In August, my wife Lucille suggested that we'd celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary (9/26) by visiting our honeymoon location, Cape May, New Jersey. I agreed wholeheartedly, as did our 26-year-old daughter Stefanie. If you've never been to Cape May, I can describe it in one brief statement: one you cross over the Route 109 bridge at Garden State Parkway's end and view Cape May Harbor, you are separated from whatever is behind you. "Whatever" are your cares, concerns, job...need I continue? Our first stop was a historic eatery right on the harbor, The Lobster House. Stefanie had never seen it, so hers was a first time experience of cuisine and atmosphere. For me, the highlight of lunch was the Homemade Snapper Soup. Stefanie ordered it as well, and Lucille the New England Clam Chowder. See the bowl below? I was ready to swim in there! We spent the rest of the day in Cape May, visiting the Washington Street Mall and Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish church, and then drove to Cape May Point, ascending the hawk lookout pavilion and viewing the entire oceanfront, and then concluded our trip at Sunset Beach, where the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay meet.
Fast-forward to two hours later, and tiny Forked River, New Jersey. We had agreed to stop at the halfway point on the way home for dinner, and it was a wise decision; I was at exhaustion point with my vision blurring. We found Conca D'oro Ristorante (https://www.concadoropizza.com) and, while the establishment wasn't the fanciest, we entered, and were greeted immediately by a friendly counter-person. When I asked him if we could just head back to the dining area and sit, he said, "Absolutely. We'lI have someone come back and serve you." I wondered how this was going to happen; I saw no servers. About a minute after we were seated, a young man named Andrew came to our table, introduced himself, and politely and patiently took our order. During our evening, he was extremely congenial. Towards evening's end, I approached the register to pay the bill. I told Andrew that he was a terrific server (by the way, I value good service. To me, it should be common sense, but so many servers and sometimes owners get it wrong). He responded, "Oh, thanks. Glad I helped you. It's funny, but I'm not even a server. I'm a driver." Like I said, it's really common sense. He did everything right, even took three photos of us. Oh, yes, my wife and daughter had cold subs, and I had a chicken cheese steak. The rolls were well filled, and the French fries from freshly sliced potatoes. (Sorry; no photos were taken as we relaxed). A perfect end to our 30th anniversary! Steve
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AuthorAppetizers, hospitality, small plates - the best in dining! Archives
January 2023
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