Bloghttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/en-US2010-07-31T07:43:39ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.5 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Tweet Tweet Up At Blue Clawshttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/6/23/tweet-tweet-up-at-blue-claws.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-06-24T00:08:07ZThe Lakewood Blue Claws is hosting their 2nd Annual Summer Shore Tweet-Up. Not on twitter? Well you're probably thinking, "Why do I need to know what people are doing at every moment of the day." While that might be a good question, I think you will find that Twitter goes beyond just the minute by minute play of everyone's day. Twitter has taken its 140 character maximum and linked liked-minded people, enabled people to network at an approachable level, provide a platform to share ideas and gain knowledge, the list is endless. For those already intimately involved in Twitter you know its value and understand the fun in meeting people you exchange with everyday. So, Tuesday, June 29th is your day. Come out and meet not only the Jersey Shore Divas (which is not that exciting) but tons of other local tweeters-twitters (whichever is your poison).  For $10 you can have 9-innings of networking fun, baseball, a full dinner (hot dog, chips and a soda) and maybe a couple of beers under the summer sky. Does it get any better than that? Didn't think so. For more information on where to purchase tickets and sign-up for the event, go here.

]]>Business After Hours & Networking at Rellas Tavernhttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/6/14/business-after-hours-networking-at-rellas-tavern.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-06-15T02:24:50ZThe Jersey Shore Business Resource Group (Linked IN Group) is sponsoring their 2nd networking happy hour at Rellas Tavern in Brielle. Last go around the event was held at Rooney's and well over 150 people attended. It's a great opportunity to network with an array of local folks, exchange business cards, have a drink, free eats and a great time. Feel welcome to come early, come late, just be sure you swing by on your way home and make a few new connections. Divas will be onsite and look forward to meeting you!

To RSVP, follow this link. If you plan on attending and would like to submit a door prize, please contact Michael Cooperman or Josh Feinberg. 

Michael - Michael.Cooperman@axa-advisors.com, 732-292-3379
 
Josh - Jfeinberg@blueclaws.com, 732-901-7000 ext. 174
Rellas Tavern
110 Union Avenue
Brielle, NJ 08730-1814
(732) 528-0034
www.rellastavern.com/

 

]]>Warriors for Wilson #289 Blue Claws Fundraiserhttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/6/12/warriors-for-wilson-289-blue-claws-fundraiser.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-06-13T00:42:16ZOn September 24, 2009 Officer Jonathan Wilson of the Lakewood Police Department was among a group of officers executing a high risk search warrant. Upon entering the home, Officer Wilson along with other officers, were shot. Officer Wilson endured multiple shot wounds, one of which hit his face and left him blind in his left eye. While his life was spared, he has been out of work since the incident, putting a huge financial strain on his wife and 4 children.

On Wednesday, June 16th, as part of the Lakewood Law Enforcement Night, $3 of each ticket purchased will be donated to the Wilson family. The Lakewood Police Department PBA Local #71 will also be selling bracelets and t-shirts and donating all the proceeds to the family.

Take an evening to go enjoy some good summer baseball and help support a local cause! You can purchase tickets by calling 732-901-7000, online at www.BlueClaws.com, or at the box office at the stadium.

 

]]>Jersey Shore Divas on Craig Mahoney's Podcasthttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/6/1/jersey-shore-divas-on-craig-mahoneys-podcast.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-06-02T01:40:09ZWe know it's been a long time since our posted a blog post. Not only has our blog been very sick but we have been busy trying to get our new site up and running.  But we were able to patch up the blog until the official launch.

On April 30th I was invited to discuss Jersey Shore Divas on Craig Mahoney's increasingly more famous podcasts. Craig Mahoney, how can one explain him. Well first he is an extraordinary artist who specializes in sports art. He is a Yankee fan (as a MET fan I just gagged a bit), loves beer, comic books, women, plays a mean guitar and is really a super guy. (there is much more but you'll have to check out his site to learn more)

As a self employed artist, he has taken a very progressive approach to marketing not only his business but also to promote his own personal brand. He is active on Twitter and Facebook and has received an amazing amount of attention through his daily comments full of crass and honest humor. A day is not complete without one chuckle from something Craig has said. Most recently he began posting daily podcasts. At first it was just him discussing hot topics and posting them on this blog. Since then he has had some impressive guests and will be announcing some sponsors soon. Kudos to you Craig!

