ASBURY PARK'S 1st LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
THE RAINBOW ISSUE
Photo courtesy of The Asbury Park Mermaid • theapmermaid.com
Summer 2015
rainbow restoration @juicebasin
basin
jersey’s original cold-press juice
631 bloomfield ave montclair
805 4th ave asbury park
973.744.0121
732.481.4110
PARVE K# 13963
THE ONE OF A KIND IN-HOUSE DESIGNER COLLECTION AWAITS
SHOP DOWNTOWN GET GORGEOUS
WONDERS NEVER CEASE MON-THURS 11-7 FRI-SAT 11-8 SUN 12-7
601 COOKMAN AVE, ASBURY PARK • 732.988.7711 • NITAIDEAS.COM
ASBURY PARK'S 1st LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
Summer 2015
THE RAINBOW ISSUE
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Publisher's Page
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Asbury Park Zest Summer
LIBATIONS
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RISING STAR
PORKCHOP
ASBURY FRESH
SUMMER READING
PAU
STOP BULLYING
Asbury Park Star Spotlight
ASK THE CHEF
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DJS
MERMAID PROMENADE
OVER THE RAINBOW
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RED
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NITA
THE OCEAN AVE HANG
PEDAL BOATS
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Gene & Scott's Asbury
“Asbury Park Italian Style” Artisan Italian Bistro & Marketplace in a A M s n O b
D i no ’s
u r y P a r k
All Your Catering Needs
DAILY FRESH BAKED BREAD • DAILY HOMEMADE MOZZARELLA • PREPARED FOODS • SPECIALTY SANDWICHES • DAILY LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS • HOMEMADE ITALIAN PASTRIES GIFT CERTIFICATES • BEACH DINNERS BISTRO BEACH BOXES TO GO
Dino's On Main
300 Main Street • Asbury Park, NJ 732.775.1033 • @DinosOnMain
FREE DELIVERY TO HOME • OFFICE • BEACH
P UBL I SH E R ’ S PAG E
Founder/Publisher Vanessa M. Arico Art & Design Director Jennifer Krumholz-Marmorato Editor Yolanda Navarra Fleming
Vanessa M. Arico T-shirt, necklace and hat Dani Risi, Allenhurst Photography - My 1st selfie!
H
appy 1 year anniversary Asbury Park Zest!
This summer we celebrate everything rainbow! From our beloved rainbow community that has helped rebuild our vibrant and thriving city, to the rainbow colors found in Asbury Park fine art, street art, fashion, beauty trends, books, bathing suits, beach towels, umbrellas, surfboards, fitness equipment and outdoor furniture, beach picnics, al fresco dining, cocktails, cold-press juice, cleanses, and ice cream; this summer, color is king. Or queen! Rainbows are made of every color of the spectrum. Have a rainbow summer everyone. And visit Asbury Park soon!
-Vanessa
Copy Editor Lisa Schofield Contributors Rick Barry Caitlin Dabney Scott Hamm Rossi Lisa Schofield Sarah Tomek Vanessa M. Arico
Models Nicole Thornton for Dani Risi Kamari Blackmon I'Nejha Denson Kalani Desroches Leo Grillo Nico Marmorato Charlotte Mathias
Photographer Suzy Graham Contributing Photographers The Asbury Park Mermaid theapmermaid.com Randy G. Lubischer Jennifer Krumholz-Marmorato Victoria McDougal Vanessa M. Arico Cover Photography The Asbury Park Mermaid theapmermaid.com Advertising Sales + Information 732.693.4709 info@AsburyParkZest.com AsburyParkZest.com Asbury Park Zest LLC PO Box 87 Asbury Park, NJ 07712-0087 USA Š 2015 Asbury Park Zest. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Please forgive any errors & omissions.
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ASB URY PAR K Z E ST SUMME R
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sbury Park is fast becoming the art capital of New Jersey. Contemporary artists Porkchop and Pau Quintanajornet have brought the city alive with color. Take a walking tour on Cookman Ave from downtown to the beach and see Porkchop's Bond St murals (and stop into Bond St Bar for a $5 burger and a beer). Then travel up to the beach and see Pau's 2 wooden panels on the Carousel building, and Porkchop's 2 lovely ladies inside the Casino — the grand gateway between Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. After that, take an old fashioned swan boat ride on Wesley Lake and relive Asbury Park's rich City By The Sea history. Asbury Park's casual and fine dining establishments, delis, and catering companies get a spike this time of year with farm fresh fruits and vegetables. DJ's Market on Mattison, AP Sunset Farmer's Market on Main St, and Asbury Fresh on Cookman Ave invite residents and neighbors to shop with them daily, Saturday, and Thursday pm/Sunday, respectively. New Jersey is the Garden State for an eat the rainbow reason! And whether your beach picnic is catered by Dino's on Main or you're resting on a home hammock, don't forget your summer bestsellers or classics from words! new location on Cookman Ave, or from the mini libraries on the corner of Cookman & Grand Aves, on the Asbury Park Boardwalk, at the train station, and at the senior center on Springwood Ave. Nita Ideas, Creative Clothing for Individuals on Cookman Ave —celebrating their 1 year anniversary— is all about the rainbow. Stop in to see why
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NY, NJ, PA & CT customers, and "the rest of the fashion universe," as quoted by The New York Times, are rushing in to be styled in every color by celebrated designer and manufacturer, Nita Novy, and her highly experienced in-house team. This tip of Cookman Ave is buzzing with business! Interior Design makes a splash this summer on Asbury Park Zest pages with B&G Home Interiors, Cookman Ave. Stop in and meet owner/designer, Jon Martinez, who also offers the perfect host/hostess gift for under $20.00. Our southern neighbor, Ellen Gerard, owner/designer of sweet pea, Third Ave, Spring Lake is a constant inspiration with her tasteful, elegant and contemporary furnishings. She's also a reminder that staying ultra current while being rooted in tradition truly rocks. Our northern neighbor, Monmouth Beach Plantation Shutters & Blinds LLC, Monmouth Beach, offers Plantation Shutters, Hunter Douglas products and numerous other window fashions for your apartment, cottage, condo or castle. Fitness Lifestyles, Cookman Ave is the only place to buy commercial/residential fitness equipment, and pool and outdoor furniture. What a showroom! VNA Health Group now sponsors Prevention Resource Network (PRN) in the old Sunset Ave train station. PRN offers free testing, counseling and information to reduce the risk of youth HIV. Project R.E.A.L. (Real Empowerment for ALL) on Fourth Ave next to juice basin is a safe place for LGBTQ young adults ages 1329 to be themselves without judgement. Thank you VNA Health Group!
