a. Don’t forget Antonio’s Gourmet Salumeria, est. 2004. “Homemade Italian Cooking.” They also have a store in Staten Island. Their Italian food display is fabulous.
Antonio’s is convenient to OG: Take Main Street in Asbury to Sunset Avenue and head west about a mile up the road to 2201 Sunset Avenue in Wanamassa. 732 988 1545.
We shop there and today we got wonderful octopus and seafood salad for New Years Eve. Mario, the chef, advised us to chop it all together with some celery for “crunch” and add more vinegar to taste.
And note, as we begin our 15th year we continue operating in the red, and we have no paid advertising.
Antonio’s octopus. Blogfinger photo by Eileen Goldfinger, 2022.Here’s a link to our octopus post from last year:
b.
Stokes gazes out to the ocean 12/30/23 as he wonders what will happen to the Camp Meeting Association in 2024. Blogfinger photo.c.
What will be the CMA’s messaging for 2024? Blogfinger photo
d. Is the controversy over regarding the OG pier? That is unlikely despite Blogfinger’s efforts to put it behind us. This is what was published on You Tube in April, 2023 –a report on NJ.com about what Neptune United had to say before the pier was unveiled.
“Neptune United alleged the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, known as the OGCMA, did not follow state Department of Environmental Protection rules when it built the pier.
“Despite not obtaining the required permits, violating multiple DEP conditions, and having had exactly zero oversight by Neptune Township, the OGCMA is somehow allowed to have a ‘ribbon cutting and opening’ for a pier that will be walked on by tens of thousands of residents and visitors alike,” Neptune United said in a statement Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, Neptune United’s concern is not limited to municipal noncompliance and the underlying safety issues. Each day, Neptune United becomes more and more alarmed by the OGCMA’s blatant disregard for both the community and well-established law,” the statement said.”
And now (12/30/23) we have structural issues at the pier which keep the landmark closed indefinitely. Just adding to the stress.
e. Google: The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA) has abruptly withdrawn a lawsuit it had filed against (two) local residents in October of this year. That lawsuit, withdrawn on November 19, 2023, had sought to keep Ocean Grove’s beach closed on summer Sunday mornings.
Americana Diner in Shrewsbury. Internet photo.f. Do you like diner food? If you are from Jersey, you probably do. We go to the Americana Diner which is about 15 minutes north of us on Rt. 35 in the southbound lane. It is bright and cheerful, using always fresh ingredients. If such a place is good, you will see customers tearing into the food. (see below). Eileen had a fine tuna sandwich on white toast with tomato and raw onion. I had a burger deluxe, substituting onion rings for fries. They were very good when hot out of the kitchen. Coffee was exceptional. Service was fine.
This is called realism in photography. Americana Diner. 12/28/23. Blogfinger photo.f. And finally the last Christmas song of the year by Tevya and the Klezmonauts: They wish only the best tidings of comfort and joy for OG’s merry gentlemen.