I Love Lucy
It may seem odd to the uninitiated, but for the past 130 years Lucy the Elephant (9200 Atlantic Ave., Margate, 609-823-6473)—the 90-ton, sixstoried, window-eyed sculpture of a pachyderm by the sea—has been the quintessential Margate landmark.
Hoagie Showdown
The debate over whether Margate’s Dino’s Sub & Pizza Shop (8016 Ventnor Ave., Margate, 609-822-6602) or AC’s White House has better hoagies has been long-standing and contentious. Sure, White House’s Italian hoagies have so much meat that you can make a meal out of one for days, but nothing can beat Dino’s whipped tuna hoagies, made with what just might be the most delicious roll we’ve ever had (sorry, Sarcone’s Deli).
Sweet Endings
Nothing says summer down the Shore like a creamy, decadent ice cream cone after a long day on the sand. Two Cents Plain (9305 Ventnor Ave., Margate, 609-822-2800) has perfected the old-school ice cream shop experience, offering milkshakes and six-scoop sundaes topped with towering peaks of whipped cream and drenched in hot fudge. And for the ultimate Jersey dessert, Jagielky’s Homemade Candies’ (5115 Ventnor Ave., Ventnor, 609-823-6501) dark chocolate-covered blueberries are sinfully delicious—and only available while the berries are in season.
On the Scene
Margate’s Tomatoe’s (9300 Amherst Ave., Margate, 609-822-7535) is the Shore’s ultimate weekend hot spot. Offering solid California cuisine right on the bay, Tomatoe’s is half restaurant, half nightclub; clients come for dinner and stay to party around the massive bar well into the wee hours. Of course, they may get tempted to pop into Memories lounge (9518 Amherst Ave., Margate, 609-823-2196) a few doors down, where Jerry Blavat, Philly’s own Geator With The Heator, skillfully spins oldschool doo-wop tunes to the delight of everyone from barely legal twentysomethings to hip octogenarians.
Shore to Shop
What’s a fashionable girl to do when she’s scored a last-minute dinner date? She heads over to Jules of Margate (7803 Atlantic Ave., Margate, 609-822- 4100), where the season’s trendiest wares are on offer all summer long. For fashion-forward looks, check out The Knit Wit (8001 Ventnor Ave., Margate, 609-822-9442), which shows many of the same designers that the beloved Philly location carries, including Michael Stars, Theory, Elizabeth and James, and Diane von Furstenberg.
