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Photos by Jen Arthur |
The chef within is born again at Capt. Tate’s
July 02, 2008
There was a time when chef Tim Hand was told to find a new career. The
Academy of Culinary Arts Gold Medal graduate had suffered a right-arm
injury so serious that his doctor told him he’d have to find a new
vocation. Understand, this was a man who was not only formally educated
in cuisine, but who also developed under the tutelage of some of the
most respected food industry people on the Jersey Shore.
“I worked under the Washington Inn’s executive chef, Doug Gomersall, who
taught me more than I could have ever imagined,” said Hand. “And I
worked with the Craigs (Washington Inn owners) and learned how to work
with people. The Craigs are very good people to work for because they
teach you how to treat people and the right way to do things. They
started me off on the right foot.”
He then spent time in Park City, Utah, as a chef in several locations
learning how to smoke meat and about southwestern cuisine, which is
reflected on his menu today. But he returned home to Delran and took a
job in Delaware when a kitchen accident severaly damaged the nerves in
his right arm. His doctor said he could try to surgically repair the
arm, but chances were not good for a complete recovery.
“He said I’d be back to see him in 10 years with the same problem,” Hand
said. “So here I am sitting at my parents’ house in Delran feeling sorry
for myself and thinking I’ll never cook again.”
After much cajoling—not to mention pleading with his medical insurance
carrier to approve the procedure, the surgeon agreed to perform the
six-hour operation. That was nine years ago and no sign of a problem
with the arm so far.
During those nine years, Hand meets and marries Jennifer, and they start
a family with daughters Kaitlyn and Mackenzie. They move to Dennis
Township and the avid fisherman begins selling tackle to bait shops. He
winds up buying one, and then another, before Captain Tate’s Bait and
Tackle Shop owner Ken Raker jokingly says to him, “So when are you going
to buy mine?”
“I called his bluff and I said, ‘How much you want?’ And that began the
process,” Hand said.
He took over the business three years ago, just before roadwork began at
the intersection of routes 47 and 83, right where Capt. Tate’s sits.
“I thought we were going to have to close our doors. What a mess that
was, I couldn’t believe my luck. But my wife and I are survivors. All
that we’d been through, we weren’t going to quit. Jen is my rock,” he
said.
Jump forward to three weeks ago, when after leveling part of the
building and installing a full commercial kitchen, the Hands throw open
the doors to the brand new Captain Tate’s Seafood Takeout, complete with
a full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items. Not just clams by the
dozen and live crabs, but full-course meals, salads, homemade soups,
sandwiches, appetizers, daily specials, platters and more.
“The response has been very positive. We’re getting a lot of repeat
customers. I knew this was a great location, we just had to get people
in the doors,” he said.
Hand puts a huge emphasis on the quality of his ingredients, and even
published a note on his menu about how he refuses to purchase products
imported from Asia because of questionable fishing practices. It reads:
“Superior quality shellfish can be found here in the United States and
North America. Our shrimp are wild whites from North Carolina and the
Gulf of Mexico. Local clams, oysters and mussels and live crabs, along
with our fresh fish local fin fish, ensures our high quality standard.
Buying American caught seafood keeps American fishermen working.”
Hand adds, “Our clams are farmed locally on clam beds in Ludlam’s Bay,
Sea Isle and in Greate Bay. They’re not dug out of the deep mud so
there’s not a lot of muck in them. They’re sweet.”
It has been a long tough haul for the Hands, but after three weeks of
getting the takeout up and running, Tim is finally back where he
belongs—in the kitchen.
“Oh I’m thrilled to be back,” he said. “There was a time when I was told
I couldn’t do this anymore, yet here I am. It’s like I’m born again.
It’s hard work, but when you love what you do, it’s worth it.”
Capt. Tate’s Seafood Takeout
Routes 47 and 83
Dennis Township
861-4002
Open daily from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. (8 p.m. on Sundays). Serving breakfast,
lunch and dinner.
No seating, all takeout
Parking on premises.
Visa and Master Card accepted.
See the Deauville Inn's Full Menu at NJmenusonline.com
Customer favorites:
Breakfast – Crab Burrito (lump crabmeat, sharp cheddar, scrambled eggs
with a pinch of crab spice rolled into a soft tortilla and grilled), $6;
Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches (served on round roll, biscuit or
flour tortilla), $3, $4 with pork roll, bacon or sausage; Sausage Gravy
over Biscuits, $4.
Boxed Lunches – Each one includes bag of chips, soft drink and fresh
fruit for $8. House Smoked Turkey; Not Canned Tuna Salad; Roast Beef &
Provolone; Smoked Chicken Breast; Ham & Cheddar; and Shrimp Salad.
Appetizers – Crab Balls (crab stuffing wrapped in bacon and broiled),
$9; Shark Bites (Cajun breaded mako shark served with Creole mustard
dipping sauce), $8; Hush Puppies, $5; Fish of the Day Fingers (Caribbean
seasoning served with pineapple salsa), $9.
Crabs – Maryland (steamed and seasoned); Jersey (cleaned, steamed a
seasoned); Gravy (females cleaned, simmered in house tomato sauce served
over linguini); and Garlic (cleaned, fried with tons of garlic); all
market price.
Smoke House – Caroline Style Ribs (dry rubbed and smoked, served with
either Sweet Carolina Sauce or Brazilian Spicy), $18.50/$10.50; Whole or
Half Chickens with sides, $16/$8; Pulled Pork, $16 quart/$9 pint.
Sandwiches – Fried Flounder, $7; Fried Fish of the Day, $7; Fried Oyster Po’Boy (French bread with Creole mustard), $10; Crab Cake (on brioche
bread), $7; Fried Shrimp Hoagie (with roasted peppers on French bread),
$9; and Pulled Pork Platter, $8.50.
Entrees – Price includes choice of two sides. Crab Cakes, $19; Stuffed
Crabs (crab shell stuffed with crab imperial, gruyere and baked golden
brown), $16; Capt. Tate’s Lobster Bake for 2 (2 1-pound lobsters, 12
clams, 12 shrimp, 2 corn on the cob, 2 baked potatoes, 2 biscuits), $50;
Stuffed Flounder, $17; Shrimp Scampi, $15; Mussels Marinara over
Linguini, $11.
Kids’ Menu -- Chicken Tenders; Shrimp in a Basket; Flounder in a Basket;
Linguini with Butter; $5 to $6.
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed
at seitz [at] catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by
calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog
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