DINING AROUND With Gina Rose March 13 , 2006

JULIA'S RESTAURANT 91 First Avenue Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716 732-872-1007 If you are looking for great food, a beautiful atmosphere, and excellent service all at a reasonable price, then Julia's restaurant is the place for you!  The Atlantic Highlands, a very up and coming area and Julia’s fits nicely in this quant seaside town.

Opened for just about a year, Julia's is sure to be around for many more. John Valentin, a former Boston Red Sox and New York Mets baseball player, owns the restaurant. The managing partner and executive chef, Joe Imbrenda, delivers mouth-watering dishes, certain to awaken your taste buds. The two met about ten years ago and became instant friends, or "more-like brothers", as Joe mentioned. Joe and John are both New Jersey native's who seem to have settled right where they both started.  Joe said cooking has always been a passion of his from an early age. He became known as "Chef to the Stars" and has made many dishes for celebrities such as Queen Latifah and Dan Akroid, as well as the players of the Boston Red Sox Team.

The entire experience at Julia's was magnificent.  Our hostess sat us right away and within five minutes our waiter Dave greeted us as well.   The fact that Julia's is a BYOB, really works to your advantage.  You can bring your own bottle of wine and relax while you sample different dishes from the menu. Our waiter gave us a choice of the very popular Voss spring water, sparkling water, or tap water to accompany our meal.  As we decided on what to order for the evening, our hunger was slowly satisfied with Panini bread and olive oil with a spoonful of balsamic vinegar and herbs to dip it in.  We found ourselves ordering more as our meal went on.  Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable on the menu and made eye contact with Kaitlin and I throughout reading the specials, which I really like.  I started off with the "Mozzarella Napoleon" which was house-made mozzarella layered with beefsteak tomatoes and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic syrup.   There was a taste of Italy in every bite! My best friend and date for the evening opted for the "Classic Caesar Salad" topped off with foccacia croutons.  After sampling a bite, I have to admit that it was one of, if not the best Caesar I have ever tasted.  Next for our entrée's I ordered the  "Pollo Balsamico" a breast of chicken topped off with sun dried tomatoes, fresh sliced mushrooms, and finished in an herb- balsamic pomodoro sauce. My plate was decorated with mashed potatoes delicately swirled in every corner of my dish and accompanied with fresh string beans. The taste was exquisite and the chicken was so tender.  The flavor was like noting that I have sampled before, it was very original.  Kaitlin ordered one of the specials for the evening, a fresh cut "Filet Mignon" topped off with blue cheese and portabella mushrooms in a port wine demi glaze sauce and a side of mashed potatoes. Kaitlin commented that she barley needed her knife to cut into the filet and the taste was so flavorful.  Needless to say our hunger was satisfied and it left us feeling pleasantly full with still enough room for dessert.  After we conversed for some time, our waiter brought over the dessert menu.  Kaitlin ordered a vanilla crème Brule that melted in our mouths.  I ordered the cheesecake, which had a touch of lemon and vanilla in every bite.  It was so creamy and tasty! It was baked in a graham cracker crust that gave it just enough texture to hold the smooth cake.

Through our entire meal, we did not feel rushed or feel like we wanted to eat and leave. The European décor combined with the soothing sounds of live piano chords throughout the restaurant made the atmosphere relaxing and ideal for such a meal.   The calming effects of the ambiance were produced by the dimmed lights and candles on every table. The restaurant seemed to attract young and middle-aged couples and families looking for an enjoyable experience.  I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for just that.