As many of you know, I live “down the shore” here in beautiful New Jersey. You might say that the beach is in my blood. My Grandfather was one of the founders of Surfrider Beach Club and the original owner of the Tradewinds in Sea Bright.

So, since the beach is in my blood, it was only natural for me to end up living less than a mile from the sand here in Ocean County. In the summer when the tourists invade, the locals sometimes forget to treat their hometown like the vacation spot it is.

Since we are doing the “Staycation” this summer we are making every effort to “vacation” when we can. Last Saturday, Peter and I decided to take the long three minute drive to The River House in Brielle for a late lunch. This has just recently become one of our favorite waterfront restaurants. The view is spectacular as you can see and the food is excellent. It’s not often that you get both in the same package and Jimmy Buffet to boot.

We started our meal with the Fried Calamari with Jalapeño Aoli. The calamari was done perfectly, lightly dusted with flour, fresh, crispy and tender. No breadcrumbs here. You can actually taste the calamari. The Aoili was a nice change of pace and was definitely favored over the traditional marinara.

After we polished off the Calamari, we saw our neighbors at the bar get their order of clams on the half shell. They looked too good to pass up, so Peter quickly placed his order. I, unfortunately, am allergic to clams so I opted for the Shrimp Cocktail. Check out the size of those shrimp. They are U8 Jumbo Shrimp. So big I actually used a knife and fork to tackle them. One of our favorite touches with both of these dishes was the extra bowl of horseradish. If you like things hot (like clear your sinuses hot) the added horseradish is a real treat.

You can find The Riverhouse’s deck menu on their website. (which, eh hem, needs a little help if you’re listening Riverhouse). So far we have tried their sushi and this raw bar experience. If I had to choose, I would go with the Raw Bar experience. It’s more in keeping with the “vacation” vibe.

We asked some of our readers for their favorite waterfront spots up and down the coast. Jen Miller, who blogs at Down the Shore with Jen and is Author of ‘The Jersey Shore. Atlantic City to Cape May” recommends Cappricio at Resorts in Atlantic City for its fabulous views. Also, the Back Bay Ale House in AC.

Dani Friend who blogs at The Average Cook loves The Pirates Cove in Belford which boasts a “spectacular view of the city.”