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.