Salt Water Cafe

Promising a "cool, hip cafe on the beach," Madison Marquette is set to open the new Salt Water Beach Cafe on schedule at 4 p.m. Saturday in the former Howard Johnson's on the boardwalk.

Gabe Marabella, a seasoned Philadelphia and South Jersey restaurateur, is the operating partner. Marabella has been married for 28 years to Mottola's sister.

Madison Marquette, which signed an agreement with Asbury Partners to take over the entertainment and retail redevelopment, still has to sign a developer's agreement with the city. Those negotiations are expected to be ongoing over the next month.

Last week, at the city's Chamber of Commerce luncheon (that I was at) Mottola said a refurbished Paramount Theatre will open July 1.

The Salt Water will start with seating on the first floor and is expected shortly to open the upstairs. Kevin O'Kane is the Philadelphia-trained chef.

For the first week, the Salt Water will be open daily from 4 to 11 p.m . By the following weekend, it will open for lunch with hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily except for Tuesdays when it will be closed.

Dinners will offer small-plate items in the $12 to $16 range and entrees in the $20 vicinity.

The restaurant wants to draw in the beach crowd.

"If you're in your bathing suit, you need a shirt and shoes," he said. "We'll also have 50 outdoor seats and a boardwalk menu."

This is the beginning of restoring the 5th ave Pavillion with the closed bandshell on the 2nd floor. Earlier plans had called for the demolition of the structure.