PEC Challenge: FaNagle the Bagel

This week we are coming to you live from one of New Jersey's first beach resort towns, Long Branch.  Just a short drive down Ocean Avenue from my home beach, Sea Bright, Long Branch boasts several high rise resorts as well as one of the first boardwalks you will find when arriving from the north.  The beach here is usually packed with tourists heading to Pier Village (you may know this as the home of The Situation), whose development really spurred the revitalization of Long Branch.  FaNagle the Bagel is situated a bit down from Pier Village across the street from Seven Presidents Park which is aptly named for the, you guessed it, seven U.S. Presidents who regularly vacationed there in the late 19th and early 20th century.  The trend was started by Ulysses S. Grant when he declared Long Branch as the nation's "Summer Capital" in 1869 (nice) in order to escape the "dreadful D.C. lobbyists and humidity." Same, dude, same.  The following six Presidents included: Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley and Woodrow Wilson.  Incredibly, two of the seven Presidents were assassinated which is likely why no President has ever vacationed there for over 100 years.  (James Garfield was actually transported to Long Branch from D.C. so that he could have a more comfortable death at the beach.)  After the Presidents stopped coming, Seven Presidents Park became one of the first locations on the Jersey Shore that allowed surfing, which, cool.  Anyway, FaNagle the Bagel might be in the ultimate NJ shopping plaza, which includes, Attilio's Pizza, Hoffmans Ice Cream, Caputo Italian Pastry Shoppe, WindMill HotDogs, a liquor store, a hair and nail salon, a Jersey Mike's Subs and Amy's Omelette House (who also serves PEC's).  Let's see how they did.

Bread Rating: 7.4/10 (They had pretty good bagels at this place, could have been toasted a little bit more but what can you do.)

Pork Roll Rating: 7.6/10 (Three thick slices of pork roll.  You gotta know any place that rocks a counter right next to the action must have a very solid griddle.  Just a pro tip for you guys.)

Egg Rating: 7.1/10 (Eggs were lacking a little bit of seasoning but it didn't ruin the sandwich for me.)

Cheese Rating: 6.8/10 (Average Yellow American cheese.  I might have had too long of a drive home for the cheese to hold up though.  They put an appropriate amount on there.)

Sandwich Composition: 8.1/10 (I've said this before but it's way harder to keep things together when using a bagel instead of a roll.  This place kept it together, had a subtle amount of ketchup that didn't crush you, and overall gave an enjoyable sandwich.)

Overall: 7.4/10 (This was a pretty good spot and the fact that it was  directly across the street from the beach played no factor in my rating.)

Price: $5, cash ONLY. 

FaNagle the Bagel is located at 444 Ocean Blvd, Long Branch, NJ 07740

Sandwich Challenge: The John Wayne

As one of the many great American icons of the 20th Century, John Wayne (born Marion Morrison in 1907) was among the top box office draws for over three decades.  If you were born after 1990 and have no idea who John Wayne is, close your eyes and picture a cowboy in an old Western film.  Nope, older than Clint Eastwood.  That's John Wayne.  I honestly wouldn't really know either because I'm a dumb millennial that's never seen any of his movies (except the remake of True Grit starring Jeff Bridges).  The 1969 version of True Grit won Wayne his only Academy Award win for Best Actor exactly two decades after his first Academy Award nomination.  Between 1926 and 1977, Wayne appeared in 177 films, most of them being Westerns, as he did not want to compromise his off-screen rugged image.  He is the only actor to appear on every edition of the annual Harris Poll for most popular film actors and the only actor to appear on the poll after his death.  His popularity is still seen to this day, 40 years after his death, and is now immortalized by a sandwich from a deli in a town he had likely never visited. (I wouldn't call New Jersey a hot bed for filming Westerns unless you're at Bruce Springsteen's house.) 

The John Wayne: Mesquite Turkey, Horseradish Cheddar, Tomato, Red Onion, Bistro Pub Sauce

I know what it looks like.  Just another panini.  But let me introduce you to the hottest new cheese in the land, Horseradish Cheddar.  I had no idea horseradish was an option to be made with cheese but now that I know I will never stop thinking about it. It's hard not to have flashbacks from another horseradish infused panini, The Dean Martin which is likely the point since Dean Martin starred alongside John Wayne in 1959's Rio Bravo.  Instead of the roast beef though, we get mesquite turkey, just like in the old West! So very solid, so very American, that's John Wayne.

