We were there the night before you on the 21st and I agree with everything you stated. We had a terrific meal. We were celebrating my birthday and my friend's and we got sent home with truffles and the nice cranberry loaf for the holidays. A nice touch.

Also, you didn't mention something that I LOVED! The drunken cranberry mojito from the bar-provided Chris makes it. It was perfect. We are actually going to try to replicate it this weekend for my brother's new year's party.

I could have eaten the ravioli and the scallops again and again. I also thought the chatham cod was fantastic and although I really enjoying the pulled suckling pig, it was my least favorite.

We are definitely going back to sit in the bar some time soon.

how do you get the whole WOW deal? Did you show your keytag or what?

It sounds good, I have been wary of trying some of the asian/hibachi places around here. We will definitely have to check this one out as it's only about 5 mins from us in Shrewsbury.

OK-I can't wait to go try this place. I have thought about going in and just haven't had a chance. I so miss this type of ethnic restaurant from where we used to live in Northern Virginia(right outside DC). We never went to chains down there, always hole in the wall local places and had the best food! I am so excited, I can hardly wait. One question, someone mentioned a band, is that on weekends, if so I might want to avoid that as I will probably go with my DH and DD(age3) and that would be a bit of system overload.

wish I had seen this thread before lunch today. I was thinking rainy day, some chowder, I had never been there and a friend said it would be good for lunch. She also hadn't been there since the menu price changes and it was ridiculous. Our bill for 2 adults and 2 kids for lunch came to $85 and we didn't drink. Even the kids menu is a joke-$8.50 for chicken tenders and fries(her son)(which I am pretty sure were both frozen) and then my daughter got a cup of lobster bisque(she's 3 and an aspiring foodie) and there was not a single chunk of lobster in it, the general flavor was good but it $8! I got the calamari salad and honestly the calamari salad at Brothers in Red Bank is WAY better, twice the size and nearly half the price! (But then again you are sitting in Brothers not looking out at the ocean!)

Anyway, as always, you all are right, I just neglected to check. Needless to say we won't be rushing back there anytime soon.

I am not sure if it is technically North Monmouth(haven't lived here long enough to know the distinction-it's probably west Monmouth) but, El Meson in Freehold Boro-right on the main drag there is good. I always see tables with pitchers of margaritas they brought from home or buckets of Dos Equis. I think the food is good and the prices are really reasonable too.

white pizza with broccoli and onion from DePalma's on Main St in East Haven is probably my favorite pizza in the whole world...but I now live in North/Central Jersey and there is good pizza here too. Was never a fan of Pepe's or Sally's-I like Modern but I would take DePalma's in East Haven or Zuppardi's in West Haven over Wooster St anyday.

We went to Chilango's last weekend before a movie in AH. I really loved it. The service was great-both the waitress and the manager. The food was good as was the coffee. The salsa was so-so-fresh but not enough kick for me but everything else was really good. Great margarita for a great price-in fact the whole menu is really reasonable compared to a lot of places around here. We moved up here this winter from DC and have been suffering the restaurant dept after DC especially in the Latin food genre. (The only thing missing in DC food is good Italian and pizza-of course here, it's practically all that exisits!)So, we have gone from one extreme to the other but with the help of you all posting on here, we are slowly finding our way.

If you can get to the Turning Point, go to the Turning Point. Their breakfast is awesome and in the summer at the Pier Village location you can sit outside(and Little SIlver too but only like 2 tables right on the street). There is also a Turning Point in Manalapan in the same shopping center on Rt 9 as Wegmans and Target. They make these pancakes with zucchini and apples and walnuts...omg so good. You can also get a waffle version.

There's a new boutique type Vietnamese in Sea Bright, has anyone tried it? The menu looks good. I am blanking on the name right now.

Has anyone been this year so far? Anything special to look out for? I am going to try to head over there in a bit, I will report back later.

We are new to Shrewsbury and we LOVE Bagelmasters...so good! We usually just get whatever type of bagel came out of the oven most recently...nothing like a fresh warm bagel. I love the guys who work there too! It's grand central!

My brother lives in St Thomas and one of the best restaurants is Craig and Sallie's in Frenchtown. It is a little past downtown but close and easy to get to in a cab or to walk during the day. Fabulous food, great place.

I just found chowhound and this thread. I recently moved from DC(food mecca) to Shrewsbury, NJ(someone else pointed out earlier-the polar opposite foodwise from DC) and miss lots of things. We have discovered El Meson in Freehold to be quite good and we go to Siam Garden in Red Bank quite often. For a good lunch, we love The Turning Point and It's Greek to Me in Pier Village. For Indian, we have been heading into the city, although I hear I need to try Iselin(not Monmouth).

We just got a gift certificate from a silent auction for Ashes, any good?

Also, the one good restaurant we have found in Shrewsbury is Rosina's on Shrewsbury Ave, now I haven't eaten inside the place, but we have gotten take-out a couple times and the food is quite and one of the only places around that didn't give me a salt hang-over. Mind you, it's not high end cuisine, but it's good family Italian. Ridiculous portions and good prices.