With Memorial Day being just a few days ago, we thought we would throw it back to Memorial Day 2018. #throwbackthursday Memorial day was the last weekend Liz was going to live in Long Branch after graduation from Monmouth University, so I thought it was time to take a trip to check out some of the places she loved to go to while living there.
The first night I came to town Liz picked me up at the airport in Philadelphia and we drove back to Monmouth. We went to dinner at The Wine Loft for some wine and shared a few small plates. We had the Wine Loft Margherita Pie and the Baked Brie with raspberry sauce and balsamic glaze. It was delicious! Also, Liz's favorite wine ever is on their menu, the Graff Piesporter Spatlese Riesling. It is a sweet, sparkling white wine, resembling Sprite.
To start the day we made a trip to Rook Coffee. I love coffee, and this coffee was delicious! They have several locations throughout New Jersey, including Long Branch. Grab a bag of freshly ground coffee to go and a sticker while you're there!
We then spent most of the day at the beach. There are two great beaches nearby, in Long Branch and Asbury Park. Both of them have boardwalks with lots of restaurants and shops to visit. Just be prepared to pay for parking and beach passes.
We love ice cream, and no beach trip is complete without it! Walk the boardwalks and you will find plenty of options.
Later on, we got ready to try out some of the Asbury Park nightlife. The first and one of the coolest spots that we stopped at that evening was the Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten. I had a German wine and Liz got a mug of cider. We sat at the bar for a little bit, but of course ended up at the rooftop patio. This was one of my favorite places that we went during the trip.
Another cool part of Asbury Park is all the murals. Walk down the boardwalk and you will find many hand-painted photo backdrops!
Another very popular place for drinks is Johnny Mac's in Asbury Park. With every drink you buy, you get a free pizza! They also have mimosas on Sunday morning, which gets you a free omelette, just for $3! The nighttime festivities are often dominated by local college students, but that means brunch is often less busy.
The next day we started out with some pour-over coffee from Dak Lak Coffee Roasting. They are a small coffee shop near the Monmouth Mall that opened while Liz was a student at Monmouth. They serve specially made coffees and teas!
For lunch, we went to the Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival at Monmouth Park. It is a racetrack with several different events throughout the year, including this one annually. We loved this food truck event because many of the stands had sample-size foods available, such as small servings of delicious jalapeño poppers in many flavors. And, when dessert is on the menu, it is a must for Liz!
Here's some other places that are a must-visit for food while visiting the area:
Turning Point- Delicious breakfast spot in Long Branch's Pier Village. They have the best gourmet pancakes and waffles, and specialty drinks
Porta- Wood-fired pizza pies, pasta, and more! At night, it turns into a dance club popular with college students.
Broad Street Dough Co.- Freshly made donuts by the order (they are still hot!) in a variety of fun flavors. I love the CoCo LoCo, which is chocolate and coconut, and Chai Town, which is vanilla and chai tea spice.
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