{"id":9672,"date":"2016-11-04T02:01:44","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T06:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shorebeat.com\/brick\/?p=9672"},"modified":"2016-11-04T05:09:24","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T09:09:24","slug":"brick-restaurant-thrives-on-fresh-food-no-rush-and-natural-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/2016\/11\/brick-restaurant-thrives-on-fresh-food-no-rush-and-natural-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"Brick Restaurant Thrives on Fresh Food, No Rush, and Natural Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Reels<\/a>

Reels at Pier 281, Brick, N.J. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

When\u00a0Anthony Ingoglia left a job on Wall Street to start a restaurant at the Jersey Shore, he had some experience.<\/p>\n

Ingoglia had\u00a0previously owned the Heat Wave Cafe in Bay Head, which garnered rave reviews and was hailed as one of the first fine dining restaurants in the area. Eventually, he sold the property where the restaurant was located and returned to the city, but the allure of running a restaurant led him back to the Shore \u2013 this time to the banks of the Metedeconk River in Brick.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone asks me, since I\u2019m an Italian guy, if it\u2019s Italian food,\u201d he said, of his year-old restaurant, Reels at Pier 281 on Princeton Avenue. \u201cIt\u2019s American food, but we lean toward a Mediterranean flare.\u2019<\/p>\n

Reels, located at the Pier 281 Marina, next to Windward Beach Park, is a partnership between\u00a0Ingoglia and Jessy Hayes, whose family owned the former Southern House restaurant in Point Pleasant Beach. The new restaurant overlooks the river and, after a long search, found a home at a marina which has been transformed from a boatyard to a destination in recent years.<\/p>\n

\"Reels<\/a>

Reels at Pier 281, Brick, N.J. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Reels<\/a>

Reels at Pier 281, Brick, N.J. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

Reels at Pier 281 opened July 1, 2015 after\u00a0Ingoglia, Hayes and staff worked tirelessly to give their new establishment the luxurious appointments and modern flare that would come to characterize the experience of dining there. The menu focuses on the freshest fish\u00a0Ingoglia can find \u2013 with a nod to halibut, salmon and scallops \u2013 as well as high quality meats, ranging from filet mignon to a rack of lamb. There are also crab cakes, tuna and duck dishes, among others. This summer, the restaurant opened a raw bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe use products that are more in the Mediterranean diet than strictly\u00a0Italian food with a lot of cheeses,\u201d said\u00a0Ingoglia. \u201cThink olives, grapes and fennel. We also mix things up, like brie and salmon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingoglia\u2019s personal favorite is a filet of halibut served over lobster risotto.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just bangin'\u201d he said, with a smile.<\/p>\n

The goal of the restaurant is to \u201celevate the food options\u201d restaurant-goers can find in the Shore area. In a town like Brick, with miles of highway frontage packed with chain restaurants, a locally-owned, waterfront gem that sources its fish and meat based on freshness and quality is, for many, one of the area\u2019s best-kept secrets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing how far we can push the envelope,\u201d in terms of the menu, said\u00a0Ingoglia, who also serves as chef and insists that no fish or meat product is ever frozen upon arrival.<\/p>\n

But after the food,\u00a0Ingoglia says his highest priority is comfort. Why, after all, would you dine overlooking the Metedeconk River without being able to savor the view along with your meal?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe specialize in comfort,\u201d said\u00a0Ingoglia. \u201cYou\u2019re not rushed, it\u2019s elegant and clean, it\u2019s uncluttered and it\u2019s quiet. I just think it\u2019s the perfect place to go and bring somebody special.\u201d<\/p>\n

The restaurant has attracted a loyal following over the course of its first year, but its owners are seeking to attract new customers while maintaining the charm of the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone told me recently that they were afraid to tell people about the place because they\u2019re afraid they\u2019ll lose their table,\u201d Ingoglia said. \u201d I told them, \u2018don\u2019t worry \u2013 you\u2019ll have your table!\u2019<\/p>\n

~<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note:<\/strong> Reels at Pier 281 will be open for Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year, we\u2019re told. The menu will be\u00a0prix fixe and feature a turkey dinner and other dishes.<\/em><\/p>\n[box type=\u201dshadow\u201d align=\u201d\u201d class=\u201d\u201d width=\u201d\u201d]Reels at Pier 281<\/strong><\/p>\n