists in August, then a panel of industry experts decided the winners.
The winners include River Pointe Inn in Rumson (Best Fine Dining Restaurant); Nicholas Barrel & Roost in Middletown (Best Casual Restaurant); Barnacle Bill’s in Rumson (Best Bar/Tavern); Apero Steakhouse in Oceanport (Best New Restaurant); Anjelica’s Restaurant in Sea Bright (Best Italian Restaurant); Atlantic Offshore Fishery in Point Pleasant Beach (Best Seafood Restaurant); and TAKA (Japanese) in Asbury Park (Best Ethnic Restaurant), among others.
In late August, Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck shared an Instagram post announcing that the market would be closed for three days.
Michael McDonald, vice president, said he couldn’t say why: “Rules. Not supposed to say. I promise you, this is a good thing.”
The reason quickly became known when movie director McG and comedian Kevin Hart posted photos and videos on their own social media accounts showing them inside and outside Delicious Orchards. According to movie website imdb.com, McG, whose directing credits include “Charlie’s Angels” and “Terminator Salvation,” is currently producing an untitled spy comedy starring Kevin Hart and Henry Cavill for Netflix.
Cavill was later spotted filming in Red Bank.
For years, Allenhurst resident Eli Yedid was a patron of Mister C’s Beach Bistro, a waterfront restaurant known for beachfront dining and a bar with a sweeping ocean view.
He is now the owner of The Reef Club, which replaced Mister C’s after it closed in late 2024. An outdoor dining area opened last year while the inside was renovated; the indoor bar and restaurant opened this summer. It is led by Chef Bradley Rodriguez of Spring Lake Seafood and general manager Juan Flores.
“People are so happy we’re built this,” Yedid said of the restaurant, which will be open year-round. “It’s a nice addition to have in the neighborhood.”
The impact of GLP-1s on the dining industry
As the number of people taking GLP-1 medications grows, restaurant owners and chefs are learning how to serve customers with smaller appetites. In September, we published a story on how some restaurateurs are handling the change.
Lou Smith of Blend on Main in Manasquan, who is seeing diners ordering less food, sharing meals and taking home more food than ever, created a menu of small plates that are larger than an appetizer but smaller than an entrée. He also switched to a more affordable takeout container, allowing him to order more without increasing prices for his customers.
Peter Grippo, who owns half a dozen Brooklyn Square Pizza restaurants in Monmouth and Ocean counties, is noticing the changes, too.
“So you had a family of four; the minimum used to be two, three appetizers. Everybody shares it,” he said. “Now it’s one appetizer, two entrées, and everybody shares. So it’s almost half the bill.”
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