Matt’s Market in Belmar, NJ. Blogfinger photo.
By Paul and Eileen Goldfinger, Editors @Blogfinger.
It took us awhile, but today we discovered Matt’s Farm Market and Garden Center in Belmar on Rt. 71. Just take Memorial Drive and go south on Rt. 35 over the bridge and turn left onto 71 south by the Windmill. Matt’s is #1740 NJ 71, just up the road apiece on the left. There is limited but usually sufficient parking.
Matt’s has been around for many years. They have their own farm and there is a huge stock of Jersey Best produce including green beans, Jersey tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, melons, plums, peaches, figs, nectarines, and much more. The tomatoes are 3 pounds for $4.50; (2015 prices) Eileen found their prices to be less than Wegmans across the board. She said that the heirloom tomatoes at Matt’s are half the price of Wegmans.
Tony Pagano of Uva’s Restaurant in Bradley Beach chats with Eileen about the Jersey tomatoes and peaches. They let Eileen in because of her OG beach badge. Paul Goldfinger photo. 8/28/15We dropped in at 4:00 pm today (Friday. Mid-August) The place was busy, and we bumped into Tony Pagano, the chef and owner of the fabulous Uva Italian Restaurant on Main Street in Bradley Beach. I love his veal chops. We chatted a bit. He said that Matt’s has incredible produce which he buys for his restaurant. “Tonight, he said, “we are featuring veal Milanese” —-mmmmmmm!
Eileen and Tony were inspecting the tomato display and chatting about how to fry green tomatoes. Eileen asked him about their new baby girl Raffaella. He pulled out a giant iPhone and flashed a photo of his beautiful daughter who, he said, wakes up happy every morning and gets to visit him at the restaurant once each week.
Raffaella and Tony Pagano at Uva’s Restaurant in Bradley Beach.. Paul Goldfinger photo. Sept. 1, 2015
Matt’s tomatoes which we bought. The two small funny-looking ones in front are heirlooms (spellcheck said “hairline.”) Blogfinger photo.It took a bit of convincing to get Eileen out of Matt’s.
By the way, my favorite restaurant is on Mt. Hermon Way where Eileen Goldfinger is the chef and everything else. Sometimes I help by chopping things.
But I do a lot of the shopping for Eileen’s bistro where, like Raos’s, you can’t get in without an invitation. For tonight I bought beautiful cod loin and Jersey sweet corn at Wegmans. Eileen loves that store, so she (aka sushi) is a sort of culinary superhero whom I call “Wegwoman.”
We will be going back to Matt’s. Eileen keeps buying us tomatoes which she says are good for the prostate. She seemed surprised when I told her that she doesn’t have one. But, I hasten to add, that I am making a joke at her expense. She has been my straight woman for years and she still laughs at the jokes. Go figure!
PETE RODRIGUEZ from the movie Chef