Place to eat: Tim McLoone's Supper Club - Salt Water Beach Cafe, Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States

About this place:

Tim McLoone's Supper Club (upstairs) and the Salt Water Beach Cafe (downstairs) now occupy the classic former home of Howard Johnson's on the Asbury Park Boardwalk on the Jersey Shore. Stay tuned for reviews as the upstairs just opened on June 27th (2008).

From a review of their website, it looks like it will be a dramitic departure from the Ho Jo fare with a big emphasis on "local & organic cuisine." While seafood will be on the menu, forget the deep fried clam strips. Fine dining is the focus coupled with an agressive entertainment schedule that seems to have a bent toward jazz. I, for one, am looking forward to giving this new addition to the boardwalk a try.

The real news here is what is happening (finally!) in Asbury Park. Indeed, the boardwalk is showing signs of life. These two new restaurants (both owned by McLoone) are the latest evidence that we are at the beginning of a rebirth...

UPDATE (9/22/08) - Well... I finally went to the Supper Club. Inside was a black marble, well appointed dining room with a very helpful staff. The band that evening (The Jazz Lobsters) was very good - although they started 50 minutes late and the drummer never turned up. But the biggest disappointment was the food. In brief, it seemed to be over reaching and not well prepared, especially given the prices. Unfortunately, I found myself a bit disappointed...