Resort restaurateurs know that only the strong survive

One of the most difficult tasks I face at RehobothFoodie.com is keeping the restaurant specials/hours list current and accurate, as restaurants scramble to find and maintain qualified help. Indeed, over the last few seasons I’ve witnessed some eateries quietly closing in the mid-afternoon to give their limited staff a break before the dinner rush. Others open a bit later or close a little earlier so as not to overwork their faithful employees. It makes perfect sense, but when that happens, guess who gets the angry emails and texts? Yup, you guessed it. So I’d rather be accurate than publish information that could create disappointment for our restaurant guests. The good news is that many restaurants might post these last-minute changes on their Facebook pages, so a bit of searching and clicking can often yield up-to-date information.

In spite of all that, the Nation’s Summer Capital is still a recognized culinary destination. Year after year, the prestigious James Beard Foundation acknowledges the talents of various local chefs and businesspeople. On a blustery winter weekend, even the name “Summer Capital” begins to sound a bit dated as hungry diners slowly cruise Rehoboth, Dewey, Lewes, Bethany and Ocean City in search of a parking spot. And the number of local chefs and restaurant owners being featured on national TV continues to grow.

There are virtually unlimited choices when it comes to eating, whether those choices are passed through a window at one of Rehoboth’s iconic Boardwalk stands or whipped up in restaurants. You can even satisfy your gastronomic wanderlust a tad northward in Milton and Milford, or right up against the Delaware/Maryland line on Fenwick Island.

Moderately priced dining runs the gamut from funky raw bars clad in knotty pine to big, noisy fish houses, to straightforward spots lit up by TVs behind the bar and burgers, wings and nachos on the menu. Seafood is certainly a mainstay, and those in the know, know where to get it. From crab cakes to gobhi musallam, from fried shrimp to kona kampachi (poached in coconut milk!) to grilled octopus, there’s something for everyone.

When I first started the website over 20 years ago, I coined the phrase “only the strong survive” in reference to resort dining. It’s even truer now than it was then. Wise restaurateurs know that competition makes everybody better; if a restaurant can’t rely on repeat business from locals and locals’ recommendations, it won’t last very long. That scenario plays out every fall and spring as for lease signs appear – and disappear.

Upscale restaurants are not immune to this cycle, and each one has carefully carved out its own culinary niche. In fact, several have been carving for some time; we have restaurants celebrating upwards of 60 years in business! Others are not far behind, with several decades under their proverbial belts. Vacationers in search of culinary adventures (and locals who know the difference) can enjoy Mediterranean, Spanish, Italian, Salvadorean, Chinese, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Thai and Mexican-inspired treats, many prepared to order with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

The Cape Gazette and local travel and food writers make it easy to figure out where to go for all this good stuff. Log on to CapeGazette.com for up-to-the-minute info. And the popular travel app Rehoboth In My Pocket puts dining and a whole lot more onto your Android or Apple phone.

Last and (certainly!) not least is this Business of Eating column. For over 13 years, it’s been a pretty good behind-the-scenes reference for anyone who can read and chew at the same time. So what are you waiting for? It might be a little frosty out there, but ya’ still gotta eat!