As Jodi and I travel around the state visiting small businesses and speaking at various charity and first responder events, sometimes there are gaps in the schedule. This happened over the weekend when we were actually ahead of schedule and had about 40 minutes before we had to leave for the next event.

It was a bright sunny morning and we were at the beach, so we stopped at a little breakfast place called Perks Cafe for a cup of coffee. The beach was busy, but a place that was only open for breakfast and lunch was clearly closed by early afternoon, so we grabbed a spot in the parking lot.

We walked past the tables in the dining room and headed for the counter, where there were only four seats in total. One was occupied by a friendly man who seemed surprised that we had chosen the corner counter despite all the tables. It turned out he was the owner.

Art from Newark is a retired firefighter who has created a popular hangout spot in Point Beach. I don’t usually eat anything between appointments, but we decided to have coffee and a side of bacon.

They served the coffee in a small carafe so we could pour ourselves some. The bacon had the right balance of crispiness and a little bit of bite. Perfect. I mentioned the coffee flavor to Art, but he said he couldn’t tell the difference because to him, coffee has a lot of cream and a lot of sugar.

I can tell you, and Jodi can confirm: it was good coffee.

The staff was courteous and friendly. It’s on our list for when we’re back in Point Beach between June and September. With the season winding down, I’m sure Art is looking forward to fishing in the off-season. See you next summer!

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. All opinions expressed are Bill’s own.

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