Donovan's Reef in chillier times - no sweats required this weekend! (Photo courtesy of jerseyshore.metromix.com)

Now it’s really here – the kids are out of school; seasonal rentals are beginning; and the 4th of July looms ever nearer. If this gorgeous sunny weather we’ve been having hasn’t put you in the mood for cocktails al fresco, get your pulse checked. Fortunately, the Shore abounds with all sorts of spots for you to get your drink on, enjoy the sweet summer night air and take in a splendid view.

Here’s what’s good for this weekend:

• A True Story makes their debut Surf Club performance Friday night during the bar’s new Free For All Fridays. In the interest of full disclosure, LFJS loves, loves, LOVES this band (and has known its lead singer since middle school) so if it seems like we’re playing favorites, we are. Nick, Vic, Rick, John and Matt play their own awesomely catchy originals and can turn any bar into a rollicking dance party. Keep your ears out for their killer versions of “Bye Bye Bye,” “Shout,” anything by Kings of Leon and “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz (hint hint, Nick). It’ll be easy on your wallet too – no cover, $1 Coors Light drafts, $3 shot specials, $5 Grey Goose drinks, $5 keep-the-cup Seven Tiki spiced rum drinks, which, whatever they are, sound dangerous.
• Bar A throws a Devotion Vodka party on Saturday for those of you devoted to vodka. If you go early, happy hour is on the new grotto beach – let us know what it’s like! No cover until 9 p.m., $2.75 Heineken and Amstel Lights until 11:30, Miller Lite draft, Stoli Apple and Pomegranate specials.
• The Patio Bar at the Wharfside in Point Pleasant Beach, a great waterfront spot to drink and dine outside, has the Jamie Brown Trio from 1-5 p.m. and Undisputed from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday.
• Donovan’s Reef has Bitter X at 6 p.m. on Sunday if you’re looking to extend your weekend with some Sunday Funday beachfront festivities.

Adam Richman takes on a monster sandwich in MvF's first season.

If you’ve ever happened upon the Travel Channel on a Wednesday night, you’ve doubtlessly seen several episodes of Man vs. Food. If you haven’t, in short, host Adam Richman visits a city/region and hits up its notable eateries. He rounds out each episode by taking on a  food challenge. I’ve seen him take down 72 oz. steaks, somehow eat wings made with the spiciest peppers on Earth and eat gigantic ice cream sundaes. I had always thought our beloved Jersey Shore and its greasy gastronomic offerings would be perfect fodder for an episode. So, one day last week, the @ManvFood Twitter account tweeted a list of upcoming locales. And, what do you know, the Jerz was on their to-do list!

I intended to write a post about how they were coming here and name some places Adam could try out, but they actually beat me to it. On Thursday, my brother called to say he thought he saw them taping at Hoffman’s Ice Cream in Point Pleasant Beach. Curiosity obviously got the better of me, so Cait and I hopped in the car and headed up there.

The cast and crew were indeed there and Adam was in the back learning how Hoffman’s makes their ice cream. A herd of giggling girls perched inside and people streamed in and out all day. (Yours truly may or may not have been filmed eating a cotton candy cone with rainbow sprinkles for the show’s b-roll.) However, we got to chatting with the crew’s intern and he said they’re visiting Maruca’s on the Seaside boardwalk (a place we at LFJS know a thing or two about) on Friday, June 4 and Chicken or the Egg in Beach Haven on Saturday, June 5.

But, if you had the chance to choose which of our fair coast’s fine food institutions to give America a true Jersey Shore dining experience?

A Seaside Tony at Steaks Unlimited? (Cheese steak with cheeseballs inside. If you had to ask, go get yourself one pronto -  preferably after a night out.)

Something from Surf Taco? (I vote for the Aloha Wrap – pineapples, grilled chicken, veggies, teriyaki sauce and goodness.)

A bomber sandwich at Bayside Cafe? (Pretty sure that one has your choice of breakfast meat, egg, cheese and hashbrowns on a roll. Wouldn’t know though, I usually go for raspberry and chocolate chip pancakes and think you should too.)