LIBATIONS
Rainbow Cocktail
By Caitlin Dabney
Instagram @caitdabs Serves 4 2 shakers 2 squeeze bottles - optional 1 four prong cocktail strainer 1 fine mesh cocktail strainer 12 oz tequila 8 oz mango puree 4 oz pineapple juice 1/2 pound fresh strawberries 1/2 quart fresh raspberries 1/2 quart fresh blackberries 1/2 quart fresh blueberries 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 32 frozen blueberries 4 egg whites 4 dashes of cream of tartar 12 large mint leaves 4 10 ounce martini glasses The sauces: Dice 1/2 pound strawberries and add to sauce pan. Add 1/2 quart raspberries. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water and boil down for 30 minutes or until the fruit becomes soft. Strain the sauce through a cheese cloth into a bowl. Use the fine mesh strainer to strain it a second time into the squeeze bottle. The process for the blackberry and blueberry sauce is the same. The process per serving: In one shaker add 1 egg white, 1 dash of cream of tartar, 1/2 oz blackberry and blueberry sauce, 1/2 oz raspberry and strawberry sauce. Give that a hard shake for 30 seconds. In the second shaker, muddle 3 of the mint leaves, add 2 oz tequila, 2 oz mango puree, 1 oz pineapple juice. Fill with ice. In first shaker, add ice and 1 oz tequila. Shake both vigorously for an additional 30 seconds. Put 8 frozen blueberries in martini glass. Pour the contents of the second shaker over the blueberries using the four prong strainer. Then pour the contents of the first shaker on top of that using both the four prong and also the fine mesh cocktail strainer. Garnish with the raspberry and strawberry sauce, and the blackberry and blueberry sauce and a mint leaf. Repeat process for remaining 3 servings. Cheers and enjoy! 9
AS BU RY PAR K RI SI N G STA R
Rick Barry
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Photo by Victoria McDougal
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grew up in Point Pleasant, NJ. I started writing and playing music when I was about 14 years old . My first real gig was at The Saint in Asbury Park about 4 years later. My early style? I fronted rock bands and played the area consistently trying to be, as one from this area often does — 'The Next Bruce Springsteen.' By the time I hit my early twenties, I started to find my own voice, and realized more and more that I was never really meant to be a 'rock 'n' roll front man'— at least not in the 'bastard child of Eddie Vedder and Bruuucccee!' kind of way that I'd been going for. I stopped focusing so much on the 'rehearsed stage banter and spontaneous staged acrobatics.' I mean, does anyone really think it's cool when someone jumps up on the bar for a guitar solo? Especially when it's obvious that they'd spent more time practicing that, than playing said guitar? I started trying to find a more honest, to myself at least, approach of reaching my audience. I began to write songs that I liked, that maybe my audience would like too. At least I wouldn't have to skin my knees sliding across the stage anymore. I moved into Asbury about 10 years ago, and this is the formula I've been sticking to ever since. I try to surround myself with other artists that inspire me. Fortunately, that's an easy thing to do in the 07712 zip code, and why I jumped on board with Pat Schiavino and Asbury Underground. Pat is both an accomplished artist, and one of the early real estate developers in town. He's also a former concert promoter. So when he was approached to do an 'art crawl' in the downtown area, naturally he also thought that having songwriters perform at each stop of the crawl made perfect sense. And it did. There were 10 artists at 10 art galleries at that first event. After that, Pat and I had a few
beers, and the conversation turned toward how much potential Asbury Underground could have. That was 2 years ago. Since then the event has grown to be three times a year (January, June and October). Our most recent June 13th event had 50 musicians at nearly 30 venues throughout the day. We also now have an interactive Asbury Underground app, which offers exclusive deals to Asbury Park businesses, the city's latest art and music news, and VIP access to concerts in the area. Currently, I am in the process of working out the release of my next record, "Curses, Maledictions and Harsh Reiterations." The record is completely finished, but due to budgetary concerns, I have been forced to hold off on it's release for longer than I had hoped. I am currently working on ways to raise the $$$ for that. In the coming months, I'll be making it my priority to accomplish that, and finally get a release date on the calendar for this record, which I am incredibly proud of. rickbarrymusic@gmail.com rickbarrymusic.com
ART I ST S POT L IGHT
The Muralista
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s a full-time artist and world traveler, Chilean-born Pau Quintanajornet appreciates that her art is becoming a people magnet in the spirit of community worldwide. The 33-year-old muralista and street artist
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began her career when she moved to Berlin, Germany in search of a more expansive creative playground at the tender age of 15. Since then, she has made that city her home. Travelling for exhibitions and creating art worldwide are also mainstays, and during her
first trip to the USA, Pau was enjoying her first solo exhibition, "Newmoon," at the OMC Gallery in Los Angeles when she was commissioned to create a custom mural in Asbury Park, a place she'd never been. Waterfront developer, Madison Marquette, partnered with Jenn Hampton, co-director and co-curator of Parlor Gallery on Cookman Ave, to hire artists to decorate their buildings in Asbury Park. Based on her brilliant work, Quintanajornet was an obvious choice. Shortly thereafter, Pau was dispatched to the north side of the Carousel building adjacent to the Casino, and has since created her 2 much-talked-about murals. “I’m from South America, so colorful murals are in my genes,” she says. “It’s fascinating how color can affect your life. When you start your day by walking by a colorful wall, it helps you. This was my intention with this wall. It’s the South American God, Mother Earth. She is in contrast to the ocean and the water. There are these birds everywhere in Asbury, so this was a kind of interaction, a bridge between water, earth and sky.” “I have two ways of painting,” she says. “My individual shows are more intimate, and I'm very
concentrated and focused. When I do murals, it’s more for the public. I will leave, but my art will stay, and I want to leave something people will enjoy.” Creating her two inspired murals on the Carousel building proved to be an expansive experience for the artist too, who thrives on the personal connection with her audience, as well as gathering tidbits of local history wherever she travels. “I really enjoyed my time in Asbury Park,” she adds. “It was a beautiful experience not just because I got to paint a wall, but because I got closer to the people here, and that’s the main thing I enjoy. It’s great when you can have interaction and gather information about the area — inside information about exact locations and what they were like 20, 30 and 50 years ago….” Quintanajornet also projects her Latin American influences on paper, wood and ink symbolizing strong women and birds, focusing on wisdom, peace and free spiritedness. She herself is a bird — adventurous and free.
