Not just selling shore homes, selling a shore way of life. Your resource for the best homes, hotspots, & happenings in Margate, Ventnor, & Atlantic City.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Restaurant Week Recommendations!


1. Morton's Steakhouse at Caesar's

Caesar's Hotel & Casino
2100 Pacific Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 449-1044

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Baked Five Onion Soup
Broiled Sea Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

Our Favorite Entrees:
Cajun Ribeye Steak
Filet Oskar

Our Favorite Desserts:
Morton's Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake
Key Lime Pie

2. Noodles of the World at Borgata
Borgata Casino & Hotel
1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, NJ(609) 317-1000

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Grilled Chicken Satay: grilled chicken, sa cha spice, carrots, daikon radish, peanut dipping sauce, and thai sweet chili. $6.00
Shanghai Vegetarian Spring Rolls: chinese cabbage, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, thin flour pastry, and sweet and sour plum sauce. $6.00

Our Favorite Entrees:
Peking Style Shrimp and Chicken: shrimp, chicken, green peas, onions, straw mushrooms, green peppers, spicy Peking sauce, and steamed white rice. $15.00
Kyoto Udon: udon noodles stir fried, shrimp, chicken, roast pork, bean sprouts, green pepper, scallions, carrots, onions, white pepper, sesame, and soy sauce. $14.00

3. Nero's Grill at Caesar's
Caesar's Hotel and Casino
2100 Pacific Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(800) 223-7277

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Handmade Mozzarella with serrano ham, piquillo peppers, sylvetta arugula, and sherry dressing. $9.00
Lobster Bisque with petite lobster roll and lobster oil. $8.00

Our Favorite Entrees: 
Soft-shell Crab Club: Jersey tomatoes, bacon, avacado-roasted garlic puree. $16.00
Hawaiian Swordfish with steak frites, maitre'd hotel butter, and basil oil. $28.00




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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Restaurant Week Recommendations!




1. Izakaya Modern Japanese Pub
  Borgata Casino and Hotel
1 Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 317-1000

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Edamame Dumplings with sweet sake, shallot, and truffle. $10.00
Tempura Calamari Salad with apple, basil, and ginger citrus dressing. $14.00

Our Favorite Entrees:
Kobe Beef with apricot mustard and cilantro. $14.00
Baby Dragon Roll
with soy sheet, spicy tuna, salmon, cucumber, and avacado. $16.00


Our Favorite Desserts: 
Tempura Bananas with vanilla soy ice cream, fudge, and strawberry. $7.00
Strawberry Rhubarb Tart with ginger ice cream and yuzu. $7.00

2. Knife and Fork Inn
 3600 Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 344-1133

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Cornmeal Crusted Calamari with roasted pepper aioli. $9.00
Crab & Avocado Terrine with pico de gallo, creme fraiche, roasted pepper puree. $12.00

Our Favorite Entrees:
Spice-Rubbed Salmon with corn relish and tomatillo puree. $28.00
Braised Short Ribs with mashed yukon gold. $26.00

Our Favorite Desserts:
Pecan Praline Cake with raspberry creme anglaise. $8.00
Mixed Berry Napoleon with phyllo pastry and white chocolate mousse. $8.00

3. Mia at Caesar's
 2100 Pacific Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ
(609) 441-2345
Our Favorite Appetizers:
Homemade Potato Gnocchi with asparagus tips, chanterelle mushrooms, and parmesan butter. $15.00
Pan-seared Diver Sea Scallops with celery root puree, pumpkin agrodolce golden raisins, and pumpkin seed garnish. $16.00
Our Favorite Entrees:
Vitello Alla Mia: Sauteed Veal Cutlets, Prosciutto, Melted Telleggio cheese, and Porcini sauce. $36.00
Sushi Grade Tuna: Spicy Sesame Lo Mein cake, Shitake mushrooms, and soy-ginger butter. $33.00
Our Favorite Desserts
Tiramisu Mia: Coffee-soaked ladyfinger with amaretto mascarpone cream.
Bombolini: Fresh-crushed raspberry custard, candied lemon, and limoncello shot. 
  

