Summer Street Food

Posted 7/25/07
By Jane Kashlak

Cape May, NJ - It's hot and juicy and right off the grill. You eat it while cars perfume the air and people jostle by. You are walking and chewing at the same time.

Street food.

It's not just a city thing. The West Cape May Farmer's Market is a good place to find it every Tuesday afternoon. So is any Saturday festival in North Wildwood or Wilbraham Park.

Once the weather gets warm, the people move out doors and the food follows.

What could be better than the slippery sausage and pepper sandwiches served every year at North Wildwood's Italian festival? The best seat in the house is a spot on the curb where you can munch in peace.

If you're lucky, you might get some elbow room at one of the standing room only tables set up for the town's annual barbecue festival.

Missed both? Not to worry. Just look for any event with the word festival in it - and you'll find street food.

That includes the West Cape May Farmer's Market Tuesday afternoons throughout the summer at the West Cape May Borough Hall on Broadway.

There you'll find crab cakes, barbecue, even bags of kettle corn. Of course there are also plenty of wholesome, fresh fruits and veggies. You can take the produce home for later meals.

The only real place to eat street food is standing or sitting no more than 50 feet from the food stand. Plastic utensils and styrofoam dishes only, please. The smell of cooking mixed with cars is de rigeur. And the noise level from nearby crowds should be sufficiently high.

Ah, summer street food.