The [Stowaway] Grand Hotel – at 21^st Steet on the Boardwalk. Rooms are nice, could use upgrading (per others’ reviews as well). The standing lamp was plugged into an extension cord that disappeared under one of the beds which – I don’t know – might be a fire hazard? The “kitchen” area features a large countertop, full sink, ample cabinets above and below, a 12-cup coffee maker, mini-fridge (no freezer element) and microwave. Bathroom spotless but tight.

Public areas were clean and well-maintained, although I read a review from the same week that complained about security, as they saw a teenager sound asleep by the elevators. Sorry I missed that. Outdoor pool area clean and well-maintained. I did not get a look at the indoor pool. Four elevators make moving around quicker.

Albertini’s Brick Oven Eatery – 132^nd Street and Coastal Highway. There’s something about having Italian food at the beach, a long-time tradition my parents started at a restaurant in Wildwood I am still trying to find out the name of. We discovered this restaurant, which has pizza , house-made pasta, and full bar, on our first trip together to OCMD. I’m a shameless lover of traditional ravioli. This time, however, I ordered Lasagna Bolognese and it was amazeballs. Todd had Shrimp & Italian Sausage Fra Diavolo which was also excellent. Big portions. It took a bit of time to be acknowledged and seated – they appeared to be busier than expected – but once we were seated the service was great.

The Dough Roller – multiple locations. We ate at the Boardwalk location for breakfast Saturday. I ordered a Mexican omelet and Todd ordered a custom one. I observed many of the servers were women over 40, and ours was super friendly and referred to us multiple times as “love” and “sweetie” though, oddly enough considering, not “hon.” I’ve never had bad food at any of the locations, though table cleanliness is dubious in my overactive mind.

Dry Dock 28/The Salty Dog Saloon – 28^th and Philadelphia Ave. We usually eat here at least once when we’re down. The Salty Dog has long been a staple of OCMD – it was a great place to party in the 90s with wall-to-wall people and DJ Batman spinning in the corner. Dry Dock 28, the former Pizza Hut space next door, was opened in 2017, featuring a large bar and ample seating and lots of TVs for sports viewing. I ordered Tots on 28, a version of cheese fries with – you guessed it – tater tots, with bacon and ranch. Extremely salty. Too salty. I also had a salad. Todd had Pepperoni Cheese Rolls he said were very good. I had margaritas (yes folks, that’s plural) and as always – delicious. The server, who was “not old enough to drink” was kind and attentive.

Returned there a couple of days later to join Todd and a colleague (it’s within walking distance of the Grand) at the Salty Dog for a beer. Had a Dewey Point Brewing Swishy Pants IPA, because duh – the name – really good. We stayed at the bar and, against my better instincts, ordered the Tots again and Todd had steamed shrimp. The bartenders were fun and attentive. Crowd was older – 30s to 60s.

Java Beach Café – at the Grand Hotel. Stopped here after a speed walk, drenched in sweat and not one person looked at me cross-eyed. Service was friendly but not particularly fast. Had a turkey and cheese panini I could’ve made myself in half the time but it was delicious (although they were out of  the red pepper mayo) and I wasn’t in any hurry anyway. There were a few pesky flies while I was waiting and from others’ reviews, this appears to be an ongoing problem.

Epic Bar & Grill – at the Grand Hotel. Sat down at the nearly empty bar during regular business hours and watched the two bartenders move around acting busy and not once acknowledging us. The female glanced in our direction a couple of times and when another couple sat down across the way, she served them immediately, which is when we got up and left. Zero stars. Do not recommend.

The Grand Terrace Restaurant – at the Grand Hotel. Only, in my opinion, if you’re staying in the hotel. The hotel’s website offers online ordering (and a $3 charge for delivery which seemed not to be available), so I ordered a $16 Greek omelet with home fries and rode the elevator to the 2^nd floor to pick it up. The delicious potatoes fed my post-alcohol morning and the omelet was quite good, although I’d never have thought to put whole kalamata olives in an omelet. Pickup service: meh.

The Ropewalk – 83^rd and Coastal Hwy. A new favorite of ours. Great location on the bay for gorgeous sunsets. We walked in around dinnertime and found two seats at the bar right away, which was perfect. Ordered a hard seltzer (Todd) and a margarita (me, with Patron and Grand Marnier, in case you’re interested). We shared pot stickers; he had fish tacos. I had the Day Boat Scallops which were served over a garlic-butter-parmesan orzo that was sooo good. The bartenders were awesome and great service all around. Also had a grapefruit crush (one their way and the second I requested with club soda instead of sprite – much better). Sunset photo ops – 10/10. There’s a statue of Ronald Reagan in the dining room that I posed with, one leg wrapped around him, and we won’t be back for several months so no one will remember me.

Frozen concoctions are always good. Outdoor seating offers breathtaking views of the marsh and bay. Adirondack chairs arranged around firepits in the sand allow for large or small groups to gather and scheduled live music to boot.

45^th Street Taphouse – Todd’s review, I wasn’t there. He ordered the Mexican Street Fries – tossed in grilled corn, jalapenos, and Mexican cheese, and drizzled with street corn dressing and mole sauce. For those that don’t know, he is allergic to raw tomatoes. He asked the server three times if there were tomatoes (none according to the menu description) and explained his allergy, and the server assured him there were not. When they were delivered, they had chopped raw tomatoes. When Todd pointed this out, the waiter said, “oh, sorry.” Did not offer to correct the error, nor did he remove it from the check. Per Todd, zero stars. Do not recommend.

MR Ducks – Talbot Street, downtown on the bay. Another great locale for sunsets, steamed shrimp, crab balls, margaritas, and Palomas. We walked the full distance from our hotel on 21^st to the end of the boardwalk and cut over to the bay. Great food and beverage service; the woman behind the shop counter appeared to be “over it all.” I smiled widely when I purchased my t-shirt and she didn’t crack.

Tequila Mockingbird – 130^th & Coastal. Had a craving for nachos and, after Todd Googled for Best Nachos (notably, Guido’s Burritos was very low on the list), we ended up returning to this place because we already knew they were good. Sat in the bar – bartender was friendly and attentive. Nachos awesome as always! Chips and salsa are complimentary when you sit down:  salsa was a light mix of tomatoes and onion and whatever else, but not at all spicy and very little, if any, cilantro.

Bull on the Beach – 94^th & Coastal. Still our most favorite bar hangout. We sit at the bar, which is always packed (though on our last night the storm seemed to have sheltered many folks away), and has a real locals feel. There was a bag of red, white, and blue Swedish fish that the servers were dipping into and Todd asked the bartender if it was the catch of the day. Ba dum tss! The man sitting catty corner to us said he brought them for everyone, ignored our “no thank yous,” grabbed a plastic cup and filled it up for us, which remained untouched until the bartender picked it up without looking at it and tossed it in the trash when he was clearing our plates.

 I go there for the open pit beef sandwiches and onion rings. I’ve said it before (to my hometown friends) – the beef sandwiches are better than The Coventry Pub. Their nachos are also really good. Todd had the ribs this time and finished them wordlessly. Standard beers on tap with some rotating craft beers. Beer isn’t sitting well with me so I stuck with liquor – tried a special mule made with blueberry vodka and it wasn’t my cup of tea so I switched to Arnold Palmers (tea – get it?). Service is good but you do get the feeling regulars get more attention, which is good or bad, depending on your perspective.

Also, karaoke. Danger, danger Will Robinson! Beware off-key spouses singing to each other and your own drunken delusions of grandeur. Thankfully we didn’t grab the mic.