Bogle, Boar and LaBlanc just steps from the ocean

Though wine and/or beer dinners tend to be few and far between in the summer months, I was honored last week to be part of a special wine-pairing party at Eden restaurant in Rehoboth. This longtime fine-dining spot is revered for its quietly elegant dining room and expertly vetted wine list. More than once over the years, the esteemed Wine Spectator magazine has given Eden the nod for the wines the restaurant offers to its guests.

Recently, Wine Spectator surprised everyone by rating the Bogle Chardonnay (at around $10 a bottle) as equal to the Rombauer Chardonnay (around fifty bucks or more for a bottle). So it only seemed right that Eden would step up to the plate in favor of the family-owned Bogle Wines. This is where my oenophilic proselytizing comes to an end: I do not want to step on the talented toes of Cape Gazette's wine columnist (and noted chef /restaurateur) John McDonald. He knows where I live and can probably beat me up using nothing but a wire whisk and a foil cutter. 

When it comes to Bogle wines at the beach, three of the values added are Vintage Imports' Paul Karp; Robbie LaBlanc, Bogle's Northeast sales manager; and Tom Poor/Tom Bachman, the storied "Tom & Tom" of Bin 66, Rehoboth's emporium of wine. Paul is the distributor for Bogle's products in this part of Delaware, and Robbie represents the winery and assists the distributors in their promotion efforts. He is also a professional musician and recording artist. Bogle wine dinners are always punctuated by his first-rate guitar playing and great voice. He's also a very funny guy, making a point of telling the audience that he is a lifelong stutterer – except when there is a microphone in front of him. (I've interviewed him twice on my radio show, and he didn't trip over a single word. Of course, there was that big microphone....) 

This business of eating is always enhanced by wine dinners like this one. Attendees get to try several varieties/vintages that they might not otherwise have tasted, and equally as exciting, the chef and his/her team get to have a little off-menu fun. In the last year or so, Chef de Cuisine Clay Nelson quite ably stepped into the shoes of former Executive Chef Andy Feeley. Eden co-owner Mark Hunker tells me, "Clay has the discriminating palate of a guy twice his age." The young toque lived up to that in every course, starting with a perfectly cooked Maine lobster tail that lounged happily in a salsa of Fifer Orchards' peaches. We washed it down with Bogle's award-winning Chardonnay. (Note that perfectly prepared lobster isn't as prevalent around these parts as you might think. Much of the time it's overcooked. Not tonight.) 

It was at this point that Robbie LaBlanc took to the stage, belting out some great memories of the '80s and '90s. Those of us of a certain age knew each and every one of them, including the artists. (Why am I telling you that!?) 

Robbie's music was an ideal backdrop for Clay's second course of plum-glazed duck drumettes over Sussex-fresh sweet corn pudding. I am trying to contain my enthusiasm for this plate. At the risk of spiraling into my signature hyperbole (which not everyone has chosen to find charming, by the way), this was one of the most delicious dishes I've had in a long time. The cleanly frenched duck legs were rendered to a moist and savory leanness, and that corn pudding was delicately crisped on the top, while remaining creamy inside. Just hope against hope that Clay positions that delightful concoction somewhere on Eden's menu when you are there. Pair it with a glass of Bogle’s Old Vine Zin. You will not be sorry. 

There are very few wild boars in Delaware. (Other than some I know where boar is spelled differently.) But this didn’t stop Eden from presenting a grilled wild boar chop, procured from none other than Broken Arrow Ranch, an artisanal producer of high quality free-range venison, antelope and wild boar. Broken Arrow partners with ranchers in Central and South Texas as an integral part of population management programs; providing a humane life and harvest for the animals, maintaining a sustainable animal population for the rancher, and producing high-quality wild game meats. 

The chop resembled a tomahawk steak (bone-in ribeye), sporting a very long rib bone perfectly shaped for whacking rude or recalcitrant servers. Far from being gamey, the meat was a cross between veal and buffalo; lean, yet fork tender. Clay’s wild berry and port BBQ sauce drizzle didn’t hurt either. A whimsically presented confit marble potato salad provided starch and color, with spicy baked beans playing counterpoint to the richness of the meat. Required acidity was ably delivered by a bracing braised cabbage. One of my favorite wines, Bogle’s Phantom, was poured just as wild boar and company landed in front of us. 

Sister eatery JAM Bistro is to the right of Eden (east of Eden – get it?), in the building that used to house the venerable Camel’s Hump restaurant. Clay’s brother Chase is part of the JAM crew, while Corporate Chef Gary Johnson oversees both kitchens for longtime owners Mark Hunker and Jeff McCracken. The two restaurants compliment one another: Eden’s romantic, almost mysterious dining room provides respite from the upbeat party atmosphere and menu at JAM. Enjoy these twin eateries and a glass of Bogle wine just steps from the Atlantic.