We’ve been going to Drew’s Bayshore Bistro since 2005 when Andrew “Drew” Araneo opened his eponymous restaurant in his hometown of Keyport. Though Drew is Italian, he decided his would not be an Italian restaurant. Instead, he put together a menu of a type of food he loves, Cajun & Creole-inspired cuisine. Unlike Italian, definitely not ubiquitous in our area. His food was delicious, and we became instant fans. Eventually, word spread and over the years, Drew’s has become well-known throughout the state and beyond.
When we were deciding what we should do for Michael’s birthday, we eliminated going out to eat at Chez Catherine because of the Omicron situation. We considered having me cook a meal using the two Beef Wellingtons that were in the freezer. But then, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea. How about doing take-out from Drew’s? Whenever we go to Drew’s, there is one dish Michael always orders: Drew’s signature City Jambalaya. And when I say always, I mean Every. Single. Time! So, doing take-out would mean not much work for me (definitely a giant plus!), and Michael would have one of his favorite things to eat. Of course, he was all for it!
Drew is a big man in both size and heart, and his portions reflect that. They are BIG! Looking at what’s inside these take-out boxes, you can see how enormous they are.
We began with two salads.
Southwestern Caesar Salad
Grilled Romaine, Pico de Gallo, Tortilla Chips, Queso Blanco, Red Chile Caesar Dressing
Muffuletta & Burrata
Muffuletta Salad, Burrata Cheese, Nduja Sausage Spread, Toasted Bread
The Southwestern Caesar is a longtime favorite of ours. We had the Muffuletta & Burrata for the first time last summer.
We ordered two mains.
City Jambalaya
Chicken, Andouille, Tasso, Trinity Vegetables, Shrimp Creole
Bistro Bolognese Pasta
Beef, Pork, Veal, Tomato, Cream, Fresh Cavatelli, Black Pepper Parmesan
Yes, Drew does occasionally put Italian items on the menu. Thus, the Italian burrata cheese paired with the distinctly Creole muffuletta and the main course Bolognese pasta which I ordered because jambalaya is not my thing.
For dessert, Michael had one of these:
I chose one of Drew’s desserts.
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Vanilla Gelato, Whipped Cream, Caramel Sauce
The gelato was packaged separately which enabled me to keep it in the freezer. The pudding was a sizable portion, so I ate it a little at a time over the next few days.
It won’t surprise you to hear that we had a boatload of leftovers. More than adequate for another dinner the next day. And there was still some Bolognese left, so we finished it for lunch the day after.
Our thanks to Drew and his crew for making Michael’s birthday dinner a delicious one!
The Wizard of Roz 
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