Restaurants

Tomatoes

City:

Margate

County:

Atlantic County

Phone:

609.822.7535

Price:

$$$

Cuisine:

Fusion

Key:

Fusion

Tomatoes

***1/2
9300 Amherst Ave.
Margate
609.822.7535
tomatoesmargate.com

Now in its 12th year and second home in Margate, Tomatoes impresses with stylish looks, hip California-Asian cuisine, lively bar scene, and savvy service. The decor is faintly Asian, with wood, stone, and earth tones predominating. Its 10,000 square feet are wisely divided into levels, each of which flows seamlessly into the other.

Tomatoes is more than a pretty face, consistently delivering flavorful, carefully presented food. A full page of sushi and sashimi options is one direction to go here, and if the sunomono appetizer is any indication, it’s a good direction. Strips of rosy tuna and coral-colored salmon flank one glistening morsel of impeccable yellowtail.
Salmon Sishimi on Lemon The menu clearly favors seafood; all eight appetizers and all but one pasta dish incorporate denizens of the deep. But meat and poultry lovers need not sulk, because it also includes interesting selections like chicken Catalan, a bone-in breast glazed with citrus and honey and served with butternut risotto and broccoli rabe. A highlight of our meal was the Cuban pork chop, an excellent 12-ounce hunk rubbed with smoky spices and served with diced mango and cinnamon brown butter. The butter also played up the accompanying pumpkin gnocchi, which any Italian restaurant would be proud to call its own.

Vietnamese spring rolls are notable as much for their sweet crabmeat as for their light, oil-less wrappers. Salt-and-pepper calamari, are addictively crunchy, and refreshingly served with Thai chili sauce. The dish I’m still dreaming of, though, is lobster Marguerita, an inspired dish of tender lobster bits sautéed with fresh cilantro and dried chile pods, “flashed” with tequila, and tossed in spaghettini. A special of diver scallops arrayed on an attractive platter bowled us over because the golden-seared beauties were further enhanced by buttery rice timbale and crisp sautéed Asian vegetables.

Our knowledgeable server proved invaluable when it came to ordering wine. After we reviewed the 250-plus selections, we decided to go with a pinot noir. She kindly pointed out the Hartford as being a delicious best buy. At $30, it virtually matches the retail price.

There were no missteps in our Tomatoes experience. Our desserts—key lime pie, peanut butter pie, and cheesecake—could all have been clichéd sugar bombs. Instead, they were fluffy, adult-worthy treats. Karen Sherman, an erstwhile caterer and the force behind Tomatoes, is known for her desserts, and chef/co-owner Carmen Rone, does fine by everything else at this popular spot. -