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Chef Garrison McDermott couldn't stand the heat - so he took the ovens out of the kitchen. The Philadelphia native wasn't about to let a little heat burn out his passion for food, so he opened his own eatery where he serves mostly cold dishes for lunch and dinner, hence the name of his Marmora eatery: Chilled.

The restaurant, which opened May 2, includes a variety of salads, wraps and pannini, as well as a seafood raw bar that includes shrimp ceviche, lump crab, and oysters and clams on the half shell.

McDermott opened the Route 9 restaurant with his wife, Jennifer, for two reasons - they found a great location; and they wanted to offer a healthy alternative to fast food in Marmora.

"We've had people come back three or four times in the weeks that we've been open saying, 'Finally, there's something else besides pizza and burgers,'" says Jennifer McDermott, who manages the business side of Chilled so that her husband can work his magic in the kitchen. "People were driving all the way to Saladworks in Somers Point to get a healthy lunch."

"It was time for me to get back into it," says Garrison McDermott, who worked as executive chef at Fred and Ethel's in Smithville and banquet chef at Cousin's Country House in Egg Harbor Township before taking a break to raise his son, Christian, now 13. "It never leaves you. We saw this opportunity and took it; it pretty much fell into our laps."

After only a few weeks, the Hawaiian pannini ($8) - aged provolone, tavern ham, fresh pineapple and mixed greens, drizzled with a homemade honey-dijon dressing that includes fruit nectar and crushed pepper, and pressed in a fresh ciabatta roll from Formica Brothers Bakery - has emerged as one of the best-selling items on the menu.

Another popular item is the Fruit Festival for 2 ($12), which is nicely presented in a fresh pineapple and features apples, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes and melon with a warm orange-zest dipping sauce.

Garrison says he will soon begin featuring specials like his sunflower chicken salad. "I'd like to run a Chilled special from every country around the world," he says. "If I die trying, at least I have a hobby."

Chilled offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Both are equally casual with white plastic chairs, striped Coca-Cola umbrellas outside, and a bright, cheery interior d�cor.

The McDermotts say their idea to go after a niche audience is already working, since Chilled has attracted a number of locals and campers who hope to avoid the summer traffic in Ocean City.

"It takes some of the pressure off for the locals with the traffic … you can't park in Ocean City in the summer," Jennifer McDermott says.

"This way, they can serve their families a healthy dinner and pick it up on the way home. We also offer delivery (at lunch and dinner); we're the only ones."

As for the future, the McDermotts have plenty of optimism, particularly Garrison, who is glad to be out of more corporate environments like casino kitchens.

"I felt like a robot," he says of his time at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, adding that he is adjusting to being his own boss. "It hasn't really sunk in yet, I'll stop and think 'Wait, I'm the boss!'

"My motto is, live longer - eat here."

Chilled

WHERE: 342 Route 9 North, Marmora

WHEN: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or after the last guest leaves) Wednesdays to Mondays, year-round.

HOW MUCH: Salads range from $6 to $12; wraps, $6 to $9; pannini, $7 to $15; cold clam bar, $5 to $16; kids' menu, $7; sides, 75 cents to $3; dessert, $6.

SERVICES: No liquor license. BYOB. Major credit cards accepted. Disabled access through front door. Eat in. Takeout. Free delivery. Catering. Kids' menu. No smoking.

MORE INFO: Call 609-545-0181 or go to www.chilled.samsbiz.com

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