The Deauville Inn located in Strathmere, NJ is the perfect spot for a romantic escape to the shore, a day of family fun or a get-together with a group of
friends.

      Located less than eighty miles from Delaware County, it only took me a little over an hour to arrive, ideal travel time for a day trip. The sprawling
property is located right on the water with a formal dining room, sports
bar, outdoor deck, three private sections of beach and plenty of pier
space to dock your boat or other recreational water craft. There was
also ample space for vehicles either in their private parking lot or
along the street.

      Having heard about the fantastic food served in the main dining room, Mark and I decided to start our visit with an early dinner. The dining room
was beautiful and the décor inside complimented by large windows allowing
guests a full view of the water. Seating for dinner in the dining room
starts at 4:00pm and the restaurant filled very quickly – a testament
to the well-deserved reputation for great meals.

      The regular menu has a wide variety of appetizers and entrees plus a children’s menu from which to choose. Appetizers range from $8.75 to $12.75, soups
and salads from $5.25 to $16.25, entrees from $12 to $47 and the children’s
menu runs from $8 to $15. Each night, in addition to the regular fare,
the Deauville offers appetizer and entrée specials.

      We started our meal with two appetizers: Crab Fingers ($9.50) and BBQ Fish Bits ($9). The six large, chilled Crab Fingers were served already shelled
and accompanied by a spicy mustard dipping sauce. Considering just how
big and meaty they were I was surprised it wasn’t part of a full entrée
instead of an appetizer. The BBQ Fish Bites contained bite-sized chunks
of salmon, swordfish and tuna, broiled and topped with a spicy Kentucky
barbecue sauce. Combining the sweet sauce and the broiled seafood was
a true inspiration and worked on many levels.

      The Deauville Inn is known for several dishes: their veal specials, the wonderful broiled deviled crabs and The Captains Platter ($35) which
is what I chose to order. The menu calls the Captain’s Platter “a
combination of broiled seafood King Neptune himself would serve with
pride” and I would have to agree. The beautifully prepared entrée
included a huge lobster tail, two king crab legs, clams casino, scallops,
shrimp and crabmeat. Everything was extremely fresh and the quantities
so large I needed help clearing my plate.

      Mark opted for one of the evening’s specials: Mango Wahoo ($27). The fresh wahoo steak was broiled and served with a mango drizzle and topped with
roasted long hots and crumbled bleu cheese. It was as if they knew all
of Mark’s favorite foods and concocted a dish especially for him.
Once again, the unusual blend of ingredients highlighted the innovative
style of the chef and proves why the Deauville is high atop the list
of must-visit restaurants on the east coast.

      All entrees come with salad, vegetables and choice of potato plus coffee or tea and dessert. Although we didn’t think we could, Mark and I
couldn’t pass up a chance to sample some of the sixteen homemade desserts.
We settled on Mixed Berry Cake and Bomba, one of the specials for the
evening. The cake was a short pastry base filled with Chantilly cream
topped with sponge cake and garnished with blueberries, blackberries,
red currents, raspberries and strawberries. Bomba is a classic vanilla
and chocolate gelato separated by cherries and sliced almonds covered
in cinnamon and finished with a chocolate coating. Fabulous does not
begin to describe how wonderful these confections tasted.

      After dinner we were escorted to the Beach House by our host Linda Brown, a member of the Carpenter Family, owners of the Deauville since 1980.
To get there we passed the outdoor deck which seats approximately 250
guests. Music played as diners enjoyed their meals while watching the
sunlight play on the water.

      Formerly a beach cottage the Beach House has been transformed into a walk-up beach bar serving top shelf liquor and beer. Linda had reserved for
us one of the many umbrella tables set up on the beach. We made ourselves
comfortable as our server Jared took our order, returning quickly with
two perfectly blended Petrone Margueritas. We watched the other patrons,
families with children who played happily in the sand, groups of friends
who had gathered for companionship while partaking in great barbecue
and drinks and couples like us drawn to the romance of the setting sun
and warm breezes.

      We stayed until well after nine, watching as the sun set, beautiful red and gold hues painting the sky with warmth. Although Delco was experiencing
a heat wave, the temperature on the water was cool and refreshing, making
the Deauville seem even more of an oasis. A full moon rose above us
and replaced the sun, dancing sparkles of light on the now serene waters.
It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.    

      The Deauville Inn is open all year long and hosts weddings and private events. Visit them at www.deauvilleinn.com for more information.