“People will definitely tell their friends about our giant omelets,” said Steve Thomas. For the past five years that the Thomas’ have owned the restaurant, it seems that customers have been telling their friends. “We have a steady group of regulars that come in the same time every day and usually sit at the same table or seat at the counter,” said Thomas. “If they don’t show up, we start to get worried.” Steve Thomas has spent most of his life working in restaurants, beginning with Joe’s Sub Shop in Somers Point at 12 years old. His route to Towne & Country went through Chi Chi’s in Somers Point, the Point Diner, 15 years at Caesars Atlantic City and the Sands Brighton Steak House, and then his own first and currently owned Ventnor Café. Running two restaurants simultaneously isn’t easy, but it is rewarding for the couple. “Both restaurants are open for breakfast and lunch, so I usually pick up supplies, go to Towne & Country, work there all day, close Towne & Country, then head to Ventnor,” explained Steve Thomas. “After I close Ventnor, I go home and do payroll, taxes, scheduling and place orders until Elizabeth comes home from her job at the bank and starts working on the books.” He said he loves the hectic schedule and is thankful for his longtime employees, who know how he likes things done. “My cook, Joe, is the most easygoing cook I ever met. He does a great job. And my waitresses, Tracey Hamilton, who has been here a year longer than I have, and Gina Tamburello, who has worked here three years, are the best.” Thomas said large platters are not the only secret to his success. Another is fresh ingredients. “We are so committed to fresh food that my specials have to be something that is not offered on the menu. I don’t want my customers to think I am running a special to get rid of something that has been around for a while. Everything is fresh,” he said. The use of huge platters at breakfast spills over to the lunch menu. “Our sandwiches are eight ounces of quality lunch meats, Hatfield or Dietz & Watson. Most places use four ounces. Our burgers are eight ounces of Black Angus beef, only the best,” Thomas said. One of the first things you may notice when you walk into the café is a wall display of small bottles. Upon closer inspection, you will have discovered the Towne & Country Wall of Flame. More than 100 bottles of hot sauce from around the world are stored there for the customers’ “enjoyment.” “We have a bottle of sauce up there that I had to sign a waiver to purchase. You put it on with a toothpick,” Thomas said. “Most people like the Cholula. We tell everyone to be careful with the hot sauces. A little goes a long way.” When it comes to the food at Towne & Country Café, a lot goes a long way to bring in the customers.
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EGG HARBOR
TOWNSHIP – The omelets at Towne & Country Café
are so big that owners Elizabeth and Steve
Thomas consider them among the best
advertisements for their restaurant.
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