My family and I have been going to Cape May, NJ for as long as I can remember. This, however, was the first year that I experienced Cape May as a vegan. I was a little worried at first. We eat out a lot at the beach, and I was afraid that being vegan would limit that. But, I found that with a little research and a lot of questions, I was just fine (which I think is probably the case wherever you go with dietary restrictions). So, here's a few highlights of what I ate.
This Israeli couscous salad from The Merion Inn was fantastic. It was bursting with fresh tomatoes, tender asparagus, plump mushrooms, roasted red peppers and pine nuts, all tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The dish was so simple, yet so delicious! (And, I think, easy to make at home.) I've just recently discovered how awesome Israeli couscous is, so I cannot wait to make a copycat version of this.
Another success was this fried plantain dish. It was fried plantains topped with a rice and bean salad and a special Costa Rican hot sauce. I would probably eat fried plantains topped with anything (well...almost anything), but the tropical sweet and spicy flavors going on here were great. The plantains and the dish below were both from a restaurant called Bella Vida. We'd never been before, but we thought we'd give it a try, and were very pleased!
This was fried plantains over rice with a pineapple-mango salsa and toasted coconut in a rum glaze. Oh, boy was this good. It was so bright and summery and very light. I felt like I was vacationing in the Caribbean! The portion was huge, but I ate about half and didn't leave feeling overly stuffed or grossly full. Always a plus!
The most surprising thing I ate was definitely the carrot "dog" at Hot Dog Tommy's. It's basically a grilled carrot topped with whatever you want. I had mine with banana peppers and onions.
This was a vegan BLT, with fake bacon and vegan cream cheese. Don't get me wrong, it definitely tasted great. The fake bacon had a wonderfully mapley flavor, and I was impressed with how bacony it tasted. But, the more I thought about it, the more I was weirded out by the fakeness. I generally avoid meat substitutes because I don't get why you want a bunch of fake stuff in your system. But, I caved with this one and tried it. And while I'm not sorry that I did, I don't think I would get it again.
The thing I like about vegan food (well, one of many things) is that it doesn't generally leave you feeling heavy or bloated or gross. When you're eating whole fruits and veggies and real food, you're definitely less likely to have unpleasant side-effects. But, after eating this sandwich, I felt kinda heavy. I think fake foods may be okay in moderation, but between the fake bacon and the cream cheese and then the big bagel (not fake, but still...), it may have been too much. But alas, we live and learn.
The most artistic meal I ate had to be the gnocchi in a walnut-arugula sauce.
Most of us are probably familiar with gnocchi made from potatoes. But these little beauties were made from couscous. We found them at a restaurant called Good Earth Organic Eatery. The owner was the sweetest Italian man and everything we ate was so carefully and beautifully done. It was like eating a piece of art.
These gnocchi were plump, soaking up the creamy sauce (made creamy from the walnuts, I believe) with ease. It was absolutely wonderful and innovative (in terms of using couscous). I so want to try something like this at home, too! But I think this may take a bit of skill and practice.
There was also a tex-mex place called Gecko's that made veganism a seaside breeze. We ended up eating there the first and last nights of our trip, which was fine by me!
I had a burrito both times, but the second one didn't photograph as well, so I shall show you the first.
This was a rice and bean burrito that was probably the most refreshing burrito I've ever had. The addition of rosemary was so unusual and nice. It added a sort of warmth to the other wise cool-tasting rice and beans. And now that I like guacamole, I enjoyed every bite of the dollop atop my tortilla. As a side note, our waitress on the first night also happened to be vegan! I felt like it was a sure sign that my trip was going to be a good one.
So, there's a quick recap of my visit to Cape May. As my first real vacation since becoming vegan, I'd say it was a huge success! That's not to say there weren't a few bumps along the way (like discovering the only thing I could eat at one of our favorite breakfast places was a side order of tater tots) but it's those little bumps that make the smooth sailing that much more enjoyable....and delicious.
Til next time, friends.
