Restaurant Review: Aqua Blu Is A Hidden Gem

If you’ve ever taken Rt. 37 to get to Seaside Heights you’ve probably driven past Aqua Blu. I’ve driven by so many times and every time, I told myself I really want to try that place. But I never did for one reason or another — it was summer and I just want to get to the beach, Aqua had a line out the door, or I was headed somewhere else. But this past Monday my plans changed and I needed a drink, so I told my husband let’s do it, let's try Aqua Blu. It's offseason, it won't be busy, it's perfect.

We arrived a little after 5pm on a rainy Monday evening. Walking in, the space is huge. There is a bar to the left and to the right is the dining area. Seating is spacious and modern, and there is an eclectic, vibrant atmosphere. Our hostess sat us right away to our choice of seat. There were several diners already seated even on this type of night. I immediately loved the colorful, chic and sophisticated surroundings.

Quickly, our server Chelsea came over to introduce herself and the restaurant, asking if we had any questions and if we’d ever been there before. We hadn’t and we were both interested in a drink. My husband and I have varying tastes, but Chelsea was able to suggest something for both of that we each loved. He had an Orange-Cran Mule that had Kettle One Orange Vodka, Cranberry Juice and Ginger Beer. He’s a fan of ginger so they added even more ginger for him — beautiful presentation and great drink. I had the Polar Pear Plunge, it was made with Grey Goose Vodka, Vanilla Bean Syrup and Pear Purée. Besides looking pretty, this drink was fantastic. It hit all the right notes for me. It wasn’t too strong but had that pear taste I was looking for — you could taste the vodka after a sip, but it didn't knock you out. We came looking for a good drink and we weren’t let down!

Chelsea informed us that Monday through Friday from 3-6 at Aqua also boasts a Prix Fixe $26 Dinner menu. Chelsea was great in explaining we could order anything from the starter menu then choose a pasta, fish or meat and have the dessert of the night which was a gelato. What an incredible deal because the menu was delicious and this allowed us to try so much more!

My husband started with a charred octopus with fingerling potatoes seared with an olive purée and burnt orange. The star of this round was my assorted meats dish, the charcuterie. It’s usually what’s in house for the night, but that night I lucked out with prosciutto cotto, orange peppers, swiss cheese, olives, salami and, one of the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten, shredded pickled eggplant. What Aqua does is they take eggplant, spaghetti, shred it so it looks like a slaw, then salt it and pickle it for an amazing marriage of flavors. It's incredible on its own, but paired with some of the other items on the plate, it was indescribable. The cotto wasn’t one of my favorites, but when I ate the cotto with the pickled eggplant it was perfect.

Aqua also has a raw bar! We ordered a sampling of the jumbo lump crab meat which isn’t listed on the menu but we just wanted a taste of the crab. Again, another hit. We were off to a good start — honestly, we could have left right there and been satisfied.

For the main course, my husband ordered the pork milanese, served with prosciutto, braised radicchio, Emmental cheese, Calabrian chili and sage. I had rigatoni with peas, vodka sauce and crispy prosciutto. The Pork’s crispiness was perfect and my husband couldn’t get over having the cotto piled on top of the pork. However, for his taste, he thought it was a little spicer than he liked. If you’re into spicy food, this is the route to take. I had a bite of this and loved the crispy pork, too!

My pasta was delicious. Give me anything with peas — it’s such an underused vegetable. Usually I’m not a fan of the “bacon bit” texture of crispy pancetta, but this really worked. The vodka sauce was great, too, and my pasta was dressed perfectly — it wasn’t swimming in sauce and I could taste all the elements. While I don’t think my pasta was homemade, it was cooked to a perfect al dente. The portion size was under control, but I still had enough to take home for lunch the next day and it tasted just as good reheated.

With the Prix Fixe menu you also get the house dessert of the night which was chocolate gelato — but I am a dessert fan so I needed to see the dessert menu! Oh, what a dessert menu they have. If you want to come here, come for the dessert and drinks alone! Any place that has two Crème Brûlées on the menu has won my heart. I ordered the Crème Brûlée Cheesecake with a berry coulis and a graham cracker crust and convinced my husband to order the Crème Brûlée with vanilla orange.

Eating my dessert was a heavenly, spiritual experience. Please go here now and get one of these for yourself. My husband's was also delicious, but it probably could have been torched a bit more, and for me it was a tad more citrus-y than I enjoy. Still good though.

After dinner, we spoke with Chelsea for a bit about the restaurant. The menu changes seasonally and everything comes locally from farms — the steaks are even brought in from Pat LaFrieda. Aqua Blu has been around for about 5 years and although they were affected by Superstorm Sandy, they have rebounded nicely.

Aqua is able to host events — whether it be a baby shower, birthday party or even your wedding, they have space to do that for you. They have great weekly specials — the Prix Fixe Menu is Monday through Friday from 3pm-6pm, but each night there's something an extra something offered: Wednesday is ½ price bottles of wine and pasta and Friday and Saturday is Live Entertainment. Daily Lunch specials from 12pm-3pm for $5. The website is up to date and includes their specials, check it out to find out what’s going on. Plus they post their seasonal menus.

This place is not to be missed, and I’m regretting all those times I crossed the bridge without stopping. This is for sure one of Toms Rivers hidden gems. Aqua Blu isn't just about eating food, it's an experience.