A veteran of the printing/publishing industry, BoSacks has always been an innovator who regularly electrifies the media
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Articles by Bob Sacks
Toasting a Decade of Dining at the Jersey Shore
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.
A Drink for Teetotalers and the Thirsty: Seraphim Social Beverage
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.
21A On Broadway - Two River Times
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.
The Food and Wines of Summer
By Bob Sacks The ideal way to enjoy food is to eat what is in season. Sure, a peach tastes OK when it’s grown below the equator in mid-winter and shipped to us in the North, but the taste and texture can’t hold a candle to a locally grown Jersey peach at the height of the summer season. There are a number of foods to look forward to and enjoy as we enter summer. Soft-shell crabs are now in season and at their prime.
It Takes a Licking: A Sampling of Ice Creams
By Bob Sacks I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Among the many foods of summer, cool, creamy ice cream is one of the first that comes to mind. Always a great year-round treat, it tastes even better when the sun is shining brightly during the day and the nights are warm and balmy. There are lots of ice cream shops in the Two River area, so it seemed like a fun endeavor to select a half dozen or so, get a couple of pints from each one, and hold an ice cream tasting.
Uncorking History with the ‘Black Wine Guy’
By Bob Sacks RED BANK – As part of Black History Month observances, the annual acknowledgement of African American achievements and their significant place in U.S. history, the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center will hold a series of events titled “Out of Africa.” T. Thomas Fortune was born into slavery in Florida, freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, and later became a dynamic presence in American journalism and the newspaper business; he and his family eventually moved to Red Bank.
Food for the Soul
Historical Association shares a lesson about slavery through food By Bob Sacks MIDDLETOWN – Few people associate the history of Monmouth County with slavery, nor the rest of the state for that matter, yet New Jersey was the last northern state to abolish the act. At the time of the Revolutionary War, much of Monmouth County was farmland, and there was an already well-established population of slave labor living here to tend to the land.
Dinner With Bob | Two River Times
By Bob Sacks BOB SACKS This innovative Burrata dish sported a blueberry drizzle on top and was plated with figs and dried blueberries. We’ve all been to restaurants that have a great setting and so-so food, and others with great food in a setting that’s nothing special. Happily, Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch hits both marks, dishing up some very good food in a truly special setting.
Dinner with Bob | Two River Times
“Big” Mike Metzger, left, of Big Mike’s Little Red Store, Locust, oversees roast suckling pig and chicken cooking on an open fire. Linda Sacks By Bob Sacks What do many restaurant chefs do for fun when they have a chance to be out of the kitchen and have a day off? They love to cook, especially for their family and friends.
The Pearl at the Oyster Point
BOB SACKS A thick piece of juicy Lemon Pepper Swordfish shared the bowl with clams and white beans. By Bob Sacks You are trying to decide on a place to go for dinner that will have good food in a casual setting, maybe a nice view, and won’t break the bank. But how many times have you said, “I think a hotel dining room would be a perfect spot to eat tonight.” Rarely? Never?
Dinner With Bob: One Willow
By Bob Sacks BOB SACKS An interesting variation of a Japanese dish, the Miso Black Cod was plated with parmesan broth and zucchini and squash noodles. Location, location, location! The Two River area is blessed with an abundance of waterfront settings, encompassing an ocean, two rivers and a bay. Many restaurants are able to take advantage of this, but none seemingly as much as One Willow.
Tino’s Mexican Kitchen & BBQ: Delicious Food With An Inspiring Story
By Bob Sacks Imagine that you are 16 years old, and leave home to move to a foreign country where you don’t speak very much of the language. Your mother moved out suddenly when you were 8 years old, and you and your two younger brothers had to move in with your paternal grandparents because your father was living outside the country in order to earn money to send home for the family. In your new country, you get a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant to make ends meet.
Dinner With Bob: Great Wines, Great Food
IRV DAYAN Little Silver resident Chef Martin Bradley has been creating Michelin-star quality food at Hollywood Golf Club for the past 12 years. By Bob Sacks Sometimes, wine dinners can be hit or miss; the wines outshine the food, or the food eclipses the wines. It’s truly a special event when all the elements are in harmony – a perfect marriage. And that’s exactly what I experienced recently.
David Burke Comes Home, Again, This Time to Open Red Horse
Chef Carmine DiGiovanni; Chef Stuart Marx, Hospitality Management Corporate pastry chef; and Chef David Burke. –Photos by John Vitollo By Bob Sacks Whom do you believe? Thomas Wolfe, who says, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” or Bon Jovi, who sings, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”? Clearly, celebrity chef David Burke is solidly in the Bon Jovi camp.
