NJ Bar Stories / Memories................................

Regional Dining Discussions New Jersey
21

Well not exactly a bar story, but I told this to some of my friends down in TX. @jcostiones is up next on deck…

Alright here is quick one.

One easter Sunday I’m hanging at my uncle’s house. He would have a party every easter to fish for striped bass and winter flounder. He lives on an island in the navesink river. He would invite his/my fisherman and pirate friends to come fish all day and party all night.

We would pull out flounder and walk them from the river to the house and cook them flopping to the frying pan…no fridge here. They go from live to the oil in minutes. Nothing is better! They literally are alive, to filleted, to batter, to the pan in several minutes. Amazingly fresh winter flounder. These are true winter flounder, not flounder like you guys call it in tx. Here that species is called fluke. The winter flounder are sweeter and have a tighter flesh…better mouth feel. Fluke are still great though.

So the night is getting later and we all had our share of fish and liquor. A few of us are playing cards and I look over at captain mike. He is two sheets to the wind. I said “captain mike, what’s the matter. You look like you’re going to be sick.” This is a guy who can out drink anyone so I was genuinely concerned that something may have been wrong (and this is in my wasted state.) He tilts his head up and takes the cig out of his mouth. “This is the worst fucking trail mix I’ve ever had!!!” HE IS EATING A PLATE OF DRIED CAT FOOD! HAHAHAHA! I shit you not. He grabbed the cat food plate off the counter that my uncle elevated from the floor so people wouldn’t step on it. If I had a video of this I’d probably be a YouTube millionaire! Classic! I still laugh everytime I think about the horrid look on his face and his raspy salty dog voice. I can’t make this stuff up folks!

In person this story is a lot more colorful, but I can assure you that seeing a famous captain crunching through cat chow and the horrifying look on his face, it would put a smile on your face! He is actually down there near you guys running a boat in LA.

That’s a short one. The good stories will take a little time.

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[quote=“corvette_johnny, post:21, topic:15817”]
HE IS EATING A PLATE OF DRIED CAT
[/quote
Great story. It took me awhile to stop laughing.

I’ve been trying to think if I can come up with anything close but came up blank.

All of these great stories would be deleted on CH.

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23

Uggggg I’m pretty sure I told you this one, but it reminds me of the time I was at a dimly lit bar back when smoking was still allowed. I’m waiting for my drink and I’m “snacking” on the basket of mixed nuts / snacks and I’m chewing, and chewing and chewing and it has a very odd consistency and taste, when I finally get frustrated and take out of my mouth what I had been chewing it was a cigarette butt. :scream::face_vomiting::nauseated_face::scream::face_vomiting::scream:

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24

(This was my first time to Char Steakhouse in Raritan NJ.)

I was doing some biz entertaining and we were headed into the city for a good steak. I was utilizing the services of a private driver so cocktails were flowing during the drive when we immediately hit stopped traffic at the Turnpike entrance.

After hearing the traffic update on 101.5 we decided to abandon the trip into NYC and chose an alternate destination. The decision was made by my client to try a new place he had heard of so off to Char (unbeknownst to me at the time) we went.

We had a good buzz going by the time we arrived and we enjoyed a great dinner at the bar. By 10-11pm we were the only two people at the bar when 4 people from a table came to the bar for an after dinner drink, it was two couples probably in their mid-60’s. As my buddy and I are talking I notice over his shoulder one of the women started to slump over a bit on the bar stool, curiously I was watching very closely. The husband quickly noticed his wife’s posture and she was unresponsive to his calling her name, patting her face etc. Suddenly I see the husband start to “pound” on her chest, as if trying to do a sitting CPR, he then trying to blow in her mouth while she’s slumped over. I immediately get up, having taken CPR classes I knew he was doing more harm than good. I get up and check his wife, he is in full panic as I quickly assess his wife is breathing and has a pulse.

The bartender is calling 911 – I’m trying to fend the husband off her while trying to negotiate the woman down off the bar stool. I tell my buddy to restrain the husband as he is literally clawing at his wife over my shoulder; I grab a pillow off the booth and lay her on the floor. The bartender calls to me from over the bar and hands me her cell phone. I take the phone and hear:

911: What is the nature of the emergency?

Me: A woman passed out at the bar

911: Is she breathing?

Me: Yes

((her eyes start to flutter as 911 is asking me another question))

Me: Her eyes are opening she’s coming to……………

911: Excellent can you ask her name

Me: What’s your name?
Her: Elizabeth

Me; (to 911) She said Elizabeth

911: Excellent, is that her name?

Me: I don’t know

911: Can you ask her if she knows where she is?

