Jersey Shore eatery's fans get a reprieve

Schettig had coordinated with chef Joe Marszalek, a survivor of casino kitchens. He had roasted the grape tomatoes for the bruschetta, sprinkling them with dried basil, white wine, and olive oil, mashing them with a perforated spatula.

He had demonstrated the hand-folding technique he uses to mix the seasonings for the she-crab soup, using a stainless-steel spoon that had been used by the two cooks - both deceased - who handed it down to him, who speak to him, he said, each time he stirs a 75-gallon batch (in an armada of two-gallon pots).

Pastry chef Grace Cassel Hollerbach had finished her oatmeal-topped blueberry cobblers, banana crème pies, and, a special for this evening, fresh-baked éclairs.

Punctually, the three priests took their seats at the bar.

Leah Marmon, down from her current home in Greenwich, Conn., caught up with old friends before dinner.

And Russell Parr, a consultant in patent disputes, positioned himself with his novel at the window-side seat, sipping the Macallan single-malt that Schettig had volunteered to bring in for him when Parr found the house scotch somewhat underwhelming.

He surveyed the bustling room where he had come to know every server over the last 15 years. He was relieved that Busch's - at least for now - wasn't on track to become Busch's Corner at Townsend Square, a phony pretender.

"What would I do?" he asked. "Get take-out and my bottle of scotch, and sit on the curb eating out of Styrofoam?"

Contact food columnist Rick Nichols

at 254-854-7215 at or rnichols@phillynews.com.