oh summer

  My sincerest apologies blog followers. My absence is not due to my lack of food eating, it is just that these past few weeks have been ultra busy so let me fill you in on what has been going on in the land of abby!
  My boyfriends photo studio had their big debut 2 weeks ago, and the turnout was absolutely amazing. Bull Dog Clip Productions has found a home at 611 Bangs Ave in Asbury Park. They are the premire location for photographers, videographers and enthusiasts alike. There locations boasts 2,200 square feets, full hair and makeup salon, and an "urban grotto."  I feel sad for any who missed the opening, with catering by Jo Jo's and sangria by yours truly.
  I celebrated my brothers 30th birthday with my family. Its amazing to me that my brother has become a grown up. A big congratulations to one of his best child hood friends on he and his wifes pregnancy! My dad got behind the grill for this one, and once again did not disappoint!
  I'll be posting a few blogs this week with more details of what I've been doing, like Lobsterfest in Bradley Beach! Until then fellow foodies..

cheers!

Dedicated to fathers everywhere..

 
   There are few things in this world that are more important then the relationship between a father and a daughter. This father's day I got to spend time with some of the people I love most in this world, and that made it an amazing day.
  We started off celebrating Tom's dad Tom Gilmour. We all ate brunch at Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park. Poppa Gilmour, Patti, Linnea, Daniel, Tom and I all enjoyed a delicious meal together. After all who doesn't love brunch.
  After we finished our meal, we went for a nice stroll on the boardwalk and enjoyed the sunshine and all that the Asbury Park Boardwalk has to offer. It's such a pleasure to be with Tom's family, they're so welcoming and really make me feel like part of the gang. It's also so nice to see a father's eyes light up as his children discuss all of their success. You could actually see how proud he was of each of his children.
  We all said our goodbyes to one another, and Tom and I headed off to spend the rest of the day with my family. Anyone who meets my parents thinks they're hysterical, and rightfully so. My parents might as well have a reality TV show. We sat by the pool, and then barbecued and discussed memories of living in Brooklyn, and my brother and I growing up. I love being with my family and talking about times that have passed and things coming in the future.
  Part of the reason I've grown so close with my parents is due to the fact I realize how fleeting life is. Both of my parents are 9/11 survivors. I came very close to losing them both, and to this day I never forget just how important they are to me. My dad was late to work that day because he had to drop me off at school, otherwise he most likely would have been in an elevator when the first plane struck the building. I would have lost him, and my life would never be the same.
  I envision the day of my wedding sometimes, and dream about what it will be like to have my dad walk me down the aisle. Every time I do this I wind up balling like a baby. I think about what he will be like as a grandfather and am grateful that he will be able to be a part of my children's lives as he was in mine.
 My father is the smartest man I know.He is also an amazing writer, and every time I write a blog I think of him and I try my hardest to make him proud. This fathers day I am thankful that my dad has been so present in my life, and has taught me so many things that I will carry with me forever.So thank you dad for everything. I promise I will continue to make you proud, and I promise I will always cherish our memories forever.


Love always,
Abby
 
 

Alligator in Belmar!

   This weekend was the 24th annual seafood festival in Belmar. My friend Marc and I decided to attend and eat as much seafood as possible. The weather was steamy and hot, and the crowd was massive as expected, but nothing could stop us from getting to the food!
   Upon walking up to 6th Ave we were greeted by the amazing smell of fried clams, funnel cakes and all things seafood. Marc had never eaten oysters before so first off we were on a mission to get some oysters so he could chow down. Oysters are one of my favorite foods ever since eating them last year at the lobsterfest in Bradley Beach. So the first tent we hit was the Lobster Shanty tent where we got 6 oysters covered in cocktail sauce and hot sauce and went at it. Marc was hesitant at first but actually enjoyed the oysters.

    Next up I hit the 10th Ave Burrito tent and chowed down on some delicious lobster mac and cheese. The quintessential meal, the macaroni and lobster paired so well together and was so hot I nearly burnt my mouth I was so excited to eat it. After that we simply walked down each aisle until the moment I had been waiting all day for.I nearly lost it when I saw the sign...Alligator  bites!

   I've never eaten alligator before but as I have said I am all for trying new and exciting things. Nothing in the food world scares me so to the line we went. There must have been at least 50 people waiting, but since we had a hearty helping of cheese fries to work on while we waited there was no problem. Once we got our serving of alligator bites it was time to chow down. The alligator itself was pretty interesting. It tasted almost exactly like chicken but with a much tougher texture. The alligator was deep fried and served with french fries, which I  covered in hot sauce. All in all I would say I would eat alligator again, but maybe not deep fried.

   We finished off the day with a lobster, and a lobster salad roll. Nothing says dessert to me like lobster. This summer promises to bring much more lobster, and many more seafood festivals like lobsterfest in Bradley Beach, and oysterfest in Asbury Park. You can count on me to remind you about these can't miss festivals, and to fill you in on all the treats you'll encounter there.


