It was great fun being at the ribbon cutting for Saltwater Social on Bay Avenue in Highlands this week, seeing the happy faces of Mike and Nick Metzger and all their families, and learning that more than 40 local people are employed in this new pub and eatery.
There were a lot of laughs and guessing games as to the number of different bars that have been in this location, and the names of each over the years. Only a handful of us could remember Cap Wheelers from back in the 1950s, but all remember it was always a bar.
Particularly loved Jay Cosgrove’s comment that when it was between owners and being renovated for Saltwater Social, it marked probably the longest time in history that a bar was not open there! Jay was among the first to welcome a fellow restaurateur to town and let him know how the borough welcomes great restaurants and the diners they bring into town. Bahrs is the grandfather of them all and still a great place to dine, inside or out, at Moby’s or in the 100-year-old dining room of the former boathouse.
Like Bahrs, Saltwater Social is more a very nice restaurant than a bar, though at the new restaurant, similar to Bahrs, there are also comfortable chairs and table dining. Mike long since made his mark at the Red Store, so came with a following to his very own restaurant…..or are many of them coming for his mom’s crumb cake too????….., but judging from the appetizers served during the ribbon cutting ceremonies, dinners are varied, large, unique and delicious.
Cheers once again to Valerie Montecalvo and the entire Montecalvo family of business for how attractive and clever they have designed and renovated Saltwater Social. Where the windows are frosted, there are very attractive ocean scenes; the coordinates on the bar lead any mariner to the place, and the nautical pillows along the comfy wall seats are sophisticated in their black and white design.
Whether it’s Chilango’s for Mexican food down the road a piece, One Willow at the far end of town, the Proving Ground on Shrewsbury Avenue, the Girls Café at Washington Avenue or Off the Hook on the hill or any of the other eateries in town, Highlands can still hold its own as the town with great restaurants and great bars. With even more to come, it seems!
So happy for all those involved in Saltwater Social, but happier yet to see so many other wonderful things happening in town. Yes, it looks so different from a few decades ago, too much building and cementing over open space, meaning more flooding in areas that never saw it before, but a much livelier and expanded shopping area as well. Look for another ribbon cutting in the not to distant future for the wonderful neighborhood market and gourmet restaurant that is opened at the other end of town on Waterwitch Avenue. Right next to the already highly acclaimed Garden florist, the new grocery store is overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables, both the everyday and the exotic, as well as shelves full of great gourmet and interesting foods…their supply of a variety of olive oils is enough to make you want to try something new then pick up some crackers or fresh breads to go with it. Don’t know if it’s a regular thing, but this week there were also some very generous and tantalizing samples to try while looking through the pastas, canned goods, sauces, boxed mixes and more in a much-needed grocery store right in town.
Not so great was seeing all the flooding on Huddy Avenue at Recreation place, and other streets in a section of town that never had water other than Hurricane Donna in 1960 and of course Sandy. But hopefully that’s a temporary thing that will be fixed shortly. Also inconvenient is all the work being done on Linden Avenue, but kudos to both the company doing the work and the Highlands police for keeping traffic moving smoothly swiftly and safely. Sea Streak brings a ton of cars down before every sailing, and the drivers are all in a hurry to find a parking spot and catch the boat. Highlands’ finest are doing a super job keeping those coming down from the highway via Waterwitch separated from those coming down Linden to the Waterwitch intersection in spite of everyone’s rush to be someplace else.
Good things are happening in Highlands, and more to come in the not-too-distant future. Just don’t want its efforts to keep up with the century and accommodate even more residents see it lose its charm, its family beaches like the Miller Street Beach or the Bridge Beach, its beautiful parks or its historic significance.
