Here’s the Dish: Connor Dore of Isabel’s Presents Summer Salt
2285 Dune Drive, Avalon • 609-967-5776 • isabelsinavalon.com
Isabel’s, a bakery and café that serves breakfast and lunch, also presents Summer Salt this summer, offering a unique dinner menu every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6-9pm.
1. Where did you receive your culinary training? I began my culinary training under Chef Matt Kelly with the launch of Mateo Bar de Tapas in Durham, N.C. I was just a small part of a very talented team, but that team was nominated for a James Beard Award and for that I am very proud.
2. What is your favorite ingredient to work with, and why?
The dredges of a bare pantry and empty fridge when “there’s nothing to eat.” I like the challenge of piecing together something out of nothing and the magic of an unlikely combination.
3. Why did you decide to become a chef?I’ve heard that the kitchen decides who becomes a chef. That’s a bit more superstition than I follow but there is some truth there. When I started out, I was peeling potatoes. Every task I was given I did my best. Eventually the tasks get harder and harder until you are hiring staff, developing recipes and training new cooks on how to hold a peeler.
4. If you left Seven Mile Beach to go cook somewhere else, where would you go?Who wants to leave the Seven Mile Beach?! But if I must, maybe there’s a Seven Kilometer Beach in the Mediterranean.
5. Name a chef you admire, and why.That’s a long list. I’ve been especially impressed by chefs Jose Andres, Vivian Howard and Sean Brook for using their prestige and abilities as successful, celebrity chefs to champion causes close to their values.
6. What is your favorite charity to work with, and why?
This isn’t officially a charity, but I am an Eagle Scout and active adult leader with my old Boy Scout troop. As a chef I thrive in a world of chaos, and nothing is more chaotic than a room full of middle schoolers. Scouts taught me integrity, respect, kindness and cooperation; I hope to offer this to the young leaders I work with.
7. How do you keep up with the food trends in the industry?
I must admit, I’m more inspired by rediscovering food traditions than keeping up with food trends. Nothing excites me more than a handwritten recipe passed down through the generations; dishes imbued with heart and history. I stay current by following the culinary greats on social media, burying my nose in the latest cookbooks, and making reservations at the best restaurants.
8. Is there a new dish on your menu this year you are most excited about, and why?
So many, but the dish that really excites me is our Cape May Chicken. My wife, Heather, has a small farm on the West Cape May canal where she raises the most incredible poultry. Her birds live the life I can only dream of – top-of-the-line food, sunshine and space to roam, all while being doted on by a beautiful woman! Vertically integrated hospitality and agriculture is at the core of our brand, Farm & Kitchen, and the Cape May Chicken is a good example of that.
9. What do you like the most about Seven Mile Beach?
Families get to be a family here. Time is marked by the crash of a wave, not the tick of a clock; traffic is dictated by winding ice cream lines and packs of kids on bikes. We become our better selves when we cross the bridge and roll down the windows. Grandparents get to hold their children’s children and parents get to walk barefoot beside each other. At Summer Salt, we hope to become a part of these lasting summer memories. We hope our guests feel more like family, and our restaurant more like home.
10. What is your favorite Seven Mile memory?
Big reveal here – I’m a romantic. Heather and I got married at her family’s home on the island last September, in Gammy and Gamps’ yard overlooking the bay. Our friends at The Diving Horse hosted the reception and for breakfast the next morning Isabel’s Bakery catered an amazing cabana brunch. We had saltwater in our hair when we said our vows. It is, without a doubt, my favorite Seven Mile memory.
Rosemary Grilled Scallops with White Wine, Corn, Tomatoes and Bacon
Grilled local scallops over a medley of grape tomatoes, roasted corn & bacon splashed with rosemary beurre blanc
Ingredients:
Serves 4
• 2 pounds sea scallops
• 2 cups yellow corn
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 4 cups sweet onion
• 5 slices bacon
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 teaspoons roasted garlic
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 8-16 sprigs fresh rosemary (depending on size)
Directions:
Preheat grill or Dutch oven grill pan to medium high, about 25 minutes. Shuck corn, boil until just cooked (around 8 minutes), and cut off kernels. Halve tomatoes. Chop onions. Cook bacon. When grill or oven is hot, place rosemary sprigs and salted scallops on grill. While scallops grill, bring a sauté pan to high heat. In sauté pan, sweat onions until translucent. Add half-cup white wine, reduce by half. Add corn, roasted garlic, and cooked bacon. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and slowly mix in cold, chopped butter, stirring constantly. Add grilled scallops and grape tomatoes. Garnish with chopped rosemary and black pepper. Enjoy!
