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It's official: Asbury Park, NJ, is a destination for music lovers, boardwalk devotees, those who enjoy amazing mural art---and intrepid coffee drinkers like myself. Today was simply one of those epic early-August Sunday beach days in Asbury. Warm sun prevailed, but there were periods of overcast breeziness; people were sparkling with contentment. And the water was absolutely perfect. 
For me, a day in Asbury Park would not be complete without a trip to the Asbury Park Roastery. This small coffee roasting company, which has been around since 2007, has 2 locations---and they are both continually trafficked by coffee-lovers all summer long. 

The flagship location is downtown at 803 Second Avenue, and the boardwalk location is 1300 Ocean Avenue in the Grand Arcade of Convention Hall. They specialize in selling freshly roasted coffee, mainly fair trade and organic, to both retail and wholesale customers. They also offer loose-leaf teas and various vegan and non-vegan pastries. The vibe is relaxed and consistent with the overall culture of Asbury, which is uniquely diverse, tolerant, sophisticated, and old school at the same time. 

 I went to the boardwalk location and ordered a large, skim macchiato with extra chocolate---with 3 shots of espresso. At the time, I had not had coffee for hours, and the first sip sent me into a reverie of sorts, almost unable to express the pleasure this beach-worthy macchiato was giving me. So for a while I couldn't speak. I walked along the boardwalk, looking at the beautiful blue sky, against the backdrop of the ocean and the beach dotted with striped umbrellas, and I drank my macchiato. 

By the time, I got to the beach, it was gone. But by then, I was super-caffeinated and energized, and ready to go wave-diving. Want to learn more about the history of Asbury Park? Check out my video where I share a few fun (and surprising) factoids. 


Happy August!






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