The Gables is a Victorian oasis on Long Beach Island. Located in a charming 1890s inn in Beach Haven with a gorgeous garden, beautiful chandeliers and fireplaces, it is easily one of our favorite spots for a romantic dinner at the Jersey Shore. As you walk up to The Gables on a summer night, you’ll be in awe of the abundance of flowers leading up to the front porch, which is where we chose to have our meal. The seating options are just as diverse as the menu, from the meticulously restored dining rooms, the lovely back garden to the street side front porch.
While the menu is seasonal and ever-changing, the ingredients are aways fresh and often locally sourced. We started our meal with the Eggplant "Parmigiano" Napoleon appetizer, which was incredibly refreshing and flavorful. The Japanese eggplant, fresh ricotta, San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella worked really nicely together and was accented by the smell of the ocean a few blocks away.
For our entrees we had the Handmade Ricotta Cavatelli and the Seared Viking Village Scallops. The Cavatelli was mixed with shiitakes, cauliflower, asparagus and kale pesto, which was wonderfully light & delicate. The Viking Village Scallops, which come from fishing boats a few towns over on Long Beach Island, are never processed or chemically treated. This makes them unparalleled in flavor, texture and consistency to other scallops on the market. The scallops were perfectly seared and laid upon on a bed of risotto verde with asparagus, spinach, zucchini and edamame.
The Gables S'mores Tartlet is well known, so we knew we couldn't pass it up! The tartlet is served with salted caramel ice cream and homemade marshmallows and it is every bit as delicious & decadent as it sounds. We also tried the churros, served with fresh berry puree, which were delightfully tasty! (& we just came back from Spain, so we know churros!)
The Gables has a perfect ambiance for an intimate dinner, a charm that harkens to days of the past and a menu that respects those days while staying modern. Check our our video below to see more from our date night at The Gables!