Do you ever just need to *ahhh* unbutton your pants to make a little more room? Like that moment when the dessert menu hasn’t been given out yet and it’s feeling tight down there? Well, that’s me this summer. Sure, I’m guilty of wearing white jeans that may run a tad small out to restaurants where I know I will be dining for hours on end. But when a night of dining ends with my jeans unbuttoned, you know it was a good one.
As I am literally on my way to college right now, I feel the need to reflect on this stress-free summer (minus the college packing and prepping — you know, the little things). In between my weeks at the day camp at which I worked, I spent my weekends under the blazing sun down the shore in Margate City, New Jersey. This quiet beach town lies just 20 minutes south of the bustling Atlantic City, so any beach-goer can relax during the day, after a bike ride on the Boardwalk first, and take their chances at the casinos in AC. Of course, being only 17 and basically a broke college student, I felt no draw to the money vacuums of Hard Rock Casino and Caesar’s Palace. Instead, I took my chances and went down to the Margate Dairy Bar, my top choice for ice cream over all of the other places on the island, or to Tomatoes, a hip/chic/super cool restaurant — I like to describe this place as anything but Italian; great sushi and fish, but no entrees with tomatoes.
Okay. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Let’s talk Tomatoes. (Please note that the following blurbs are from multiple evenings at Tomatoes; I didn’t eat all of this in one sitting!) My two favorite appetizers are the seafood chowder (not a seafood fan? It has tons of veggies in it, too) and the lime pepper fried calamari.
My favorite special roll at Tomatoes is the Alex roll. Being the most expensive sushi I’ve ever had, this roll is made with fresh crabmeat with tons of “crunchies” on top. Next is the Huli Huli Salmon; atop an edamame puree and rice, the grilled salmon is perfectly seasoned and browned. Finally, the rice bowl at the bottom comes with tuna and veggies — Tomatoes’ take on a poké bowl.
And of course, dessert. The melted chocolate lava cake is just about the gooiest most scrumptious thing I’ve ever had; it’s clearly a favorite if it’s the only dessert I’m posting about here!
This was to celebrate my high school graduation!
The other high-end restaurant in Margate, another personal favorite of mine, is Sophia. With their American twist on Greek classic dishes, Sophia’s saganaki (cheese fried with ouzo) and Greek salad continue to be favorite appetizers. For my entree, I got the Seafood Plaki: homemade tomato sauce complements jumbo shrimp and Chilean sea bass with feta cheese. I would post photos from my dining experience, but the lighting was just not good enough, and as a certified Foodie, lighting is everything.
Venturing into Ventnor City, next door to Margate, my parents and I indulged in more soosh at Yama Sushi. I had the Yama Dynamite roll, which was a California roll with a salmon-white fish-scallop-crabmeat-seaweed salad combination on top. Here’s a snap:
Last but not least for food down the shore, welcome to Hannah G’s. Being my favorite brunch spread EVER (yes, I know I say “favorite” too often), I enjoy my meal every time I’m there. My two favorite things are the garden fresh omelet and the quinoa french toast. Since I’ve posted them both already, feel free to check out my previous posts
When down the shore, I need to stay energized and hydrated in the blazing sun. My favorite on-the-beach snack is an Açai bowl from Greens and Grains. Blended with chia seeds and berries, the Açai purée is topped with fruit and peanut butter… my favorite mix!
I kept my ~chill this summer with loads of ice cream! From the Margate Dairy Bar to Sundaze in Ventnor City, and to Ice Cream on Grand in Northern New Jersey, I certainly had my fix of soft serve, but most of it ended up melting all over me.
Traveling back up to North Jersey, when I was not down the shore, I indulged on local favorites to ensure I’d get my fix before leaving for college. Starting from the beginning of the summer, I held a graduation party on the week of my high school graduation to celebrate all that my friends and I have done, and all that we have to look forward to in the future. My mom and I cooked and prepared for multiple days beforehand, mixing salads and frosting homemade cookies. Some other local favorites are as follows: The Fat Bubba from Crossroads Deli in Bergenfield, New Jersey — mac and cheese and chicken cutlet and barbeque sauce… it sounds as good as it is Custom tuna poké bowl from Poké Crew in Englewood, New Jersey Summery roll from Daruma in Englewood — mango and pears with fresh tuna and crunch Açai bowl from Frovanna in Tenafly, New Jersey Sushi burrito, otherwise known as a “sushito” from Kings in Cresskill, New Jersey
It is now a week later and I have left this post half-written until now. It is Tuesday of my first week of college classes and I’m starting to find my niche. Besides being overwhelmed with activity fairs and navigating my way through a very, very large campus, I am making friends at every class, event, and gathering, and getting used to #adulting.
Now living in Bloomington, Indiana, I’ll be sure to document my new favorite spots for all you reading back at home.
Stay cool, stay happy and stay full!
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