Jayson's Pancake House - Long Beach Island, NJ

Vacation + breakfast out =  glorious

Something so splendid about having breakfast out when you are on vacation, well, as long as you are not hung up for an hour in a never ending line of unhappy children and families that are miserable. Success.  We were able to enjoy Jayson's Pancake House with minimal fuss or delay.

Culinarily speaking, breakfast for us involves eggs the way we like them, hot, relatively quick and usually nothing really fancy.  Perfect.  Oh, and by the way, I smuggled in a cup of medium french vanilla flavored coffee from my favorite chain and quickly dumped the contents into a coffee cup. One of the employees caught me as I sheepishly smiled and threw the styrofoam evidence into the garbage.  Yes, I knew I would be providing a bit of an extra tip for my indulgence.

For the Mr.:

Eggs for him are only over easy and I was surprised by his choice of pancakes.  He claimed it to be delicious.

For me:

More surprises.  I also gravitate to eggs over easy or Benedict with the next option being an omelette with spinach, tomato, and mozzarella.  However, the scrambled was good and I loved the thinly sliced breakfast potato chips. 

We were Fed Well, the service was quick, straightforward and efficient.  Our bellies were full and we were ready for a day of beach filled fun.  How I miss having the sand under my feet.

Cosimo's in Middletown, NY

Do you need fancy surprises to keep the spark alive? Something to keep in mind on your next "date night."

Monday night madness in August.  When your birthday falls on a Monday in the Hudson Valley and you want to go out to dinner to celebrate, well, your options fall quickly.  Add in the fact that I really do not want to drive after an almost hour in the car just to get home from my day job and my selections are really quite limited. However, the Mr. suggested Cosimo's in Middletown and I have been there quite a few times and agreed it would be a nice choice.

Who doesn't love a fully loaded bread basket?  Dipping oil is nice, but sometimes, I will admit I simply long for a nice smear or real, creamy butter.  Old fashioned? Perhaps. I'd like to think of it as classic.

Celebratory Spirits

We started with a heaping platter of salad topped with cured and deliciously salted meats. Carcinogen studies be damned. The cheeses were soft and mellow.  Veggies were crisp and the balsamic drizzle balanced all of the flavors and tied everything together.

It's just the Mr. and I.  Yes, the restaurant has plenty of other diners seated all around us.  But, on this particular evening, it is just the two of us, a date night if you will.  All those headlines in print and on-line about "keeping the spark alive" in your marriage always call out the need for date nights.  Truth is, we've been married since 1987, have lived through ups and downs and are well aware of the importance of spending some time together.  In my opinion, "keeping the spark alive" comes from far more than just date night. It comes from a thoughtful place that may sometimes require a bit of thinking, planning and concern for your partner.  Asking how their day was, about something they are interested in or even current events.  A few of my greatest fears include evolving into those sterero-typical people at a table with NOTHING TO SAY. No, thank you.  I'm not saying we don't share comfortable silence at times (I don't want to make his ears bleed), but I enjoy the conversations we share.

Back to the meal...

For the Mr. - chicken - are you surprised?

For me - PASTA - again, no surprise.

Want to know a secret? The spark is always there.  The trick is in determining how much to fan the flame without blowing it out and no fire should ever be left unattended.

As far as the dinner, we enjoyed a nice meal and honored the tradition of celebrating my birthday. I officially feel I have entered the on-ramp for 50 with the two year countdown in place.  Thank you Mr. for a lovely evening as well as every day making the decision to stay together and be Fed Well.

 

The Dutchman's Brauhaus, Manahawkin, NJ

So, if you are a regular reader of Fed Well and read the blog posts in the order they are posted, this one may be considered Part 2 after The Chicken and the Egg as Part 1.  To catch you up, we are on a one day vacation overlap with friends of ours.  We have already shared lunch followed by an easy afternoon just walking on the shore, sitting on benches, and have taken in the gentle breezes on an overcast day.

Next up...dinner.  We noticed The Dutchman's Brauhaus on our way into Long Beach Island as it sits right on the bay.  Thing is, we wondered if the idea of German food while at the beach would work. Unconventional to say the least.  We also knew it wasn't about the food anyway, we just wanted to be together, and found it was a bonus that we enjoyed each phase of the meal.

The view is one of the main features of eating on the bay.

We also enjoyed watching a family approach, then dock their boat, with two beautiful dogs on board. The pups dutifully stayed in the boat while their family ate their meal in view on the pier.  Lucky.

Yes, a cosmopolitan.  It is always my first choice.  It was well prepared and delicious.

Since we were completely mixing things up for my culinary mind, I opted to have one appetizer to share with the Mr. and then two appetizers as my main course.  I jumbled up the German and seafood selections.  

Here's how it turned out:

Cape May Salt Oysters - Medium Tender Texture, Moderate Salinity Clean, Cocktail Sauce, Lemon

Our friends started with the oysters and said they were great.

