Mrs. Lynn Czarzasty of Riverside, New Jersey writes:

"I want to tell you my Merion Inn Memory.

I was not a seafood eater at all.  We always went to the Merion Inn for dinner.  My husband-to-be talked me into trying lobster tails.  When we were served he mentioned to the waitress that it was my first lobster.  She returned and said she would show me how to take it out of the shell easy.  I began to eat it and found out it wasn't too bad.  I finished the whole thing.

After we got married and I became pregnant with our first child, I continually graved lobster.  My husband was a little sorry he started me on such an expensive meal."

"My family and I have been coming to Cape May for 20 years! Every year we save our last night of dinner for the Merion. It is the perfect atmosphere to end a special family vacation year after year.  The food and service are always outstanding and we have never been let down. Next summer(2006) we will be bringing a new family member with us. My husband and I will be having our first baby in January. We will begin his or her memories of the Merion as well, along with my parents and my sister and her soon to be fiance! Look forward to seeing you in August! "

"We chose The Merion Inn for a very special family reunion last October.  We had four generations of my family at dinner that evening.   I was in charge of making the dining reservations and I chose the Merion Inn because your menu choices are wide enough to accommodate all ages and preferences.  My sister's kids could get their chicken fingers, my grandfather could have plain broiled flounder, baked potato and steamed spinach (literally what the doctor ordered), my vegetarian sister could have the grilled vegetable pasta and the rest of us could order really decadent, fun food without worrying that the pickier eaters were not being taken care of.  My own favorite was the porcupine scallops with Thai chili dipping sauce and the filet mignon with crab imperial, with the potato cup of course.   I was happy to see from your web site that these items are still on your menu, since I will be going back East to visit my parents in a few weeks, and we will surely spend at least one evening at your restaurant. "

"This was our first summer in Cape May.  Since we were dating for one year, this would be the first of many romantic dinners in Cape May.

 

We made our reservation at The Merion Inn, and  as this would be a special night, my future husband surprised me by ordering a bottle of champagne.  As we ate dinner and conversed, he kept pouring the champagne.  Finally, after great food and starring into each other's eyes, he poured the last of the champagne. Then he  did something that has remained in my mind's eye forever.  He took the empty champagne bottle and turned it upside down into the ice bucket.  When I questioned him about this, he said he learned this by watching Cary Grant movies.

 

For 25 years, we have returned to the Merion Inn and have relived this night.  As we did so many years ago, we toast to the future in surroundings that evoke a past sustained through time as is our love."