After dropping my card and promising on my last visit to post my review, I have finally found the time to do so.

After some 20 years of eating at Bill’s diner, I guess its about time I posted why I have been such a fan of his place for so long.

How about a list. Yes, just like David Letterman’s top ten list.

10. Location. At the north tip of Long Beach Island and tucked away from everyone except the local faithfuls and summer tourists.

9. The smell of the salt air and nearby bay make it pleasurable even when waiting during the summer months for a table.

8. The tables in the back room are the coolest. Its like eating in your grandma’s back porch when everyone else has to eat at the kitchen table.

7. The menus on the wall and in your hand offer too many choices that make it too damn hard to decide what to order.

6. The waitresses are the best, the friendliest and the prettiest on the island and the serve up the food faster than you can finish your first cup of coffee.

5. The coffee cup is ALWAYS full.

4. Everything tastes like it was just made, which is exactly how it should be.

3. The kitchen staff has worked together for many, many years and they always serve the food the same way, everyday, which is the hardest thing to accomplish in the restaurant business. CONSISTANCY!!!!

2. The diner is a landmark ( or should be) and no one else on LBI received a visit from Guy Fieri, of my favorite food show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Hats off to you Bill!!

and the number one reason…

1. Mustache Bill’s omelets and pancakes are quite simply the BEST on LBI and the surrounding area. I have my own omelet which should have a name by now since Vinny and I perfected its makeup some three or four years ago…We start with the Potato Skin omelet which has potatoes, scallions, bacon and cheddar cheese and then we ask for HOT peppers to be added. Dress it up with salsa, sour cream and a short stack of ‘cakes and the next meal you can expect to want is dinner. Bill has perfected the omelet and no where will you find one that is fluffier and filled better.

You can expect only the best when you visit Mustache Bill’s so get up early, put the top down and head over to LBI and enjoy the best breakfast this area has to offer.

The Regular Guy rating * * * *

Mustache Bill’s Diner

W 8th St and Broadway
Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

Having breakfast out on Sunday mornings is always one of my favorite things to do, and this Sunday was no exception.

The Horizon Diner is one of the oldest businesses in town. Some years back, the diner was renovated by a previous owner and is now more up to date than its original self. Although the previous owner did most of the updates, credit must be given to the new owner for the upgraded food and service.

Today’s visit offered both good food and some exceptional service. It has always been one of my pet peeves that most restaurants won’t accommodate a request for something special.  Diners however, are usually very capable and willing to prepare a dish not on its menu pages.

I like omelets with a lot going on inside, so I asked for one with cheddar and bacon with sauteed scallions and jalapenos, not too brown ( well done is a no no ) and sides of salsa and sour cream. Our waitress was a real pleasure too as she didn’t flinch when I preceded to rap off everything I wanted. She actually played along very well with the kidding we gave her during the placement of our orders.

All in all the food was done just right and we all had a good time, which is the way it should be when going out to eat.

The Regular Guy rating  * * *

The Horizon Diner

Bay Ave Manahawkin NJ 08050

(609) 597-4771

Bring a bottle of wine and make your choice. Spiaggia is two restaurants in one. Feel like having brick oven pizza or Chilean Sea Bass. I have visited Spiaggia a half a dozen times now and whether I choose to dine on pizza or some of their gourmet dishes, I always leave satisfied.

On the one side you can enjoy a full menu with some well known and some of Spiaggia’s own signature dishes, all with an Italian flair. Start your dinner with the Scallop appetizer and you won’t be disappointed. Follow that with the dinner salad and fresh house dressing, which is very light and tasty. There are too many choices for an entree to pick a favorite but I have had the Linguini with Clams, Shrimp and Scallops in a Fra Diavolo sauce, twice. The sauce is veerrryyy good and nice and spicy.

