Snow on the Jersey Shore

We have had a bit of a snow on the Jersey Shore over the last week. The local papers say that the towns around where I live don't have the budget to pay for all of the snow removal that they've had to do and will have to find other ways to pay for it.

Even though we didn't have all that much ice, the weight of the snow has brought down a number of tree limbs as well as rain gutters, etc.

Finding a place to put all of the snow has also been a challenge. Here in Red Bank, NJ, passengers have a difficult time getting out of the cars due to the high snow banks pushed up on the sidewalks.

Winter Beerfest 2 - High Street Grill, Mt. Holly, New Jersey

Mount Holly, New Jersey is probably my favorite town in West Jersey. Probably, because of the High Street Grill which is know for its excellent menu, its selection of fine craft beers, and its fantastic beer events. The temperature at 1:00 p.m. (the first of the two events that day) had hit 20 degrees (F) and, believe me, there's nothing better that a cold wet beer when you're outside and it's 12 degrees below freezing!


Beerfest 2 participants were able to locate the High Street Grill by the frozen pub keeper on the front sidewalk.


I prepared myself for all of the beer I was planning to drink with a nice hot bowl of Wild Game Chili inside the High Street Grill. The chili warmed me up and coated my stomach so I could drink the afternoon away.


This year, the Beerfest was held in a larger tent that had been pitched in back of the High Street Grill. The beer lovers started queuing up for entry about half an hour before the tent opened.


Everyone moved into optimal beer drinking positions in the heated tent minutes after the tent was opened.


Some of the attendees came prepared with the proper "beer goggle" safety equipment.


Both of the Troegs Craft Brewery beer boys had proper headgear. The tent had some heat, but it was still pretty damn cold inside. At least the heat kept the beer from freezing.


Of course, a beerfest is one place where you don't mind if an Arrogant Bastard is attending!


It was said that you could even measure the beer by the yard. ;-)


I was particularly impressed with the beers from Boaks Beer. Both the "Two Blind Monks" and "Monster Mash" were most excellent!


Dr. Seuss even sent the "Cat in the Hat" to sample the beers...


They were filming a beer interview as well.


And dogs were flying at the Flying Dog Brewery table.


One of the young women decided she was going to be a "walking billboard" for Blue Point and put bumper stickers all over herself.


Holy Sheet! There were some excellent beers at the fest.


The Blue Point Brewing Company "Beer Girl" was seen laughing uncontrollably throughout the afternoon.


Comfortable sanitary facilities were located in convenient locations around the High Street area.


I think it's fair to say that, "A good time was had by all...." The entire set of photos from the Fire & Ice Chili/Ice Sculpting and Winter Beerfest 2 event can be viewed here.

Fire & Ice Chili Festival, Mt. Holly, New Jersey

On Saturday, January 30, I drove down to Mount Holly, New Jersey for their annual "Fire & Ice Festival." The festival consists of professional and amateur ice carvers and a chili contest. The chili portion of the festival is appropriately held in the local fire house. Professional judges graded the chili on a variety of criteria. The presentation of some of the chili was quite interesting as well.


Toppings are key for a good bowl of chili!


One of the more colorful pots of chili.


One of the professional entries. This is wild game chili cooked by the High Street Grill in downtown Mt. Holly. I highly recommend that you stop by. Check up on what's happening at the High Street Grill at www.highstreetgrill.net


Here's how the Wild Game Chili is served at The High Street Grill in Mt. Holly, New Jersey--with a proper "adult" beverage. They have an excellent selection of craft beers to accompany the chili or any of their other chef prepared menu items. www.highstreetgrill.net


Of course the bikers were there with "Biker Chili" served in a motorcycle tank.


The recipe for "Biker Chili."

One of the judges examining a chili before tasting.


"Duck" chili with Ethiopian spices.


You can tell from his waist line that this judge takes his job seriously.


"Pigs in Paradise" Think the fiery taste of chili sweetened with the icy coolness of pineapple.


They start chili chefs out young in Mt. Holly, New Jersey!


After the judging was completed, the crowds moved in to finish off the entries.


For dessert after stuffing yourself with chili, you could walk over to Red Carpet Cakes for a nice sweet treat.

The Rathskeller Pub, Frenchtown, New Jersey

I decided to make a drive up to Frenchtown, New Jersey to see the scenery and have lunch. After a great meal in town, I stumbled into a recently remodeled old hotel named "The National Hotel" and found that they had two great bars. The first was a respectable proper bar next to their main dining room.

The second was a dark, cool underground pub called "The Rathskeller!" The German word "Rathskeller" (or Ratskeller in modern German) translates to "council chamber" or "underground place to get drunk!"

The management and staff of the hotel and both bars are very friendly and helpful with suggestions about what to do and see in the area. The hotel and its bars are so pleasant and relaxing that you almost forget that you're in "Jersey...." I went ahead and booked a room there on a weekend so I can try out their dining room and spend some more time in the Rathskeller!


The stairs down deep into the subterranean "Rathskeller Pub" greet you as you enter the hotel through the front door.


As you come down the stairs, you enter an outer room to the basement pub that is a great place to retreat to for a private conversation should the pub itself get too crowded or noisy.


The Rathskeller itself is a comfortably sized room with a fireplace and medium-sized bar. There are no windows in the cellar, so it's easy to loose track of time while you are enjoying some drinks with friends.


One of the two stained glass windows behind the bar. This one depicts the "Wreck of the Oswego Express" at Milford, New Jersey. I'm not familiar with the accident, but I suspect it has something to do with: 1) a train, 2) a bridge or trestle, and 3) a man in a boat!


The second stained glass window behind the bar depicts "The Rat." The rat looks very frustrated because he can't find a cellar where he can go to drink some beer.


There's a hand-painted mural next to the fireplace that depicts the National Hotel during a more simpler time (and when we only had 48 stars on the U.S. Flag).


The National Hotel greets you as you drive onto Race Street in Frenchtown, New Jersey.

New Jersey Bulldogs

I was looking in the paper for something to do this last Sunday and came across this bulldog show that was being held in Flemington, NJ. Unfortunately, it's the only breed of dog I'm allergic to.


The bulldogs seem to be generally very friendly and probably make good pets.


Puppy jail

The rest of the photos I took can be found here.