When the news broke last year that Heirloom at the St. Laurent—the brainchild of James Beard-nominated restaurateurs David Viana and Neilly Robinson and one of the more innovative restaurants in Asbury Park—was transitioning to an Italian-themed concept called Judy & Harry’s, I was surprised. It’s not that I don’t love buttery garlic knots or a deep bowl of rigatoni Bolognese, but I thought it would be just another Jersey Italian red-sauce spot.

Boy, was I wrong.

Judy’s—which is the moniker the restaurant goes by, while Harry’s is the bar/lounge in front of it—is anything but run-of-the-mill. While the menu takes inspiration from Italian and not-so-Italian dishes, it’s wildly inventive and presented through the robust filter of a Jewish mother (indeed, the space is named for Robinson’s mother, Judy, adding to the authenticity). If the concept seems off-putting at first, rest assured, it’s not. Incongruous menus are fun to explore—who doesn’t love a random tableful of deliciousness that doesn’t necessarily make sense on paper?

Owners David Viana and Neilly Robinson. Photo: Courtesy of Judy & Harry’s/Michael Persico

The location is far from the hubbub of Asbury’s main drags, inside the St. Laurent Hotel—a gorgeous old beach mansion located on a residential stretch of Seventh Avenue, where you would least expect a hotel or restaurant.

There is a side entrance that goes directly to Judy’s, but go through the main doors instead, as that will put you in Harry’s, a dimly lit, Victorian-inspired lounge that is easily the coolest bar in town without even trying. There are masculine wingback chairs to one side and intimate tables to the other, all cradling patrons sipping house-curated cocktails. We checked in at Judy’s and were thrilled that our table wasn’t ready yet—Harry’s needed at least a few minutes of our attention.

The Bellini cocktail. Photo: Courtesy of Judy & Harry’s/Michael Persico

A cocktail later, we departed the soft glow of the lounge and headed to our seats—straight past the bright contrasting walls of Judy’s to a pair of stools at the chef’s counter. Request these seats in advance, as watching the chefs work in the open kitchen is a show worth tuning into. Much of our order consisted of items we saw being prepared and simply had to have.

We started with the latke—a precisely shaped hockey puck of crisped potato crowned with diced black apples, which brightened things up nicely. A fennel-forward sour cream added complexity. Burrata came next and managed the tricky task of feeling light and not overly filling, which is usually the downfall of a dish like this. The addition of pickled strawberries and a bit of crouton-like crunch was divine, enlivening this quintessential pre-pasta app.

Tempted by our waitress’s enthusiasm, we opted for the triangoli, which, if you have never had it and weren’t tipped off by the name, is a triangular shaped cousin of ravioli. This one came stuffed with crab, and the plate was speckled with fiddleheads, a creative idea that fell flat. The sauce was good, but mostly just tasted of butter and garlic, and I expected more.

The chicken parm is big enough for two—or possibly even three—people to share. Photo: Courtesy of Judy & Harry’s/Michael Persico

After watching the cooks on the line carefully blanket one of the most impressive chicken parms I have ever laid eyes on, this was the no-brainer choice for our main course. The sheer size of this French-cut masterpiece makes it easily suitable for two or possibly even three people to share and still go home full. The chicken was tender, the breading crisp and light, the sauce both sweet and tangy with a nice herby punch from the basil, and the aforementioned cheese blanket utter perfection.

We weren’t sure what to choose for a side dish as none seemed to match well with chicken parm, but once again, Judy’s surprised us. The cauliflower was ordered with the foolish shrug of a pair who had no idea what was headed their way. Deep-fried with pine nuts and laid upon a luscious base of house-made whipped lemon ricotta, it was my favorite bite of the night.

For dessert, the coconut cake, with its layers of yuzu lemon curd, cream cheese ganache and flakes of toasted coconut, was quite good and worth a bit of overindulgence. Sometimes I do that.

(Note that the menu here changes seasonally, so some of these dishes may have changed slightly by the time you visit.)

HOW WE REVIEW: Restaurants are chosen for review at the sole discretion of New Jersey Monthly. For our starred fine-dining reviews, our critics visit a restaurant at least twice with a guest, always maintaining anonymity to avoid preferential treatment, and the magazine pays for their meals. Stars are assigned by the dining-section editor in consultation with the reviewer.

Four stars = extraordinary; three stars = excellent; two stars = very good; one star = good; half a star = fair.