Back to the shore...and it tastes good!

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Its been nine months since we've been to the Jersey shore, and we felt we had some catching up to do. But rather than drive ourselves crazy trying to eat out with the other 2 million people who zipped themselves to the shore this weekend, we decided to stay home most nights and instead used breakfast and lunch to test the longevity of some of our favorite shore restaurants.

Upon arrival on Friday night a pizza from Jonuzi's in Margate sat on the table waiting to relieve our hunger. Same sweet sauce, same thin crust...a wonderful welcome for us weekenders. Despite the cooler ocean breeze that had us wearing sweatshirts, we ventured to Rita's for some water ice and a Gelato. Can't go wrong with Rita's!

Saturday morning means a trip to Hot Bagels and More in Margate. A weekend morning at Hot Bagels and More(HB&M) only means one thing, controlled chaos. Hoards of obnoxious people stand in line waiting to shout their orders at teenagers, who surprisingly had everything under control. HB&M has a wonderful assortment of bagels, as well as an extensive variety of cream cheeses, including Bacon and Horseradish. On this particular morning we were feeling Strawberry cream cheese, which tasted like heaven on a freshly toasted whole wheat bagel.

We braved the afternoon crowds to get what we needed for dinner, which included a trip to Casel's Market and Bobby Chez for crabcakes. The beauty of the Bobby Chez crabcake is that they'll cook it up for you in their deep fryer, and after about 10 minutes on your own hot grill you've got a great seafood dinner. We ended the night with a trip to Juniors (Margate) for some Bassett's ice cream. Juniors is currently the only place we know of at the Jersey shore that scoops Bassetts. And for some reason it hasn't quite caught on yet, which means no long lines to wait in!

An early Sunday morning tee time in Ocean City meant no gourmet breakfast for us. Leftover bagels held us over all morning. By the time we finished golfing, we were thirsty and starving. Our "19th hole" selection was Caroline's By the Bay in Somers Point. By chance last summer we discovered that Caroline's has the best Bloody Mary's we've ever tasted. Crafted by a 70 year old bartender, the Bloody Marys are sweet and spicy with just the right amount of vodka. Accompanying our thirst quenchers were a Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak and a Chicken Salad Wrap, both well prepared and exactly what we expected from this seashore pub.

Waking up Monday morning, we realized that the weekend had yet to include an early morning run back to Juniors for some delicious donuts. Better than Krispy Kreme, by far! Jelly, chocolate frosted, glazed,sugar, Bavarian creme, and coconut. Half the donuts were consumed within minutes of us setting the pinstriped donut box down on the dining room table.

And what could possibly follow a morning filled with donuts...a Presto sandwich for lunch of course! Salvo Cucina, the former Presto, has moved four times in four summers. We're hoping this new place, on Atlantic Ave in Longport, actually sticks. The most important item on their menu, the Presto sandwich, has successfully survived all four moves. Prosciutto, sharp provolone, roasted red peppers and balsamic vinaigrette all come together on a crusty italian roll. Nine months and three blizzards later its just as good as before. Other notable sandwiches enjoyed by the family were the Italian Tuna wrap and the hot roast pork.

As the saying goes, we certainly saved the best for last on Monday night. After an hour of people watching on the long benches that line the outside of Smith's Clam Bar in Somers Point we were lead to our plastic tablecloth covered table and given our plastic menus featuring the artwork of some talented four year olds. And as the other saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Smith's Clam Bar has done just that for as long as we can remember. Clam chowder, clam strips parm, friendly wait staff, and the most authentic "seashore" atmosphere you can find...the perfect way to end a perfect Memorial Day weekend.