Day trip to the Jersey shore: Viking Fresh seafood, a stop in Red Bank

This seafood shack is part of Viking Village, the name given to a lobster-fishing co-op Norwegians founded in the 1920s in Barnegat Light, on Long Beach Island. When the lobsters got scarce, the co-op evolved into today's scallop, gill-net and long-line fishing operation.

From the lunch menu at Viking Fresh Off the Hook, I ordered these beautifully fried wild-caught sea scallops with house-made coleslaw and a side salad instead of french fries ($14.95), above, and my wife chose a Fried Soft-Shell Crab Sandwich with a side salad ($12.95), below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

BARNEGAT LIGHT -- I've been in love with the Jersey shore since I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn who luckily got to spend every summer in Bradley Beach.

Now, one of my favorite places to visit is this fishing port on the Atlantic Ocean, where you can sample seafood fresh off the boats that dock at historic Viking Village.

We drove down on Friday for lunch under an umbrella at Viking Fresh Off the Hook, which is strictly takeout, but which serves those incredibly delicious sea scallops the fishery is best known for.

The informal setting at Viking Fresh Off the Hook didn't stop three women at another table from washing down their lunch with a bottle of prosecco, a sparkling wine from Italy.

Inside Viking Fresh Off the Hook, you can find prepared seafood, including a lobster salad for $36.95 a pound, right rear. The takeout shack is at 1905 Bayview Ave., Barnegat Light; 1-609-361-8900. Open until Labor Day.

Barnegat Light is one of New Jersey's biggest fishing ports, above and below.

Viking Village includes a fresh-fish market.

Jumbo crab cakes -- "made with love" -- were $8.50 each.

The best sea scallops are "dry," such as these in the Viking Village market. If you see scallops in liquid, avoid them and the preservative they are swimming in.

A sign of the times in Viking Village.

Viking Village is at 1801 Bayview Ave., Barnegat Light. Nearby, old fishing shacks have been converted into gift shops.

Even the tolls can't diminish the beauty of the Garden State Parkway.

Fridays during the summer are not the best time to visit the shore, as you can see from traffic on Route 72 heading for the bridge to Long Beach Island. This backup was caused by an accident, but on the way home Friday afternoon, we saw four lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic on the southbound Garden State Parkway.

On the way home, we stopped at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, with vistas of the Navesink River, above and below.

At the hotel, Tesla Motors threw a reception for owners of the all-electric Model S, Model X SUV and Roadster, and their guests, and served Jersey specialties, including sausage-and-pepper hero sandwiches, pizza and salt water taffy.

My day boat comes in at Giulia's Kitchen in Cliffside Park

Four plump Day Boat Scallops served over broccoli rabe and polenta at Giulia's Kitchen in Cliffside Park ($24). Scallops harvested by day boats are the freshest around.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I wanted to have an early dinner at Giulia's Kitchen in Cliffside Park on Friday to make sure the chef didn't run out of fat sea scallops, one of my favorite shellfish.

Photos of the scallop entree were seared in my memory from a newspaper story and on the Living Social site, where I bought a $35 voucher for $70 worth of food.

The dish didn't disappoint: Perfectly grilled, medium-rare scallops perched on top of pleasantly bitter broccoli rabe, a bit of pesto and a cheesy cake of polenta ($24).

But I couldn't help notice my entree had only four scallops, compared to the five I saw in the photos. A great dish, nevertheless.

The Lobster Roll appetizer is served on a much larger roll than elsewhere, meaning a lot more lightly dressed lobster meat ($20). 

Hearts of Romaine is an interesting take on Caesar's Salad, with shaved Manchego Cheese, white anchovies, nuggets of delicious fried eggplant and grape tomato halves, but it could have used more dressing ($8).

Another great salad

My wife ordered Hearts of Romaine ($8) followed by a Lobster Roll appetizer ($20).

I started with another terrific salad, a Beet Stack, which was served with goat cheese on a bed of peppery arugula ($9), and I finished my meal with Day Boat Scallops ($24).

I ordered a glass of Five Rivers Pinot Noir, which cost a reasonable $7.

A salad of peppery arugula surrounds the Beet Stack ($9).

The spacious dining room is in a brick building at Anderson and Grant avenues in Cliffside Park, opposite an enormous hole in the ground that has been under development for more than five years smack in the middle of the shopping district.

"Contemporary Comfort Food" is the phrase that appears with the restaurant's name on the large plate-glass windows.

A Bob Marley soundtrack welcomed us when we arrived for an early dinner on Saturday. Large blackboards list charcuterie and desserts.

First to arrive

We made a reservation for 5 p.m., and got a table in the window.

After a while, Chef Michael Ostros came out of the kitchen to greet us, and I told him I was looking forward to the Day Boat Scallops.

I wanted to make sure they were on the menu. He said he got them from the Hunts Point Market, and I mentioned day boaters from Viking Village in Barnegat Light, on the Jersey shore, are famous for their sea scallops.

Ostros said he would look them up.

Minor complaints

I plan to return to Giulia's Kitchen to try other seafood dishes on the menu, but have two minor complaints:

The bread served with olive oil isn't a match for the high level of food preparation, but that would be easily remedied by ordering crusty dinner rolls from Balthazar Bakery in Englewood.

And some staffers seem inexperienced.

We called the restaurant a few times, and the man who answered the phone asked, "How can I direct your call," as if he had worked in a hotel for many years.

And on Saturday evening, around 5:45, I got a call from the restaurant, asking if I planed to keep my 5 p.m. reservation.

I explained I did -- the night before. 

Details

Giulia's Kitchen, 696 Anderson Ave., Cliffside Park; 201-945-1680. Open for dinner and, starting Wednesday, for lunch. Full bar. Closed Sundays. Free parking on side streets.