Eating Around Ocean City, NJ

Memorial Day and shore season approacheth, my friends. Time for some shore-themed posts.

Since buying our house in Ocean City in October 2015, MFD and I have made it a point to get out and sample as many places as we can for a few reasons - in case renters ask our opinion, and also to support small businesses. And honestly in the off/shore chores season, because we're too damn tired to make anything. There are many places to try and we're not finished yet (I've been coming to this town for 40 years and I'm not finished yet), but here are our favorites in town right now.

Coffee & Donuts
-Drip n’ Scoop, 9th & Asbury. The best iced coffee on the island. Try the honey glaze donut.
-Local’s Coffee, 6th & the Boardwalk. Passable iced coffee on the boardwalk.
-Brown’s Donuts, 1st & Boardwalk. The cinnamon sugar donuts taste like my childhood. You can also eat at Brown's, and it's just called Brown's, of course...I added the donuts.

Take Out
-Bennie’s Bread, 12th & Asbury. Crumb cake and tomato pie. Good takeout Italian stuff too and, of course, bread.
-Voltaco’s, 10th & West. Takeout sandwiches. Cash only.

Sit Down
-Jon & Patty’s, 6th & Asbury. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
-Luigi’s, 9th & West. Simple but excellent Italian, the best on the island. Meatballs and lemon loaf are a must. Everything is made in-house. Takeout available but nice ambiance for a dinner out. Credit cards accepted, but tips are cash only.
-Ike’s Seafood, 13th & Boardwalk. So I actually don't like fried shrimp...but I like Ike's fried shrimp. And their fruit tea.
-Cousin’s, 1st & Asbury. Large portions, more expensive but good.
-Bob’s, 14th & Boardwalk. Not a bad breakfast, good views and outdoor ambiance.
-Northend Beach Grill for breakfast. There is literally always a line so if you are going to make the wait longer, you're going to have to google the address. LOL
-Yianni’s, 8th & Asbury. All around good food. The only place I buy bagels in town. Go early for them.
-OC Surf Cafe, 8th & Atlantic, for breakfast.

Buy on the fly
-Shriver’s, 9th & Boardwalk. The only place I will buy candy.
-Shriver's Gelato - veddy good.
-Pizza by the slice: Tony P's (9th & Boardwalk), Angelo's (13th & Boardwalk), NY Pizza (Promenade on the Boardwalk)
-Ice cream: Prep’s for sundaes (10th & Boardwalk), Kohr Bros mint julep (everywhere), Aloha Soft Serve (13th & Boardwalk), Yoasis (12th & Boardwalk, they have soft serve with awesome toppings but also healthier Beach Bowls)

Places I don't love: Manco & Manco, Ocean City Coffee Company, Johnny Rockets, Ready's, Varsity Grill.

If you're an OCNJ person, what are some of your favorite places to eat?

Linking up with Betsy at Musings of a Museum Fanatic

Things I'm Not

At a certain point in blogging life, any time you think of an idea for a post you automatically think well shit, have I done this before? I've been using this space since August 2011. By this point, chances are I've done it or something like it before. I just hope it's not been any time in recent memory. Anyhoo...some things I'm not.

Perfect. I love the quirks and the stuffing sticking out of the sides of people's lives more than anything that's straight down the middle. I don't have a version of myself I want to present to you here that's different than the myself I am everywhere else.

Sad that I don't have kids. I have not had one second of regret over that decision. The older I get the happier I am that I stuck to my guns and listened to my gut instead of societal pressures.

As aloof as I appear to be when you first meet me. I am not outwardly warm and fuzzy when I first meet people. I am reserved and observant and that combined with resting bitch face can come off poorly. I'm used to hearing I thought you were a bitch by now. And to be fair, sometimes I am a bitch, because I don't like you.

Fashionable or trendy. I will wear what I like and am comfortable in. If that happens to be in style, great. If that happens to make me look like Dorothy Zbornak, that's okay too.

A joiner. I don't seek out ways to occupy my time with group activities. I'm not most comfortable in a large group.

A night owl. I prefer the morning.

Going to keep doing something that has stopped working for me. I change stuff as often as necessary.

Interested in giving up cream in my coffee. Ever.