Side two of this restaurant features the same menu as side one, but also Brick Oven Pizza. The atmosphere is the complete opposite so be prepared for a somewhat noisy experience. Sometimes in fact it can be a little too much as some employees “hang out ” there while not working which interferes with the servers attention span. The noise is created from the staff itself, who tend to yell things to each other from across the dining room. Its okay if you don’t mind hearing all about the staffs lives and what they have been doing of late but otherwise I feel it should be controlled. After all, it is a business and should be more professionally run. Other than that, I have to say that the Pizza is delicious. There are examples of different pies on the menu but I always like to make up new ones each time. We tried Grilled Chicken, Spinach and fresh Tomato with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper baked into the pie. It was zingy hot, crispy and good but we didn’t realize it wouldn’t have Tomato sauce under the toppings which tended to make it dry. No problem though, because we asked for a side dish of sauce to add to the pizza.

All in all, Spiaggia rarely disappoints and often surprises me with their consistently flavorful dishes. Spiaggias prices are somewhat average to high, mostly because of the cost of the appetizers. Entrees on the other hand seem to be more moderately priced. As of now, Spiaggia is still a bring your own bottle which helps offset the cost of a night out.Call ahead for reservations as they are very busy, especially weekends between 6pm -9pm.

Regular Guy rating * * * 1/2

Spiaggia e Luna

696 E Bay Ave

Barnegat NJ

609-660-2000

Every neighborhood has a local watering hole with good eats. Jensen Beach is no different when you find yourself at Caps.

If you’re looking for a cold beer and a well prepared, tasty and affordable meal in a relaxed and  comfortable setting, this place is where you want to be. Being within walking distance for many of its patrons, it is easy to understand why most of my neighbors visit Caps on a regular basis. You can tell right away that the owner and his clientele know each other well from the banter back and forth between them. It is always great to have a place where you can go and feel like its yours. In a sense, its like being Norm in Cheers. You get that from Paul, the co-owner, bartender, waiter and busboy all mixed into one.

Tonight we dined on pizza, which although quite simple in ingredients, can always be a difficult thing to make well. Surprisingly, the pizza was terrific. With a very crispy crust, tasty sauce and an abundance of toppings, this pie satisfied my craving quite well. Coupled with cold draft beers and friendly service, it made for an enjoyable evening out with our friends.

Items on Caps menu range from Thai Calamari to Mahi Reuben’s, and I understand that their Burgers are very good too. There are enough interesting choices on the menu to make me want to return for a second go ’round. I am definitely looking forward to trying a burger!

The Regular Guy Rating * * *1/2

Caps

10999 S Ocean Dr

Jensen Beach Fl

772-229-3287

I can’t tell you how many times I have commented to my wife that people need an alternative to fast food that is fresh and healthy. People…my request has been answered.

Mecafresh is the perfect place to escape to for a delicious meal made fast and made fresh. I have to say that upon entering the establishment I immediately had a good feeling. A large menu placed above the register provides an easy to read and understand outline, of the limited but extremely different choices that await you.

You will not find burgers, fried chicken or $5.00 foot longs here but you will find Mahi Mahi soft taco’s, freshly made Pad Thai noodles and some very different appetizers/sides. One that we tried was a twist on Eggplant Parmesan. Fresh slices dredged  in Panko crumbs, lightly fried then plated over tomato sauce and decorated with what I believe was a Pesto drizzle. Not something I would have expected to find here.

The fish taco is one of the best I have tasted and I compare them to a place called Surf Taco back in New Jersey. Both places use the freshest ingredients and are made to order. I would say that Mecafresh’s taco’s are better because they use grilled Mahi instead of fried, and they have a great tasting slaw and dressing.  The Pad Thai noodles were better examples of such, then I have had in two other full service eateries in this same town, one of which was a Thai restaurant. The difference, which I pointed out to the cook, was that his not only presented better   but also tasted like he just cut the vegetables minutes before he cooked the dish. I can tell you that we had crisp zucchini and squash , tender chicken and very tasty fresh cilantro tossed into the spicy peanut sauce. It’s beyond me how some restaurants prepare the ingredients hours before service, so much so, that you can’t determine exactly what vegetables you are eating.

