{"id":8840,"date":"2016-06-29T02:35:26","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T06:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shorebeat.com\/brick\/?p=8840"},"modified":"2016-06-29T02:35:26","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T06:35:26","slug":"7-great-local-jersey-shore-date-nights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/2016\/06\/7-great-local-jersey-shore-date-nights\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Great, Local Jersey Shore Date Nights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Summer: a time for romance, a time when relationships bloom, a time when most local restaurants are actually open! The Shorebeat crew thought we\u2019d give you a hand planning a night that will impress that special someone without venturing too far away, and without playing into those tired dating stereotypes. Some (we don\u2019t kiss and tell) have been personally tested.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #333399;\"><strong>1: Spano\u2019s and Golf<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2491\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/spanos.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2491\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2491\" src=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/spanos.jpg\" alt=\"Spano's (Photo: TripAdvisor)\" width=\"550\" height=\"412\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2491\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spano\u2019s (Photo: TripAdvisor)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re a local or used to service \u201cup north,\u201d or (gasp!) in New York City, you\u2019ll feel at home at Spano\u2019s in Point Pleasant Beach. The local, BYOB Italian institution offers big portions, city-esque seating and high quality to patrons who may have to wait a bit for a table \u2013 but are welcome to bring an extra bottle of wine to enjoy while in limbo.<\/p>\n<p>Lighthouse Point Miniature Golf on the southern end of the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk is a natural after-dinner treat. The course offers multi-level architecture, fun obstacles and plenty of opportunities to\u00a0help your date score. (Mind the pun.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spanos.net\/\">Spano\u2019s<\/a>:\u00a0719 Arnold Ave, Point Pleasant Beach.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/jenkinsons.com\/attractions\/fun-games\/\">Lighthouse Point Miniature Golf<\/a>: 801 Boardwalk, Point Pleasant Beach.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>1: Fella\u2019s\u00a0and\u00a0Bills<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2492\" style=\"width: 358px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/fellas.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2492\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2492\" src=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/fellas.jpg\" alt=\"Rockafellas, Ortley Beach (Photo: Yelp)\" width=\"348\" height=\"348\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2492\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rockafellas, Ortley Beach (Photo: Yelp)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>What screams \u201crenaissance man\u201d more than a fine Italian dinner \u2013 then arcade\u00a0games afterward? One of our favorite restaurants at Shorebeat, Rockafella\u2019s in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River offers an exquisite menu of pasta, chicken and veal dishes served with a blend of ingredients you\u2019ll usually find at some of the best Italian restaurants in the region. Of course, impress her with your choice of fine wine \u2013 Rockafella\u2019s is BYOB.<\/p>\n<p>After dinner, just head across the street to Barnacle Bill\u2019s Arcade. There\u2019s miniature golf outside and a full arcade inside, allowing you to follow up dinner with a friendly challenge to start off a night together.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Rockafellas-By-The-Sea-70353632293\/\">Rockafellas<\/a>:\u00a01855 Route\u00a035 North, Ortley Beach.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BarnacleBillsAmusements\/\">Barnacle Bills<\/a>: 1968 Route 35 North, Ortley Beach.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #333399;\"><strong>3: Chef Mike\u2019s and a Fox Hunt<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2493\" style=\"width: 628px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mikes.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2493\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2493\" src=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mikes-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Mike's ABG (Photo: Chef Mike's ABG)\" width=\"618\" height=\"348\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2493\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Mike\u2019s ABG (Photo: Chef Mike\u2019s ABG)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Chef Mike\u2019s ABG can hardly be described in words. A premier chef, a restaurateur, a local legend, Mike Jurusz has cornered the market on what he calls \u201csexy food.\u201d The restaurant, at the south end of South Seaside Park just outside the gate to Island Beach State Park, offers the rare oceanfront dining experience where you go for the food over the view. Signature dishes include filet mignon medallions in a gorgonzola cream sauce and peppercorn crusted ahi tuna.<\/p>\n<p>After dinner and drinks (which are creative, and numerous in variety) grab a beach blanket out of the car and enjoy an evening under the stars. The tiki bar might be open, but it\u2019s time for some fresh air \u2013 and the occasional spotting of a wild fox exploring the sand outside their native habitat in the state park next door. Don\u2019t worry \u2013 the fox won\u2019t hurt, they\u2019re there to enjoy the beach just as you and your date are.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/chefmikesabg.com\/\">Chef Mike\u2019s ABG<\/a>:\u00a010 Central Ave, South Seaside Park.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.visitnj.org\/nj-all-beaches\/island-beach-state-park\">Island Beach State Park<\/a>: Southern end of Route 35, South Seaside Park.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #333399;\"><strong>4: Savor and Skee Ball<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2494\" style=\"width: 968px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/savor.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2494\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2494\" src=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/savor.jpg\" alt=\"Savor Lounge, Seaside Heights (Photo: Savor)\" width=\"958\" height=\"958\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2494\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Savor Lounge, Seaside Heights (Photo: Savor)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Back in the spring, a host\u00a0on New Jersey 101.5 insulted Seaside Heights locals by declaring there were no fine restaurants in the summer mecca. Not true! Savor Lounge offers excellent drinks, appetizers to die for, and a menu with inspirations from Italy combined with a modern, American touch. The whipped goat cheese appetizer and any dish\u00a0including meatballs\u00a0is a must.