Overview: Family-owned and operated, Yesterday's Restaurant, 3153 Rt. 35, has been in business for over 50 years. Recently rebuilt, you could miss it as you zoom by on the highway, but the cascading fountain, landscaped garden, and container flowers will catch your attention as you approach the entrance. Decor:  Welcoming and warm, in rich tones of chocolate brown and beige, with soft lighting of amber glass pendants and creamy task lights. The sound level is surprisingly (and refreshingly) quiet, allowing diners to easily hold conversations and be heard. Yesterday's has a casual elegance, …

Overview: Located just over the Holmdel border in Lincroft, The Sunnyside Market has been a favorite breakfast and lunch destination of locals for decades.  Decor:  Sunnyside Market looks pretty much the same as it did 25 years ago when I grew up in Holmdel, but we called it "Sunnyside Deli."  The shop is filled with delicious homemade food for breakfast, lunch and now dinner.  Sunnyside Market's focus is on homemade food. The Drinks:   Sunnyside Market offers soft drinks and coffee. Entrees:  Sunnyside Market has an abundant sandwich and sub menu for lunch as well as offering some hot food …

Overview: For those who have waited for hours under the Brooklyn Bridge at the original Grimaldi’s, you no longer have to make the drive or wait on line for a slice of Grimaldi’s world famous pizza. Grimaldi’s recently opened a short drive away in The Highlands. The only difference between the Highlands and Brooklyn locations is the location itself. Grimaldi’s prides itself in using the same ingredients right down to the custom water pumping system that duplicates the water from Brooklyn. Decor:  The first thing I noticed about Grimaldi’s is that you can walk up and watch as their homemade …

If you love Mexican food, then this is your day. Cinqo de Mayo is a special day in local Mexican-food restaurants.   Here's this week's restaurant pick: Paco’s Authentic Mexican Bistro Overview:   Situated in the BearBrook Commons in Marlboro, Paco’s Authentic Mexican Bistro is the centerpiece of the shopping plaza. Paco’s serves traditional style Mexican with a twist. Staying true to its Mexican heritage, Paco’s places a bowl of chips ($1.95) with a side of home-made salsa at every table. Decor:  Open for two years, Paco's has a very casual atmosphere with their Wall of Fire as the …

A nice thing about dining in Rumson this time of year is that you can enjoy a stroll over the nearby Oceanic Bridge after dinner and enjoy a view of the Navesink River. Its almost like being on vacation.  Here's this week's restaurant pick: Undici Taverna Rustica Overview:  Undici is Rumson's newest "Old World" Italian restaurant. Situated on Rumson's scenic River Road, Undici boasts homemade pasta, an incredible wine list and real Italian atmosphere. Decor:  When you walk into Undici, you feel as though you are walking into owner Victor Rallo's Tuscan farm house.  The ceiling is planked with…

Overview: Trinity is located in a former church and takes a cue from it’s surroundings.  The menu starts offers subtle hints to the Bible and offers everything from small plates to entrees with an old world theme.  Decor: Trinity capitalizes on its history as a former church. Heavy red velvet curtains frame original stained glass windows. The first floor contains the bar and tables separated by what used to be the center aisle of the church. Upstairs, the organ pit is still intact with tables set up in the loft area.  The Drinks: The wine menu reads like “Wines Around the World” as there is …

Each week, HolmdelPatch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER Back in the day, John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd made "cheeburger cheeburger" a part of the English lexicon.  But those surly, hilarious characters from Saturday Night Live wouldn't fit in here at all.  The staff at Holmdel's newest eatery "CheeBurger, CheeBurger," in the Holmdel Commons between Pac Sun and Pier One, is friendly and eager to fill your order to your precise specifications. Overview:  The classic burger joint marries the old corner …

Each week, Holmdel Patch picks a great restaurant around town that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice. Well, I wouldn’t really call it a restaurant, but if you are looking for a quick breakfast on-the-go, Bagel Hut in Aberdeen is tops. The major attraction here are bagels of course, but they also make great egg sandwiches and enormous muffins baked on the premises.  I get the oatmeal muffin so I feel like I am being good to myself. Like its name suggests, Bagel Hut is tiny. Look for it in the corner of a petite strip mall, on Route 34 South, just across from the Wyndham Place …

Each week, Holmdel Patch picks a great restaurant around town that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice. Aren’t we taught to never judge a book by its cover? Lesson learned again with La Cashina Ristorante.  I never would have just stopped in based on this restaurant’s unassuming location on Route 34.  It is tucked next to a landscape equipment rental place. A neighbor insisted I try it, and since then I have returned many times. La Cashina’s sunny dining room, with its wood-paneled walls and cloth-draped tables creates a comfortable backdrop to a truly memorable, reasonably-…