A sausage sandwich at Midway?

The possibilities are endless. I just hope he has some Tums.

Don't let its seeming-emptiness fool you. This boardwalk's about to be overrun.

Gentle readers, it is upon us. On Friday, our fair island will be inundated with seasonal owners, their guests and, yes, the dreaded Benny. For lifelong beach kids like yours truly, Memorial Day Weekend (MDW for the uninitiated) is better than Christmas. Beach, barbecue, beers, old friends – what’s not to like?

For those of you seeking entertainment outside your own backyard, here are our picks:

• Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns at the Beachcomber Thursday night at 10 p.m. Party with Shorty, definitely among my favorite Shore bands, in the boardwalk bar where Snooki got punched. Bud Light drafts are usually $1.50; there’s never a cover and when you get hungry, Steaks Unlimited is right across the street.
• If you’re an early riser, Jenks and WPLJ 95.5 will salute the unofficial start to summer with the sunrise for the 2010 Summer Blast Off with the Scott and Todd Morning Show at 6 a.m., Barenaked Ladies, Kris Allen (see, who says winning American Idol doesn’t get you anywhere?) and then Lifespeed at night.
• Hemingway’s is touting the “biggest party in Seaside Heights” from May 28-30 on its website, whatever that means.
• The Osprey in Manasquan has a cover band-eriffic weekend with Big Bang Baby, Screaming Broccoli and Bitter X Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Bad news though, you still can’t wear flip flops.

Were I you, I’d probably stay away from MTV’s magnificent 7’s favorite hotspots this weekend. Save Bamboo and Karma for another time, friends.

Another thing to remember, prices are going to jump higher than Snickers’ poof this weekend on just about everything. Last summer, a 2.5 mile cab ride from Used to Be’s to my house cost $60, which we should have negotiated before getting in the taxi. The Ortley Beach McDonald’s banishes their dollar menu beginning MDW, although hours have been extended to round-the-clock, so find late-night snacks elsewhere. Also, the invasion of horrendous drivers has already begun so be extra careful.

We’ll be tweeting with #MDW10 all weekend and you should too! Happy summer!!

shorty!

Lots of stuff going on around the shore this weekend – Cinco de Mayo continues into Seis de Mayo, bands we like are around, and there’s good deals to be had. Let’s review…

• Hemingway’s combines its belated Cinco de Mayo celebration with its new Thursday night promotion, Plan B Thursdays. No, not so called because they anticipate patrons to need emergency contraception the next day (but it kinda sounds like it, right?), but because they’ve gotten giddily alliterative with specials on beers and bomb shots and live music from bands. $2 Coors Lights and Yuenglings, $3 bomb shots from 12-1, no word yet on this Thursday’s band.
• Speaking of featured bands, super-fun cover band A True Story will make their monthly appearance at Bar A on Friday. Full disclosure, ATS’s singer Nick is a dear friend of mine. Rick, Vic, John and Matt round out the band and in addition to some awesome originals, they cover almost everything and do it well. Seriously, their Kings of Leon covers sound just like, well, Kings of Leon. Also, they don’t shy away from the occasional Britney jam.  Bar A VIP card holders can swap their old cards for new ones; have-nots can purchase cards. Bud Lights cost $2, well-drinks $2.25, no cover before 9 p.m.

A True Story continues to rock out despite a stage-crasher at Bar A last summer.

• Supposedly the next best thing to seeing Sublime live is seeing Badfish and you can do so Friday night at the Surf Club. Tickets cost $16 in advance and $18 at the door, $2 Coors Light drafts.
• If Saturday’s 40 percent chance of thunderstorms doesn’t scare you off, Dr. Cheeko mans the afternoon shift at Martell’s Tiki Bar and there’s nothing like a fresh-squeezed OJ drink to deal with the heat we’ve been having lately.

Martell's Tiki Bar on the Point Pleasant boardwalk is just as fun by day or night.

• If you’re devoid of cooking skills and would rather just take Mom out for brunch on Mother’s Day, Metromix Jersey Shore rounded up a list of brunches in the area.

ole!

