Cape May Vacations- episode one...

It's no secret that I am a Cape May girl- I spent all of my summers there, and a tremendous amount of time off season. It's the place that my soul is peaceful. Luckily, my children react the same way. There is something about that magical tiny city that transforms us as soon as we cross the bridge. Having moved to Massachusetts after college, my time in Cape May has been unfortunately reduces to a few days here and there- NO LONGER! This summer, the boys and I will be able to spend two weeks in July, and one week in August, just BEING. The extra awesome part is that this is the summer that a college friend will also be there with her family, and my bestie is also coming with us, and wait for it- it gets better- my NANNY IS COMING TOO! So that's three people that I really want to fall in love with Cape May. In preparation, I am whipping together a few "must do" blog posts.

Today, I start with food. Duh. Have you met me??? I am all about the nom-nom-noms. So here, in my totally biased opinion, are the must EATS of Cape May (and West Cape May, and Cape May Point).

Family Friendly
1. The Lobster House- skip the fancy inside part- order at the take out window or the raw bar out on the docks. Table stalk. Enjoy a fabulous meal right on the water. There is even a Lobster House tour which is really, really awesome!!! My kids love watching the boats, and I LOVE THE FOOD. Warning: Wine selection to eat on the docks is limited to mini bottles of Sutter Home- it does the trick but don't get all excited about a fabulous glass of wine to accompany your meal. Get there early, it's worth it.
2. The Red Store- Cape May Point's newest, and really only, venue for dining. Super fresh, farm to table food. You want the Avocado Toast, trust me.
3. The Blue Pig Tavern- located at the top of the mall, in the fabulous Congress Hall Hotel, the Blue Pig relies heavily on produce from Beach Plum Farm- just down Sunset Avenue. Get the deviled eggs, the crab cakes, or the scallops. And lots of other yummy things- they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And as a side note, you can sit in the rockers on the ocean side of Congress Hall and order from their menu. That's lovely for a no-kid, I want a nice cocktail, kind of evening.
4. Louie's Pizza- Louie's will also appear in a "night out" post but it deserves multiple mentions. White pizza with tomato, garlic, spinach and ricotta. Slices the size of your head for a few dollars. Enough said. No tables available? No problem- grab it to go and walk across the street and eat on the boardwalk.
5. McGlade's Backstreet- farm fresh, super local, and FREE PARKING. Yeah, it's amazing. McGlade's Backstreet has an ever rotating menu of what's fresh, local, and delicious. Their cobbler is mind blowing- and you need to order dessert with your dinner because it's all made fresh, to order. McGlade's is BYOB so stop by Collier's before you go.
6. Depot Market- it's so awesome, they don't even need a website. Located at 409 Elmira Street, Depot is the place to get fresh muffins, breakfast sandwiches, COFFEE, cookies, and other delicious things that are dreamed up daily.
7. For breakfast, there are really two games in town- Dock Mike's at 110 N. Broadway, and Uncle Bill's by Congress Hall. Dock Mike's is awesome. Their pancakes with bananas and pecans make me drool. Uncle Bill's is an institution in the city of Cape May. You can snag an outside table and have mediocre pancakes. However, their kid cups are shaped like crayons. Needless to say, my kids love it.
8. There are some nights or days where you don't want to deal with the fuss of "dining"- that's when you hit up BIg Wave Burritos and Empanada Mama's. DEEEEE-licious. If you hit Big Wave, get a Rio Bowl, and send me a thank you note after. There's also Duckie's Farm Stand in West Cape May where you can grab super fresh produce (um, hello, Jersey corn and peaches) and an amazing assortment of jams, jellies, and pickled thingies. And don't think I forgot Hot Dog Tommy's. Yeah, you will get in line at 10 am to get one of his dogs. Tom will be wearing a hot dog hat, and you will go back. Tell Tom I sent you.

Wahoo I Have No Kids and No Curfew Dining
I may love this category a little too much...no reflection on my awesome kids, but sometimes mama wants adult food and adult drinks!
1. The Ebbitt Room- really, I am all about the front porch and the bar at the Virginia Hotel- farm to table deliciousness, super creative cocktails- upscale, beautiful- and cross your fingers Leo is your bartender. They make a daily popcorn blend for patrons at the bar and it's pretty much always amazing. I'm not so into the I-made-a-reservation-eight-months-ago scene, but I can get that feel in the bar. Valet, thankfully!
2. The Mad Batter- now, I have not eaten here in donkey's years, but it was flipping delicious the last time I was there, and there's ALWAYS a line outside. Next door to the Virginia Hotel on Jackson Street, if you have to wait, there's the aforementioned fabulous bar in the Virginia.
3. The Washington Inn- this is the standard for fantastic cuisine in Cape May. It's impeccable, delicious, and quite a bit fou-fou. The have valet. That makes me happy. They also have a wine bar that is WAY less fou-fou, and doesn't require reservations. You can order just as delicious small plates and meals in the wine bar as you could in the restaurant. However, if you are a Sauvignon Blanc gal, their selection is mediocre. I say go the martini route!

These are my all time favorites- it's not to say that there aren't other great places, like George's Place, 301 Beach Avenue- which is a Guy Fieri approved Diner, Drive-In, or Dive- for Greek food- if you go there, make sure you walk around the corner and see the Guy Graffiti. It's pretty cool. Next up in my installment of Cape May Vacations- things to DO!

Mother's Day, and other such things...

Today is MOTHER'S DAY!!!!! Otherwise known as soccer Sunday, laundry day, pack lunches for the week day, and a general day of misery that the weekend is almost over. I think we should move Mother's Day to Saturday, personally- but that's just me. As an avid FB'er, I was trying to figure out what moving tribute I could post to recognize my mom, and I just couldn't come up with anything that truly encompasses what I want to say. So I'll resort to the extra long "status update" AKA my blog.

So, my mom:

She's stunningly beautiful, obviously, and unfortunately, I look nothing like her. Damnit. She's the best friend I will ever have, and the most amazing Lali my children could ever dream of.

Most importantly, she taught me how to be a mother- y'all know how much I love my lists, so here is a list, obviously not all-inclusive, of things I have learned.

1. Aprons are your friend, wear them.
2. It's never too late to change your path.
3. If you're going to sweat, look good doing it.
4. Recognize the beauty around you, in the everyday.
5. It's ok to make a mess, but make sure you clean it up.
6. Always have a really fabulous lip gloss in your purse, just in case.
7. It's always better to do for others than for yourself.
8. Kindness is more important than pretty much anything else.
9. Wallpaper can be amazing, if it's the right one.
10. Don't touch the white couch.

I think the most important thing is that family doesn't have to be blood- you get to choose who holds special places in your life- sometimes they're family, sometimes they are friends, but family is what you decide it should be.

Oh yeah, and that even though it's not always pretty, it's always amazing to be a mom!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, and my mamas- and Kelly Clarkson is correct- my life would suck without you.