The appetizer I selected for sharing:

Konigsburger Klopse - German Style Meatballs, Brandy Caper Cream Demi Glaze 

We all tried it and agreed it was a hit.

The atmosphere was relaxing, the conversation consisted of the same kind of stories you may share with your closest friends; children, jobs, vacations, retirement destinations and well, life.  A gentle feeling of relaxation came over me and I could feel myself, body and soul, taking on a more vacation-like posture.  I was with people I enjoyed, at the beach, and coincidentally sharing great food.

Main Courses:

Schnitzel with spatzle and red cabbage smothered in mushrooms and demi-glaze

Our friend's had the same meals! We always plan and orchestrate our choices so that we can try the other person's dish or the Mr. simply orders one of his favorite chicken dishes.

My husband LOVES soft-shell crab and so, when we are at the shore it is a must have when available.

Soft-shell Crab Sandwich

The appetizers I chose for my main course:

Shrimp Martini Colossal (3), Tangy Cilantro Cocktail Sauce

I worried for a second that the massive jumbo shrimp would be tough or dry, but they were delicious.

Potato Pancakes

Normally, at the end of a Fed Well blog post, I sum up by sharing how nice the restaurant was, that the food was delicious, or other tidy little ending.  In this case, I want to share something a bit deeper. It was to be the last time the 4 of us shared a meal.  My friend's husband, our friend, suddenly and quite unexpectedly passed away about one month after this dinner at the shore.  This is why Fed Well was on-hold for a few weeks.  

I will always cherish the memories associated with this vacation day as well as the feelings.  We miss our friend, very much, and watch as my friend tries to get through her daily life while holding her broken heart together.  Grief may very well be the strongest, most crippling, of feelings and it truly takes an enormous amount of bravery to face.  The process is different for everyone. Grief includes raging anger, sadness, frustration, jealousy, and a wide range of other emotions in a variety of intensities.  You cannot plan your day around it.  You cannot simply schedule your next melt-down.

The Mr. and I have stood by my friend.  We offer whatever comfort we can, and in whatever format it is needed; an ear, a shoulder, time together, and yes, shared meals. My friend, I will stand next to you and do what I can to ensure you are Fed Well.

The Chicken or the Egg - Long Beach Island, NJ

Sometimes it takes awhile from the time I enjoy a meal until I write the post.  In this case, seeing I had left these photos in draft mode, as well as the ones from our dinner on the same day (different restaurant), is really tough emotionally.  But, I am determined to tell you all about it.  This was a special meal shared with friends on vacation in Long Beach Island, New Jersey - we were on our way in and they were on their way home.

Since they knew the "lay of the land" and the restaurants they liked best, we wanted to be led and were quite happy with their choice of, The Chicken or the Egg.  Next, my girlfriend introduced me to the most modern way to reserve a table via the No Wait app.  Modern technology has provided some improvements to our quality of life - admit it.

We take in the scenery while we wait (not very long).

And once we are seated, I really start to take in all the sights...

So, yes, you can get chicken and egg dishes - as many varieties as you can dream up, but they also have tons of items that have nothing to do with poultry in any form. Burgers, sandwiches, platters, and a seemingly endless list of choices.

Chowder

As far as I'm concerned, no trip to any beach is complete without some kind of fish or, if it is available, New England Clam Chowder.  This was a wonderful and delicious example of a great creamy chowder.

The Sloppy Shepherd

our tangy 100% ground chuck sloppy joe, topped with redskin mashed potatoes, cheddar jack cheese, baked till golden and delicious, served with a roll and butter

The Mr. went completely out of his normal routine and ordered a special.  We do agree that this tactic also typically pays off with good food.  He had a filling and non-traditional shore meal in this generous portion of "The Sloppy Shepherd."  

Next up, my girlfriend's... 

Chicken Taco Salad

Sliced charbroiled chicken breast over greens, jack cheese, onions, diced tomato & black olives in a crispy tortilla shell, sides of our salsa, sour cream, & choice of dressing

She said everthing was delicious.

For me, Eggs Benedict.  Not just any version, but over CRABCAKES! What??? Yup. Chesapeake Benedict also includes BACON!

You couldn't ask for a better combination of land and sea as far as I am concerned.  The potatoes were also crispy, golden squares of goodness and I confess, I pushed the english muffins aside.  Too full from all the other fabulous items on my plate.

My girlfriend's Mr. (aka our friend) opted for:

Bagel & Lox

with red onion, capers, cream cheese, oh my

Looking back, we were so happy and relaxed.  Two happy couples spending a day together at the beach.  Our kids are grown and it is our turn.  No wagons full of plastic toys.  No schedule.  No needs to meet but our own.  I will always be thankful for the memory of this day.  Yes, this is just one snapshot of a chapter we shared together, one that seems so simple, but really, is a time I will always cherish and remember with feeling of contentment as well as, of course, being Fed Well.