The Ultimate Food Lover’s Weekend at Cape Resorts

For first-time visitors trying to experience Cape Resorts through food, we asked Andrew Skilton, vice president of food and beverage at Cape Resorts, how he would build the perfect two-day Cape May itinerary. His suggestions range from a cold beer at a seaside bar to a farm dinner as the sun goes down over Beach Plum Farm, with some of the most serious seasonal cooking on the Shore in between.

Two-Day Itinerary Crafted By Andrew

Day One

A Picture Perfect Start To Your Day

A Morning Breakfast at the Blue Pig Tavern

Start the day with breakfast on the Congress Hall veranda overlooking the ocean. The Benedicts and avocado toast are both good choices.

A Midday Happy Hour at Rusty Nail

The High Tide Happy Hour runs Monday through Friday from 11am to 4pm. The Rusty Nail has won Cape May's coldest draft competition fourteen years in a row, serving beer at 31 degrees in frozen mugs. There is live music most days and a sand pit for kids.

An Afternoon Lunch at Beach Plum Farm

The walk-up chalkboard changes weekly depending on what is coming out of the ground. Harvest sandwiches, frittatas, house hot dogs, and a curry meatball slider are all worth ordering. The market carries farm eggs, fresh produce, honey, and goods from local artisans.

A Table With Plates Of Food And Cups Of Juice

An Evening of Farm-to-Table Dining

Sunset at The Ebbitt Room

Oyster hour is the move! Order a glass of rosé or a house spritz to pair with Cape May Salts and Sweet Amalia oysters. This is the right pace for early evening in Cape May on The Virginia Hotel porch.

A Farm-to-table Dinner at Beach Plum Farm

On Fridays and Saturdays, the farm hosts a long communal harvest dinner for up to sixty guests. It is BYOB, unhurried, and built entirely around what was grown on the property. New this season, Tables in the Garden offers smaller parties their own table set among the herb and flower gardens, with seatings from 6 to 7:30 pm.

End the night at The Brown Room or Boiler Room

The Brown Room is a post-Prohibition cocktail bar with nightly entertainment, known as Cape May's living room. Downstairs, the Boiler Room serves Neapolitan pizza and craft beer and gets lively on weekends. Either is a great way to end the night.

“We’ve tried to really diversify our food offerings. You can have everything from frozen-mug beers and clam strips to Wagyu and crudo in the same weekend.”
- Andrew Skilton

Day Two

Food & Exploration To Start The Day

A Morning Breakfast at The Rusty Nail

Grab a breakfast sandwich to go. The Canadian bacon, pork roll, and sausage all come directly from Beach Plum Farm. Walk the promenade while you eat it.

An Afternoon at Beach Plum Farm & Exploring Town

Stop back at the farm for the chalkboard menu and a browse through the market, then head into Cape May.

Lighthouse tours, nature hikes, dolphin and whale watching from the harbor, and kayak rentals are all close by. Most Cape Resorts hotels provide bikes, which is a good way to cover ground.

Sunsets & Seafood To Close The Night

Early Evening on the Congress Hall Grand Lawn

Settle in among the wicker furniture and wide umbrellas for a pre-dinner cocktail. The menu is light and shareable: raw bar, tuna tartare, oysters, cocktail shrimp, and charcuterie boards made from pigs raised on the farm.

Order a rosé, prosecco, or house spritz and watch the light go golden.

Dinner at The Ebbitt Room

Ask for a table in the Bluestone Garden out back of The Virginia Hotel. Start with the crudo, then move to the deviled egg trio, which changes every night and is made with eggs from the farm.

For a main, order the Cape May scallops and a few ounces of the Japanese Wagyu followed by an evening stroll on the promenade.