Matisse

[Rosie]

We did not enjoy our dinner at Matisse, 1300 Ocean Avenue, Belmar (BYO). The restaurant was originally a pavilion and has been transformed into a restaurant with a view through dirty windows at the beach. The room is cold and the only indication that I saw that the restaurant is named Matisse were a few small Matisse prints on the wall. Lowell felt that with the open kitchen the place looked like a cafeteria.

It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to drive to the restaurant and an hour to eat. Specials were recited without the prices. I always tell everyone to ask the price; we didn't and got taken. Lowell's grouper, a special which was less than fresh or tasty was $27.95. Most entrees were in the low $20's. The accompanying celery root puree tasted like farina to me.

We started out with lousy bread and olive oil. Apps were a weak three onion with dry sherry soup topped with gruyere. However, it was better than my grilled calamari with arugula. The calamari tasted steamed and the salad was so oily I couldn't eat it. The waitress noticed my barely eaten dish and offered to bring something else which I declined.

My entrée was Jack Daniels braised short ribs which were not falling off the bone and tasted as if they were topped with barbecue sauce after cooking. It came with tobacco onions which were tiny fried onion rings with a bit of a peppery bite. The string beans and baby squash were fine.

At this point we were so unhappy with our meal that we bypassed dessert. With tax and tip the bill was $80. Phone: 732-681-7680

[TheMan,TheMyth]

We did not enjoy our dinner at Matisse, 1300 Ocean Avenue, Belmar (BYO). The restaurant was originally a pavilion and has been transformed into a restaurant with a view through dirty windows at the beach.

Rosie, you are being too kind saying the place used to be a pavilion. Say it like it is.

It used to be a McDonalds!!!

The Man, The Myth

TapItorScrapIt.com

[Rosie]

It was a pavilion before it was a Mc Donalds. My parents had a house in Belmar and I spent many summers there. They had organ concerts and sing alongs in the pavilion.

[Kim WB]

I went to a wedding in Belmar yesterday. The ceremony was a the 5th Street Pavillion, and the reception immediately followed at Matisse.

They set up the bar from the open kitchen, and were well staffed, so it was a pretty smooth start. The passed hors were ok...traditional, with some pretty standard catering problems: Salmon on pumpernickel was made so far in advance, it was all dried out...fried shrimp wontons served so hot that people were spitting them into napkins as the oil seared their mouths..and puff pastry right from the package, with a scoop of uninspired duck and tapanede. The buffet was the usual suspects: pasta, veal and chicken, shrimp, all perfectly acceptable. Dessert was a wonderful white on white cake, plus the open kitchen became a dessert bar, but also included some wonderful cheeses: a great parmesan, a fresh goat, a few other cheddars, havarti, etc..no obscure choices, but served at the right temperature and very fresh.

A friendly staff, smiling servers, a joyful bride and groom and a really great group of wedding guests made it a memorable day. And the windows were clean ! And I found another Matisse clue, Rosie...the napkins in the ladies room were Matisse prints!

[Rosie]

"And I found another Matisse clue, Rosie...the napkins in the ladies room were Matisse prints"

I don't remember seeing those. Think I would have remembered that. Maybe they use them only for weddings.

[Kim WB]

Well, the governor was there, so I suspect they did "gussy" the place up a bit!