Jack & Mike's Brickhouse - Brick, NJ

A Friday night dining experience in a strange town can be quite frightening.  We stopped at a chain and were greeted then told, "It's about an hour and a half wait. Is that ok?"  Umm, do a lot of people say yes?  We simply drove a little further and came upon Jack and Mike's Brickhouse Bar and Grille.  I had been having enjoyable success in selecting meals during our mini-vacation while the Mr. was not having great luck.  The tide was about to turn.



We were seated quickly and met our server, Justin.  I had been enjoying a cocktail with dinner on our get away so I did order a Pina Colada.  A soda for the Mr.

We placed our food orders once our drinks arrived and were then brought this lovely, warm, braided bread with a garlic butter.

Next out of the kitchen was my soup.  Let's play a game.  Guess the type of soup from the photo...

Before I answer, it does seem to us the bar does a fairly decent business.  We can hear a bit of commotion. Some of it sounds like fun, but some of it has a negative vibe. Justin returns with a smile to check on us and admits he's staying out of the kitchen. Perhaps that is where the ruckus is coming from? Back to the soup. Did you figure it out yet?  New England Clam Chowder. Nope, didn't taste like it either. It's not that it was a bad soup, but if I were blindfolded I never would have guessed clams nor chowder. Celery was an upfront taste.

I let the Mr. chose the appetizer.  Stuffed mushrooms.  They contained a lot of breading, but were pretty good.

Time for the main event.  Here are our plates:

The above platter-like rectangular plate was the Mr.'s shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, potato croquettes and mixed veggies (he didn't touch).

For me, the same mixed veggies which were actually pretty good, a cafeteria style scoop of naked mashed potatoes and I ordered a broiled seafood platter.  A few shrimp, scallops, a white fish (maybe cod?) and a huge crab cake.

The Mr. was quite happy.

For dessert, Justin brought over a sample platter of the available desserts.  I selected the one he was not sure what it was and ordered it to go.  When I returned from the ladies room, it was on our table in the traditional Styrofoam to-go box.  Let's play the game again.  What do you think it is?

Justin had guessed carrot cake cheese cake.  Nope.  Key lime pie.

The bar was quite full when we left and more cars were arriving. Maybe it's more of a hamburger/pub grub establishment?  We brought home a full container of left-overs as well as the dessert. We drove back to the campground which was filled with people enjoying campfires and adult beverages.  The campers air conditioner was welcome and our mini-vacation would end in the morning.  We rode our bikes for 4 miles, swam, gambled, beached, and had a blast being Fed Well.

Relish - Inside Revel in Atlantic City, NJ

A gray rainy day near the Jersey Shore is perfect for a day trip to Atlantic City!  I can't help it.  Every time I plan on a casino visit, I have a fast fantasy of winning big, hearing the ringing bells and whistles as jacketed employees circle and swarm.  I also plan on the size of donation I am willing to make before I woke away from the games! Usually, I simply make a donation.  

For today's strategy we decide to eat lunch first.  We are visiting the Revel for the first time and after reading Relish's menu we feel it suits our tastes.  Click here for Relish's website.

Once seated I take in the decor and am amused by the silverware lined overhead light fixtures.  I am a sucker for whimsy.

I also enjoy when the style of things is slightly off beat or unusual. The shape of the soda glasses for example. They are cut and angled, contemporary and practical.

To start, a cup of the New England Clam Chowder.  I tease the Mr. for ordering chicken at almost every opportunity, but I have my repeat orders as well.  This one was a winner. The stock was the right thickness without feeling gloppy, the ingredients were the right size, texture and flavor. Rich, creamy and hot. A good start.

A table with a family of four is seated right next to us.  The server brings out a few dishes of the potato gnocchi with sausage which is what I ordered. However, the guests he is trying to serve have ordered their version meatless as they are vegetarian. I volunteer that I ordered the same dish with meat and am given one of the plates. The photo does not do the serving size any justice. Once I turned the ingredients a few times, the gnocchi filled the surface and many slices of sausage were buried underneath.  

I thought maybe it would be a problem accepting the early plate since the Mr.'s had not yet been placed on the warming counter. (We had a perfect view of the kitchen plating/staging area so we could keep on eye on things.)  The Mr. assured me to go ahead and start since "You take longer than I do."

It was more than a minute or two until he was served his chicken pot pie in an oversized bowl.

