Guest Post: Shea's Cafe & Bakery (NJ)

My latest guest post comes from my friend Mel, a woman who knows Jersey well and writes about her take on life in general at her website, "Kronfusion"-- click here and visit her! Thanks, Mel!

Nestled in the pine barrens of Southern New Jersey, not that far from Stockton State College, sits Shea’s Café & Bakery, a family-owned and operated restaurant whose recipes are a closely guarded secret. And they should be.

During a recent visit with my cousins, they took me to the much raved-about Shea’s. Locals know that you go there for the best brunch in and around the South Jersey Shore.

If you don’t arrive early – the wait can be at least 45 minutes. During my wait, I had chance to carefully examine the daily specials, written down on a chalkboard placed outside. I had my taste buds set on ordering the Crunchy Almond-Amaretto Stuffed French toast, filled with sweet cream cheese, and topped with fresh whipped cream. My morning caffeine craving was easily filled by the large endless mug of coffee.

For a little extra flavor, and to fit in my serving of fruit, I also decided to order a side of bananas foster. When it arrived, it was boiling hot and aromatic.

When the stuffed French toast arrived, it was a huge serving, which could have been split by two people (and ultimately lasted for a few meals). You will understand why the word “doggie bag” or “to go” is part of the lexicon at Shea’s. There is just so much food. I could only eat one sandwich-sized French toast.

With the first bite, my taste buds were transported through a time & space portal to a whole other Universe. It was one of the best brunches I have ever had.

My cousin MM ordered the Apple Harvest Pancakes, which are not listed on the menu, but all of the food is cooked to order, so it wasn’t a problem. And these were no ordinary pancakes (see for yourself).

Don’t be thrown by the restaurant’s sparse and unimpressive décor. The brunch will knock your socks off! Think Sabrina’s in South Philadelphia, or Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien in New York City; Shea’s stuffed French toast was *better.*

So, if you’re making a trip to Atlantic City & and want a top-Chef quality brunch, travelling off of the beaten path to Shea’s is a must!

Shea's Cafe & Bakery

195 New York Road

Galloway, NJ 08205

(609) 748-7000

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Torico Ice Cream (NJ)

Why not have one more sweet treat before summer surrenders to (fabulous) Fall? I was visiting my friend Jen and her husband A in their Jersey City home. After dinner, our small group decided to go for a walk and find dessert.

They brought us to Torico (slang for 'todo rico' in Spanish, or 'everything is delicious'--good slogan for an ice cream shop!) and we lined up to weigh our wonderful options. The owners, originally from Puerto Rico, have a tropical, colorful theme, with a dizzying array of flavors, from your standard vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, to more unexpected flavors such as soursop sorbet or cherry pistachio.

I ordered last, as I found simply too many options to consider. I went for a cone of coffee ice cream and cookie pieces in it-- coffee & cookies-- two of my favorite things! This was creamy, zingy, and quite satisfying on that stultifingly stuffy night.

ABF settled on his favorite sundae combo: vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and nuts. They didn't have his beloved peanuts, so he opted for slivered almonds instead. I had a few bites of this, because it is a pretty delicious mix of tastes and textures.

Our ice cream was excellent, and we got to people-watch while we sat inside the air-conditioned restaurant, which is decked out with old-timey ice cream parlor chairs and tables, but all in blazing, eye-popping colors. This is a popular spot, but service was speedy, the price was affordable (3.50 for 2 scoops!), and the flavors are above and beyond the normal list. If you're in Jersey City, save room for dessert and pop by Torico!

Torico Ice Cream

20 Erie St

Jersey City, NJ 07302

(201) 432-9458

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Hopewell Valley Vineyards (New Jersey)

Tucked away off the busy roads in Pennington, New Jersey, is Hopewell Vineyards. It's a gorgeous bit of land with tons of outdoor seating, stunning views, and of course, delicious wine!

Our group was there for a non-bachelorette weekend to celebrate That Sara's impending wedding. We found out that Hopewell had live music on Saturdays, and figured it was a great place to start. It's called Music & Merlot, and it's a great way to spend an evening.

There is a lot of seating at Hopewell, but it fills up fast, so get there early! We were lucky to get a long table for our group, though it was very close to the speakers. Great for listening to music, not so much for hearing your neighbor!

I was a fan of their Barbera- a luscious, rich red wine. I actually liked their Chardonnay, too, but the Barbera by far was my favorite.

We started with some cheese and olives while we waited on our pizza. Nothing too fancy-- cheddar, pepper jack, grapes, crackers, etc.

The pizza was a little chewy and tough to cut, but it was tasty. It had that delicious brick oven flavor, and it went SO well with the wine.

As we made our way out of the building, we had to stop and admire the brilliant sunset settling over the horizon.

We had a great time (for not a lot of money, I might add) and enjoyed our light snacks, wine, and the live music. It's a bit noisy with the music, so if you're with a group, you won't be able to hear anyone sitting more than 2 seats away. If that's the case, make the most of your situation and have some more Merlot (or, if you're like me, more Barbera)!

Hopewell Vineyards
46 Yard Rd
Pennington, NJ 08534
(609) 737-4465

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Somerset Diner (New Jersey)

Despite all my time on the East Coast, I don't think I've ever eaten in a Jersey diner-- until this summer! It was for the non-bachelorette weekend of That Sara, and after a night of celebrating, we all needed some REAL FOOD.

We waited about 30 minutes for a table here at the Somerset Diner-- this place was never less than packed.

I started with the a cup of strong, hot coffee. Thank you!

That Sara ordered a macchiato, I believe, and it sure was pretty!

Complete with rock candy stirrer! 

Amid a sea of options, I finally settled on the Irish Scrambler skillet (9.99!) with corned beef, onion, potatoes, and Hollandaise sauce. However, I found out they had CHIPOTLE Hollandaise sauce, and asked if they could sub that in my dish. Yeah, I was kind of THAT person. It was good, but I wish there had been more of a chipotle flavor to it.

We all had some spin on eggs that morning.. eggs with a lot of other stuff to bring us back to life again. V had the Farmer's omelette, with fresh, oozy mozzarella and lots of veggies.

That Sara got another skillet, hers with basted eggs and bacon. I was so close to getting hers, but the corned beef and Hollandaise won me over. If I could have had my eggs basted instead of scrambled, that would have been ideal --but I didn't want to get TOO demanding.

The staff was super friendly, and our server didn't even blink at my special request. There was a bit of wait for coffee, but our server was working a ton of tables and made sure the coffee we did get was fresh. I think I had at least 3 cups that morning!

The food was hot, fresh, and came quickly, the price was right, the service was great, and overall, my first Jersey diner experience was a delicious success!

Somerset Diner
1045 Easton Ave
Somerset, NJ 08873
(732) 828-5424

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