New culinary program does good, plus hellos and goodbyes

Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
·4 min read

Happy Thursday, foodies — I hope you're having a delicious week!

In my last newsletter, I mentioned a new nonprofit called Second Chance, which is giving people who have been incarcerated the opportunity to attend culinary school and work in a restaurant kitchen while doing so. It took about two years to get the program up and running; I first sat down with founder Jim Flynn to hear his plans one year ago.

The eight-week program is hosted by Monmouth County Vocational School District's Culinary Education Center in Asbury Park, and I stopped by last week to see these folks in action. (See a video of the students at work by clicking that link.)

It was a day I won't soon forget — neither will chef instructor Anthony Eugenio, who is teaching the class of six.

Chef instructor Anthony Eugenio, third from left, instructs students Michelle Taylor of Long Branch, William Berry of Asbury Park and Thomas Williams of Asbury Park in the Second Chance culinary program.
Chef instructor Anthony Eugenio, third from left, instructs students Michelle Taylor of Long Branch, William Berry of Asbury Park and Thomas Williams of Asbury Park in the Second Chance culinary program.

"I came in here Aug. 15 and I met people who have really made an impact on my life," said Eugenio, wiping tears from his eyes. "To be part of this and to be able to help the community, help people — these people are just like us."

Student Thomas Williams of Asbury Park, who served time for drug-related charges and previously worked in construction, sees the program as a new path forward. I watched as he gently worked pasta dough, then he talked me through how to make a bechamel sauce.

"The value of this is just incredible," said Williams, who will mark two years of sobriety on the day he graduates from the culinary program next month. If all goes well, he'll have a job in a Shore restaurant then, too.

A new restaurant from a familiar face

Barbecue fans know Ray Sheehan as the man behind BBQ Buddha, a line of barbecue rubs and sauces sold in markets across the state.

Christian Nevers (from left) and Ray Sheehan, owners of Ray's Roadside Kitchen, and employee Ryan McGowan at the Cream Ridge restaurant.
Christian Nevers (from left) and Ray Sheehan, owners of Ray's Roadside Kitchen, and employee Ryan McGowan at the Cream Ridge restaurant.

Now he is the owner of a new restaurant, too. Ray's Roadside Kitchen, serving homestyle comfort food, opened yesterday on Route 539 in Cream Ridge.

Sheehan owns the 40-seat restaurant, previously Granny's Grill, with Christian Nevers, who also manages his family's longtime supermarket, New Egypt Marketplace.

I was lucky to taste a few dishes before the opening, and as a fan of the BBQ Buddha barbecue sauces, I wasn't surprised to find it all delicious. I recommend the crispy fried chicken dusted with Bee Sting Honey "shake," the macaroni and cheese, and the Pit Life BBQ Burger, which has melty Cooper Sharp cheese, bacon, onion rings and Sheehan's Kansas barbecue sauce. Wash it down with Puck's black cherry soda or Cheerwine, a cherry-flavored soda popular down South.

"We want to keep it simple," Sheehan said. "We want to showcase home cooking."

The Kelly Salad, Southern fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, a Trenton Reuben and a Pit Life BBQ Burger at Ray's Roadside Kitchen in Cream Ridge.
The Kelly Salad, Southern fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, a Trenton Reuben and a Pit Life BBQ Burger at Ray's Roadside Kitchen in Cream Ridge.

More goodbyes

With the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, I had hoped my days of writing frequent stories of restaurant closures was over.

This hasn't been the case, sadly. In the past month, at least six Shore restaurants have closed their doors; the most recent being Long Beach Island's Living on the Veg and Stafford's Cluck'n Crabs.

Last week, Greg and Jeannette Manning, owners of The Serenity Cafe in Toms River, announced they will close their restaurant Sept. 30.

August brought the end of Steve DeAngelo's Red Bank restaurant, Soul Sandwich; Mike Gingrich's Mike's Crumb Cake Factory in Ocean Township; Stephen Catania's Red Bank shop, The Cheese Cave; and Joe and Elizabeth "Lisa" LoMonaco's Peace Love Pickles in Atlantic Highlands.

Why is this happening? Most owners say rising costs make it impossible to stay in business, and those whose doors remain open tell me they often have trouble getting ingredients and supplies.

Here's hoping there's an end in sight.

Coming next week

While restaurants close, others open. Asbury Park Press food writer Gaby Laracca is writing about downtown Toms River's newest restaurant, Safu Sushi, and the long-awaited opening of BoatYard 401 in Point Pleasant Beach. I'll bring you a story about Pinto's Porch, a Southwestern restaurant in Stafford that started in its owners' garage.

Love coffee? What's your order?

National Coffee Day is coming up (Sept. 29) and I want to know what you order at the local coffee shop. I often draw a blank when thinking of a new drink to try, so I'd like to share some suggestions with our readers. Email me at sgriesemer@gannettnj.com.

That's all for this week! As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your story tips and ideas at sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, and you can find more local food content at app.com and on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Sarah Griesemer is a food writer for app.com. For more on where to eat and drink, please consider a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New culinary program does good, plus hellos and goodbyes