Just one more step.

A business dream for three Sea Isle City friends – Dustin Laricks, Chuck Gehman and John Martin – has reached the brink of reality. There is a strong chance that area restaurants this fall will showcase oysters from their enterprise, the Ludlam Bay Oyster Company. If not, the timetable would be early next year.

Summer days and nights may be coming to an end, but we will let you in on a little secret … fall is one of the best times to visit the Jersey Shore. With several restaurants adapting to the current outdoor-dining allowances issued by the state, there are still plenty of days and nights to head out and enjoy a delicious meal. From cozy, cabana-style dining to a romantic date night, the options for dining out are endless. Fall is a great time to be outside, so why not treat yourself to a night out?

1. Where did you receive your training? I’ve been in the kitchen since I was 15 years old, so I’ve never formally been “trained,” but I’ve worked in every aspect of the restaurant and worked my way up.

Among the many fallouts of this year’s pandemic lockdown are spikes in alcohol demand and a supply-chain shortage of aluminum cans. These are affecting the ability of many breweries – both small and large alike – to package their beloved suds for retail sale, and it is changing the look of liquor store shelves across the nation.

As summer draws to a close, we all feel the familiar anticipation of a new season, but something very unfamiliar tempers the usual excitement this year. The transition, normally bittersweet, seems a little more bitter. A pandemic will do that. Those who leave the beach to return elsewhere, as well as those of us who stay, all wonder what to expect.