Mrs. Robino’s will be honored at this year’s Cornerstone Awards.
For those in the hospitality industry—and those who cover it—the Delaware Restaurant Association’s Cornerstone Award is a coveted honor recognizing hard work and long hours.
The ceremony is also one heck of a party, and this year, the 22nd annual event will be held Monday, Oct. 7, at the Lighthouse Cove Event Center in Dewey Beach. The public can attend.
This year, the gala will highlight a diverse number of honorees, including the Mrs. Robino’s. The landmark Italian-American restaurant, which has anchored Wilmington’s Little Italy for 84 years, will receive the Cornerstone Award
The three honorees receiving the Industry Impact Award category are Matt Kern of One Coastal in Fenwick Island, Katie Kutler of kaffé KARMA in Greenville and Hank Rosenberg, COO of hospitality at Harrington Raceway and Casino.
Cornerstone Award
The main Cornerstone Award honors the operators’ dedication, resiliency and spirit, according to the DRA’s press release.
Mrs. Robino’s is the second consecutive Italian restaurant to receive the distinction. Last year, Nicola Pizzaand the Caggiano family, the owners, received the honor in 2023.
Tresilla Robino opened Mrs. Robino’s Italian Restaurant in 1940 after spotting the demand for home-cooked meals among Italian immigrants.
Hungry customers lined up outside her door, and she initially served them in groups. After the first diners paid, the next group entered the dining room.
The restaurant is now operated by the fifth generation of Robino and Minuti families, including Andrea Minuti Wakefield, the founder’s great-granddaughter, and Robin Robino Mabery.
The family-friendly restaurant, located in four attached townhomes, is still known for homemade spaghetti and ravioli.
Restaurateurs of the Year
Partners Lion Gardner, David Gonce, Tyler Townsend and Bob Suppies are the powerhouses behind Second Block Hospitality.
Gonce, Townsend and Suppies joined forces to open The Pines in 2018, and they later took over Aqua with a fourth partner.
After leaving Blue Moon in Rehoboth Beach, Chef Lion Gardner worked with the owners as a consultant.
The collaboration proved fruitful. They joined forces to open Drift in a building Gardner and his wife, Meg, owned. Second Block Hospitality was born, and Drift and Bodhi soon followed.
“Driven by a mission of hospitality, innovation and community, the team exemplifies the qualities honored by the Restaurateurs of the Year Award, celebrating their passion, diversity, and creativity in Delaware’s dining scene,” according to the DRA press release.
Cornerstone Industry Impact Award
The DRA’s industry impact awards honor those dedicated to making a difference in the industry and the workforce’s lives.
Matt Kern of One Coastal is perhaps best known as the first Delaware chef to be a James Beard finalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. He’s been a semifinalist twice.
However, the humble chef also advocates for supporting local farmers and watermen. Along with purchasing from area purveyors, he helps farmers secure sustainability grants and supports conservation and food waste initiatives
He also mentors his team and aspiring chefs.
In Wilmington, Katie Kutler is the force behind the coffee shop/wellness community kaffé KARMA. She founded SpreadGood Karma Foundation, which provides wellness events and services to hospitality industry workers and others.
With nearly 25 years of hospitality experience, Hank Rosenberg has become a leading advocate for inclusive hiring practices, education, mentorship, and training.
The COO of hospitality for Harrington Raceway & Casino is active in the restaurant association’s ProStart Program, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Dewey Beach Lions Club and Ronald McDonald House.
He is also on advisory boards at Delaware Technical Community College and partners with the Food Bank of Delaware’s culinary program to provide employment opportunities to graduates in the disability community.
Party Central
Not surprisingly, hospitality folks know how to organize a good party, and the event on Oct. 7 features food stations, beverages and live music. The ceremony, complete with videos, is a portion of the program; the rest of the time is spent socializing.
Tickets for the event, which is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., are $89 per person, and there is an after-party at Grotto Pizza in Dewey Beach.
