New Jersey Shore - The Pilot House

One of the best restaurants on the Jersey Shore is adjacent to the Metedeconk River and quite aptly named after a ships command center. The diners experience starts with the nautical look of the Pilot House. From the oval macadam turn around which surrounds an idyllic fountain to the circular design of the restaurant, the impression is that of a sea fare adventure. The front entrance is bordered by ample parking below eye level so that parked cars do not interfere with the fabulous view.

The views of water front boat slips with river grass and reflected setting sun are magnificent. Arriving early is definitely the thing to do. The Pilot House opens at 4:30 and by 6 PM is almost completely filled. The early bird specials are worth the planning. Don’t eat lunch and start at 5:00 PM. Have a hearty soup. There are two choices. I chose the New England Chowder at the suggestion of our waiter, Doug. His help was greatly appreciated. It was a creamy combination of corn, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, clam, onion, parsley, and potato. It was authentic and delicious.

The garden salad is offered as an alternative. The salads are ample and full of surprises; Pear slices, Nuts, radicchio, endive, ripe tomatoes and the house dressing of balsamic vinaigrette and seasoned e.v.o.l. to mention just a few. The Pilot House makes all its own dressings.

We tried a sushi favorite, California Roll. A third of the presentation was consumed before I could get a picture. What a delight to have a choice of sushi as an entrée or appetizer with dinner. Their famous Cajun baked bread is too good to have just one piece.

The wine list is chock full of domestic and imported choices. Zinfandels, Chianti, Pinot Noir, Champagne, Cabernet, Syrah and Pinot Grigio are offered together with 29 different imported and domestic beers. The house wines are all top brands and reasonably priced.

Our table server was considerate and careful to manage our meal so that we were not rushed but not neglected. The entrée’s arrived just as we took a second sip of wine following the salad course. Jumbo Shrimp nestled in a bed of angel hair pasta, artichoke hearts and Prosciutto topped with a garlic cream sauce is a favorite dish. Look for the Shrimp Natalie. This is another one of Doug’s suggestions. We are quickly learning to trust his judgment.

Our second entrée was selected from the early bird menu. Flounder Brochette takes advantage of ripe jersey tomatoes, fresh flounder, spinach, basil, onion and garlic accompanied by crisp broccoli florets. We take home about a third of our meal. The meals were top quality and we will enjoy the leftovers.

Desert is a must at the Pilot House. We had Banana’s Foster. This is a dish originally invented for Brennan’s restaurant off Bourbon Street in the French quarter. The ingredients are flambé in the kitchen and presented to the table. Brown sugar, Dark Rum, cinnamon and bananas are heated in a chafing dish and served with vanilla ice cream. We also accepted our early bird desert. The chocolate mousse was light and sweet making it a perfect treat with fresh brewed coffee.