Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park is becoming legendary for it’s incomparable and ever-changing restaurant scene. So what makes our latest find on this street so remarkable? Everything about Happiness Restaurant, a Chinese American bar and grill is interesting. From it’s kitsch decor to it’s decidedly retro menu, this place is as hip-as-they-come and twice as much fun!
No matter how you slice it, everyone looks forward to Friday night. End of the workweek for many, date night for others, game night or just downtime, it is what we crave.
What we want most is the time to relax. A few no hassle, change out of our face-the-world clothes and just let go and breathe. To that end, we have gone a pretty simple, no cook dinner route in our kitchen.
Food, wine, martinis and music are sometimes more than you need to host a successful party. Once a year for the last 12 years, Salt Creek Grille in Rumson, NJ has played host to several different charity events. This years beneficiary was the Kortney Rose Foundation, founded by Kristen Gillette who’s daughter died of a rare brain tumor at age 9 in 2006.
Having lost a sister to pediatric leukemia, many years ago, covering this particular fund raiser was both bittersweet and a wake-up call. Still, after all these years, more money needs to be put toward research. Specifically for pediatric causes.
Soap box put aside, Flavor Chronicles/ Chef’s in Motion loves a good party, especially where good food is served, so I bring you highlights of this years event.
Sitting at the bar in our neighborhood pub, I once asked a bartender I’ve known for a while, what her thoughts were about ordering food when she is out on a date. In my mind I was quite sure that something clean and dainty would be the way to go. Her response was that she likes to eat meat. If she is in the mood for a big, sloppy burger or sandwich, that is what she’s going with. She explained that she was the only daughter in a family of boys and in her words, “If the guy I am dating has a problem with what I am eating, then he’s not worth my time.”
Previewing what a restaurant has to offer before you commit to a reservation? Is this possible? If you attended the Holiday Flavour party at the Molly Pitcher Inn on the beautiful Navesink River in Red Bank, NJ, you may have tasted more than 20 restaurant offerings.
