New owners preserve Captain's Table traditions
Anyone looking for a traditional home-style Christmas Eve dinner can't go wrong at the Captain's Table, where dinner will feature oyster stew, rockfish and prime rib, all in a comfortable surrounding familiar to many Cape Region families.
In September, Jim Baeurle of Dewey Beach Enterprises purchased the eatery, located on the Forgotten Mile, between Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. Though some faces are new, the restaurant continues to offer its trademark home-style meals, said Carrie Dietterick, general manager.
Dietterick and her husband, Jason, started in September, and have added several new menu and drink items. Plans to update the floor, decor and signs are in the works, but Dietterick said they want to keep the restaurant open, so changes will happen slowly.
In the kitchen, Jason mans the grill and oversees new menu items. So far, he has added an Eastern Shore yard bird, a new chicken recipe, to the menu, as well as a smoked fish plate and crispy-skinned salmon.
"We are also offering family-style portions, especially with our side dishes," said Dietterick. "The yardbird is done in 16 Mile beer and then roasted. It's our plan to offer classic food."
The Diettericks are not new to the restaurant scene. Both have worked for Baeurle at other restaurants, including Ruddertowne and at Newark's Stone Balloon, which Jason helped open in 2009.
The couple and their two children relocated to the Rehoboth area when they took the Captain's Table job, Dietterick said.
"We are both from this area, and we have family here, so we jumped at the chance," Dietterick said.
A new, healthy children's menu is now available at Captain's Table, created with the Dietterick children in mind.
The heart of the kitchen
Behind the Captain's Table has always been Doris Lynch, former owner and guiding force in the kitchen.
Lynch has been making the restaurant's traditional specialties for nearly four decades, and she is the reason many customers return time after time.
A broken hip took Lynch out of the kitchen, but Dietterick assures customers that Doris will be back.
"Her desserts are amazing, so we hope to have her back in the kitchen soon," Dietterick said.
While waiting for Doris to rehabilitate, the kitchen staff has been recreating some of her favorites.
At the bar, happy hour is offered from 4 to 7 p.m. and features a new special menu, as well as $3 glasses of wine. Dietterick said she hopes to start a revolving wine menu of about 30 bottles.
"We want it to be an approachable menu, but also be able to get new and fun selections," Dietterick said.
Private parties are always welcomed, and the restaurant offers incentives for anyone interested in hosting fundraisers at the restaurant. It is also a Toys for Tots drop-off location.
The Captain's Table is open seven days a week on the east side of the "Forgotten Mile," the stretch of Coastal Highway between Dewey Beach and the Rehoboth Canal. Call 302-227-6203 for more information.