A Wine and Cheese Tour of France, From Home
Ch. Clos Moulin Pontet, a Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon and other grapes, was fruity, but with just enough tannin and acidity to make it refreshing. Bob Sacks By Bob Sacks That late spring food and wine trip to France, a mecca for culinary indulgences of wretched excess, is off the calendar this year, thanks to international travel being a huge challenge, so, to console myself, I decided to try and replicate the experience as best as possible without leaving the Two River area.
A Few Favorite Takeout Foods - 2020
Four juicy eggplant meatballs from Victory Park Tavern were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a tangy heirloom tomato sauce. Bob Sacks By Bob Sacks The last year has not been a normal time for almost everything and reviewing restaurants as I did before is one area that still does not seem logical, or even fair, to pursue. Not only did most eateries pare down their menus, but many worked with a greatly reduced support staff in order to cut overhead expenses just to survive.
LOCAL FISHERY GIVES BACK THROUGH THE PANDEMIC
By Bob Sacks From left, Mike Kenlay and Eric Morris, co-owners of Local 130 Seafood in Asbury Park, offer locally sourced fresh fish and seafood, that meet their stringent personal standards of quality and sustainability. Courtesy Local 130 Seafood ASBURY PARK – It’s no secret that the restaurant industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that its suppliers have suffered as well.
BoSacks Speaks Out: Disruption and Leadership During a Pandemic
With all the multiple disruptions happening in today’s marketplace, there is absolutely no room for complacency and nostalgic dogma. You and your company have to rethink the unthinkable, challenge all your assumptions, and see through the obstacles. BoSacks cites two companies who are rethinking what it means to be a publisher. By Bob Sacks Published: September 29, 2020 The world is facing a moment that seems to be of historic proportions.
Dinner With Bob:What’s A Wine Lover To Do?
By Bob Sacks Is it wrong to enjoy a glass of wine or two with dinner during this period of enforced isolation while the world outside is in turmoil, unlike anything we have ever known? Does it mean that we minimize the seriousness of this invasion? Are we any less concerned for the welfare of others? I think not. Right now, small comforts mean a lot. Being housebound makes much of the daytime feel foreign and creates a strong sense of displacement, as our usual routines have been upended.
BoSacks Speaks Out: LSC Communications Files for Chapter 11 and Raises $100M in Liquid Capital
Premium Commentary & Analysis BoSacks Speaks Out: LSC Communications Files for Chapter 11 and Raises $100M in Liquid Capital Last week, it was announced that LSC Communications filed for Chapter 11. BoSacks looks back fondly at the history of the company—and his own history with LSC. By Bob Sacks Published: April 20, 2020 PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP CONTENT This article is part of our premium member access.
Dinner with Bob | Two River Times
Chef Pat Trama and son Dylan of Trama’s Trattoria, Long Branch and Trama’s at One Willow, Highlands are offering takeout services By Bob Sacks It wasn’t very long ago that we were able to run out to our favorite local restaurants with family or friends and enjoy a nice night out with a broad variety of choices served by a friendly waitperson. Yet now, after just a couple of weeks of being deprived of that privilege, it seems like it’s been ages.
Restaurant Review: Belmonte’s Ristorante
Restaurant Review: Belmonte’s Ristorante March 14, 2020 By Bob Sacks If you’re looking for trendy, hip, unique restaurants, Asbury Park has no shortage of them; and a new one opens every few months. But what if you simply want the comfort of an old school, classic-style, neighborhood Italian restaurant like the ones that you remember from your youth? In that case, Belmonte’s on Cookman Avenue is for you. This storefront BYO has been operating since 2008, and has developed a loyal following.
Restaurant Review: Asbury Ocean Club
Restaurant Review: Asbury Ocean Club March 1, 2020 By Bob Sacks The food at The Asbury Ocean Club is very good, and fully merits 3 stars. The setting less so. We arrived at this new – since July – hotel/condo complex, entered a small lobby, and asked for the restaurant. A young man appeared, and took us by elevator to the third floor.
Liven Up Hanukkah Dinners
Latkes, addictive fried potato cakes, can be made in the traditional style with just potatoes or done with other vegetables added to the mix. Photo by Linda Sacks By Bob Sacks Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights celebrated by Jews all over the world, begins at sundown Sunday, Dec. 22 this year.
Choosing Holiday Wines and Champagnes
Choosing Holiday Wines and Champagnes December 18, 2019 By Bob Sacks Even for folks who consume wine on a regular basis, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year, with those endless holiday parties and dinners, makes for an ocean of wine to navigate. Whether you are hosting an event and need to manage the refreshments to serve your guests, or you are attending a gathering and want to bring a bottle of something nice to add to the festivities, there are myriad choices.
Restaurant Review: Gargiulo’s Tinton Falls
By Bob Sacks There is an almost mythical status heaped upon Brooklyn as the mecca for Italian food, and with good cause. Brooklyn bread, Brooklyn Sunday gravy (tomato sauce), and of course, pizza, are but three of the many Italian foods considered to be the gold standard for their respective categories.
