Another legend of Rehoboth Beach was put in the books this weekend. I finally had the pleasure of visiting Chesapeake and Maine, sister restaurant to Dogfish Head’s brew pub right next store. I salivated at the thought of this place for months, but for one reason or another, I never made it in until my in-laws visited the first weekend of June.
Like its sister restaurant, it's beautiful on the inside. Lots of lovely wooden decor with nautical themes to match the concept of the restaurant, which I love. Everything comes from the bay or from Mane. Every last oyster and crab can be traced back to the source. This is something I value a lot in food, knowing that what I eat is going back into the community. Their oyster raw bar tells you the origin of each variety. They even have this cute board nearby with the name of the oyster hanging from a wooden pallet in the shape of heir origins. I did not partake on this date, but I look forward to it in the future. I did try a crab cake sandwich, however. The good thing about crab cakes in the region is that they are more crab than cake. They put it on this amazing bun with tartar sauce. My god, was it delicious. The cake itself was nice and moist, served with fries dusted with Old Bay. It was a perfect match that felt like it truly belonged to the region. Given this is the restaurant of a brewery/distillery, the drink selection is just fantastic. They focus on cocktails rather than brews at this location, so it’s the best place to try their distilled spirits that are often hard to find in stores. If you’re looking for a wider beer selection, cross the complex to the brew pub not far away. Still, I recommend you check it out. They were a James Beard Award semi-finalist for their bar program. This is a rare distinction anywhere you go, not just on Rehoboth Beach. Their hours and menu are available on the Dogfish Head Brewery website. Take a look and plan your trip today!
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Rehoboth Beach has no shortage of delicious food. I could eat down there every day of the week and never run out of options. There is so much to eat even during the off season. One of my favorite meals so far has come from Go! Fish down by the boardwalk.
It’s a quaint little British joint specializing in the classing English Beer Battered Fish and Chips. They use a beautiful Alaskan Pollock for this classic, but a myriad of other options are available such as fried soft shell crabs, either on their own or on a bun. Choice isn’t something you’ll find lacking here. The good thing is that it’s relatively cheap for the quality of the food you’re getting. This is sometimes rare in vacation destination cities. I’ve seen fish and chips for fifteen dollars at other locations in the area, but Go! Fish won’t do you like that. They will take care of you and your wallet. If you love it as much as I do, they have merchandise available for you to purchase on your way out. This week, they even had handkerchiefs to celebrate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. It’s a lovely, thematic place to go for a quick lunch when you’re down on the boardwalk. They also have a sister location, Go! Brit, along Route 1. Check them out at their facebook page or at either location. It’s worth the drive down from Milford, where I live, and I think back on each meal I’ve had there fondly. The Spice and Tea exchange down at Rehoboth Beach has been a staple of the community for years, well loved by all foodies in the area. I paid them a visit this weekend during my inlaws’ visit to us here on the Delmarva peninsula, and it is just wall to wall spice for all occasions. It was a wonderland to match the Olive Orchard, and here, I was blessed with a sale!
They have a myriad of spice blends available for every use, including a whole row dedicated to the cooking of fish. This is where I spent most of my money. I have yet to use them, but when I do, you’ll hear it here first. The Chesapeake Bay blend proves promising, especially because my husband and I really enjoy a good fish and chips. This is recommended atop some hot french fries, and it will definitely get used there. I added it as a light seasoning to some ocean perch filets Monday night. It's like an amped up Old Bay seasoning. (I may even try it as part of my CRAB DIP MAC AND CHEESE) Most important to me is their collection of dried chilis. I have a hard time finding fresh chilis for recipes that call for them, especially bird’s eye chilis when I’m working on an Asian inspired dish. They had them! I now have a nice, healthy bag of dried chilis to rehydrate for a future recipe. I’m not much of a tea drinker, but the full wall has all sorts of fantastic blends to choose from. I highly recommend you take a look if it’s something you might like. Almost everything they sell is available through their webstore, including the large variety of tea. Please keep in mind it is all loose leaf, so you will need the proper tools for the job. If you’re ever in Rehoboth, do yourself a favor and check out their physical store. If you’re curious, check out their webstore. There’s something for everyone available, and it’s the perfect edible souvenir to compliment whatever you might pick up at the Olive Orchard Tasting Room. One of the things I miss most about living in Burlington was the access I had to these infused olive oils from a local grower at the farmer’s market. One of the things I am most excited about in the Rehoboth Beach area is the Olive Orchard Tasting Room because it is exactly what I missed, but bigger. This place is wall to wall infused oils and vinegars, tucked down a small alley of storefronts on Rehoboth Avenue.
I love it here. The staff is always kind and courteous, and you can taste test the oils endlessly. There’s something for everyone here. I am partial to the infused olive oils just because I sometimes like to use them when roasting vegetables for a little extra zing or for a vinaigrette. They take pride in being able to tell you everything you might want to know about an olive oil, including when it was crushed, where it was crushed, and everything right down to chemical analysis. They also have a variety of honeys available which I have yet to try. As far as specialty stores go, they have a lot to offer a visitor. I feel like that’s going to be common on the boardwalk, though. There is a high chance of a tourist stumbling in there looking for a nice gift. So many choices. I purchased a nice ‘tuscan herb’ infused oil from them this week to use on some brussel sprouts and asparagus that I picked up at this week’s farmers market. It infused nicely while the vegetables were roasting, and you could really taste the flavor of the olive oil. Check out Olive Orchard Tasting Room at their website, www.the-olive-orchard.com. If you’re ever in the Rehoboth Beach area, be sure to stop in and visit them for an edible souvenir. I love sushi. I never got into it until my husband took me to Sakura, a little sushi bar that is no longer open in Southern Illinois. I waxed poetic about it not long after I started this porject, and I try to find an equivalent everywhere I go. In Burlington, we had Shokai to scratch the itch for sushi. In Delaware, our options are almost endless, but we have Mt. Fuji Japanese Steak House close to home. Conveniently located along the same shopping center as the Walmart, it isn’t hard to get to for a cheap meal. Most rolls, even specialties, run under ten dollars. This is a rare thing in most sushi joints I’ve been to, especially while maintaining the balance between cost and quality. I find that Mt. Fuji walks that line with poise. I have visited this place several times since we moved to Delaware, and each visit has been delicious. They serve some rolls that I thought were strange at first: deep fried in a thick batter, but full of flavor. These kinds of rolls are a good introduction to people who might be uncomfortable with the concept of raw fish in sushi, as they come to you still worm and most of them have no raw ingredients inside. Being an American that really enjoys sushi, I always get myself some kind of Spicy* roll. Last time, my husband and I got the spicy yellowtail roll. Mt. Fuji doesn’t serve a spicy roll meant to knock your socks off, but there’s just enough spice in it to let you know what you got. These rolls are among the cheapest on the menu, and they are never a bad choice. Also, their shrimp dumplings are delicious fried or steamed. Very much recommended! Please visit the Mt. Fuji facebook page for more information. If you’re looking for cheap and yet delicious sushi in central Delaware, Mt. Fuji is the stop. |
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