In 1862, the underdog Mexican army whooped the French army’s butt in the Battle of Puebla. In 2010, American corporations still use the holiday – now virtually meaningless in Mexico – as an excuse to promote overconsumption of beer and nachos. Such utter blatant manipulation of a military victory for commercial gain can be depressing, but it’s nothing a Corona can’t fix, right?

Fortunately, we have several options at the Shore for you to partake in the fiesta.

• Cinco de Taco: Surf Taco, the Shore’s favorite quasi-Mexican chain, will host a daylong celebration of all things taco that kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Jackson location – the only ST legally capable of selling tequila-enhanced margaritas. Billy Simmonds, GoodBie Amy, P-dub, Matt O’Ree, Stolen Rose and Flight Skool will play. Kids can enjoy some games and everyone can try out the mechanical surf board, which, for the record, we think is way cooler than a mechanical bull.
• Jenks’ Cinco de Mayo: Point Pleasant Beach’s massive boardwalk club Jenks will host New Jersey’s veteran cover band The Benjamins for their Saturday night party. Doors open at 9 and cover costs $5 after 10. Aluminum Bud Light bottles are on special for $3.
• Spicy’s Cantina: If you’re a stickler for technicalities, the fiesta at Spicy’s on the Seaside Heights will happen on the day itself, Wednesday the 5th. All sorts of festivities begin at 11 a.m. – a burrito eating contest, scavenger hunt, musical chairs, prize giveaways and a mariachi band will play from 6-9 p.m. Inexplicably, wings will be on special for 39 cents each.

If Dos Equis and tequila aren’t your bag, there’s lots more going on this weekend too:

The Surf Club reopens after its winter hiatus with the season’s inaugural Planet Surf on Friday night. Predator Dub Assassins, Hometown Roll and DJ Shaka will entertain the masses. Coronas, Corona Lights and tequila-based drinks will be $1 off. Thanks to our friends at Metromix, print out this coupon to get in for free.

On Sunday, Joey Harrison will welcome back the fist-pumping crowd for the 2010 debut of the Sunday Jam. Mind Control DJs Richie Santan and Peter Bailey and house DJs Liscious and Raphael will spin. The Coors Light Girls will be on hand to usher in the season and everyone will be treated to a free barbecue from 3-5 p.m. VIP cards for this year will be given out – no word about there being a special giveaway for Friday nights yet. We’ll look into it.

And now for something entirely different…

Vintage surfboards on display at Tuckerton Seaport

The Northeast’s first-ever surf museum will open its doors Saturday at Tuckerton Seaport. Some chick we know wrote about it for the Asbury Park Press, but, inexplicably, her story never went online so we can’t link to it. She swears the museum looks really cool. It displays surfboards of every shape, size and design and tells the history of surfing in New Jersey, from the days when “ironing boards” – primitive leash-less surfboards – were banned up and down the coast because some of the earliest Jersey Shore surfers couldn’t hang onto them in the water and they would smack the legs of unsuspecting waders. There are even artifacts from the day when surf behemoth Ron Jon sold more nautical furniture than surfboards.

Aside from the surf museum, the Seaport is a really cool spot to check out so if you make the trek down to Tuckerton, take a peak around.

Tuckerton Seaport is located at 120 W. Main St. Tuckerton. To get there from points north, take the Garden State Parkway to exit 58 and make a left off the ramp. Follow Route 539 to its intersection with Route 9 and make a right. The Seaport is on your left about half a mile south. Tickets cost $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for children older than 5. For more information, call 609-296-8868. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Finding parking at the Jersey Shore is a war zone.

Summer 2010 is rapidly approaching and New Jersey natives are counting down the days until Memorial Day weekend. This highly anticipated unofficial start of summer means you can break out your summer white (a rule I never quite followed), head to the beach, and much to my dismay drive up and down tiny one way blocks for an exorbitant amount of time in search of the holy grail of parking spots.

As someone who has to endure a 20 minute speed race down Route 18 in order to reach my favorite coast, I am often greeted with a battle royale against soccer moms, teens, locals, and the dreaded guidos for my primo spot.  I kid you not, last summer as my friend and I took a break
from melting in the sun at Pier Village and walked to the long line of
shops for lunch, we stopped in our tracks as we heard a loud altercation
brewing.

