Last Friday evening we were given the opportunity to visit a place that is often overlooked by our fellow Manhattanites – Jersey City on the Hudson shore – and we got a glimpse of the type of tropical party scene that we previously thought you had to fly hundreds of miles to enjoy!
Surf City Beach Bar and Restaurant is a mega bar/restaurant located right on Liberty Harbor, which means that in addition to being accessible by car, light rail and PATH train, you can pull your own boat right up to the bar. And that’s what we did: the kind folks at Surf City sent a boat (a 55 foot cabin cruiser to be exact) to pick us up at Chelsea Piers and, after getting an impromptu sunset cruise around the Statue of Liberty, we arrived on the other side of the Hudson River, greeted by the giant Surf City sign, and four hundred revelers eating and drinking on the pier.
We climbed off the boat to the dock and were led to a large outdoor table surrounded by palm trees (!) where we were handed our first frozen drinks of the evening from their extensive bar menu: Pina Coladas, Daiquiris, Margaritas, and special drinks like the Surf City Sunrise, an unholy yet tasty blend of mango, strawberry, and tequila. These decadent drinks set the stage for the wildest tasting menu we have ever indulged in – a nine course run through Surf City’s exhaustive special dishes, starting with Lobster Guacamole (huge chunks of lobster and avocado – and they really taste amazing together) and ending with Pina Colada Ice Cream served in a coconut.
Other highlights included the surf & turf sliders (Pat LaFrieda dry aged burgers and mini lobster rolls), the octopus and shrimp salad, the salmon filet with pineapple brûlée, and, of course, the oysters on the half shell (served over sea salt with butter and cocktail sauces, complete with a mini bottle of Tabasco). We feasted as we watched the sun set over the New York City skyline, and, when we couldn’t eat any more, boarded the boat back to Manhattan. It was an amazing excursion to a resort town hidden in our own backyard, and we can’t wait to go back!
