restaurants

Restaurants’ focus: Protecting experience, brand as costs rise

Peter OsborneBusiness, Headlines

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. He’s also trying to pay more attention to the costs of food and labor while preserving the …

dining

Delaware’s booming dining scene: pizza, tacos, On Tap trail

Pam GeorgeHeadlines, Culture

There’s no business like the food business. At least that was the case on Monday, Oct. 23, when the Delaware Restaurant Association held its Cornerstone Awards.  And there’s much to celebrate. Despite several years of hardships, new spots are opening. The industry continues to give back to the community, and seasonal specials are tempting diners to venture out during the …

opens

Bodhi Kitchen opens in Rehoboth; My Sister’s Fault reopens

Pam GeorgeCulture, Headlines

Right on schedule, Bodhi Kitchen opened this week in downtown Rehoboth. This is the second new project for the culinary minds behind Drift, and it seems as though Bodhi will make a similar splash in the coastal resort town.  There’s no missing the theme. Cocktails sport names like Happy Buddha, East Meets West and Quiet Meditation, and the menu features …

Foam container Styrofoam container polystyrene container Delaware Restaurant Association

Will foam cups, containers be banned like plastic bags?

Staff WriterCulture, Headlines

A bill that would ban restaurant use of foam takeout containers, plastic straws and beverage stirrers, is being shopped around for co-sponsors in Dover. It’s the second time that Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, has moved to ban the containers and straws. A similar bill introduced in 2021 passed the Senate but didn’t make it to the House floor. The bill …

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Bardea Steak’s ‘meat kingdom’ wows guests during soft opening

Pam GeorgeFood, Headlines

In any good story, the main characters face an obstacle or two. In this tale, restaurateur Scott Stein and chef Antimo DiMeo, founders of Bardea Food & Drink in Wilmington, encountered more than their share while opening another restaurant. Take, for instance, an unexpected pandemic, rising food costs and supply chain issues. These adversaries seemingly conspired to keep the partners …

Syrofoam

Senate votes to ban styrofoam to-go boxes, cups

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

The Delaware Senate on Thursday passed a bill to effectively ban restaurants from offering single-use plastic straws and styrofoam food and beverage containers.  Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 134, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, also prohibits food establishments from providing customers with plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks and sandwich picks. Under the bill, food establishments would only be …

a group of people posing for a photo

Caesar Rodney’s culinary team wins national competition

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

A hint of salt, a dash of pepper and a big spoonful of victory and cash for Caesar Rodney High School’s culinary team, who bested 80 other teams throughout the country at the National ProStart Student Invitational in Washington, D.C. Each chef earned a $7,000 college scholarship.  Teams had to make a three-course meal, and 60 judges scored them based …

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Darby ordinance would make Wilm employers pay for shift changes

Charlie MegginsonBusiness, Headlines

Photo/Getty Images Business leaders are lining up in opposition to a proposed ordinance in Wilmington that would require service industry employers to provide two-weeks notice of work schedules and compensate employees when changes occur.  The measure, sponsored by Council Member Shané Darby, D-District 2, aims to provide more schedule stability for hourly workers at retail, hospitality and foodservice establishments with …

Restaurants wrestle with pricing to cover industry cost hikes

Pam GeorgeCulture, Headlines

Bardea Food + Drink is one of the restaurants trying a temporary surchange to help them beat inflation. Photo by Valeria Boltneva/Pexels Since Valentine’s Day was on a Monday, many restaurants had four nights of solid reservations. The business was welcome, considering that most experienced a disastrous January due to mask mandates, bitterly cold weather and ailing staff. But a …

Delaware LIVE Weekly Review – Feb. 6, 2022

Sonja FreyDelaware Live, Weekly Review

This Week’s Top Headlines Include: Headlines Renter, landlord advocates disagree over solutions to eviction crisis Christina School District asks for moratorium on new, expanding charter schools Harlan Elementary’s Thursday night Bedtime Stories promote reading, community Culture Dover to celebrate Black History Month with cultural, educational events Want hydrangeas that bees will love? Choose a lacecap, says Mt. Cuba Surf fishing …