If you are heading down to the Jersey Shore on a cold and rainy Wednesday morning, it might as well be to hang out with Jon Bon Jovi.
This week, after a soft Friends and Family period to work out some of the kinks, Mr. Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, opened the doors to what he hopes might be the first of several Soul Kitchens here.
The idea is this: There are no prices on the menu, which features such items as Garden State Gumbo, with chicken, pork sausage and Jersey fresh kale and a BBQ grilled salmon filet with soul seasonings, sweet potato mash and sautéed greens. Diners who are able to pay should leave more than the suggested minimum donation. Diners who can't afford to pay can volunteer to work at the Soul Kitchen to cover their meals. The restaurant will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and for Sunday brunch.
The initiative is part of the JBJ Foundation, which for the most part has focused on developing affordable housing. But with the economic downturn, great achievements in that area were slower to come by, Mr. Bon Jovi explained. One night, he and his wife caught a segment by Brian Williams that showed restaurants offering free menu items to needy patrons in Salt Lake City and Denver. They decided that feeding the community would be the next step for the JBJ Soul Foundation.
