Wall Mural – Always a Good Sign
Long Branch, New Jersey boasts one of the highest concentrations of family-run Mexican restaurants in New Jersey. El Oaxaqueño is one of the best places in town for satisfying comida auténtica – worth a visit for real Mexican food down the shore.
Sopes de Pollo
As soon as we walked in, I noted all the signs of a good ethnic restaurant: a huge hand-painted mural along one wall, Spanish television with the volume up, Spanish menus (with English subtitles), and unlabeled spicy condiments on the table. El Oaxaqueño has about a dozen tables and does a bustling take out business from the front counter – the rotisserie chicken (pollo rostizado) seems to be a big draw. Service is attentive, friendly and more or less bilingual, though some Spanish will certainly help. A basket of homemade tortilla chips quickly arrived to sample those spicy salsas, a red mole and a green tomatillo.
El Burrito de Pollo
For lunch, I ordered the Torta Al Pastor, a barbecued pork sandwich with lettuce, avocado and jalapeños on soft bread. It’s a mouthful, but not the best Mexican torta I’ve had in Jersey. (That would be the torta cubana at Flemington’s Huarache Azteca, now Habanero.) The tasty marinated pork is also available in the Tacos al Pastor, served with two soft homemade corn tortillas. Wanting to sample a few different dishes, I ordered the sopes de pollo appetizer in addition to the sandwich. An appetizer in name only, the three thick fried tortillas topped with shredded roast chicken, lettuce, tomato, queso fresco and crema, was enough to fill me up entirely before I even tried the sandwich. The burritos are are also huge, easily a meal for two, or three small children. To wash it all down, order a Mexican Jarritos soda – grapefruit (toronja) is my favorite flavor – or a festive fresh fruit shake made with water or milk.
Tacos Al Pastor
The full menu features all kinds of Mexican entrees, from Mole Oaxaqueño and Chilaquiles, to Chile Relleno and Queso Fundido. If they are as large as the dishes we tried for lunch, you can eat very well, for very little, at El Oaxaqueño.
Super Spicy Homemade Salsas
The Long Branch El Oaxaqueño is the third restaurant of the same name by the same owners. The first two are in Lakewood, NJ.
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Formerly Ibby’s falafel.
The “Atomica” Pizza
For Italian food or pizza with an ocean view, head to Stella Marina in Asbury Park. At the southern end of the boardwalk (across from the old Carousel House), Stella Marina is an upscale restaurant and bar on two floors, with outdoor seating when the weather is good.
I only had lunch here, so I can’t speak for the entrees, but the antipasti and pizza I tried is worth a visit. The rest of the menu is probably just as good, given the positive web reviews I’ve seen. The Polpetti – tiny meatballs with provolone cheese served with tomato gravy on an iron skillet – are lightly seasoned; a nice antipasti choice. Other small plates include meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables and fish dishes, like Scampi Arrabiata and Cozze (beer poached mussels). Pasta, meat and fish main courses fill out the menu.
The pizzas here are individual, thin-crust, bar pies. The crust isn’t strong enough to pass the fold test, but has a nice flavor. Toppings are fresh and interesting. Fig (dry figs, caramelized onion, goat cheese) tempted me. I couldn’t resist the Atomica, however, topped with what I grew up calling hot Italian frying peppers. Stella Marina calls them “Calabrian chilies.” Whatever you call them, they’re an awesome pizza topping that’s spicy, but not overpowering.
I will definitely return to try more of Stella Marina’s food, or just for another Atomica.
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Thin crust, nicely charred.
One of the original New York pizzeria’s serving thin crust pies cooked in a coal-fired oven, the Grimaldi’s franchise extends from the original location under the Brooklyn Bridge, to Manhattan, Queens, Hoboken (different owners), and beyond. We’ve had mixed experiences with Grimaldi’s pies in Brooklyn – they’re often too watery for my taste – but every spot deserves a try on its own merits. Even with the same recipe, ingredients and technique, I’m a big believer that the oven itself helps make a great pizza. (My favorite pizza place, DeLucia’s in Raritan, has been using the same brick oven since 1917.) The Highlands, NJ Grimaldi’s opened in 2010 and has been getting good reviews locally.
