Lewes homecoming is a family affair at Honey's Farm Fresh
Jim Paslawski’s Delmarva history began with childhood vacations on Bowers Beach, where the calm waters brimmed with flounder, trout and croakers, caught and cooked fresh on days when summer felt as if it could last forever.
He returned to the region years later, first for a cooking stint at Gilligan's in Lewes, and then to the Rose & Crown, where he spent three years, in his words, "Taking care of Lewes locals and picking up enough good stories to last the rest of my life."
Paslawski had just finished a shift at the Rose & Crown one day in 1999 when he and his partner Mark Grabowski stepped into the Aurora Grill at 329 Savannah Road, which is now the site of Honey's Farm Fresh. “The waiter told us we had to hurry up and eat our lunch because they were about to close,” he recalls. “He meant forever. We decided pretty much right there and then that we would pick up where they left off.”
Paslawski and Grabowski re-opened the place as The Blue Plate shortly thereafter, learning more of the restaurant ropes firsthand before their next giant leap, the creation of Finbar's Pub & Grille in Rehoboth. From 2009 until a few months ago, the establishment next door to Dogfish Head made drinkers and diners feel as if they had stepped into an historic UK pub. There were paneled walls, two fireplaces surrounded by custom millwork, and a massive and majestic 130-year-old bar rescued from an architectural salvage shop in Philadelphia.
“We’ve always loved history, and we loved that bar - with its mahogany top and amazing sturdiness that survived so much wear and tear over the years,” Paslawski recalls. “Our cities are losing these treasures at an alarming rate - you’ll never see that kind of craftsmanship again. We drove all nine sections of it down Route 1, feeling like we were making history of our own in the way we were saving it.”
Paslawski and Grabowski sold the building that housed Finbar’s to Sam and Mariah Calagione last year, knowing that the bar and the rest of the building's contents would be in good hands. They then headed back to Lewes to buy - once again - 329 Savannah Road, where they have created Honey's Farm Fresh, now serving three meals a day, every day except Tuesday, perfectly in-sync with Lewes' farm-to-table vibe.
“It’s been fun working in the same kitchen, where literally nothing has changed,” Paslawski says. “I know all of its nooks and crannies and quirks - like which buttons you have to punch a couple of times to get the old stove running."
That Lewes homecoming has been welcomed by Honey’s “competition.”
“Lewes is an amazing community,” Grabowski says. “We got flowers from the other restaurants when we moved in. We’ve got a network that enables us to help each other out.”
“The same network that was here all those years ago, when I was still learning,” Paslawski adds. “If I ran out of something I could run down the street to another guy’s kitchen for a little help. Today we just mainly work together to make sure locals and visitors get a great experience - even jointly catering events together like we did last week with The Buttery."
The network extends to staffing. "Nine years ago I got a call from Fred, the manager of Dogfish, who told me they were closing for a couple of weeks and that he had a beautiful blonde waitress who needed some extra hours," Paslawski says. "Mandy Loux's been with us ever since."
Friends and family have always been at the heart of Paslawski and Grabowski's business ventures. Their 12-year-old son Danny serves as a greeter, busboy and general helper at Honey's, under the tutelage of his parents and hostess Holly Ostendorf, who has also been part of the Delmarva restaurant scene for years.
"Danny's getting a great experience working here," Grabowski says. "He's already got a great work ethic and is learning about customer service and economics and having a good time too. He enjoys walking downtown on his breaks and checking in with other restaurant people and shop owners, including 'Mr. Ted' at the Mercantile Exchange, who just happens to be the mayor of Lewes. He's getting other job offers based on the impression he makes, but we're happy to keep him close to home here for awhile."
Mark and Jim's family perspective extends further into their philosophy on the kind of restaurant Honey's should be.
"I came from a family that viewed going out to a restaurant as a big, special occasion," Paslawski says. "We want Honey's to always be a place that’s loved by foodies who want amazing flavors, but we also want it to be affordable for families like mine, who’d like to go out to dinner a little more often. You're always going to get something creative and fresh - special but affordable."
On a recent Friday night, Paslawski demonstrated the lengths they take to fulfill the promise of freshness. "I just got a boatload of peaches from Fifer's so I'll be working peaches into the dinner menu and some desserts and peach pancakes tomorrow at breakfast. And tonight's dinner special is flounder that was swimming in the Delaware Bay just a few hours ago. We're serving it with a black bean vegetable medley with fresh local corn and tomatoes."
"It's the exact meal my grandma made for me as a kid," Paslawski adds. "Back then if she wanted you to eat something healthy she'd hide it in your mashed potatoes, but in the end she taught me to love all of the things we're serving fresh to our customers today."