Summer Music Storyteller Series July 17 - August 30 Exhibit Joe Grushencky & The Houserockers "The Asbury Connection" with Photos, Video and Memorabilia July 24 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Jody Joseph & Her Students August 7 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Johnna Marie August 28 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Jody Joseph & Her Students
Home to all of Asbury Park’s rich musical heritage The mission of the APMF is to preserve and promote Asbury Park’s rich musical heritage-past, present, future; creating a thriving, vibrant city Where Music Lives.
708 Cookman Avenue • Asbury Park, NJ 732.775.8900 • www.asburyparkmusiclives.org
DJ' S D E L I G HTS
ASBURY PARK’S
DOWNTOWN
DJ
Photo by Jennifer Marmorato jennymdesigns.com
D
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J Presto doesn’t spin records, but his meatloaf has won numerous awards and his deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese is enough to make anyone shake, rattle and roll. So if you haven’t been to DJ’s Delights Deli & Restaurant in Asbury Park, don’t walk there — run, or better yet, salsa! “Food is a vehicle for love,” says the man behind his eat-in/ take-out/catering company. “I truly believe that it comes out in everything I make. I am not just cooking a dish; I am creating an experience. No matter how hard you’ve worked or what problems you’re facing that day, I want my customers to know, that when they sit down in my restaurant or open their delivery, that I am taking the time to make them a meal that will comfort, nourish and make them feel better.” “I like to create,” DJ shares, “and I love to make everything!” Presto grew up in a small town called Matamoras, PA, one of eight children. It’s no wonder his mother squashed his boyhood dreams that did not involve food. “I come from a large family and food was the center of everything,” he remembers. “My mother and grandmother were always cooking large meals to feed our family. The kitchen was the most exciting place in our house, and I loved to help them. That’s how I developed my passion and love of food. Originally, I wanted to
be an undertaker, but my mother wouldn’t hear any of that. I asked her if I could go to cooking school, and she was very happy with that!” So, he ventured to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, and cultivated his passed down culinary talent. At the onset of his career, Presto was the Executive Chef at the Flo Jean Restaurant in Port Jervis, NY. When he relocated to NJ in 1998, he became a quality control specialist in the medical field. He started a catering business on the side, which exploded, and inspired him to rethink his career, and pursue his true passion – cooking. In 2010, DJ invested in downtown Asbury Park along with his spouse, Ron Wendolowski, and together they took over Aunt Bea’s Market on Mattison Ave. They opened DJ’s Delights – a coffee bar and deli. Their first year was so successful that they quickly added equipment to cook hot lunches and dinners. They then immediately expanded again, and took over the business space next door and opened a dining room and full-service restaurant. When yet another adjacent space became available, they added Asbury Park’s downtown green grocer and shopping market,
also carrying canned and boxed goods and sundries, and completed their triple play. Their brand is now DJ’s Delights Deli & Restaurant, consistently known for its efficient and friendly service, homey atmosphere, and a relaxed, zenlike quality in their dining room, where meals are enjoyed, meetings are held, and individuals stop in to check emails or chill. Both DJ and Ron enjoy entertaining and see the business as an extension of their home because their wish is for customers to feel like they’re having a meal at a friend’s house. “The best thing about my job is my customers,” Presto relates. “I love them all! They are family to me.” The worst thing about his job is, of course, the 90 hours or so a week he spends on his feet. “It’s exhausting, but rewarding,” he states. It must be, because he is still expanding. In May, Presto opened a satellite DJ’s (deli/market/sundries) in Asbury Tower, the oceanfront Springpoint Senior Living residence in Asbury Park. And… he is looking to open another DJ’s Delights Deli & Restaurant in Red Bank when the time is right.
Rainbows & Porkroll
Happy Pride Asbury Park! Serving you and yours since 2010. 620 Mattison Ave Asbury Park, NJ www.DJsInAP.com • 732.869.1100
AS BU RY PAR K H AS A DE SI GN E R !
Nita Novy
N
ita Novy graduated Duke University, acted on Broadway for more than two decades, and had two kids before Nita Ideas, Inc. was born in 1989. “I knew I had to do something creative,” says Novy. “I’m a graduate of Duke, where I went to become a doctor – until I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor; I just wanted to play one on TV.” She also began making children’s clothes and hats, and while living in Tribeca, sent her daughter to preschool one day like she would any other day, wearing one of her handmade hats. Upon her return, Novy was surprised to find five orders for hats in her child’s lunchbox. It might have been the faux Dalmatian fur or the buffalo plaid that impressed them, but whatever it was, it was a sure sign of a brand new and successful business-in-the-making. Novy took six of her original designs in a hat box to Barney’s New York. “Within two minutes I had a meeting with the president,” laughs Novy, adding, “I’ve always played with fabric. I designed my prom dresses and a lot of my clothes.” Once Barney’s became a feather in her lovely handmade hat, Bendel’s became the second bit of high-end validation that encouraged Novy to press on. “I started the business when my children were babies because I wanted control,” says the former actor who has played roles such as “Rizzo” in Grease and “Sunshine” in Harold and Maude. “I left the theater for other endeavors, but the theater never left me. I always sidled up to the costume designer because I knew a great costume could make you and a bad costume could break you.” Her segue from theater actor to fashion designer was a natural one. Starting with a one room schoolhouse in Milford, Pa. to various
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locations in Millburn-Short Hills, the business always embraced theatricality, drama, and fun in equal measure. As quickly as she gained fame, she began giving a portion of her proceeds to support women’s health issues, such as ovarian cancer research, lung cancer research, and Women In Need (WIN), among others. “We believe it is life’s greatest affirmation to GIVE BACK,” proclaims the Nita Ideas website. The month of May marks the anniversary that the company has donated to the foundation, Make a Wish New Jersey. “We’ve been philanthropic through our whole existence,” says Novy, who can now look back and laugh about the nay-sayers who believed she was romancing an impossible dream. “Now everything is do-it-yourself,” she observes. “But 25 years ago, people assumed I was going to fail because nobody was making patterns by hand. We still cut one piece at a time. When China started taking over mass production of everything, particularly
“Her collection seems to breathe intangible femininity. It is almost as if the rest of the fashion universe is catching up with her.”
-The New York Times
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#suzygrahamphotography
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#suzygrahamphotography
garments, we never outsourced. I work with jewelry and accessory designers, and their collections are designed for us. We are Made in the USA by grownups.” “Asbury Park used to be a retail mecca,” Nita says as she celebrates one year in Asbury. “We’re helping to bring it back and I’m proud of that. We believe in the creative energy, the tremendous talent pool and potential that exists here, and the city’s history.” Novy is especially proud of her own history as a business owner who provides healthcare and celebrates women. “I’m employing women who have real talent, and just because they’re not on Wall Street making a fortune for other people, doesn’t mean we’re not doing something special here. It’s a labor of love. It’s a passion for fashion. But it’s not only about the dress. It’s about the experience of individual attention. We’re in the business of making women experience their personal power and their joy.” Knowing no two women are exactly alike, she chose the more expansive approach to design. “I can say that pretty much out of the gate we had a huge response because there’s this whole generation of women who, when we turn 38 or 40, don’t want to dress like our daughters, but also don’t want to dress like our mothers. We are the middle generation. I’m a child of the ‘70s and that aesthetic has never changed. What you wear doesn’t define you. It should make you happy and express something about yourself.” Her designs have been given considerable press over the years. But it was The New York Times that wrote, “Her collection seems to breathe intangible femininity. It is almost as if the rest of the fashion universe is catching up with her.” If you come to Novy in search of a design to express your personal style, you’ve come to the right place. “When I design, I envision the character of the woman that’s going to wear it. I’ve never been into trends, only personal style, and whatever works for an individual and what feels good. My stuff is pretty timeless because it’s not hooked into an era or a trend. It’s about individuals. That’s who I am, and that’s who we dress.”
#suzygrahamphotography
ART I ST S POT L IG HT
PORKCHOP Viva la femme!
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ears ago, Mike La Vallee painted pictures of pork chops as a sign of temptation. Eventually it evolved into a logo of his work, and his trade name. “A good friend of mine started calling me 'Pork Chop' and the name stuck,” says La Vallee, who recently spent more than a year masterminding his second Asbury Park “lady” mural. He came up with “Jelly Lady” to complement “Octo Lady” created in 2010. Both now adorn the interior breezeway in the old Casino buildingon the southend of the Asbury Park Boardwalk. If you see the mural at the Casino you may be surprised that she’s not a mermaid. “Mermaids are played out,” La Vallee asserts. He is one of the artists cherry-picked from all over the world by boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette to lend their time and talent to the Asbury Park experience. Rest assured, Pork Chop is neither novice nor hack. His mission for years has been to beautify Asbury Park, while celebrating and preserving the city’s rich history.
La Vallee, a sculptor and painter, got his master’s degree in sculpture at Virginia Commonwealth University. Although he grew up in Smithtown, Long Island, he frequented Asbury Park since the ‘90s before settling here permanently in 2001. The 80-foot-wide “Jelly Lady” is a massive display of femininity and color framed by the Casino building’s beaux-arts architecture of the 1900s. It’s fortunate that La Vallee’s greeting from Asbury Park was a sort of graveyard of broken dreams. “Eighteen years ago Asbury Park seemed like a forgotten place,” he recalls. “There was beauty in its abandonment that I was drawn to.” To the eye of an artist, ‘that forgotten look’ represented a blank slate for what it could become. That’s why “Octo Lady” was part flapper, part octopus – to symbolize the city’s glorious peak in the ‘20s. That’s when New York architect Whitney Warren designed the Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall, the Casino Area and Carousel House as well as the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel. 19
Fun for the Whole Family Open Everyday Call for Reservation or book online
You may recall Pork Chop's preHurricane Sandy original on the side of the old Baronet Theater – a sea goddess whose hair measured 150 feet long. This project cost him $100 for the paint and earned him nothing but a good reputation and the satisfaction of a job well done. And then it was washed away. Pork Chop, also a tattoo artist among other things, is a survivor, and doesn’t mind that his murals may often be temporary. “As far as the permanence of the murals, I don't mind if they don't last long,” he says. “For me it's more about the act of doing them. I'm grateful that some have lasted as long as they have, and that people enjoy them.” And it’s good to know that Madison Marquette, the company in charge of revamping 400,000 square feet of prime retail and entertainment space in Asbury Park, will pay him for his hard work. La Vallee has exhibited in the United States and Europe. His work has also been published in “The Greatest Erotic Art of Today/Volume 2,” “Eye Candy,” and “I Want Your Skull.” His website, artofporkchop.com, which portrays a range of styles, is punctuated with this quote: “I am intrigued by every aspect of the art-making process; from finding and selecting the subject matter to making the frame and each step in between. Most inspiration for my work comes from retro photography of women. After the selection of the image, I then incorporate additional images and text to create the story. From piece to piece the story changes, but the female figure is often the main character.” Viva la femme! Girls' designer skirts, compliments of Nita Ideas, Creative Clothing for Individuals, Cookman Ave, Asbury Park.
1222 3rd Ave • Spring Lake, NJ • 732.449.6999
help stop bullying Bullying is bad, it makes people sad. Hands are for helping, not for hurting. Respect one another! It's what you can do to be a pal, all it takes is you! Don't be afraid to speak up, it's alright! It's better than another fight! Be different! Be yourself! It's OK, don't be afraid. We are making a change! Bullying stops here! The change starts with you, do not fear. Be a buddy, not a bully! Work with each other and don't hurt one another!
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#suzygrahamphotography Girls' designer skirts, compliments of Nita Ideas Creative Clothing for Individuals, Cookman Ave, Asbury Park.
by Julia Lee & Ella Chando, Age 10, 4th grade
S
ome might think July 11 is a bit early for a seaside Halloween party when the first Asbury Park Promenade of Mermaids inspires participants to get their “sea whimsy” on by becoming mermaids, mermen, pirates, sea creatures and anything else seaappropriate. Consider it an Asbury Park Sea celebration. This will happen because of one special visionary, Jenn Mehm, who lived in Asbury Park for years before moving to Sacramento, CA, but returned two years ago because of an enduring case of homesickness. While in California, in 2011, she organized the Sacramento Promenade of Mermaids, now an annual event in its fifth year. “I always knew Asbury was going to take off and it did pretty much right after I left in 2000,” says Mehm, who goes by Jenn Meh on Facebook. “I was always homesick for the East Coast. I came back in 2007 to visit and saw how great it was becoming. And then I got more and more homesick. I knew I wanted to move back to Asbury because it’s the greatest place. I love that you can walk to the beach, stores and restaurants. It’s a very happening place. People always want to visit Asbury, so I get a lot of visitors.” Asbury Park’s Promenade of Mermaids may not have been possible without the help and support of one of Asbury Park Boardwalk’s most visible restaurateurs, Marilyn Schlossbach. Mehm is eternally grateful to Marilyn, who owns popular Langosta Lounge, Pop’s Garage,
Asbury Park Yacht Club, Libby’s Beach Shack and Lightly Salted, all on the 3rd Avenue Pavilion. “I think this will be a very fun and successful event for Asbury Park,” says Mehm. “It's a perfect fit that I hope will become a new tradition.” The magical jaunt begins at the north end of the Asbury Park Boardwalk with registration (not mandatory), but is highly recommended if you want to win prizes in the costume contest. Pre-registration is for free until June 30. After that, register the day of the event for $5 from 10:00 am to noon. You will need to be assigned a number at the registration table before the noon Promenade begins. Prizes will be given for Best Costume and Runner Up for adults (ages 15 and up), with first, second and third place prizes in the children’s category (ages 14 and younger). Other prizes will be furnished by local businesses, and mini-golf tickets will be discounted. Adults will receive an admission discount to Surf Fest 2. There will be an After Party at Asbury Park Yacht Club on the Boardwalk with music and mermaid-inspired vendors. An information booth will be set up between Third and Fourth Aves for further questions. Although she has dressed as a mermaid on several occasions, Mehm’s also morphed into a jellyfish and a sea monkey. This year, however, look for her among the lobsters, pirates, walruses, octopi, fish and sharks. She’ll be the seahorse. What will you be?
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The Ocean A
Marilyn Schlossbach's culinary world boasts ecletic cuisine inspired from Vacation with Marilyn and her crew all year long on the Jersey Shore by
LANGOSTA LOUNGE - Vacation Inspired Cuisine - Asbury Park - 732.455.32
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732.830.5770 POP'S GARAGE - Authentic Sustainable Mexican Cuisine - As A.P.Y.C. - Retro Surf Bar - instagram.com/apyachtclub • LIGHTLY SALTED - S LIBBY'S BEACH SHACK - A Casual Seafood Restaurant - Asbury Park Board CATERING BY MARILYN - Creative Cuisine Presented with Simple Elegance
Marilyn & Crew
Langosta Lounge Photo by Jennifer Marmorato jennymdesigns.com
Avenue HANG
her love of exotic locales, global fare, sustainability, and philanthropy. visiting... MARILYN.KITCHEN
275 • LABRADOR LOUNGE - Global Cuisine - Normandy Beach,
sbury Park - 732.576.2181 • Grove West - 732.530.POPS (7677) Surf Shop & Art Gallery - Asbury Park Boardwalk - 732.455.3460 dwalk - 732.455.3275 e - 732.861.2421
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AS B URY F R E S H
Eating the Rainbow A
s summer spikes, and you’re seeking farm-fresh rainbow-colored foods to boost your health, nutrition and vitality, visit Asbury Fresh, the area’s largest local artisan farmers market located in Kennedy Park on the corner of Cookman Ave and Grand Ave in Asbury Park. Back in the spring of 2012, Bret Morgan breathed life into his desire to bring fresh, local produce and handmade goods to downtown Asbury Park and Asbury Fresh was born. Nominated for “Best of Monmouth County” in an Asbury Park Press readers’ poll, with more than 40 vendors, Asbury Fresh is held Sundays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Thursdays from 5:30 to 9:00 pm. “Eating a rainbow of colors means ingesting a variety of nutrients,” says Morgan, whose vibrant entrepreneurial energy has driven the creation of more than one people-friendly entity in Asbury Park. Morgan is also the cofounder of Cowerks, an Asbury Park-based co-working community and technology hub; BandsOnABudget.com, the sought-after musicians’ merchandise marketplace; and DBL Systems, a software development agency. Morgan’s colorful eating habits are completely supported at Asbury Fresh where vendors’ offerings of organic kale, leafy greens, tomatoes, herbs, corn, and strawberries, to name a few, are plentiful. Here the rainbow’s varieties include: red foods, like beets and
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strawberries, that are good for your heart and support joint strength; orange foods, which are rich in Vitamin C; yellow foods, that are good for digestion and skin; green foods, which are necessary for immune system strength, dark leafy greens are best; blue foods like blueberries — a top 10 superfood that improves eye health and can work to aid macular degeneration of the eyes; and purple foods, like eggplant, considered to be brain food and support good memory. "I've been a vegetarian for over 13 years and ‘juice’ or make smoothies most mornings,” he relates. “Having access to fresh, locally sourced, organic produce has not only helped me live a healthier lifestyle, it has given me the energy to take on all of the various companies and projects that I'm involved in." If he’s not working, Bret may be doing yoga, bike riding, surfing or cooking. "As an amateur vegan cook, one of the things I've learned along the way is the importance of presentation when cooking,” he said. “Visual appearance is as paramount as flavor when creating a dish, and in my opinion, nothing is more appealing than the variety of colors that Mother Nature gives us to work with when we're cooking with fresh produce." The next time you hear the popular slogan “taste the rainbow,” forget candy, think nature, found in every color at Asbury Fresh.
550 Cookman Avenue • Asbury Park, NJ 732-455-3510 • www.CoaRock.com
ASB U RY PAR K STA R SP OTL I GHT Sarah Tomek Nashville, Tennessee
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ountry music sensation, Maggie Rose, moved me to Nashville to be her drummer three years ago. In Nashville, I was also discovered by producer, Marti Fredirikson, who's band, Loving Mary is Steven Tyler's backup band. With Loving Mary, I recently played the season finale of American Idol. It was an absolute honor, and a dream of a lifetime. I also play with Nashville band, Them Vibes, and just got engaged to its singer! Upcoming: 7/18 Loving Mary, Linden, TN 8/8 Them Vibes, Nashville, TN (Tomato Fest Headliner) 8/12 Loving Mary, Nashville, TN 8/15 Maggie Rose, Minong, WI 10/13 Steven Tyler, Kauai, HI 10/23 -10/30 Maggie Rose, Country Cruisin' 12/8-12/13 Loving Mary, Maui, HI (BMI Festival) 1/7/16 -2/7/16 Them Vibes, European Tour
Photo by Victoria McDougal
iammaggierose.com lovingmaryband.com themvibes.com steventyler.com
Sarah Tomek 29
OUTDOOR LIVING It’s your yard.
Reclaim It. CREATE A SPACE FOR Entertaining Family Time Playing Enjoying Pets Relaxing
SAY GOODBYE TO Mowing Weeding Seeding Watering
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732.709.3108
for your free consultation from a synthetic grass expert.
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Over The Rainbow Dirtsa Studio 5th Ave Market Asbury Park Boardwalk
ACD WSH The Shoppes at the Arcade Cookman Ave, Asbury Park
Dani RIsi Main St Allenhurst
Shelter home Cookman Ave Asbury Park
RHODE COLLECTIVE 5th Ave Market Asbury Park Boardwalk
HEAVEN JUNKYARD ANGEL 5th Ave Market Asbury Park Boardwalk
Cookman Ave Asbury Park
HOT SAND
Spellbinders
Cookman Ave Asbury Park
Main St Allenhurst
DINO'S ON MAIN Main Street. Asbury Park
Shelter Home Convention Hall Asbury Park Boardwalk
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329 Main Street • Allenhurst, NJ 07711 732.660.1164 • danirisi.com Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/DaniRisiAllenhurstNJ Follow us on Instagram @danirisi
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FASHIONABLE ACCESSORIES
SURF . SKATE . APPAREL . ACCESSORIES THE JERSEY SHORE'S PREMIER SURF SHOP SINCE 1987 JUST NORTH OF ASBURY PARK 318 MAIN ST, ALLENHURST, NJ 07711 732.531.SURF • SPELLBINDERSSURF.COM
SUMME RT IM E F U N
Photo by Randy G. Lubischer
Asbury Park Pedal Boats
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sbury Park’s Swan Boats on Wesley Lake are a blast from the past. The original swan boats had motors, while the new ones have pedals. I took my kids two summers ago to explore the lake and find out what it was like to be the master of our own swan. My son and I pedaled, but my daughter, who was too short to reach the pedals, sat in the middle. We laughed the entire way around the lake. Historic documents of the swans on Wesley Lake, the narrow body of water separating Ocean Grove from Asbury Park, date as far back as June 1889, when the Trenton Evening News ran a column, "Asbury Park Doing,” noting "the various kinds of craft that ply up and down" the lake, including about 100 rowboats and four swan boats. According to the Asbury Park Historical Society, the 1890s’ Mayor James Bradley, bought 16 white swan boats for recreational use on Wesley Lake. At the time, they were propelled by turning a crank and each boat held about 10 people. Then in the 1950s and ‘60s, the swans had motors. Then, for a long time before Asbury Park’s rebirth, while the town slept, so did the swans.
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They were reintroduced by Linda Occhipinti and Joseph Gambarony in 2011. Now, they are made of fiberglass, and the pedals offer people a form of fun and exercise that is also environmentally respectful. Other fiberglass creatures have also joined the swans, which hold up to three people, such as a blue heron, pelican, dragon, a pink flamingo and a pirate ship. They add zip to any party or fundraiser during the season, which starts in May and ends in October, all weather permitting. If you’re looking for something to do after a romantic dinner at one of the many fabulous restaurants in Asbury Park, sunset makes for the perfectly dramatic backdrop. The general cost for two adults and one child is $20 for a half-hour, but discounted off-peak group rates for birthday parties or special celebrations and group outings are available. “We do everything needed to accommodate large groups and promise to make every visit memorable,” says Occhipinti. “We also sell cold drinks and healthy snacks.” asburyparkpedalboats.com
S UMME R R EA D I N G
Asbury Park Zest Editor’s Summer Reading List by Yolanda Navarra Fleming
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f you’re like me, you’ve been fantasizing about that special slightly overcast breezy summer day on the beach with not much more than a cold drink, a comfy beach chair, and a book that will transport you to another time and place. If you don’t yet have a title in mind, here are some choices you may not have already considered. Have you heard about the new mini-library on the corner of Cookman and Grand aves? The Little Free Library welcomes you to stop by and either pick up a book or drop one off. Lovingly constructed by resident Brian Watkins, he used pieces of the demolished Charms building on Heck St and Monroe Ave, as well as the door from a house torn down on Fourth Ave. You may recognize the design borrowed from the old Palace Amusements building on Cookman Ave. Jan Sparrow, owner of the Cookman Ave’s words! bookstore, offers some suggestions for this rainbow enlightened list as well. “What better time to read, on a beach, on vacation, on long summer nights with lots of remaining daylight?” she asks. “(There are) lots of re-runs, so television is not an option,” she quips. “But reading always is." CLASSIC Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë “A woman ahead of her time, social issues, some romance thrown in and you can always catch the movie on a hot humid day,” suggests Sparrow. My choice is her sister Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. The debate about which Brontë sister crafted the best tale isn’t news. Although Wuthering Heights was considered controversial because it rebelled against the
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Victorian ideals of religion, gender inequality and morality, Jane Eyre also pushed the limits of convention. In the preface, Brontë wrote, "conventionality is not morality" and "self-righteousness is not religion." Enough said. SELF-HELP E2: Nine Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality by Pam Grout This book is for everyone, but especially those who feel stuck, depressed, hopeless, helpless, forever hungry or disconnected. Consider it a lab manual for reshaping your life to your own liking. Grout, the author of 16 books as well as CNNgo.com and The Huffington Post, is funny, smart and fearless. If you’re outlook doesn’t change after reading it and actually doing the experiments, I want to know. THRILLER All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Sparrow recommends this 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner. “It’s our best-selling book at words! Bookstore,” she says. “It’s the story of a French girl and a German young man, both caught up in WWII. It’s a beautifully written page-turner that you just don’t want to end. It’s just been optioned for a movie!” CULTURAL Both Ends of the Rainbow: Lomilomi a Healing Journey by Gloria Ku'uleialoha Coppola Step into the Hawaiian culture and visit the island of rainbows! Years before her pen touched her writing pad or ever stepping foot
in her eventual healing destination of Hawaii, Coppola was spiritually informed that she would write this book. She began writing about her recovery process after the tragic death of her husband, but knew the focus would shift. Years later she would recover from a nearly deadly car crash. The former owner of the Garden State Center for Holistic Healthcare, a massage and bodywork school in Lakewood, which closed in the ‘90s, has been on a perpetual healing journey you’ll want to follow whether or not you’re interesting in bodywork. It’s the kind of book that takes you places you might never go otherwise. LOCAL LEGENDS Legendary Locals of Asbury Park by Tom Chesek If you’re hip on local history, this beach read is a must. Chesek, who has enjoyed a long and arduous writing career, says, “I'd characterize it more as excellent bathroom reading.” But no matter where you read it, you will find that Chesek, who has been the writer-in-residence at the historic Stephen Crane House in Asbury Park for the past four years, captures the rich history and magical essence of where the city meets the sea, and, Chesek writes, the “parade of personalities, from the visionaries who challenged nature to the true believers who sought, against tremendous odds, to make a yearround life in this city of summers.” YOUNG ADULT Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume Blume’s book published in 2014 is about a girl named Davey Wexler, whose father has been shot in an Atlantic City 7-11. Davey, who moves to New Mexico to recover near family members, is reminiscent of earlier characters faced with loneliness and something major to be sad about. It’s my 12-year-old daughter’s favorite book so far, the one I believe made her a reader for life.
FOR CHILDREN The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister Not easily forgotten for its beautiful story as well as the equally brilliant illustrations, this is a book important for every child’s collection. The life lessons about acceptance, sharing and happiness are delivered with a spoonful of sugar. I happily read this book to my children when they were little until I was rainbow blind. FOR NEW READERS Anything by John Green Sparrow says, “Even though he is basically a young adult author, all of (Green’s) books are complex, imminently readable and contain many wonderful life lessons. All are page-turners and can keep the newest readers of any age excited about picking up a book.” MEMOIR Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson This National Book Award winner is the memoir of a young girl growing up in the south and New York during the ‘60s, says Sparrow, and “is written entirely in stunning verse.” Memoir is my absolutely favorite genre. Sparrow suggests it as the top choice for families to read together and discuss “how grit and resilience can pay off.” TRUE STORY The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot This 2010 biography is still on the Best Seller list. It reads like an exciting novel, according to Sparrow, “and tells the story of how the cells of a poor black woman, Henrietta Lacks, were harvested without her knowledge, bought and sold billions of times and have been continuously used for medical research, etc. And yet, her family is still poor and lacks medical insurance,” she says. “An amazing story!”
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ASK T H E C H E F
with Chef Rossi
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hef Rossi has been catering for 26 years. But she’s also been writing and painting for as long as she’s been making edible art. As owner and executive chef of the Raging Skillet, an alternative New York City wedding catering business, Rossi has been named one of New York’s Top Five Wedding Caterers by The Knot every year since 2009, which puts her in the Hall of Fame. Her memoir, The Raging Skillet: The True Life Story of Chef Rossi, will be released by the Feminist Press Nov. 10. You can also read her blogs on the Huff Post and hear her radio show, which has been featured on The Food Network and NPR, called “Bite This” on WOMR and WFMR in Cape Cod. The New York Times has called The Raging Skillet “a new breed of rebel anti-caterer, while Zagat has dubbed it “the wildest thing this side of the mason Dixon line.” Rossi’s energy and creativity, even in the way she talks, might make you hungry for a good meal, or for taking a bigger bite out of life.
Q. How do you define yourself? A. I don’t define myself. But if I had to pitch myself, I would say I’m a not-nice Jewish girl, rocker chick, chef, writer, artist and alternative feminist. I’ve been working on my book for quite some time after years of publishers not working out, agents not working out. I promised myself my book would get published before I turned 50. I just celebrated my 50th birthday, but I got the deal before that. I say I’m an artist, but I mostly paint. I’m kind of old school about it, meaning I don’t do computer graphics or anything like that. I was inspired to draw in the first grade when I found out what death was. It made me so mad that I raged against the idea that we would just end.
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I was a chronic doodler and while doodling on my desk at school, I realized that one day I’ll die, but the desk and the doodle would live on. That’s when I decided I was going to leave as much stuff as possible behind. Q. What is your connection with Asbury Park? A. I grew up in Bradley Beach and Asbury Park was my Shangri-La. In fifth grade, I moved to Rumson. Even when the Asbury I knew disappeared into ruins, I still found it my salvation. I went to Rumson Fair Haven High School and I was a punk rocker, which was a reason to get beaten up. Being gay was another reason to be beaten up. But in Asbury, you could be gay or bisexual, or a punk rocker and nobody cared. I spent a lot of time at the M & K and The Odyssey. After graduation I ran away from home and wound up living in a really skanky hotel in Long Branch. When I had a party in the hotel, someone called the cops, who called my parents. After that, they sent me to live with a Chasidic rabbi in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, who specialized in dealing with wayward girls. Something about the whole thing didn’t suit me at all, but it would up to be the thing that got me to New York where I was meant to be. I still went back to Asbury Park every chance I got. When the Renaissance started happening I wanted to be a part of it, so I bought a fixerupper house. Q. How do you juggle all of your creative outlets? A. I used to think of food as the enemy of my creative life as a painter and a writer. But whenever I got my foot in the door of a publisher or magazine, they wanted Chef Rossi, which is when I realized my food life, my writing life and painting life could all be friends.
Q. How did you get on the radio? I’ve always loved radio. I’ve spent a lot of time in Provincetown, MA because whenever I’m there I write and paint like a madwoman. I was interviewed on a radio station there once and they asked if I would like to do a food show. I wasn’t interested in doing a food show, but I agreed to a memoir show that included recipes at the end. That’s when “Bite This” was born 12 years ago. Q. What has made you a successful caterer? A. It’s a few things. I’m honest. My mother instilled this thing in me where I just can’t lie. You never want me at a poker game. Wedding catering is a tough business and I like being the alternative caterer who tells people the truth about everything and gives them their dream-come-true menu. I’ve catered maybe about 2,000 weddings and I see my couples everywhere and they’re always happy to see me. If I did Christmas parties nobody would remember, but everyone remembers their wedding caterer. When we first meet, I ask clients to send me their magical wish list of food. It doesn’t matter if there’s any rhyme or reason to it; I create a menu around it. It means that every time I go to work, we’re doing something we’ve never done before. It makes it exciting. Thank god I’m a caterer.
On Sale November 2015
Antique Emporium of Asbury Park AS SEEN ON HGTV! Antique and art dealers of fine European, American and mid-century furniture, art, bronzes, statuary, porcelain, glass, china, silxver, primitives, jewelry, clocks, decorative items, collectibles and much more!
Over 15,000 square feet of dealer space 646 Cookman Avenue • Asbury Park, New Jersey Just minutes from exits 100 from south and 102 from north, Garden State Parkway
732-774-8230 Mon-Sat 11-5 • Sun 12-5 Hurry! Dealer Space Available
Beautiful and Gracious Home Interiors
658 Cookman Ave • Asbury Park NJ • 732-455-3505
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Representing Your Best Interest in Any Real Estate Transaction
Rick Silver
Attorney at Law RickSilverEsq.com Ricksilveresq@gmail.com 732.860.5291 Art by Morgan McIntyre Grade 9, Red Bank Regional
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Shore Antique Center Art • Collectibles • Furniture Open Daily 11 - 5 413 Allen Avenue Allenhurst, NJ 07711 732.531.4466 shoreantiquecenter.com
1201 Springwood Avenue Asbury Park, NJ 8AM-3PM Tuesday through Sunday www.kulacafe.org 732-455-0514 43
CELL PHONE & TABLET REPAIRS THE WIRELESS SPOT 804 Main Street Asbury Park, New Jersey 07712 732-455-3800
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ASBURY PARK Loves
JAZZ AUGUST 7 - 9, 2015
MAIN STREET - DOWNTOWN - ASBURY WATERFRONT A weekend of festivities, live jazz and star-studded entertainment. Enjoy a varity of live jazz including standard jazz, calypso, smooth jazz, Afro-Cuban Latin jazz and more!
Featuring
JONATHAN FRITZEN & VINCENT INGALA - THE NEXT GENERATION CHIELI MINUCCI & SPECIAL EFX with special guest MARION MEADOWS BROOKE ALFORD, ALEX BUGNON
JazzAsbury.com
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
11- 13 MUSIC, CRAFT BEER, CRAFT VENDORS, FUN FOOD, & TONS OF OYSTERS!
IN THE CAROUSEL HOUSE LOT
AT THE ASBURY PARK BOARDWALK
ASBURYOYSTER.COM
#suzygrahamphotography
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"Red"
sbury Park’s eclectic community loves longtime favorite eatery, Frank’s Deli, on the north end of town. One of the reasons — star waitress and sweetheart, Kris Byrne, aka “Red,” who rocks their counter customers 5 days a week. “I’ve been at Frank’s for 8 years. It’s the best place in Asbury Park to get an old fashioned meal, and is always consistent,” she adds. “I earn a good living here, and love it. They call me Red because of my hair.” Will Red always be local? “Looking ahead, I want to open a bar in Hawaii,” she shares. For now though, bring all your aloha’s to Red — and her afterschool pal Marcus — to Asbury Park’s most famous eatery, Frank’s Deli.
rated e p O & Owned gio Family ag by the M 50 Years r for Ove
1406 Main St. Asbury Park, NJ 07712 Tel. 732-775-6682 Fax 732-775-6519
OPEN
7 DAYS
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G E NE & S COT T ' S ASB URY ASB URY
FABRICS • SHELTER HOME • DINING OUT • BEACH LOVERS • COMMUNITY
Gene Mignola and husband Scott Hamm made the leap from Manhattan to Asbury Park with their two standard poodles, Lucia and Diego, 8 years ago. Their Cookman Ave building is perfect for Gene to print his fabrics, for Scott to have Shelter Home — a retail store centered on modern design products (the boardwalk store is in Convention Hall), to live comfortably upstairs on the second floor, and to be able to walk to the beach. THE BEACH Our sanctuary is definitely the beach, and is part of the reason why we moved to Asbury Park. We make a point of going to the beach at 8:30am, and after we close the Cookman Ave store at 5pm. We love the waves, sand, and sun, and the diversity on the beaches here. TAKA We love Taka for dinner - or even lunch midweek. You can either go with really great sushi or home-style cooking like Japanese meatloaf or short ribs. Their new location on Cookman Ave is beautiful, especially the exterior facade brickwork. We're modernists after all. SECOND LIFE BIKES We love Kerri Martin, founder and visionary at Second Life Bikes (SLB) on Main St. SLB reaches the youth of Asbury Park. Youth put in 15 hours of time learning practical skills like bicycle repair, and are also exposed to the value of committing their time to a community organization. In return they receive a bicycle of their own. 48
THE CHAT AND NIBBLE Our favorite under the radar go-to Saturday or Sunday morning place to eat year round. The Boulevard Special is our favorite, and we also love their Huevos Rancheros, the best around. Feels like family, and there's a garden out back.
s On M a ’ o in in
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D Dinner on the Beach
FREE BEACH DELIVERY 300 Main Street • Asbury Park • 732.775.1033 @DinosOnMain Colorful picnic linens - buymydrap.com, Spring Lake. The only 100% cotton tear-off napkin on a roll! 1-855-359-7555 • sales@mydrapusa.com.