Merriment in Margate

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT > FEATURES

Catch up to good times, fine cuisine at Tomatoe's

By Ray Schweibert

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Apr. 17, 2008

Dana Dickinson, Heather Chafe and Maxine Siracusa party at the Margate hot spot on a recent evening.

Now nearly eight years in its present bayside digs, having formerly existed for seven years in a much smaller venue in midtown Margate, Tomatoe's has become a vastly popular dining and social establishment not just among the denizens of Absecon Island, but with visitors from far and wide.

Still, though, the sizable and shimmering Amherst Avenue eatery is a hub of activity among the locals -- so much so that on a recent Friday night one couple got engaged en route.

"We have a billboard on the Margate Causeway, and we let the groom cover it with a marriage proposal before bringing [his bride-to-be] here for dinner," says Karen Sherman, co-owner of Tomatoe's with Carmen Rone. "When they got here, their whole families came out from behind the screens to congratulate them. It was really adorable."

The "screens" are thin sliding doors called shojis that can be closed to isolate one of the four dining areas that constitute Tomatoe's. That and another dining area near the rear of the building -- one that includes its own bar and is often utilized for private parties -- are slightly elevated, as is the glass-encased sushi bar one sees when entering Tomatoe's through the main bar. Patrons can view Japanese chefs carving pelagic delicacies with impressive precision at the sushi prep station. The large octagonal bar is surrounded by plush booths that are part of Tomatoe's nearly 300-seat capacity, and included is a big picture window overlooking the bay. In one corner a small stage area serves as the site of entertainment most nights after 9pm, and on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9pm-midnight for its now-famed synthesis of half-priced sushi and popular DJ music dubbed "Rock-n-Roll Sushi."

Joel Scardelli, Dave Oser, Bob Lerner and Keith Oser hanging at Tomatoe's.

The shoji dining room can seat about 50 and features large pop-art paintings of Marilyn Monroe, Superman, and one of a can of crushed tomatoes reminiscent of Andy Warhol's style. Some of the signature dishes (which can be seen by clicking "entrées" on the Tomatoe's Web site) look like works of art themselves, such as the Tuna Napoleon with crispy wontons, the pan-fried, soft-shelled crabs in pepper sauce, or the Chilean sea bass in a miso glaze. Rone used to be Tomatoe's' head chef, but that title has since been bequeathed to Matt Ryan.

"He's wonderful," says Sherman. "He's working very well with what we do. He's good with Asian fusion and continental cuisine, steaks and chops, the whole deal."

Tomatoe's also prides itself on its wine collection, which includes over 2,000 bottles at any given time, most of which are kept primarily in a climate-controlled wine cellar along with other small enclaves throughout the establishment. Bottles are priced from what would be considered affordable up to $400, and it offers over 60 wines by the glass. Occasionally Tomatoe's hosts reservations-only "wine dinners," the next being scheduled for May 9 and including a special five-course menu.

"We're working with a French wine company called Louis Latour, and one of their reps will be coming here, preparing a five-course meal, and pairing it with five of their wines," says Sherman. "There will also be a little entertainment presentation about the wines. We want to cap that off at about 55 people so that it's a nice, intimate kind of evening. It should be a lot of fun, and seemed like a nice thing to put together for springtime."

Tomatoe'sAddress: 9300 Amherst Ave., Margate. www.tomatoesmargate.comPhone: 822-7535Hours: Dinner hours are 5-10pm daily (11pm weekends). The bar is open until 1am or later. Happy hour is 5-6:30pm Sun.-Thurs. Rock-n-Roll Sushi (half-priced sushi and DJ entertainment) is Monday and Wednesday from 9pm-midnight. Details: Despite its size -- about 10,000 square feet, four separate dining areas and a capacity of nearly 300 -- Tomatoe's fills up fast, particularly on weekends, so reservations are recommended. There is live music in its spacious bar area four nights per week, including the Budesa Brothers duo on Mondays, crooner Tony Cardelli on Wednesdays, a saxophonist on Saturdays and a jazz trio on Sundays.