Bianca Pia Grosso

I understand that the title of Molly’s collective diary project is called, “A Year in Philadelphia,” however for my entry I was in East Philly – I took my ass down the shore.  

This is a popular summer weekend activity for native sons of Philadelphia such as me. We pack our bags and race toward the Walt Whitman only to make sure that we sit in traffic that doubles the normal travel time. All shore points between LBI and Cape May see an influx of “shoobies” this season. My specific destination is Atlantic City.   

My family has owned a shore house in Atlantic City since the 70’s and I have the privilege of still being able to use it. I went down this weekend and made sure that I started my diary entry at midnight to capture some nightlife action.   

Jim and I had a late dinner at the recently re-opened Angeloni’s Club Madrid. By the time midnight struck, I was already on my 4th cocktail. An espresso martini (where my girlies at?), known on their menu as the Cavalieri, to ensure I had the energy to make 35 min walk home. I also order this as a digestif, considering I housed a 4-course meal in the time I was there.    

I am not on Angeloni’s payroll, but I would be amiss if did not recommend this spot to any readers who may be visiting AC this summer or beyond. The current owners truly embodied the culture of Atlantic City past and present. All throughout are odes to the previous owners and other nearby restaurants. The inside décor is perfectly curated to give a disco-era lounge vibe. I really wanted to smoke 1,000 cigarettes while I was in there. After speaking with the owners while I was there, I also learned that they take their responsibility to AC very seriously. They recognize they are not apart of the current Atlantic City demographic majority and in respect of that fact, give back to the community of their surroundings as much as possible.    

Leaving Angeloni’s in the direction of boardwalk (walking south on the boardwalk is a straight shot home for me) a thick-ass fog had descended. I didn’t mind. If there is one thing I’ve learned about the shore it’s that you can’t take your lewk for the night too seriously. Your makeup will melt, your hair will frizz and in the case of this Sunday morning – your clothes are going to be mist-soaked.    

The one thing I didn’t eat while I was at dinner was dessert. I knew I wanted ice cream and wanted to save it for my walk home. I got a waffle cone, one scoop of Rum Raisin and one of Butter Pecan. This combo freaks people out. I have justified it thusly: one flavor is super sweet and one is a little salty. They balance each other out! And if you like trail mix this ice cream potpourri is for you! I would add chocolate chips if you’re feeling particularly adventurous.    

Made it home drenched. My makeup had me fully Alice Coopered as I remembered the potential benefits of water-proof mascara. I figured it was time to dry off and get to bed.   

 7 or so hours later, the low-hanging and dense fog gave way to driving rain and thunderstorms. The island remained under on and off siege of for the rest of the day. During those precipitation breaks, I did my best to make the most of what was left of the weekend. We went firstly to a little café, Brittany’s, that is a short walk away from my shore house to get something to eat…again. The breakfast quesadilla with scrapple is my fave here.   

The rain held off and went back to fog, which I decided was good enough weather to head to the beach. It was a bit of an adventure, considering the visibility was so low. Everything was just – grey in every direction you looked. By sight there was no ocean, no lifeguards, no boardwalk, no other beachgoers, no sky, no sun. We decided to walk down the beach, into the abyss.    

Hit the Ventnor Pier before deciding to turn back. Usually, this is a great place to watch surfers. Today, there was nothing to see.    

I turned my gaze to the shoreline in hopes of finding some good shells to add to my collection – rain tends to dredge up some good stuff! I found one clam and one scallop shell I deemed worthy. The fog burned off as soon as it was time to hit the road and yielded a completely different-looking day! This irony of beautiful weather just in time for your departure is typical.    

The time had come to head back to the house to pack up the car and get back on the AC expressway. I saw that the weather forecast showed more T-storms headed my way and I didn’t want to battle rain + Sunday night traffic. I did my best to get on the road speedily, but still didn’t leave until after 6pm.  

6pm – that’s good enough for dinnertime. There is a little place in Galloway, about 20 minutes inland from AC, that has some bangin’ burgers. I resigned to the fact that I would be in traffic regardless, so I may as well be fed. If you haven’t noticed by now, I am very food motivated and I like to eat well.  The spot is called Tony Beef. They do crazy burgers that you can customize. plus wings, fries and shakes. It’s strip-mall perfection. The burger I got was on a pepperoni-french bread bun, which is just ridiculous enough for me.   

The gluttonous detour was a bit too long, because by the time dinner was done. The sky outside had turned BLACK. You can see the darkness in my Tony Beef photo. The wind was high too. I’m talking real Wizard of Oz x Twister type shit. I had my S’mores milkshake to give me strength and I got back in the car and drove in, what I hoped, was the opposite direction of the storm.   

No such luck. Within 15 minutes there was a full downpour. Wipers were working overtime and as I felt my speed drop below 50 mph, I threw my hazards on and started to drink deeply from my milkshake for stress-relief.    

Driving is not my forte. I didn’t even get my license until I was 26 years old. It’s scary. And people drive like fools. It seems even more-so on the AC expressway. All this to say – of course I found myself in accident traffic. There was a 3-car pile up right before I hit 42. I saw an SUV that was so fucked it was being crane-lifted out of the center of the road. I did take a picture, but it felt too exploitative and Nightcrawler-creepy to include it here. I do hope everyone was alright. Seeing those scenes always sends a chill down my spine.  

I was not comforted again until I saw the Philly skyline to my right. You’ll just have to envision it! I was done snapping pictures while driving in the name of safety. The colors in the sky at this time were those that you only see pre or post summer storm. The whole world was painted in sepia.   

Feeling lucky to find a spot on my crowded South-Philly block (it was almost 9pm by the time I got in!), I huffed my weekend bag inside the house. They’ll stay packed until I head down again for the 4th. Trying to keep the Sunday scaries at bay, I started into my nighttime routine. Teeth – brushed; body – washed. Tired from my bones out to my (kinda burnt even with all that fog) skin, I go to bed.   

Thanks again and shout out to Molly. Love this anthology idea and it seems like a huge success 😊  

Bianca considers herself the S.Philly Princess. Native to Philadelphia, you'll be sure to bump into her locally, down the shore, but always with a Twisted Tea and especially on IG @princessphilly621