Me: Can you tell me where you are

Her: Char in Raritan

Me: (to 911) She said Char in Raritan

911: Is that where you are?

Me: I don’t know this wasn’t my choice

911: You don’t know where you are?

Me: No, not really

911: Can you put someone else on the phone?

Just as I gave the phone back to the bartender the police walked in obviously approached the woman who was now sitting up. The police officer said to the bartender: We are responding to a woman who lost consciousness and a male who was disorientated. The bartender pointed to me. I said: Excuse me officer, I’m not disorientated I’m just drunk.

In all fairness if she needed CPR she was still better off with me then her husband.

PS

I swear to God the story including this last part are 100% true. As the EMS is getting the woman on the stretcher the other husband grabs the check at the bar, after looking it over and doing some quick mental math, the EMS starts to wheel the woman out as the guy with the check calls out: Hey Ed!. The guy walking out next to his wife looks back and his pal is like; ”Ohhhhh never-mind Ed, I’ve got this one”…………………….

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25

THIS. IS. AWESOME.

(And I hate that I have to add more words to post that.)

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Do you know where you are now?

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27

Exactly where I’m supposed to be.

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28

Are you going back to Char after the bartender ratted you out?

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I had been back several times after that, then maybe 5 years ago they opened a 2nd location 5 mins from me and I can’t stand it.

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30

Not really a story, but was at The Globe last night and the owner recognized me from a rather lovingly review I wrote a few weeks ago, and came by to chat (also sent us a couple rounds of drinks which was appreciated!). She told us when they bought the place 37 years ago, they were literally throwing people out all day, She said it was a dangerous and seedy clientele. But over the decades that has changed. I guess that’s why much of “Old Red Bank” still refers to the place as a dive, even though that could not be farther from the truth.

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Red Bank in the 70’s into the 80’s was a bad town, similar to Asbury Park or Long Branch prior to their respective rejuvenation. There was a Mc’ Donalds where one of the brokerage houses now reside, it went out of business it was such a rough area. The Globe I imagine was a rough and tumble place at one point and time and I’m sure that reputation precedes them to this day.

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So funny…just last night a friend was telling me how Red Bank used to be… I had no idea it had gone through such a transformation! From what I’ve observed, Long Branch is very much on its way to being the next town to change like that.

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33

Same here. Never knew RB was so tough back then. Wow.

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I just called my mom after reading this. I wanted to say hello and I asked her about red bank when she was young. She said she would take the bus with her friends before they could drive (from middletown)

She said the issue was the west side (Shrewsbury ave)

Apparently that was where the riff raff was. She said the broad st area was fine and much like it is today but not as “glitzy” (no places selling designer hand bags, no lambos parked outside Gotham, no brokerage firms, no sushi places, etc)…just old school red bank. She actually mentioned Mr pizza slice! This place was around back in 70s!

The west side is now predominantly Latino and you can tell by all the food joints and stores. It is has definitely changed and I walk around town visiting the intersting stores and picking up some provisions. I feel safe and I would encourage anyone into Latin food to visit. There are all types of unique stores with good food and groceries. It is like going to Mexico but right here in our back yard. The great thing is that things are cheap! I get all types of things from spices and different sodas/juices, to vegetables and meats. It’s literally like visiting another country…very cool. @goodparmesan @joonjoon. Joon, I hope the move goes smoothly. If you want to do a red bank crawl let me know. My friend is from Mexico and we can visit some spots. You’ll be blown away by what you can get within a walk down shrewsbury ave. I think you would enjoy this.

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I’ve been up and down there plenty, I used to work on Broad. I’m happy to join sometime. I’ve been eyeballing the specials at Linares Grocery on their Facebook page for a while, that little deli / restaurant spot near North of the Border on Monmouth.

I was there the other day on St Patricks Day, and they had elotes and esquites, so I stole some stares walking past that Irish Pub holding an elote and a tamarind juice jug.

Later, ended up at La Chaparitta, that morning tamal spot, for some pozole for dinner after IMG told me an hour wait. Everyone else inside seemed to order quesadillas, maybe because the pozole was just alright.

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36

I feel comfortable on the west side too. Our weekly tradition after drinks and snacks at The Globe is to grab takeout at China Garden on the way home. It is in a neighborhood with several Latino/Mexican restaurants and markets. The workers are incredibly friendly. Customers are predominantly Latino. Given the time we are there, I think many come from work at restaurants and grab Chinese food before they go home. Always cool vibes there.

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@gcaggiano @goodparmesan

Sounds good! I would love to do a shrewsbury walk and my friend can help out with the language issue. Just let me know if you’re interested.

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