During our podcast we talk about how Jersey Shore Divas came about, Jersey Shore Restaurant Week, local eating and waterholes and we also hear some juicy gossip about Craig. Click here to listen and be sure to check his blog daily for more podcasts.


~~~Thanks Craig for the invite. It was a lot of fun.

 

]]>A Newbie’s Look Back on Jersey Shore Restaurant Weekhttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/4/29/a-newbies-look-back-on-jersey-shore-restaurant-week.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-04-30T00:36:01Z

Wow!  What a week!  This was my first experience with Jersey Shore Restaurant Week, and I had a blast!  Walking into the kickoff party on April 15, I was like a kid in a candy store – there were so many delicious things to sample, I didn’t know which way to turn first!  For pure decadence, we started our evening with dessert first – smooth, rich chocolate hazelnut panna cotta from The Offshore in Point Pleasant.  The grilled shrimp with roasted tomatoes from Harpoon Willy’s was a favorite of ours that night , along with the mini lamb burgers with rosemary garlic aioli from St. Stephen’s Green Publick House in Spring Lake.  I could have camped out at the Sickles Market table – the Alexian rosemary pheasant pate and Boucheron cheese were luxurious and delicious!  I even surprised myself that my favorite bite of the night ended up being guacamole – but then again, Spicy Cantina’s guacamole is the freshest, creamiest most perfect guacamole I have ever tasted !

After sampling so many delicious dishes at the kickoff party, and looking at all the participating restaurants’  menus online, we finally decided which restaurants we would visit during Restaurant Week.  We started with St. Stephen’s Green Publick House in Spring Lake, where we dined on fish and chips and lobster macaroni and cheese.  We plan on returning to this lively, family-friendly Irish pub as often as possible!

The next dinner was the most special of the week.  My ten year-old daughter and I had a girls-only, dressed-up dinner at David Burke’s Fromagerie in Rumson.  We enjoyed grilled octopus Caesar salad and yummy cheesecake pops with bubblegum whipped cream, and had the chance to relax and share some girl talk.  I was proud that my daughter knew how to act appropriately in such an elegant restaurant, and that she is so adventurous that she actually enjoyed the grilled octopus!

After spending the day at the Seaside Boardwalk, we went to Spicy Cantina to sample their Restaurant Week menu.  We all loved the tender braised beef brisket with blood oranges, jalapenos and roasted tomatoes, served over creamy cotija mashed potatoes.  Spicy Cantina has beautiful ocean views and a cool, relaxed vibe – it is a great spot to take a break from the busy boardwalk outside and enjoy some unbelievable Mexican food!

High Tide Restaurant and Grill is quickly becoming one of our favorite restaurants.  The pan-seared yellowfin tuna with a shaved fennel and red onion salad was light and delicious, and the perfectly-cooked flank steak with chili vinaigrette was another favorite!  High Tide is a small, casual restaurant where the friendly service instantly makes you feel at home.  We could not love this place more!Your browser may not support display of this image.

At the end of Restaurant Week, we tried Nicchio in Belmar.  Nicchio is strikingly beautiful, but also warm and friendly.  The food we sampled during our dinner there was fabulous – crispy pan-seared duck breast with blood orange risotto, and halibut with sweet roasted tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano risotto.  Dessert was pure heaven - pannettone cannoli cake – sweet pannettone studded with raisins and soaked in rum, and layered with fresh, sweet cannoli cream.

My first Jersey Shore Restaurant Week was full of decadent surprises, and I enjoyed every bite!  I can’t wait until the next one in November!

 

Written by Holly Burtchaell from Random Cravings blog. Holly is completely obessed with all things culinary, and loves to seek out new foods, tastes and culinary experiences and then write about them. She is married with a 10-yr old daughter. While her bloodline is a full-time paralegal careerbut her passion is food. Take a peak at her blog and follow her culinary adventures.
]]>Art Auction for Charityhttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/4/28/art-auction-for-charity.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-04-28T21:53:52ZA group of local and very talented artists joined together at the Jersey Shore Restaurant Week Kickoff party titled "Palates, Palettes and Pairings," a celebration of food, wine and art to paint live during the course of the event. The artists painted the party scene in their own interuptation. It went far beyond my expectations. Artists painted in mediums from mix media to water color. It was a rare moment to see more people crowded around an easel than a table full of free wine. The artists have since then completed their paintings and have put them up for auction. Half of the proceeds benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. Click here to view the auction information. But HURRY the auction ends on Friday!

