Met one of my good pal's from back home, John Rueff here since he was in town and doing some work in Long Branch. With its proximity to Red Bank, Dish was the perfect option tonight, so I called earlier in the day and left a message on their machine for a reservation. I then saw their e-mail address on their site, so I e-mailed them and got a reply back, so we were good to go.
Got into Red Bank and there was some serious hustle and bustle on Friday night. Parking was a bit tough, and I ended up parking a few blocks down the road across the street from Tiffany's. Not a bad walk in the least, even on a cold December night!
John was standing outside as I walked up, and we said hello, and went inside. We were immediately greeted and sat at our table. We had a nice little two top next to a pillar, with another two top next to us. At this point, the restaurant was pretty full, and had a nice little buzz to it. The place looked nice and vibrant! From the red color of the walls on the exterior, to the fresh yellow walls inside, with the blonde floors and tables. The place really was cozy.
I reached into the wine bag and ask John if he preferred pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon, and he called for a cabernet. That said, out came a 2003 Stag's Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. Stay tuned for a review of that soon as well.
Our waitress came over and opened the wine. I have to say that the stems at Dish are OK at best, and I will remember to bring our own on a return visit. She went over the specials with us, and gave us a few minutes to peruse the menu. Meanwhile, we shot the bull and caught up on old times. So many funny memories!
For starters, John had the Cream of Squash soup, and I ended up ordering the calamari. I know, it's calamari, but it sounded good tonight, and it was indeed tasty. The rings were huge, as were the tentacles. Fried golden, brown, and delicious. John said his soup was absolutely amazing as well.
For entrees, I ended up going the short ribs route, and these were a rockin'! The portion was absolutely massive, with two giant chunks of meat, served over a maple mashed sweet potato, and some haricot verts and carrots. The short ribs were absolutely awesome, flavorful, and fork tender! I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of these to show just how massive the dish was, but the two were stacked on top of each other and almost as tall as my wine glass. WOO! These were a hit.
John opted for the rib eye special, and he said it was cooked perfectly, and absolutely flavorful. I can't remember what this was served with, but it looked delicious. It may have been topped with a Roquefort or something else, but again, I can't remember for sure. Seeing how good his steak looked however, I would be hard pressed not to order the NY Strip of Hanger Steak on my next visit!
From what I read on Chowhound, we absolutely cannot leave without having dessert. UGH! At this point, I am absolutely stuffed like a pig, and no hungry in the least, but when our server read off the special and I heard bread pudding, how could I resist? It's a favorite of mine, and a staple!
The bread pudding came out, and this too was massive! This had a side of whipped cream, and some caramel and chocolate syrup on it. All I can say is wow! This rocked, and had great consistency. It almost reminded me of a croissant, so maybe they use croissants in here? I have no idea, but wow, it rocked!
All in all, this is a great little restaurant with a lot of charm, and a great place to bring my wife on a date. It's cozy, intimate, and has great food, great service, and some outstanding desserts! Maybe next time they'll have the coconut cake that I hear is a must try! I hope so! Huge kudos to Dish though! We'll definitely be back in the future! Cheers!
Dish - A Restaurant
13 White Street
Red Bank, NJ
Phone: (732)345-7070
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