Atlantic City Weekly

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Its bay block setting and warm, charming dining rooms -- some with fireplaces -- are just a few of the things that set Steve & Cookie's By the Bay apart from ordinary eating places. Before it was transformed into a restaurant and bar about eight years ago, the popular Margate restaurant was best remembered by longtime area residents as the home to Strotbecks', a private dining club with somewhat of a notorious reputation. The edifice had already fallen into disrepair when the current owner came along, saw lots of character in the 1936 building, and proceeded to breathe new life into the old structure.

Steve and Cookie's expansive interior now boasts four distinctly different candle-lit dining areas. These include a pub-like Piano Room with live music each night, a main dining room housing one of the restaurant's two working fireplaces, and the spacious Veranda with a vaulted wood-beamed ceiling and a wall of windows that allows a peek at the bay. A fourth room, the Oyster Bar, is the only part of the building that is not original, according to an Oyster Bar bartender. We never would have guessed that, since it's designed to look like an old, but chic pub.

The cozy ambience at the restaurant is certainly an asset, but it's the food quality and preparation that keep the place hopping seven days a week throughout the year.

Early weeknights are characteristically slow nights in restaurants, especially during a resort town's "off-season." However, a decent-sized crowd was enjoying dinner when we arrived at Steve & Cookie's at about half-past six on a Monday night. A pleasant hostess seated us in the Veranda and then our server handed us a menu, which included the evening's specials. We had adequate time to peruse the menu and munch on delicious rolls (including yummy raisin rolls) before she returned and capably answered questions about some menu items.

The restaurant serves up comfortable old favorites like meatloaf with mushroom and onion gravy, and jumbo lump crab cakes, as well as inventive creations by chefs Kevin Kelly and Warner Christy. In the latter category is an appetizer of roasted beets with goat cheese and spiced pecans, and a crispy tamarind-glazed roast duck entrée served with roasted sweet potato, poblano mole and sautéed broccoli rabe.

My husband Dan started his meal with a tasty tempura salmon roll ($11). I opted for a small house salad ($4.50, small; $9, large) which was really quite ample, filling a large dish with baby greens, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and crumbled gorgonzola cheese all drizzled with roasted shallot vinaigrette. Other meal beginnings to consider are the lollipop lamb chops, Manhattan clam chowder and suppli (stuffed risotto fritters). Appetizers, soups and salads range from $4.50-$14.

My meat-loving dining companion has been making an effort to order fresh fish entrées when we dine out in places other than a steakhouse, and so he chose the pecan-crusted Chilean sea bass ($29). He thoroughly enjoyed the fish, which was partnered with smashed potatoes and steamed asparagus.

I went the seafood route, too, with a broiled, eight-ounce Australian cold-water lobster tail ($40). The meat bursting out of the split red shell was moist and tender to the last bite. Although the lobster was flavorful enough on its own, I just couldn't resist dunking the sweet meat into the warm, drawn butter. The dish included steamed, new red-skinned potatoes and a delicious house-made cole slaw. Among other entrée options are double cut pork chop, filet mignon, linguine and clams, Warner's bouillabaisse, and char-grilled frenched chicken breast. Entrées range from $16 for a small pasta, to $74 for twin eight-ounce lobster tails.

Our shared warm, freeform fruit pie dessert ($7) was so good that consideration was given to discussing it at the beginning of this article. Desserts are homemade by Steve & Cookie's owner Caroline "Cookie" Till, and choices such as aborio rice pudding, chocolate peanut butter pie, and flourless chocolate cake are worth a little extra exercising the next day.

The serene, unrushed atmosphere, nicely prepared dishes and fine service made our inaugural visit to Steve & Cookie's By the Bay an overall great experience.

Steve & Cookie's By the Bay, 9700 Amherst Ave., Margate, is open year round for dinner seven days a week from 5pm. Rated excellent by Zagat; live music nightly; daily chef specials; turkey dinner with all the trimmings every Thursday; benefit wine tasting & seminar, Oct. 9. Full selection of wines and other alcoholic beverages; smoking & non-smoking areas. Reservations accepted. Call 823-1163.