When I first arrived in New Jersey, I knew that there was a distinct possibility my short visit with my parents would be extended due to a little storm called Hurricane Sandy. What I did not realize was that Hurricane Sandy would end up changing the face of "the shore" - home to many of my happiest childhood memories. While I haven't lived in NJ for over 13 years, the Jersey shore - specifically Ocean City - always remained my favorite beach town. Given that I have lived within an hour’s drive of some of the most beautiful beaches in the US that is not a small proclamation. Whenever I am home, a trip to Ocean City is always on the schedule and this visit was no different. Had I known the extent of the devastation that was coming I might have taken more time to truly soak up the atmosphere that makes up a true Jersey shore experience. The shore will be rebuilt and new memories will be created but nothing can replace what was lost. Thankfully it appears that the Ocean City boardwalk escaped relatively unscathed but it will still take weeks and maybe even months for those directly impacted to piece together the broken remnants of their homes, businesses and lives. Now is the time to look forward to the future but we must not forget the past and the happy memories that live there.
Any day trip to Ocean City typically begins with the battle for parking. Our usual spot was roughly in the middle of the boardwalk, right behind Shrivers Salt Water Taffy store. The iconic storefront features two children swinging and flipping happily since 1898. While you can buy taffy from many different stores on the boardwalk, the white and green Shrivers box is probably the most recognized and no trip to the shore is complete without a visit to this store and the experience of gnawing on a piece of taffy so chewy that you feel as though your teeth might be yanked right out of your jaw (in a good way).
If it was summer time I would hang a left at Shrivers and go tearing up the boardwalk toward the water park (let's face it, I would still be tearing up the boardwalk to the water park if it was socially acceptable and if it wasn't so darn cold up on the top decks). Gillian's Water park isn't huge, especially not by today's water park standards but it was the best place in the world for me when I was a kid. We would all hit the slides - Mom and Dad included - flying down the twisting and turning shoots, pinching your nose at the last minute to avoid a flood of water up the nose. After a few hair raising trips we would relax, floating languidly down the lazy river until our color was called signaling that our time was up.
All that water sliding really works up an appetite and the boardwalk is the perfect place to solve that issue. When I was a kid, chicken fingers were my meal of choice, followed up by some caramel corn or perhaps some funnel cake. On my most recent trip to the shore we visited Manco & Manco pizza. They have 3 shops on the boardwalk, but given that it was October and the shore was bracing for Sandy, only the location closest to Shrivers was open and it was packed. Our first pass by showed a line out the door. We continued our walk down the boardwalk and upon our return trip found the line had dissipated and we were able to get a table - albeit one that we had to share with some friendly strangers. For me, Manco & Manco white pizza is the best on the boards. I don't know if it is the saltwater in the air or the ocean waves crashing on the shore but Manco & Manco pizza never ceases to amaze my taste buds. The crust is the thinnest I have ever seen and the aroma emanating from my slice was mouthwateringly cheesy. While not stiff like a typical thin crust, this one still had a nice crunch. Adding some red pepper flakes amped up the flavor a bit and gave my slice a nice, eye-opening bite. After a nice slice of cheesy pizza dessert would typically be in order.
Looking back, when I was kid I was stuck in a food rut. I ate what was familiar and therefore safe. Unfortunately, that meant that I had to wait 30 years to experience Manco & Manco pizza. It also meant that it took about 30 years for me to try out Kohr Bros Frozen Custard. I was an ice cream kid, and custard held little interest for me. Flash forward 30 years and we are all on the boardwalk celebrating Mom's birthday. After some Manco & Manco we walked the boards and then stopped at one of Kohr Bros Frozen Yogurt stands. We each ordered a cone, dipped in chocolate which immediately hardened once it hit the frozen custard. The first bite is like breaking a flavor seal - you get the chocolate shell, then you hit the custard - vanilla, chocolate, or swirl. After that first bite, you are done for. If you aren't a quick eater, I would recommend getting your cone in a cup, so you don't lose any of that precious chocolate shell. Unfortunately, given the chilly temperatures and the wind kicking up off the ocean, I didn't get a Kohr Bros custard this visit but I am hopeful that they will be around for my next trip down the shore.
During this most recent boardwalk visit, I popped into the Ocean City Coffee Co. - a new stop for me. Normally I am not in need of coffee on the boards and if I did, my place was Shriver's Gelato. But due to the storm, I was forced to patronize a new establishment - Ocean City Coffee Co. I must confess, I might be a convert. Piled out front are sacks of coffee beans. The interior of the small shop is homey and coffee themed - there are coffee bags on the walls, and an old fashioned coffee bean grinder greets customers as they walk through the aromatic front door. I ordered a Hazelnut Latte (non-fat, decaf in case you are interested). While I was waiting for my order, I took a quick tour of the store (as I said it was a small shop). Along the walls hungbags of tea leaves as well as different blends of coffee and hand thrown souvenir mugs. My order came up quickly and I eagerly took my first sip. A lovely blend of espresso and hazelnut - both flavors playing nicely together. There was no overwhelming sweetness in this coffee, just a hint from the hazelnut -the perfect treat to warm someone up during a pre-hurricane walk on the boards.
There are countless things I love about visiting the Jersey shore - riding a surrey or bike up and down the boardwalk (until the designated time that they kick you off so you don't mow down unsuspecting boardwalk pedestrians); the smell of saltwater, caramel corn and pizza; the King Kong gorilla and the spray of the water that comes as he roars by at the Congo Falls Adventure Golf mini golf course; and who can forget my favorite - The Surf Mall - home to everything and anything beach related. I do not believe that I have ever made a trip to the Ocean City boardwalk without visiting The Surf Mall - until this most recent visit when it was closed because of the impending storm - a sign of things to come. There will be many more trips to the shore in my future, but after Sandy there will be differences, both subtle and obvious. These changes afford us the opportunity to make new memories at the newly defined Jersey shore. Who's up for a trip "down the shore?"
"Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Hope for tomorrow."
-William James
