Yeah it feels like bathwater in the summer, but Barnegat Bay is a little chillier than we'd like. Photo courtesy of our dear friend, veteran lifeguard and dedicated Shore videographer Dave. Thanks!

 As we continue to get pummeled by the harshest winter at the Shore in recent memory, it’s hard to imagine a time when the snow will melt and we’ll shed our boots for flipflops, but fear not, Jerseyans – Memorial Day Weekend is 102 days away. (Photo We may not be out of the woods yet (thanks a whole lot, Phil), but we’re a whole lot closer than we were when that Dec. 19 storm dashed procrastinating shoppers dreams and ruined a certain someone’s birthday celebration (what? you say you think I’m still bitter over that? no way!).

 For more snow-tos, visit the APP’s reader galleryfrom the Feb. 6-7 and 9-10 storms. These snowy Shore shots range from beautifully artistic to downright zany – like the snow sculpture of a Camaro and a snapshot of three brave kids plopped into beach chairs wearing their bathing suits.

Before we know it, the sunlight will stretch later into the evening, our favorite seasonal businesses will reopen (anyone else been craving a Colonial Bakery jelly doughnut since October?) and the Barrier Island will reawaken with all the sights, smells and sounds that make summer at the Jersey Shore so sweet.

Until then, here’s a few fun events to keep you motivated as Old Man Winter plans to further assault our summer spirits:

• Mardi Gras Super Saturdayat Jenk’s on Feb. 20. Doors open at 9 p.m., $5 cover after 10. $1 drafts all night and $2 vodka specials from 9-11 p.m. The Nerds will play and the holder of the most beads at the end of the night wins an HDTV. What you must do for said beads was not specified.
• D’Jais Halfway to Summer Party at the Pool at Harrah’s in Atlantic City on Feb. 27. Billed as “the biggest pool party in the middle of winter,” we can’t figure out why this is neither at D’Jais nor at the actual halfway to summer mark, but if you’re into paying $35 to get in and trekking to AC, we’re not going to judge. Full disclosure: I’ve never been to D’Jais and think the Pool smells like, well, a pool.
• Seaside Heights Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for the N.J. Special Olympics on Feb. 27. Those pondering a run into the Atlantic Ocean in February can find some liquid courage and warm sustenance at the Sawmill Cafe with a $3 breakfast buffet and $2 mimosas, bloody Mary’s, screwdrivers and Miller Lite specials from 10-1. A post-plunge party starts at 2 p.m. with music from The VooDudes. If you’re not crazy enough to hop into the frigid sea but want to contribute to the cause, fret not because the Sawmill is donating proceeds to the Specials Olympics.

The view from our table on the Shrimp Box's patio: sunset beyond some of Point Pleasant's commercial fishing fleet. Pretty sweet.

Point Pleasant Beach seafood staple the Shrimp Box’s Web site brags that this Inlet Drive restaurant overlooks nothing but the harbor. A casual Tuesday night dinner with friends very much proved this to be the case. We hit up the Shrimp Box on a recommendation from my cousin’s neighbor. He had eaten there every night this week and loved it. He seemed to be quite serious about this, so we took his word and pedaled over from my cousin’s house. (and then rode bikes to Martell’s Tiki Bar, but that’s another story for another time.) Read the rest of this entry »

Soft shell crabs are a rare appearance at Red's. 3 year old crabs are not.

The wife and I were racking our brains for a quick spot to grab dinner with our kids on the way down the shore a recent Friday night… Spike’s? Too crowded. Patio Bar? More fun sans children. Hmm, how about Red’s?

Tucked away around the outer edge of the inlet away from the crowds, plus counter service (read eat and split at your own pace in case the fit hits the shan) Red’s Lobster Pot seemed to be a good choice with a 3 year old awaking from a car nap and a restless 2 year old that refuses to nap. Throw in outdoor seating on a rare sunny day in this beast of a June we’ve had, and B.Y.O.B., and the choice was easily made. Read the rest of this entry »