Check out what’s booming in the Rumson-Fair Haven area business scene.
By Elaine Van Develde
Call them all Tavolicious — the key fresh ingredients in just some of our favorite foods at Tavolo Pronto in Fair Haven.
Yes. Tavolicious. That works. They’re a special blend of uniquely Tavolo and just plain delicious. There are so many Tavolicious things at Tavolo.
They were putting the finishing touches on it Tuesday night. The Little Silver A&P is now an Acme.
The store, at 507 Prospect Avenue is open. According to the recording on the store’s telephone system, it is open the same hours as the A&P was: 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday; and until 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The Acme in Fair Haven has long been considered a special kind of meeting place for area residents.
When this editor’s mom went to “pick up a few things,” that usually meant her children would see her hours later. And, there were many times the conversation in the produce aisle took over so much that one of us had to go back to pick up what she forgot.
Well, we’ll see. With the extra couple of hours open, you never know who may meander over to Little Silver.
See ya at the Acme!
— Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
Sometimes it’s just a good idea to wing it.
Usually, chicken wings are pretty standard fare — a spicy, typically sopping morsel of an appetizer. There are usually standard variations, too: baked, fried, baked and fried, grilled and usually laden with a some sort of spicy sauce.
By Elaine Van Develde
It’s as good as it gets for anyone in the area and beyond — that classic lobster pizza at Val’s Tavern in Rumson.
The pie, as they call it, is pretty simple, yet has been a deluxe gourmet sort of pizza treat for many for decades.
It’s a thin-crust pizza flush with all the normal pizza stuff, but great quality, like the good sauce and cheese. Add to that some Brazilian lobster and, if you so choose, some hot sauce.
By Elaine Van Develde
There’s nothing like the wrap — of anything, really.
It represents a feeling of accomplishment — in a way. In show business, “Its a wrap!” brings on a sigh of relief and some celebration. In other circles, such as food forums, it prompts some speculation and, yes, satiation.
When you have an option of choosing a wrap to eat, for instance, it often represents several ingredients you like wrapped up in some sort of flour tortilla or variation thereof, a/k/a wrap.
A lot of area eateries offer a wrap version of a favorite luncheon-meat-and-cheese- or salad-stuffed something or other.
Then there are those who like to eat it raw — the wrap and its contents. For them there is such a thing as a collard leaf-stuffed vegan variety. And they have it at Seed to Sprout in Fair Haven.
As Lucille Ball said in her Vitameatavegaman commercial on I Love Lucy, “It’s tasty, too!”
So, as the first in Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect’s I’ll Just Pick weekly series, the pick of the week is the raw cashew collard wrap from Seed to Sprout — and from a non-vegan who really relishes a big fat meaty sub for some lunch solace on a bad day.
This wrap, enveloping the taste buds with a creamy, crunchy vegan catch-all, features a mash of organic raw cashews topped with alfalfa sprouts, shredded carrots, tomato and mixed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and filtered water. Then there’s a nutritional yeast additive.
And, of course, the whole thing is wrapped up in a collard leaf. Call it a foodie Collard Patch doll.
Call it that, because even if you’re not a vegan, you may want to adopt this lunch lifestyle change.
It’s a cashew hummus sort of splendor all wrapped up and ready to healthily munch. Really.
Seed to Sprout opened a few months ago in July in the Acme Market shopping plaza, off River Road (officially 560 River Road, though), in Fair Haven.
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduates Cara Pescatore and Alex Mazzucca own and operate the eatery, which is a second location to the original in Avon.
The menu is replete with all sorts of all-day organic vegan breakfast dishes: granola and yogurt parfait, sprout breakfast bowl and avocado breakfast sandwich.
Under the raw header, there’s also a sunflower burrito wrapped in collard and raw pizza.
There are also lots of grilled sandwich goodies, that are not quite what they sound like, such as the bacon cheddar melt, which features coconut bacon and not your average cheddar. The grilled avocado sandwich, RFHers tell us is a favorite, too, not to mention the seed salads and rice bowls.
There are also soups.
Check out the menu by clicking on the photo above or check out the website by clicking here.
Seed to Sprout is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner is served at the Avon location on Thursday nights.
It’s that time again — anniversary party time on Thursday for Coastal Decor in Fair Haven.
And with the River Road store’s annual anniversary/summer celebration comes some socializing, snacking and special prices.
The shopping party starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30. “Bring a friend,” the store owners said in a Facebook release.
Coastal Decor is a favorite small business among Rumson-Fair Haven area residents specializing in shore-inspired interior design, furniture, accessories and jewelry.
The Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect Coastal Decor pick of the week for Business Buzz is the sterling silver New Jersey sea glass necklace.
What’s your favorite Coastal Decor item?
The weekend is off to a good weather start.
Regardless of what happens in the sky, there is plenty to do around the Rumson-Fair Haven area towns.
Check it out …
Friday
• It’s Christmas in July starting today and through July 25 at participating Fair Haven businesses. Find out more here.
• Hanga Loose Fridays continue at Umberto’s. Come and “hanga loose” in the back room of the restaurant on River Road in honor of Silvio Fabbri’s memory.
Stop by any time after 7 p.m.
• For theatergoers, Shakespeare in the park is still going on at Brookdale.
Curtain (or something like that) for Titus Andronicus is 7 p.m. on the Great Lawn of Brookdale Community College’s campus in the Lincroft section of Middletown. Head to Parking Lot 2 and bring chairs.
For more information, call 732-224-2411.
