Sarah Griesemer,Rebecca King,Karen Croke|Rockland/Westchester Journal News
Picture this: You cruise up to a restaurant, get your meal to go, and enjoy your food with a view of the water. Only you came not by land but by sea. Talk about social distancing.
If you have a boat or are friends with someone who does – and everyone needs a friend like that – dock and dine takes outdoor dining to a new level. Many of the restaurants lining the Hudson River and New Jersey’s waterways offer the service: Choose dockside pickup and eat your dinner while the boat gently bobs in a restaurant’s slip or disembark for a meal at an outdoor table.
Be aware that in most cases, masks will be required when you are not seated at a table, reservations may be necessary as well as other rules for social distancing, so if you are unsure, call before you go.
Here are a few destinations close to home and close to some top vacation spots at the shore:
Hudson Water Club, West Haverstraw
This fan favorite of boaters and landlocked diners is known for its huge outdoor deck overlooking the water.The menu is diverse, everything from burgers to salads to towering seafood platters. Dock and dine available, but slips are available on a first come, first served basis. Go: 606 Beach Road, West Haverstraw, 845-271-4046, hudsonwaterclub.com
Pier 701, Piermont
Grilled lobster risotto,a raw bar and a vegetarian Shepherd's Pie are among the dishes at this waterside perch, where you can dig your toes into the sand on the beach in the back and watch the cars go by on the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. To expand the socially distanced outdoor space, some boulders were removed to allow for more beach seating. Executive Chef Denis Whitton has also added more dining to the parking lot. Reservations suggested to dock and dine. Go: 701 Piermont Ave., Piermont, 845-848-2550, pier701ny.com
Ole Savannah, Kingston
Once part of the former Cornell Steamboat Company shops, which towed boatson the Hudson River from 1880 to the 1930s, the restaurant is part of the Historic Rondout Waterfront District.The menuranges from barbecue to fried chicken and pecan pie. Outdoor seating is on the dock overlooking the Hudson River;boat slips are available on a first-come first served basis. Go:100 Rondout Landing, Kingston; 845-331-4283; olesavannah.com
Shadows on the Hudson, Poughkeepsie
The marina and the restaurant are both open, making for an ideal boat trip; takeout is also available if you want to eat on your boat.The view of the Hudson River pairs perfectly with just about anything you order from the raw bar or among entrees such as spicy Ahi tuna and crab cakes. Go:176 Rinaldi Blvd., Poughkeepsie; 845-486-9500;shadowsonthehudson.com.
Blu Pointe, Newburgh
The outdoor patio and Riverside Terrace, as well as indoor dining are available by reservation only. Blu Pointe has 16 slips available for those who want to dock and dine., The menu is full of seafood options fromcharcoal-grilled fish or oysters done various ways, lobster grilled, steamed or in mac 'n' cheese, whole branzino, red snapper or a mix of surf andturf. Go:120 Front St.Newburgh; 845-568-0100;www.blu-pointe.com
9th Ave. Pier, Belmar
Boat owners can dock and enjoy a meal and live music beneath umbrella-topped tables. The food is casual – coconut shrimp ($13), crab and spinach dip ($16), crispy flounder sandwich with housemade tartar sauce ($15), and a pico de gallo-topped black bean burger ($13) – and the restaurant is known for its rum buckets. Be sure to stick around to watch the sunset. Go: 905 Route 35 at the Belmar Marina; 732-749-3800, 9thavepier.com.
Back Bay Ale House, Atlantic City
Head to Back Bay Ale House for the beautiful views of the bay bay-side viewsand stay for the massive mason jars full of booze. Located in Atlantic City’s Historic Gardner’s Basin (where you can dock your boat), Back Bay Ale House has plenty of al fresco seating to host groups looking to kick back with a few co*cktails. Dine on summer standards such as garlic shrimp ($12.99), mussels in red and white sauce ($12.99), and jumbo lump crab cakes ($24.99) as you watch the sunset over the bay. Wash it all down with one of Back Bay’s signature mason jars ($12 for 16 ounces, $18 for 32 ounces), which are filled with full to the brim with mojitos, margaritas, mules and Long Island iced tea. Go: 800 New Hampshire Ave., Atlantic City; 609-449-0006; backbayalehouse.com.
