Langosta Lounge Asbury Park, NJ

      It was the perfect end to a hazy, hot and sunny weekend. My friends and I headed over to one of my favorite spots, Langosta Lounge. It was a special night because our friend and his band were playing there. His name is Sam Sims and the music they play has a tropical vibe to it. Really makes you feel like your sitting on an island sipping a cocktail with an umbrella in it. Like usual there was a group of us and we never spare on the eating. We knew it was going to be a long night, as my friend always says "It's a marathon, not a sprint." With that in mind, we started off with a bunch of appetizers. We all just began choosing things and before you know it we had a smorgasbord and everything was delicious. The edamame was my choice. It was so refreshing. Just a hint of lime and sea salt on top made the buttery beans a snack I could eat all day. The best presentation award goes to the Pu Pu Platter which included coconut shrimp, baby back ribs, buffalo wings, vegetable dumplings, and skewered mango glazed steak. All the items were delicious but the coolest thing was it was served with a flaming mini fire pit, just in case you were chatting and wanted to reheat your apps. Really fun! The Mediterrean Platter was a big hit as well, with freshly toasted pita points and two types of hummus, creamy chickpea garlic hummus and black bean hummus served with calamata olives and roasted red peppers. And of course we could not pass up the calamari three ways. Crispy lightly battered rings of calamari served with three different sauces, spicy diablo, Brazilian cashew, my favorite, and sweet chili lime sauce. Perfect for the ones who love dipping, like myself. As we were all quite full from the plethora of appetizers we consumed, we decided to sit back, sip some cocktails and enjoy the island sounds. Occasionally chanting to Sam to play our favorites, of course.
     After a few hours elapsed we decided to move onto dinner. I, still being rather full, decided to go with sushi. Who am I kidding, I was going with sushi all along because it is the best there. I always get the same couple rolls, Gidget roll, which has crispy coconut shrimp and veggies inside and the Dynamite roll, which has lobster, mango and avocado tempura fried topped with a sweet spicy sauce. I like the different textures in the sushi. It really wakes up your mouth when you bite into the soft layer of rice to find the crunchy encased fish on the inside, great combination. I was lucky to be sitting next to my friend who ordered the Hali'iimaile Rigatoni, as I would take fork fulls while she was watching the band. This dish, although I can not pronounce it, was amazing. Shrimp and scallops tossed with asparagus and a luscious cilantro, macadamia nut pesto cream sauce. Heaven! I will be back next week to get it! Also delicious, and to my other side, my friend had the Chu Chee Curry. Most of the choices on the menu come with the option of chicken, vegetarian or fish, which is great for the non meat and seafood eaters. The Chu Chee Curry was very simple, healthy and delicious. It included fresh vegetables, like squash, zucchini, asparagus, served over quinoa laced in a green coconut curry broth. The crunch of the perfectly cooked vegetables, mixed with the buds of quinoa, and coated ever so perfectly with the creamy, but light, coconut sauce. Delicious, and you won't even feel guilty afterwords.
     It was a great night out with great friends, great fare, and great tunes. It is definitely going to be a long fun Summer with many visits to Langosta Lounge. Located directly on the boardwalk they offer outdoor seating with an excellent view of the beach and a great place to sit back and people watch. Perfect location to view the fireworks in Asbury Park every Wednesday night.