Restaurant Nicholas [Red Bank, NJ]

I went to a few sponsored dinners, too. Ate in the dining room a few times but really preferred the bar.

The ‘bar menu’ was the same as the dining room menu, but in the dining room you ordered either the 3 course or the tasting menu. In the bar you could pick and choose and they had a daily $45 3 course choice.

There are some old favorites on the new menu as well as new choices like that pizza section. I’m not sure about that kids section… You rarely saw kids at the old place but I guess to keep business going you have to include the noisemakers. jk, I know they are all darlings. It’s going to have a different atmosphere, for sure.

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I wonder if they will keep the valet. I don’t think it would work because previously you needed reservations for the dining room and so they could space people out. Maybe they will require reservations for the new version as well. ps I would rather park my own car.

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Thanks for the info. I took a look at the bar menu that is still on the website and seemed very similar but didn’t actually compare it to the dining room menu. I like the idea that you don’t have to do a full tasting menu. Sometimes they can be just too “precious”. I do look forward to seeing how they change the space.

We were at a dinner quite some time ago and they served a cheese course which I love. There was a blue cheese that was delicious and we asked what it was. Got a snooty answer that it didn’t matter as we’d never be able to find it. Stuff like that only makes Mr Bean more determined to prove you wrong. We did find it and it is still one of our favorites. Of course today I can go to Shoprite and pick it up any time I want.

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My husband hates places that force you to valet. We have encountered a few valets that don’t know how to drive a manual too! That usually doesn’t inspire confidence!!!

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They don’t force you but we usually would anyway.

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If I haven’t said it publicly, I still love Mr. Bean! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I’ll also say that this is why a place that is described as ‘stuffy’ and didn’t want to share info like that would have turned me way OFF. I’ve only come to ‘know’ the chef via Nicholas Creamery, and I love so much of what I’ve seen and learned thus far that I can’t wait to try the new casual version. Related: I still remember the first time I had Humboldt Fog out in CA (likely at Chez Panisse, where I had a solo lunch in the early 2000s) and it took a while but I was finally able to find it here. If the restaurant hadn’t been willing to share, how would I have known how good it was when it started to show up on the east coast?!?

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For another perspective, I have always had very good experiences with the staff at Nicholas. Extremely nice and accommodating. I think that the dining room could be ‘stuffy’ in that it was typically very quiet as opposed to the chatting going on at the bar. But I was always made to feel very welcomed wherever I was seated.

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I’m very excited to try the newly renovated Nicholas. His menu has always been exceptional and I believe we’re all in for a treat with his new creations. It’s always a pleasure to dine at his restaurant. :yum:

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Welcome to Hungry Onion @Bj_Henderson !

I’m the less friendly and handsome of the two NJ board moderators. Glad to have you onboard.

I too like Nicholas very much and many of us are looking forward to trying his new, more casual menu.

There is a whole world of posts here in NJ and a universe of other boards to explore. Enjoy.

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Have dates been announced?

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I didn’t know it was that kind of board. I was just going to go with my wife.

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You can book on Open Table through October.

Good luck finding an open spot! Just checked lots of different dates and they were all booked up. Well, good for them.

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They sent an email out today. I randomly checked and I found spots for 4. Harder for bigger parties and on weekends.

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From The Asbury Park Press…

Nicholas Barrel & Roost in Middletown owner says he’s not breaking indoor dining rules

MIDDLETOWN - Nicholas Barrel & Roost has been open for less than 24 hours, and people are already talking.

But it is not all good.

The restaurant, previously Restaurant Nicholas in Middletown, reopened Monday [after a renovation and rebranding. Owners Nicholas and Melissa Harary, who opened their fine-dining restaurant 20 years ago, said they were planning to transform into a more casual eatery before the pandemic closed dining rooms across the state in March.

Nicholas Barrel & Roost opened for reservations-only dining on Monday, and that evening, a video taken by a passerby showed the parking lot and nearby streets filled with cars and people inside the restaurant. The video was shared on multiple Facebook pages and groups.

On Tuesday, Nicholas Harary said his restaurant is in compliance with an executive order issued July 8 by Gov. Phil Murphy that states in-person service is permitted in restaurants with fixed roofs “with at least two open sides that would comprise over 50% of the total wall space if the space were fully enclosed.”

The restaurant, which has two walls of windows that appeared to be open in the video, can seat 30 diners indoors, said business director Jodie Edwards. A new outdoor patio also has room for 30 diners.

“I understand that people are upset that indoor dining is not open. I’m upset that indoor dining is not open. We are all upset that indoor dining is not open,” Harary said Tuesday. "Nicholas Barrel & Roost (formerly Restaurant Nicholas) is one of many restaurants in the area that was able to comply.

“As a family-run business, I sympathize with all restaurateurs and what we are collectively going through,” he said. “The last thing in the world we should do is attack small business owners or each other.”

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I thought they did a good job with this post yesterday trying to defuse the incorrect assumption that they were doing something wrong.

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So which is it? Having read both articles (there’s a link within the one posted here with additional photos), I honestly can’t tell if he’s truly violating the order. I have no horse in this race, btw; just a fan of the Creamery–haven’t been to the restaurant yet.

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I couldn’t tell either. After reading in the Instagram post “Number of Barrel & Roost walls open at least 50% to accommodate limited indoor dining: 2,” I scratched my head. I thought there was NO indoor dining yet --what’s this “limited” stuff? I read the executive order. It says “…the definition of outdoor areas can be amended for purposes of outdoor dining, recreation, and entertainment, consistent with the approach taken in other states, to include areas that have a fixed roof but have at least two open sides comprising over 50 percent of the wall space…” To me, this means having two open sides which equals 50% of total wall space. It sounds like Harary has two walls that have windows that take up 50% of those two walls specifically, thereby 25% of total wall space. In this article, Murphy said that he hopes there can be limited indoor dining before the middle of September. And Bob’s your uncle.

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More of the same, but I thought this was interesting:
“As of Friday, no formal violations have been issued to Nicholas Barrel & Roost, Middletown Administrator Anthony Mercantante said, but that’s only because towns have to get the authorization from the county prosecutor’s office to enforce an executive order. The decision to issue a summons now lies with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, he said.”