Back to Cape May for the first time in 4 years with Dad, Duke, my cousin and niece. We bring tons of food to feed finicky mouths. Usual summer suspects of hamburgers, hotdogs, chix salad, steaks, even paella one night! Best Tiger prawns I've ever tasted from the North Cape May Acme. Sweeter and firmer than any shrimp on any continent I've visited. Go figure.
But a girl can't live on groceries alone. Luckily my friend Paul whisked me off to sample the culinary delights of Cape May. Wednesday night at 9:30 and all the cute restaurants are CLOSED. Being a jaded world traveler Paul is not happy with the provincial dining hours. Providentially the Blue Pig Tavern was still serving dinner, albeit slowly. Our waitress charmingly welcomes us. She's a foreign exchange student named Sheena hailing from Jamaica. She brings our first course of oysters on the half shell. Briney enough to please me and oddly large - Wellfleet, I believe. No such thing as too much oyster for Paul on which he lavishes cocktail and mignonette sauce. Good start. I move on to Butterfish in miso broth over a bed of black risotto. I believe black risotto is usually from squid ink. I don't care of this is made from Bic ink, it is stupendous. I'm really not that hungry but covetously hoard my risotto. It's that good. The few grains I offer Paul are greatly appreciated. He's famished as only a bike rider who pumps out 75 miles a day over mountainous terrain can be. Steak Frites for him. Dessert is a highlight which Sheena considerately splits in two plates: deep dark chocolate mousse cake with hefty dollops of fresh whipped cream. I make Homer Simpson noises to express my pleasure.
The next day and it seems the weather Gods are happy with me and my family. Blue skies that make your heart ache, crisp green lawns of Congress Halls flanked by whitewashed Adirondack chairs. Sophia needs entertainment. Off to the kiddie arcade to win a grubby stuffed animal or hopefully a toy with an amusement factor of more than 1 day. Her booty: an alien doll in a parachute. It's bloody weird but oddly she likes it. After which she gets treated to two rounds of Reindeer rides (they're all named Prancer! what's up with that?) at the kiddie arcade we head out for fun adult time. Meaning: drinks! Stella Artois for Paul, 'Rita on the rocks for Radha, frozen with salt for me. The baby gets lemonade. Waitress Debbie plops my Tequila slushie in front of me with a complimentary shot of Sauza. What a nice girl! If it wasn't enough that Cabanas features (used to!) the best Sublime cover band Evar the free shot of tequila would do the trick. Instantly wins my vote for top bar. I'm so easy some times...
We sip while snacking on Sweet Potato Fries, Tuna Tacos and Chicken Fingers. The skateboarders wheel by. Skinny carefree 12 year-olds showing off their pre pubescent chests. Don't worry little guys. Soon your chests will be pumped from street steroids and you can puff with the best of Jersey shore.
We give the nite time restaurant scene another try. This time we get a seating at the hip 9 table restaurant - an offshoot from the chefs who own George's Place. It's a first on Disciplined Foodie where I don't know the name of the restaurant, nor can I rustle it up Internet-wise. So if any readers out there can enlighten me, please do! Fow now I'll call it the groovy Greek restaurant that reminds us of the Orange Squirrel in Bloomfield, NJ.
Guy Fieri of the Food Network gave props to George's sausage stuffing on his Diners, Drive-ins and Dives show . The same item appears on this restaurant's leaner menu. We each start with a chopped greek salad practically pickling in tangy vinegar and salty feta cheese. Tiny pear tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, lettuce chopped into small bites. Simple but massive on taste and size! It's as big as an old Hewlett Packard keyboard so share with your dinner companion. I opt for a rare seared Tuna while Paul, still jonesing for protein hits another steak with duck confit fries. I order an extra side of Tzatziki which I dip the melting tuna into. I can taste the sharp garlic right through the creamy yogurt. The taste remains with me all night, and the next morning, and the night after...Paul's steak is well cooked but a bit on the gristlely side. But the confit fries are a discovery. They are batter dipped and fried in the most unctuous of fats: duck. I adore baby ducks and will chat with any Mallard that passes my way. By dang it if their fat isn't a culinary wonder!
Looks like Cape May has lost none of it's allure. And with new joints to be explored it's only a matter of time before I head back.
Blue Pig Tavern at the Congress Hall hotel. 251 Beach Ave. Cape May, NJ 08204
Cabanas Beach Bar and Grill 429 Beach Ave Cape May, NJ 08204
Groovy Greek Restaurant - Beach Ave, Cape May, NJ 08204
