Bloody Mary Review: The Bonney Read, Asbury Park, NJ

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Miriam Zelinsky

Hi guys!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Alex and I drove down to the Jersey Shore on Saturday just to get a little break from the city. I know what you're thinking – GTL. But seriously, over the last few years, there are some awesome restaurants and bars that have popped up over there as well as some old favorites. I always love me a little Martell's Tiki Bar for their oversized fresh squeezed OJ + Grey Goose and Red's Lobster Pot for their spicy and tangy lobster fra diavolo in Point Pleasant. But on the way back to the city, after reading some fabulous reviews on this one particular Bloody Mary in Asbury Park, I obviously had to check it out.

The good news: Asbury Park is even closer to get to from the city than Point Pleasant. And besides Porta Pizza, which may be worth a trip itself, the Asbury is a brand new swanky hotel with two rooftop bars, outdoor movies in the summer and a beautiful pool – perfect for a mini weekend getaway. You almost feel like you're in Miami rather than Jersey. (No offense to Jersey!) But I digress...The Bonney Read is located on the corner of Cookman Avenue on the main street and you can't possibly miss it. Even at 4:30 pm on a Sunday, it was bompin'!

Onto the bloody – it was garnished with a snow crab leg, a jumbo shrimp, celery, a large Spanish olive, lemon...yes, I'm still going – a clam, and bacon! The bloody itself was served in a giant mug (really giant) and the rim was lined with Old Bay and topped with three ounces of your choice of vodka, gin, or tequila. I opted for vodka. One of my favorite people on Twitter commented and said, "It would appear that someone has mistaken your cocktail glass for the Admiral's Feast at Red Lobster." (@Flinndiesel) I got a good chuckle out of that!

But anyone can stack their bloodies high with garnishes to detract from a subpar Bloody Mary mix. Not this one. This bloody packed a punch. It was flavorful, had tons of fresh horseradish and black pepper, was the perfect amount of spicy so my ears burned a little, and I'm sure there were some secret spices incorporated that I'd love to get my paws on. When I finished the mini seafood tower, I wasn't disappointed to just be left with their bloody mix, which is often the case.

I definitely recommend taking a break from the city and taking a mini adventure to the shore this summer! And don't forget the Bloody Mary at Bonney Read!

Cheers, guys!

Below are some more picts from the weekend!