The Red Bank Trilogy

Over the past six weeks, my friend Shannon and I have made several trips to Red Bank, NJ. It's pretty close to the shore and will always hold a special place in my southern heart. I've heard The Boss even has a place close by! There is such an amazing mix of shops and restaurants that even after this many trips, I'm already anxious to return! We decided that since there is usually so much walking involved, we're going to wait until the spring. The farmers market will be back on the weekends too.

Back in 2004 when my future husband brought me up to New Jersey for the first time to meet his parents, he ended up taking me to Red Bank for the day. Back then, there were a few more cool places that I loved that unfortunately closed down. There are still a lot of great places though. Nowadays, there are several high ends stores and chains (Tiffany & Co and Urban Outfitters) tossed in with independently owned shops that have been around for decades. Over these past few years, my friends and family have been establishing our own history here.

When the Alvino clan came over from Italy to New Jersey, they first settled in Red Bank. True fax. Nowadays, you might spot my inlaws dining at The Broadway Grill or browsing around in this shop...

My father-in-law is an avid coin AND stamp collector. He has given this guy a lot of business over the years. His collections are very impressive.

This is another fantastic place for hobbyists, gamers and the forever young. They sell everything from Madame Alexander dolls, seriously old school toys and board games. Chris was impressed with their selection of Settlers of Catan expansion sets. Geek alert!

The first time we ventured over, Shannon insisted on this place for lunch.

The pizza is tasty but she had been raving about their famous fries...

They are the perfect hybrid between a chip and a fry. I've never had them like this before! If the food isn't enough to get you in here, maybe the fact that you can play vintage arcade games and sit next to a picture of old people shooting the bird might be more of a draw. Don't believe me?

I want to be just like them when I get old.

An important part of my own history also took place in Red Bank.

I had my first real bagel here. This place is small and dark and cozy. People come in and out for coffee, sandwiches and the seriously tasty namesake. I got to come back on our second trip earlier this month and relive the magic. I know I've raved about the place close to us and they do indeed have good stuff. They're just different here. Much more crisp on the outside. When I go in, I find myself wanting to roll up my sleeves, go behind the counter and work some dough. I used to love those Lender's Bagels that you could get in the frozen section at the grocery store when I was growing up in the south. I haven't had one since I came here.

Right across the street is a reasonably good thrift store and right next to it is another cheap place to get clothes and accessories. It's a consignment shop that has a good selection of vintage jewelry. Leave yourself some time to hunt. I scored a gorgeous pair of black leather gloves and a killer brooch here. You'll know you're in the right place when you see the polyester rainbow...

What else does Red Bank have to offer? There definitely was no shortage of hip clothing shops before Urban Outfitters opened up. Backward Glance and Funk & Standard have been serving the community for years. Both are fantastic places to look when you feel like you haven't got a sassy stitch to wear. It's a great town for antiques. There are two huge havens right across from the Galleria. There is also a well stocked record store.

When we were there yesterday, we had plans to go to Carlos O' Connor's for Mexican food but we waited a bit late and lost our chance for a table due to a bunch of reservations. We ended up down the street and waiting outside of the Eurasian Eatery for a table. The place is absolutely tiny so it took a while for us to get seated. We found out later that John Prine was in town and that's probably why the restaurants were so packed. I was grouchy from being cold and hungry, the delicious food immediately lifted my spirits. I'd been told that the place was quite vegetarian friendly but I was still pleasantly surprised. Their menu is all over the place from dumplings to falafel to pasta dishes. I ordered the black bean moussaka and it was everything you could possibly want from a meal if you're cold and hungry. Despite the vast array of things I would love to try the next time we go back, it's going to be difficult not to order that again!

Despite the yummy dessert menu, we skipped out after dinner and walked back towards the Galleria where we'd parked because Shannon was clever enough to make us reservations at The Melting Pot for chocolate fondue. It was the perfect ending to another great Red Bank outing. Two tips I'd offer anyone planning a trip: bring some cash because these smaller places to eat like Bagel Oven or Mr. Pizza Slice prefer it. Also, if you're planning on sticking around for dinner, make reservations!!!!

Eurasian Eatery

110 Monmouth St

732- 741-7071

Bagel Oven

72 Monmouth St.

732-842-1141

Mr Pizza Slice

10 Monmouth St.

732-747-9165

The Melting Pot

2 Bridge Ave.

732-219-0090

Here's a list of some other places to eat.

Funk and Standard Variety Store

40 Broad St.

732-219-5885

Jack's Music Shoppe

30 Broad St.

732-842-0731

Nearly New Shop

70 Monmouth St.

732-747-2772

Toymasters Inc.

62 White St.

732-530-8697

Birthday Pie

Yesterday was my 32nd birthday. We basically spent the weekend celebrating. Saturday was an outing with some friends in Doylestown, PA (post coming within the week) and Sunday was spent reading the onslaught of internet well wishes and talking on the phone with friends and family. Thinking about it still makes me feel mighty special.

