This is nothing new for Steve Marchel.

Marchel is the owner of The Water Dog Smoke House in Ventnor City, New Jersey and the owner of Betty’s Seafood Shack in Margate City.

Marchel has reverence for those who have come before him.

We have previously written about Marchel reimagined the famous Lou’s of Ventnor corned beef special. He calls it:

"The Lou's" - Corned Beef Special

It is Marchel's homage to the famous Lou's Restaurant of Ventnor.

About 50 years ago, Marchel's parents took him to Lou's. He loved it and added his interpretation of this class sandwich to his own restaurant, "The Water Dog."

It's 1/2 pound of lean corned beef brisket, served with a choice of Thousand Island or Dusseldorf mustard, along with a pile of their house made slaw. Comes with horseradish pickles and it's piled high, as you can see in the photograph here. Marchel said, "It's the same as it ever was."

Now, Marchel is honoring the iconic Abe’s Oyster House, that successfully operated in Atlantic City from 1923 into the 1990’s.

Here’s a brief description that we found:

ABE'S OYSTER HOUSE in Atlantic City NJ opens in 1923 as the city's first crab house, which included fried soft shells with a green crumb," It was family oriented, simple in design, the service very amiable, with white tablecloths, wooden chairs and old black and white photos. It closed in the 1990s.

Look at this Marchel creation, his “tip of the cap” to Abe’s Oyster House:

Steve Marchel photo.
Steve Marchel photo.
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It’s just perfect.

Here is how Marchel describes it:

Through a Child's Eyes.

When I was 7/8 yrs old, my parents took my sisters and me to Abe's Oyster House in Atlantic City. Our Uncle Buddy was visiting from Pittsburgh, so we headed "uptown" for a family dinner. After walking in, l immediately was mesmerized by the the lobster tank and, somehow, convinced my parents to allow me to get one After complaining of having to wear a lobster bib, my Uncle helped me crack and clean the meat outta the lobster. It was there I first learned to properly breakdown a lobster and where Uncle Buddy taught me that the knuckle meat is the sweetest-l seem to remember he telling me, "it's the toughest meat to get, and that's why it's the sweetest." Man, was that fun for a little kid and the memories resonate 50+ years later. I love serving these at Betty's, especially when I walk through the dining room and see a child cracking one of these beauties Swing on by The Shack for our Steamed Lobster Special. Bring a little one w ya, if possible, and open her/his world view a little wider. Create a memory. Unforgettable. We go 'til 9 tonite. Come say hi, said Marchel.

Those who remember, respect and revere the past … are great stewards for the present and future.

Steve Marchel gets it.

Bon appétit.

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