Come & Get It! It’s Restaurant Week, and We Couldn’t Be Happier (Or Hungrier)
Another year has passed us by, and while some things have gotten easier – such as packing everyone into the car in the morning – other things have become progressively difficult. A toddler will love a carrot on Monday and melt at the sight of one on Tuesday. He will eat pounds of chicken nuggets one week, and declare Keto the next.
A new and exciting development to parenthood is the shuttle service. For 35 years, I have mocked the minivans that spill coats, sneakers and baseball mitts when they are opened. Never. Not me, I declared. And the other day as I shuttled one to basketball and the second to ballet in the pouring rain, I thought, “Oh, now that’s what they’re for.”
And alas, we arrive home. We’re tired, we’re cranky and we just don’t feel like fighting the fight of nightly dinner bargaining. And no, readers, this isn’t a column on parenting, as cathartic as it is for me every year to write it – it’s an article highlighting the one saving grace to a long day. It’s the week every year where we head straight to our favorite island restaurants and enjoy a kid-friendly dinner or (gasp) a night out for just us.
7 Mile Restaurant Week is nearly here and I am counting down the days on the family activity calendar. Whether you are a local resident of our beachside island, or a vacationer to Avalon and Stone Harbor, this is one week you do not want to miss.
Dine your way through the Seven Mile Beach and, if you can, enjoy some of the more than 50 participating restaurants offering breakfast and lunch specials (Hello, chocolate chip pancakes!) and three-course dinner specials for just $35.
This week, eating out every night is not going to break my budget, and the short-order cook position that I typically fill every night is passed on to the professionals. A crisp glass of wine with a bayfront view? Yes, please! A cheeseburger and french fries for the kids, filet mignon for me? Even better. Should you see a family of four skipping down Dune Drive, that would be us celebrating the most wonderful time of year.
7 Mile Restaurant Week comes without boxes and bows, and I, the Grinch of dinnertime, am now smiling for seven, wait, eight straight days this year. (Those angels added a day for 2019!) From Sunday to Sunday, make a plan and be sure to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner on behalf of the local dining establishments.
Pancakes, quiche, donuts and acai bowls are just a few of the yummy menu items featured for breakfast. Grab a slice of pizza, a crispy chicken wrap, a grilled cheese or a hoagie and head to the beach for lunchtime. Head home, regroup and out again for a TON of dinner options for every age and family member. From the pickiest of eaters to the gourmands in your life, there is something for everyone and at an amazing price.
What could make this week possibly better? Dessert! New for 2019, along with adding an additional day to dine and celebrate, the new Sweet Treat section highlights the creameries and candy shops throughout the island. Taste a new tropical donut, order your favorite flavor of ice cream and double the jimmies, or peruse the popular seashore candy options at the many sweet treat shops throughout Avalon and Stone Harbor.
At the end of the day, our tummies our full, and the children snooze in the backseat of my currently non-minivan (check in next year for that update). 7 Mile Restaurant Week, aka a mom’s saving grace, and a vacationer’s delight at dining, runs from Sunday, June 2 through Sunday, June 9. With more than 50 participating restaurants for 2019, it’s going to be tough to hit them all, but I challenge you to do your best! Stop by your favorites, test out a new venue and bring the kids … or don’t! Either way, it’s going to be a delicious week!
Check out visitavalonnj.com for a full list of participants, schedules and menu options. And for those who can plan in advance, be sure to reserve your tables using Open Table, the online reservation system, so you can arrive and immediately get to the wine and hors d’oeuvres! Bon appetit!
Now you can plan your week with the click of a button! 7 Mile Restaurant Week is now sponsored by Open Table, an online reservation system. For participating dinner restaurants, go to visitavalonnj.com and click “Reserve Your Table” to make your online reservation. This is the perfect way to plan out your week of delicious dining. Enjoy!
