Best Bites Asbury Park Press 2011

nothing says summer like a seafood dinner at bahrs landing in the highlands 11:43 am, aug. 2, 2011 | comments a a written by shari puterman | staff writer filed under entertainment dining purchase imagezoom the view from the dining room at bahrs landing in the highlands. file photos / file photo bahrs landing 2 bay ave., highlands summer hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. mondays through thursdays; 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. fridays and saturdays; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. sundays 732-872-1245; bahrslanding.com more related links stefano's restaurant is an island favorite this year, i got the best birthday present a jersey girl could ask for. on warm summer nights, there is nothing i crave more than a succulent seafood dinner with all the trimmings — including a breathtaking view of the water with pink and purple hues of the setting sun in the background. yes, living at the shore, there’s a boatload of restaurants serving up fresh fish and beyond, and i have probably frequented most of them. when it comes to the total package, however, bahrs landing in the highlands takes the (crab) cake. my father and i are the only two in the family who share a deep appreciation of under-the-sea delicacies. for months, we talked about heading to bahrs for a full-out fest of claws, tails and every other body part featured on the menu. last month, we finally took the plunge and i was treated to a father-daughter birthday dinner. walking into the restaurant, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. as a child, we took our little speedboat out each warm weekend and stopped to refuel our tank — and our stomachs — at bahrs. i always felt like i was walking into a fisherman’s cozy little paradise there, as the maritime decor and wooden furnishings immediately transported me to the inside of a ship — minus the seasickness. before sitting down, i perused the gift shop, a treasure chest neatly tucked away inside the restaurant, before you enter the dining room. handmade soaps fill the air with sweet scents, and memorabilia lines the shelves — the perfect distraction for my now-rumbling tummy. the hostess led us to a table overlooking the navesink river, and we took our seats, relishing the calm of the water and colorful skies. after taking a brief look at the menu — from which we could have ordered every last item — we each decided on the stuffed twin lobster tails and shared a plate of steamers for an appetizer. at market price, dad was taking a chance, but the splurge was worth any damage his wallet about to suffer (which, by the way, was quite reasonable). as i sipped on my icy bridge-tini (stoli blueberry and a splash of sprite in a sugar-rimmed glass) and dipped my steamers into the warm drawn butter, i looked out at the water and thought, “it doesn’t get any better than this.” that was until our main course arrived. dad and i wiped our faces and stared down at our jumbo brazilian lobster tails, packed with enough fresh crabmeat to make them sink to the bottom of the sea. would we each be able to handle two? well, let’s just say we dug in like we never ate before — and 30 minutes later, there was no trace of marine life on either of our plates. now that our crustacean cravings were satisfied, it was time to leave the “ship.” i thought about the key lime pie for dessert, but in all truth, i wasn’t ready to stop savoring the seafood i could still taste as i licked my lips. we decided to take a quick stroll out to the docks, revisiting the old gas pumps that aided us in our deep-sea adventures years ago. walking out there, the boards creaked the same as they did during my childhood. the moist, salty air smelled the same as it did years go, and the vintage-looking pumps were just as i remember them (well, aside from the higher prices). needless to say, my experience at bahrs landing left a great taste in my mouth, and i am more than ready to tackle another night out at this jersey shore jewel. page previous