‘The greatest of feasts!’ - Well said, James

I first met Keith Irwin when he was working at Nage with La Vida Hospitality. When La Vida opened Root Gourmet carryout/dine-in next to Nage, Irwin’s baking and pastry skills made him the logical choice to head up the kitchen.

(We briefly interrupt this program for a bit of history: Nage was originally opened by Chef Kevin Reading, now the boss at BrickWorks in Long Neck and Smyrna. He partnered with culinary schoolmate Josh Grapski, who, as leader of La Vida Hospitality, eventually morphed Nage into Fork & Flask. La Vida has moved on with multiple concepts here in the Cape Region, upstate Delaware and even South Carolina. The old Fork & Flask space now hosts the second location of Elina Kamalova’s Eggcellent breakfast/lunch spot. Rewinding a bit: Under Grapski’s control, Root Gourmet briefly became Nage Pantry. It is now Touch of Italy’s bakery/commissary/media center, Chef’s Table. OK. We now return you to our regularly scheduled program in progress.)

Rehoboth Beach, however, is not Irwin’s first rodeo. After successfully completing the curriculum at Culinary Institute of America, he honed his skills at West Virginia’s prestigious Greenbrier Hotel. Later, after taking the lead at Vail Resorts in Colorado, he finally settled in Delaware. Like most chefs, his dream was to own his own establishment, and in 2014, he purchased Old World Breads from Steve Kogler, who started the bakery on a small farm north of Milton. Interestingly, that land was previously cultivated by the late Bob Russell and his wife Barbara to grow microgreens and specialty vegetables for local upscale restaurants. The current Old World Breads in Lewes is certainly a family affair, with Irwin’s wife and daughter managing various facets of the business.

His magic with flavors and baking techniques prompted me to dub him “The Bread Whisperer” in this very column almost 10 years ago. Even more exciting (for me, at least) is that that title – coined with a respectful nod to TV personality Cesar Milan – finally caught on. When you pull up to the building that he shares with Beach Time Distillery owners Greg and Mary Christmas at the corner of Nassau and New roads, it’s hard to picture the small army of bakers, choppers, mixers and slatherers buzzing around the place. One guy is busy mixing up dough that will be left to rise. A woman is chopping dough and portioning it for loaves of bread. A young guy’s knife is almost invisible as he briskly chops onions and fresh fruit for the pastries. A couple of friendly clerks behind the counter gently upsell the savory croissants, cookies, rolls, pastries … the list goes on and on. Among the items I love promoting as a Rehoboth Foodie Pick Hit are the impossibly delicious Brown Butter Cookies. Like so many good things, they started out as an accident when Keith inadvertently allowed a pan of butter to warm longer than it should have. “There was no way I was going to throw out all that beautiful butter,” he told me. When butter browns, it becomes nutty and sweet with a savory hint. Well, the rest is history. But be forewarned: They often sell out early. I proudly blame myself (OK, maybe just a little) for their popularity.

Denizens of the local farmers markets will immediately recognize Old World Breads bakery products. In fact, other than the store in Lewes, those weekly in-season gatherings that include the Rehoboth, Lewes, Bethany Beach and Milton areas are a popular outlet for Keith’s creations. Do note that our farmers markets only operate in the warmer months, so at the moment you’ll have to drive to Lewes for your Brown Butter Cookies.

Old World Breads is easy to find: Driving north on Coastal Highway, bear right onto Nassau Road just before the Nassau Bridge. Drive about a block, and there it is on your right. The hours vary with the seasons, of course, so give Keith and his team a call at 302-313-5191.

Noted gastronome, food writer and educator James Beard said it best: “Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods, and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts!” My sentiments, exactly. James and I would have gotten along just fine. Pass the butter, pleeeze.