The month of October was a big one for Shore restaurants and television.
Two had their turn on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” the culmination of six episodes of the Food Network show featuring Monmouth and Ocean county restaurants. Then, the owner of a local spot landed a big deal on “Shark Tank.”
Another restaurant closed its doors after years in business, and news broke on several chains coming to the Shore.
Here are openings, closings and other restaurant news we reported on in October.
Just the Crust opens in Long Branch
The owners of two Long Branch institutions paired up for Just the Crust, which opened Oct. 21 on Norwood Avenue.
John “Rick” Piancone, owner of Johnny Piancone’s in the city, and the restaurant’s chef, Jose Calderon, built a menu of Neo-Neapolitan pizza, sandwiches, salads and appetizers. Chris Murphy and Jamie Healy, owners of nearby Nip N Tuck Bar + Grill, developed a bar program featuring an Aperol spritz, Italian Negroni, Italian Manhattan, and limone e sale.
Just the Crust represents Piancone’s history — his family served made-to-order sandwiches for decades at their specialty store and restaurant in Bradley Beach — and his new passion: pizza.
“I fell in love with this style of pizza to the point where I went to an intense course (in New York) taught by a true pizzaiolo from Italy, from Naples,” Piancone said, “and it was kind of enlightening to me.”
More: Just the Crust, serving pizza, sandwiches, salads and appetizers, comes to Long Branch
Heights 167 appears on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’
Eric Lucero opened Heights 167 (originally called Point Grill Latin Cuisine) because he missed the food of home — Jackson Heights, Queens — after moving to Point Pleasant Beach to help manage his parents’ Mexican restaurant.
Four years later, Food Network came calling.
The Point Pleasant Beach restaurant was featured on the Oct. 4 episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” where he prepared picadillo-stuffed papa rellenas and a birria platter with rice and beans for host Guy Fieri.
“I knew we were going to be good. I knew we had a different cuisine that isn’t available in the area,” Lucero said. “Next thing you know, we’re getting contacted by Guy.”
More: Heights 167 in Point Pleasant Beach to be featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’
Dave’s Hot Chicken coming to Freehold Township
The Shore’s second location of Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based chain known for its Nashville-style hot chicken tenders, is on the way.
The restaurant should open in the second quarter of 2025 at Freehold Marketplace on West Main Street, the company said.
An Ocean Township location opened in December 2023.
More: Dave’s Hot Chicken and other new restaurants, fitness center coming to Freehold Township
Mister C’s Beach Bistro in Allenhurst closes
Mister C’s Beach Bistro, a restaurant and bar on the beach in Allenhurst that got its start in Deal, closed Oct. 20.
Owners Karen Marzulli and Chic Perrotto reached the end of their lease with the borough, which owns the building.
“It’s all good,” Marzulli said. “This is not a sad closing. We’ve known this date for 10 years.”
There is a strong possibility another restaurant will open in Mister C’s place, as bids for the space are being accepted through early November.
More: This popular beachfront restaurant to permanently close. Find out when
Gray Leaf Cafe in Freehold Township closes
Vincent Gulino, who in January opened a vegan cafe nearly a decade after launching the plant-based food truck Try Vegan, has closed the restaurant in Poets Square.
Gray Leaf Cafe’s last day in business was Oct. 26.
“The support from the community has been amazing, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to welcome you to our cafe and serve you,” Gulino shared in a social media post. “Sometimes, life throws curveballs from directions you didn’t see coming.”
Try Vegan, serving dishes like chickpea Caesar wraps and crunchwraps, is still in business.
More: The new Gray Leaf Cafe offers vegan food, local coffee in Freehold Township
Raising Cane’s proposes Brick location
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, a popular fast-food restaurant with a handful of locations in South Jersey, wants to build a chicken shack at the Shore.
Plans have been filed with Brick’s Zoning Board of Adjustment for a 3,333-square-foot restaurant with drive-thru lanes at Brick Plaza shopping on Cedar Bridge Avenue.
The proposed location previously housed Quaker Steak and Lube.
