Painting, Food & Friends

Painting will never be my forte but for one of my closest friends birthdays, I had to put aside my mediocre painting skills and try to produce something worthy of Picasso. Did I succeed? Negative. We drove a short drive to Bradley Beach where we went to Bradley Brushstrokes Paint and Sip Studio (minus the sip). The studio was vibrant and definitely gave some 70’s vibes as you’ll see below.

After the painting, each of our stomachs had been grumbling ready to dig into a savory meal. Lucky for us, the birthday girl made reservations at Porta, a popular Italian eatery in Asbury Park, New Jersey. We walked into the artsy restaurant where there was one large room with a center bar. The bar had light bulbs hanging overhead and along the room hung small lights. Doors lined the wall to add a rustic feel along with the American flag draped from the ceiling. The room had long picnic tables instead of your typical round table or booth adding a very cozy feeling. One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that they had vegan options, although the selection is small, it is very thoughtful to include this for vegans or people with dairy allergies like myself. It makes the going out to eat process a lot easier. The food did not disappoint and by the end of the night, we all were stuffed full.

Any night spent with friends is a good night but any night spent with friends and food is a great night, am I right?

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Asbury Sun & Sushi

On a day full of endless sun and toasty weather we all just want to be outside. When I began to get tired of the same routine summer activities I decided I’d head just a half hour south to Asbury Park. They’re focusing on modernizing the space and creating a relaxed, slower paced urban area. A hotspot for older teens and adults to enjoy a nice bit to eat, the boardwalk, concerts at The Stone Pony and so much more. You may even catch Bruce Springsteen strolling around (that is if you’re lucky). I adore the atmosphere and relaxed vibes the area gives off. It reminds me a little of West Village in NYC based on its ambience.

I just can never get enough sushi! At this point I’m surprised I haven’t turned into some type of sushi roll. Is that possible? Technically no but at this rate you never know. My friend and I headed over to Taka, an adorable Japanese restaurant in Asbury where you can be seated inside or outside. The Japanese restaurant seemed very modern, young and hip with its vibrant colors and fun furniture. I went the basic route in all my sushi choices although, I dressed each piece up with a number of different sauces. My sushi rolls were constantly soaked in teriyaki, eel and soy sauce to kick up the flavor of my not so exciting choices. Needless to say I ended up in a food coma but it didn’t matter because I enjoyed every bite of my sushi, to the last slice of ginger. The day was filled with the aroma of salt coming off the beach and savory pieces of sushi being guzzled down. I think it’s time to learn how to use chopsticks!

xx

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