Readers' favorites: The Asbury Park Press' top 10 food stories of 2021

Last year, so many of our stories focused on the hardships local restaurants were experiencing in the face of the pandemic: shortages of workers, supplies and ingredients; rising costs; and coping with customers who are not always … nice.

But 2021 felt more optimistic. Dozens of new Shore restaurants opened their doors. People left careers they didn't love to launch food business they do. Customers came out in droves to support their favorite spots.

And we were happy to share it all with you.

Here are the stories you loved most this year.

1. Where to find great bread at the Shore

We are not surprised that our top-performing story of the year is about bread.

Bread is delicious, everyone loves it, and not too many people know how to make it – meaning you need to know where to find it. For this chart-topping story, we chatted with a sourdough baker making loaves in a basement kitchen, a physics professor-turned-baker whose starter begins with cultures sourced by the beach, and a chef-minded baker who is not afraid to try new things … chocolate peanut butter bread, anyone?

Update: Featured bakery Benchmark Breads is preparing to relocate from a ghost kitchen-style space beneath Gaslight in Atlantic Highlands to a new venue in Little Silver. There, they plan to offer some bread at retail.

Read it: Love bread? Here are 5 places to find great loaves at the Shore

2. Dave Portnoy comes to town

Love him or hate him, people can't get enough of Dave Portnoy, the opinionated, pizza-loving founder of Barstool Sports and creator of One Bite Pizza Reviews.

Our second-most popular story of the year came after Portnoy's May visit to Monmouth and Ocean counties. We reached out to the restaurants he visited – including Lou Chiafullo's Nunzio's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant in Long Branch, which earned an 8.6, the highest mark of the trip – and locals who met up with Portnoy along the way.

"It was quite a surprise when he popped in," Chiafullo said. "We were so busy at the time, I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him much. But he was a really nice guy, and obviously he has great taste."

Update: Portnoy, who in September launched a frozen pizza line called One Bite, returned to the Shore a few months after this trip, visiting Talula's, Medusa Stone Fired Kitchen and Johnny Mac's House of Spirits in Asbury Park; Sea Bright Pizzeria and Tommy's Tavern + Tap in Sea Bright; Urban CoalHouse in Red Bank; and Grana Pizza Cafe in Matawan. Grana Pizza Cafe and Urban CoalHouse tied for the top spot, with scores of 7.7

Read it: Dave Portnoy of Barstool Pizza Reviews visits Jersey Shore restaurants

3. Haunted restaurants in New Jersey

It turns out the people of New Jersey like a good scare.

This October story told of restaurants that are home to ghosts, spirits and creepy things of all kinds. From the Cranbury Inn, with its underground tunnels and haunted mirrors, to Point Pleasant Borough's Shore House, which once served as a morgue, this one gave us goosebumps.

Read it: These haunted restaurants in New Jersey serve chills with dinner

4. Goodbye to restaurateur Joe Amiel

Joe Amiel, a longtime restaurateur who owned Spring Lake's Old Mill Inn, Sallee Tee's in Monmouth Beach and Joe Amiel's Bay Pointe Inn in Highlands, died in February. We connected with family members following the sad news.

"He was just a special guy," said his cousin Linda Amiel Burns. "He listened to you when you talked and he gave you good advice," Burns said. "He was so smart and so kind."

Read it: Joe Amiel, longtime Shore restaurateur, has died: 'He was just a special guy'

5. Frankie's Bar & Grill bought by Chefs International

Restaurants open, close and are sold all the time, but the sale of Frankie's Bar & Grill especially piqued readers' interest.

The 36-year-old restaurant, opened by Frank Kineavy in 1985, closed in October while its liquor license transferred to Chefs International. The sale follows the 2020 purchase of Frankie's sister restaurant, Rod's Olde Irish Tavern in Sea Girt, by Chefs International. It is currently undergoing renovations.

Update: Frankie's reopened Dec. 9.

Read it: Frankie's Bar & Grill in Point Pleasant Beach to reopen under Chefs International

Honorable mentions

These stories didn't quite make the cut for top 10, but they were certainly well read this year.

In Asbury Park: Manzo brothers bring coffee, pizza shops to The Berkeley Hotel

New additions:18 new places to eat, from pancakes to barbecue

Even more new places: 35 new restaurants, from tacos to even more barbecue

Barstool's back: Barstool Pizza Reviews: How did these Shore spots rate?

Also in Asbury Park: Homesick opens on Cookman Avenue

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: APP's top 10 food stories of 2021