From
exquisite simple Italian cooking to fine-quality dry-aged steaks
to swimmingly fresh sushi – Quintessential Danny’s!
Nearly
forty years ago, insight and keen observation wedded in Red Bank –
resulting not just in a restaurant but an institution. From its humble
beginnings, the intimate eatery has burgeoned into one of Red Bank’s
most storied restaurants. Danny’s is where luminaries from
entertainment, sports and politics as well as the local public all share
an intimate experience – a good meal, a good friend, a good
conversation.
In the early 1900’s, the site was originally a
firehouse and then converted to a bakery with a 96-ton Roman Arch brick
oven that eventually was used in Danny’s Pizza Hut.
(Eisner)…
Danny Murphy learned his craft from his Mom who operated the Friendly
Luncheonette on West Front Street during Danny's youth and later ran the
restaurant at The Brothers where he helped make pizzas. When he opened
his own place in 1969 as an Italian restaurant specializing in pasta and
pizza, he spun every pie, simmered every sauce and stirred every pot.
Italian fare dominated the menu for the next 25 years, when the
prevalence of new Italian restaurants in the area prompted Danny to
reinvent the long-established space as a steakhouse.
Danny spent more than a year researching the beef industry; learning
about cattle stock, beef quality, cuts and aging, as well as finding a
top supplier. With the same dedication to quality, he further expanded
his menu to accommodate his clientele by adding fresh seafood and sushi.
Danny’s
appeal ranges from the food, to the ambience, to the people. The sushi
is so fresh it swims to your table; the pungent aroma of the marinara
sauce renders the sweetness of the tomatoes and basil. The conversation
you overhear may be serious or sensational, and you can gaze at the
photos of celebrities who grace the walls and always count on a friendly
greeting from the staff or the patrons.
On most
evenings Danny Murphy is in his element, greeting and being greeted at
the Bridge Avenue restaurant that's become as much of a Red Bank fixture
as the man himself. After 38 years of continuous operation in the same
location, Danny’s remains a vital part of the old neighborhood's
transformation from one of factories, warehouses and lumberyards to a
destination for arts and fine dining.
Replete
with character, attitude and swagger, with a heart larger than the town
– Danny’s brings a smile to your face as well as your palate.