A survival guide for Restaurant Week 2019

Restaurant Week in Coastal Delaware starts this Sunday, June 2nd and runs through Friday June 7th. It’s sponsored by Cape Gazette, Blue Moon brews, Clark Service Group, Open Table and yours truly The Rehoboth Foodie. This third incarnation of Coastal Delaware Restaurant Week features eateries that have come up with special dinner and lunch menu specials just for you. Though my particular pick hits might not be included in the prix fixe specials, go ahead and charge up your electric fork and jump onto my whirlwind tour of Restaurant Week eats. It’s time to think (and eat) out of the box.

Warp Speed: Engage: Try the hummus trio at Fork + Flask. Revel in the lakeside view at The Cove in Selbyville. Yolanda’s pupusas and tamales are legendary at Mariachi. Lisa’s magical meatballs and crunchy salads will keep you happy at DiFebo’s 3 locations. The Back Porch Café is in its 46th year. ‘Nuff said? The fried chicken at The Pines is a Rehoboth Foodie pick hit! G Rehoboth is known for the perfect cocktails to wash down creatively prepared dishes. Enjoy one of JAM Bistro’s delicious entrees on their ocean-block patio. Matt’s Fish Camp in Lewes is also fried chicken-friendly. Start off with the wings. Bethany Blues in Lewes and in Bethany Beach offer authentic Memphis and Carolina-style barbecue. And the huge bar in Lewes is a professionally designed music venue!

Bluecoast Rehoboth offers not only a long list of seafood goodies, but also tasty dishes for the carnivorously inclined. Don’t miss the light and crispy calamari – properly washed down with a Bluecoast Buzz! Save Thursday night for Café Azafran when singing bartender Holly Lane keeps everyone happy with her cocktails. Chefs Richard & Ryan’s haricots verts and the veal sausage are definite must-gets. Get a round (or two) in on the links at Bear Trap, then drop by The Den for a pint of Kodiak Gold and a great lunch or dinner. While you’re in Bethany Beach, locally sourced seafood, steaks and salads grace the menu at the award-winning Café on 26. In Millsboro, check out yet another amazing view at Serendipity.

Fine dining at Victoria’s in the Boardwalk Plaza is enhanced by a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. Oenophiles will rejoice at the huge selection of fine vintages offered at Cuvee Ray Wine Bar. Over 170 wines by the glass! Carnivores will go ballistic over the Wagyu beef selections at Harvest Tide Steakhouse in Lewes. Back downtown in Rehoboth, Eden continues its tradition of great wines paired with upscale (and beautifully prepared) dishes. The Rehoboth Boardwalk and the ocean are again the center of attention at Atlantic Boardwalk Grille – along with straight-ahead American cuisine.

The menu and the wines vie for your attention at the Vineyard Wine Bar. The meatballs and those crispy flatbreads are great companions to Joe’s carefully curated wine list. SoDel Concepts has put their magic touch on The Clubhouse at Baywood Greens. Chef Ryan Cunningham has raised this gorgeous venue to the highest of standards. Happy hour is not to be missed at Fish On in Lewes. Same thing with Chesapeake & Maine in Rehoboth where Friday happy hours feature music by Bruce Anthony. Next door is Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats. Get the burgers! Or the mac ‘n’ cheese … oh, and any of the wood-fired flatbreads! The expansive bar is THE place to see and to be seen.

Restaurateur, entrepreneur and singer Mara DePace serves up homestyle Italian in a living-room atmosphere at Villa Sorrento in Lewes. If you’re lucky she’ll serenade you! Speaking of homestyle Italian, it’s all about wood-fired pizzas and delicious take-home deli and Italian pastries at Touch of Italy’s four trattorias. Striper Bites’ nautical look sets the stage for fresh seafood in the heart of Lewes. Lupo Italian Kitchen’s lineup of all-Italian wines makes for the perfect starter for their chicken parm and veal meatballs. Palate Bistro & Catering might be tiny, but they’ve got big flavors and all-homemade dishes. Lorraine’s desserts are not to be missed! Just in Thyme on the Forgotten Mile is a Rehoboth staple. The popular locals’ bar opens into an unpretentious dining room featuring classic recipes with that John Orlando twist.

Blue Moon is as Rehoboth as the Atlantic Ocean, and this upbeat bar/fine-dining restaurant combo never disappoints. Chef /co-owner Lion Gardner makes sure of that. Cilantro’s popular happy hour blends into dinnertime with Mexican warmth and hospitality. Saketumi on the highway is one of the go-to sushi spots. I love the tea-smoked ribs and the dumplings! Back downtown in Rehoboth, Blue Hen has a wide selection of upscale comfort food in The Avenue Hotel. Just up the block, Azzurro Italian Oven has that bronzino dish everyone is talking about. I also love the lasagna. And the bar….

Millsboro’s Blue Water Grill is one of the shining lights west of the beach. Bosses Josh & Jess Wiggins stand by everything they serve. Happy hour is a hoot! Shorebreak Lodge (just a few doors east of Mariachi) dishes up a surf vibe with a whisper of gastropub. Things don’t get much better in the steak department than at 1776 Steakhouse in Midway. I love to start with the black ravioli and end with the porterhouse! The Station on Kings is a café, market and garden center all rolled up into one. You’re gonna love this bright and lively place.

Rehoboth Beach finally has stellar Indian Cuisine in the form of Indigo Indian restaurant just steps from the Boardwalk on The Avenue. Father/son team Suraj and Raghu Kumar keep things 100% authentic in that little oasis of flavor. Indigo is right next door to Blackwall Hitch, where a lively bar scene and good food thrives just a few steps from the ocean. Pat Hurley’s cocktails are not to be missed!

The new incarnation of Crust & Craft has resulted in a brand new interior – but all the popular dishes and wood-fired pizzas remain. Get the octopus with cannellini beans. Wash it down with a hot & crusty pie.

Last and certainly not least, the Cultured Pearl will be topping off Restaurant Week with a special performance by The Rehoboth Foodie’s 2nd Time Around Trio. The food is amazing, and (I promise) the music will pair perfectly with Susan and Rob’s sushi and popular Asian-inspired menu. Start off with a frosty Sapporo at the bar. Just sayin’….

See the special menus at www.RestaurantWeekDE.com. Try one, try ‘em all. I suggest you pin this list to your shirt.