If you haven’t yet made your way to the wonderful Sweet Amalia Market + Kitchen you still have a chance. The last day of the season for the eatery is Saturday, December 23. Yes, it’s a bit of a hike to the location, near Vineland, New Jersey, but it’s worth every minute of the trip to taste the offerings of Sweet Amalia, which is focused on locally grown food and locally harvested oysters.
Run by Sweet Amalia Oyster Farm owner Lisa Calvo, and standout chef Melissa McGrath (known for her stint cooking at Avalon’s Diving Horse restaurant), the Market + Kitchen will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 11 to 5, for take-out or outdoor dining at picnic tables.
The place is known, of course, for its oysters, which you can get raw—with a variety of toppings, including a classic mignonette and a concoction of beet salsa, jalapeno, and cilantro—as well as baked and fried. But there’s also a delectable
menu that includes soups, salads, and killer sandwiches, including a fried clam roll, an eggplant cutlet with chili pepper mayo, and absolutely the best shrimp salad sandwich I have ever had. You can also get a fabulous breakfast sandwich served on a house-made black sesame bagel. Sides include a cabbage and lime slaw, and crispy potato salad with a pepperoncini dressing.
Sweet Amalia is also taking
pre-orders (order by December 18) for a variety of house-made items, including oyster toppings, quarts of clam chowder, and mushroom soup, as well as their legendary oyster pot pies. (A 5-inch pie is $26; a 9-inch pie is $50).
The place is also a great spot for shopping locally produced or artisan-made provisions, including sauces, jams, spices, pastas, cheeses, and much more. On December 23, Dan Greenberg of South Jersey Smokehouse will be selling his smoked provisions, including pastrami-cured lox, to add to your holiday feasts.
Sweet Amalia Market + Kitchen
994 Harding Highway, Newfield, NJ, 08344
December hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11-5
Last day of the season: Saturday, December 23rd
Phone 856.839.2478
info@sweetamalia.com Take-out and outdoor picnic table dining only