A Week of Dining in Cape May, New Jersey - August 18-25, 2014

GEORGE'S

 We never miss eating at George's, a small diner-like restaurant once featured on the Food Channel's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Greek food, huge portions. "We're Greek. that's what we do, eat," our waiter tells us. I liked his ink, one arm, no colors. Joel had whole Bronzino over eggplant laced orzo and a very generous Greek salad as a side. I had Halibut fillets over orzo, the filets topped with olive tapenade plus a side Greek salad. Both entrees, excellent. This year we had the good sense not to order appetizers, but we did have Baclava for dessert, soft Baklava rolls topped with chocolate sauce. BYOB.

KEY WEST TACOS

Monday night we had a light supper at this tiny spot in West Cape May. I had a Baja Steak Taco, Joel an ahi taco, and we shared rice and taco chips. Tacos here are soft. The food is good, the service fast.

WEEKLY FARMERS MARKET

Every Tuesday, in West Cape May, featuring local produce, food and crafts vendors. We did not eat here, but I bring it up because there was a local barbecue maven working two enormous smokers filled with ribs, North Carolina style.

PETER SHIELDS INN

We celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary here, second choice because The Red Store was booked. Very posh, lovely ambiance, excellent service, fairly good food and live music, a pianist/singer who, sadly was drowned out by a very noisy toddler who squealed and screeched throughout our dinner. We bought a bottle of Cape May Red, shared a tomato/watermelon salad and fresh rolls with herb butter. Joel loved his entree, sea scallops over a mishmash of corn, bacon and greens. I had hanger steak over mashed potatoes. It was tasty, but too chewy. Joel had strawberry pan a cotta with raspberry sorbet and I had chocolate lava cake for dessert. The lava cake was OK, but not nearly as good as Roy's on the Big Island of Hawaii. We each had Cappuchino, not bad, but not strong enough.

BELLA VIDA CAFE

Always a favorite spot, in West Cape May. Our waiter, Raymond, did a good job on just his second day on the job. Joel had a turkey BLT on a chunk of Foccachio, which he enjoyed. I wasn't hungry and had a bagel and a cup of their signature Costa Rican coffee.

WHEATON VILLAGE

We visited the glass museum and workshops at Wheaton Village in Milleville, about 45 minutes northwest of Cape May. I mention this here because the food at the tiny concession at the entrance to this place was remarkably good. Joel had a bowl of home made chili with a corn muffin and I had the "scone of the day," a huge blueberry peach scone and a cup of excellent coffee, from a local roaster.

NATALI VINEYARD

We stopped at this family owned vineyard on the way back from Wheaton Village. It's on Route 47 in Goshen. The tasting bar is tiny, the place busy. We each sampled five wines and bought two bottles, a white Riesling "Nonna," and a "Nonna Cellar," a blend of three reds. Natali has extraordinarily clever wine labels.

THE RED STORE

best restaurant in Cape May, the owner/chef formerly of the Ebbitt Room. This wonderful spot, in Cape May Point, was at one time a general store. And still is, in addition to the restaurant. We each had two courses, a small plate and a large plate, but we started with a la carte Artisanal Bread, to die for, and white truffle butter. We shared a tomato, beet and watermelon salad. my first course was a small plate, incredibly tender pieces of octopus over corn relish. Joel's small plate was baked eggs and lobster in a creamy white sauce. Sopping it up with the Artisanal bread, a must. My second course/large plate was skate, first time I ever ate this fish that was once akin to bait. It was delicious, served over mashed potatoes and thin carrot sticks. Joel's large plate was a strip steak, which he said had a weird taste, like it was cooked on a dirty grill. We ate outdoors, where the mosquitos were biting, which may have been why we got free desserts, small cups of rich smooth dark chocolate topped with tres leches cream. This is a farm to table restaurant, and the chef also owns the farm. BYOB.

WILLOW CREEK WINERY

Acres upon acres of grapevines, a large operation, big spacious building, long tasting bar, tables indoors and outdoors, and a piano player. Folks were two deep at the bar, their kids running free throughout the building. We decided on a light lunch instead of tasting. Good choice. We had two tapas plates, Serrano ham with figs, Irish Whisky cheese, grapes, walnuts and really good fresh bread for dipping in olive oil. A very good lunch. I had a glass of their Pinot Noir, not great, and Joel had a glass of Peachy Sangria.

THE BLUE ROSE RESTAURANT

This is a popular new restaurant in the Blue Rose B&B on Washington Street. Janet and Susan from our B&B, the Mission Inn, highly recommended this place. We shared an excellent salad, crisp calimari over arugula, with a delicate vinaigrette dressing. Joel's entree was crab cakes, which he enjoyed. I ordered short ribs with truffled sun chokes. The short ribs were boneless, actually a tender cut of beef brisket, and the sun chokes were puréed, like mashed potatoes. Dinner included fresh bread with house made butter. Joel had ricotta donuts with coffee ice cream for dessert, three very warm and wonderful cinnamon sugar beignets. BYOB, or buy a bottle of Hawk Haven wine. 

THE MISSION INN

Leslie's breakfasts, best food ny far in all of Cape May, something new, and healthy. Every day, a fruit plate followed by Breakfast entrees like Amish bacon, lemon soufflé pancakes, home made muffins, eggplant stackers, I could go on and on. She is publishing a cookbook, due ou in a few months.