A healthy serving size to be sure. The bowl was first coated with mashed potatoes, then topped with the stew ingredients and finally the individual pastry square. Yes, one little problem. The dish looked picture perfect, but had an indescribably wrong taste swimming in the stock. I could not identify it, but did agree it was slightly off.

The time had come, the meal was done and we headed out to the gaming area. Part of the appeal of this new casino is the ability to gamble with a view of the Atlantic. The sitting areas, shops and decor were all quite updated and lux in appearance. The gaming noise, bells and whistles were trilling and calling out. I used my brand new casino card in the machine and so it began. Did I win? Well, in less time than it took for us to sit, order and enjoy our meal, we clasped hands and headed outside for the boardwalk. We were Fed Well and I had left before making my entire allotted donation amount. We will return.

RiverWatch - Brick, NJ

The Mr. and I decide on a quick camping adventure just before the long Labor Day weekend.  I avoid crowds and traffic at all costs and so we leave the Wednesday afternoon before the holiday and plan to return on Saturday.  The weather was immediately disappointing and uncooperative - rain with a touch of thunder and lightening.  Traffic was also less than ideal once we were an hour or so on the New Jersey Turnpike.  Stop.  Go.  Stop.  Go.  Truck accident behind us.  Ugh.

By the way, the definition of camping adventure is taking our big black truck with the 30' trailer which will be hooked up to electric and running water, has air conditioning and the only thing missing is a cleaning service compared to a cheap hotel.  Let's not try to imagine any nights sleeping on the ground with bugs buzzing and wildlife scampering around on the other side of a canvas wall.  This was more about time away from schedules, responsibilities and anything really related to the real world.

The campground itself offered lots for both trailers and tents as well as cabins.  Trees are everywhere which may be appealing for the rustic feel, but for the Mr. they were quite a handicap when it came to backing into our site.  A few stressful minutes later the hookups were done and we spent just a few quick minutes primping before heading out to dinner.  We had asked in the camp office for a few recommendations and then we headed off to The RiverWatch in Brick, NJ.  Click here for the link to the RiverWatch

I love family vacations, but they can be a bit of work as far as organizing activities, meals and taking every one's tastes into account.  When it is just the Mr. and I the negotiating is quicker and easier.  Plus, I know he mostly just wants a good chicken dish for dinner.  Yes, typically Marsala.

We were seated quite quickly in the outer dining area and right by the windows with a view of the marina. The photo is an inside wall table.

We are able to hear the pleasant singing from the bar area and discover it is one man in a karaoke style.

Looking over the menu I do struggle to decide on an appetizer.  The Mr. surrenders in this culinary decision and says, "Whatever you want."  Thai Chicken skewers with peanut sauce it is!

The chicken was moist and delicious on its own.  I did enjoy wrapping the poultry in fresh spinach, pulling it from the skewer and dipping it in the flavorful sauce.

Warm bread.  It's like the pleasant smile of the meal.  Welcome.  Familiar.  

Time for the entrees and if we were using a two thumbs up voting system, I will spoil it for you now and say the main course would only receive one thump up.  Let's see if you can easily see which dish was not a raving success.

Here is the Mr.'s Chicken Marsala served over Risotto.

I know the photo quality leaves a lot to be desired.  Try to put that aside.

Here are the lobster rolls with fries and red cabbage cole slaw.

I loved my meal.  The fries were crisp, not greasy and the lobster meat was sweet, tender and present.  I leave the bun behind and am able to split the meal in half - the remainder will be lunch.  

The Mr.'s chicken dish...well, the sauce/gravy was far too thick, gloppy, heavy and not really tasting of Marsala wine.  The chicken itself was well prepared.  The risotto was dense, the flavor difficult to describe, and had an unusual mouth feel.

Dessert.  Well, the Mr. has struggled in finding the right cup of coffee when we are out to dinner and I often ruin his chances by ordering tea with milk.  Frequently this means the server will not bring cream and milk, only the milk I request.  He decides to quit now but will have a few spoonfuls of my sweet treat.

Bananas Foster.  Warm, gooey caramel, bananas, vanilla ice cream all topped with whipped cream. Lovely. 