Overall: 7.9/10 

Also, I bet you didn't realize that John Wayne's final film role was in Star Wars. Well, here are his big scenes as the Mos Eisley spy who gave away the position of the Millennium Falcon to the Storm-troopers. (RIP)

PEC Challenge: Butler's Market

Butler's Market is the fourth and final stop on our River Road Four Tour. You know you're in Rumson at Butler's, with the local high school (RFH) flags donning the outside with ads for all sorts of local activities and camps stretching from rugby to sailing.  It's a nice deli, with very friendly people working there and likely your last opportunity to pick up a pork roll before crossing the bridge into Sea Bright (if you had a late start and didn't listen to my advice from last week.) 

Bread Rating: 6.8/10 (The rolls here are pretty big, so big that you might be a little intimidated when you open the wrapper.  Luckily it wasn't very heavy.)

Pork Roll Rating: 7.4/10 (Three slices sandwiched between a slice of cheese on each piece.  You don't see that everyday.)

Egg Rating: 7.1/10 (Your typical fried egg, might have been over salted a little.)

Cheese Rating: 6.9/10 (Pros: Applying cheese in between each pork roll slice is a veteran move. Cons: Cheese was cut a little thick so melting consistency was not there, also might have been Kraft singles, which fine.)

Sandwich Composition: 6.6/10 (Ketchup applied to the top and bottom parts of the roll was good but there was just a little bit too much salt on this for me that gave it more of a salty flavor.  It didn't completely ruin the sandwich for me but it definitely brought it down a bit.)

Overall Score: 7/10 (Really was on the fence here between 6.9 and a round 7 rookie score. I really liked this spot but I'd say Fairwinds and Brennan's has them edged when it comes to PEC's.) 

Price: $6

Butler's Market is located at 91 E. River Rd, Rumson, NJ 07760

Sandwich Challenge: BBQ Double Feature

Folks, we are in full on Bar-B-Que season (I will be at a BBQ every weekend this month, no big deal.) and with it I bring a double feature in the aptly named BBQ sandwich and panini at Taliercio's.  Let me tell you these two will not be your typical bar-b-que fare, you're all probably expecting some kind of beef in a BBQ sauce.  Well, you're wrong.  It's much more common to BBQ chicken than brisket in New Jersey, which is probably why no one here grows over 5 foot 10 (And that's talking science).  Both the BBQ sandwich and the All-American BBQ panini feature freshly cut Boar's Head BBQ Chicken as well as the most underrated condiment, honey mustard.  Let's take a deeper dive into the two. 

The BBQ: BBQ Chicken, Jalapeno Jack, Honey Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato

This was an amazing summer sandwich featuring heaps (seriously I couldn't even bite into the entire thing) of freshly sliced chicken with your typical lettuce and tomato toppings.  But you all know where I'm really going with this.  Jalapeno.  Jack.  Cheese.  It is a top two sandwich cheese (along with Mozzarella) and bumped up the score big time.  The sandwich would have been a little boring with regular American cheese but let's be honest type of poultry with some honey mustard will have me shouting from the rooftops.

Overall: 7.8/10

And now to the All-American BBQ panini:

The All American BBQ: BBQ Chicken, White American, Sliced Pickle, Tomato, Honey Mustard

Not as much chicken as the sandwich but still packed with flavor.  Some jalapeno jack cheese might have launched this panini into the 8's but the white American cheese did work here, especially since it was melted.  I know pickles might not be for everyone but I absolutely love them on anything and really made the save here.  Without the pickles, this might have been a little too plain as it was tough to get a good taste of the honey mustard on this one for some reason.  Still, a solid panini that you shouldn't be ashamed of ordering. 

