A sip of local spirits, great food, live music: Life is good

Last weekend on the radio, I had the pleasure of interviewing local entrepreneur and all-around restaurant expert Bryan Derrickson. He is the proud owner of Conch Island Key West Bar & Grill, Hideout Arcade Bar and the newly opened Crushers at the corner of Lake and Rehoboth avenues. In spite of his family’s longtime business presence here at the beach, Bryan (and his equally talented brother Regan) have created their successes all on their own.

When the “On Air” light came on, the first thing I asked was if the menu at Crushers included one of my Conch Island favorites, the bacon-wrapped jalapeno peppers. When I used to order them, Bryan would leave in the high-octane seeds and white ribs (the hottest parts) of the peppers. Though he has since retired that menu item (admit it: I had you at “bacon-wrapped”), I loved the heat of those crispy, bright-green little gems.

But there are other goodies at all three of his eateries that you can get extra-spicy (if you ask!). And that’s not unusual. The food industry is experiencing a trend where diners are craving an increase in heat. Perhaps people have become more aware of the wide variety of foods available to them (thank you, Food Network, etc.), so they’re more willing to experiment with new tastes. My friend who owns Indigo Indian restaurant in Rehoboth told me he is surprised at how many people ask for his already brightly spiced Lamb Vindaloo to be served “extra hot.” (If you choose to do that, make sure your affairs are in order.)

You can also kick things up a notch at Minh’s Bistro Vietnamese restaurant on Coastal Highway at Route 24. Owner Thinh Pham honors chiliheads by positioning bright-red bottles of Sriracha on every table. You can choose to squeeze or not to squeeze, but if you take the plunge, that intense garlic chili experience is waiting for you.

The sensation of heat comes from the chemical capsaicin, to which all sorts of health benefits are attributed. It’s a powerful antioxidant and has been proven to reduce the severity of migraine headaches. It relieves arthritis pain when applied topically, and has strong antibacterial properties. And whatever sweat it might generate can cool you off on hot days. This explains the tradition of hot & spicy dishes in warm climates.

Capsaicin is oil-based, so any attempt to rinse away the pain with water, beer or soft drinks does nothing more than spread the stuff around in your mouth. The more concentrated the capsaicin, the longer it lasts. I’ve written before that the measurement of relative hotness — other than how loud your screams are — is scientifically quantified by the Scoville organoleptic test. The rating is based on how much water is required to dilute the pepper essence until it can no longer be tasted. For example, the Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest peppers known to man, comes in at a whopping 2.2 million Scoville heat units, meaning that it requires 2,200,000 drops of water to render the Carolina Reaper tasteless. (Kudos to the intrepid researcher who figured that out!)

There’s no shortage of places here in Rehoboth that will happily spice up your mealtimes. Chef Shawn Xiong at Confucius has a secret stash of cruel little peppers from Hunan Province in China (you have to ask for them). Dale and John at Cooter Brown’s Twisted Southern Kitchen and Bourbon Bar will happily provide you with fresh jalapenos to sprinkle atop your Texas Frito Pie. And Dos Locos still has the “melt-your-face” sauce that is served AYOR (at your own risk!).

Getting back to Crushers, spice lovers will rejoice at Bryan’s Mussels Diablo. (“Diablo” is a mangling of the Italian term “fra diavolo,” meaning “brother devil.”) That same devilish effect can also be achieved with the green habanero sauce on the tables at La Tonalteca in Midway. My advice to wannabe chiliheads: Start small and work your way up. I cannot take responsibility for any spontaneous hallucinations.

No mention of devils, heat or hallucinations is complete without my recommending the green curry dish at Sticky Rice in Lewes Plaza (near Capriotti’s across from Weis supermarket at Five Points). Chef/owner Sawanya Conway will happily tone it down for you, but if you are looking for authentic Thai tastes, you will not be disappointed.

Cape Region eateries are brimming with all sorts of flavorful goodies waiting for you to try. What’s the worst that can happen!? Just sit back, order another frosty craft brew, and enjoy!