blend on main

Once again, my husband and I came to Blend on Main in Manasquan for dinner Saturday evening. This time we brought our children to celebrate both mine and my son's January birthdays. At 6 p.m. we found the dining full with diners enjoying the evening. The fireplace was going giving the room a nice ambiance. We started out with two appetizers, the first was an Asian calamari with a Thai chili plum sauce, wasabi crema and fui kaki. The presentation was unique, they had the calamari pouring out of take out container topped with chop sticks. The second appetizer we tried was the crab cake made with all lump crab on top of chipotle aioli and served with a roasted corn relish...yum!

Salads were ordered by two. My husband had the wedge salad that was dressed in blue cheese crumble dressing, an heirloom tomato and to finish it off Nueske bacon and pickled onion. He loved the blue cheese dressing as it played off the bacon. Our son-in-law also had the blend salad which consisted of rocket greens, shaved fennel dressed in pickled fennel vinaigrette, topped with blood orange, and almond encrusted goat cheese. The contrast of the tartness of the blood orange was a good foil against the tang of the goat cheese.

For main courses we had quite a selection. Here's what was ordered by the table: 
shrimp n grits Gulf shrimp, pepper jack grits, today’s market vegetable - very good, but I like my grits a little cheesier 
chicken rollatini pecan cloaked, spinach and mascarpone stuffed, potato puree - son's fiancé said it was delicious
New York 14 oz, Allen brothers, center cut, char grilled - my son had a side of Béarnaise sauce and the mashed potatoes, not a bit left
pappardelle served with shrimp, lobster and scallops - daughter and son-in-law commented on the freshness of the lobster tail which adorned the top of the pasta.
Duck served two ways, one breast and the other had the duck leg confit - husband loved it

some of us kept room for dessert. My future daughter-in-law had the bananas foster served with a brown sugar rum sauce and house made vanilla ice cream. My son had the peach cobbler, which can and rather nice size ramekin, served again with the homemade vanilla ice cream. My daughter and I shared the pecan tart made with a shortbread crust also served with vanilla ice cream. 

Our choice of restaurant thoroughly pleased children; they each enjoyed their meals and would return again.