Red
Store
Cape May Point, NJ
Final Grade: B
In the past 3 weeks, I have called
this place the wrong name too many times. I’ve said Red House, Red Door, and
maybe only twice referred to it with its correct name- Red Store. It also obviously didn’t help that I recently ate at a restaurant called
Red Knot just a few weeks ago. What the heck, do I need to look into the color
of red or something?!? Anyway, even though I can’t seem to remember this spot’s
name, I most certainly can remember what we ate. Food this good doesn’t slip
the mind like namesakes do.
This is actually Part 2 in a 3-part
series all based around Hubby’s _ _ birthday. Last week, I detailed Our Day in Cape May while today you will be in luck to read about our celebratory dinner.
After searching and searching for a
reputable seafood BYOB restaurant in our area, I was left with little hope for
a memorable meal. I decided to switch focus and start looking into French BYOB
places. After making a few calls and finding out most places were booked, I
went into my trusty NJ Monthly Top 25 Restaurants List, 2013 to see what I could find. This is
where I found the write-up on Red Store. Seafood-check, BYOB- check, great
reviews-check, open reservation for August 10- check. Done! Off we went…
As the name implies, it is somewhat
of a store. Don’t fret though; the store is like a country convenience store
that only takes up the first ¼ of the space. It is actually very cute and while
your table is getting set, you can shop- nice touch. We didn’t specify whether
inside or outside with our reservation so were a bit apprehensive about being
placed al fresco. Again, no need to fret here either- the outdoor garden patio
is covered, breezy and ridiculously romantic. I’d take a table there any day
over their wood-plank floored and ceiling fan ventilated dining room.
The menu was small but definitely
detailed and grand in its scope of cuisine. We decided to each go with the
3-course tasting menu. Even with 6 meals to pick between the two of us, we had
difficulties deciding. So while we debated and discussed our choices, we
enjoyed an order of the Artisanal Bread. The bread was decent, the butter was
divine. Covered in course sea salt, it spruced up that loaf like a pro.
My first course was the Corn and Crab Chowder
and what a way to start! It was, by far, the best soup I’ve ever had. Creamy, steamy,
and seasoned perfectly, it had me at first spoonful. The corn was just ripe
enough to let both the silkiness of the base and freshness of the corn shine. Matt went with the Wagu Beef Carpaccio and was
quite content with his choice. He admired the velvety richness of the
paper-thin beef but honestly thought the arugula salad and Grana Padano cheese
stole the show.
For the second course, I went with
my old standby, Jersey Scallops. Laid atop a quinoa and pistachio taboulei,
they were simply scrumptious. The tomato jam was a nice addition that added a
welcomed depth of acidity but with fresh scallops, I am always one to adhere to
the “less is more” mantra. Matt went with the Argentinean Style Spicy Empanadas
and was then sitting next to 2 things he loved, (wink wink). The pastry dough
was light and just-a-bit-buttery while the inside chopped meat was kicking with
spice and personality. I especially enjoyed the cilantro crema as it both
cooled and contrasted the spices.
Dinners were next and we were
definitely ready to get to the “main course”. Birthday Boy went with My Mother’s
Ricotta Gnocchi with Crab while I went with the Grilled Flat Iron Steak with
Duck Fat Fries. Yes, I just typed that- duck fat fries. My dinner was the
better of the two indeed as Matt’s was a bit too one-noted. The creamy sauce
and lump crab meat needed a burst of color or liveliness to cut through the
deep and rich flavors abound. My steak was cooked to its requested medium-rare
and was rather flavorful. The fries, ya know- the duck fat ones, were as you’d expect,
delicious times a thousand. And although a bit too large for my liking, the
crispy-fried edges were darkened and crisped just enough to counter the heavy
starch within.
As with any birthday dinner, we were
more than willing to stay for dessert but were surprised to not see nor be
offered a dessert menu. We didn’t ask the waitress either as it seemed that no
one around us was satisfying their sweet tooth either. We paid our bill,
thanked our wonderful waitress and trekked it back up the parkway. Our 2.5 hour
drive was long without a doubt, but we filled it with tasty conversation about
not only our next trip back but to how we could replicate that chowder in the
meantime. Funny, we still haven’t attempted that recipe nor have planned that
trip…..Frankly, I think we need to narrow our focus and just concentrate on
getting the name right first!
So even if you can’t remember the
name, here is the info you do need to know: Red Store is located at 500 Cape
Avenue, Cape May Point, NJ 08212. For more information, please visit their website .
Total score 20/25
Final
Grade: B
A: 21-25 B: 16-20
C: 11-15 D: 6-10 F: 0-5
Restaurant Rubric
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
|
Food Taste
|
Bland, boring, overcooked, underdone
|
Very little flavor, not much aroma
|
Flavors apparent, basic ability to
please palates
|
Flavor
worth discussing, chef’s use of ingredients impressive
|
Great flavor, taste lingers and leaves
diner wanting more
|
Restaurant service
|
disrespectful
|
Inattentive staff, no regard for wait
time
|
Staff average in helpfulness, timing
alright, either more/less needed
|
Staff
knowledgeable and attentive to needs without asking, timing very well
executed
|
Remarkable and noteworthy, service so
good you forget it is ever an issue elsewhere
|
Food Presentation
|
Cover it up please
|
Sloppy and the eater can tell little
thought went into it
|
Descent
presentation: looks alright, not worth a picture but enough to make you
hungry
|
Admirable,
it is apparent the chef plated with a consideration for presentation
|
Presentational talents are here. Looks
beautiful and too good to dig in
|
Prices match quality
|
Prices are too high for quality
|
Prices are still too high but not
outrageously
|
Some items are priced accordingly but
not all
|
Most items are priced accordingly
|
All
items are matched accordingly
|
Would I go back?
|
Not a chance ever
|
Nope
|
Maybe
|
Looking
forward to it
|
What time should I arrive?!?
|
