“The restaurant is going to be a seafood-focused, farm-to-table concept,” said co-owner Dan Clark as he drove from Avalon to Philadelphia on Wednesday after a day of supervising construction.
He and Ed Hackett own the Pub & Kitchen, a darling of Philadelphia foodies and hipsters. Clark’s family has long had a house in Avalon, so when a spot opened on Dune Drive in the heart of town, he jumped.
The site was once part of a strip mall and real estate office. For the restaurant, Clark said they are using mostly salvaged materials. The goal is to give a “kind of a light and airy, whitewashed vintage feel to the whole space.”
Unlike Pub & Kitchen, Diving Horse will be open only in the summer. The menu will change per whatever fresh seafood and produce is locally available. Clark is working with a local liquor store to create drink pairings for the meals, even if guests will need to bring their own alcohol.
Clark is hoping for a Memorial Day Weekend opening, though he said early June is a safer bet.
It will be interesting to see how Diving Horse does catty corner to the Princeton, which has dominated the bar and restaurant scene in Avalon for decades. Being open only in summer will most likely work in the new establishment’s advantage. Blackfish in nearby Stone Harbor trumpeted it would be a year-round spot, but it is now closed, replaced this year by White Heron Grill.