Bottles by Sickles To Open Nov. 1
Wine and spirits experts Elizabeth Bogner and Donnie Woodham will assist customers at the new Bottles by Sickles shop, opening in two weeks in Red Bank. Photo courtesy Sickles By Bob Sacks RED BANK – In addition to being passionate about great food, Bob Sickles has also been an ardent wine lover for more than three decades.
Restaurant Review: Ichiban
Restaurant Review: Ichiban October 16, 2019 By Bob Sacks To some folks, Japanese cuisine is primarily about sushi or hibachi, but there is so much more to it than that. There are myriad prepared dishes that showcase fresh seasonal foods steamed, stir-fried or marinated, as well as traditional dishes from each area of the country. Ichiban, in Holmdel, covers the broad variety of regional Japanese foods and throws in some Pan-Asian preparations as well to create a broad, inclusive menu.
Restaurant Review: Johnny Piancone’s
Restaurant Review: Johnny Piancone’s October 4, 2019 By Bob Sacks Does familiarity breed contempt? The Jersey Shore has an overabundance of traditional, red sauce Italian restaurants; so much so that we tend to take them for granted. Many new Italian eateries look to go upscale, or as far from traditional Italian cuisine as they can get, in an effort to set themselves apart and above the tried and true.
Put Away the Rosé: Wines to Ease You into Fall
Put Away the Rosé: Wines to Ease You into Fall September 20, 2019 By Bob Sacks Time to stop mourning the fact that summer is over and start looking ahead to the bounty and beauty of the fall. Lots of harvest foods are coming into season, like pumpkins, mushrooms, apples, pears and white truffles, as well as game, which all pair beautifully with wines that show their best in cooler weather.
Restaurant Review: The Butcher’s Block
By Bob Sacks What happens when you combine the oh-so-hot farm-to-table, locavore food trend, with a longtime, family-owned meat purvey- or, and wrap it up in a cool and funky, New York-style industrial setting? You get the recently opened, most talked about new restaurant to hit the Jersey Shore in a long time – The Butcher’s Block in Long Branch.
Restaurant Review: Gabriella’s Italian Steakhouse
By Bob Sacks It can be a risky bet to try a brand-new restaurant in the first few weeks after opening. The menu is still being tweaked, the kitchen doesn’t have its rhythm yet, and the service is often far from polished. That said, I decided to take a chance on the less-than-a-month-old Gabriella’s Steakhouse in Middletown, since it was a new venture from an experienced group of pros who also own the popular Patricia’s of Holmdel; thus my curiosity outweighed my caution.
Restaurant Review: Il Nido
Restaurant Review: Il Nido July 31, 2019 By Bob Sacks A number of folks told me to check out the three-month-old Il Nido in Marlboro, so I went expecting more of the same old red sauce, Southern Italian dishes so prevalent here in New Jersey. Little did I know that these people march to their own drummer and are turning out some very sophisticated and creative Italian food, best described as modern Italian cuisine meets farm-to-table.
‘Grown in Monmouth’ Comes to Restaurants July 28 - Aug. 4
‘Grown in Monmouth’ Comes to Restaurants July 28 – Aug. 4 July 31, 2019 By Bob Sacks It’s written right there on our license plates, but did you ever stop to wonder how New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the U.S., got its nickname ‘The Garden State’?
Restaurant Review: 100 Ocean
Restaurant Review: 100 Ocean July 17, 2019 By Bob Sacks In case you hadn’t noticed, South Beach Miami has come to the Long Branch oceanfront. As we sat at an umbrellaed table outside the two-week-old 100 Ocean Restaurant in the brand-new Wave Resort, alongside the boardwalk on a warm and sultry June night, and watched the Rollerbladers, strollers and fashionistas passing by, it was hard to equate it with what used to be.
Restaurant Review: Trama’s at One Willow
By Bob Sacks Pat Trama could have played it safe. Well-known for his four-star Tuscan-inspired Italian restaurants in the area, the current one being Trama’s Trattoria in Long Branch, he could have used this new space in Highlands simply as another iteration of the same type of cuisine he has done before, and once again received high praise.
Dolly the Musical Matchmaker Comes to the Stage
By Mary Ann Bourbeau Kait Holloway stars as Dolly Levi in the Spring Lake Theatre’s production of “Hello, Dolly!” July 5 – 21. Photo courtesy Spring Lake Theatre SPRING LAKE – Dolly Gallagher Levi is back where she belongs – on the stage at Spring Lake Theatre. The classic musical “Hello, Dolly!” has been revived on Broadway several times since its 1964 debut.