We were served by ” Louie”, who introduced himself to us as one of the owners of Mecafresh. Being it was the first time we had tried Mecafresh, Louie made it a point to give us some background on his concept and how Mecafresh came about. If this meal represents how Louie plans on serving up this fine food, then he has a great future ahead of himself with his Mecafresh restaurant.

The Regular Guy Rating * * * *

Mecafresh

4203 S.E. Federal Highway
Stuart, FL 34997
(772) 286-3770

www.mecafesh.com

Unless you are a card carrying member of Peta, you probably enjoy eating a great steak dinner at least once in a while. Peter’s Steakhouse is a place you treat yourself to once in a while when you want to have a great steak.

Once a waiter in Peter Luger’s in N.Y., the owner has bought his talent and knowledge of great steaks to Jensen Beach. Perhaps the best steakhouse in the area, Peter’s offers terrific food and excellent service.

Everything on the menu is a la carte and the prices are perhaps a bit more than you would expect from a restaurant in this town, but after dining you aren’t so upset that you spent about $150 on dinner ( for two including tip).

We ordered the house salad ( crisp lettuce mixture, apple wood smoked bacon, shrimp and homemade dressing) , a 9 oz Fillet,  Angus NY Strip with a crab cake, a side of potatoes and two glasses of wine. Everything we ate was superb and left you wanting to eat more than your stomach could handle. The steaks of course are the reason you dine at Peter’s and also the reason you return. They are worth every penny and are an experience for your taste buds.

One last thing about Peter’s. The service staff is extremely well trained and gracious. They do not miss a thing when waiting on you and always give more than expected. For instance, the wine bottles they served from were near empty after serving numerous tables, so they returned to our table midway through our salads and refilled most of our glasses with the remaining wine that was left in the bottle. The little things that add up to great service.

The Regular Guy rating   * * * * 1/2

www.peterssteakhouse.com

3200 Northeast Maple Avenue

Jensen Beach, FL 34957-7262
(772) 225-2516

Restaurant.com has coupons for eateries all over the country and tonight my wife and I tried Sachi Sushi in Stuart Fl.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were impressed with the layout and design. the lighting was a little too low to be able to read the menu, but all in all the ambiance was very warm and inviting. You have a choice to sit at the sushi bar, a table or a small enclosed booth with cushions on the floor instead of chairs. The booth is enclosed in linen drapes that can be closed for privacy, a very nice touch. We opted for the table although I believe my wife wanted to sit in the cave!!

The menu in very extensive and we had a hard time trying to figure out what to order. Our waiter wasn’t very helpful with suggestions either and extremely difficult to understand.

We wound up ordering edamame, two sushi rolls, salads and an entree, Pork and Shrimp with Vietnamese sauce and rice noodles.

The edamame was very good as was the green tea. I like green tea but can’t seem to steep it just right and it winds up being bitter, so when I get a chance to have some out, I make sure to order it.

The salad was average and the dressings were odd. The peanut dressing was hot, which I think was a mistake and not an actual salad dressing. My wife’s dressing was an Asian ginger style but was pretty weak. We decided to mix them together and it wound up tasting good.

The rolls, although moderately priced, weren’t very impressive. They lacked plate appeal and were very ordinary in taste too. Nothing I would order again. Maybe we should have ordered a special style roll,, but then again no one suggested what was popular.

Our entree was weird. The noodles, pork and shrimp were in a bowl, and the Vietnamese dressing was on the side. We proceeded to mix the sauce into the dish and after tasting it we asked for some more peanut sauce and some chili pepper sauce to add some zip to the rather bland dish. The noodles were a decent portion but the pork amounted to less than a chops worth of meat and the shrimp were 21/25 count and only six or so were included with this dish.

The worst part of the meal wasn’t really the food as it was the poor service. Not that the waiter was bad, rude or inefficient but he didn’t talk to us to see if we were regulars or not. That is important because he could have made suggestions for a better meal than what we chose. The place was pretty busy for a Monday night so I would expect that some of the dishes they serve are probably very good.