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Restaurant Week Recommendations


1. Fin at the Tropicana
Tropicana Casino and Resort 
 2831 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ
1-800-345-8767

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Crispy Point Judith Calamari: roasted garlic scented black pepper, meyer lemon caper aioli, spicy plum tomato sauce. $15.00
Chicken Strata: Chicken Scallopini Grilled with Roasted Tomatoes, Smoked Fresh Mozzarella, Wilted Spinach, Green Tomato Cream. $12.00
Our Favorite Entrees
Barnegat Light Monkfish: Pepper bacon wrapped viking village monkfish, broccolini, lobster beurre blanc. $34.00
Double Cut Superior Farms Rib Lamb Chops with charred red onion, fennel, yellow tomato, natural Jus. $45.00

Our Favorite Desserts
Fin's Chocolate Jubilation Cake: Chocolate Buttermilk Cake infused with Caramel, Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.
Meyer Lemon Cheesecake
with Lemon Curd, Fresh Cherry Compote
.


2. Gallagher's Steakhouse at Resorts
 Resorts International Hotel and Casino
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401 
(609) 340-6555 

Our Favorite Appetizers
Steak Tartare. $15.00
Littleneck Clams. $14.00

Our Favorite Entrees
Roasted Half Chicken with Lyonnaise potatoes and jumbo asparagus. $25.00
Salmon Steak with sauteed mushrooms and baby spinach. $30.00

3. Il Mulino New York at Trump Taj Mahal
Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort
1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 449-6006

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Carciofini Romana: sliced artichoke hearts with herb butter, bacon, and white wine sauce. $15.95
Vongole Oreganata: baked clams on the half-shell topped with bread crumbs, lemon, garlic, and white wine. $15.75
Our Favorite Entrees
Capellini Il Mulino: wild mushrooms, pancetta and sweet peas in a vodka cream and black truffle sauce. $25.75
Uccelletti alla Fiorentina: Veal rollatine with mushrooms, mozzarella, and prosciutto in a wine cream sauce. $31.75
 


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Monday, January 24, 2011

More Recommendations for Restaurant Week!


1. Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar
at the Quarter 
The Quarter at Tropicana
2801 Pacific Ave
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: (609) 348-6700

Our Favorite Appetizers:
Chicharrones de la Casa: Crisp marinated chicken, skirt steak, pork masitas, Cortez chorizo, toston, and yuca bites, with mojo picante. $13.00
Arepa Rellena: Grilled white corn cake filled with short-rib Ropa Vieja and mozzarella cheese, roasted corn crema and romesco drizzle. $11.50

Our Favorite Entrees
Fricase de Pollo: Cuban-style paprika marinated boneless chicken casserole, Manzanilla olives and raisins, Malanga-goat cheese fondue. $21.00
El Cubano: Classic pressed Cuban sandwich, Ybor city style. Sour orange marinated pork loin, Genoa salami, ham, Provolone and Swiss cheese, yellow mustard pickle relish with tropical chips. $16.50

Our Favorite Desserts
Tres Leches de Banana: Vanilla sponge cake soaked in three banana-flavored milks, with chocolate banana mousse and caramelized banana. $8.00
Torta de Chocolate y Dulce de Leche: Fallen chocolate souffle tart layered with dulce de leche. Dulce de leche ice cream, chocolate-orange sauce and blueberry compote. $8.00

2. DJ's Steakhouse
Trump Marina
Brigantine Boulevard
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 441-8300

Our Favorite Appetizers
Ahi Tuna Duo: Tataki Tempura with crushed peanuts, pea tendrils, ginger ponzu & Tartare with lemon grass, toasted sesame, avacado, dried chile. $16.00
Oyster Rockefeller: Baked with Pernod scented spinach, jumbo lump crabmeat, hollandaise. $16.00

