Restaurant Recommendations needed asap for 12 people Asbury to Toms River...

[Tapas52]

Recommendations needed asap.....for 12 people...It's our turn to pick a restaurant for 12 people, everyone likes a nice fancy place, Any kind of food except Chinese, Japanese, no Mexican either. Classy American, Seafood, etc. Along the shore from Asbury to Toms River. BYOB would be a preference also. Any help you can give me would be very much appreciated.

Thank you

[JerzeyShore]

Daniel's Bistro is still BYOB at their new location.

[Tapas52]

UPDATE:.. All 12 went to Matisse tonight and had a wonderful dining experience that everyone loved...

Thanx for the help everyone..

[joonjoon]

Glad you enjoyed it Tapas! Just out of curiosity...was there anything particularly good? I might stop in for dinner one of these days.

[mdduck]

Joonjoon,
The best thing about Matisse was the ocean view. As for the service & food I'll use the expression "Nothing to write home about". But boy we all still had a great time.

[SusieQQ]

Thanks for getting back to us. Glad it worked out well.

[bgut1]

I think the recommendations for both Daniel's Bistro and Shipwreck Grill are spot on. I would however avoid Fish and Matisse as my meals there have been poor to mediocre at best.

[Tapas52]

bgut1...Daniel's Bistro and Shipwreck Grill are BYOB?

[bgut1]

Shipwreck is not BYOB. Daniels was BYOB at their old location. Not sure of the new one.

[JerzeyShore]

My vote would be for Daniel Bistro at their new location on Broadway in Point Pleasant Beach which is much larger than their old spot. They can easily handle a party of 12 at this New American Bistro. Fancy with outstanding food and very professional service all overseen by Karen who pays attention to every detail to ensure your satisfaction.

[Tapas52]

BYOB is a preference as they told me last time at being drinkers the tab was very hefty.....so they would like a BYOB this time around with the same food requirements as stated in my OP above to keep the cost down just a bit..
Thank you for any recommendations......

[SusieQQ]

Two nice BYOB in Belmar, both on Ocean Ave. are Matisse and La Duce Vita (BYOB only in the winter).

[Tapas52]

Susie thanx I'll pass it along..

[joonjoon]

Bgut and I disagree on Matisse but I'm a fan. Pretty good food - like a world fusion deal, Ocean view and BYOB. The best thing I have to say about the place, is that even if the dish is a miss, at least they're trying to do something interesting with their menu.

[bgut1]

Joon - Although we disagree, I still respect your opinion. :) It's been years since I've dined at Matisse so I can not speak as to the current state of the food. For all I know, the place has improved. However, when I dined there, I was not that impressed with either the food or the space. As a result, I've never returned.

[Jerseygirl111]

All the reviews I read about Daniel's mention that Karen is horrible. One customer said she called the police on him and his wife after a dispute about the wife's steak. It was burnt and she refused to take it off the bill, (only 3 bites taken) and he refused to pay for the steak. The police came and forced him to pay, then she yelled at him for not tipping the waitress. Not the best way to foster good word of mouth. Check out jerseymenus.com and urbanspoon.

[JerzeyShore]

Jerseygirl, have you personally dined at Daniel's Bistro and met Karen?

[Heidi cooks and bakes]

I was just at the new location of Daniel's three weeks ago for a birthday celebration. They would be perfect for 12 people.

I found Karen to be her usual, gracious hostess. She checked on us a few times, and saw her doing the same with other tables. No drama, just great food and great hospitality!

[Tapas52]

Please keep them coming.....these are really good ideas so far....appreciate it everyone .

Thanx

[maryanne06]

For the best seafood and terrific service, go to Fish in Asbury Park. It's wonderful!

[SusieQQ]

You can't better than the Shipwreck Grill in Brielle:

www.shipwreckgrill.com/

[MGZ]

I agree that either the Shipwreck Grill or it's sister Shipwreck Point would be worthy options. The former has a nice "back" area we have been able to use for a large group before.

Remington's in Manasquan would be another fine choice. One benefit is that they feature a wine list with more moderate prices than many in the area which is often helpful with a large group.

[tom246]

We went to Serenity Cafe last night with another couple and had a very good dinner. They have a nice room and its BYO.
On Rt 37 in Toms River. Will post details when I'm back home.

http://www.theserenitycafe.com/

[bgut1]

tom246 - No Siam Spice? Nice to know you still make it to my neck of the woods. All joking aside, I am really interested in your review of Serenity Cafe.

[tom246]

Hi bgut1, just back from a trip. Yes, Siam Spice is an excellent choice although a table of 12 would likely need to be negotiated since the place is so small.

[bgut1]

tom246 - I agree about the space limitations for such a large party. It's just tough however to be in the vicinity of Siam Spice and not crave the duck soup.

[tom246]

LOL. I hear ya. Need to get back there soon for that awesome duck soup!