All in all, we will return for a second try, as we have one more Restaurant.com certificate to use.

Regular Guy Rating  * * 1/2

Sachi Sushi

3508 SE Federal Hwy ( Rte 1 South)  Stuart Fl (in Publix shop center)

Every so often you unexpectedly find a place that is everything you love about food. Atmosphere, music, wait staff, menu, drinks and so on and so on. Boca Chica is one of those places for me.

My wife has friends from New York who we very rarely see anymore so this trip was about getting together. One of her friends happened to mention this place she likes and recommended that we go there for dinner.

Boca Chica, ( I believe translates loosely into “sweet girl”), is very casual and hip. The music plays almost too loud for a restaurant but the place hops so you can understand why the loud tunes. Very colorful and with a Spanish/ south American / Mexican /Latino flair which makes me really comfortable and anxious to try the food.

When you are first seated, you are immediately served a sample plate of fried plantain chips with a spicy black bean dip. Not nearly enough to satisfy your cravings, but just enough for you to be tempted to order up a side to wash down your drinks. While I am on drinks, I love a good Mojito and for the record, this was not one of them. Tasty yes, but too too much ice and not enough Mojito, especially for the $8 price tag.

Boca Chica’s menu is loaded with ethnic favorites like chimichurri, plantains, tostones, yucca fries and the like. When I saw the Skirt Steak with chimichurri, rice and black beans, I was hooked. Ordered up with a side of plantains and yucca fries, I was set for the night. My wife ordered a grilled pork chop dinner with coconut mashed sweet potatoes and some crazy salsa that I can’t recall what the ingredients are but it was  outstanding. The portions are excellent and almost too much to finish but I worked hard to get it done never the less.

My steak was cooked perfectly as were all the side dishes. The slaw that they serve with most every dish tasted like jicama and was very good.My wife’s dinner was equally good and too much for her to finish so we left with the doggie bag.

All in all the dinner experience was better than I could have imagined and it will definitely be on my list of stops next time we return to the “City”.

Regular Guy rating  * * * *

Boca Chica

1st ave and 1st street

Manhattan NY

Reservations accepted.

I love this place! Something about Ebby’s made me feel that way from the moment I walked in.

I turned forty nine years old this last Wednesday and my parents and their close friends asked my wife and I to join them for dinner at a place they thought I would really enjoy. I am not one for fancy restaurants so this one looked promising at first glance.

Ebby’s is a little delicatessen/ restaurant set back on a main road through a beach town here in New Jersey. You would never know from looking at the outside that such great food is being served on the inside. Walking in the front door you have to pass by the deli to get to the dining area but once inside the dining room you quickly forget that there is a deli attached to it. The dining room is dressed in crisp linen table clothes and comfortable lighting. I say comfortable because at forty nine its tough to read menus in most places these days. Ebby’s also dining al Fresco under the tent along side the building on the patio.

Ebby’s menu is filled with the usual items that one would find in a continental restaurant, but the taste is not so usual at all. We started with an order of fried calamari and an order of something that I haven’t seen before and quite frankly do not know the name of. It is a clam, spinach and  white bean appetizer that I believe is their version of steamed little necks. Whatever it is, it is fantastic. The broth is made for dipping your crusty bread into. The only problem was that there were too many of us for just that one dish. This is a must have if you visit Ebby’s.

Ebby’s menu has enough items to make you have to choose albeit agonizingly, between so many interesting twists on some regular expected dishes. And if that’s not difficult enough, Ebby’s serves up specials too. I had a very tough time deciding between the Pork Milanese and the Cowboy Steak. Both sounded great but I eventually opted for the Steak, being that it was a Rib-eye which happens to be a favorite of mine.

My choice turned out to be a good one as the Steak was done perfectly and accompanied with Broccoli Rabe and Roasted Potatoes, which set it off nicely. Every one’s meals must have been exceptional as our table got very quiet while dinner was being eaten. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish with our group.