Our Favorite Entrees
Pan-fried Kurobuta Pork Chop: with butternut squash, roast stuffed apple, and a cider reduction. $34.00
Braised Veal Shank: with baby root vegetables, saffron goat cheese mashed potatoes, and natural jus. $36.00

3. Dock's Oyster House
2405 Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401-6630
(609) 345-0092
Our Favorite Appetizers:
Crab and Corn Chowder: Crabmeat, corn, and potatoes, finished with a jalapeño cream sauce. $7.50
Shrimp Ceviche: Shrimp marinated in citrus with jalapeno, tomatoes and onion. $9.50

Our Favorite Entrees:
Pan-sauteed Red Snapper: over demi-glace, topped with asparagus, crabmeat, and béarnaise sauce. $28.00
Pan-sauteed Crab Cakes: with jumbo lump crabmeat and a roasted red pepper puree. $26.00




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Press of Atlantic City article on booming Marven Gardens


Since we have our own beautiful listings on East Drive, this morning's Press of Atlantic City front page article was of great relevance. Our Buyers and clients may find it equally important, so we are sharing it with you!

Houses sell, get renovated in Margate's Marven Gardens like the real estate bust never happened 

By STEVEN LEMONGELLO Staff WriterpressofAtlanticCity.com

 

MARGATE - Take a walk along East Drive, with its Spanish colonials and Tudors, and you will see a sign that reads: "Welcome to Marven Gardens."
Right behind it, you will see a classic Colonial Revival home - stripped and lifted up on its foundations to make room for a big new rear addition, a large first-floor kitchen, a new bathroom and an enlarged bedroom.
Welcome to Marven Gardens, where the real estate bust never happened.

The original planned development community - and most of Margate, it seems - has been mostly immune from the giant downturn in the real estate market that has wreaked havoc on communities up and down the shore, Realtors and residents say.
One of the four homes sold in the Gardens in the past two years had a list price of $559,333 and sold for $539,375. By comparison, a home on East Drive sold for $582,000 in 2005, at the height of the market, said D.J. Gluck, a real estate agent with Soleil Sotheby's International in Margate.
"The values have done a pretty good job of holding their own," Gluck said.
The past few years also have seen more renovations in the neighborhood than ever before, residents said, with several homes completely demolished and rebuilt. Across the city, 50 new homes have been approved to be built since the beginning of 2010, almost double the number from 2009, when the downturn was at its height, data from the Margate Construction Office show.
The key difference, said residents and real estate agents: Unlike in cities such as Ocean City and Brigantine, properties in Margate were not bought up by speculators hoping to turn a profit, but rather by homeowners and second homeowners looking for a place to live - instead of just an investment.
"A lot of other houses (in other towns) are owned by landlords, renting properties out and go-go-go," Gluck said. "In the real estate days of 2005, folks bought a lot of property as speculation, holding onto the properties, hoping for more down the road. ... The problem is, when the music stopped, everyone was left scrambling for chairs."

The typo
Marven Gardens' fame rests in part on its placement as one of the yellow spaces on the Monopoly board - one more address would-be tycoons can buy and sell at will in between throws of the dice.
But for whatever reason, Monopoly creator Charles Darrow - in adding the one location on the board not in Atlantic City - used the spelling "Marvin" instead of the proper "Marven," which derives from the Gardens' location on the Margate/Ventnor border.
Historian Allen "Boo" Pergament could only shake his head when flipping through a folder full of period postcards from the area.
"This one's ‘I', this one's ‘E', ‘I', ‘I', ‘I', ‘E'," Pergament said. "On this one, they spell it with an ‘I' - and look right here. There's a sign in the picture, and it says ‘E'!"
As goes Monopoly, so goes the world. The 1972 Jack Nicholson film "The King of Marvin Gardens" perpetuated the error, as did writer John McPhee in his 1971 New Yorker essay, "The Search for Marvin Gardens."
But McPhee's article was less about the physical neighborhood itself than a parable, comparing the extreme differences between the drastic conditions he saw at the real-life locations of some of the other streets on the Monopoly board - Mediterranean, Baltic, North Carolina avenues - and the seemingly illusory quality of the nowhere-to-be-found "Marvin Gardens."
Once he found it, McPhee described it as "the ultimate outwash of Monopoly ... a citadel of the middle class."
"People who have lived in Atlantic City all their lives don't know where to find it," one unnamed resident proudly tells him.

