Sawmill, we hardly know ye anymore.

This week, Jersey Shore Metromix compiled a photo gallery entitled Closed at the Jersey Shore with shots of dearly departed watering holes. I haven’t been of the legal drinking age long enough to mourn the dive bars that my parents’ generation misses, nor has my social life lost any significant spots. However, while it still stands, the Sawmill is a fraction of what it once was. Ever since the Seaside Park Borough Council voted in 2008 to change the town’s closing time to midnight, this boardwalk staple hasn’t been the same.

Quite frankly, I miss having another place to go see bands, dance and drink cheap beer. You could easily make a whole night of hanging out at the Sawmill, unlike its tinier counterparts that dot the Seaside boards. There was excellent people watching to be had from the stools near the open windows on the lower level and a bird’s eye view of the entire boardwalk undulating northward from the massive upstairs.You could dance on the Green Room’s giant dance floor (why the upstairs area had a different name is beyond me); you could sit at the many tables and play cards or watch the crowd pass by.

Remember Holla for a Dolla? (Forgive the unfortunate spelling; it’s not my doing.) That was awesome – $1 Miller Lites, $1 shots, $1 giant slices of pizza. And the Thursday night mug deal where a bartender would fill your commemorative Sawmill mug with Coors Light or Yuengling for 50 cents. Sadly, my mug now holds pens and pencils in a box under my desk. I’m sure they still have these same deals, but now the bouncers have to start herding everyone out at 11:30 p.m. Not quite the same.

This weekend, I’m bringing that mug home and pouring some beer out of it on the ground for our fallen friend.

On Friday, July 31, the Surf Club’s Blue Moon Jam hosts reggae legends Eek-a-Mouse and King Yellowman. Advance tickets cost $15; cover the night of may be a little bit more. Drink specials: $4 Blue Moons, $2 24-ounce Coors Lights (a cup for the night costs $4 and refills are $2 – bring your own Surf Club cup from a previous Friday and go straight for refills).  For more deals (and a more constant stream of information about the Surf Club than you may have cared for), text Planet Surf to 46786. You’ll get texts to show at the door for reduced admission – quite helpful.

obtain cup, either by paying $4 or bringing one from home; fill up for $2 with Coors Light; repeat until standing is no longer possible.

Over the border into Seaside, Hemingway’s has smaller drafts of Coors Light for $2 as well. There’s no cover. Apparently, DJ Milky Mike is spinning.

If you’re interested in walking the boards, the Sawmill has reopened since making repairs after its fire in April. To the best of our knowledge, Holla for a Dolla Fridays live on with $1 Miller Lite Drafts. No word about $1 slices though.

After nearly facing its demise, the Sawmill and $1 Miller drafts are back.

Unfortunately, the borough of Seaside Park still thinks you should be in bed by midnight. If you’re at the Sawmill till its 11:30 last call, shuffle up the boardwalk to J.R.’s near Sumner Avenue and continue your thrifty ways with more $1 Miller Lite drafts. DJ Encore will be on the turntables. JR’s puts you right on the same level as the boardwalk, giving you almost as close a look as you can get of the ocean and the endless parade flowing down the boardwalk on a weekend night. The people watching probably can’t get any better.

Don't let the sign fool you. This is JR's; not just J's.

Bamboo, everyone’s favorite no-holds-barred, unabashed, thumping nightclub, has Coronas for $2 until midnight for Fiesta Friday. Fair warning: you will be exposed to unhealthy atmospheric levels of Axe bodyspray and Paris Hilton perfume. Wear anything other than Armani Exchange at your own risk.   Underage girls rejoice – 18 for ladies is back. Members of the Boo’s mailing list receive coupons for $5 off admission for under-21 girls and no cover for those of legal age before 12 on Saturday.

The Boo is also pleased to announce its Coors Light-sponsored Bikini Beach Bash and BBQ on Saturday. Doors open at 9 p.m. Brave souls willing to show up in bikinis get free admission.

Bamboo...should be on your Sleazeside bucket list. (photo courtest of metromix.com)

Naturally, you'll find plenty of produce at the Seaside Park Farmer's Market

Just a few years ago, Seaside Park residents had to travel to any of the area supermarkets to procure food suitable to create a balanced meal.