Til next time foodies..
Abby

Belmar Seafood Festival

Come check out the Belmar seafood festival this weekend through Sunday! I'll be there eating food and talking about it so don't miss out! It's a great way to spend the day outside and enjoy all sorts of fabulous seafood concoctions.

on the way, grab Pop's Garage

   Pop's Garage is another Marilyn Schlossbach sensation.This restaurant is located right on the boardwalk in Asbury Park just steps away from Langosta Lounge. When out for a stroll this is the perfect place to stop. 

  I started with a chicken empanada. The outside shell of the empanada was perfect, crunchy and flaky cooked just right. The shredded chicken inside the empanada was seasoned to perfection and I expected nothing less.

  For my meal I went with the chicken burrito, and the Cuban grilled corn. The burrito came full to the brim with rice, beans, and chicken. The shredded chicken was seasoned well and was proportionate to the rice and beans in the burrito. The Cuban grilled corn was interesting. I still haven't decided exactly how I feel about it. They cover it in a chipotle mayo, toss it in cheese and Mexican spices and then it's grilled. The combination of textures threw me off a little bit but in the end it was definitely something different for the taste buds.

  Pop's Garage is a very casual restaurant and the people who work there seem to have a lot of fun. It's a great place to enjoy amazing food on a budget and take in the sights of Asbury Park. Nestled right on the beach, and only moments away from places like convention hall, the infamous pinball museum and the beautiful beaches of Asbury Park you cannot go wrong with Pop's Garage. It definitely gets 4 forks, suggesting it to my friends while we lay on the beach.By the way, when you go there ask for Kelly, he will suggest great options and if you have any questions he's got all the answers.

Cheers!
                                                                                       Abby

All Talk Al Dente

   Belmonte's in Asbury Park, is a restaurant that I've heard a lot about and I've wanted to try for awhile. So this past weekend Tom and I attended Pride, and chose Belmonte's for dinner. What a surprise we were in for when we sat down to our table.
   Before I begin let me say that it was Pride weekend so Asbury Park was quite chaotic. For those of you who don't know Pride is a festival the city has every year to celebrate gay,bisexual and transgendered individuals. It's a lot of fun, and something that you shouldn't miss if you happen to be in town that weekend.
   We sat down to eat at about 8:40 and didn't receive our drinks until about 9. That is entirely too long to wait for anything, at least give me some bread! The waiter came over to take our order and we promptly put our food in, assuming this was going to take awhile. For an appetizer we split the roasted pear salad. The salad was delicious. The pears were perfectly caramelized and the goat cheese complimented the pear very well. Any salad that has walnuts in it is a salad that I like.
    For my entree I got the rigatoni max, a pasta dish with pancetta, shitake mushrooms,peas and vodka sauce. Sounds great doesn't it? It would've been had my pasta been cooked! I am all for al dente, after all I am an Italian but this was far past al dente, it was barely cooked. Tom order the pappardelle with shrimp, mushrooms and asparagus in a light red sauce. I tasted his and it was pretty good, the pasta was cooked appropriately which was plus.
   I wouldn't have minded all the things that had gone wrong in this meal, however it took over an hour and forty five minutes for us to get our food. At the end of the meal the owner who could clearly tell we were not pleased came over and offered us a complimentary dessert. Tom accepted his offer.However when we got in the car with the cannolis we opened the tin to find they were melted! I have always said that service is a large part of the meal, so in his defense he tried to reconcile the situation but failed miserably.
   Pride was a major success this year, even though our dinner was not. Foodies beware, this restaurant talks a big game but didn't seem to deliver. I give it 2 forks, not going to return any time soon.


Cheers!
Abby

In memory of..

         Nothing helps the heart heal like the comfort of family, friends, and food. I'm an Italian, and in our culture, part of the healing process and coping with grief is to eat. I remember hesitantly having to attend funerals when I was younger, that were always followed by a gigantic family meal. Basically you ate yourself into a food coma.
        Grief is a terrible thing to deal with, and nothing can ease the loss of someone you love. So why whenever someone passes on do people bring food? I've always been a comfort food eater. I joke with people constantly that I'm going to eat my feelings, but I believe that some people actually do this when something traumatic happens. I also believe it helps.
        Whenever I cook food for people I believe the emotion you are feeling transfers into the food you are cooking, and that's part of the reason that I think you should always cook from the heart. I try to offer everyone who comes into my home a good meal. I have the fondest memories of being a child and sitting in the kitchen watching my mom and dad prepare whatever we were going to eat. The laughs and tears I have had around that table cannot be replaced by anything.
      All of these memories are ones that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I have lost grandparents, and friends and nothing can ease that pain. I know it will never go away. But the meals we have shared, and the memories we've created are the gifts they have left with me. I cherish those memories everyday and it keeps their presence in my life alive. It is always important to take time out to honor the ones we have loved, and the ones we have lost, and to remember they are still with us in some way, whether it be sharing a story, or cooking a meal that you once shared together. Their memory lives on in our hearts, and that's where it can live on forever.


In memory of Florence Gilmour