The circle
One year, there was nothing there - "Pine woods ... occupied by squatters (and) a man with a wooden leg" reads one history of Margate - and a few years later in 1923, there were suddenly 19 homes in a circle, imitating Frederick Law Olmsted's exhortation to break "the tyranny of the gridiron street patterns."
Sharon Goff, of Margate, recently uncovered the sale of the below sea-level land to developers Frank Pendrick & Sons for $150,000 in 1922. Soon, ads proclaimed it "the most highly restrictive residential development in the country ... built to the individual taste of the owner. The best architectural skill has been applied and remarkable results achieved. Here a unique Spanish bungalow, there a Dutch colonial, beyond a home of rich Italian lines."
The cost: between $15,000 and $17,000, an old blueprint collected by resident Nancy Roche shows. A breakfast room, not included, would set you back another $800.
Today, those same nearly century-old homes need a lot of costly care to maintain a 21st century standard of living. The home being raised on East Drive is a case in point - the federal government requires a home be elevated due to flood regulations if the cost of improvements exceeds 100 percent of assessed value.
For some of the older homes, meanwhile, it is actually cheaper to demolish them.
"It doesn't pay to raise them," city Construction Officer Jim Galantino said. "Why fix a building up when you can just tear it down and build a newer house - if they can. If they have the money. Or else they can sell it to someone who (does)."
Even if you don't want to tear them down, "Eighty percent of the homes you buy here are going to need work," estimated Marven Gardens resident Mary Brooks, the owner of a 1920s-era Spanish-style home that was recently gutted as part of a seven-month renovation.
"You have to want that going in," Brooks said. "If you want to be here, you know you're going to keep spending money. ... You need the right buyer who has the vision."
‘The right user'
"This one right here is an English Tudor," Roche said, pointing to an East Drive home. "A couple fell in love and bought it back in the '80s. It's nice that nobody's taken it apart."
The one next door, meanwhile, looks nothing like its neighbor: It's a Spanish colonial with arched windows and a tile roof - one of the few rental properties in the neighborhood, Roche said.
The home a few doors down that was completely torn down and rebuilt? You can barely tell the old house was gone, she said.
As for homes on the market now, there aren't many - only two out of the more than 200 in the development.
"There's been a few," said Brooks. "One in particular has been on the market a long time. But again - it just needs the right user."
Among those who live there - and who have made the investment to live there - many said there was no other place like it.
"Marven Gardens seemed to be the only real neighborhood in Margate. It's actually a neighborhood - not just a street," said Arthur Rubin, a West Drive resident since 2004.
For Roche, the owner of a 1925 Spanish colonial, living in Marven Gardens really has been a case of the board game coming to life. She rolled the dice, and that's where she landed.
"I knew about it from the Monopoly board," Roche said. "I didn't even realize it was a neighborhood until I drove through with a Realtor. And I thought, ‘Oh, wow! This is it.'"



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Friday, January 21, 2011

More Recommendations for Restaurant Week!



In the days leading up to Restaurant Week, we are providing you with our top choices within the participant list. Today we have 3 more that you can't miss!

