A whale washed up on the beach in Ocean City, NJ yesterday Jan. 23, 2011. They say the whale had been dead for a while. Hundreds of people went down to see it. You could smell the fish smell a block away. On Wednesday they will work at removing the whale from the beach.

Nonna's Trattoria & Pizzeria - A Slice of the Old Country in Ocean City, NJ

If you want to take a step into Italy, check out Nonna's on Asbury Avenue in Ocean City. You'll get fresh pasta, great ambiance, a friendly staff and reasonable prices. For now they are closed on Tuesdays, but open every day for lunch and dinner.

We were greeted by friendly staff from the Baratta family of Ocean City. The crispy Italian bread was fresh made & the special olive oil & balsamic were superb. Soon they will be featuring olive oil from their region in Italy. Our server said she even helped pick the olives!

I enjoyed the Daily Fare- Faccia Lei which includes: Fresh Italian bread, the house antipasto (above), your choice of pasta with their homemade sauce, choice of either meat or fish for the main course, then salad with balsamic & to finish the evening a choice of fabulous desserts. $19.95

The Antipasto included- olives, Italian bruschetta with fresh mozzarella & tomato **incredible, slices of fontina cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, roasted peppers, eggplant, &chick peas. Next came a plate of penne & sauce, then delicious chicken parmagiana (below left) and then choice of dessert.

Other choices include pizza, lasagna (below right), pasta & meatballs, ravioli, stuffed shells, chicken scampi (above right) chicken marsala (below left), steak, many seafood dishes, cheese steaks and stromboli to name a few. The second time there we had fettucine alfredo with a side of meatballs! Wonderful!

Dessert - I enjoyed the Sfogliatelle (below left) (Italian pastry with ricotta) flaky crust with tasty filling. Also Tira mi su (bottom), cannoli, Italian lemon cake-delicious (below right) moist cake with light frosting.

It is definitely worth the drive to head over to Ocean City for a fabulous homemade dinner and escape to Italy...only to remember you are still at the Jersey Shore!

Sign up for a trip to stay at the Baratta's Italian Villa in Casanova, Italy near the Adriatic Sea. The Villa is available for rent and comes with a cook and driver.

Nonna's 755 Asbury Ave. Ocean City, NJ 840-6440 Take out Free Delivery

Note: Ocean City is a dry town, so no alcohol.