While typical shore staples (read: cold cut subs and limes for Coronas) have always been readily available and appropriate for carrying home within your beach cruiser’s basket, healthy “on to go” options were previously difficult to find.

Times have changed.

On Monday afternoons through Labor Day, bicycle baskets throughout Seaside Park are overflowing with produce and other fresh provisions, courtesy of the Borough’s Farmer’s Market, located on Marina Field, which is situated at the corner of Central Avenue and J Street–directly next to the only traffic light in town.

Operating from 11 AM through 5 PM, the market features traditional fare, including produce and flowers from Jersey Fresh farms, but the provisions here extend well beyond the standard offerings.

Under the white tents, you will find fresh honey products;  a variety of nuts, candies, and herbal products; hot sauce, dips, and other condiments; artisan bread and cheese; eggs, meat, and seafood; cakes and donuts;  and, a mixture of pickled cucumbers, olives, and mushrooms.

Stroll along the lawn and explore the goodness

It’s certainly not your typical farmer’s market, and that’s important here, considering the lack of diverse food products within a reasonable walking and biking distance of Borough residents.

“I’m retired, and this is something that I look forward to,” said Bob Grier, a summertime resident and self-described “snow bird” who divides his time between South Florida and the Borough. “Best of all, it’s all healthy.”

Mr. Grier mentioned that he and his wife, Kathleen, usually purchase a variety of fruits and vegetables, bread, roasted peanuts (”for the beach,” he says), donuts, and sometimes meat, but much to his wife’s chagrin, he’d like to try the “Jersey Death,” a flame inducing hot sauce, found at the Molly Spice Cabinet tent, a Beachwood based business.

“I love hot sauce, but my wife says it’s not good for my acid reflux. In fact, it would do some magic on some of her dishes,” Mr. Grier said in between laughter.

Under the Molly Spice Cabinet tent, a gregarious Patti Budnicki will greet you and happily introduce her products, including the Jersey Death hot sauce, grilling sauces,  fresh herbs and spices, jams, and dips, and explain to you the value of locally and micro-produced items.

Make sure you have the water bucket filled and ready for chugging

All of Ms. Bucnicki’s offerings are produced by small companies–many of which are locally based–that seek to create items that are not typically found in your local supermarket.

“We try to carry the unusual,” Ms. Budnick said.

People are abuzz about the offerings at the Herbertsville Honey Company tent, adjacent to Molly Spice Cabinet, a Point Pleasant based family owned business that was pinned with “Best of Show” and “Best Exhibitors” awards at the 2008 NJ  State Honey Show.

Featuring pure unprocessed local honey, culled from 60 apiaries throughout Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Alf Berg sells, of course, honey, but also honey byproducts, including raw honey pollen, honey comb, and honey based soap, creams, and lip balm, among other products.

No bees here -- just fresh honey products

“I’ve been beekeeping for 10 years and [selling honey products] for six years,” Mr. Berg commented during my review of his offerings. “It started as a hobby, and I just went nuts with it.”

Beyond the Seaside Park Farmer’s Market, you may find Herbertsville Honey Company’s offerings at Shore Restaurant Supply and Allen Farms, both in Brick, as well as the Bay Head Cheese Shop in Bay Head.

Let your nose direct you to the Nuts For You tent, a Trenton based business, where Dutch Swayze presents an impressive spread of bagged candy, fruit, and nuts, along with shaved ice and freshly roasted peanuts. You will certainly find something amongst the offerings to satisfy your cravings.

The colorful displays will seduce you

“We sell our products at five farmer’s markets each week,” Mr. Swayze told me while I stared lustfully at a peanut roasting apparatus. “Behind here, that’s our antique peanut roaster — made in 1920.”

It may be pushing 90 years old, but this peanut roaster is still a workhorse

Mr. Swayze’s display is sure enough to ignite your senses; if it’s not the smell wafting from the peanut roaster, the colorful explosion of his bagged offerings will certainly draw you.

If Ms. Budnicki, Mr. Berg, and Mr. Swayze don’t manage to grab your attention, you will certainly have trouble not stopping at the Italian Treasures tent, aka “The Bread Man,” which is manned by Marco Minuto, a colorful guy who knows how to artfully market his products.

