Stone Harbor Sole-A Sunny Restaurant - Springer's for Great Ice Cream - Ocean Gallery for Great Artwork

Sole Italian Restaurant is a sunny spot on the Avenue in Stone Harbor. Located at 9800 3^rd Ave. it is right where all the action is in Stone Harbor.

Our friends invited us to go with them back in June and we were excited to try out this cheery, upscale Italian Restaurant.  We started with delicious ciabatta bread and olive oil with our BYOB wine.

Appetizers: Tasty, moist fried calamari $8.95 Below

Bruschetta with shaved parm $5.95

Sole Salad - Baby greens, romaine, parm, balsamic dressing $7.95

Spaghetti Adriatica - Crab and tomatoes $21.95

 Chicken Siciliana  - with eggplant, olives, artichokes & tomato $16.95

Chicken Venezia - with crab, asparagus, red pepper with cream sauce $19.95

Ravioli Bolognese - with homemade meat sauce $15.95

Stone Harbor doesn't have a boardwalk so the downtown is where the locals hang out! The night we were there it was packed. After dinner we had a walk on the town, a chance to shop and eat ice cream at Springer's Homemade Ice Cream. I enjoyed the delicious dinner mint chocolate chip. The long line was worth the wait and moved quickly.

My tips for summer dining at the Jersey Shore.

1. Dine mid week if you can- restaurants will be less busy.

2. Get a reservation early in the evening. You'll beat the crowds and get more attention.

3. I like bringing small 4 pkg. bottles of wine, since we are not big wine drinkers.

4. When dining at "upscale restaurants" with a la carte menus, skip the appetizers and salad. Then you will be hungrier for dinner and you won't add the $7 - 10 charge to the already pricey entrée. The salads are delicious, but if you are going to have to make a cut, I prefer to do it there.

5. Most restaurants post their menu online, so check out the menu ahead of time for prices and choices. It'll help you make up your mind if it's a place you want to dine.

Sole Italian Restaurant 9800 3^rd Ave. Stone Harbor 609 368-9400 http://www.solerestaurant.com/

Springer's Ice Cream 50 flavors 9420 3^rd Ave. Stone Harbor http://www.springersicecream.com/

Check out Ocean Gallery 9613 3^rd Ave. Stone Harbor http://www.oceangalleries.com/