Cape Resorts: a day at the beach just like paradise

CAPE MAY, NJ – When my family and I headed out on our summer vacation to  Wildwood, New Jersey, I must confess that the nearby community of Cape May was not on our radar screen. After spending a fabulous day on the beach being waited on and enjoying two dinners via the CapeResorts (www.caperesorts.com), this place earns our recommendation for a first-class experience.

Each of the Cape Resorts hotels has its own deeply individual personality. That means beautiful settings, approachable design, an array of wonderful dining options, plus fun activities from sunrise till evening. There is Congress Hall, The Virginia, The Virginia Cottages, the Beach Shack, the Sandpiper Beach Club, The Star  and  Barons Cove Sag Harbor All of the hotels and restaurants are serviced by Cape Resorts’ very own 62-acre Beach Plum Farm, located about  one mile away from the properties. The farm provides the restaurants and hotels with fresh eggs, produce, flowers, pork, herbs, and more.

The popular Congress Hall Beach Tents must be
booked in advance.

We chose Congress Hall (www.congresshall.com) to experience Cape May. This is both Cape May and America’s oldest seaside resort. The hotel is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. We booked a comfortable beach tent for three. After purchasing our beach pass, we were escorted to our tent. Staff helped us set up in this utopian location on the gorgeous beach, just steps from the water. For the ultimate experience in relaxation, rent one beach tent and learn firsthand just how good a perfect day at the beach can feel.

When you get thirsty, someone will bring you a bottle of ice-cold water. Order a tall iced lemonade or a refreshing fruit smoothie for the perfect summertime treat. Since these beach tents have a reputation in relaxation, they are very popular and are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis for either a full or half day.

The three lounge chairs sat atop a wooden deck. There was a menu on a clipboard. All we needed to do was place a flag in front of our tent and one of the staff members took our order and delivered the food right to our seats. It does not get much better than that. We thoroughly enjoyed our choices of a beach burger, a black mako (shark) sandwich and a Congressional Caesar salad, with grilled chicken. In addition, we ordered a couple of smoothies – mango and strawberry.

Later in the day we spent some time poolside at Congress Hall. There is one small heated pool for adults and a larger one for kids and families.

We had the opportunity to enjoy two nice meals at the Cape Resorts. Following our day at the beach, we took a five minute walk to the Rusty Nail Bar and Grill, located at the Beach Shack, for a really fun dinner. It represented a fabulously relaxing backdrop to dine at during a warm summer evening. We were seated at table near the bar.

The Rusty Nail is a fun place to enjoy casual dining

A revived beachfront motel, the Beach Shack features 65 spacious efficiency style rooms, including dog-friendly accommodations, all of which offer an ocean view, and a clean, sophisticated beach resort vibe, providing the perfect place to relax for man and man’s best friend. With live music, a fire pit, weekly pig roasts, shuffleboard and sand bar, The Rusty Nail is an authentic and cool beachside hangout.  The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is located at 205 Beach Avenue.  We started off with some drinks, thirst quenching pina coladas and a Rusty Rum Runner, a tropical blend of pineapple, orange and mango juice, banana liqueur and Bermuda rum.

As an appetizer, we shared the Nail sampler. This included some shrimp, oysters and crab meat, served with dijon mayo, cocktail sauce, and lemon. The menu has a wide array of choices. We settled on the fish and chips, an order of roasted scallops and two jumbo lump roasted crab cakes. Along with each main course you can pick two from buttermilk mashed potatoes, baked potato, French fries, baked yam or side of pasta and a seasonal vegetable selection.

The following evening we returned to Congress Hall for dinner at the Blue Pig Tavern  (http://www.caperesorts.com/restaurants/capemay/bluepigtavern). Its name derives from a gambling parlor sited in Congress Hall in the mid-1800s. Earlier still, in the 1700s, Elias Hughes operated a tavern for whalers on this site. It was the first tavern in Cape May. Beloved by locals and visitors alike, we were told that there is no better place to enjoy classic American comfort food. In the warmer months, you can dine on their secluded patio. In the cooler months, cozy up to the magnificent dining room fireplace. Executive Chef Jeremy Einhorn has implemented a delicious farm-to-table menu featuring fresh produce, herbs and eggs from the Beach Plum Farm.

After some drinks, we shared the Raw Bar Sampler. It consisted of six oysters and six clam claws, with a few dipping sauce choices. We next ordered some salads; a red and yellow endive and another called Beach plum farm greens. The former consisted of farm lettuce, crisp endive, walnuts, apples and roasted shallot vinaigrette. As for the latter it contained tender beach plum farm lettuce, also tossed with the same vinaigrette.

For the main course we settled on the steak and crab cake entrée and the half roasted chicken. They came with sides of beach plum farm seasonable vegetables and roasted potatoes, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, creamed Jersey corn, green beans and herb jus. For dessert we shared a piece of apple pie with ice cream.

There is free valet parking at the restaurant, located directly at the entrance to Congress Hall.  For reservations call 609-884-8422.