Overall: 7.5/10 

PEC Challenge: Sonny's Sandwiches

Did you forget to grab a sandwich before you got to the beach? What did you think there wouldn't be any when you got there?  Sonny's Sandwiches is a couple of blocks away from Sea Bright's main public beach and across the street from Donovan's (more on them to come).  Sonny's is located inside Gigi's Pizza so you might be as confused as the employee who saw me walk in this morning.  It was your standard deli (that also serves pretty good pizza) inside and I couldn't help but notice a board of 20 different sandwiches that may or may not have to be featured on this blog after I've finished Taliercio's (ETA May 2020). Unless you're playing hooky from work during the week, make sure you get here early (no joke 8am) so you can avoid all of the Bennies. "What's a Benny?" They are anyone who comes to the beach from North Jersey or New York (if you grew up watching Rocket Power they are 'Shoobies'). You all know the type: socks with sandals, Yankee hat, terrible tribal tattoo from the 2002 Nick Lachey collection and a general confusion about societal norms with women in full makeup and club attire.  At.  The.  Beach.  They'll set up right next to you in a completely empty part of the beach and leave all their trash behind when they leave.  The worst of the worst, the top 1% of douche, a walking meme.  Most likely if you aren't from NJ you think all of us are like this but there are levels and they are the top tier. (For reference, I'd say I'm around third tier NJ douche. Fair is fair, I can't claim 100% innocence.) So the moral of the story is come here during the week (like I did) or very early on weekends and remember to always pick up your trash when you come to the beach.  Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. 

Bread Rating: 7.4/10 (Pretty good hard roll, toasted)

Pork Roll Rating: 7.6/10 (Three average sized slices with a seasoned grill.) 

Egg Rating: 7.4/10 (Pretty large fried egg.)

Cheese Rating: 6.6/10 (Average yellow American cheese on this one, nothing special)

Sandwich Composition: 7.7/10 (Honestly on first glance I thought it was going to be way too much ketchup but this sandwich was completely balanced.  There was a little bit of sweetness to it that definitely sets it apart that I believe came from the type of ketchup they used.  Couldn't pinpoint the brand or if it was homemade but whatever it was it was pretty good.)

Overall: 7.3/10 (This is what an average pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich should be.  Well balanced, perfect size, didn't make a complete mess.  Very good beach option.)

Price: $6, credit cards are accepted. 

Sonny's is located at 1142 Ocean Ave, Sea Bright, NJ 07760 (Inside Gigi's Pizza)

Sandwich Challenge: The American

Note: Now that my vacations are (mostly) over I'll be going to a more regular schedule again.  

Please forgive me.  This was supposed to run on 4th of July but due to lack of WiFi (and too much booze), it's coming out today.  Fourth of July is my absolute favorite holiday, in fact, I consider the time between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July as my holiday season because everyone knows summer is the best season of the year and much better than the depressing darkness of December. I wasn't sure what I was going to write about this as America isn't very popular right now (according to the internet it's the worst place ever) and I don't want to subject you all to me waxing poetic about how much I love our country.  Where else do you get to write about so many different sandwiches?  So instead, I'll be dedicating this entire month's Taliercio's sandwiches to America, starting today, halfway through July, with the American.

The American: Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Yellow American, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo

The American sandwich (along with the Italian) has frequented almost every party I've ever been to that has been catered by Taliercio's (shoutout six-foot subs) so you know it has to be a crowd pleaser.  Personally, I enjoy the American more than the Italian and I think it comes back to the roast beef.  And although I prefer white American cheese, the yellow really does work on this one.  A basic, standard sandwich that will never let you down.

Overall: 7.6/10

PEC Challenge: Lighthouse Bagels Corolla, NC

I know what you're thinking.  Bagels in North Carolina?! I thought the same thing.  That's why when I found out there wasn't just any bagel shop right outside my beach house neighborhood (shoutout Whalehead) but one that carried pork roll, I knew I had to investigate.  One of the best decisions we made on our trip was renting a golf cart for the week.  How convenient! (Except when I accidentally took the wrong cart from the grocery store and spent 40 minutes riding around the neighborhood trying to track down the correct one.  Apparently, golf cart keys are universal.  Shoutout to the family of four that also didn't realize that we had switched carts at the Food Lion.) Anyway, with the cart (who wants to drive an actual car around at the beach?), the bagel shop was a quick three-minute scoot down the street and after an absurd "Jersey Shore" themed party by our pool the night before, I knew the crew would need some bagels in their lives.  Turns out this is the only place to get a bagel in Corolla and with hundreds of Tri-State families in town this place has no choice but to make a killing slinging bagels.  I'm not sure if it was the residual effect of the Vodka Red Bulls the night before but I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Bread Rating: 6.8/10 (Pretty decent bagels with some good crisp on them.)