]]>Sam Adams Beer Pairing Dinner at Brandlhttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/4/23/sam-adams-beer-pairing-dinner-at-brandl.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-04-23T12:43:25ZMonday night Brandl hosted a Sam Adams Beer Pairing Dinner as a special event during Jersey Shore Restaurant Week. Wine pairing dinners are obviously very popular but beer pairing dinners are becoming all the rage and growing in popularity. One of the Sam Adams reps said that the Jersey Shore is one of the largest beer markets in the United States, which is probably why this event sold out with over 80+ people attending. 

We were all given a "Sam Adams Perfect Pint" glass to use and take home after the tasting. As you can see it doesn't look like your typical pint glass.  A lot of thought and care went into creating this glass. The rim has a "turbulator" bump to create turbulence and release the flavors as soon as the beer enters the mouth. The narrow top helps to retain the head and hop aromas. The rounded body allows to collect the aromas of the beer and the thinner walls helps to maintain the proper tempature longer. And most impressively, the bottle has laser etching on the bottom to constantly release aromas through a stream of bubbles. 

 

Now onto the main event...The first course was a Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese on truffle toast with apple compote and assorted nuts, paired with a Sam Adams Black Lager. The nuts were the star. They had a distinct chili pepper undertone and were truly delicious. The beer was a bit frightening at first. I'm not one to order a Guinness because I think they are just far to heavy to drink in their entirety. The representative asked us, "how many people think this beer looks incredibly heavy". We all nodded our heads yes. I mean it's called a "Black" Lager! But amazingly, while it had a malty taste it was really quite light. It complemented the course so well. It was strong enough to withstand the pungent flavors of the goat cheese but calm enough to allow the apple compote to take stage. 

The second course was a Grilled Caesar Salad served with oven dried tomatoes, paired with Sam Adams Coastal Wheat. How I love grilled lettuce. The technique brings such a nutty and sweet flavor to the lettuce, which really balanced out the acidity of the dried tomatoes. The beer taste much like a Hefeweizen, offering a light citrus flavor but still able to cut through the creaminess of the ceasar dressing. 

The main course was braised, slow cooked short rib with a port wine demi glace, potato puree, passion fruit and grilled scallions, paired with Sam Adams Boston Lager. If you have ever dined at Brandl, you know the short ribs are one of their signature dishes, aside from their famous crab cakes of course. And the Boston Lager is Sam Adam's flagship. Created in his parents garage, it was the first beer Sam Adams brewed commercially. It's an easy to drink, slightly hopy, citrus and floral pale ale. It offered a refreshing compliment to the richness of the short ribs and was really enjoyable.

And last but not least, the dessert. A perfectly executed Chocolate Souffle, paired with Sam Adams Double Bock. The soufflé was just decadent. Enough said. The beer is a German-style Doppelback. Huh, what does that mean? Well don't worry, I didn't know either. Basically it's an old technique that makes for a robust, rich-bodied, malty beer. This beer in particular at 8.8% alcohol offers a burnt sugar, slight fruity and steely flavor, perfect with almost any dessert.

This was most guest's first time participating in a beer pairing dinner. And like them I was truly amazed. After that dinner, while I still love my wine, I vow to keep my options open when deciding what to pair with my next meal and I urge you to do the same.  Kudos to Chris Brandl, Jersey Shore Restaurant Week and the Sam Adams team for a wonderful event! 

]]>Ticket Giveaway - Jersey Shore Roller Girls Bouthttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/4/12/ticket-giveaway-jersey-shore-roller-girls-bout.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-04-13T02:30:11ZHave you ever been to a Roller Derby bout? Okay, you have got to go one of these! A bunch of my girl friends took me to a bout last March and it was a blast. These girls mean business. They come locked and loaded in full gear and let out all their aggressions on the rink. The Jersey Shore Roller Girls consist of three intra-league teams and two travel teams. Players are locals, ranging in ages and background but all have a passion for the classic game of roller derby. Did we mention their player names? Um how about Jack & Choke, Slugs Mackenzie or Toastface Killer. Grab a few of your friends, grab a bite in the good ole Asbury Park and head to the bout. To win tickets to the Convention Hall bout on April 24th, simply click here. For more information on the Jersey Shore Roller Girls or for a list of their upcoming events, visit www.jerseyshorerollergirls.net. 

