Good Eating In Brigantine

North of Atlantic City is the island of Brigantine. This long sandy spit doesn't have the glamor or glitz of its' neighbor. Its' fun activities include biking and swimming as opposed to gambling. Yet it does share one thing in common with AC - food. This is an island where you can buy fresh fruit at the local grocery store or settle into a pizza at one of the Brigantine's many small cafes.


My favorite place to eat is the Pirate's Den Restaurant. This is a charming little place located right across the way from the beach front.It's situated at the northernmost tip of Brigantine Boulevard, located in an area of summer homes. Locals flock here and there 's a sense of family as waitresses know right off the bat what their customers want. Pirate's Den serves breakfast lunch and dinner, with all sorts of classic sandwiches and seafood. My Mom and I usually come here after the beach (and it's the best beach in the state with sand like powdered sugar and clear, calm waters. Forget the Caribbean,- come here to Brigantine). This time we ordered steak sandwiches This was thinly sliced mounds of steak served on a hero roil. The meat was tender, and almost shaved. Our sandwiches were so huge that we barely could finish them. We also had a generous serving of fries along with the chips that come with lunch. The potatoes were classic, Jersey shore fries - crisp and golden. We were too stuffed to get dessert although Pirate's Den does have some good ones.

Brigantine also has a variety of pizzerias and seafood shacks. I have yet to try them and probably will on my next trip down. The island also has some ice cream stands as well for quick cones and shakes.

If you're in Atlantic City , venture over the bridge to the magical island of Brigantine. This is a relaxing, refreshing fun place where the beaches are dreamy and the food is heavenly.

The Flying Cloud Cafe - Atlantic City's Best Kept Secret

Mention Atlantic City dining to anyone and they'll tell you all about the great restaurants in the casinos. This is true. Recently AC has lured some big names such as The Old Homestead, McCormick and Schmick and Wolfgang Puck. However there is a perfect little gem situated on Brigantine Bay in North Atlantic City. It's called The Flying Cloud Cafe, named after one of the fastest schooners in the 1800's.

First of all the atmosphere is charming - certainly not what you'd expect in this gambling mecca. Located in a small circle of crafter's booths and restaurants, The Flying Cloud Cafe is isolated from all the glamour and glitz. It's more like a spot in Old Cape Cod or Cape May. Masts sway back and forth, gulls cry as they swoop down on the docks. There is the smell of the ocean here along with the aroma of good food. Of course The Flying Cloud specializes in seafood. My Mom and I had two wonderful dishes. She ordered the fish and chips while I had the broiled crab cake. The portions are generous, The fish doesn't have that usual cloying fishy taste associated with seafood. Her breaded tilapia was sweet and light while my crab meat was delicate and tender. We also received a large side of julienned fries which were perfectly crisp and browned. The Flying Cloud Cafe also gives this awesome cole slaw made with horseradish. This is not the usually sugary stuff but a crunchy mixture of sliced cabbage , dressing and zing. We saw other diners who enjoyed seafood salads and one who had a whole, perfectly boiled lobster.

Usually seafood restaurants have meager desserts. Not The Flying Cloud Cafe . We split a wonderful chocolate cake laden with warm fudge , caramel and walnuts. It was flanked by two chocolate drizzled clouds of whipped cream. This was a decadent end to an already rich lunch.

The Flying Cloud is located at 800 North New Hampshire Ave Number 3. (you can't miss it really),directly to the west of the Atlantic City Aquarium. Don't bother with the car. Take the number 3 jitney over there for a day of relaxation and good food.

Return Of The Foodie Warrior

Yes, gang, I'm back from Atlantic City. I gained pounds and lost money yet it was all foodie fun. I ate at some of the best restaurants along the East Coast.
I also had some good "snackie" food (as a friend of mine calls it) along with some amazing ocean and bay views.

Right now I'm going to chill out and give you complete review tomorrow of where I've been (one quick teaser - Harrah's where we stayed has some of the best pizza in the state. It's in their brand new food court it's called Walt's and they make the thinnest crust pizza you will ever taste there Yum!!!!!!!!!!)

