Thoughts on ‘best’ restaurants, Mother’s Day, TED Talks and more

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Good morning, food fans!

Or afternoon, or evening, depending on when you check your email. If your inbox looks like mine, it might even be tomorrow morning!

Whenever you’re reading, I’m glad you’re here.

My pursuit of local food stories took a bit of a backseat this week, as I am wrapping up production of our annual Summer Guide. If you’ve never seen it, the guide is an 80-page magazine filled with stories on how to have a great summer at the Jersey Shore, from food and drink to things to do, beaches, day trips and more.

It’s a labor of love and a collaboration among the newsrooms of the USA TODAY NETWORK NJ. Print subscribers will find a copy in their newspapers May 27, just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Thoughts on ‘best’ restaurants, Mother’s Day, TED Talks and more — The 2021 Summer Guide, presented by The Asbury Park Press. This year’s guide publishes May 27.

I did take note of an Asbury Park restaurant roundup recently published by food and wine website Thrillist: “The 17 Best Restaurants in Asbury Park.” I write my share of roundups – new restaurants, brunch spots, bakeries, coffee shops – and know I can’t include everyone. But I am careful with the word “best”; for small businesses, it carries a lot of weight.

Thrillist’s lists hit some of the city’s top spots, like Frank’s Deli, Talula’s, Brando’s Citi Cucina, Pascal & Sabine, Moonstruck and Ada’s Gojjo. But they missed a few, like The Galley Pizza & Eatery, Mutiny BBQ and Taka.

As the weather warms, why not spend a Sunday afternoon eating your way through Asbury Park to create your own “best of” list? You will leave happy, I promise!

One of the most popular pizzas at The Galley is the Station 83, with salami, ricotta and hot honey.

Chef David Burke takes on TEDxAsburyPark

Also happening in the world of food and entertainment this week is the return of TEDxAsburyPark, actually taking place at Two River Theater in Red Bank. Kicking off at 1 p.m. Saturday, restaurateur and chef David Burke is one of the conference’s featured speakers: His talk, “Food is Joy,” begins at 2:30 p.m. (tickets are at tworivertheater.org).

Countdown to Mother’s Day

I don’t know about you and the mothers in your life, but for Mother’s Day, this mom wants to enjoy a meal – or maybe two! – that is cooked and cleaned up by someone else.

If that’s your mom, too, consider brunch at one of these restaurants:

Corbo & Sons Osteria, Shrewsbury: This is the first Mother’s Day for Richard and Chantelle Corbo’s Italian restaurant (and also Chantelle’s first Mother’s Day herself, so be sure to wish her one!). Treat Mom to brick-oven pizza, pasta and cannoli.
Town Grill, Manasquan: Shrimp and grits with andouille, eggs Benedict, apple cinnamon pancakes and more await at this Main Street cafe.
B2 Bistro + Bar, Berkeley Township: If Mom likes a little variety, snag a table at B2’s new restaurant on the water. There are seatings at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.