]]>Ticket Giveaway - Jersey Shore Restaurant Week Kick-Off Partyhttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/4/2/ticket-giveaway-jersey-shore-restaurant-week-kick-off-party.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-04-02T12:05:11ZOn April 15th, Jersey Shore Restaurant Week kicks off with "Palates, Palettes and Pairings" ~ A Celebration of Food, Wine and Art ~ Sponsored by The Atlantic Club. The Jersey Shore’s best chefs prepare signature dishes which will be individually paired with some of the best wines from around the world. Local artists will be coming to paint live to interpret the party scene, in styles ranging from watercolors to abstract. This is a party not to be missed and we are giving away a pair of tickets. Simply click here to enter.

Winners will be announced Monday, April 12th. To learn more details about Jersey Shore Restaurant Week, please visit www.jerseyshorerestaurantweek.com 

Good Luck!!

]]>"Run" the Jersey Shorehttp://www.jerseyshoredivas.com/blog/2010/3/20/run-the-jersey-shore.htmlJersey Shore Diva2010-03-20T12:39:02Z"Run" the Jersey Shore -- by guest writer Gwen Recinto

If you love glorious, sunny weather and the fun that goes with it, then surely you're looking forward to time at the Jersey shore. That's where you can take advantage of the sun, sand and surf, snow cones, pizza, boardwalk fries ... and more. But, did you know, there's even more to do — for example, start new exercise routine — or taking your current one there? The shore is a great place to bring your running shoes!

Tips for beach and boardwalk jogging and walking

Depending on your fitness level and any injuries, the beach and boardwalk are a great place for jogging, walking or doing a combination of the two.

On the beach, wear running-specific shoes and jog or walk closer to the water where sand is compact and firm. Keep in mind that dry, loose sand can cause an ankle injury because sand is unstable. Dry sand can also add resistance to your workout, so if want, try a faster walk — with or without shoes on dry sand. With any new workout, remember to take your time, especially if your body is not acclimated. You can always set goals for yourself — and create a challenging and consistent beach program.

You might find it easier —and more fun—  to jog or walk on the boardwalk, especially if you're used to working out on a treadmill, on asphalt or the sidewalk. The boardwalk planks actually propel you forward with each step since they have some give in them. This "softer" surface is actually better for your ankles, knees and joints than a more dense, solid surface. In addition, on a boardwalk, it takes less effort to jog faster with all the forward propulsion, but this can make for a better, more satisfying workout.

Find a boardwalk

Jersey boardwalks come in all shapes and sizes. Here's a list of boardwalk places you may want to explore:

Avon by the Sea

Asbury Park

Atlantic City

Avalon

Belmar

Bradley Beach

Cape May

Coney Island

Island Heights

Keansburg

Lavallette

Long Branch 

Manasquan

Ocean City 

Ocean Gate

Ocean Grove

Ortley Beach 

Point Pleasant 

Sea Bright

Sea Girt

Sea Isle City 

Seaside Heights 

Seaside Park 

Spring Lake

Ventnor

Wildwood

Find a shore running club

If you're looking to make new friends, find a running partner or participate in upcoming races, check out the sample of running clubs listed below. Some groups host runs at the shore, train locally and attend shore races as a team.  

Amazing Feet Running Club

Breakneck Track Club

Central Jersey Road Runners Club

Clifton Road Runners Club

Essex Running Club

Jersey Shore Running Club

New Jersey Road Runners Club

NJ Shore Run

Ocean Running Club

Raritan Valley Road Runners

Shore Athletic Club of NJ

 Enjoy it

If jogging and walking is something you've always wanted to try — now's the time to do it. If you've been running for some time, challenge yourself! Not only will you enjoy the shore sights and fresh air, you'll be burning off all the food — like macaroons and fudge — that you wait all year to enjoy!

 

Gwen Recinto is a freelance writer and marketer, blogger and fitness instructor. She has been teaching group exercise for 10 years throughout South Jersey and Philadelphia. Follow her on Twitter — @AllThingsGwen — and “fan” her Fit Friends page on Facebook. For inspirational articles, including how to live a healthy, happy and inspired life, visit her blog at AllThingsGwen.com.

 

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