Yummie for My Tummy

Most people go to the shore to do three things: go to the beach, shop and eat (which can also include that other ever popular shore activity, drinking). I have never seen so many bakeries and pastry shops as is concentrated at the Jersey shore, and every single one of them was packed to the brim -- at least in Ocean City on Saturday.

But bakeries aren't the only ones getting in on the act. Shore restaurants cater to that "I'm on vacation and the calories don't matter" mentality, which has made finding good-for-me-things to eat at the shore a challenge.

One place I love is Green Cuisine (302-96^th Street, Stone Harbor, 609-368-1616). I went out of my way today to get one of their Greek pitas for lunch because I knew that something bad was in store for me at dinner. Green Cuisine not only has amazing, healthy wraps and pitas (that are served with fruit instead of chips), but also a smoothie bar, and a waiting area packed with interesting magazines for when you're, of course, waiting.

That's not to say I don't enjoy an unhealthy meal or two. Tonight's dinner was the buffalo fries at Concord Cafe (7800 Dune Drive, Avalon, 609-368-5505. They're just fries with the buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese. Geoff, one of my roommates at the shore house, had the Carribean jerk chicken sandwich, and he just reminded me that "it was very good," and that Forrest Gump is an awesome movie.

I like Concord Cafe. It's a little restaurant attached to the Concord suites, and the bartenders are funny and personable. They even told my friend that a certain item he wanted to order was not the best thing on the menu, so he changed his order. Plus, they have baseball on TV, and aren't afraid to yell at the Phillies if they are stinking it up.

Even shore parties are orgies of bad food. I went to a Night in Venice party on Saturday night and had pasta salad, scallops, mozzarella and tomatoes, garlic bread and chicken nuggets (which were supposed to be for the kids), topped off by a build-your-own sundae.

For most people, this kind of food binging isn't THAT big a deal, but it can be when you're down here all the time, like I have been. Thank you, Green Cuisine, for making my food choices that much easier.

I'm writing tonight from the dining room table of the shore house I've rented this summer. Well, I'm not the only one who rented it. Travel writing doesn't pay that much. We have about 10 people in on the house, and we're never here all at the same time, so it doesn't get too crowded. Most weekdays, it's just me, but tonight Geoff, who has no problem helping me check out restaurants for the book, is sticking around because he's golfing in the area tomorrow morning. He's watching good ol' Gump while I blog. No links for me -- tomorrow is the Wildwoods. Here's hoping the humidity slacks off before I gear up for another day of research.