Photo by Joan Manzo So the calendar says September, and the summer tourists have all gone home, making it a little bit easier for the locals to navigate the roads and enjoy some beach time while there is still some decent weather to be had. And while you enjoy zipping around the traffic-reduced highways and [...]
Having watched Toms River chef, Erik Weatherspool, dice the competition on The Food Network’s “Chopped,” I decided that I had to try his Washington Street restaurant, Bistro 44. My dining partner and I were not disappointed. The food was sublime, the upscale atmosphere relaxed and the service impeccable. I’ll start with the most important part [...]
To say I’ve said “I have to try that place!” every time I’ve driven by the Sandbox Café & Bath House in Ship Bottom, NJ would be an understatement. So when my fiancé pulled me out the door to go there on a cloudy Sunday before I could crack any eggs, I shouldn’t have been [...]
Yes yes, I know – it’s the middle of the month, and you’re just getting to this now?!?!? Relax – there’s still plenty of great things left to do to tickle your taste buds. Trust me…and don’t look at me like that; it’s going to be OK. 1) Get to your local farm market…NOW! What [...]
Photo Credit: Lenny DiBrango. This beautiful park in Lakewood has an interesting history. Ocean County Park was originally part of John D. Rockefeller’s vacation estate. White pine, hemlock and other unique specimen trees were imported by Rockefeller from all over the country. The lake in the background is called Rocky’s Lake. It was built by [...]
It’s hot. Really hot. The last thing you want to do is be outside. And yet, you are a food enthusiast and it’s high season for food festivals. What’s a person to do? Find lots of shade, drink plenty of fluids, and brave the elements for the following five events: 1) A Taste of Summer [...]
While searching for a restaurant to represent my inaugural review for “Beach Bites,” I sat in a bunch of restaurant parking lots, walked up to a lot of doors, but kept feeling that I hadn’t found “the one.” I needed a classic Long Beach Island restaurant. A place that has weathered countless storms and summer [...]
A view from the hiking trails of Cattus Island Park in Toms River. Cattus Island spans almost 500 acres with miles of trails, many offering beautiful views of the adjacent Silver Bay. For more information on Cattus Island County Park and the many activities they host throughout the year, visit their website http://www.ocean.nj.us/parks/cattus.html. (Photos courtesy [...]
This is a feature that we’d like to run each month to give you all some ideas for food fun in Ocean County. On our own blog, we keep a running list of food events all over South Jersey. For Jersey Bites, we’re looking just at Ocean County, and we’re narrowing it down to just [...]
The sign just popped up one day. Without any warning, a new restaurant was about to open in a still-developing shopping center along Route 9 here in Forked River. The name of the place was going to be Pan Asia, and my first thought was that this was some kind of PF Chang-ish restaurant chain. [...]
