We're Having A Party... Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at Martell's Tiki Bar in Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ: Monday, August 31 & Tuesday, September 1

While I was raised on the Jersey bar band sounds of "We're Havin' A Party," "Talk to Me," and "I Don't Want To Go Home," I've never really known whether Southside Johnny has a following beyond New Jersey and the Tri-State area, or whether Bruce Springsteen is the only Jersey boy who's become a household name for the rest of the world. For most of the past twelve summers, Rex and I have made an annual tradition of seeing Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Martell's Tiki Bar in Pt. Pleasant Beach, New Jersey.

We had some portion of the Jukes and La Bamba's Big Band at our wedding on the beach in September 1998 and at Rex's 60th birthday party at our house in Mendham a few years ago.

While London and Maddie had the good fortune to see their first concert (Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Tour at the Prudential Center in Newark NJ in December 2007) before they turned seven, my first concert was Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Somerset County College (now Raritan Valley Community College) in 1978, when I was twelve years old. Having learned proper groupie decorum from late night network TV (who remembers Midnight Special and Don Kirschner's Rock Concert??), I jumped the stage and grabbed onto bass player Gene Boccia's leg. 20 years later... Continue reading

Theresa's South Blew It on Rex's Birthday...Mahogany Grill to the Rescue!

As soon as we arrived at our beach house in Bay Head last Friday, we checked on our new restauranteur neighbors at Theresa's South, and found they were open for business as of the night before (Thursday, June 26th). A couple of our neighbors gave the new restaurant raves, but on Saturday night, we saw a stream of rejected diners marching back down Mount Street with their BYOBs tucked under their arms because Theresa's South was too busy to feed them! Not what you'd expect from the experienced owners of not one or two but three other restaurants (Theresa's, Mojave Grill, and Isabella's, all in Westfield, New Jersey)... Well, it turns out we should have taken the not so subtle hint and made other plans for Rex's birthday last night.

Theresa's South won't take reservations (big mistake...huge), but they assured me that the restaurant was open 7 nights for dinner, and we should just call 732-892-1555 and ask to be added to their waiting list 45 minutes before we wished to enjoy Rex's birthday celebration dinner. Instead, the girls and I walked over just before 7:00pm and found that Theresa's South was dark and locked up tight, with nary a note of explanation. One of their neighbors suggested that "there was some trouble in the kitchen." We gave Rex the bad news but turned it into a good excuse to return to Mahogany Grille in Manasquan for a guaranteed perfect celebration...review of our terrific evening to follow!

I guess it's more Theresa's South's loss than ours...with so many excellent restaurants at the Jersey Shore, we don't have time for a "make up" for the next month or so. If you're still interested, Theresa's South is located at 530 Main Avenue (Route 35) at the corner of Mount Street in Bay Head, NJ. Phone (732) 892-1555.

Happy for Theresa's South...The New Bay Head Restaurant Opened on Thursday Night for Dinner, but Had to Turn People Away Because They're Too Busy!

Rex cooked dinner at the beach tonight -- an amazing Bobby Flay recipe for pork tenderloin with an Asian sauce -- but we checked on our new restauranteur neighbors at Theresa's South, and found they've been open for business since Thursday night. Our neighbors are giving them raves, but rejected diners are marching back down Mount Street because the restaurant is too busy to feed them on Saturday night!

Despite the earlier protests of our year-round neighbors in Bay Head, New Jersey, we've had a restaurant on the corner of Mount Street and Route 35 for several years. It started with Heat Wave, which changed to Bay Head Bistro. The location changed hands again over this past winter, and a sign outside the restaurant proclaims that the owners of Theresa's, Mojave Grill, and Isabella's, all in Westfield, New Jersey, are bringing Theresa's South to Mount Street in Bay Head.

The restaurant won't take reservations, but you can call Theresa's South (732-892-1555) about 45 minutes before you're ready for dinner to get on their waiting list. Rex and I are planning to take the girls for dinner on Monday night. One of our neighbors told us that the appetizers, priced $8 to $12, are huge portions, and that Theresa's South serves up a mean linguine with baby clams for my Jedi clam eaters.

Theresa's South is located at 530 Main Avenue (Route 35) at the corner of Mount Street in Bay Head, NJ. Phone (732) 892-1555.

Theresa's South is Coming to Mount Street in Bay Head, New Jersey

Despite the earlier protests of our year-round neighbors in Bay Head, New Jersey, we've had a restaurant on the corner of Mount Street and Route 35 for several years. It started with Heat Wave, which changed to Bay Head Bistro. The location changed hands again over this past winter, and there's a sign that the owners of Theresa's, Mojave Grill, and Isabella's, all in Westfield, New Jersey, are bringing Theresa's South to Mount Street in Bay Head.

As I was taking these pictures, I ran into some guys who were working inside the restaurant, and they told me they hoped to have it ready by June 1st. With Rex's birthday and Father's Day in the month of June, we'll be sure to have a review for you by the end of the month.