Take a 119-year-old warehouse, a patient man who sees the potential in that empty space, and a whole lot of patience, and you have The WhiteChapel Projects.

The long-anticipated nano brewery, beer hall and art space opened in Long Branch in December, eight years after Preston Casertano of Manalapan purchased the space and began a brick-by-brick renovation.

The WhiteChapel Projects is the first major attraction to open on lower Broadway, a chunk of the city that is part of an ongoing redevelopment initiative.

(Take a tour of the WhiteChapel Projects with features reporters Sarah Griesemer and Alex Biese in the video at the top of this story.)

"The warehouse was in bad shape, but rather than tear it down completely, I'd thought I'd let it be reborn as something else," Casertano told The Asbury Park Press in 2017.

Now, where the crumbling warehouse once stood is a brand new place to enjoy a beer, brewed on site under the direction of brew master Mike Dolan. You also can listen to music performed by local musicians, and order French gastropub-style food crafted by Executive Chef James Mignola

OK, enough waiting. Here are five must-try dishes and drinks at The WhiteChapel Projects:

The poutine

Yes, poutine! Quebec's most popular dish is hard to come by at the Shore, but you can dig in here. This version is made with hand-cut french fries topped with cheese curds and Mississippi roast gravy ($8). The dish is ooey, gooey, meaty, decadent and comforting, and we'd bet it's even more amazing with a fried egg on top (add $2).

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Meat and vegan options

One dish already proving to be a favorite is the deep-fried cheeseburger. And if you're thinking of a sloppily battered burger tossed in a fryer, stop right there.

"It's ridiculous," manager Todd O'Connor said, laughing, of their version. "It's been our really 'wow' item."

The beef burger is topped with bacon, cheddar cheese and house-made bread and butter pickles then wrapped in a potato bread called langos ($15). "We wrap that and then we put it in the fryer for a little bit, then finish it off in the oven," O'Connor said.

It sounds heavy, but it's not; the burger floats inside the airy bread. Mignola was trained in French cuisine and has decades of experience in the kitchen, and it shows in dishes like this.

Guests on a plant-based diet, or simply craving meatless options, are also welcome at WhiteChapel Projects.

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The menu currently boats a vegan banh mi, featuring ginger and scallion marinated tempeh, carrot and daikon slaw, fresh jalapeno, cilantro and house-made Siracha tofu mayonnaise, served on Mignola's stellar house-baked baguette.

There's also going to be plenty more where that came from — Mignola tells us he hopes to offer an entire separate vegan menu in the future.

The beer!

The beer at the WhiteChapel Projects is mellow and approachable, incredibly enjoyable on its own but tailor-made to pair with the big, bold flavors coming out of the kitchen.

There’s a big emphasis on saisons, both Beligain and farmhouse styles, featuring honey, and this classically rustic brew seems like a perfect fit for the handmade, rough-hewn aesthetic being cultivated at WhiteChapel.

A highlight on a recent visit was the American Ale, a laid-back and balanced brew.

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The hall is on its first generation of beers, O'Connor said. "It's interesting to see people trying other things than IPAs," he said. "We want to keep some true beers, American ales."

The beers are available in 4-, 10- and 14-ounce pours ($3, $5 and $7), so do-it-yourself flights are an option.

“We’re probably going to keep on tweaking the American ale,” said brewer Mike Dolan. “The saison is going to always be on (tap), IPAs will be on but in different versions, along with the pale.”

The brewpub also offers beers created by local friends of WhiteChapel Projects, including Last Wave Brewing Company in Point Pleasant Beach and Jughandle Brewing Company of Tinton Falls.

The made-to-order sodas

While The WhiteChapel Projects is, first and foremost, a beer hall, those who don't partake won't find the drink options lacking.

The WhiteChapel Projects makes its own soda water, and paired with syrups made in house, "we have our own ginger ale, cola and lemon lime," O'Connor said. "They're always going to change, always going to evolve. It's a real treat to get something like that."

The cocktails

"It's not just a brewery; we have cocktails as well," said O'Connor, who also mentioned The WhiteChapel Projects carries canned wine from Gotham Projects in New York. As for cocktails, try The Jersey Devil, made with tequila, raspberry brandy, Hella Moscow Mule, Mezcal and seltzer ($12).

Go: The WhiteChapel Projects, at 15-17 2nd Ave. in Long Branch, is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Thursdays, from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, and from noon to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Call 732-963-9218 or visit whitechapelprojects.com.

Do you love learning about new restaurants at the Jersey Shore? Join the Jersey Shore Eats group on Facebook and follow on Instagram, and share tips and your favorite places with food writer Sarah Griesemer at sgriesemer@gannettnj.com.

Are you all about New Jersey's craft beer scene? Then make sure you don't miss a single story by our resident beer expert, features reporter Alex Biese. Subscribe to the Asbury Park Press today for unlimited digital access. Learn more and subscribe at https://offers.app.com/specialoffer.

Learn more about New Jersey's booming craft beer scene with Season One of our "Jersey Brewed" video series: