=Mark

Speaking of Rachel Ray, I've been seeing the ad for her new talk show where I could swear that she said "There'll be sex! It'll be fun!" Took a while to realize she was saying "Snacks."

Excuse me, could you repeat that?

I've found small portion sizes to be a problem at her last 2 or 3 restaurants, and I'm not one of those looking for an all-you-can-eat buffet portions either. Another good place a few doors down from there is Christophers Cafe

When I lived on Morris Avenue in Long Branch (Between the train station and the beach) we had the richest, dark loamy soil I've ever tried gardening. Made for some kick-butt veggies. That area is unusually elevated, the boardwalk a couple blocks to the east is like 20 feet above the beach. No farms that I know of though

My Bro and I used to attend the annual Long Island Barrel Tasting BBQ on the north fork a dozen or so years ago. Was surprised at the prevalence of red wines there, notably Merlot. Evidently the marine environment moderates the temps to a degree that favors reds.

Of course what they fail to address is that all those precious "enzymes" they go through such lenths to preserve are digested and destroyed in the stomach in 5 or 10 minutes.

I'm curious as to what exactly is "Unethical" about this. Nobody is being forced to do or buy anything. Looks to be capitalism in it's purest form. The fact that there were no takers just reinforces this.

This years Asbury Park Guitarbeque will be this coming weekend, July 8th & 9th. No admission, good food and tunes...

News Flash: Lobsters aren't human.

I won't patronize an establishment that would bring harm to cute, fuzzy, warm vermin.

I just read two different news articles about this (Whole Foods ban on live lobsters). Is there a discussion thread on eG about this yet? Rachel? Jason? I'm ready to sound off about this ... I can only imagine what Tony Bourdain would have to say about this subject, knowing his opinion about the foie gras ban in Chicago ... ← I object to Whole Foods selling Fresh produce. Forcing their customers to kill their own fruits and veggies goes against my sensibilities. I am relieved to know they will be nurturing the roaches and rats that live there...

Toasting?

Now I know where not to shop when I want lobster.

Ray's Seafood in Little Silver does them really well. Either fried or pan sauteed with garlic and oil over your choice of pasta.

Well, was it cooked or not? You can't have it both ways...

I checked them out the other day, and they were referred to as "Spicy Hotdogs." They were located next to the "Hotdogs"

They look great. Care to give a recipe? ← Take a slab of ribs and with a paper towel or clean dish rag pinch and remove the membrane from the back of the rack. Rub with black pepper, ground chipotle pepper and onion powder and let sit for an hour. Toss on smoker at 225 to 250 degrees for 4 or 5 hours. Eat. Or in my case, take a picture of them and then eat. I've also got a report on my first Pulled Pork.

An order of ribs from Casa =Mark...

Well, I made it there last night and was not disappointed. Evidently after almost 15 years of running Joe & Maggies in Long Branch they wanted to slow down and "Retire" so to speak. Whereas J&Ms had a staff of 30 employees and a full bar, the Bay Ave. Trattoria only employs 4 people and is BYO. The atmosphere is very casual, including paper place settings and napkins, and a deli take out counter and pizza oven in the back with a soft drink cooler on one side. This casual atmosphere does not reflect the cooking at all! It is hearty, well executed country Italian that has been well thought out and carries through to presentation. I started with a cream of wild mushroom soup that was thick and had both pureed dry mushrooms and whole bits of fresh mushrooms. It was topped with a swirl of rosemary cream. My appetizer was Grilled Eggplant Portofoglio with, ricotta, mascarpone, spinach & mozzarella tomato basil coulis served heated and with the cheese melted. My entree was Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, balsamic onions agrodolce, garlic smashed potatoes. The ribs were boned and had been braised for hours with an Italian sweet and sour medley of onions and mushrooms. They literally did not need a knife! One caveat was the side of julienned squash and haricot verte. They seemed somewhat of a throwback to the 90s where chefs seemed to feel the more al dente the better, and were served warm but still crunchy. I don't mind crunchy veggies in a salad, but as I side to an entree I'd prefer if they had seen a little more cooking time. This is a minor quibble, however. By the time I left at 7:30 the small dining room was full, and was told that the previous night (Tuesday) had a wait for tables. I can see why reservations are suggested if the place draws that much of a crowd at the beginning of the week. Of course with seating for about 50 people filling the place up is not a stretch. The lunch menu seems a little more conventional with sandwiches, salads and Paninis. Also they have selections of both hot & cold subs. The decor is an interesting mix of warm pastels and various posters and framed pictures on one side with large plate glass windows in the front. This contrasts with the deli counter, soft drink cooler and pizza oven in the back. This in no way detracts from the cooking, and the years of experience that Joe & Maggie have gained shines through brightly.

Like an ad campaign likening the eating of poultry to the Holocaust. Know of a few children of survivors that were pretty upset by that one

Today is Eat a Tasty Animal for PETA day!

Did not try to get reservations, bu7t I was there before 6pm and this is usually early enough to avoid the rush. Don't know why they moved, but when I go I'll ask...

I tried to go two weeks ago on a Saturday night and was told there was a 2.5 hour wait for a table. Ended up at Chilangos down the street. Tried again Last Thursday figuring it would not be so crowded on a weeknight, and was confronteed by a sign on the front door "Closed due to a death in the Family." I hope to get there in the next week or so and try their braised shortribs, but am concerned it may be hit by a meteor or something... Bay Ave. Trattoria Website

Keep in mind that it is Monmouth County "Area," and that I did not consult a survey map when compiling it. There are some places in Ocean & Middlesex, but they are easily accessible to Monmouth...