This is the new place by the owners of Cardinal in Asbury Park. If a loud and noisy dining room is a pet peeve, read no further. On a Friday night the nearly completely full dining room was LOUD and NOISY. There appeared to be some sound proofing materials installed, but it wasn’t terribly effective. If you can live with the noise, you’re in for some memorable dishes. Wife and I shared a bunch of stuff including oysters and tuna crudo (in an amazing calabrian chili oil) to start. Small touches put both dishes over the top. Homemade cocktail sauce and mignonette with the oysters, and delicious seeded long crackers with the crudo. Next up was the greatest value cheese board I’ve ever had. For $21 the board can easily feed 4 people, but we managed to polish it off. Four generous cheese portions, focaccia, breadsteaks, olives, cornichons, spiced apples, jelly and more. We then moved on to clams on toast which consisted of clams and cannellini beans on giant slabs of grilled sourdough. Also had a pasta dish the name of which I forget which was a cross between a tortellini and ravioli filled with cheese and dolloped with ricotta. Everything was delicious and there were many dishes I still want to try. With 3 drinks between us, all in with tip was $100/pp. A very fair value for the quality. I say go, go, go.
Wow–I certainly expected a higher tab after reading that! The Cardinal team is fantastic; I’m looking forward to getting to Mabel.
We went last night and definitely feel the same on the noise. More sound panels are needed. We had a few hiccups but was honest with them and we will definitely be back. Appetizer took at least 40 min to come out after we ordered. We found that clams appetizer kinda unwieldy. The bread was gigantic and without a steak knife impossible to cut. Although I specifically asked for my daughter’s pasta to come with our entrees, hers came out 20+ min before ours. She was completely finished before we got ours. I got the shrimp with rice which was tasty but actually needed salt! My husband’s steak was perfect. They sent over complementary Brussels sprouts which were amazing. They also sent us home with three puffed pastries filled with a lemon curd. Very very good. I think prices are exactly where they should be. I think it was about 130 pre tip.
I’ll join if you want company!!!
We were not without a few service hiccups which, like you, we found excusable given the recent opening. I thought the steaks were very reasonably priced. Glad to hear that your overall experience was positive and that you want to return.
Did they send you home with Xuixos?? Cardinal is famous for them… A very light (Catalan) donut with lemon custard inside…? I am NOT ever interested in donuts, but OMG those are amazing! Hoping that’s what they were…
Good God this is exactly what they were. Past tense since obviously gone. Extremely delicious…
Yaaaay! I was truly hoping that’s what they were! Here’s a little secret… Sometimes they make different flavors. I’ll let you know if they announce any!
