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I spent every summer at the Shore until I was 13. Our first Atlantic City house was in Bellehaven Court in the Inlet and had a beautiful backyard filled with fragrant honeysuckle and rose bushes. I shared a room with my big sister Sandy and our window offered a beautiful view of the famous lighthouse.
What I remember most is learning how to fish off the rocks at the beach. My father, sister and I would get up in darkness, eat a hearty breakfast, load our gear and head for the bait shop.
"Catch anything?" we would ask those who had arrived before us. On lucky days, we caught bluefish and flounder. My mom and grandmother never blinked an eye when they had to clean and scale them, taking care to remove all the bones. They would then season and broil the fish with lemon juice and butter. Fresh vegetables were always served and, in the European tradition, we ate our salad last.
Spending Memorial Day through Labor Day at the Shore was no vacation for Mom. She still had to cook, clean, wash clothes and take us to the beach. Still, it was a wonderful way to solidify our family. We never missed The Ice Capades and the Miss America Pageant Boardwalk parade.
Unfortunately, the restaurants I loved as a child are gone. I remember eating soft-shell clams at the famous fish eateries Hackney’s and Captain Starn’s. Our favorite Italian restaurant Luigi’s, where I ate my first lobster fra diavlo and spicy baby clams, has closed, too.
We loved the Mr. Peanut store on the Boardwalk, where all sorts of treats were on hand. Roth’s candy shop had the best jumbo chocolate-covered marshmallows in the country. We would munch on salted polly seeds and pistachio nuts and so would the pigeons and seagulls.
The best hoagies in the world still come from the 60-year-old sub shop The White House. To this day, I call ahead for a pick-up and Mom, Edward and I drive to the Shore when the yen for hoagies comes upon us.
In the late 1950s and early ’60s, we spent summers on Hillside Avenue in Ventnor. Lou’s Restaurant was a block away and there were always long lines. It was a Jewish deli-style place with jumbo corned-beef sandwiches. Hot-fudge sundaes and homemade lemonade, which always had a cherry in it, were among my favorites.
Bluefish with Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) bluefish fillets
1/2 cup of Hellmann’s mayonnaise
2 heaping tablespoons of Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Snips of fresh dill
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Pat the bluefish dry with paper towels. Place in a shallow baking dish lined with foil.
In a small bowl, whisk all of the remaining ingredients, except the dill, together. Taste and correct for seasoning. Use a pastry brush to coat the fish with the mixture. Snip the dill with scissors and scatter over the fish.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove from the oven and let rest for five minutes.
Serves four.
Spicy Clams
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can of chopped tomatoes with their juice
1 cup of dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hot pepper flakes, to taste
32 littleneck clams, scrubbed clean
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high in a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot. Add the shallot and saut� until translucent, about three to five minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine. Stir well. Add the salt, pepper and hot pepper. Stir again. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
Add the clams and raise heat to medium-high. Cover and cook until the shells open, stirring once or twice, about eight to 10 minutes.
Evenly divide the clams among four warm bowls. Top with the parsley and serve.
Serves four as a first course.
Broiled Flounder
Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) fillet of fluke flounder
1 stick of unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sweet imported Hungarian paprika, to taste
Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions:
Preheat the broiler.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Evenly dot each fillet with the butter. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and paprika.
Broil for about five to 10 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fish.
Top each fillet with the lemon wedges.
Serves four.
