Two If By Sea opening on Shrewsbury Ave. MARIE ORTIZ Scott Farrar (r), owner of Two If By Sea, has moved his establishment into the old location of Andre & Lily’s on the west side of Red Bank. Farrar is hoping to be part of the area’s revitalization efforts and brings along his staff including chef James Kavka (l). By linda denicola Staff Writer A landmark building at 141 Shrewsbury Ave. will be opening its doors as a seafood restaurant this weekend. Brian Daneman, who operated Andre and Lily’s at the site, maintains ownership of the property that will now be home to Two If By Sea, managed by Scott Ferrar and his partner Vince DeVivo. Ferrar operated a restaurant under the same name at the corner of Route 35 in Ocean Township for five years. Ferrar said he has brought his staff with him, including his chef Jimmy Kavka. The group seems to come with a good following. "I have tons of reservations for this weekend," Ferrar noted. Serving contemporary American cuisine with an emphasis on fish and seafood, Ferrar said he is excited to be in Red Bank. "It’s a vibrant town. There’s good potential here on the west side of town. I’m looking forward to being in the forefront of the west side revitalization." Initially the restaurant will be open for dinner only seven days a week, but he plans to open for lunch prior to the holiday season. The former Sal’s Tavern, which Daneman purchased from Lou Vaiti, son of its founder, was extensively renovated to house Andre and Lily’s. Daneman spent $250,000 on the 4,000-square-foot building, including installing a new kitchen and new light fixtures, painting the exterior and restoring the century old 60-foot mahogany bar that had been painted black. Daneman and his wife, Gerri, opened Andre and Lily’s in the fall of 1999, hoping to put down culinary roots in Red Bank and be part of a west side renaissance. The concept that he opened with was to provide fine family dining in a child-friendly restaurant that featured a playroom with baby-sitting. That concept proved unworkable at the location, so Daneman changed his menu and lowered his prices, but the restaurant never caught on. Andre and Lily’s closed on July 16, just 10 months after opening. Ferrar said he hasn’t made any structural changes to the building, but he has done some decorating. He turned the playroom into a semi-private dining room and has named the bar The Flying Fish Saloon. "I’m not going for a family atmosphere or customers, but it will be high end food. "I had a successful operation in Ocean Township. We were highly rated in the Zagat Survey. In fact, our food was rated in the top 3 percent in the state. We’re known for creative renditions of seafood, especially our crab cakes." They are also known for their lobster specialties, he added. He added: "We’re one of the few restaurants in town that has enough parking. We have a lot across from the restaurant on Herbert Street. We are going to offer valet parking on Friday and Saturday nights, and we will accept reservations for any number of people." Ferrar has 25 years of experience in the restaurant business. He spent 10 years with the Hilton Hotel chain and was formerly general manager of the Frog and the Peach, a very successful, upscale restaurant in New Brunswick. He also owned a restaurant in Harrison for eight years called the River Front Café. He said he is willing to take a chance on the Shrewsbury Avenue location because he believes that his concept of a seafood restaurant is unique in Red Bank. "As far as I know there isn’t another restaurant in town that specializes in fish," he noted.