Pork Roll: 6.2/10 (Two thin slices slightly underheated.  I get it's precious cargo so they need to preserve it when they get their shipments and with such foreign meat on the griddle of an unaware North Carolina college student, I'll let it slide.)

Egg Rating: 7.7/10 (Fresh eggs, perfectly seasoned, still a little skimped.)

Cheese Rating: 8.1/10 (White American cheese FTW, melted into the egg. *Chef's kiss*)

Sandwich Composition: 7.5/10 (Correct SPK ratio, I'm starting to think they imported these sandwich makers from the northeast for the summer. Firing up the conspiracy machine.)

Overall: 7.3/10 (This got the job done, great work all around by the questionably fake North Carolina natives.) 

Price: $6

BUT WAIT THERE WAS MORE PORK ROLL ON THIS TRIP

...

...

...

... 

Do you really think that a group of people from New Jersey would go away for an entire week on foreign soil (anything outside NJ is considered foreign) and not bring an entire tube of pork roll?  Of course not! Aside from investigating the above PEC, I ate pork roll almost every single morning, embarrassingly, by the handful.  But I just needed to share this burger with all of you.  Perfectly curated and grilled by my buddy Matt (who wanted to avenge his 2nd place PEC finish from Lake Placid) and boy did he ever knock this one out of the park.  I'm not completely surprised that my friend, who once served up goat cheese sliders at a fantasy football draft in college and put a deli slicer as his lone contribution to his wedding registry, killed it with this burger.  I'm not sure why more places don't offer this kind of burger (other than trying to keep heart disease off our streets) but if I'm Shake Shack I'm including it in all locations and spreading the good name of pork roll.  (Don't worry Matty, if Shake Shack does this without giving you a cut, I'll cease and desist them so quick.) 

Grilled bun: check

Two grilled beef patties: check

With white American cheese in between two thick cuts of pork roll: check, check, check.   

What a perfect way to end a perfect week in OBX.  Until next time...

Lighthouse Bagels is located at 807 Ocean Trail, Corolla, NC 27927

PEC Challenge: Atlantic Bagel Company 2

After eight grueling days at the beach without WiFi (it was great), I've returned to civilization and my life behind a desk (not great).  I'm going to get into the pork rolls I encountered on my trip to the Outer Banks but first I figured what better way to get back into the grind than to wake up with a good NJ pork roll.  Now that I'm back, and summer is in full swing, we will be returning to our regularly scheduled summer program of Beach PEC's 2019.  Now, I've already rated another ABC location (Atlantic Bagel 3 in Sunken City), which admittedly disappointed me especially considering it's located in the neighborhood I grew up in.  This Atlantic Bagel is their 2nd store, right on River Rd. in Rumson, a mere 4-minute ride to Sea Bright. The inside is more weathered than the newer RB location, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  Let's see if their breakfast sandwiches are better or worse.

Bread Rating: 6.5/10 (Bagel was improved from the Red Bank location.)

Pork Roll Rating: 7.2/10 (The pork roll here was seasoned really well, I enjoyed it. Two moderately cut slices.)

Egg Rating: 6.6/10 (Pretty average egg, though it was all over the place.)

Cheese Rating: 6.2/10 (Same likely Kraft single cheese you'll find at their RB location.) 

Sandwich Composition: 4.5/10 (Simply put, this breakfast sandwich was a mess.  It wasn't cut all the way through so when I tried to break it open, it was a total disaster.  The SPK ratio was much better than the RB location but it was still a bigger mess.) 

Overall Rating: 6.1/10 (It wasn't terrible, but with much better options in the area, I wouldn't say this is a great PEC to bring to the beach with you.) 

Price: $5, cash only. 

Atlantic Bagel Company 2 is located at 113 East River Rd, Rumson, NJ 07760