Rating: 💋 💋 💋
YAY Friends! The last time I saw a friend was back in February when Rebecca and I visited Sabrina's Cafe for brunch. In a stunning display of symmetry on the universe's part, the last friend I saw turned out to be the first friend I got to see after all those months: the one and only Rebecca.
After browsing through a bunch of local spots, we settled on going to dinner at The Watering Hull, a fun, elevated beach bar style restaurant. I worked there the summer before my senior year of college and I remembered it having a really fun menu with a list of delicious dishes and creative cocktails. Back in those days, it also had a vibrant bar scene with great DJs and a dance floor but, alas,COVID. It still offers great food and beverages on deck tables, and we were pretty grateful we could even enjoy that.
We sat immediately upon arrival, but it took a while for our waitress to come over. It was a busy Thursday night and, with reduced staffing due to Coronavirus restrictions, patience is key. When our waitress arrived, we asked for our drinks and food right away to limit her trips. Rebecca wanted a Michaelob - which we had quite a time figuring out how to pronounce - but it had been kicked so she got a Corona instead. Dun dun dun! I decided to have a sangria. Might as well enjoy summer for as long as possible.
My Sangria was delicious and I mean, a Corona in Corona? You have to laugh. Our server, Sarah, was great. She was a favorite co-worker that one summer. She is super easygoing, and always so on top of her tables.
Instead of bread, the Watering Hull spices things up by serving plantain chips as their complimentary snack. The plantain chips are such a fun twist and taste so yummy, both with and without the sweet chili sauce.
Rebecca ordered the Pork Carnitas and LOVED them. I got the pokè bowl and was a bit disappointed because they mixed up my order and gave me a base of greens instead of a base of the coconut quinoa I had wanted to try. You cannot beat the sushi grade salmon with the spicy aioli, avocado, and edamame though. It was such a tasty, clean meal. While we ate, we had to catch up on everything. We have been loyal letter writers since third grade, and we text and call to stay in touch, but it just is not the same. We talked about our lives in quarantine and how that has affected our living situations, jobs, and hobbies. She teaches, so corona is having a big impact on her professional life right now.
Stone Harbor is home to Springer's, the 'Second Best Ice Cream Parlor in New Jersey'. While she was here, Rebecca really wanted some. They have such a long list of creative homemade ice creams. Since my mom makes ice cream, my family usually stays in for the treat, but there is just something about going out for ice cream as an activity. It is a great way to enjoy a summer evening. With COVID, Springer's has a weird system for ordering. There is a socially distanced line, so that is good, and then an employee walks down the line to collect orders from everyone. This all takes place on the sidewalk. After placing your order, you go up to the establishment and pay at one doorway. Then you go back and wait on the sidewalk until they call your name, whereupon you retrieve your cone from another doorway. Speakeasy ice cream.
Rebecca went for her go to flavor: coffee. Even back in kindergarten, she always rhapsodized about her love for coffee and coca-cola. She was a very mature five-year old who led us through class 'KB' with gusto. I got the Cookies and Coffee flavor and it was a beautiful fusion of two old favorites. Rebecca made fun of my 'child cone' because I got a sugar cone as opposed to her waffle cone. Oh well. We ate on a bench and got into deeper life talks. Our philosophy session was only interrupted twice: first, by a nice man asking for directions to the Wawa - to which I proudly directed him, and second, by a skunk! Ah! It shot out from under our bench and Rebecca immediately booked it. I stayed. At first, I thought it was a kitten. When I could see the creature better, I slowly backed away from the bench. A woman on a nearby bench called out, "You're doing amazing, sweetie!" An interaction with a stranger, a skunk, and a friend all in one night after months without real social contact?! It was almost all too much. Almost. I am dizzy just thinking about it. Rebecca and I found another bench to continue chatting before I walked her to her car. Then we spent probably twenty minutes standing outside her car, continuing to talk. So, yeah, I guess you could say it was a hard goodbye. (cries!)
Soon after, KT visited! Kaitlyn is my fabulous friend and college roommate. I am very excited for her debut on the blog. She is the best. As soon as she arrived we got grabbed some delicious Playa bowls for lunch and headed down to the beach to soak up some sun. After that, we came home, got dressed for dinner, and I made my first ever margaritas! It was quite a process, from shoveling the frozen mix out of the can to measuring the tequila to blending it properly. Then, of course, I had to salt the rims of the glasses and serve the drinks all pretty. I am so glad I learned how to make them because they tasted so good! It was a great way to kick off our Saturday night.
Kaitlyn really wanted a burger so where did we end up? You guessed it. The Watering Hull. This time, it was a ten-fifteen minute wait, during which time we sat on a bench in the Square and chatted. When we got to our table, we had much faster service. Kaitlyn and I admired that the Watering Hill had an online menu, just like Jay's, to reduce contact and create a germ-free ordering process.
We were so hungry and the plantains saved the day again! I stuck with the American Mule throughout the night for a little bit of ginger bubbly, but KT was more creative. Her first drink, called Gary's Day Off, was not quite to her liking but we appreciated the name. She said she was glad she tried it because she was curious about the gin and wildflower honey mix, but the jalapeño margarita she got for our second round was much preferred.
Kaitlyn's burger and fries were glorious. This time I went with the Pork Carnitas and yes, Rebecca's opinion is seconded by me. Delicious. I am not a huge pineapple fan, but in the corn-pineapple slaw with the spicy crema overtop? Yesss. It is a perfect balance of sweet and spicy and it goes so well with the shredded pork. The chips and guac served alongside are a real crowd pleaser. We talked about a bunch of pressing topics and fun anecdotes before heading home. Shortly after we got to my house, my mom went into full Hostess with the Mostest mode (which is really her natural setting) and made us Bailey's and whipped cream. It was the perfect dessert.
Kaitlyn's birthday is tomorrow so we at MMMK would like to wish her a very happy birthday!! Cheers 🥂
XX,
MK