Comfort food: two words that immediately conjure up something specific in everyone’s mind—but not likely the same something. It turns out comfort food is a very personal thing. It’s food that makes you feel better (at least temporarily) and is associated with fond memories. Some people think of hamburgers and […]
“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Federico Fellini The journey of grains of wheat to a bowl of pasta is one of the great mysteries of this world. In the modern culinary universe, an abundance of unique and exotic ingredients is easily accessible and promotes creativity for the […]
Recently, on one of those cool and squally days that our beloved Jersey Cape is known for in winter, I sought warmth and comfort in a local craft beer experience. As this is not an uncommon refuge for me regardless of season, I knew my choice of local microbreweries summed […]
Christmas is jam-packed with traditions of all kinds. Every family has their own special way of celebrating. In mine, it meant getting out the good china, putting on our best bib and tucker, and enjoying a delicious meal that my parents made together complete with a nice bottle of wine. […]
It was one of those steamy August nights, in a town teeming with visitors with parking at full capacity. Reginald and I had a later evening reservation at one of the new additions to Cape May’s restaurant scene, Maison Bleue Bistro. It’s classically French, right down to the background music, […]
Food is unique in that it is both a necessity and a luxury. To the privileged a fresh juicy red apple is pedestrian. To the homeless person, it’s a sumptuous feast. To some, the apple is the source of humanity’s original sin. To the chef, it is a building block […]
The most important person in any professional kitchen is the dishwasher—without them chaos and disaster reign. The dishes pile up, prep doesn’t get done on time, and the dining room can’t get reset to feed more hungry guests. This is the downfall of most home cooks, as they don’t have […]
Just for fun, I took a trip down memory lane by perusing my old recipe box looking specifically for beef recipes. I found everyday items like beef stew, meatloaf, one pot hamburger “helper,” and Salisbury steaks. Then there were the Sunday meals like pot roast and meatballs with sauce and […]
On a warm and breezy Friday, we arrived at ICONA Diamond Beach to dine at their on-site restaurant Coastal Blue Oceanside Bar and Grille. And yes, the hotel is on the beachfront, and the restaurant is just about there, located just next to the hotel’s pool. Beyond the pool and […]
Leo from The Ebbitt Room shares two of his favorite winter cocktails to warm up any holiday party (or evening on the couch)!
This cocktail recipe is courtesy of Ocean 7 at the Inn of Cape May How to make it In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine bourbon, Campari, banana liquor and sherry. Stir to chill. Strain over rocks in a rocks glass. Next, build your garnish: Slide the banana slice […]
Being the Jersey girl and foodie that I am, I was surprised by how much I didn’t know about mussels before researching this article. Given how many restaurants have mussels on their menus (including every pizzeria in north Jersey) and the fact that New Jersey is one of the leading […]
On a breezy Sunday evening, my dining pal Edna and I took a stroll over to Key West Tacos, which is nestled in a humble little building on the edge of West Cape May. It’s located adjacent to Barrier Island Books and Art—part used bookstore and art studio with live […]
The first bite … There are many old kitchen maxims that have been foisted upon countless generations of cooks and chefs, preached with a reverence usually reserved for holy scripture or the latest Taylor Swift album. There is one saying that has aged for me like fine … milk: “The […]
A citrus cocktail from the Porch @ Elaine’s! Ingredients Combine spirits, agave, and lime in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a highball glass. Top with orange juice, grapefruit sparkling water, and stir to combine. Garnish with a fresh grapefruit slice (we used a flower for color). […]
Cape May has come to be known as a gastronomic destination and for good reason. We are blessed with a plethora of extraordinary dining concepts, an abundance of fresh seafood, and access to local farms who supply the freshest produce. Each year we lament the closing of one or more […]
To the uninitiated, the invitation to dine at a fixed hour in an airport hangar may not be all that appealing. Imagine having 700 people, mostly adults, show up at the same time to dine together in one very large room. The idea may have echoes of a campus dining […]
What’s there to say about The Lookout at Ferry Park? Plenty. Spectacular views from its second-floor location, a coastal mood, and free parking! Wait, there’s more! The Lookout has an excellent international menu, comfy seating, and it’s a great spot for people watching and sunset watching. Really, all the things. […]
Appetizers are my favorite part of a meal. I think it’s because I often find them to be better than the main event. Chefs seem to put some of their most creative ideas on small plates. Maybe that’s because the combination of flavors is often so complicated, we wouldn’t really […]
For a place in close proximity to and nearly completely surrounded by water, there is a paucity of marine diversity on local menus. Scallops, oysters, crab, shrimp, and salmon get enough representation on local tables, but there really are plenty more fish in the sea. What I enjoy about trying […]
On a chilly Friday in February, my dining companion Anne Marie joined me at Grana BYOB, at the corner of Broadway and West Perry in Cape May, the location formerly operating as Godmother’s Restaurant. As always, we’d already perused the menu, enthusiastic about tasting the dishes everyone’s been talking about—and […]
“Food tells stories, and sometimes the history makes you appreciate a certain cuisine a little more.” Millie Peartree I’m a chef who also happens to write. The two crafts are not as disparate as they may seem at first. What I really am is a storyteller; sometimes I tell the […]
My friends (who don’t live here) often ask me, “What is Cape May like in the winter? What do you dao? Do you get bored?” My answer is an emphatic “No!” Yes, some of the businesses close for the season, but there are plenty that stay open year-round, especially on […]