Seaside Heights, Brick NJ 3-30-08, Sun. afternoon

Sunday afternoon, March 30th, I met my brother for lunch in Brick, NJ, (just north of Toms River) followed by a movie.
Brick is about 60 miles north of my AC area.

PUDGY'S PIZZA, Brick, NJ 732-255-3770
55 Brick Blvd. (route 549)

That's my bro in gray hooded sweatjacket, barely visible...

CHICKEN FRANCAISE $9.95 for lunch ($14.95 for dinner)

Salad came with the meal(good italian dressing with a "kick") ,and menu

Me and my equisite francaise

We saw the movie "Shutter". I gave it a C+, and my bro gave it a D+.
I liked the romantic/suspense thriller about a newly married couple, but the delivery was a little too far fetched.
After the movie, I made a pit stop on the way to Seaside Heights, at Joe Joes for an Italian Hot Dog.
JOE JOE'S ITALIAN HOT DOGS, Toms River, NJ

I just opted for the single dog, for a change, as I was still stuffed
JOE JOE'S SINGLE ITALIAN HOT DOG $4.65 ($7.50 for the double)

I made it to Seaside Heights before sundown.
SEASIDE HEIGHTS BOARDWALK 6 pm SUNDAY , slightly off season [img] http://www.roadfood.com/insider/photos/4550.jpg[/img]
The beach looked espescially pretty, and was empty except for a few people here and there throwing a football around, etc.

There were more concession stands open than I expected (about 30% open)
perhaps due to the early Easter last weekend. Usually most stuff does'nt even start opening up till mid April.

I noticed Maruca's pizza was "open all year"...(at least on weekends),
so I HAD to have a slice , in honor of Signman! (as he loves Maruca's!)


MARUCA'S PIZZA, Seaside Heights, NJ

My sis loves the sausage and peppers from this Midway place
They've got great lemonade , too!

I paid a dollar to get my fortune card from Zoltar.

My card said I was too trusting, and to be careful when doing favors for people. (very accurate!)
This north end of the boardwalk (where the Aztec Motel is) was'nt as "open" as the south end (Sawmill restaurant area)


I still love good 'ol Seaside Heights! Espescially this time of the year. Makes me feel like a pioneer exploring everything, like I have a pre-season pass. Love the anticipation !

--the end ---

Thanks for "walking the boards" with me!
ellen

The chicken francaise looks good but it's not something I'd expect to find at a pizza place...how was it, and what other "unexpected" items are on the menu?

Brad

I always enjoy your reports. Nice job Ellen.

Ellen...I live 1/2 mile from Pudgies pizza here in good old Brick NJ...superior pizza and yes,their menu is more than a pizza place...their Italian restaurant section has excellent food.
Anyone in the area,give it a try.

Hi Ellen you really are getting jiggy with these reports! I give you and A+....always enjoy hearing from you.

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Ellen...I live 1/2 mile from Pudgies pizza here in good old Brick NJ...superior pizza and yes,their menu is more than a pizza place...their Italian restaurant section has excellent food.
Anyone in the area,give it a try.

I was waiting to hear from you, our Brick Township resident Roadfooder...!!!

It's funny, cause I found their pizza too bland for my tastes, but I loved the francaise..
PUDGY'S PIZZA

quote:

Originally posted by Brad_Olson

The chicken francaise looks good but it's not something I'd expect to find at a pizza place...how was it, and what other "unexpected" items are on the menu?

Brad

Hi Brad...
YES,there was some unexpected items , as there were a lot of creative chicken dishes.... chicken murphy, chicken balsamico,
and there was a veal brando, and a veal principessa (with battered eggplant, mozz. cheese, red wine demi-glaze) among other dishes...

I would say that 60-70% of NJ pizza places have chicken francaise on their menus. The remaining just go as far as chicken parm

And here is THEIR version of an Italian hot dog ....
PUDGY'S ITALIAN HOT DOG $6.25

It's no match for a true NJ Italian hot dog, as the potatoes are "wrong", and so is the toasted sub roll, instead of pizza bread.
Us Roadfooders are tough hot dog critics.
Tasted like Sabrett to me, decent dog, at least.

Another unexpected item was their original dessert, their "pudgy wudgy's" (1/2 dozen for $1.50) . Menu describes it as "a
cross between a zeppole and a french crueller"

So what it did taste like to ME? The combination made it taste like a churro. They're okay, but I'd rather have the zeppole!

PUDGY WUDGY'S

That gigantic pizza reminds me when I was a kid at Seaside in the summer. I have not been down there in years-thanks for trip down memory lane. I am going to have to get down there this summer. Do you know if the Aztec hotel is still right there on the Boardwalk-that is where we used to stay.

Ellen,next time you're in the neighborhood try the very well known The Pilot House. Classy food in an interesting atmosphere. If the rack of lamb is available,I highly recommend it.

Ellen, you were just feet away from pretty well known pizza at Maruca's...been there for generations..and last time I tasted it, a few years ago...still great. Did you give them a try??

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Ellen, you were just feet away from pretty well known pizza at Maruca's...been there for generations..and last time I tasted it, a few years ago...still great. Did you give them a try??

That is one of the places that she talked about-there is a pic of the pizza!

