Bob Sacks

By Bob Sacks | Food & Wine Columnist It’s no secret that the past 10 years have seen a huge amount of change in the dining scene at the Jersey Shore. A number of old favorites have closed, and many new ones have opened. However, the one thing that caused the biggest upheaval was the arrival of COVID-19. Restaurants struggled to stay open and serve customers who were skittish about dining out.

By Bob Sacks There are a growing number of people who prefer to cut back on – or even avoid – alcohol in their daily lives, but who still want to enjoy a glass of something interesting at social gatherings. Until now, the vast majority of substitutes have been dealcoholized wines, created by vacuum distillation, spinning cone columns or reverse osmosis. The remaining liquid is then sweetened with sugar or grape juice.

By Bob Sacks Lower Broadway in Long Branch is finally starting to undergo a long-awaited renaissance after many years of stagnation and decline. Apartments, retail stores and a supermarket will be under construction before the year is out and other new businesses are sure to follow. It is noteworthy that Alex DiFede and his wife Cathy had the determination and foresight to bring a fine-dining restaurant to the area just 18 months ago.