Channel Marker Cafe, Lavallette
Slide into a slip at this restaurant on Barnegat Bay, which can accommodate vessels of all sizes, from personal watercraft to boats 50 feet long. Early risers can feast on blueberry buttermilk pancakes and Nutella French toast (both $14), and lunch and dinner diners enjoy lobster rolls ($19), a local shrimp po’ boy ($16) and bowls of cioppino ($34). Eat your meal on the BYOB’s outdoor patio or right on your boat.
Also consider a visit to the cafe’s summer pop-up, The Lobster Dock, at Jersey Tomato Italian Deli in Lavallette. There is no dock and dine, but there are steamers, peel-and-eat shrimp, crab cakes, lobster pots and raw bar offerings from Barnegat Light-based Barnegat Oyster Collective. Go: 3245 Route 35, Lavallette; 732-793-7559, channelmarkercafe.com. The Lobster Dock is at 2304 Route 35 North.
The Lobster House, Cape May
A trip to Cape May isn’t complete without a meal at the famous Lobster House. Opened in the early 1950s, The Lobster House is the place to get fresh seafood in Cape May. Everything is made fresh daily in its kitchen, and the seafood is brought in from boats just a few miles away.
The Lobster House is located right along Fisherman’s Wharf, making it a favorite for dock-and-dine., as well. It features a raw bar and a fish market, and tables are set up outside along the water so you can peel shrimp and crack crabs with a view.While indoor dining is closed because of COVID-19, The Schooner American, The Lobster house’s 130-foot vessel that’s docked next to the restaurant and includes outdoor dining and a wait staff, is open. Expect plenty of steamed shrimp, crab cakes, oysters, fried fish and burgers on the menu, as well as a selection of co*cktails. Go: 906 Schellengers Landing Road, Cape May; 609-884-8296, thelobsterhouse.com.
Parker’s Garage, Beach Haven
It was tricky to nab a reservation pre-COVID-19, and the restaurant now is working with a limited number of tables on its sidewalk and decks. But boaters have an advantage: Call ahead for takeout and enjoy your meal onboard with a view of the sparking Barnegat Bay. Try the tuna cracker, a wildly popular starter made with raw yellowifn, avocado and citrus mayo ($14), New England chowder croquettes ($12), short rib lasagna ($33) or the lobster corn dog with smoked tomato mayo ($18). Go: 116 Northwest Ave., Beach Haven; 609-492-1066, parkersgaragelbi.com.
The Windlass, Lake Hopatcong
Opened originally as a luncheonette in 1963, The Windlass has been a Lake Hopatcong mainstay for decades. Former owners the Spinelli family eventually transformed it into a popular Italian restaurant. In 2014, the property was bought by Alice Szigethy, and though it still offers some of those Italian dishes that helped gain its reputation, it has expanded the menu to a more eclectic selection. Customers can sail up to the restaurant, dock, then grab a seat on the wraparound porch or in the large dining area, which features a boat-shaped bar, plenty of windows and bright white walls. Or, just set yourself on the benches situated on the dock — and wait for sunset. The sun sets directly over the water, making sundown an ideal time for a visit. Go: 45 Nolans Point Park Road, Lake Hopatcong; 973-663-3190, thewindlass.com.
The Crab House at Two-Mile Landing, Wildwood
Located at Two Mile Landing Marina near the bridge ushering visitors in and out of of Wildwood, this restaurant is a classic summer choice. All-you-can-eat garlic crabs are served with corn on the cob, a cheddar burger comes topped with popcorn shrimp, and cheesy Old Bay fries are served on a keepsake Frisbee. Go: 1 Fish Dock Road; 609-522-1341, twomilelanding.com.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com. Jeanne Muchnick, jmuchnick@lohud.com contribiuited to this report.
