Out and About: Copper Fish

Last updated on December 7, 2016 by Liza Hawkins

My husband, Todd, and I don’t get many date nights with two small kids and busy schedules. One of the benefits of vacationing with extended family is that you have ready-to-go babysitters! The grandparents were eager to watch the kids, which gave me and Todd the opportunity to go out. Our choice? Copper Fish Restaurant in West Cape May, NJ, operated by Chef Geoff.

Seated in an enclosed outdoor patio off the back of an historic home-turned-restaurant, our dinner began with warm sliced soft baguette and olive oil dipping sauce. This in itself was delicious, but it wasn’t until my appetizer that I realized the true beauty of what that baguette could be. I ordered Chef Geoff’s Cape May Steamers, which came in a white wine butter broth, with roasted tomatoes and leeks. Oh. My. Gosh. So good. The best part was dipping that soft, chewy baguette into the white wine broth. I think I finished off our second basketful sopping up that incredibly amazing broth. I would get that again in a heartbeat. (Todd got the calamari – it was okay, but not the best I’ve had.)

Next I had Chef Geoff’s grilled caesar salad. It wasn’t your traditional caesar, being grilled, but the presentation was in classic form. And while I don’t normally like the taste of warmed lettuce, I did enjoy the grilled romaine, especially with their creamy caesar dressing drizzled on top with flaked parmesan and a warm crostini.

For my entrée I had Chef Geoff’s tuna mignon (rare – per chef recommendations), with spinach and a potato straw nest (and Todd’s grilled asparagus since he doesn’t like it). Everything tasted good, and it was very filling. (Todd got their Surf & Turf – filet mignon with a tempura battered soft shell crab.) But….

I couldn’t get the thought of those steamers out of my mind. Nothing came close to matching their yumminess, especially the broth. WOW.

We were going to get dessert since I enjoy dessert with coffee at the end of a restaurant meal, but we weren’t in love with any of the four selections. There was a creme brulee napoleon that was tempting, but not enough to order. So, we left and headed back downtown to peruse the little shops in the historic outdoor Washington Street Mall.

If you go to Copper Fish Restaurant, definitely get the Cape May Steamers – they were absolutely worth it! Maybe even order two….

One final note: At this point the restaurant is BYOB – wine, beer, whatever. They are working on a bar addition, but must not have their license yet. As for other drink options, I got a kick out of the water choices: Sparkling Water, Spring Water, or Cape May Tap Water. Hilarious! We chose Sparkling. 🙂