Cookie's Goodies

Share this Story:

Cookie Till (photo by nick valinote)

What becomes a legend most?

That quasi-rhetorical query, often pondered over by pundits, locally finds its real-time, walking, talking definition in the form of one Caroline "Cookie" Till.

The owner-operator of Margate's half-eponymous Steve and Cookie's, Till's quiet, effective stewardship continues to keep her enterprise ahead of the dining curve.

Beyond that, she has fashioned a formidable network of allies, largely through extensive community service efforts, which continue to reap rewards for the citizens of Margate and beyond.

Like a recent Saturday morning, at the nearby Tighe-Ross school complex, when more than 45 parents and children assembled to create a functional garden. Till, along with organic farm advocate Mike Azzera of Lawrenceville initiated this project, now in its fourth year, as a means of introducing young people to native Jersey products like tomato, eggplant, peppers and lettuce.

This year, blueberry bushes became a part of that landscape, and some of that bounty will find its way into Till's Amherst Avenue kitchen, when Steve and Cookie's hosts a thank-you dinner for those involved, later this summer.

A short stint working for Campbell's Foods, after graduating from Drexel University with an MS in nutrition in the early 1980s, led Till, an Atlantic City native and Holy Spirit alumnus, back to the shore. She soon paired up with late husband Steve across the road from her current location, directly on the water, at The Crab Pot.

Closing after nearly 15 years, the couple carefully searched out another property, landing the unique structure -- once a restricted members-only German club -- and transforming it into a nothing less than a Jersey shore culinary oasis.

But there's much more than being a hugely successful restaurateur at work here.

Till, widely regarded regionally as being one of the very best bosses in the biz, explains her philosophy with simple eloquence: "I want to surround myself with good people" and "I want them to want to come to work."

In furtherance of that attitude, Till also annually hosts an in-house art show for her employees (and of late, customers as well) during which their painting, photography and other creative endeavors adorn the walls and other surfaces throughout the facility.

The Culinary team at Steve & Cookie's

Proposed five years past by servers Erin McDevitt and Frank Sparano, bartender John Baker and hostess Emily Van Duyne, the popularity of the restaurant offered them a chance to showcase their respective talents.

Proceeds from the June event are donated to the Atlantic County Special Services School, an organization on whose board Till has been a member.

This coming summer will be the second for her latest endeavor, Thursday's Margate Farmer's Market. Sited on the L-shaped Steve and Cookie's parking lot, this open-air atmosphere presents a weekly opportunity to buy fresh, local produce directly from growers. The restaurant will kick off this season with a Market Night dinner -- another fundraiser, this one for the Literacy Volunteer organization -- on Wednesday, June 10.

Page: 1 2 |Next