Rats, at The Grounds for Sculpture

Try not to work up an appetite after touring the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, one of my favorite places to spend a day. The food at Rats is superb, and expensive. We'd lunched there before and never had to wait, but this time it was crowded with businessmen, ladies who lunch, and tourists. We made a reservation, and waited about half an hour for a call on our mobile phone. Unfortunately, the only table available was outdoors, in full sun, no umbrella. We took it, I put on my baseball cap (so fashionable) and hoped I'd used enough sunblock. The waiter brought fresh bread and herb butter, then seemed to disappear, which he did on and off while we were there. The meal more than made up for the bad location and poor service. Joel had Bronzini and salad with green beans, frisée and potatoes, with a light vinaigrette dressing. The fish was excellent. I had generous chicken Cobb Salad, with bite size pieces od grilled chicken, tidbits of real bacon, avocado, chunks of Bleu Cheese, minced boiled eggs on a bed of crisp Romaine lettuce. pedestrian, it wasn't. Joel had a tasty Claufouti tart with mango, and hazelnut ice cream and a Cappuchino. I had a cup of very good regular coffee. The sun got to Joel, and he waited in the shade for the bill, which took a long time coming.

El Oaxaqueno 2 Restaurant

If you want authentic Mexican food, go no further than the City of New Brunswick, where there are many Mexican family restaurants that serve real food, not Tex-Mex, at affordable prices. We usually get lunch at a favorite taqueria with a limited menu but decided to try El Oaxaqueno 2 at 260 Drift Street. The open kitchen takes up part of the relatively small room, and there was a steady stream of local families and workmen, so you know the food is authentic. Ah, the food. Choose from a diner size menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Our server brought gratis taco chips and three wonderfully spicy hot dips while Joel studied the menu. I'm easy, ordering Enchiladas Rojas Asada, five enchiladas filled with bite size just right beef morsels swimming in an absolutely delicious hot and spicy red gravy, topped with sliced tomato, lettuce and avocado. A party in my mouth. Joel had Conejo (rabbit) a la Mexicano in a fresh tomato sauce with the absolute best corn tortillas I've ever eaten. No, There is no way I will ever eat a bunny, but Joel enjoyed it, along with a big glass of Tamarind juice. I loved the ambiance, felt like I was in Oaxaca. Service was excellent. We took home our desserts, creamy Mexican style Flan. The restaurant is open daily, from 9 A.M. to 1 A.M., closing later on weekends.

Sally Lunn

Lunch at Sally Lunn Tea Shop and Restaurant in Chester Borough. We usually have lunch here after the semi annual crafts show. It's a small faux Victorian room, crowded, with small lace covered tables and early attic chairs. Lunch was so so. I had a cheddar and plum tomato sandwich on whole wheat bread with a side of crisp greens and raspberry vinaigrette dressing (probably bottled). The thickly sliced cheese tasted like it came from a supermarket deli counter. Joel's sandwich was much tastier, thickly sliced ham and Brie, with a side salad and decent Stilton dressing. I had a pot of my favorite Sally Lunn tea, Windsor Castle, and bought a bag of loose tea, along with two scones and, for Joel, a cherry trifle. You can't go wring with Sally Lunn scones.

Boom Boom Chicken

Boom Boom Chicken is located in the old Tops Plaza mall on Route 27 North in Edison. In a few words, The very best Korean chicken wings I've ever eaten, hot spicy and crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. I had this with a green salad of fresh greens, seaweed and a light lemony dressing. Joel had Donkat, a custy breaded pork cutlet. There is no comparison with the Kono Korean wings that we used to buy in the fast food mall inside the big Korean market, also in the old Tops Plaza mall.

Eno Terra

We celebrated my birthday at Eno Terra, a farm to table restaurant on Route 27 in Kingston, NJ. Yes, even this early in the growing season, everything is fresh. Also, the meat and poultry are from local farms, according to our very attentive server. We started with gnocchi, which were actually Lion's Mane mushrooms, tasty tidbits indeed. we also shared a salad of baby greens with a light vinaigrette dressing. I had Free Range Lamb shanks over Faro as my entree. It was tender and delicious, but I still prefer the traditional veal Osso Bucco. Joel had seafood stew (forgot the name) over pasta. It was very tasty and different in that it was prepared a la Bolognese. Gor dessert I had a deconstructed carrot cake, a tiny bundt cake in the middle of the plate with a schmear of ricotta cream on one side and a tiny scoop of tart lemon sorbet on the other. The cake was, bland. Joel had bread pudding. I had a glass of red wine, but forgot to note the source. We had cappuccino after dinner. How do I rate this lovely little restaurant? Not bad. We ordered a la carte, the portions were just right (no doggy box) and the prices in line with most good eateries.

Introduction

This is where I rate restaurants, diners, miscellaneous eateries and take out. And, where I babble about my creative endeavors. Until now, I've kept everything in journals, yes, on paper, hand written, for nobody to read except me. Today, a foodie review, a diner (my favorite type of eatery, next to take out, or as the Aussies say, take away). It is the Brookside Diner-Restaurant on Route 10 East in Whippany, a prototypical Greek owned place. We had lunch there on Sunday morning, along with more than a few church lady patrons. I had a fluffy country omelette filled with bite size veggies and (my choice) cheddar cheese, with the usual oversized side of crunch home fries, wheat toast and coffee. The omelette was OK, just the right portion (no doggie bag). Ordinarily, I ask for salad as a substitute for the home fries, but I forgot. The home fries were crispy good, but I ate little. The toast came pre-buttered, but not slathered, so I ate one slice. The coffee wasn't bad, for diner coffee. On the whole, this place pales in comparison to my favorites near home, but we were up north in Morris County visiting Joel's mother.
Artsy comments? just that I've been successful at avoiding yarn stores, since I have a yarn store in my basement.