Food and Market Finds: Jersey Shore Dining and The Pie Girl
We managed to find a gourmet hot dog and a top notch taco shop, Pure Tacos, on the Ocean City Boardwalk, surpassing my taste expectations. As for restaurants, outside of the stronghold seafood joints, there are a fair number of places to eat a decent meal. We did a lot of breakfasts at Uncle Bill's, a South Jersey Shore classic pancake house, with establishments in Ocean City (2) running down to Cape May and all towns in between. Eating out at a restaurant is still near impossible with our imp, Nate, 2 1/2. Take out is a more logical option.
When you vacation with family, especially grandparents, there's usually an opportunity for some baby sitting so the parents can have an hour or two for uninterrupted dining. We went to Mildred's in Strathmere, celebrating its 60th year in business. Very good Italian Food, served in manageable portions at decent prices. It's the kind of old world Italian American Shore Restaurant that still offers the entree with a soup or salad and two vegetables or pasta as a side. If it were a diner, we would have had our dessert choice included with the price! Very good food, fast, clean, and you get roasted peppers and bread with each meal!
The Pie Girl's Blueberry Cobbler - AMAZING!
The real food finds where at the abundant farmers' markets that were operating nearly every day of the week in one town or another. We hit the Sea Isle Farmers' Market located in the town center on Tuesdays and on Wednesdays we drove 5 miles into Ocean City and went to the market at 6th and Asbury. The Sea Isle Market was lively, filled with good produce, crafts people and a calypso beat thanks to either piped in music or a DJ. I didn't find anything extraordinary, though I wasn't looking for the best finds, just the best produce.
The market in Ocean City provided us with all the best finds, Pies by the Pie Girl; Gilda's Biscotti; Momma's Homemade Apple Garlic Hot Sauce; Tony Baloney's Flat Bread Foccacia Pizzas; Coffee Talk Smoothies; homemade pickles. We could have filled another car with all the goodies the OC Market had for sale!
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The Pie Girl one pie at a time |
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The first week she was friendly and open to talking but we really connected the second week, once she recognized me and I told her that I wanted to take some photos, blog about her and know more about her business. Her dad, Rob, was just as warm and friendly, selflessly promoting all his daughter does, her hard work, her labor of love and the fact that she's donating all of the proceeds to charity. When I told him that he deserves some credit too, for his hard work and his excellent parenting, he still demurred! They both were happy to have me take their photo; I really wanted to get them both as I thought that there is a wonderful spirit to the two of them and it really comes through when they stood together.
Even though it was a horribly hot day, the whole operation was doing a brisk business, working at full capacity, with a few helpers of friends and family members. Most of The Pie Girl's baked goods were gone by the time we made it to the market mid-morning. We bought a tart and tangy key lime pie, which was devoured by our family in no time, and a few pie pops - little mini pies on lollipop sticks. Nate enjoyed those a lot!
Cat, her dad, Rob and I talked a bit about her business, her future plans and dreams and about working in the restaurant and food business. I told her that my dream is to open a pie shop and she agreed, that is what she wants to do too. I told her that it's great that she's doing this now, working her way up while she's young. She'll get the best experience and learn the most while she's still able to enjoy the grind without it feeling like a grind. Her dad was most interested in a shop I told him about that is planning to open in Philadelphia on South Street, called Mag Pie, a sweet and savory pie cafe. If Cat keeps going at the pace she's working, she may well exceed her goals of helping the hungry and homeless one pie at a time, giving St. Peter's Methodist Church more than the $1,000 she hopes to donate for July. She may, and I truly hope she does, open her own shop by next summer, feeding many souls one pie at a time. Food finds and inspiration at the Ocean City Farmers' Market. Blessings all around.
If you are down the shore, in or near Ocean City New Jersey, make a point to stop by the market on Wednesday, from 8 am to 1 pm. Tell her I sent you and make an extra contribution to her cause. Her pies are as wonderful as she is, and she's lovely!
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