Blake's Place, a new restaurant in Manahawkin, will leave customers satisfied

Aside from its casual, cozy charm, Blake’s Place, which opened in April behind the big box stores on McKinley Avenue in Manahawkin, offers something restaurant customers do not normally find: giant food portions at affordable prices.

“You can’t stay home with the $3.99 breakfast special,” said Blake Fabian, owner of Blake’s Place, who co-owned and managed Fabian’s Bar and Restaurant on Route 72 for 10 years before it was sold and turned into LA’s Restaurant and Bar in 2006.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Blake's Place offers the $3.99 breakfast
special, available seven days a week.

Having grown up on Long Beach Island and working his first restaurant job as a buser at Wida’s Hotel and Restaurant in Brant Beach, which is now daddy O, Fabian went on to open and run a number of other local restaurants before finally taking a break. Last year he took up bartending again at his brother’s local restaurants, Doyle’s Pour House in Tuckerton and Barnegat, before he suddenly “got the itch” again and decided to open his own local restaurant. He said he plans to put his industry expertise to good use in the community.

“I don’t want to be an afterthought,” said Fabian. “I want people to say, ‘I’m going to Blake’s Place, then go get lottery tickets.’ This is about longevity. This is about being here for a long time. I want to make it affordable for people.”

“Penelope’s Pancakes,” which are named after Fabian’s 9-year-old daughter, are homemade using his grandmother’s 65-year-old recipe. A regular stack costs just $5.99.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Patrons can observe Chef Taha prepare culinary
masterpieces through the open kitchen.

Specialty breakfast omelets such as the “Town Square,” made with sausage, potato, bacon and spinach, are served with three extra-large eggs and choice of toast with butter, jam and fresh home fried potatoes for just $7.99.

“I have an appetite, and I love to eat, but the chicken Parm(esan with linguine) lasts me two days. We have huge portions,” Fabian said. “I want people to come back, and I hope when people get my portion, they appreciate it and they turn around and go, ‘Wow, $15 is really $15 worth.’ The price, the portion, the freshness: you have to weigh all of that out.”

Except for a few specialty pastries, including elephant ears and sticky buns that are shipped in daily from a bakery in Staten Island, all menu items are made on-site with the freshest ingredients available.

“Everything that we have in this house is chopped, cooked, prepped, steamed and sautéed here. We have two small, little freezers, and one of them is filled with bread. We don’t have any freezer space at all. It has to be fresh,” Fabian said.

He attributes the food’s outstanding quality and superior taste to Chef Taha, who hails from Rome, Italy.

“He’s just phenomenal,” said Fabian. “His skill set is off the charts. He’s a culinary visual guy.”

Although Chef Taha would say his specialty is in Italian food, Fabian said it’s more specific than that: The guy makes incredible sauces. Fabian suggests trying one of Chef Taha’s delicious wing sauces: BBQ, buffalo, volcano heat or garlic Parmesan. Or try the hummus with Tusca, which Fabian explained is an Italian delicacy served with zucchini, squash and red sauce.

“His marinara is really thick and hearty; it’s almost like a chili. Oh, my gosh, it’s unbelievable,” Fabian gushed.

Blake’s Place took first place out of 11 restaurants for its food served at Fall Fest 2013 in Barnegat on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Patrons can observe Chef Taha prepare his culinary masterpieces through the open kitchen area at Blake’s Place. Customers can also sit back and watch the game on any of the restaurant’s four 55-inch TVs.

Parties interested in enjoying the food elsewhere should ask Fabian about his catering and a la carte packages from the “Baldwin Banquet” and “Stafford Feast” to the “Casual Delite” and “The Frugal Gourmet.” Takeout is also available.

Blake’s Place, “where good friends meet and great times begin,” is open 365 days a year. Breakfast and lunch are served Monday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday until 3 p.m. Dinner is available Thursday through Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m. “Blackboard Specials” change weekly. Call 609-597-7522 for more information.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.