Some people pick a beach for the color of the sand, width of the shore, lots of waves (or lack thereof). But for us, the frozen drinks and sandwiches make all the difference. So as soon as we heard a Mediterranean joint, Rhode’s End, had opened at Clam Pass within the past year (ushered in by the new ownership at the Naples Grande), we hopped on the county-run boardwalk tram to check it out.
Full-service restaurant it is not, and it doesn't look all too different from the basic hamburger and hot dog shack there before (minus bright blue tables and seaside taverna accents), but it is a bold take on quick beach eats with options to build your own gyro (the warm, fluffy pita was out-of-this-world) or have Mediterranean-inspired salads, slaws, and dips like hummus and tzatziki. Speaking of that ubiquitous cucumber-yogurt sauce found throughout the ancient stomping grounds of Hercules and Perseus: It's made here from the thick Greek-style yogurt that has conquered our tastebuds in recent years, so it's more of a spread than a sauce, but it's still refreshing after an hourlong paddleboarding session. The kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., but you can extend your time staring at the surf with one of the hotel's specialty cocktails, like the Blueberry Vo-Hito (get it?—a vodka-based blueberry mojito), which are available daily from 9 a.m. until sunset.
