A trip down to the shore is one of the best things you can do in the summer. The air is cooler than it is inland and tangy with salt. The people all seem to have smiles on their faces, playing in the water or simply relaxing on a towel in the sand. But even more attractive than the sand and surf is a boardwalk, if you're lucky enough to find a beach that has one. Boardwalks range in size from a few shops to small carnivals, with rides and games. The best thing about them is always the food. They offer both sweet and savory - none of it healthy and all of it delicious. The Travel Channel has a list of the best boardwalks, but here are some of the summer favorites you should be able to find at almost any of them.
1. Salt water taffy - Legend has it that this treat got its name when a candy store in Atlantic City was flooded with ocean water, but it was probably just a gimmick to sell the chewy candy.
2. Fudge - Fudge goes right alongside taffy in boardwalk candy stores. It's a staple of tourist areas, inexpensive and indulgent, and it holds up better than a chocolate bar in the sun.
4. Funnel cake - Funnel cake is another indulgent food that is almost exclusively found in tourist areas. Fried dough and bathing suits go together more often than you might expect. They're often loaded with powdered sugar or whipped cream.
5. Frozen custard - Thicker than ice cream, frozen custard seems more satisfying in the summer heat because it doesn't melt as quickly. It's a boardwalk staple, invented at Coney Island in 1919, though it is also very popular in the northern part of the US.
6. French fries - Deep fried, salty and easy to eat without utensils, french fries are the perfect contrast to the more sugary offerings of the boardwalk. At the Ocean City boardwalk, you'll have them splashed with vinegar, as well as salt, which makes a traditional boardwalk fry, though garlic fries are hugely popular variation for those who don't mind garlic breath.
7. Hot dogs or corndogs - Nathan's at Coney Island in NY might be the gold standard for boardwalk hot dogs, but you'll find hot dogs and corndogs everywhere and they always hit the spot on a hot day.
8. Cotton candy - Pure sugar at it's finest. There is no better place to eat cotton candy than a boardwalk, where you can duck into the ocean after you eat and rinse off any residual stickiness.
Cakes so amazing they'd be hard to cut into
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-11-2006 @ 1:05AM
FJK said...
Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY, had the best of all possible boardwalk food for me -- cherry kinshes. Jerry's Knishes is long gone, a victim of "progress" and urban development.
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8-11-2006 @ 8:15AM
Laura said...
Your comments: Cool article Nicole. I had seen the Travel Channel special, so I enjoyed the top 8 foods list.
I'm in a prime location for boardwalking. 1 hour south of Ocean City, 1.5 hours south of Rehobeth, 2 hours north of VA Beach. OC is most definately my favorite though, Thrasher's fries and pit beef sandwiches from Bull on the Beach! You know Thrasher's doesn't even offer ketchup as a condiment? I've watched tourist ask for it, only to get a look of disgust from the workers. It's hilarious! Vinegar and Old Bay are the only options. I've actually gotten the frying technique down pretty well.
The fries are worth a 1 hour drive, but it's nice to be able to re-create them at home.
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8-11-2006 @ 10:24AM
Dan Tannenbaum said...
I guess I'm getting old! My favorite of all times are at Coney Island in the early 60's. Eatting REAL Nathan's hotdogs and fries, and that delicious corn on the cob, just swimming in butter! Just the tought of it takes me back to Camelot!
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