Somewhere around the end of March and start of April, a drive to the shore is always in order. While this isn’t a trip for sunbathing or romantic walks along the shoreline, it’s a great way to rev up anticipation for summer.
We chose Atlantic City for this particular trip based on two factors: food and shopping.*
*When aren’t these the main factors in my decision making?
And, though there are mixed reviews on Atlantic City as a whole, I love it.
I also love that one of the coffeehouses from The List was literally a ten minute drive from our final destination.
Ventnor Coffee has an unexpected location on a simple strip hidden among shore homes in Ventnor Heights. It is literally a stone throw away from the AC expressway and another toss away from Route 30 (our usual means of reaching Atlantic City).
Though there is only street parking available,* we easily found a spot and were soon on our way in. This may not be the case in the summer, especially on a hot summer morning that begs for iced coffee.
*Though there is a parking lot beside the shop, the spaces are marked with signs claiming them for the next door restaurant.
Lance ordered an iced vanilla latte and an apple pie cupcake. I ordered a regular vanilla latte* and a chocolate chip muffin.
Though the coffees were good, it was Lance’s apple pie cupcake that was most intriguing. It was flatter than a regular cupcake, which made it less messy to bite into, and it was piped beautifully with yummy cream cheese frosting.
*I was desperately interested in their Nutella cappuccino and gingerbread latte, but I caved in and went basic.*
Ventnor also offers specialty PB&J sandwiches, some of which are named for popular musicians. If it had been closer to lunchtime, I would have ordered the “Eminem”: peanut butter, raspberry jam, banana, and crumbled potato chips.
Their large counter top space is filled with various coffee carafes, their delicious goodies, with room to spare for groups who want to stand, chat, and eat. Above, their ceiling is donned with an upside down bicycle and skateboard.
Pillows with “Good Vibes Only” printed on them were spread out among the spacious room with lots of open seating, as well as, chairs stored on stage for their obviously popular open mic nights. Though I think open mic nights and live music are great, most coffeehouses that offer such events are so small, I can’t imagine how anyone attending doesn’t leave feeling like a canned sardine.*
*One coffeehouse we visited had a comedian performing when we came in for our coffees. The space was so tight we had to walk directly in front of him to reach the counter. We awkwardly ordered our coffees to go.
Outside was an adorable table which I am sure is filled with customers during the summer. I was wishing it had been warmer so we could have enjoyed our coffees aboard the Coffee Lady.
I guess we will just have to wait until summer.
Ventnor Coffee
108 N Dorset Ave
Ventnor City, NJ
Leave a Reply