Must love dogs - The Labrador Lounge

Thighs, Rockstar and I headed to Toms River for what will most likely be our last hurrah at the Jersey Shore. After a beautiful beach day, complete with rough surf that knocked yours truly literally on her ass, we de-sanded and ventured out to dinner.

We decided to try somewhere 'new' and headed to Bay Point Prime, a steakhouse in Point Pleasant Beach which is owned by New York chef/restaurateur Dennis Foy and his wife Estella. The smell of charred steaks from the parking lot was absolutely divine so you can only imagine our disappointment when we were told the restaurant was completely booked for the evening.

After I stopped pouting, our next stop was at the Bay Head Bistro, a place I know nothing about but Rockstar noticed on our ride into Point Pleasant. Once again, we were greeted with "I'm sorry we are booked solid this evening". Strike two!

We circled back and hoped the third time was going to be a charm at the Labrador Lounge in Normandy Beach. The Labrador Lounge was a restaurant I noticed on my last trip to the Jersey Shore and wasn't quite sure what we were getting ourselves into but judging by the crowded outdoor seating area, it seemed to be popular.

We approached the hostess and were told that (once again!) they were completely booked but there was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, since the Swiffer family had a reservation they were late for and after a brief wait we were given their table. Thank you Swiffer's for taking your taste buds elsewhere!

We began our meal with two appetizers, the lobster mac n' cheese and an order of Havana olives.

The olives were stuffed with cheeses, breaded, lightly fried and served with lemon basil aioli. The olives were tasty but the real star of the appetizers was the lobster mac n' cheese. It was more flavorful than your usual run-of-the-mill mac offering and the sweetness of the lobster was enhanced by some yellow corn and I detected a few types of cheese in the dish. Gruyere and white cheddar perhaps?

Rockstar followed our first course with one of the night's specials: a Parmesan crusted skate over basil rice. The sauce on the bottom of the plate complimented the flavors of the herby rice and the saltiness of the Parmesan made this unique take on skate quite enjoyable. The flower was a really nice touch too!

Thighs enjoyed her Tuscan Chicken which was pan seared organic chicken breast in a Parmesan breadcrumb crust, complete with farmer’s cheese, arugula and sundried tomatoes. It was served over linguine and grilled asparagus with an artichoke and fresh tomato lemon caper sauce. Bountiful and delightful!

I chose another one of the night's specials, the Asian short ribs served over jasmine rice with snow peas. The ribs were well-prepared; rare enough to be tasty but cooked well enough to fork tender. The jasmine rice was sticky and fragrant and the crunch of the peas added another level of texture to the dish.

I was a bit concerned that hearty short ribs might be a bit heavy on a summer evening but I was pleasantly surprised to myself satisfied without being lethargic.

Judging by the crowds that kept coming into the Labrador Lounge it seems like Ms. Foodie and friends are finally in on the "secret". We were so proud of ourselves, that Rockstar struck a pose in front!