Two if by Sea

[tkrongold]

Need to meet some friends from South Jersey in the Red Bank area this Sunday. Has anyone been to Two if by Sea? Menu on their website looks good, but would like eGulleter's opinions. Thanks!

[Rosie]

Haven't been in a long time but have only heard good things about this restaurant.

[rozrapp]

The last time we were there was 2 years ago, and I thought the food was o.k. We actually tried it twice, but were not so bowled over as to rush back since then. I just heard that the chef recently left. How that would impact on the food I have no idea. Bottom line -- I think there are much better possibilities in that general vicinity.

[Rosie]

rozrapp--Please tell us some other restaurants in that area that you would recommend.

[tkrongold]

yes, would love to hear the other suggestions. thanks.

[=Mark]

Buona Sera, Rivers Edge, Sogno, Restaurant Nicholas, Gaetanos, Rays Seafood (Little Silver), Navesink Fishery (Atlantic Highlands), Il Picolo Forno (Long Branch)...

[rozrapp]

rozrapp--Please tell us some other restaurants in that area that you would recommend.

=Mark has beat me to a couple. Of course, Nicholas would top the list. And I really like Gaetano's, which is a casual BYO with excellent Italian food. Ray's in Little Silver is very good. (I used to go often to the Ray's in Colts Neck, which was much closer to our house. But it has closed. ) We have had a couple of very good meals at Raven & the Peach, in Fair Haven. But that was a few years ago, and there's been a change in chefs since then. I've also had one excellent lunch at Brix, on Shrewsbury Ave. I haven't had the opportunity to try dinner there. Interestingly, the chef is Urs Moser, who was the chef at Raven & the Peach when we dined there.

I must part company with =Mark (and Rosie) when it comes to Sogno. I had high hopes for it when we had our first meal there shortly after it opened. The food was splendid all around. However, we finally got back there a few months ago only to have one of the worst meals ever. And the fact that it's rather noisy and very expensive are two more reasons that it's off our list.

A restaurant that is very high on my list, and which I have previously reported about here, is the Lincroft Inn, in Lincroft. (The town is next door to Red Bank and Middletown.) If you don't remember my write-ups of two dinners, or you've never read them, here's the link:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...hl=lincroft+inn

I was there again for dinner in October, and the food continues to be stellar!

I had not been to Fromagerie, in Rumson, since I don't remember when until yesterday. We went for a dinner event. Most of the time, when one goes to these sorts of events where one is served a set menu, the food is just passable, if that. However, the food we were served last evening was excellent in every respect. I intend to write it up on a new thread.

[=Mark]

Christophers in Colts neck (Across from Delicious Orchards on Rt. 34) is an excellent American BYO (Great duck). Bella Luna in Belmar is also very good.

[Helena Robinson]

which I have previously reported about here, is the Lincroft Inn, in Lincroft. (The town is next door to Red Bank and Middletown.)

Lincroft is actually a section of Middletown Township; which is served by a bunch of post offices - even one named "Middletown." (I have to say that because we moved from Leonardo, a section of Middletown, to Hillsborough in Somerset County - a town that until 2000 was served by about a half dozen post offices, none of which was named "Hillsborough."

Having said that, we'd love to be able to try the "new" Lincroft Inn someday - when we have jobs, $ - and don't have to look forward to another hospital visit of some sort (which may be forthcoming, sigh.)

[tkrongold]

many thanks for the great suggestions.

TK