Monmouth Award Winners

Features

Crazy Good

If you’re in the mood for Italian fare in a high-energy atmosphere, odds are you’ll enjoy the flavors, fragrance and pace of Pazzo.

Spas with a plus

Set in a lush, 7,00 square feet adorned with live plants and softly glowing candlelight, Castle Rock at La Cantera—named one of the nation’s top 100 spa resorts in Condé Nast Traveler—is home to four massage rooms, two facial rooms, a salon space and more.

Planning a kids' bash

Don’t forget the young ones when you plan the season’s entertaining. Kids deserve to party too, and you may even catch a moment to hobnob with their chaperoning parents. You’ll find that a savvy selection of colors, decorations and tasty treats can help make your bash a smash.

Santa on Board

a fun-filled train ride in a century-old passenger coach with Old Saint Nick on board to greet children and pose for pictures. Embarking from the train station at the museum at Allaire State Park in Farmingdale, the 20-minute rides are offered from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 26 through 28 and December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19; there are also nighttime rides from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on December 11 and 18.

Love the Cove

MarIner’s Cove (732-528-6023) is a cozy breakfast and brunch spot in Brielle—choosing just one plate is an exercise in restraint.

The Slice is Right

Open since March, the casual eatery keeps the earth in mind with every slice, serving pizzas and other fare made in-house with about 75 percent organic ingredients.

Find that special someone

FLIPME is an innovative new dating service that involves passing a card with a catchy pick-up line to someone who catches your eye in person, then allowing the connection to kindle online.

Care for an 'angel'

The Cassilianos were in good hands. When Monmouth Medical Center opened its Regional Newborn Center in 1968, the hospital made perinatal history by becoming the first hospital in New Jersey and the first community hospital in the nation to establish a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Now a state-designated level III regional perinatal center, it has consistently attained one of the highest infant survival rates among NICUs in the country.

Chocolate, Jersey style

Decadent 2¼-ounce Jersey Girl chocolate bars by Chester-based Jersey Brands (908-879-3072, www.jerseygirlchocolate.com), retailing for about $2 each, promise to leave your taste buds in a blissful state indeed.

Tomato Fever

Two Guys Food Group (201-954-6051, www.twoguysfoodgroup.com) has canned tomato sauces made with only Garden State tomatoes.

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