One of the joys of living and visiting Cape May, along with the beach and the rich Victorian history, is the food. The diversity of culinary delights which Cape May has to offer is exceeded by few cities with a year-round population of under 5,000.
These creative people were looking for independence, small town life, and an audience appreciative of culinary daring. They found it all in Cape May.
Freda’s Cafe
“Creative freedom,” was the bait which lured Steve and Freda Howard to come to Cape May and become restaurateurs.
Freda’s Cafe, 210 Ocean Street, started out as a deli on Sunset Boulevard in West Cape May back 
in 1986. The couple still run a deli in the back of their cozy restaurant which they opened in 1991.
Offering both lunch and dinner with a menu varied in eclectic choices such as Crab and Spinach Wontons with raspberry dipping sauce for an appetizer ($7.50) and on a recent specials menu By Way of Steve, a pan seared breast of duck, Asian style, served on a bed of Himalayan red rice, finished with a blood orange, cranberry sauce, garnished with a coconut crab puff.
A culinary graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI, Howard can’t imagine a scenario in which he would leave the cooking to someone else.
“Just from an economic point of view,” he told us, “it would take a major reason for me to stop cooking. I enjoy it! I enjoy the creative freedom that you have with food. People are so bored with the status quo, that they are looking for someone who takes a chance and tries something different.”
The Howards change the specials every two weeks to keep the menu diversified, but still keep the popular stand-bys like Baked Brie Lisa made in a puff pastry and served with fresh fruit for a dinner appetizer ($7.95) and the always tasty and enormously popular Rack of Lamb – eight chops stuffed with a thin layer of chopped pine nuts, spinach, and feta. Seasoned with a fresh rosemary and cracked peppercorns, served on a Dijon mustard sauce ($28.95)
Married 16 years, Steve and Freda now have two children, Samantha, who is in first grade, and Marcus, three years old. Their children are very much a part of the restaurant life, especially in the summertime when Freda spends much more time in the restaurant.
Howard sees the children’s familiarity with their work place a positive. “Unlike the corporate life,” said Howard, “when I’m retirement age, I won’t have to worry about not knowing my children and wanting them to spend more time with me at an age when they’re ready to spend less time at home.” The fact that they see what their parents do for a living, he feels, has only enhanced their family life.
If you go:
Casual dress
Dining area is bright but intimate
Located in the heart of town 210 Ocean Street
(The building was once Cape May’s post office)
Bring Your Own Bottle
Call ahead for hours and reservations 609-884-7887.
I spent a couple of days in Cape May with two dear friends to celebrate a birthday. We happened by Freda's and, as it looked so nice, and something different, decided to have dinner there. We enjoyed it so thoroughly, we couldn't resist going back for lunch the next day–it was wonderful! The restaurant may be small, but the chef's talent is certainly anything but!
We would all definitely and highly recommend Freda's!
This place is our MUST-DO in Cape May . . . we have actually made special trips from NYC when hubby needs a "Freda's Fix"!
My friend, who is from Ireland, and I have been going to Cape May for the last seven years to celebrate our September birthday. On each trip we have made it a point to have our birthday dinner at Freda's. As creatures of habit, we tend to order the same wonderful meals every time we eat there. This year we dared to be different and ordered the mussels with pesto appetizer to share. We were in heaven! Had we known how fabulous it was going to taste (which should not have been a surprise to us since everything is so good), we would never had decided to share. We asked the waitress to tell the chef how much we enjoyed the meal and even asked for the mussels recipe. Unfortunately, she said she could not get the recipe for us but would let the chef know how much we loved the meal. We were sitting near the door and told everyone that entered the restaurant to get the mussels and have been spreading the word to friends and family. Eating at Freda's is truly a stimulating experience. We are so looking forward to our next trip and scrumptious dinner. Who needs a man when you can get this excited about a meal! Only kidding…well… only a little. We would really love the mussels receipe! Any chance? Thank you helping us enjoy our birthday every year.
We used to love this place until the hostess had a bee in her bonnet and made up wait an hour after our reservation time. Customers who showed up after us were seated before us, even those without reservations. She even held 8 seats open, while we waited for an hour, until her friends showed up. They had no reservations either. After eating there for 10 years, we will find other places in Cape may to eat.