Lonely. A few weeks ago I was at the shore and MFD was home. He called and said "Are you lonely? You sound lonely." I said, "Do you know me? I'm never lonely." LOL Do I miss him sometimes when we're not together? Sure. But I'm never lonely.

A windows up driver. Windows down, music up.

Bored. One of my pet peeves is adults who say they're bored. You're an adult with a brain. Figure out something to do.

A head patter or sugar coater. I am not the person you come to when you need  or want those things.

In need of approval. Yours, hers, his, anyone's.

A survivor. If the apocalypse comes and we end up in some world that closely resembles any of the Dystopian novels I've read, someone go ahead and put me out of all of our miseries.

A napper. My goal for this summer is to be able to take a nap on the weekends and wake up without being a troll from hell.

A joke teller. I have no ability to retain jokes so that makes it very hard to tell them.

Afraid of confrontation. I don't actively seek it out, but I don't back down from it either.

Someone who uses a hair dryer. My hair gets blown dry at the salon because Kristi will not let me out of the chair otherwise. That is the only time. No exceptions for weddings, events, etc.

Comfortable speaking in public. I hate it. Nothing will make me feel good about it.

A paid protester. I just wanted to clarify. There seem to be some misconceptions out in the world today.

A dropoff Democrat. PA friends, I hope you're voting in the primary today. Polls are open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Do not be the person who only votes every four years or every two years please. Local elections are extremely important - primaries included - and they happen every year. I'm actually probably not a true Democrat anymore either if I ever was, but you need to pick a party in order to be able to vote in the PA primary. Rude.

PA Dem voters: Check out Ellen Ceisler for Commonwealth Court Judge. She's fierce. 

Philly Dem voters: Larry Krasner for DA. He's progressive as fuck which we need right now. 

His civil rights background is exceptional. A straight shooter, no posturing or politicking. 

Lay it on me. What are some things you're not?

TWTW - the last one with the paint, lord I hope

Friday afternoon and evening errands had me ready to cut a bitch. Chill. Everyone. I got some new nail polish (OPI My Private Jet, Meet Me on the Star-Ferry, and This Color's Making Waves), picked up DiBruno goods for Sunday, and went to my second home (Sherwin Williams) after work.

We were lounging at the shore by 9. I fell asleep on the couch soon after and woke up at 5:19 for the day. Blah.

Saturday there was a Nor'Easter at the shore so it was a good day to paint. MFD and I painted together for the first time in 14 years and survived. We touched up paint on the third floor and painted the stairwell on the way up, then trim paint on the main floor. Everything movable from the top floor had to be put in a second floor bedroom for carpet replacement that's happening today.

I sought out sustenance at Wawa after that, which is only mentioned because I had to walk through this to get there.

Hark! I actually took a nap Saturday. That never happens. I was tired from going up and down the stairs and painting and moving shit and crying my eyes out over E.T. the movie. After that we took a rainy ride down to see the ocean and ride along the boardwalk.

We had dinner at Luigi's - the restaurant itself has been there forever, but it's under new owners as of March. Same name. The food was excellent and everything is made in house. 

I didn't fall asleep until close to 1, so no 5 am wakeup for the sunrise. It felt nice to sleep in. We did a bunch of clean up upstairs from the painting and installed the one air conditioner that was out for the winter. Then we took a glorious bike ride on the boards. Everyone and their mother (literally) was out, beautiful water, surfers surfing. We had lunch at the Bashful Banana.

Then it was crying time. Nothing puts me in a bad mood like leaving the shore on a gorgeous day. MFD drove home which meant I had to read to not die of fright. Poor Geege is always someone's pillow or seat. 

Weekly food prep is happening tomorrow: Breakfast is scrambled eggs topped with broccoli, snacks are blackberries or carrots with hummus, lunch is salmon spinach salad, and dinners are turkey taco lettuce wraps and garlic naan pizzas. In the 25 minutes I was home I assembled a little cheese appetizer to take to Aubrey & Stephen's. Thanks DiBruno.

I celebrated Mother's Day at Stephen & Aubrey's with Mom, Rich, Swan, Pop, Debbie, and Aub's family. It was a lovely day and the food was delicious. MFD went to his Mom's. I am seeing Carol for lunch in the city when we can get a good day. I got home around 8 and painted my nails (OPI My Private Jet) and called it a day. We were all tired. 

