Restaurant chat: Red Store is a fine choice in Cape May
Craig LaBan: As you know, I was down the Shore working hard to make sure your summer eats list is in primo beach shape.
Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat of July 5, 2016:
Craig LaBan: As you know, I was down the Shore working hard to make sure your summer eats list is in primo beach shape. (See article here.)
Reader: The Red Store in West Cape May is outstanding. What a meal. Has to be one of the best BYO's down the shore.
Craig LaBan: No doubt, The Red Store is one of the best restaurants at the Shore. By the way, RS owners Lucas Manteca and Deanna Ebner also own Quahog's, my favorite from this year's roundup of good seafood places. They've been working on it for 8 years, and I really like where it is now, from the casual ambience to the fresh ingredients and distinct Latin personality. Fun and quality. The Red Store is a bit more elegant, but not stuffy either in any way. I'll have more from Cape May this weekend.
Reader: A few weeks ago I asked about chili crabs and you recommended Sate Kampar. We went the next night, and Angelina was game for having them as a special, which she did the following week; they were fantastic!
C.L.: SO MAD I MISSED THESE!!!!! (But glad they turned out very well, as I suspected.) Hopefully, Sate Kampar, which I reviewed favorably for its grilled skewers, will continue to do this as a special.
Reader: Which restaurants in Margate would you recommend?
C.L.: I've reviewed many restaurants in Margate over the years - Steve & Cookie's is a real classic worth going back to - but none on tap for a formal review this year. See my Good Taste in this issue on the new Kibitz Room, which has replaced Junior's Seafood on the Bay. Some nice things in Ventnor this year - the very new Cardinal Bistro will be covered in Sunday's roundup. Also, I can't get enough of the highly evolved baked goods at Cookie Till's bakery cafe, Cafe 7311, just across the Ventnor City line. Great coffee too, with brews from George Howell, really gourmet for the Shore.
Reader: We had a great meal at La Parilla Fogata in Berlin, NJ - just down the road from Diggerland, where my son got to drive a backhoe after eating some pastor tacos. I had the mole smothered pastor burrito (and steak nachos). Thumbs up!
C.L.: Wow, don't think I've ever been to Berlin for a restaurant. Now I have one for my list. Plus, always wanted to drive a backhoe. By the way, speaking of good Jersey Mex, we LOVED our meal at El Mariachi Loco in Hammonton on the way down. It's an old favorite, but gets better every time. This enchilada platter with mixed sauces was fantastic - their mole is on my top 5 list locally. So good and fresh and really well-balanced, with a measured touch on the chocolate and sweetness. (BTW- Pancho's Oaxacan-style mole, which drenches their enchiladas, has almost no chocolate in it at all - and it is phenomenal.).
Reader: Ever been to the Hoagie Shack in Strathmere? Wonderful, no-frills breakfasts and lunch sandwiches in a sleepy town that puts the rest of the shore to shame (no beach tags, you can actually throw a Frisbee on the beach) Breakfast for 4 this weekend was $31.
C.L.: We love going to Mildred's for an old-timey meal every couple years, but never thing to hit the island for a breakfast. Will have to check it out.