🍅 A Kelce guide to a better Margate | Down the Shore

As a resident of Ventnor, I’m always OK with dunking on Margate. For me, it’s too many people, too much traffic, too much posturing. My husband literally refuses to set foot in Margate during the summer! You think the Ocean City boardwalk was chaotic, check out Atlantic Avenue near the Greenhouse on a summer weekend.

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Margate really shot itself in the foot last week courtesy of a Wayne, Pa., chocolatier whose summer home is actually in Longport. But no matter. Andree Goldberg stood her ground in the parking lot of Steve & Cookie’s and tried to give Kylie Kelce the business on behalf of Margate, as Jason looked on.

I’ve seen fights before in the parking lot of Steve & Cookie’s, but they’re usually over the last flat of blueberries or burrata mozzarella during farmers market season. Goldberg placed herself in the Shoobie Hall of Bad Behavior Fame by impolitely telling our Queen — after the Kelces declined a photograph — “You’ll never be allowed in this town again!”

Talk about main character syndrome.

Kylie, our nearly-6-foot Duchess of Delco, winningly stared her down and pointed out, accurately, that the woman was “embarrassing herself.” Jason seemed, endearingly, not embarrassed at all. He’s no doubt seen sloppier behavior in Sea Isle. (They will be back at the Ocean Drive on June 26-27 for their annual bartending fundraiser for autism research and beer bowl.)

All of Margate then naturally rushed to make it right with the Kelces.

Here’s a guide:

CLASSY: The Margate mayor apologized and said the next date night’s on him.

WORST OFFER: Sunrise Tequila, which is being rebuilt, offered its second floor (which currently doesn’t exist) once it reopens. Listen, the Kelces are athletes. They focus on one season at a time.

CREATIVE + GNOCCHI: Saltwater posted a photo of the owner/chef practicing his boxing and offered a “hassle-free dinner,” presumably with muscle. Do the Kelces even like gnocchi?

YES, PLEASE: Robert’s described itself as “Ocean Drive vibes and Steve and Cookie’s cuisine,” referring to Jason’s main hangout in Sea Isle. Can verify! The Kelces should definitely consider a stop at Robert’s.

REAL TALK: In A.C., Tony’s Baltimore Grill declared itself “the official authority on not putting up with out-of-towner BS.” But it noted that Nino, its bartender of 35 years, is a rabid Cowboys’ fan.

After dinner, the Kelces went a few blocks on Amherst Avenue to the very Margate-y Tomatoe’s, according to Philly ChitChat, where they hung out without incident. They seem to have skipped Maynard’s, for which they are too old.

On his podcast, Jason diplomatically summed up their trip, throwing just a hint of shade at the upscale cuisine of Steve & Cookie’s, where many a celebrity, including Michael Jordan, has dined before him. (I go in the winter.)

“We went to Sea Isle. We definitely went to Sea Isle. Went to the beach, had a lot of fun with the girls, ate a bunch of beach food.”

Ouch.

📮 Should the Kelces give Margate a second chance? Should they stick to Sea Isle? Let me know what you think by replying to this email and and I’ll include your most interesting responses.

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🌊 Tides will start high and be going out all day this weekend, so stretch out as the day goes on.

— Amy S. Rosenberg (Find me at @amysrosenberg. 📷 Follow me on Insta at @amysrosenberg. 📧 Email me at downtheshore@inquirer.com)

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🗳️ Halls of Congress? Curtis Bashaw, owner of Cape May’s Congress Hall, scored an impressive victory in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate from New Jersey, all while throwing an elegant primary night party in his ballroom.

🚨 Mommy and Daddy are fighting: The blame game continued over the crowds of teenagers, with the state attorney general saying the problem was not state laws but simply not enough police on the boardwalk in Wildwood.

🎡 Authorities, meanwhile arrested and charged a teenager with the Memorial Day weekend stabbing on the boardwalk in Ocean City.

⛴️ Troubled waters: The Cape May - Lewes Ferry is operating on a reduced schedule while it continues to “diagnose” two of its three vessels that are not running. Long-term, the ferry is moving to smaller boats.

🏖️ Long-awaited dredge project begins this week in North Wildwood. Watch for beach closings.

🎥 Ducktown filming: Streets were shut down in Atlantic City’s Ducktown neighborhood for the Shirley MacLaine movie People Not Places. I watched and took some cool behind-the-scenes photos of the iconic actor on an iconic street.

🍰 Holiday Snack Bar in Beach Haven finally received approval for its outdoor seating. Remind us again why this was ever controversial?

🔪 Restaurant buzz: Atlantic City is getting a new Jamaican/Caribbean restaurant from celebrity chef Wenford Patrick Simpson, who has cooked for Barack Obama. It will be inside the Pier now known as ACX1 Studios. Check out a preview of the Simpson here.

🎖️ At last: Attend the long-awaited unveiling of the sculpture memorial in A.C.’s O’Donnell Park at noon June 6 (the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings) of World War II hero medic Bernie Friedenberg.

🎷 Chicken Bone Beach: The Historical Foundation’s amazing weekly jazz concerts on the Boardwalk begin June 27 with Jason Marsalis. See the full lineup for this free outdoor summer long festival in Atlantic City.

👨‍🍳 Following LaBan: Our restaurant critic Craig LaBan is Down the Shore for his annual trip and posting on his Instagram. His latest find: Clemmy’s in Barnegat.

🤠 Get your cowboy boots and head to Honky Tonk, Wildwood’s new country music bar on the boardwalk.

🪩 Immerse yourself (and report back) about the nightlife at Hard Rock’s new venue, the Balcony.

💲 Pony up at state parks, which are now back to charging entrance fees.

Which beach town recently added drones to its tool kit for patrolling the beach and boardwalk?

A. Atlantic City

B. Wildwood

C. Ocean City

D. Sea Isle City

If you think you know the answer, click on this story to find out.

Or take a chance and email us with the answer; first one with the correct answer could get a shout-out.

Congrats to Adrianne Daily for being the first in with last week’s answer, Ocean Grove.

This week’s question is inspired by a Facebook post in the Cape May Live group.

Is it OK to secretly photograph people you don’t know at the beach and then post it online trying to identify them because the photo seems like something they might want?

I say no. Put your phone down, stop watching other people, watch the sunset … through your phone. Sure, the photo you took from behind of the couple watching the sunset seems nice, pretty, maybe even something they’d like, but did they ask you?

How about tap them on the shoulder and show them? If that seems too intrusive, then let me assure you, posting it on the internet is even more so. Even better, let’s all just watch the sunset/sunrise.

❓Have an etiquette or other question for Down the Shore? Ask us here.

From Barbara Cummings: The left hand froze in the position of holding a rifle, but he could still reel in the fish with his right hand, my Disabled American Vet Dad. As the sun was about to rise, he would pass my brothers rooms and come awaken me, “Come on, Barb, get up they’re bitin’.”

With gear and bait ready we would drive from our shore home to the canal that separated the Atlantic Ocean from the Delaware Bay. The sun slowly rose and the bobbers bobbed, waters lapped, and eventually fish bit, to this day, I can smell the salt air, hear lapping water and the congratulations and smiles and hugs when I caught something to be taken home and taught all the intricacies of preparing the fish for dinner!

📮 Send us your Shore memory in 200 words, tell us how the Shore taps into something deep for you, and we will publish the best of them in this space during the summer. Send them here.

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