More: Raising Cane’s plans first chicken restaurant at the Jersey Shore in this spot
IHOP coming to Lacey
A former Perkins Restaurant & Bakery on South Main Street in the Forked River section of Lacey is becoming an IHOP.
The restaurant is undergoing a minor renovation and a December opening is planned, said Rakesh Kumar, who owns the restaurant and others in Freehold Township, Neptune, Toms River and Stafford.
Perkins closed in early October.
More: Don’t panic, pancake lovers! Last Perkins gone from Ocean County, but here’s what’s coming
Jersey Shore BBQ also on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’
Fourteen years ago, Doug Walsh met Guy Fieri when the celebrity chef filmed at 10th Ave. Burrito Co. in Belmar, which was near his restaurant, Jersey Shore BBQ.
Fieri spotted Walsh’s smoker and came by to check it out, then promised he’d be back.
That day came this spring, when Fieri was in town filming at half a dozen Shore restaurants — including Jersey Shore BBQ. For the episode, which airs Friday, Nov. 1, Walsh made a chicken sandwich, pork belly, collard greens and his Texas Reuben made with smoked corned beef.
“The crew and (Fieri) … it was just an amazing experience,” Walsh said. “They were incredible to work with, the utmost professionals.”
More: Jersey Shore BBQ in Point Pleasant Beach to be featured on ‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’
LBI seafood spot lands deal on ‘Shark Tank’
Customers of Danielle Mahon’s take-home seafood boil company, Topsail Steamer, have long been telling her to take the business to ABC’s investment show, “Shark Tank.”
Earlier this year, she did — her episode aired Oct. 25 — and she walked out with a $350,000 investment from investors Todd Graves, founder of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, and Laurie Greiner.
The North Carolina-based company has a seasonal location in Ship Bottom.
Sidepiece opens in Long Branch
The Whitechapel Projects on 2nd Avenue in Long Branch has a space just off its courtyard that used to be a brewery, but partner Marilyn Schlossbach said the restaurant and event venue wasn’t selling enough beer to make it worthwhile.
She decided to turn the area into a pizzeria instead, and Sidepiece opened in early October.
Chef Salvatore Capobianco is making round pizzas, Sicilian pies and salads, and Sidepiece collaborated with Last Wave Brewing in Point Pleasant Beach on a beer customers can take with their pizzas.
A slice window is in the works, and the restaurant offers delivery, takeout and seating in the courtyard.
More: ‘Shark Tank’ entrepreneurs invest in NJ native’s Topsail Steamer seafood pot
More new restaurants
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Hiro Ramen & Bubble Tea, Brick: A delivery robot will bring pork belly buns, tonkotsu ramen, curry tofu bowl and milk tea to your table; 1930 Route 88, 732-903-7866, hiroramenbrick.com.
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Minnow’s, Brielle: This breakfast and lunch cafe, pouring Turnstile Coffee Roasters and offering grab-and-go items, has omelets, oatmeal bowls, breakfast sandwiches, sandwiches, salads, smash burgers and more; 416 Higgins Ave., 732-612-1403, minnowsbrielle.com.
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Park Social, Neptune City: The owners of Asbury Ale House in Asbury Park converted Italian restaurant Al Ponte into a chic bar, lounge and restaurant focused on cocktails and elevated dishes; 1311 Route 35, parksociallounge.com.
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Patrizia’s of Matawan: This sister restaurant to Patrizia’s of Red Bank is serving a menu of Italian dishes including eggplant rollatini, roasted branzino, grilled baby octopus and fettuccini carbonara, plus family-style dinners; 25 Morristown Road, 732-812-5500, patrizias.com.
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Taj Indian Fusion, Hazlet: Monmouth County’s newest Indian restaurant has tandoori paneer, vegetable and meat samosas, goat vindaloo and gulab jamun; 3046 Route 35, 732-677-9016, tajindianfusion.com.
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Yellow Dog Coffee Roasters, Stafford: Dave Smithman, who fell in love with coffee while roasting beans at home, turned his online coffee company into a brick and mortar with the opening of this coffee shop; 420 N. Main St., Manahawkin section of Stafford; yellowdogroasters.com.
David P. Willis contributed to this story.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to her weekly newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore restaurants open, close, seen on TV