I can’t tell you how much the dinner was but I can tell you that the pricing was very reasonable. Our server, Christi was knowledgable and very attentive. She did a great job with all our questions too, especially from me when I asked three times about the specials! I wasn’t allowed to partake in the paying of the bill because it was my birthday but I will tell you that I plan on returning to Ebby’s real soon. By the way, bring your own bottle. Another great reason to visit Ebby’s.

Regular Guy rating  * * * *

Ebby’s Cafe Alfresco

2013 Central Ave, Seaside Park

Toms River NJ

I haven’t been to The Captains Inn since sometime around 1987 or so. and I didn’t like it too much back then. I haven’t been back there until last night when the skies promised rain but gave us sunshine in our eyes while we sat on the outdoor deck that overlooks the back bay across the street from the main restaurant.

Most Tuesday evenings I ride my motorcycle along with my friends and we always wind up at a new spot to eat and have a few beers. Tonight was different as it was supposed to thunderstorm all evening, so we decided to take four wheels instead of two to be on the safe side.

The suggestion for us to meet at The Captains Inn brought along some anxiety for me as my last memory of this place wasn’t a good one. Not to say that the food was terrible, but it was just so so and the atmosphere was old and seashore smelly. But this night would be a first for me as I had never visited their outdoor bar and grill.

Upon arriving, the place looked pretty inviting with the music playing and the sun sitting low on the bay reflecting what was left of a great day. The place is set up nicely and very spacious with a lot of seating both open air and covered.

The five of us are greeted by a young girl who takes our drink order and leaves us menu’s. Not expecting too much I figure this place to be a burger and fries or sandwich spot, so I peruse the menu in search of something chicken. I order up a chicken panini which is dressed in field greens, bleu cheese, olives and tomatoes. I opt out on the bleu cheese as I am not a big fan of this molded variety.

Drinks and sandwiches arrive promptly and we continue to order a couple more rounds, being that we aren’t riding the bikes tonight. All in all the food was pretty good and the service, although not extremely friendly, was okay. Here’s the thing I just don’t understand about young waitress’s serving a group of guys. Where’s the smile, the flirting, and the over the top attention? Don’t these girls know that the tip is going to be based on them playing it up a bit?  I just can’t figure out why a girl wouldn’t go all out to be over friendly in hopes of getting a bigger tip. It really couldn’t hurt. Someone should start a service that trains a wait staff on how to serve customers based on the clientele. You have to treat a guest differently based on who they are. When I waited tables in college I would always lay it on extra thick when I had a table with all women. They loved the extra attention and it almost always netted me a bigger tip. One other thing that really ticks me off is a waitress/waiter that doesn’t have answers to my questions. This one waitress didn’t know that a pint was the same as 16 ounces so we didn’t expect too much from her.

So what’s the deal lately with keeping drink prices off the menu? How about the shock when the bill comes and the price of the drink is ridiculous? Too late now to send it back. We happened to order three Mojito’s that were served in a 7-8 ounce plastic cup with not so fresh mint. The drinks were weak and very sweet and not what a good Mojito should be, but until the check arrived it was forgiving. The Mojito’s, as it turns out are $8.50 a piece. Whoaaaa! I have had Mojito’s in 4 star restaurants that cost that much and they are perfect too. Bad move on the drink pricing Captain.

So what can you expect to pay for four sandwiches, an order of fried clam strips, a side of onion rings, 12 beers( only two in bottles, the rest are draft in 12 ounce cups), and three Mojito’s? Does $125.00 sound right to you? We probably wouldn’t have ordered the Mojito’s if we knew the cost of each up front. Being that the food cost us roughly $50.00 the bar bill was pretty high.

With the tip, we were set back $30.00 a piece. Man I could have had a really nice dinner and a glass of wine somewhere for that much. Live and learn, as they say. Too bad because the food and atmosphere were pretty good and I probably would have paid a return visit.

Regular guy rating   * * 1/2 ( don’t sucker punch me with the drink prices!)

The Captains Inn

Lacey Road

Forked River NJ