MINI FOOD TOURISM       


 Calling all “Food Tourists”. Yes ,I know that it is a waste of gas but when you want 


 some of the world's best smoked  salmon on a freshly baked sesame bagel


you have to make some sacrifices . Yes, I know that Downbeach Deli ( 8 Essex S  


In Margate City)  is at exit 36 but those knishes they are to die for. What is a guy to do?


Wipe the freezer burn off of that petrified package of Lender's Bagels buried under your


thinly sliced chicken breasts? Of course not. You double check your car for your lost Easy Pass 


and head straight for the Parkway!


Now In case you haven’t heard of it, “Food Tourism “ is a sophisticated term for  spoiled 


 “Chazers”  (Yiddish for Pigs or Overeaters) who are willing to travel sometimes for long 


distances for food. Yet there must be a lot of us because last year alone it was  a $700 billion


Dollar industry that is projected to double in the next 3 years. So the next time you hop in your 


car or board a plane with a thought of distant food on your mind, you can take solace in the 


fact that you are just one of many lemmings , shamelessly  lured by their unrealistic  food 


memories who  travel  long distances (and spend extra dinero ) just  satisfy their  selfish 


cravings . But who am I to go food  shaming anyone? 


Anyway speaking of traveling  and dinero , there is a nice little day trip you may like to 


consider, on a warm sunny day, and  that would be  Casa Vasca Bar And Grill (141 Elm St) 


located  in  Ironbound Newark. Casa Vasca has been a neighborhood favorite for over 30 years 


serving authentic Basque  cuisine at very reasonable prices ( with many entrees in the $20  


range) It is a warm and welcoming place  thanks to the private parking and lovely hostess 


 Maria Aure who will make you feel just like Familia. Go  early on a Sunday and you will feel like


 you have  been invited to cena at your Abuela’s house, just with a larger menu. 


 Talking about menus, I guarantee you that by the time you finish perusing all the choices on


this one,  you will be drooling as well as conflicted. But not to worry because just about everything is


thoughtfully prepared and satisfying. My only problem with the place is that for some reason  they are


very stingy with the salt but then again , that's what salt shakers are for. So if you want to ditch the


Door Dash for a while and just get outta Dodge , there are many unseen vistas that await you once


you get past exit 102.You won’t even need a passport. And BTW say hello to Maria for me, she is a


doll.






                                                     Langoustine at Casa Vasca




                          Getting down at Downbeach Deli  Enough Said.




 

 

 

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