Nothing says Monday like an 8:30 a.m. dentist appointment followed by a meeting in which half of my face will not work thanks to Novocaine, am I right? 

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

Aaaand Scene!

I haven't watched Adventures in Babysitting in years, but I think about it an inordinate amount for someone who is not a big fan or frequent watcher. That is entirely attributable to one thing about the movie: Brenda's experiences in the bus station.

Every time I'm in a crazy or weird scene - typically downtown during one of my lunch walks or during a commute - I think I am Brenda. I am Brenda in Adventures in Babysitting and everyone around me is fucking crazy. 

I feel like finding a payphone, closing myself in the booth as I'm watching the shit go down, and calling my bff on the phone to describe the scene. Which makes sense since I am most comfortable in any situation as an observer. I associate it with a desire to share stories. Sometimes sharing is a vehicle in which I can flex a writing muscle. Sometimes I share in hopes of making people think or laugh.

Sometimes I just need to tell people that I saw a woman hand her teeth over to another woman to hold in Dollar General on Wednesday, casual as you please as she said, "Hold my teeth. I forgot to get the Pringles."

Wednesday was a Brenda day for sure. And that bitch Chris never came to pick me up.

 Other I'm Brenda moments here and here.

Enjoy your weekend, and may you not pick up an oversize sewer rat because you have misjudged it for a kitten.

Thursday Thoughts - and the bell was ringing in the village square for the rabbits on the run

1. It's that magical time of year where the aroma of urinal cakes perfumes the descent into Suburban Station from the street. I never see said cakes and for all I know it could be some fucked up spray that smells like urinal cakes but whatever, it's back. And all it does is just delay the actual pee smell for a few more steps.

2. After getting a cavity filled right where it would be most uncomfortable because it was near the root of a tooth, I soothed myself with a walk to the library on Monday. It was a chilly but gorgeous day and Swann Fountain is just magnificent right now. Then the dentist office called Wednesday to see if I'd like to come in a week early to take care of the other cavity in the same tone of voice you would use to ask someone if they wanted a free day off to spend at the beach. Cavity filling is not a treat and hell no, I would not. Do you people even know me? I need time to prepare.

3. I had dinner at Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille last night with two of my oldest friends. The company and food were both great.

4. This week in athleisure shoes. Houston, I have a problem. My coworkers were referring to me as Lady Glitter Sparkles when I wore the iridescent ones. I had to Google her and got a good laugh.

5. I was happy MFD took a few hours to go fishing this week. The dogs were happy to take his spot.

6. Watching Sally Yates being talked to like a naughty little girl by some Senators put me in a hulk smash mood. I can feel giant wings unfurling on my back like a Phoenix rising every time I see patriarchal bullshit. I hope all of my lady friends and men who aren't afraid of strong women are feeling the same: on the rise. The future is female and people who respect females because we're fucking tired of old white men telling us what to do and acting like we don't know a damn thing. Have several seats. Your time is over.

7.  Patriots on both sides of the aisle will support, no, demand the appointment of an independent special investigator into the Russian connection. People who think how they are told to think will not support that appointment. I urge you to read this article from someone not on the same political spectrum as me. In the words of Thomas Paine in 1776: "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." What's the harm in a special investigator? There is none. If it's all smoke, it clears it and we move on and if it's actually fire it gets extinguished before it burns us all. We've spent far more on investigations into allegations of much less. The Senate Judiciary main line is accepting nationwide feedback on the assignment of a Special Prosecutor (Trump/ Russia) and are keeping a running tally to deliver to the committee - call: 202-224-5225. I have yet to get through but I will keep trying. If it's important to you, I hope you do as well.

8. Today is National Twilight Zone Day. To that I say, just one day? 

9. The Chinese Lantern Festival is back in Philly. Here's my post about going last year. It's still in Franklin Square, tickets are still $17 adult/$15 65+ and active military/$12 kids 17 and under/$0 kids under 2, etc. This year's dates are May 9-June 11. You can buy tickets online. 

10. E-card of the week: tra la la la la

Gus puked most of the night. MFD was on clean up duty but I still got shitty sleep. There's a triumvirate vet appointment today anyway so that's good.

TTFN.

Linking up with Kristin & Joey