For many of us who are home-bound because of the Corona virus pandemic, meal planning for the family with limited availability of fresh produce and meat has made an already stressful situation even harder. It isn’t always guaranteed nowadays that a trip to the grocery store will result in checking off everything you needed for that week’s meals. I know for myself, I’ve been disappointed and frustrated many times over the last several weeks, even resorting to getting a few available vegetables here and there of questionable quality.  And yes, while we’re all going through some very difficult times, and everyone has to make adjustments with respect to what is being cooked at home, the added stress of making sure your groceries go the full stretch is just too much to handle sometimes.

But there’s a solution! It’s our local restaurants. They’ve always been there for us – for birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestone celebrations. It’s our turn to be there for them. There has been a slow but growing movement called “The Great American Takeout”  to help the restaurants across the country continue with what they do best. Patrons are encouraged to post pictures of their takeout with the hashtag #TheGreatAmericanTakeout to show everyone and especially our restaurants that we are now here for them. They too have had to adapt and while dine-in options are no longer a possibility, many of our favorite restaurants have switched to contactless curb-side pick up and delivery options.

Here is a list of a few of my favorite places to eat in Monmouth County, NJ. These places listed below not only have incredible and talented chefs but they’ve also been significant to me from both a professional and personal front. If you need a break from the daily stress of figuring out what to cook that EVERYONE in the family will eat, give yourself a break and check these places out. They’ve made it easy for us customers to order and pickup. And don’t forget to take a picture of your delicious meal and post it on your various socials channels with the hashtag #TheGreatAmericanTakeout. It’s now time we did our part to help them get through these challenging times.

VICTORY PARK TAVERN

21 West River Road

Rumson, NJ 07760

P:732-842-6205

Ordering procedure:

You can place an order online:  https://www.toasttab.com/victory-park-tavern/v3 or call 732-842-6205 to place your orders

Pickup procedure: Curbside/ delivery

Hours of operation:

Wednesday – Sunday

4:30 – 8:00pm (please place orders by 7:45)

Special notes: For curbside pickup, please park in front of the restaurant and call 732-842-6205. We will place the order in the back seat or trunk of your car. If you walk up, please go to the front bar window, and we will bring your order to you. For delivery, orders will be placed at your front door or on your porch. We will call you once it’s delivered.

THE FRENCH MARKET

114 E. River Rd.

Rumson, NJ. 07760

P: (732) 530-1692

Ordering procedure:

You can place an order online: https://order.shopkeep.com/h1ljn

Pickup procedure: Curbside/ local delivery

Hours of operation:

Daily

8:00am – 6:00pm

Special notes: Please call the restaurant once you’ve arrived for curbside pickup.

TOMMY’S TAVERN + TAP (2 locations):

1030 Ocean Avenue

Sea Bright NJ

P:732 842 5044

3492 US 9

Freehold NJ

P:732 543-0053

Ordering procedure:

You can place an order online: https://www.tommystavernandtap.com or https://tommystaverntap.alohaorderonline.com/StartOrder.aspx or call the location to place an order over the phone.

Pickup procedure: curbside pick up or non contact delivery

Hours of operation:

Daily

12:009m – 8:00pm

Special notes: Please call the restaurant once you’ve arrived for curbside pickup.

With all of our collective efforts we can get through this together!