Nice report as usual Ellen. Maruca's is probably my favorite pizza in all of NJ. When my sister in law visits from Texas the first thing she always wants to do it take a drive down to Seaside, walk on the Boardwalk, and eat at Maruca's. The sausage & peppers at Midway ain't bad either. --Ken

Ellen, as usual the pictures you make give a great sense of place. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by mikez629

That gigantic pizza reminds me when I was a kid at Seaside in the summer. I have not been down there in years-thanks for trip down memory lane. I am going to have to get down there this summer. Do you know if the Aztec hotel is still right there on the Boardwalk-that is where we used to stay.

Oh yeah, the Aztec is still there. However, it's looking very worn these days. Well past it's prime . In the late 70's when I was in high school, I used to day trip down there with bf. The Aztec was the happening place "back in the day"

The Sawmill still serves those gigantic slices of pizza, like you remember. Along with a real good charbroiled burger.
You can order them right at the counter.

They were open, but it was hard to tell, as the place just was'nt the same without the crowds sitting outside at the picnic tables.
Everyone was inside, where it was warm and toasty, with a food server, and sports on the TV's

Does this place look familiar, Mike???

SAWMILL, Seaside Heights boardwalk

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Ellen, you were just feet away from pretty well known pizza at Maruca's...been there for generations..and last time I tasted it, a few years ago...still great. Did you give them a try??

She had a slice there, and those pizzas pictured are Marucas. It's all in her write up.

sorry,I posted this afternoon,before most of the pictures were up...great report Ellen

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

sorry,I posted this afternoon,before most of the pictures were up...great report Ellen

thanks so much, leethebard, and everyone ! Love to hear all your opinions, good, bad and indifferent.....

Hey, leethebard, you could've just as easily done this trip report, as you live even closer to Seaside than I do!
I'm on your turf !

The potatoes on that Italian dog look pretty good to me even if they are wrong. Nice report & pics Ellen, thank you.

True,true, Ellen...but truth be told, I perefer smaller,more family friendly Pt. Pleasant and its boardwalk....Pizza IS better at Maruca's in seaside, however...thanks again neighbor!

Great report, Ellen!!
Thanks!!

Another fun adventure for me to envy!!Great report and descriptions..

quote:

Originally posted by annpeeples

Another fun adventure for me to envy!!Great report and descriptions..

Thanks, Ann, for walking on the boardwalk with me !!

quote:

Originally posted by ellen4641

quote:

Originally posted by mikez629

That gigantic pizza reminds me when I was a kid at Seaside in the summer. I have not been down there in years-thanks for trip down memory lane. I am going to have to get down there this summer. Do you know if the Aztec hotel is still right there on the Boardwalk-that is where we used to stay.

Oh yeah, the Aztec is still there. However, it's looking very worn these days. Well past it's prime . In the late 70's when I was in high school, I used to day trip down there with bf. The Aztec was the happening place "back in the day"

The Sawmill still serves those gigantic slices of pizza, like you remember. Along with a real good charbroiled burger.
You can order them right at the counter.

They were open, but it was hard to tell, as the place just was'nt the same without the crowds sitting outside at the picnic tables.
Everyone was inside, where it was warm and toasty, with a food server, and sports on the TV's

Does this place look familiar, Mike???

SAWMILL, Seaside Heights boardwalk

[img][/img]


Yes it does-to many teenage days/and nights around those parts

The photos give me the impression that the boardwalk is a pretty big place...any idea how many acres it covers? Looks like it'd be quite easy to spend a lot of hours there just between the pizza places alone!

Brad

quote:

Originally posted by Brad_Olson

The photos give me the impression that the boardwalk is a pretty big place...any idea how many acres it covers? Looks like it'd be quite easy to spend a lot of hours there just between the pizza places alone!

Brad

Hi again, Brad,
The Jersey Shore boardwalks are measured in miles, and I believe Seaside's is about a mile and a half.

Wildwood, Atlantic City, and Ocean City, NJ (all further south)
have even longer boardwalks.

Yes, it is definitely nice for an afternoon or evening of strolling, and eating pizza, fudge, and looking at all the funny sayings on those t-shirts in the stores.

In the Wildwoods, there are over 7000 motel rooms. During the day, it's popular to lounge by the motel pools and the beach, and in the evening, time for families to put the kids in the strollers and hit the boardwalk.... kids of all ages, including me, love the boardwalks!

-ellen--

Thanks for the pics and reviews! I can just imagine what this place must look like during the summer months, when everything is in full swing.. Thanks for the pre-season tour..

Thanks Ellen! Brought back some great memories for me! First time I ever tried a raw oyster with my then, boyfriend, now Husband I still have on my keyring one of those coins that you stamp by turning the dial from that day in 1999 - oh God, that was almost 10 years ago...sheesh!

Great report & pics! Sue

WaWaWaWa Watch the tram car please!-Sorry this is a Jersey shore thing!

Great pics, Takes me back to great times. Only been to Seaside twice. Wildwood was about every weekend.

Wow the last time was about 25 years ago. Its amazing how everything looks the same.

quote:

Originally posted by mikez629

WaWaWaWa Watch the tram car please!-Sorry this is a Jersey shore thing!

I recognize that line, mikez829! The good 'ol Wildwood tramcar.
They finally fixed that "stuck" recording a few years back, no more "wa wa wa wa" .... It was stuck for years and years, though..

You know something? I liked it better the broken way! It was more fun imitating it!