College pals Tom Neville and Brent Poffenberger were newly graduated when they decided to start a small restaurant in Ocean City, Maryland. The Cottage CafĂ© Restaurant & Pub was so successful that the partners opened a second â and larger â location in South Bethany Beach. When the Ocean City lease expired, the men concentrated their efforts on the 240-seat Delaware …
Taste & Sea’s superb menu stresses seafood first, then steak
Christina âChrissyâ Villare-Talbot and her husband, John, shared the dream of owning a restaurant together. Most would agree that John has the pedigree for it. A graduate of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, heâd worked at Creedâs Seafood & Steaks in King of Prussia since 2000, when he was hired as a sous chef. He later became executive …
Restaurantsâ focus: Protecting experience, brand as costs rise
Lee Mikles has a dizzying list of what he thinks about every day. The co-founder of OMG Hospitality restaurant group is focusing on the April launch of a new Grain menu that leans into comfort food that reminds guests of their childhood memories. Heâs also trying to pay more attention to the costs of food and labor while preserving the …
One Coastal’s Matt Kern is James Beard Award semifinalist
Matt Kern, chef and owner of One Coastal in Fenwick Island, is a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in the Best Chef Mid-Atlantic category. This is Kernâs third semifinalist nomination. He was a semifinalist in 2019 and 2020 while working at Heirloom in Lewes. âItâs way different,â this time, said Kern, who purchased One Coastal from Scott and Carlie Carey in 2022. âI have …
Jolly Trolley, Margarita Crawl among winners of tourism awards
Tourism is big business in Sussex County, Delaware, and the proof is in the numbers, according to Matt Parker, chair of Southern Delaware Tourism and a financial planner. In fiscal year 2023, Sussex County generated $2.7 billion in visitor spending, he noted at the Annual Tourism Awards Luncheon, held Wednesday at Lighthouse Cove Event Center in Dewey Beach. âThis is real money and …
Donuts, barbecue, pizza, sausage and French fries
Barbecue and donuts are big news in Delaware, and one newcomer has decided to package them together. But word on the street also has good eats in Newark, where a West African restaurant just opened, and La Casa Pasta prepares to celebrate its 45th anniversarye. Barbecue and breakfast Those who commute via Marsh Road in Brandywine Hundred may have noticed …
Iron Hill’s new menu: Regional favorites and lots of shrimp
In the early 1990s, brewpubs were an anomaly in Delawareâhard as that is to believe. Then Stewartâs Brewing Co. in Bear, Dogfish Head Brewery & Eats in Rehoboth Beach and Brandywine Brewing Co. in Greenville quickly opened. (The latter has since closed.) Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant was the tortoise in the local race, owing to the lack of available space. …
Fall benefits: Some restaurants lower prices after Labor Day
People have a tenancy to rush into fall, and when it comes to food, thatâs not a bad thing, particularly if you like pumpkin, squashes, apples and heartier fare. Restaurants are revising menus, coastal eateries are reinstating specials, and special events are kicking into high gear throughout the state. The second season Coastal locals rejoice once Labor Day rolls around. …
Pizzeria Maki opens 2nd site; State Fair ribbon winners
As Delaware slides into August, our appetite for fresh produce and easy meals expands. Enter restaurants and food festivals, which offer a place to eat and socialize. Hereâs the skinny on Delawareâs dining scene.  Beefsteak tomatoes, burgers & blueberry pies The Delaware State Fair continues through July 29, and while the fair boasts a heavy roster of entertainment, it also …
More Mexican restaurants headed to Newark, Dover
When it comes to Delawareâs dining scene, there is rarely has a slow news day, and thatâs been particularly true this summer. There are new restaurants in the works, and plenty of opportunities to try new foods. More Mexican In fall, Greg Vogely, owner of two Delaware Drip CafĂ© locations, plans to open Roja & Verde Taqueria next to the …