Before we knew it people were lining the boardwalk to watch a 20-something year old male duke it out with a middle aged dad. Profanity was exchanged, punches were thrown, and the cops were not too far behind…all over a parking spot!

From where I stood in the crowd it seemed as though the younger male was attempting to stand in the spot, reserving it for his friend, while the older male deemed that not to be a viable option. Mr. Dad decided to just inch his oversized SUV into the VIP spot. The rest is history.

Now my friends and I on the other hand have our own creative ways of getting around this ever so frustrating parking system, especially at Pier Village. There is a ridiculous amount of parking given solely to the lucky elite who get to live in these luxurious beach front apartments, the rest of the complex only allows for limited 2-hour parking for beach goers and shoppers alike. I don’t know about you but I find it rather annoying to get up when I’m soaking up some quality rays to move my Jeep from spot A to spot B.

At times I thought I was invincible and chose to live on the wild side, not moving my car, which has resulted in a hefty $50 ticket (thanks Mom for paying that) but since then I’ve utilized my devious frame of mind and have yet to get caught. I may or may not regret sharing this, but hey if I can help my fellow beach bums out, why not.

While doing some Sherlock Holmes-esque investigating I noticed that the Long Branch Police were driving around marking peoples tires with that annoying line of chalk to keep track of their time spent in the parking lot. It just so happened on this particular day I was able to bag a spot so close to the beach that it almost killed me to give it up. So what did I do you ask? That’s simple, got out my water bottle, had my friend be on the lookout, and pour my water over my tire and asphalt so that the chalk mark washed away. Some of you may laugh at this, but this is the closet I’ve been to messing with the law.

It may look suspicious to officers walking up and down the aisle to see a puddle of water strategically splattered next to just one tire so my friends and I have gone to such extremes of moving the car ever so slightly so that the tracks don’t match as well as giving all four of our tires a nice bath so that it’s not traceable.  I have yet to get caught, and I also probably just jinxed myself as I type this.

Other beaches that are just a downright disaster to park at are Belmar and Point Pleasant.  Don’t even bother driving toward 16^th Street in Belmar, not only will you be welcomed by throngs of high school kids in their itty bitty bikinis and UGG boots but you will also gain about 10 years on your life just looking for a spot near that infamous Dunkin’ Donuts. I’ve had many years of experience duking it out for spots and Belmar is a death trap.

Point Pleasant is another war zone when it comes to parking. I don’t normally go to Point Pleasant during the day; it has always been more of a boardwalk nighttime hotspot for me. Last summer my friends and I wanted to try out our newly 21-year-old lifestyle at Martell’s Tiki Bar for some daytime drinking. We shouldn’t have been surprised that the parking was horrendous.

One would think that my friend’s itsy bitsy Beetle (yes she drives one of those) would be an easy advantage to squeezing in tight spots but boy were we wrong. Driving up and down the extremely packed residential streets gets tiring and before you know it every passenger in the car is agitated and the driver is just about to jump through the roof.

There is a municipal parking lot at the very end of the boardwalk that is metered and a quarter buys you 20 minutes. There are also a few private pay lots that charge from $4.00 to $12.00 depending on the crowds and the time of year. Much to our dismay we coughed up the dough and threw up our hands for the private pay lot which had a very long line might I add.

Don’t let my parking nightmares deter you from heading to the beach this season, because I’m still going and discovering new ways to find faster, easier, and cheaper parking. We all might as well help each other out, because the last thing I want to do is get my precious time in the sun via sunroof as I drive aimlessly up and down Ocean Ave.  See you all behind the wheel!

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.)

The three of us sat right down at a table on the Box’s patio and were treated to a spectacular sunset over the water. Not 20 feet away, some of Point’s commercial fishing boats are tied up, so you know the fish has got to be fresh. Friendly young servers flit around clad in t-shirts that urge you to “drink outside the Box” and a seasonal bar has set up shop beneath a canopy.