Restaurant Review: Higo
Restaurant Review: Higo June 12, 2019 By Bob Sacks Atlantic Highlands is fast becoming a Jersey Shore culinary destination, due in no small part to the vision and efforts of Michael Krikorian, who was not content to be head chef and owner of two very good restaurants in town, and has just now opened a third. Each has a totally unique menu and style of cuisine.
Restaurant Review: Ada’s Gojjo
Restaurant Review: Ada’s Gojjo April 27, 2019 By Bob Sacks What do Dominican fare and Ethiopian cuisine have in common? Absolutely nothing, unless you are fortunate enough to have booked a table at Ada’s Gojjo in Asbury Park, where Adanech Asghedom (Ada) and her husband Muller, have relocated their fusion restaurant, after nine years in Long Branch. Yes, she offers an extensive selection of choices from both of those countries, and with good cause.
Restaurant Review: Ocean Avenue Kitchen
Restaurant Review: Ocean Avenue Kitchen April 10, 2019 By Bob Sacks Is this time the charm? Over the last dozen years or so, there have been a plethora of restaurants housed one after another at 1132 Ocean Ave. in Sea Bright. All started out with high hopes, but closed up shop after relatively brief runs due to various shortcomings.
Restaurant Review: Greek Spot
Restaurant Review: Greek Spot April 10, 2019 By Bob Sacks Galaktoboureko? Mosharaki Kokkinisto? It’s Greek to me! The expansive menu at the recently opened Greek Spot on Bridge Avenue in Red Bank tempts with an impressive variety of hot and cold dishes, listed by their Greek names, many of which are a real challenge to pronounce correctly.
Key Lessons from the 2019 Digital Innovators Summit
William Ford Gibson is an American-Canadian writer who has been called the "noir prophet" of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction. It was Gibson who coined the term "cyberspace" in his short story Burning Chrome.
Lessons from the 2019 Digital Innovators Summit: Diversify & Invest in Quality Content
Fine-tune your media, marketing and technology strategies at the Convergent TV Summit on October 25 with expert insights and strategies from the pros. Register now to save 35% on your pass. William Ford Gibson is an American-Canadian writer who has been called the “noir prophet” of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction. It was Gibson who coined the term “cyberspace” in his short story Burning Chrome.
Restaurant Review: Heirloom Kitchen
By Bob Sacks It’s so easy to take the short ride to that nearby restaurant that you like. You know the menu by heart and can order your favorites without even looking. But every once in a while, it’s a good idea to expand your horizons, have a new experience, and learn what’s happening in the rest of the big, wide, world of food.
Restaurant Review: Café 28
Restaurant Review: Café 28 February 21, 2019 Father and son: Chef Mohamed Elbery, right, and his son Karim, are the heart and soul of Café 28. It must be love! Love of introducing diners to authentic Egyptian cuisine; love of preparing creative food with skill and care; and love of sharing the story of his journey, that drives Mohamed Elbery to be at Café 28 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Restaurant Review: Russell & Bette’s
Restaurant Review: Russell & Bette’s February 19, 2019 By Bob Sacks Get over it! What’s Your Beef is no more. A Rumson institution since 1969, it is now just history. The salad bar and the walk-up window to order your meat are gone, but in its place, at the same River Road location, is the new, but feels-like-it’s-been-there-a-long-time, Russell and Bette’s.
BoSacks: Industry Woes Shouldn’t Dictate How You Define Success
The following post was originally published by Publishing Executive. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Publishing Executive Insight. There isn't a week that goes by when I'm not asked about my substrate preferences. A long-time reader and publisher from England yesterday asked me for an electronic subscription to Magazine Media Quarterly "or is digital against your principles?" A pretty funny question to ask the guy who publishes the world's oldest e-newsletter.
BoSacks: Industry Woes Shouldn’t Dictate How You Define Success
There isn't a week that goes by when I'm not asked about my substrate preferences. A long-time reader and publisher from England yesterday asked me for an electronic subscription to Magazine Media Quarterly "or is digital against your principles?" A pretty funny question to ask the guy who publishes the world's oldest e-newsletter. For the record, I am neither rabidly pro-print nor a digital zealot.
BoSacks: Industry Woes Shouldn’t Dictate How You Define Success
Media and marketing pros from Warner Bros, YouTube, Tubi and more will share insights, perspectives and advice on how to keep up in this ever-changing industry. Join them in LA at the Convergent TV Summit on October 25. There isn’t a week that goes by when I’m not asked about my substrate preferences.
Dinner With Bob: Some of the Best Dishes of 2018
Dinner With Bob: Some of the Best Dishes of 2018 January 22, 2019 By Bob Sacks In January, I reflect back on the best dishes I had the pleasure of tasting during the previous 12 months, but it’s a challenge to narrow the list down to a manageable size because my mission in each restaurant is to try as many things on the menu as I can. Multiply that by the couple of dozen restaurants I visited, and the choices become numerous.
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