<\/p>\n<p>Your after-dinner options are numerous, as they are everywhere in Seaside Heights. You could head next door to Club Karma immediately, or you could wait until later in the evening to experience the local nightlife. A better option after dinner is a friendly game of Skee-Ball (and similar competitions) at Lucky Leo\u2019s arcade, which is just a block-and-a-half\u00a0up the street. After some hard-fought victories and losses, dance the night away back where you began the night, in Savor\u2019s lounge area.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.savorlounge.com\/\">Savor Lounge<\/a>: 411 Boulevard, Seaside Heights.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/luckyleos.com\/\">Lucky Leo\u2019s<\/a>: 315 Boardwalk, Seaside Heights.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">5:\u00a0Bums and Bands<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2495\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/bums.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-4\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2495\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2495\" src=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/bums.jpg\" alt=\"Bum Rogers, South Seaside Park (Photo: Bum Rogers)\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2495\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bum Rogers, South Seaside Park (Photo: Bum Rogers)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>At the Jersey Shore during the summer, leave the city dress codes home. Head to Bum Rogers in South Seaside Park to crack open some freshly-caught blue crabs, dunk them in butter and hot sauce, and chomp away. There are no egos here \u2013 but there are colorful bibs and plenty of smiles from the staff as you try something new, authentic and absolutely delicious.<\/p>\n<p>After schooling your date on the finer points of crab dissection, head out to the restaurant\u2019s bar area and outdoor back porch to hear from great local bands, and keep the drinks flowing all night long.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bumrogerstavern.com\/home\">Bum Rogers<\/a>: 2207 Southwest Central Avenue, South Seaside Park<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #333399;\"><strong>6:\u00a0The Olive and The Inlet<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2496\" style=\"width: 685px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-28-at-11.20.58-PM.png\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-5\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2496\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2496\" src=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-28-at-11.20.58-PM.png\" alt=\"Spanish Olive (File Photo)\" width=\"675\" height=\"421\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2496\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spanish Olive (File Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Spanish Olive, a new restaurant on Mantoloking Road in Brick offers the best Cuban food this side of Cuba. No need to fly to Miami. Owned by a local family running their first restaurant, they got it right the first time. Bring your own bottle of wine that the staff will transform into a spectacular red or white sangria, then sit back and enjoy amazing, home cooked ropa vieja, paella, plus a number of shrimp and chicken preparations that are, without a doubt, tops in the state.<\/p>\n<p>After dinner, take the five minute-long trip to the end of Mantoloking Road where you have a few options. First, take in the stars under the mild light of the Mantoloking Bridge over Barnegat Bay. Second, head over the bridge and hang out on the Mantoloking oceanfront or (our favorite) take a short ride north on Route 35 to see the local fishing fleet depart Manasquan Inlet and \u2013 if you\u2019re in the mood \u2013 grab an after-dinner drink at Jenks Inlet Bar.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spanisholiverestaurant.com\/\">Spanish Olive<\/a>: 399 Mantoloking Road, Brick.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Manasquan Inlet: Inlet Drive, Point Pleasant Beach.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #333399;\"><strong>7: Ohana and a Hook<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2497\" style=\"width: 406px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ohana041111A.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-6\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2497\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2497\" src=\"http:\/\/lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ohana041111A.jpg\" alt=\"Ohana Grill, Lavallette (File Photo)\" width=\"396\" height=\"267\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2497\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ohana Grill, Lavallette (File Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Few restaurants keep us coming back in the way that Ohana Grill in Lavallette does. The expansive menu might fool some visitors into thinking that the place focuses on quantity \u2013 but, no. All of us at Shorebeat are frequent customers and recommend, well, anything. The pasta is spectacular, the tropic-infused flavors in the seafood dishes are a unique find on the east coast, and the lobster and crab selections are fresh as anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>The Seafood-themed night doesn\u2019t have to end there. A sunset at Bayview Park in the Normandy Beach section of Brick is just nearby. We often go there to check out the sunset, and often cast a line into Barnegat Bay while doing so. Teach your date how to fish, or just try out something new before heading home or out for the rest of the night. Here at the Shore, nothing says romance like casting out into the setting sun over Barnegat Bay. (Bring your spinning rod and use a soft pastic \u201cFin-S Fish\u201d from a local tackle shop to have the best chance of hooking a keeper.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theohanagrill.com\/The_Ohana_Grill\/Welcome.html\">Ohana Grill<\/a>: 65 Grand Central Avenue, Lavallette.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Bayview Park: Bay side opposite Brick Beach III and the Ocean Club condominiums, off Route 35 south.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"fcbkbttn_buttons_block\" id=\"fcbkbttn_left\"><div class=\"fb-share-button fcbkbttn_large_button \" data-href=\"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/2016\/06\/7-great-local-jersey-shore-date-nights\/\" data-type=\"button_count\" data-size=\"large\"><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer: a time for romance, a time when relationships bloom, a time when most local restaurants are actually open! The Shorebeat crew thought we\u2019d give you a hand planning a night that will impress that special someone without venturing too far away, and without playing into those tired dating stereotypes. Some (we don\u2019t kiss and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1649,12],"tags":[24,2268],"class_list":["post-8840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-business","category-ocean-county","tag-brick-nj-news","tag-the-spanish-olive"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mikes.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgt2Ft-2iA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}