By Elaine Van Develde
It was a dank, dreary day back in October of 2012. Steven Graniero and Christina Dilorio stood at the bottom of bleachers overflowing with sanguine Hurricane Sandy victims at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School.
The weather gave them an eerie embrace as if to get in another jab as they held onto one another, wiping away tears and trying to comprehend what had just happened.
The engaged couple had just lost everything but one another to Sandy. After earning their stripes bar tending and waiting tables, the two, who met at work, had saved all their pennies to make a dream come true and open a small beachy bar/restaurant of their own in Sea Bright.
Sandy’s wrath reduced it to a moldy shell only months after it had opened.
After that day at RFH, when Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long revved up hundreds of other Hurricane Sandy victims with her famous “DO” speech, vowing that Sea Bright would make an even stronger comeback, Steven and Christina had no idea what would become of their livelihood.
They were drowning in Sandy problems with FEMA, insurance and unpaid vendors. Then there was the depletion of life’s savings issue. They found themselves knocked down and out by the overwhelming surge.
While rifling through piles of paperwork and hitting brick walls at every glimmer of hope for help, Christina had said, while grabbing a bite to eat at Tavolo in Fair Haven, that she just didn’t know if her and Steven should or could even try to rebuild.
That tide turned. About two years later and a Tsunami full of friends, family and business community support, the since married couple re-opened DIVE! in the same Ocean Avenue spot on July 2.
Only a few months back in business and Steven says “It’s been great!” sporting an ear-to-ear smile. “We had a phenomenal summer, business is booming and everything is even better than before.”
For one, Steven said the food is “amazing” at the apt hands of chef Kyle Hopfensberger, formerly of D’Jeet in Shrewsbury. “It’s Kyle’s kitchen and his creations are superb. The food is all farm-to-table. We don’t even have a freezer. Kyle doesn’t use one. That’s how fresh the food is.”
They’re back to business and better than ever, the two say. There’s music, theme nights, such as Tijuana Tuesdays and everything from casual beach-to-bar pickings to full gourmet meals.
Steven and Christina just got back from their winter vacation and opened up again on Thursday night.
It’s Valentine’s Day Saturday and DIVE! has a full special menu for the day, which includes special drinks, appetizers and entrees made with a lot of love (Check out the menu photo above).
As for Christina and Steven, they might tell you that this Valentine’s Day they’re having a special threesome love fest, the two of them and their rebirthed DIVE!