Eighteen sure-fire ways to wow your holiday visitors

Holidays mean guests - especially for those of us who live at the beach. As a dining destination, it makes sense for our friends and family to taste the very best of our culinary landscape here in the Cape Region. To that end, I’ve come up with a short list of pick hits that do a pretty good job representing what our restaurants have to offer. 

Our restaurants like to keep us guessing as they adapt their menus to the seasons, so some of the dishes that follow might be on the menu, or they might be history. But I can promise you that you’ll find something at these places to make your palate smile. 

Tom, Tammy and Johnny’s 1776 Steakhouse in Midway combines quiet elegance with expertly prepared steaks. Do not miss the black ravioli stuffed with lobster! I can never get past the New York Strip, but I have to tell you that the crab cakes with cranberry relish are one of the sleepers at 1776. Belly up to the bar and ask Johnny about the Trappist beers. 

Though upscale hardly ever disappoints here at the beach, delightful dining is easy to find for the wallet-challenged. Several years ago our longtime favorite Nage became even more wallet friendly by becoming Fork + Flask. Small plates, proper cocktails, Sunday brunches and late-night hours now enhance the longtime standbys we’ve come to love over the years. 

Speaking of Sundays, one of the best brunch deals in Delaware is at Bethany Blues in Lewes. Start with the Pigs on the Wing, then tuck into a made-before-your-eyes waffle, and top it off with a frosty Fat Tire draft (not just for breakfast anymore!). Evenings are just as much fun, with live entertainment and good, down-to-earth barbecue. 

Hari Cameron’s a(MUSE.) restaurant recently reinvented itself by adding a new dimension to the menu. Yes, Hari and sous chef Andrew Guffey’s expertly crafted modernist dishes are still there, but you can also satisfy your hankerin’ for wings and burgers at their bright and airy spot on Baltimore Avenue. The bar is a late-night hidden gem. 

A few steps west is The Pines. If you haven’t been there yet, you have done yourself a disservice. Your guests will love the off-season comfort food night. Dishes like crunchy fried chicken and an ahi salad perched on a Himalayan salt block have put The Pines on the map. 

In the early days of RehobothFoodie.com, the emails I received most often were those lamenting the lack of an Indian restaurant here at the beach. Father and son team Suraj and Raghu Kumar solved that problem several years ago by opening Indigo Indian restaurant in the ocean block of Rehoboth Avenue. Quiet elegance and great tandoori cuisine keep people coming back (especially to their off-season Sunday Indian brunch buffet). 

Add a bit of an Asian accent to that curry and you have the new Raas in Lewes. Chef GG Gupta glides from table to table as his team toils in full view of the diners. His specials have quickly become the stuff of Lewes legend. 

Speaking of Lewes legends, Meghan Lee’s classically understated Heirloom is right next door to Raas. Award-winning chef Matt Kern always has surprises in store. But I warn you: Choose your out-of-town guests carefully - his cooking might make them want to move here. 

If you’re looking to splurge a bit, get reservations at Michy’s Relaxed Dining. I suggest the chardonnay-poached pear salad to start, and then chef/owner Richard Davis’ amazing Forever Braised Short Ribs with caramelized fennel. 

SoDel Concepts’ two recent additions dominate the landscape where Coastal Highway becomes Rehoboth Avenue. Bluecoast Seafood Grill and the barely-a-month-old Thompson Island Brewery bring a bit of class to what used to be a huge vacant lot. While Bluecoast focusses on fresh seafood, next door neighbor Thompson Island leans in a carnivorous direction. Both are open for lunch and dinner. Your guests will not soon forget the tasteful interior and exterior design. 

Another long-awaited ethnic eatery is none other than Minh’s Bistro at Route 24 and Coastal Highway. Vietnamese at the beach! Who wooda thought! And next door is yet another destination, the Rehoboth incarnation of Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli. I love the “For the Birds” turkey reuben. Oh, and the crispy onion rings. Pass the pickles, please. 

Touch of Italy took the Cape Region by surprise when owner Bob Ciprietti missed the authentic Italian food from his childhood in The Bronx. Wood-fired pizzas, straight-ahead Italian dishes (don’t miss the lasagna!) and some surprises from Food Network celebrity chef Ciro Verdi keep this place busy every night. The desserts are not to be missed. 

I’m running out of real estate on this page, but I can’t stop without urging you to take your guests to Mariachi for Mexican/Salvadorean treats, Confucius for Shawn and Danielle Xiong’s crispy whole fish, Henlopen City Oyster House for their off-season lunches and the always-good Café Azafran (watch for the off-season Paella Pop-Up feasts). 

So many restaurants, so little ink! But before you try my suggestions, be sure you’re OK with your friends moving here full time. Some of our eateries here at the beach can have that effect on people.