Rehoboth Beach, Spring 2004!

[stereogab]

Is the fish & chips place on Rehoboth still going strong? 

Hello -

I was there a few weeks ago. I believe it's called go fish? (if you mean the place that is decorated w/a London Underground theme) -- If so, this place was great! I was surprised by how tasty and fresh the fish and chips lunch platter was. The fish is a whole fillet - fried perfectly and not overdone. The chips definitely did not seem like pre-made frozen fries. Authentic tasting and friendly service.

[JennyUptown]

Is the fish & chips place on Rehoboth still going strong? 

Hello -

I was there a few weeks ago. I believe it's called go fish? (if you mean the place that is decorated w/a London Underground theme) -- If so, this place was great!

That's the spot! Thanks.

[plpcolumbia]

Anyone been to that new place in Dewey, Venus on the Half Shell? I'm going to the beach in August and was wondering if it's worth a try. My wife and I usually have a nice dinner in Rehoboth the week we're there (usually the Blue Moon Cafe), but since we're staying in Dewey does this place measure up to the nicer places in Rehoboth?

[SWoodyWhite]

Word is that yes, Venus on the Half Shell is one of the better new restaurants in the area, although I haven't had a chance to try it yet myself. It's owned by the same people that have been running Planet X. Their ads emphasize a creative cuisine, with a wine bar and a "blue crystal" raw bar. Phone: 302-227-9292. Located at Dagsworthy St. and the Bay, in Dewey Beach.

Addendum, as long as I've mentioned Dewey Beach: The mayor of Dewey Beach and State Assemblyman Pete Schwartzkoff were tending bar at the Rehoboth Beach Main Street's Fourth of July Celebration, held at the Sands Hotel. I wasn't expecting much for our $50 each, but the food ("Oh, just ordinary picnic fare" we'd been told) included some great pork ribs and tender fried chicken. Then, we all headed up to the roof to watch the fireworks. The beach itself was packed with cheering holiday folk, and the pyrotechnic display was very good. From what I understand, the RBMS is solely responsible for the fireworks, since the city itself doesn't pitch in. RBMS doesn't make a cent off of it, either. A few corporate sponsors would be appreciated, to keep this event running in the future.

Edited July 6, 2004 by SWoodyWhite (log)

[JennyUptown]

The best meal I ate during this trip to Rehoboth was at Cafe Sole. Loved it.

More later...

[morela]

For convenience, even though the link expires in four weeks, I'm putting this week's Young & Hungry in here too.

"Greetings from Rehoboth"

by Todd Kliman

Thank you so much! I enjoyed that. I identified and agreed!

I remember trudging up from the water in Rehoboth one day, ravenous and baked, the taste of salt water on my lips leading me straight to the smell of fry that wafted from the Thrasher’s stand. I hadn’t had lunch; it didn’t matter. “We’re at the beach,” my mother said, handing over the money. Fries were permissible; all things were permissible—Kohr Bros. custard and Grotto pizza and Dolly’s saltwater taffy and Candy Kitchen’s fudge, too.

...that could have been me. One of my favorite smells in the world has always been Rehoboth Beach, the combination of the salty air with the aroma of the foods.

I share his favorites and his disappointments, and experienced some of those in our recent trip back to Delaware. Sadly, Grotto Pizza has declined. I still eat some whenever in Delaware, but now it's for reasons of nostalgia only. As a teenager, my friends and I would drive to Rehoboth every Sunday night for Grotto Pizza, because back in those days, the weekend tourists would exit every Sunday afternoon and we would be able to find a parking spot.

Very nice description of Blue Moon...

Blue Moon, by contrast, does not lack for vision. A place that once raised eyebrows—for its mostly gay crowds, its exotic ingredients, its blithe mingling of casual and formal—the restaurant, as it inches toward the quarter-century mark, feels almost reassuringly familiar. It remains the best of the high-end spots, a rarity in town in that it mostly delivers what it promises. Chef Peter McMahon’s Frenchified menu may borrow liberally from Southeast Asia and the American Southwest, but he prefers classical solidity to gaudy spectacle. A fan of spicy, crispy duck breast is succulent, a plate of garlic-and-chili shrimp almost as tasty, and the tortilla soup is bright, thick, and sweetly vegetal. There is the occasional misstep—the wild rice that inexplicably accompanies the shrimp, for instance—and execution is not always equal to the quality of the ingredients, but especially in light of his slap-happy compatriots, McMahon is notable for his restraint. The lone exception is dessert—witness the Moon Pie, the cafe’s signature sweet, a towering, tottering creation of mint ice cream and meringue and melted chocolate, a sort of unbaked Alaska.

Of course I broke out in laughter, visualizing this, when reading about Taste.

The grilled Caesar salad is fine, but a lobster-and-shrimp BLT is unworthy of its price tag, and a plate of toasted mushroom-stuffed ravioli in a too-sweet champagne-vanilla sauce is a helluva lot more Elvis than its description would have you believe; it seems only fitting that at the first press of my fork, the tightly packed ravioli ejaculated all over the candleholder.

How funny.

Well written... thanks again.

You're welcome, Susan. We think Kliman is great. Well, at least I do...

And it's pretty much been confirmed that he'll be on eGullet for a Q&A session really soon, so don't forget to chime in and let him know what you think...

Edited July 6, 2004 by morela (log)

[DonRocks]

Here's a 7/15/04 NY Times article about Rehoboth Beach.

[Susan in FL]

Another good one... Thanks!

[SWoodyWhite]

I agree, good NYT article, with one error and one omission:

First, under "A Little Late-Night Music," the karaoke at the Purple Parrot is listed as "no cover." It's a very small cover charge.

Second, the author mentions the Tanger Outlet Centers, but only talks about clothes stores! As any good eGulleteer knows, the places to splurge are Mikasa, Oneida, and particularly Kitchen Collection (my own place of employ)! (I'm at the Bayside mall; there's another KC store at the Midway mall. Shameless plug, I know, but what the hey.)