We talk about what we hope to do and see during our mini-vacation.  We laugh about how quickly one perfectly prepared Cosmopolitan can cause me to become inebriated and giggly.  We try not to notice the horribly stained carpet and focus on how much I enjoyed my meal and we liked the appetizer.  Tomorrow we will be heading to Atlantic City and a casino we have never before visited.  A day for boardwalk walking, retail outlet stores, and perhaps another Happy Hour experience...a but those are stories for another day.  Tonight we were Fed Well and looking forward to a few days of a more leisurely pace.

Spirit Cruise NYC - Perspective

Here we are ready for our day date!  Heading off to NYC to board the Spirit Cruise for a three hour tour. As you can see we had a beautiful sunny day and it wasn't too hot.

Here is the company's description of the trip.  It was a lovely and thoughtful anniversary gift from my sister and her family.

The Mr. drives us and I always love snapping pictures with my phone like a model tourist.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you look for a sign, you miss it. We were turned around for a minute but were able to get back on track fairly quickly and park on a side street near Chelsea Piers.

I have to admit, I love being a tourist.  I love snapping pictures and asking questions and taking it all in.  Our younger son used to mortified by these behaviors - keep in mind I don't wear tropical floral print shirts or anything, but I don't try to blend or pretend that I am a native.  I'm not.  

One change in society over the last few years is EVERYONE takes pictures now of everything.  Cell phone cameras have improved so that sometimes it may be hard for people to tell which of my blog post photos are from my camera or my phone.  We've all given each other permission to capture our memories without feeling ridiculous for doing so.

Waiting on line, it seemed like hundreds of passengers were waiting to board.  They were.  The ship has three levels of indoor seating for dining plus deck space.  We were lucky to have an empty table between us and another couple.  

Just as in a restaurant, we were greeted by a smiling server who gave us her name and brought us our drinks.

In addition to the drink menu with wine and beer, a few signature cocktails were suggested.  I tried a martini.

The French Ginger Martini

The drink was cold and strong.  Perfect.

The ship was still docked when our buffet lunch was served.  We later found out the ship also offers a seated dinner.  Trays and trays of food included roast chicken, roast pork in an apricot glaze, a wonderful cod, macaroni and cheese, pasta salad, tossed salad, potato salad, a variety of rolls, mixed vegetables and more. One example of a loaded plate:

Once seated, I realized I wanted salt and pepper.  Was it on the buffet line and I missed it?  I asked our server who brought me the cutest miniature salt and pepper shakers.  Yes, I left them on the table, but I just thought they were adorable.

Once lunch was mostly served, the ship pulled out and we were given mild narration by one of the ship's employees about the scenery, some history and our course.  Music was also played for those who wanted to stay inside and be on the dance floor.  We went up and out.  What a beautiful lounge area!

What a beautiful day!

We took in the sights like good tourists on an afternoon date.

Who doesn't love seeing the Statue of Liberty?

The Brooklyn Bridge

The Staten Island Ferry

We chatted and people watched from our sunny seats.  Birthdays and anniversaries were announced, the music continued, children shrieked, a bride and her bridal party were celebrating the end of single life and we were happy to simply take it all in.

Desserts were brought to the dining area but we didn't want to give up our table on the deck.  The Mr. went to seek our sweet treats and our smiling server had put them aside for us.

I always hate it when I could tell a good party was coming to an end and being served dessert is a good indicator the experience is almost over.

A few more pictures of the skyline and the Freedom Tower.

The ship begins its return to the colorful pier.

We watch a group of planes fly overhead and are a bit surprised they are hired skywriters.  Can you guess for which insurance company?  Hint:  the one with the gecko.

We did not park on the pier which gave us a bit of a chance to stretch our legs.  This is the part where I behave most like a tourist and snap pictures of everything.  A bit of sidewalk art...
(Yes, I could have kicked the garbage out of the picture, but really, should I?)

I know I am doing the right thing when a group of foreign tourists are also snapping away.  We smile and try to stay out of each other's shots, but you may be able to see a stranger or two in the reflection of the glass door.

Do we want to go anywhere else?  We talk it over for a few minutes and decide home is our next stop.  I snap another picture or two.

We are back on that beloved bridge and headed home.  The two of us.  

"On our way back home

We're on our way home

We're on our way home

We're going home

You and I have memories

Longer than the road that stretches out ahead..." The Beatles

The Beatles, "Two of Us" Youtube Video

We have had a wonderful, sun drenched, scenic and flavorful date.  We are Fed Well and grateful.  A fabulous gift and memory.