"When Turtle Gut opened in 2022, the airy cafe boosted Wildwood’s coffee scene dramatically. Go for your morning cortado made with the gleaming Slayer espresso machine, and stay for breakfast—the short menu includes ricotta pancakes, housemade donuts, and mascarpone vanilla cream-filled maritozzi. For lunch, there’s avocado toast and sandwiches on sliced sourdough from Philly-based Mighty Bread Co. But that’s not the only slice of Philly you’ll find here. The cafe also hosts pop-up dinners with buzzy Philly chefs, as well as its own Cioppino Nights, with a set menu featuring fried zucchini blossoms and local seafood. The tables they set up outside have a prime view of Turtle Gut Park and Sunset Lake, especially at (duh) sunset." - regan stephens, candis mclean, sydney mcelwee