Based in New Hope, PA, at this tent, the namesake is authentic, where you will find “all kinds of focaccia and multi-grain breads, fresh mozzarella, and other types of Italian cheeses,” Mr. Minuto said.

Perfect for a tomato and mozz sandwich

After a brief explanation of the ingredients within each loaf, Mr. Minuto said that Italian Treasures has been in the farmer’s market circuit for five years, with a weekly stand, in addition to here, in Toms River, Barnegat, and Lacey.

As it was clear that Mr. Minuto obviously knows his breads, I was curious about his favorite pick.

“Ciabatta,” he said cheerfully. “It’s the Italian slipper bread.”

Seaside Park residents and those of neighboring towns should rest assured that they can find Jersey Fresh products here. Just don’t stare too hard if you see people biking around on Monday afternoons with food overflowing from their baskets.

And, if you’re on a carb-free diet this summer, beware of Mr. Minuto, as he’ll try to persuade you otherwise.

Asked what he would say to someone on such a diet, he said, “Just try the multi-grain bread. You’ll love it.”

The Seaside Park Farmer’s Market is held at Marina Field, located at the corner of J Street and Central Avenue, every Monday through Labor Day weekend from 11 AM to 5 PM. After Labor Day weekend, it is held at the same location and same times on Sundays until Columbus Day weekend. For more information, you may contact Seaside Park Borough Hall at 732-793-3700.

Located on the corner of 10th and Central Avenues, The 3 C’s has been serving up classic breakfast and lunch fare for almost two decades. The owner, Gail, brings a passion for not just food, but for making customers feel welcomed, entertained, and most importantly, full.

Besides the excellent breakfast and lunch offerings at this year-round haunt, this is the place if you’re interested in other “dishes,” i.e. local news, politics, and fishing.

Gail and her dedicated and hardworking crew are colorful and will keep you awake, even though the bottomless cup of coffee will help with that task. This luncheonette is known for its onion and green pepper home fries, waffles topped with fruit, and generous egg platter sizes.

Now, during the Summer of 2009, The 3 C’s may add to its local legend with something else: dinner.

In small barrier island towns, word travels fast, and it’s even faster if you hear it directly from the source. During a bike ride, I happened to see Gail walking her dog along the Barnegat Bay, and I stopped to ask about The 3 C’s.

As a luncheonette (meaning that she is up before dawn to serve patrons), I was somewhat surprised to hear that dinner service is on tap for the summer, considering the long days.

However, as a smart businesswoman, she apparently senses an opportunity.

According to Gail, especially during these recessionary times, people want tasty, wholesome meals at a fair price. Among other meal offerings, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, she is serving homemade baby back ribs, crab cakes, and steak–all fresh. I’m wondering if she will offer her famous onion and green pepper home fries as a side.

She has invited me for a dinner tasting, and I will certainly take her up on the offer soon and review my experience.

Is the dinner as good as the breakfast/lunch offerings? Stay tuned!

The 3 C’s Luncheonette is located at 1001 SW Central Ave Seaside Park, NJ 08752. Outdoor seating is available.

In the sunglasses department, there may be an late 80’s, early 90’s revival at hand. The classic Ray Ban Wayfarers are back in (did they ever really go out?). The latest comeback for this stalwart… inspired by the recent Guitar Hero Risky Business commercials, perhaps?

Lumbo samples his own merchandise

If the shades below look vaguely familiar, recall the old school Oakleys you (OK, make that I) rocked back in the day. Men.style.com says the see-through rims are the trend du jour, but the tortoise and the black rims are tight (90’s theme, c’mon).

Smiths Work for Misters and Missus $100 - $125

For board shorts, there’s a new stretch fabric, water resistant material washing up onshore. Keeps the chafe away and the boys happy.

Bill Alexander Bong's Platinum X board shorts, 75 clams

And Mike’s predicting a surge in skimboarding, moving more of these suckers so far this year than maybe even all of last summer. Makes sense, cheaper than a surfboard, effective when there’s no waves… And like every other alternative-type sport, the kids are pushing the envelope more and more all the time.

Zap Skimboards - start around $80

So watch your ankles down by the surf this summer, because if there’s a surge in skimboard sales, that most certainly means skimboard grommets!

Lumbo is celebrating his 10th anniversary at Right Coast, so he outta know! Stop in and get schooled by and old school fool himself.