I am the third partner in Front Street Smokehouse. (Some of you may have seen me with Bruce Kain on the BBQ with Bobby Flay segment). Try these directions from Exit 13A: After you pay the toll, get into your far right and follow "Jersey Gardens Blvd." Go through the first light (actually a turn-around), and make a right at the next light onto Veterans Memorial Drive. Go to the next light and make a left onto Trumbull Street. Go through the next light until you get to the stop sign. Make a right onto First Street. At the next stop sign, make a left onto Pine Street, and then your first right onto Front Street. Follow Front Street down along the river until you get to Elizabeth Ave. We are on the far right corner. This is a more "scenic" route. While these directions involve more turns than your navigation system or Mapquest may tell you, it is the same distance as continuing straight on Veterans Memorial Drive. As far as safety, I can tell you I have worked within a mile of the restaurant for 18 years, and have never had a problem. As with any urban area, you must always be vigilant. As with other urban areas there are certain blocks I avoid, but none of them are in the surrounding area of the restaurant. I have frequented other restaurants in the area at night without a problem. As Daniel pointed out, the Spanish restaurant Manolo's is up the block from us. This is a "white linen" upscale restaurant that has been in the neighborhood for years. They get a large business crowd for lunch, and people drive into the area from all over for dinner. (For you Sopranos fans, they used the site to blow-up the original "Vesuvio" restaurant. They have also filmed a few episodes there. A picture of Gandolfini with the owners sits on the bar when you walk in). As with other riverfront cities, people are now discovering the potential of the Elizabeth waterfront. If you follow my directions above, you will see the massive Riverfront development that is going on. You will pass the new 1/2 million dollar townhouse development going up on the waterfront. You will see the new "Riverwalk" they are building with early 1900's lamposts that is slated to extend north to the Jersey Gardens Mall (where there are plans for a ferry to NYC). They are expanding the marina. Two blocks north of the restaurant the Board of Education is building a new school. Once the weather gets warm, we will be finishing the fenced-in parking lot behind our building. In the meantime, there is plenty of parking next to the building, and next to the park across the street. I hope this answers some of the questions regarding the area. I invite comments and suggestions, and thank all of you for your kind words and support of Front Street Smokehouse and Saloon.
