Cool Cape May 2021-22
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[102] food & drink<br />
Magnolia Room At The Chalfonte Hotel<br />
Celebrating 145 years of seaside beauty, relaxation, legendary cuisine and classic cocktails<br />
HIGHLIGHTS<br />
WHERE IS IT? In the magnificent<br />
Chalfonte Hotel on Howard Street.<br />
WHY SHOULD I GO? When Helen<br />
Dickerson was running the Magnolia<br />
Room kitchen, which she did for more<br />
than 70 years, she expected good,<br />
old-fashioned Southern manners from<br />
her crew. Her daughters, Dot Burton<br />
and Lucille Thompson, seamlessly<br />
continued the tradition, running the<br />
kitchen together for 50-odd years,<br />
until Dot’s passing in 2015 at the age<br />
of 88. Craig LaBan of The Philadelphia<br />
Inquirer wrote, “Any time you get a<br />
chance to have an 80-plus-year-old<br />
Southern chef cook for you, do it.<br />
Make that two 80-plus-year-old chefs<br />
with a century-old chicken-frying pan,<br />
and it’s worth changing your plans.”<br />
Chalfonte matriarch, Lucille and<br />
esteemed <strong>Cape</strong> <strong>May</strong> chef John Siuta<br />
lovingly continue the Magnolia Room’s<br />
legacy. As for that Southern-fried<br />
chicken, it’s prepared in huge cast-iron<br />
skillets. The secret is in the thickly<br />
sliced onions. It’s a trick that must<br />
work, because the dish was named<br />
one of the 10 best in the country by<br />
USA Today. The restaurant regularly<br />
receives national acclaim, with<br />
features on Discovery Channel’s Home<br />
Matters and Food Network’s Tyler’s<br />
Ultimate.<br />
INSIDER TIP Eat inside the Magnolia<br />
Room or on the veranda — there’s<br />
nothing more Southern than spending<br />
the evening in a rocking chair. Either<br />
way, stop by the King Edward bar, a<br />
classic watering hole, to kick off your<br />
evening. And look out for regular live<br />
entertainment on the alluring porch at<br />
this famous old hotel.<br />
Dot’s Southern<br />
Fried Chicken<br />
There’s no other fried<br />
chicken like it.<br />
Miss Helen’s Crab Cakes<br />
Crabmeat held together<br />
with fresh herbs and Miss<br />
Helen’s secret sauce.<br />
Lucille’s Clam Chowder<br />
Chalfonte regulars will tell<br />
you it’s the tastiest clam<br />
chowder ever.<br />
Sea Scallops<br />
Broiled scallops with<br />
lemon, garlic and white<br />
wine.<br />
Vegetarian Entrée<br />
of the Day<br />
Ask your server.<br />
Breakfast<br />
Begins at 8:30am daily in<br />
season.<br />
Dinner<br />
Begins at 5:30pm daily<br />
in season. Reservations<br />
recommended.<br />
King Edward Bar<br />
Opens at 3pm daily in<br />
season.<br />
CHALFONTE HOTEL, 301 HOWARD STREET l CAPE MAY l 609-884-8409 l chalfonte.com
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