21A, Long Branch

Threw in the Covid towel. Made a reservation for 4 at 6:30 Friday night at 21A. From the front on Broadway, it appeared dark and closed. Parking and main entrance are in the back, along with a nice patio for eventual outdoor dining. We were seated near the small bar, where a young musician was playing. The place was half filled when we arrived but quickly filled up.

Tip: Bring your readers for the tiny type on the menu. For appetizers, we shared the charred octopus and crispy bacon brussel sprouts. Both excellent. The brussel sprouts were like crack. For entrees, we had a swordfish special, NY strip with a side of wilted spinach, lamb chops, and the seasonally prepared cavatelli. The cavatelli was served in a brown sauce with duck, peas, and mushrooms. Everything was excellent.

Alex, the owner, stopped to ensure that we were happy with everything. He told us that the wonderful musician, Jonah Halnick, was 17. Jonah sang along to taped musical tracks and also played trumpet. So talented. Alex is enthusiastic about hosting more musicians, and spoke of a piano player that played last night.

We look forward to going back and exploring more of the menu, especially the burger and hand-cut fries.




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Looks and sounds terrific! I’m looking forward to trying it once the weather warms up. And thanks for mentioning the music, too - I’m friends with a number of excellent musicians in/around AP who are always looking for new venues, so I’ll share that info as well.

And since I just went looking, here’s their website.

A question @fershore - the site doesn’t list any prices (PEEVE) - best guesstimate on entrees?

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Oh! I should have taken a picture! If I recall, the cavatelli with duck was $33, NY strip $45, lamb chops $42 (not sure about this one). Didn’t ask about the price of the swordfish special. The appetizers where in the high teens.

Thanks… about what I expected. That cavatelli is my kind of dish!

It was heavenly.

A brief note to give 21A on Broadway two thumbs up! I don’t know what had previously occupied the space, but the renovation is eye-catching. In a stretch of LB you would not expect to find fine dining, but the times are a changing. There was a young musician (looked around 21 yrs old if that) singing Sinatra and the standards, and he was fantastic. Sat at a table for 4 just outside the bar area and was served by the very amiable bartender. Dishes included the octopus starter (great) and the brussels (other worldly with bacon pieces). Entrees I sampled included perfectly cooked sea bass filets and shrimp rissotto. Was torn about ordering the cavetelli preparation which on our visit was wild boar. Desserts included the lemon bread pudding and the chocolate flourless cake. With shared app, two entrees, shared dessert and 4 drinks, in for $200 with tip. Not an inexpensive night out, but had a great time. And the owner, who visited our table twice, could not have been more gracious. This place is going to be packed once the summer season starts.

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See the OP for details about the young talented singer/musician.

We dined there for our second time on Saturday night with another couple. It was quiet at 6 but the first floor was filled by the time we were finished dining. We skipped appetizers this time. I ordered the cavatelli with wild boar, mushrooms, and peas in brown sauce. Delicious! What I didn’t have room for my dining companions devoured! The two gents both had the lamb chops and my SIL had the tilefish special, which she loved. Alex, again, very attentive. We had Educated Guess cabernet sauvignon with our meals. Still looking forward to coming back for that burger!

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@fershore - completely missed those details about the singer. We were there at the same time. Did you see his mom (?) and friends wish him a happy birthday? That wild boar was calling my name … glad you enjoyed it. Wish them lots of success.

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Oh, how sweet! No, we missed the birthday fun. The homemade cavatelli is so good. It manages to stay al dente–not the slightest bit mushy. Forgot to mention the beautiful outside patio, which will be well used come warmer temps.

Thanks for remembering to mention the outside patio! Since we aren’t doing indoor restaurant dining, I was hoping there was outdoor seating. Hopefully, they will accept reservations for that area.




Was here last night 6pm
Reservation. As stated before entrance in back with ample parking. Nice space a little dark , a little hard to read menus lol.
DW started with a sangria cocktail from the nights specials I had a Guinness.

Started with the burrata which seemed over chilled and Firm in texture. Grilled octopus was great!
For entrees DW had pork Milanese huge portion but a little dry ,good flavor though
I had the Duck special which was excellent though i wish portion was larger lol wound up finishing wife’s dish anyway. By that time we were too full for coffee and dessert. On a side note their was a young performer who played a trumpet to a jazz mix and sang Sinatra tunes over a karaoke amp. Personally I enjoyed this over a looped tape or a DJ.
If you enjoy this as well look for his tip glass he looks like a student.

As per previous notes the owner was around and about paying attention to the patrons. He did not visit us but someone I’m assuming a manager did ask us how we were doing.

I’d recommend this place and will be back.

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