• Phoenix Productions’ summer musical Mary Poppins is playing the weekend starting with a curtain at 8 p.m. tonight at the Count Basie Theatre.
Call 732-842-9000 for more information.
Saturday
• St. George’s-by-the-River Episcopal Church in Rumson is holding services on the beach on Saturdays for the summer.
The services will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Ancorage beach in Sea Bright, right over the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge (to the left coming from the Rumson direction).
Call 732-842-0596 for more information.
• Titus Andronicus curtain is 7 p.m. on the Great Lawn at Brookdale. See above post for more information.
• Curtain for Phoenix Productions’ Mary Poppins is 7 p.m. See above for more information.
Sunday
• Don’t forget the Red Bank Farmers Market at the Galleria parking lot from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lots of organic produce, baked goods, coffee, crafts and more.
• Red Bank RiverCenter’s Food and Wine Walk will be going on from 2 to 5 p.m. It’s a great way to sample a taste of Red Bank, literally. Wristbands may be purchased online (by clicking here) in advance only for $35. The bands get people samples of food and, of course, wine at various restaurants, caterers and bars throughout the borough.
People get a map to guide them through the walk.
Click here for a complete list of participating places.
• Matinee curtain for Phoenix Productions’ Mary Poppins at the Count Basie Theatre is 3 p.m.
The Sea Bright beach scene has been sparse, due to the past few hazy, humid couple of days peppered with rain.
But, the clear, crisp weather break set in just in time for the Sea Bright Farmers Market, featuring Marcy of Relish Chef Services concocting some treats and a newbie maker of organic treats for dogs — Waggle Snapp.
Many of the usual favorites will also be back today: BakersBounty, Central Valley Farm, Fair Mountain Coffee Roasters, Farmer Meg’s Digest, FlyBrookFarm, Franklin Soapworks, Green Duchess Farm, Harvest Moon Farm, Holly Jolly Jams, Holly Hill Farm and Neshanic Valley Beekeepers.
The market is open in the Sea Bright Municipal Parking Lot, in front of the beach, from 2 to 7 p.m..
Christmas is coming to Fair Haven on Friday. And, no, no one is confused.
July 17 marks the start of a week-long Christmas in July promotion in the borough’s business district, sponsored by the Fair Haven Business Association.
Throughout the week businesses will offer specials and promotions.
Which businesses are participating? You’ll know by the ones with Christmas decorated front doors.
“We have a great variety of stores and businesses in Fair Haven,” event coordinator Pam Boyd, of Boxwood Gardens, said. “If you want the latest fashions, a great book to read on the beach, flowers or fancy food for a dinner party, or lunch delivered to your beach club, you can get that right here in Fair Haven.
“With this event, we wanted to create a little fun and encourage people to visit our stores, restaurants, and services businesses in town.”
Deck the halls — or the River Road corridor!
It was a traditional gathering of friends in business in Fair Haven.
Wednesday marked the annual Fair Haven Business Association’s annual barbecue.
Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect paid a visit to the festivities among friends, some of whom have been in business in the borough for a long time.
Ferguson Dental Care and Boxwood Gardens Florist and Gifts hosted the meeting/party, with the good doctor (dentist), Paul Ferguson, at the grill.
Besides longtime Fair Haven business Boxwood and Ferguson Dental business leaders, folks from, ForeFront, Two River Computer, Coastal Decor and DeFalco Pools made appearances.
Check out the photo gallery above for a glimpse into the gathering. Do you know who’s who?
The wait is just about over.
The iconic Butler’s Deli, reincarnated as Butler’s Market, is coming back to its original spot at 91 East River Road in Rumson on Monday.
It’s a day that many Rumson-Fair Haven area people have been anticipating for what has seemed like a local casual foodie eternity.
Owner Paul Stout is out of retirement and back to run the place, he says on the Butler’s Facebook page.
And, while people have been begging to know an opening date, he finally announced it would be June 1 and added a photo that officially signifies the finishing touches precursor to opening — the pastel Adirondack chairs loaded in a truck, all set to go back home to the townie chatting spot in front of the market.
Loyal longtime customers are doing a bit of online drooling over their favorites’ comeback, such as the chicken salad and corn chowder. And Stout has said they will return, as will all the classic breakfast sandwiches.
The lobster salad is another favorite, but Stout has not yet said whether or not that will be back.
One thing’s for sure: the longtime patrons will be back en masse. They are counting the hours until the doors open at this point.
And those hours are dwindling.
See you at Butler’s on Monday!
No one knows quite when yet, but Rumson’s iconic Butler’s is coming back soon.
The signs are up and the word on the deli’s Facebook page is that it will be any day now when fans will be able to once again, sit and chat on the Adirondacks outside and have any one of the sandwiches, from breakfast to lunch, for which the place has earned its high foodie and social place in Rumson history.
Owner Paul Stout says on the Facebook page that the coffee is brewing and so are some all-time favorites over which townies are still singing songs of tribulation.
Yes, Stout said on the Facebook page, the famous corn chowder will return. So will the chicken salad. Of course, the yummy lobster salad was mentioned as well.
We, at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect, have made Butler’s our standard stop since high school days back in the 1970s and through the years after.
It has never disappointed. Fabulous bread always, our favorite, in addition to that lobster salad, was always a roast beef sub with pepperoni and provolone. The works, please!
Can’t wait. We will be there!
Just a side note that Butler’s is now Butler’s Market, rather than Butler’s Deli. No mind, all will be there!
What’s your favorite Butler’s sandwich?
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