Painting will never be my forte but for one of my closest friends birthdays, I had to put aside my mediocre painting skills and try to produce something worthy of Picasso. Did I succeed? Negative. We drove a short drive to Bradley Beach where we went to Bradley Brushstrokes Paint and Sip Studio (minus the sip). The studio was vibrant and definitely gave some 70’s vibes as you’ll see below.
After the painting, each of our stomachs had been grumbling ready to dig into a savory meal. Lucky for us, the birthday girl made reservations at Porta, a popular Italian eatery in Asbury Park, New Jersey. We walked into the artsy restaurant where there was one large room with a center bar. The bar had light bulbs hanging overhead and along the room hung small lights. Doors lined the wall to add a rustic feel along with the American flag draped from the ceiling. The room had long picnic tables instead of your typical round table or booth adding a very cozy feeling. One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that they had vegan options, although the selection is small, it is very thoughtful to include this for vegans or people with dairy allergies like myself. It makes the going out to eat process a lot easier. The food did not disappoint and by the end of the night, we all were stuffed full.
Any night spent with friends is a good night but any night spent with friends and food is a great night, am I right?