The warrior has tons of dirty laundry to do plus catching up with everything else.

TEASER TIME
Tomorrow a great lunch in North Atlantic City.

Foodie On The Road

Guess what, guys? This foodie is going on the road to Atlantic City. I'll be doing just more than gambling. My trusty Mom and I will be sampling the different restaurants at the various hotels and casinos in the area (this includes Brigantine along with North Atlantic City).

We'll be hitting some old favorites like that wonderful dockside eatery by the AC Aquarium as well as some smaller cafes along the Brigantine beach front. we'll also be buying and eating some homemade chocolates and AC's signature treat - salt water taffy. Yum. We'll be stopping in the romantic town of Smithville at the Smithville Bakery to pick up some fresh baked raisin oatmeal cookies and cinnamon bread. There we'll also stop at a branch of the Tomasello Winery for the amazing blueberry wine and Jersey champagne (a favorite at the Camelot White House under JFK and Jackie). Who knows we may run into the Jersey Devil, this state's answer to the Loch Ness Monster.

Don't wish us luck. Just wish us good eating down in this pretty city by the sea.

Liz

PS You'll be getting all new Foodie Pantry entries and reports of the vacation come Friday, August 15th.

Your Favorites -Write In

Since it's summer and no one is really reading this. I'll let you readers do the writing and work for me for a change.

Tell us your favorite or most hated foods? Favorite recipes.or family recipes. What do you like to drink? Or snack on? What about food or drink trivia you'd like to share with us.

Have a favorite restaurant? Let other foodies know about it.

You can reach me here at Foodie Pantry or at my email LIZRWRITER@aol.com.

Le Pain Quotidien

if you're a foodie living in LA or New York, then you'll have to check out this great bakery/restaurant called Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread en francaise). This has everything from soups to luscious tarts and home made cookies.

Le Pain Quotidien is a chain and unlike other franchises you're not going to get a greasy burger and fries here. What you will get is good old fashioned French cooking and baking. They have wonderful quiches which are eggy and chock full for veggies or ham. There are daily soups served with bread. You can also buy desserts here, whether a buttery small waffle full of sugar or that French after school classic pain chocolat. Also try some of the cookies like the gingersnaps or chocolate chips.

This is also a great place to get a large bowl full of French hot cocoa as well as cafe au lait. These are more like large soups to be drunk using two hands. They also have excellent iced tea and black iced coffee here as well.

If you're visiting New York or LA this summer stop in Le Pain Qotidien. It's goo French food at American pricing.

Cool Treats For A Hot Day

During these dog days of August it's nice to fall back on a cool treat. Americans have grown up with ice pops (ice lollies to the Brits). There are also cones along with shakes and malteds to enjoy as well.


Ice pops came along in 190,. thanks to an careless eleven year old making a mixed soda drink on his front porch. By 1923 Popsicles were sold throughout the US and in seven fruit flavors. They were originally called Epsicles but Frank's kids called them Pop's sicles and the name stuck. Who didn't grow up with frozen treats? There was nothing like getting the Good Humor double flavored whammy stick or the red, white and blue rocket shaped bomb pop. Then there were the ones made at home. Nowadays the molds are cute and you can get every shape, from stars to sailboats. You can also take paper cups , insert a tongue depressor into the ice and make your own. Another fun treat was a slushies, half frozen ice that you can eat with a straw or a spoon. You only had to freeze these in half the time of a popsicle

Another fun at home treat were ice cream cones. You can still buy the original sugar or cake ones at your supermarket bt you can also now get waffle cones , waffle cone bowls or the chocolate dipped ones. The trick was stuffing enough ice cream into them without creating a mess. To make the cones extra special there were always sprinkles around,

American kids love malts and shakes. The best were and still are the homemade kind. There's nothing like fresh milk , syrup and ice cream (chocolate or vanilla)blended together to form a tasty dessert on a hot day or a great partner to a burger just off the grill. You could even now make a fruit smoothie kind of malt or shake by adding some bananas , blueberries or strawberries.

Be a kid again this August. Indulge in a sweet treat to cool down and satisfy your taste buds. It'll keep you refreshed during the worst heat waves.