My birthday was a gold mine of blog inspiration between the PA trip and the 25 year old bottle of balsamic vinegar that my friend Shannon got me (!!!). The focus for today will be the lovely dinner we had with the inlaws last night.

My mother-in-law is always very thoughtful when it comes to fixing meat free stuff and I always appreciate it. If she makes spaghetti, she always makes me a small pot of marinara sauce. For Thanksgiving, I know I can count on a small pan of stuffing that wasn't cooked inside of the turkey. She knows that I absolutely love it when she makes spanikopita and so she decided to throw down for my birthday.

She always refers to it as Spinach Pie. Chris and I hopefully don't sound too much like foodie elitists we call it spanakopita. She did call him a wise ass over the phone the other day when he said it! The recipe actually comes from her sister-in-law, Madeline (who is Greek). Consider it your party favor. ;-)

Spanakopita

2 bags of spinach

6 eggs, beaten

1/4-1/2 lb of butter, melted

2 large onions, minced

Filo dough (in the frozen section of your grocery store)

Flour

1.5-2 lbs of feta cheese

Allow your filo to defrost in the fridge the day you are planning to make this dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl: Mix spinach, eggs, half of the butter, onions and feta cheese. Add enough flour to soak up extra juice.

Butter the bottom of the pan Layer the bottom and the side of the pan with filo dough. Put one half of the spinach mixture in the pan and cover it with 6-8 lightly buttered sheets of filo. Add the rest of the spinach mixture and top with more buttery filo layers. Fold in the sides. Add butter to the top.

Bake for an hour and check for doneness. Add an additional fifteen minutes if it needs it.

For dessert, I always request a cherry pie from Delicious Orchards on my birthday. It's one of my favorite things. The pies at Delicious Orchards are amazing but on the pricey side so we usually save them for a special occasion.

This place is pretty awesome though. They have a huge bakery as well as a nice selection of cooking ingredients. There is a deli, a lovely produce section and all sorts of delightful edibles tucked here, there and throughout. Everything from mustards to extracts. I recommend stopping in if you're in the mood for something a little bit special.

Delicious Orchards

320 State Route 34

Colts Neck, NJ 07722

732-462-1989

That Summer Feeling

I had the most delightful time in Asbury Park last night! I saw some great places, amazing fireworks and ate some incredible food!

My friend Eliezer works in Asbury Park and has been raving about this pizza place called Crust and Crumble for a while now! I tend to get let down eventually when this happens but this place was anything but crumby! When you live in New Jersey, it's hard to get excited about a new pizza place because everyone I know already has a favorite spot or two (I know I do!). Asbury Park doesn't have the friendliest reputation but this place is very veg friendly! There is something for everyone here! You can even get vegan cheese and faux meats on your pie! Ours had whole wheat crust, smoked mozzarella, BBQ sauce, fake sausage and caramelized onions. We have two slices in the fridge and we're going to have it for lunch today! Mmmmmm....

If that wasn't enough to send you over the edge, this might! Right next to the pizzeria is a friggin' fantastic retro kitchenware store!!! The place is called Flying Saucers and it is full of antique and quality reproductions. I planned to expand my jadeite collection but I saw a few vintage pieces that I had to have. Since the jadeite isn't going anywhere, I decided to grab the other stuff since I had no guarantee it would be back.

I've been wanting to get my hands on a Fire King Candle Glow dish for a while now and this one on the back right was too good to pass up. I scored it for $13. The three plates on the right are also a favorite pattern and I got them for $15. The prices at this place are quite reasonable! I got my husband an old version of the game Stratego. He was happy because his game is missing a piece. The shopping center also has an artesian glassworker. Chris got me a gorgeous pendant made of sea glass and it was really inexpensive. $18 for a handmade pendant. There are some great things to be found here! We even had our pictures made in an antique photo booth. The machine is about 40 years old and has been donated and restored.

The owls were a flea market find later on in the night. A sugar dish, plate and napkin holder. The guy let the set go for $3! I was in dish heaven when I got home! We stumbled upon the market on our way to the boardwalk to see fireworks. We were right down the street from the famous Stone Pony. The boardwalk was packed but we found a nice spot to lay down a blanket and chill. I'd seen fireworks the past few nights but I was glad I was there because it was a prime spot and I don't think I've ever been this close to the action before. For lack of a better term, we all had a blast! The weather was absolutely perfect too!

On the way back to the car, Shannon showed us some of the other galleries where they like to shop. I should mention that one of our favorite merchants from the farmers market is also located in Asbury Park. Twisted Tree decided not to come back this year but while you're in the area, I'd definitely make it a point to stop in for some delicious vegan vittles and baked goods. You can purchase many of their decadent dressings and spreads to take home.

Asbury Park doesn't have the best reputation but hopefully this latest effort to revitalize the area will work. I definitely look forward to coming back!

Crust & Crumble Pizzeria

658 Cookman Ave

Asbury Park, NJ

07712

Twisted Tree Cafe

609 Cookman Ave

Asbury Park, NJ

07712