1. Carmine's at the Quarter
Tropicana Hotel and Casino, NJ
2801 Pacific Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 572-9300

Our Favorite Appetizers
Spicy Scarpariello Wings, $19.50
Fried Calamari, $32.50

Our Favorite Entrees
Chicken Scaloppine with lemon and butter, $29.00
Giardiniera with angel hair pasta, $29.00
Our Favorite Desserts
Italian Cheesecake, $12.00
Chocolate Cannoli, $15.50


2. Chelsea Prime
The Chelsea Hotel
111 South Chelsea Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 428 -4545

Our Favorite Appetizers
Scallops with smoked bacon and fried green tomatoes, $16.00
Lobster Bisque with chives and crème fraîche, $10.00
Our Favorite Entrees
Muscovy Duck Breast, pan roasted, with Beluga lentils, duck sausage, and fig jam, $28.00
Scottish Organic Salmon, olive oil poached, with roasted fingerling potatoes, $29.00

Our Favorite Desserts
Frangelico Creme Brulee, with crispy chocolate hazelnut meringues, $7.00
Apple Cider Doughnuts, with cinnamon applejack gelato, $7.00
3. Continental Restaurant at the Pier
 The Pier at Caesar's
2100 Pacific Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 674-8300

Our Favorite Appetizers
Tuna Tartare Potato Skins with lemon-scallion cream and micro greens, $13.00
French Onion Soup Dumplings baked with Gruyere cheese, $9.00

Our Favorite Entrees
Chilean Sea Bass with miso glaze, Chinese broccoli and sweet potato mash, $22.00
Lobster Mac n' Cheese with orzo, fontina, Parmesan bread crumbs, and Gruyere, $19.00

Our Favorite Desserts
Blonde Bombshell: Blondie with double-malted ice cream and butterscotch sauce, $7.00
Carmellow: flourless chocolate cake with a liquid caramel center and caramel-coconut rum sorbet, $7.00



 



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New Listing!


Margate City, NJ

The ultimate in luxury, comfort and attention detail punctuate this gorgeous south side 4BD, 3.5BA town home situated in the heart of the Marina section of Margate. This spacious home features a custom kitchen with a granite breakfast bar, Brazilian cherry wood floors throughout, master BD suite with walk-in closet and whirlpool tub, a huge first floor BD perfect for a family room, multiple decks, private fenced yard, 2-car garage and parking pad. Enjoy the best restaurants and shops, & just steps to the beach! 
 
Asking Price: $695,000

More Photos:


 

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Our Recommendations for Restaurant Week!




In the next few weeks leading up to Atlantic City Restaurant Week, we will be recommending 3 of our favorite participating restaurants. If you like what you see, make your reservations here.

1. Angelo's Fairmount Tavern
 2300 Fairmount Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 344-2439
 
Our favorite appetizers:
Eggplant Florentine: Lightly fried layers of eggplant topped with spinach and provolone cheese and smothered with marinara
Spicy Cheese Ravioli: Breaded ravioli deep fried and served with marinara sauce
Our favorite entrees:
Veal Piccante: Lightly floured veal sauteed in lemon, butter, and white wine, with a touch of garlic
Steak Angelo: NY sirloin steak with roasted peppers, sliced black olives, and artichoke hearts in balsamic vinegar

2. Arturo's at Bally's Casino
900 Pacific Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 340-2300
Our favorite appetizers:
Insalata alla Cesare: Crisp Romaine, Caesar Dressing, Garlic Croutons, Shaved Parmigiano Cheese & White Anchovies
Carciofi Imbottiti: Baby artichikes Stuffed with Tuna and Capers
Our favorite entrees:
Salmon ai Ferri: Grilled Salmon served with Sauteéd Garlic & Spinach topped with Tomato Relish
Branzino all’Astigiana: Baked striped Bass with Asti Spumante Sauce and Asparagus


3. Buddakan
 The Pier Shops at Caesars
1 Atlantic Ocean #4111, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 674-0100
Our favorite appetizers:
Edamame Ravioli in sauternes-shallot broth
Tuna Spring Roll with crisp shallot & chili mayonnaise
Our favorite entrees:
Pan Seared Sea Bass with haricots verts, butternut squash, maitake mushrooms, truffle jus
Wasabi Crusted Filet Mignon with sweet potato mash