RUMSON — Mayor John Ekdahl joined the borough’s restaurateurs at Salt Creek Grille last Tuesday to celebrate the kickoff of the fourth annual Rumson Restaurant Month.
The event, which is sponsored by the borough’s restaurant owners and the Rumson Endowment Fund, is designed to encourage two river residents to sample the dining delights of Rumson’s eight restaurants.
All of the participating restaurants are offering special dining deals that include prix fixe menus, nightly specials, competitively priced entrees, drink specials and fun events for St. Patrick’s Day.
“The theory is by bringing people in we’ll raise all of your businesses,” Ekdahl told the restaurateurs on Tuesday.
This year’s event is probably more significant, given that the borough’s restaurants, and other local businesses have had to endure the closing of the Oceanic Bridge, a heavily traveled connection between the Rumson peninsula and the Middletown side of the Navesink River.
Business owners have been bemoaning what the bridge’s closure has meant to their cash registers as they hear from customers that it’s just too much trouble to seek alternate routes.
On average, Rumson restaurants have seen a five to ten percent decrease in business as a result of the bridge closing, Ekdahl said later on Tuesday at a borough council meeting.
“Which isn’t good news,” Ekdahl said. “But they thought it would be worse.”
Joining such venerable institutions as Val’s Tavern, What’s Your Beef and Barnacle Bill’s are some of the borough’s newer restaurants such as Ristorante Giorgia, 102 Avenue of Two Rivers, which owner/chef Francesco Panucci named after his mother.
And this week, Murray MacGregor’s Publick House will reopen under new ownership and a new name. The restaurant and bar, 132 East Road (originally Briody’s), will become Molly Maguire’s Blackpoint Inn and again feature traditional pub food.
The owner, Mike Maguire, who is the father of five, said that with the opening of Molly’s, “We now have our sixth child.
“Ultimately, we’re just trying to make it fun,” Maguire said.
“I think it’s great to see the camaraderie,” Ekdahl observed.
“It’s a neat event,” Ekdahl told the borough council members, and one that can give the businesses a boost during March, which he said is “typically a very slow month.”
Rumson restaurateurs joined Rumson Mayor John Ekdahl at Salt Creek Grille last Tuesday to celebrate the kickoff of the Fourth Annual Rumson Restaurant Month
March 2, 2012 at 7:33 am
Thanks John Burton for your time & talent in spreading the word about Rumson Restaurant Month. As co-director of Rumson Restaurant Month with Christine Burke I would like to thank Mayor John Ekdahl and the restaurant owners for participating in this effort to bring more public awareness to Rumson’s unique dining establishments. As small, independent business owners they all put a lot of heart, spirit and hard work into their restaurants creating exceptional dining experiences in one small borough for all! So come and dine out often!
March 7, 2012 at 2:51 pm
So where do we find out about the deals? List of participating restaurants?
March 9, 2012 at 8:55 am
Check out http://www.rumsonnj.gov, top left, scrolling ad. Each restaurant appears w/i 10 second loop.
Tax and Gratuity are excluded. Not to be combined with any other offers.
Barnacle Bill’s
1 1st Street
(732) 747-8396
http://www.barnaclebillsrumson.com/
Tues- Free glass of red or white house wine or Coors Light Draft beer with dinner
Wed-1 ¼ lb. lobster dinner $18.95
Live music starting at 8 p.m.
Thurs- Half price desserts
David Burke Fromagerie
26 Ridge Road
(732) 842-8088
http://www.fromagerierestaurant.com
Tues – Our Famous Burger, salad, & glass of wine or beer $25. Live music.
Wed – 3-course prix fixe dinner $35
Thurs – 3-course prix fixe dinner $35
Tues, Wed, Thurs – 20 % off 20 select bottles and half bottles of our Wine Spectator award-winning premium wines. Includes sparkling wines and champagnes.
Molly Maguire’s Blackpoint Inn
132 East River Road
732.530.2882
http://www.mollymaguiresblackpointinn.com
Tues, Wed, Thurs.
Shepherd’s Pie – Bangers and Colcannon Mash – Molly’s Bacon Cheese Burger – Cheese- Stuffed Chicken Breast with Sausage and Irish Mist cream sauce – Lamb Stew – Guinness Onion Soup – Hot Corned Beef Sandwich with Cahill’s Guinness Porter Cheese
Ristorante Giorgia
102 Ave of Two Rivers
(732) 741-3880 BYO
http://www.ristorantegiorgia.com
Specials change nightly
according to seasonal availability.
Bring Your Own Favorite Wines!
Salt Creek Grille
4 Bingham Avenue
(732) 933-9272
http://www.saltcreekgrille.com
Tapped Out Tuesday – ½ Draught Beers
Wine Down Wednesday – ½ Wines by the glass over 30 selections
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
Martini Madness Thursday – $2 Off Oversized Martinis
Happy Hour M-F 4 – 6:30 ½ off glasses of wine, Comp Apps 4-6
Undici
11 West River Road
(732) 842-3880
http://www.undicirestaurant.com
Tues- Pizza Napoletana $12.00, wood fired, real Naples style
Wed- 1/2 off bottles on our seasonal list
Thurs- 1/2 off wines by the glass, over 30 selections
Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence
Val’s Tavern
123 East River Road
(732) 842-3452
http://www.valstavern.com
Tues- Seafood Pizza Night – Lobster or Shrimp pizza (dine in only) $15
Wed- ½ off wines by the glass with dinner
Live music – 6:30 to 9:30
Thur-1/2 off dessert with dinner
Happy Hour 3-6 pm Every Day
$2 domestic drafts and $2.50 bottles
Dart league starting in March!
What’s Your Beef
21 West River Road
Rumson
(732) 842-6205
http://www.whatsyourbeefrumsonnj.com
Tues -Prime Rib Dinner with salad and potato $19.95
Wed- 1/2 off house wine by the glass or draft beer
Thurs- 1/2 off dessert
Underwritten by the participating restaurants and the Rumson Endowment Fund, a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization