10 minute read
Monmouth Buzz
{ BUZZ }
OUR GUIDE TO NEW IDEAS, TIPS, TRENDS AND THINGS WE LOVE IN OUR COUNTY.
SEE THOSE LIGHTS
Holiday light displays are one of the joys of the season, and while your neighborhood may have some standouts, checking out truly stellar ones may require a drive. But isn’t the smile on your kids’ faces worth the time and gas? Here are a half-dozen you won’t forget: • Augusta, Skylands Stadium, Christmas Light Show & Village. Enjoy more than 2 million lights spread out over a 1-mile drivethrough course in and around the stadium. When you’re finished driving, be sure to check out the Ferris wheel, skating rink and beer garden. Admission is $29 per car; closed on Dec. 24 and 25. Info: skylandsstadium.com • East Brunswick, Middlesex County Fairgrounds, Winter WonderLights. New Jersey’s largest animated light show features more than 1.5 million lights that are synchronized to holiday music. Admission is $30 per car. Info: winterwonderlightshows.com • Hillsdale, Demarest Farms, Orchard of Lights. Take a leisurely drive through the farm’s 32 acres, which are decorated with blinking lights, Santa, snowmen and much more. Once your tour is done (or before your time slot), stop by the market for s’mores and hot chocolate. Admission is $35 per car; closed Dec. 24 and 25. Info: orchardoflights.com • Holmdel, PNC Bank Arts Center, Magic of Lights. Line up for this dazzling display of LED lights, digital animations, holiday scenes and characters. The drivethrough show takes cars around the concert venue’s campus. Admission is $20 per car. Info: magicoflights.com • Newark, Newark Moonlight Cinema, Dasher’s Lightshow. Take the family on a 30-minute tour of the cinema campus, which is decked out with animated lights, characters and holiday images that are choreographed to music. Admission is $29.95 per car; closed Dec. 24 and 25. Info: dasherslightshow.com/Newark • West Berlin, Diggerland, HoliDIG Light Show. America’s only construction-themed amusement park is now in its third year of drive-through light shows, and 2022’s is longer and brighter than before. Holiday displays, tunnels, lit-up trucks and Diggerland’s own accompanying radio station that syncs to the show will get your crew into the holiday spirit. Admission is $34.95 per car; closed most Monday and Tuesday nights. Info: diggerlandusa.com/holiday-light-show/
PUPPY LOVE
Dog: Larry, 6½-yearold pug Owners: Kari and Tom Murphy of Manasquan The Murphys were living in dog-friendly Hoboken in 2016 when the thought of having a pup of their own came to mind. They had been following an Instagramfamous pug named Bentley, and the couple knew they wanted the same breed. Larry was “the one” when they first met him because his “extra fur and rolls made him that much more precious,” Kari recalls. And he’s been a lovebug at home ever since.
“He gets overly excited any time someone comes to the door—he loves greeting new people!” Kari says. “But after the excitement, he calms down and adopts the vibe of the room. And if we’re relaxing, watching TV or reading, he is right beside us, snoozing.” When he’s not napping, Larry can be found eating or cuddling with a plush toy.
“He cleans up any crumbs we leave behind,” Kari says with a laugh. “He doesn’t understand the concept of ‘fetch,’ so he isn’t interested in balls or Frisbees. He will snuggle up with a stuffed animal, though.” He’s also a big fan of Manasquan Dog Beach, Starbucks and his “friends” at Squan Animal Hospital. Speaking of fans, Larry has many: The photogenic pooch claims more than 50K followers on Instagram. Follow Larry on his adventures @apugnamedlarry.
Want to see your dog or cat in an upcoming issue? Email a photo and brief details of your pet to editor in chief Rita Guarna at rita.guarna@wainscotmedia.com.
THE ART OF CRAFT
Beach season may be on a break, but Main Street in Belmar hasn’t stopped attracting big crowds. Visitors and locals alike have been making 801 Craft Kitchen & Spirits a go-to spot since the restaurant opened this fall in the same building as the popular Beach Haus Brewery. While Beach Haus offers craft beer and pub grub, 801 provides an elevated dining experience. Open for dinner on weekends, it features entrées such as Florida red snapper, bison pappardelle (pictured) and New Zealand grass-fed ribeye. And pairing your meal with a Craft cocktail is easy: Selections include pisco sour and a tasty Bull in the Orchard (with Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Iron Bound Cider).
• 801 Craft Kitchen & Spirits, 801 Main St., Belmar, 732.202.7783; 801craftkitchen.com
SAVE THE DATE
Planning for your big day? Before you Google “wedding photographers” or “florists near me,” visit the View for Two wedding show from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank. Dozens of area vendors who specialize in weddings of all sizes will be on hand to answer all your questions and provide information to help you plan the perfect ceremony. And if you’re still shopping for a wedding venue, feel free to tour the hotel, which hosts boutiquestyle waterfront ceremonies. Sign up to attend the show by calling 732.530.8200.
• Oyster Point Hotel, 146 Bodman Pl., Red Bank, 732.530.8200; theoysterpointhotel.com
EAT, STREAM AND BE MERRY
If you’re not among the lucky few who will be spending holiday break in the tropics this year, why not make the most of your time at home with a holiday movie binge? Just imagine how accomplished you’ll feel, starting off ’23 by watching all the holiday films you’ve been saving on a “to do” note on your phone since 2019! Here are a few of our favorite, family-friendly classic holiday flicks and where they’re streaming. (Did we forget your favorite flick? Tell us on Instagram @monmouthhealthandlife.) • A Charlie Brown Christmas (Apple TV Plus) • Elf (HBO Max) • Four Christmases (HBO Max) • Jingle All the Way (Starz) • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (HBO Max) • The Holiday (Netflix) • Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (Disney+) • It’s a Wonderful Life (Amazon Prime) • Love Actually (Paramount+) • The Santa Clause (Disney+) • Serendipity (Paramount+)
THINGS WE’RE HINTING FOR
What gifts are you hoping to unwrap this year? A cozy hoodie or a pair of boots, perhaps? A new e-bike, or the latest GoPro camera? In the holiday spirit, Monmouth Health & Life staff members share below what we hope to receive—because sometimes the things one yearns for turn out to be great ideas for giving to others too. (That’s our excuse, anyway.)
Darius Amos, senior associate editor.
“I’m a wannabe sneakerhead but I’ve yet to pull the trigger on a pair of Jordan 1 middies. I have Nike Dunks, which look similar, but you gotta have the Jordan paneling and logo. I prefer them in black and gray, but I won’t object to unboxing a classic blackand-red pair.”
Haley Longman, lifestyle
editor. “I’m still using the Apple headphones that came with my 2017 iPhone, and it’s gotten to the point where I’m embarrassed to be out in public (or on video calls) using headphones that aren’t wireless. The horror! I’d love a pair of AirPods for Hanukkah, preferably the all-new AirPods pro, with my initials on the case. It’s 2023. It’s time.”
Stephen Vitarbo, creative director.
“I mean, look at them! They’re art! You could be wearing a burlap sack and still look great wearing Taft Jack Boots. But they work even better paired with a stylish suit or jeans and a sportcoat. I put these on my wish list every year and I’m building up quite the collection.”
{ BUZZ } SHOP SMALL!
Online and big-box stores are fine, but you’re missing a bet if you don’t also check out the smaller shops and boutiques in our county this holiday season. In them you can find distinctive—often surprising—gifts ranging from home décor to hair accessories to knickknacks, and it feels good to support your neighbors by “shopping local.” Here are five little Monmouth stores that punch above their weight: • The Barn at Calgo Gardens has everything you need to give your home (or garden) an artistic and spiritual touch. Handmade pieces include pottery, clocks, wind chimes, serving bowls and cheese boards.
—462 Adelphia-Farmingdale Rd., Howell, 732.919.7770; calgogardens.com/the-barn/ • Cuties Children’s Boutique not only has the latest fashions for boys and girls, but its shelves are also stocked with holiday keepsakes, backpacks, lunch bags, books and toys.
—703 Broad St., Shrewsbury, 732.268.8979; cutieschildrensboutique.com • Jeweled Studio Boutique has an array of gift items for any occasion— holidays, birthdays, weddings, housewarmings, what have you.
—305 Rte. 9 South, Manasquan, 732.303.9433; jeweledstudio.com • The Local Line’s items are all handmade, so you’ll always be giving a unique gift item. Select from its line of jewelry, bath and beauty products, kitchen items (try the honey!), paintings and prints and more.
—16 Wallace St., Red Bank, 732.996.6737 • Serenity by the Sea is filled with handcrafted and fair-trade items such as jewelry, soaps, pot holders, candles and clothing—each piece perfect for the gift-giving season.
—53 Main Ave., Ocean Grove, 973.699.1760; serenitybytheseaog.com
FORT WITH A FUTURE
Once a military installation, the old Fort Monmouth property—located in Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls—is being transformed into a dining and entertainment destination. Scheduled to debut in 2023 at the old fort’s commissary building are the 17,000-square-foot elevated sports bar/restaurant Baseline Social and MGT Foods, which will occupy around 20,000 square feet for its ice cream manufacturing business. The two will join recently opened Birdsmouth Beer, a craft brewery that operates a production facility, a taproom with entertainment and an outdoor patio. But perhaps Fort Monmouth’s most notable future tenant is the streaming service Netflix, which submitted the winning bid last June to the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority to convert 293 acres of the site into a state-of-the-art film production studio. Final development plans had not been approved at press deadline. Stay tuned!
WE CAN'T WAIT TO TREAT YOU LIKE FAMILY IN OUR PRACTICE.
From Left to Right: Michael DiPietro, DMD, Daniel Winston, DDS, John P. Soliman, DMD, MD, Nicole Viola, DMD
CONVENIENCE. COMFORT. EXCEPTIONAL CARE.
Coastal Oral Surgery’s board-certified surgeons have cared for patients in the community for over 40 years. Drs. Michael DiPietro, Daniel Winston, John P. Soliman, and newest addition Nicole Viola, have continued the legacy by creating an advanced center of excellence in all areas of maxillofacial surgery, with a focus on dental implants, dentoalveolar surgery, pathology, trauma, and anesthesia. The doctors believe each patient should feel safe and informed from the minute they arrive. “We answer every question to make absolutely sure people are comfortable and knowledgeable before treatment,” says Dr. Soliman.
The practice is affiliated with Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where the doctors also teach at the residency program. The Doctors’ large, cohesive staff is well-versed and certified in all techniques and sedation procedures. The highly trained surgical staff and friendly front office team support the doctors to ensure patients feel at ease every step of the way. In addition, doctors and staff have active roles in community outreach by supporting local charities and Monmouth and Ocean County schools.
CoastalOral_1-2H_V3_1222.indd 1 2130 Route 35, Suite 112 | Sea Girt, NJ 08750 | 732.974.0680 1608 Route 88W, Suite 101 | Brick, NJ 08724 | 732.840.4600 9 Hospital Drive, Suite 6 | Toms River, NJ 08755 | 732.286.1199 cosnj.com
10/26/22 9:10 AM
Give your child the gift of good health
Chiropractic Care for Infants, Children, and the Whole Family
• Pregnancy specialists with expertise in breech, pre & postnatal, pediatric, and family wellness.
• Health and wellness experts promoting vitality and anti-aging lifestyles.
Robert F. Coombs, D.C.
Christy R. Silk, D.C.
2424 Bridge Ave.,
