Some shore betsWhen it comes to good seafood, it’s important to keep track of both fish and chef movements. Bobby Dionisio left Martell’s Shrimp Bar in Point Pleasant Beach to open Park Seafood in Seaside Park. The open-air restaurant — raw bar on one side, sandwich and entree counter on the other — is on the boardwalk, across from the legendary SawMill.
Munch Boss’ favorite dish of the day? The grilled shrimp with pineapple and rice, the fruit complementing, not overpowering, the dish. It’s a light, healthy, immensely satisfying dish.
Close behind: the chipotle oysters, which McMahon described as “great” and Koste called ”dynamite.” And the no-mayo lobster roll, not about to take a back seat to the New England version. And the grilled grouper. Wash it all down with better-than-average lemonade.
“All the fish was tender and flaky,” Wycosky said.
The only disappointment: the shrimp and beef filito with tomatoes, red peppers, onions and rice, a combination that just didn’t work.
Overall, though, Park Seafood proved you can get top-shelf seafood on the boardwalk.
“do you want to shoot pictures or do you want me to make your sushi?” Francisco Ramirez asked behind the counter at Little Sumo’s Sushi Shack in Surf City.
Okay, so maybe he and Munch Boss didn’t quite get off on the right foot.
The store, open four years, is sparingly but attractively furnished: paper lanterns, painted seashells, sake cups and a sign that reads, “Sushi makes you happy.”
“When my daughter gets mad, she says she’s going across the street and start a Big Sumo’s,” Laura Ramirez said, laughing.
At sunset, we took our order to — where else? — Sunset Park in nearby Harvey Cedars.
The tuna sashimi was lackluster; Munchmobile Photographer Tim Farrell noted an “odd” taste. better: the Surf City Roll, with spicy blue crab, shrimp tempura, tuna, cucumber and avocado with spicy mayo and eel sauce; and the Jetty Roll, with seared local scallops, tempura crunch, cucumber and masago (fish eggs) topped with spicy salmon. Most distinctive: the California Almond Tempura roll, with crab, masago, tomago (sweet egg omelet), cucumber and avocado tempura with sliced almonds.
“The special rolls are what they do best,” Bost observed.
Munch Boss, who can see LBI from his window, will be back — without his camera.
Gone fishingModesty is apparently not Fernando Messercola’s strong suit.
“This place is kicking ass,” said the owner of Dock Road Crab Shack in Manahawkin. ”we have our own shack seasoning — nobody else has it. our Fishermen’s Net is kick-ass.”
The menu board advertised all-you-can-eat-crabs on Sunday, and such specials as Grouper Jesse and Red Snapper DiJake.
We were after no-nonsense seafood, and for the most part, found it. The seared Salmon Michelle proves you don’t need toppings, sauces and salsas to make a great piece of fish. The Fishermen’s Net, a seafood medley, was a touch oily, but the scallops were major-league material.
The grouper — overcooked. The lobster — not as good as Mr. Shrimp’s. “Too much filling,” Wycosky said. Several dishes, especially the soups, seemed salty.
But the oysters and clams on the half shell were the day’s best, and the sesame-seared scallops were a group favorite.
Surprise in the cityYou don’t have to be near the water to offer good fish. in fact, Gary Simpson spent a year frying fish outside a shoe store on South Orange Avenue in Newark; when the shoe store became vacant, the former IBM sales representative opened just Fish. he stayed on South Orange Avenue for 12 years, moving to his present location, in downtown Newark, in may.
There are plants inside and outside the six-table restaurant; Simpson doesn’t know what kind they are, but he knows his latest acquisition cost him $200.
“I call this fish and jazz,” he said of his menu and Friday live jazz.
Call his food good. portions are large. Recommended: the scallops, tender and lightly fried; the catfish sandwich: and Cajun shrimp. his sides rock — yummy yams; an honest, straightforward potato salad: and a sweet-peppery coleslaw that is easily the best slaw sampled this summer. his uptown — the traditional Southern iced tea/lemonade drink — will have you going downtown.
Desserts are homemade; the chocolate cake practically brought tears to the Munch Boss’ eyes. And Munch Boss never cries.
You can’t possibly go wrong on a seafood trip with a guy named Captain Joe, could you?
Or a guy wearing a hat topped with a plastic hot dog.
Okay, so considering the theme, it should have been a shark.
This week’s Real Munchers of New Jersey were really fun and inquisitive. we were barely out of the parking lot when the questions started coming rapid-fire:
Can you tell us which way we are going?
Can you tell us the first stop?
Do you call restaurants beforehand and tell them we’re coming?
Can you say how many stops we’ll make today?
Munch Boss’ answers: 1) “that way” (as he points out the window); 2) No; 3) No; 4) No.
Sometimes life on the Munchmobile is easy. Especially if you’re in the driver’s seat.
“after being on the Munchmobile, I felt like I was a chid again,’’ Nancy McMahon said. ”No stress, planning the next meal, what to do and where to go. All that I needed was to be burped and put to bed.’’
Highlight of the day: Newark to LBI with one mile spent on the Parkway. you try it.Quote of the day: “First stop, and I already went to heaven.”
— George Koste at Mr. Shrimp
MEET THE MUNCHERSKim BostNewarkPsychologistHer reality show nickname: Dr. Dreads
George KosteMendhamRetired stockbrokerHis nickname: George LaLanneNancy McMahonWallProfessional volunteerHer nickname: Don’t you… Forget About Me
Amanda SimmonsWestfieldCollege student her nickname: The Inside Story
Joseph WycoskyColoniaRetiredHis nickname: Quint