Dusk at the entrance to the Shrimp Box's patio - Outside the Box, where, yes you can think, drink and eat.

We split a coconut shrimp appetizer, which was awesomely coconut-y and accompanied by a tangy orange dipping sauce. The shrimp were massive and impressively butterflied. The spicy sauce was a nice touch with the sweetness of the coconut coating.

My cousin, in poor form, ordered a chicken sandwich, which she liked enough to wrap up and take for lunch the next day. Our other dining companion ordered the sauteed – not fried – crab cake and raved about it. I ordered the fish and chips and was thoroughly satisfied with my decision. My mind fails to recall exactly what type of fish it was, but it was white,  flaky and beer-battered – just as fish and chips should be. (One gripe: the side of green beans were too dark-green-looking and I, being a new green bean fan, was not having it. I’m fairly crazy though, so don’t let this deter you from enjoying vegetables at the Shrimp Box.)

Everything we ate was exceptionally fresh and the casual dockside setting was the perfect backdrop to our ladies’ night. After three entrees, one appetizer, two glasses of wine and a beer, the damage was just $62 – insanely reasonable for the Shore in July. While all the neighboring seafood restaurants - like Red’s, Spike’s and the Wharfside - are excellent, the Shrimp Box definitely deserves a visit. Before 6 p.m. on a weekday or Sunday and 5 p.m. on a Saturday, you can snag a sunset dinner: entree, beverage, chowder or a trip to the salad bar, potato, veggie and dessert for $12-16. Not too shabby at all.

The Shrimp Box is located at 75 Inlet Drive, Point Pleasant Beach. For more information, call 732-899-1637
or visit www.theshrimpbox.com.

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.

We hadn’t been to Red’s in a while and had to actually Google the location, which also brought up a useful Tommy Eats review. You’d be hard pressed to find a better overview of Red’s than his, and it appears absolutely nothing has changed there since his Sept. 2006 post.

There’s a small indoor restaurant of about 12 tables that, even on a quiet pre-4th of July weekend had a wait time, as the friendly hostess pointed out. Word to the wise, they don’t take tables bigger than four inside, and you should probably think about going somewhere else with a bigger party.

Biggest differentiator is probably the pasta-leaning menu inside, fried fish and fries heavy menu outside, tough it looks like Red can mix it up. There’s was a delicious looking blackened Mako bites over salad that we regretted not ordering, and an Asian Squid Salad on the menu. Both indoor and outdoor have their own separate collection of specials.

We were already sold on the dockside counter, which is one of those shore places that on one hand looks like it could use an update (and maybe a good power-washing) but really, what would they change? The reddish-orange hue of the picnic and built in tables? Nah, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

I steam, you steam, we all steam for steamed clams. YUM.

We ordered a pot of steamers ($13), fish ‘n chips for the kids to split ($20), fried scallops for the lady ($26 or so), which were juicy and just sort of briny enough and very fresh. Everything was top notch. I was full on going in for the lobster roll after reading Tommy’s review in the car, but my mind was quickly changed by the appearance of soft shell crabs with cajun seasoning on the speicals. The cashier/order taker assured me these are rarely available, sealing the deal (despite the $29 price tag). They were among the best I’ve ever had, and a true early summer treat as I believe our season for them is short.

Soft shell crab primer: Epicurious says ’soft-shell crabs are really blue crabs that have recently molted and are in the process of growing their new shells. This allows the crustacean to be eaten whole, shell and all.’ Had I thought about all the molting would I have ordered differently? Probably not.

Belly full of Sam Smiths IPA and fried goodness, we hung back for a few minutes and checked out the fishing boats, listened to the band rocking some cover tunes across the water at the Patio Bar, and annoyed other diners by letting our kids run amok around the lower seating area. Recalling the $86 bill, and looking at the menu, I’m thinking the next stop there will be for the much cheaper lunch, but it was well worth it!

Red’s Lobster Pot is located at 57 Inlet Drive : Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. For more information call 732.295.6622

All's well that ends well. The fishing boats coming in for the evening is a fun treat for the kids.