The Plantation in Harvey Cedars

Have you ever been told by a hostess if you don’t like the table we are giving you than don’t eat here? 

This is what happened to us when we arrived at the Plantation in Harvey Cedars last night for our reservation.  The Plantation is a restaurant we really enjoy going to and have been going for the last 7 years, but last night might have been our last visit. 

Chicken or the Egg Ludicrous Wing Challenge

There’s a restaurant in Beach Haven call the Chicken or the Egg or as the locals like to call it the Chegg. One of the things it’s known for are their wings.  They offer wings in all flavors from mild, honey BBQ right on up to Ludicrous hot. The kids here have been bragging for the last couple of years how they can eat these crazy hot wings. They even told us if you go to the restaurant and eat 12 ludicrous wings you get a free tee shirt.  I like a good challenge and we talked about it for a while. We heard Adam Richman of the Travel Channel series “Man V. Food” was taking the Ludicrous Wing Challenge.  He was going to the Chicken or the Egg in attempted to eat 12 ludicrous wings in 15 minutes.  It was time for us to have ours. I went to the Chegg to find out if in fact there was a contest or a free tee shirt and was told no, so we ordered out and took the challenge at home.

Tice's Shoal Bay Bash 2011

A spot we like to go to by boat is Tices Shoal in the Barnegat Bay. It’s a great spot to go hang out with friends and swim.  You can also get to the beach from there. Today we left early for a day on the bay and beach.  When we got there we couldn’t believe how many boats were there already and more coming from every direction. We hang out for a while swimming before we packed up our stuff to head for the beach. That’s always the fun part as you have to float your stuff from your boat to land and then walk across the dunes to the beach.

Concerts in the Park

One of the things I love to do in Long Beach Island in the summer is go to the concerts in the park. Starting the beginning of July until mid-August there is a concert in a different park almost every night of the week. It’s a great way to hear your favorite bands without going out to the bars.  We like to go to Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars. It’s a really nice spot, right on the bay.  We bring our chairs, some food, and of course some drinks.  The bands are always good and the sunsets are beautiful.

The Octopus’s Garden

It’s been a hot one for the last couple of days here in LBI and with no AC in the house cooking is not something you want to do some nights. Last night was one of them. We decided to try the Octopus’s Garden on Rt. 9. We had been there several times when it was in Surf City but haven’t been to the new location on RT 9.  It is a BYOB and Thursday nights are Lobster night, sounded like a winner to me.

L’assiette Surf City, NJ

Last night we tried another new restaurant L’assiette in Surf City, NJ.  The restaurant was the Plate but now changed its name. We had never been to it so it was new to us. The inside was decorated nice but lacked atmosphere.  We first ordered a Cheese Fondue which was made with Gruyere, Emmenthaler, Reggiano, Chardonnay, Honey Brandy with Truffle Essence, while the waiter was opening our wine. A few minutes later we ordered our meals. Instead of bringing the fondue first we got our salads and before we could eat the first bite the fondue arrived. It was very good but would have preferred to have it first not everything at one time. For the salad I had Seared Foie Gras with baby Arugula, tamarind clear brook farm cherry sauce and semolina toast points which was excellent. Everyone else had a Ceasar which they said was just ok.  For the entre I had the Viking village day boat scallops severed over risotto carbonara with house applewood smoked bacon and saffron pea puree topped with braised chives. It was delicious and you could really taste all the different flavors.  Two others at the table had the Filet Mignon with smashed herb chevre Yukon potatoes and creamed spinach. They said the filet was good but didn’t care for the potatoes or the spinach.

  Over all the food was good but it was very pricey for the service and atmosphere. For the prices you should be wowed and we were not.   I don’t think it’s a place we would go back.

Michael's on The Bay - Barnegat NJ

We have been reading about a new restaurant that has opened in Barnegat at Sun Harbor Bay Club. It is one you can go by boat which is always a fun outing. So yesterday we gathered up the troops for afternoon boat ride and lunch at the new Michael’s on the Bay.

 It was easy to find by boat right off marker 42 and there were plenty of slips to dock. We have found that to be a problem in other restaurants we go to by boat, you get there and no place to dock. This should never be the problem there. 

Long Beach Island

It’s hard to believe that the 4^th of July has come and gone already. It certainly was a fun one here; the week was full of BBQ’s, tons of food, lots to drink, and of course sharing it all with friends & family.  I am spending the summer in Long Beach Island, NJ and should have lots to blog about as there is so much to do in this area.  The hard part is just making the time to sit and write as there is always so much going on but I will do my best with updates and stories from LBI. 

 4th of July Fireworks from the roof top. The view was incredible we could see the firework display of Atlantic City, Beach Haven, Tuckerton, Barnegat, and lots of others. 

Sunset Shots

Antigua

Negril Jamaica

     One of the things I love to watch is the sunset at the end of the day. It’s not something I get  to do every day as life keeps you busy doing other things.  But when traveling it’s something I definitely take time to do. Watching the sunset is a relaxing way to reflect on the day and take in the beauty that is happening around me.

Sunsets over the water can be spectacular, all the colors dancing over the water.  We have a tradition among our family and friends that started way back while vacationing in the outer banks and continue still today. We toast the end of the day by with a shot or two as the sun does its final goodbye.This is known among us as Sunset Shots

               

Cabo San Lucas

   When I first was starting out as a Travel Agent I remember looking through a travel magazine and seeing a picture of a couple sleeping on a balcony under the stars with the ocean right in front of them.  I thought this place is for me. The picture was taken in Cabo San Lucas but no resort was listed. I did some homework and found Cabo was a little fishing village located on the tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.  It didn’t take me long to sell the idea of going to my husband who loves to fish. That first trip was back in 1992 and started our love for Cabo. Not knowing much about the area and way before the internet as we know it today, I booked us at the Presidente InterContinental. It was a beautiful resort but when we arrived I found we were actually in San Jose del Cabo than downtown Cabo where I had wanted to be. We had a wonderful dinner at the resort after which I worked on moving us closer to town. Not an easy task back in the day but I was able to move us to hotel Solamar. The next morning as we pulled up to the reception area at Solamar we were amazed at the view. It was all open with the pool right there looking out over the white sand beach and the ocean. We know we were in the right spot for us. We got to our rooms which were on the smaller size but when we stepped out on the balcony I realized this was the picture from the magazine I saw years before. I had found the place.