Amusement parks and sandy beaches await visitors at the New Jersey shore and Asbury Park has been attracting people since the 1870s. Asbury Park was first developed as a beach and entertainment getaway for residents of New York City. Today, Asbury Park has seen a resurgence of interest and many of the old hotels and amusement parks are freshly remodeled and modernized. For music fans, visit the Stone Pony, a bar that was often frequented by Bruce Springsteen. Stroll along the legendary Asbury Park Boardwalk to see live music shows, shop or dine at one of Asbury Park's restaurants.
Moonstruck is a romantic, American-Mediterranean inspired restaurant that Zagat described as "A-plus, food with flair." Located in a Victorian-style building, the restaurant has many windows with views of the water. Open for dinner, Moonstruck's menu begins with appetizers such as white bean bruschetta or fried calamari with fresh lemon and marinara sauce. Try one of Moonstruck's salads, like arugala, tomato and fresh mozzarella. Entrees feature dishes like pesto linguine to grilled boneless pork chops with Dijon mustard. A full bar serves cocktails, wine and beer.
Moonstruck
517 Lake Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
(732) 988-0123
moonstrucknj.com
Jimmy's Italian Restaurant was awarded "Best Italian Restaurant in the Metropolitan Area" by New York City's Channel 2 News. The dinner begins with Italian appetizers such as anchovies with roasted peppers and mozzarella or stuffed artichokes. Pasta dishes include ziti bolognese, cheese raviolis and manicotti. Dinner entrees are separated into seafood, poultry, beef and pork. Seafood dishes range from sea scallops in white wine to poached salmon in lemon butter. Poultry dishes may include favorites such as chicken Parmigiana or simple boneless chicken breast in white wine sauce. Meat entrees specialize in veal dishes, filet mignon or rack of lamb. Jimmy's offers a full bar menu to round out the menu.
Jimmy's Italian Restaurant
1405 Asbury Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
(732) 774-5051
jimmysitalianrestaurant.com
Bistro Ole specializes in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin flavors. Open for dinner, the menu starts out with tapas (small plates) and include dishes such as Portuguese bread soup or sauteed shrimp and scallops. Salads range from fresh green salad with goat cheese to homemade guacamole with tortilla chips. Large plate dishes range from center cut pork chop with sauteed Spanish onions and tomatillos to Spanish paella (a rice dish with sausage, chicken, seafood and vegetables.) The restaurant suggest you bring your own bottle of alcoholic beverages, as they do not have a bar.
Bistro Ole
230 Main St.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
(732) 897-0048
bistroole.com