I tried it last week with a friend who knows her pizza and we both agreed Grimaldi’s in Highlands is worth a visit. The crust is nicely charred, pretty thin, but thick enough at the edges. A slice just passes the fold test. It might have been a little wet because onions were one of the toppings. The crust itself is a little on the bland side. It could use some salt. The tomato sauce is simple and the mozzarella fresh. Altogether, a very good pie.
There’s table service next to the full bar (Victory IPA on tap) and restaurant seating in the back. Beyond pizza, the menu includes calzones, salads, a few basic appetizers, typical pasta and a couple of chicken entrees, along with daily specials. The meatballs on the pizza were excellent; a good sign for the entrees.
Unlabeled chile sauce. Always hot.
A late summer beach day at Sandy Hook provided the opportunity to stop for dinner with the kids in Red Bank. I had high hopes for Pho Le, opened in April 2011 by the previous owner of Lincroft’s Saigon II (now closed). I had never made it to the Lincroft restaurant, but both Saigon II and Pho Le have some decent reviews on the web.
Pho Le does a brisk business. So brisk on a Saturday at 6:30 pm that the two servers dealing with the ten or so tables and small counter were overwhelmed. We got one of the last free tables. A number of customers after us were clearly frustrated as a couple of tables with “reserved” signs sat empty and other groups lingered waiting for food or to pay.
Unfortunately, the food we tried doesn’t match what you can get at other Vietnamese spots in Jersey. The Summer Rolls with shrimp and pork, served with peanut sauce, are decent, but do not stand out. Shrimp and Scallop Stir Fry with vegetables is fine, but no strong flavors.
Vietnamese Wonton Soup
I ordered the Beef Pho, hoping for a characteristically rich and flavorful broth. I can’t compare Pho Le’s broth with others I have tried, however, because when the entrees arrived, I was given Chicken Pho by our harried server. It had taken so long for the dishes to arrive, correcting the order would have taken too long. With all of the accompanying basil leaves and jalapeno slices in the broth, the Chicken Pho broth is spicy, but unremarkable. The best dish on our table was the wonton soup my daughter ordered, with flavorful homemade dumplings.
I can’t say that Pho Le is worth a visit based on one meal, especially if you’re willing to travel 28 miles up the Parkway and Route 287 for some amazing Vietnamese food in South Plainfield. We couldn’t try the banh mi on Pho Le’s lunch menu. I will keep Pho Le on my list of places to try for now, because I’d really like to try those banh mi, and some day, the Beef Pho.
Other locations in Brick and Paramus.
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Jersey Bites
Now I have two favorite Irish bars in New Jersey. (more…)
The “Mom’s Hot MOP” Pie
Dominic Bossone started selling pizza in the back of the Squan Tavern in 1964. By 1975, the Bossone family had bought the place and turned the tavern into an Italian restaurant. Today, this Manasquan stand-by turns out some of the best pizza and Italian fare at the Jersey shore.
Squan Tavern’s pizza is thin crust, but not too thin (like Pete & Elda’s). The dough has a nice flavor on its own. Depending on the toppings, a slice can usually be folded successfully. The sauce is a little sweet, a little tangy. Many toppings are available. I really enjoyed Mom’s Hot MOP (hot cherry peppers, mushrooms, onions).
Squan makes EthnicNJ.com’s “Worth a Visit” lists both for its pizza and for its Italian classics. The red sauce, southern Italian-influenced, menu includes mussels, pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans), all the pastas you’d expect, and plenty of meat dishes like Chicken Parm, and Veal Piccata. Some dishes edge into fancier Italian fare, like Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Sauce and a very good Pesto Calamari.
Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce
With a full bar, plenty of seating inside the wood paneled tavern and outside in nice weather, and friendly servers with just the right amount of Jersey attitude, Squan Tavern is a great choice when you’re down the Shore craving Italian food.
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