We were met in Atlantic City by one of Susan’s work friends. We chatted for 30 minutes and then she gave us a ride to the Atlantic City Aquarium. The Aquarium is small, about 10,000 sqft in three floors. It has a lot of please touch tanks on the first floor for kids to get close with the fish.

The Aquarium is on a spit that has lots of little shops and stalls set up. Being there the first week in May not much was open. We wandered around and ended up at the Back Bay Ale house for a drink and to plan the rest of our stay. It’s nice, a good place to hang out in the evenings with a decent selection of pub grub. A very good selection of beers, they had most of the 21st Amendment selections, with my favorite Back in Black.

Since it was Susan’s Birthday we needed to do something nice, remembering we had left our formal ware at home. She chose Dock’s Oyster House Restaurant in the main downtown area. An 11 minute taxi ride and we were being escorted to our linen top table by a waiter wearing a long, shin length apron. Susan had oysters and crab cakes, but she wrote about them.

I had Clams Casino, Oysters Parmesan and grilled shrimp (all from the appetizers menu). But the hit of my meal was the “Pommes Souffle”. Pommes = Potato, check! Souffle = eggs, check! , so a potato eggy goodness was a perfect order.

Except that is not what they were. They were French Fries. Hollow French Fries. Wait, hollow and the sides were thin and very crispy. With just a sprinkle of salt. They were great! After eating these, you will never eat a plain, dull french fry again. Kitchen said to slice potatoes on a mandolin very thin. Then cook them until they are slightly underdone. Cool and dry. Fry in hot oil until brown and crispy. Let me know if you are able to make them.

For dessert we had Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Key Lime Pie. The Key Lime pie was a little different than what Susan bakes, it had a thicker chewier crust. The Strawberry and Rhubarb were in perfect balance the sweet offset by the tart. A wonderful birthday meal.

We were lucky to grab a cab right outside and were home in time to watch the night sky of Atlantic City to light up.