Somehow, squeezed between two lousy, chilly, rainy-weather days, a beautiful spring day bloomed just in time for the first of what we hope will be many parties to celebrate the launch of Jersey Bites’ new hyper local destinations. For our Monmouth County debut our Monmouth County Editor, Beverly Beveridge, and the rest of the Jersey Bites family, were truly spoiled by Avenue in Long Branch who hosted our party in their enormous third floor lounge with sweeping views of the ocean and patio complete with cozy fireplace and swimming pool. Many of our guests had never been to the lounge which serves as a dance club called Avenue Nuit at night. (I guess that means we’re no longer the “dance club” crowd.) By day, Avenue hosts wedding recpetions and special events. Either on the beach or poolside, they host many wedding ceremonies too that then naturally flow right into a spectacular reception.
The food for our evening was elegant and delicious and kept on coming. In addition to all of the wonderful appetizers dished up by Avenue (check out the picture below) the fabulous Cake, Bake and Roll bakery came with a table full of decadent desserts and Carter & Cavero was on hand, with a tempting selection of Olive Oils and Vinegars for tasting.
Guests were asked to bring food donations to the St. James Episcopal Church in Long Branch. A request we will be making at all of our celebrations throughout the state to do our part for area food banks.
As we munched and mingled, we were treated to the live music of Laura Crisci and the “Whoever Shows Up Band” who performed a free show for us and debuted their new song “Take me to Mary’s Place” written for Mary’s Place by the Sea, a respite for women with cancer during and after treatment in Ocean Grove.
As I said, we hope to host many more celebrations like the one you have been reading about here. If you would like to be put on the invite list for your county, please send us your email address (jerseybites @ gmail.com) and tell us which county you reside in. Jersey Bites readers are VIP’s for the night. For more great pictures captured by Chantale Taurozzi from ChanTzi Photography please enjoy the slide show below.
A very special Thank You to Avenue in Pier Village; Cake, Bake and Roll; Carter and Cavero and Laura Crisci and her band, for making our night a huge success.
Deborah Smith is the Founder and Executive Editor of JerseyBites.com. Launched in 2007 as a home for her growing collection of recipes, Jersey Bites soon grew into a hub for all things edible in the Garden State. Deborah is also the owner of Parents With Nannies, Inc. which operates a network of nanny employment websites established in 1999. In her spare time, (Ha) she works as a Social Media consultant and speaker. You can learn more about her services and marketing through social media on her blog www.DeborahLSmith.com
