Two Stones Pub Is Coming to Kennett Square

Plus, Ulysses Gastropub in Wilmington premiers New Belgium Beers, Blood Bank of Delmarva offers Pints for Pints, The Back Burner Restaurant in Hockessin offers burgers and beers, and the Delaware Dining Trail continues

Two Stones Pub

Two Stones Times Three

“Are you guys beer drinkers? Because we have a lot of beer.” At Two Stones Pub, the “Are you a beer drinker?” question—posed by servers before each meal—is largely rhetorical. Proprietor Michael Stiglitz, the corporate chef behind The Pickled Pig Pub, is a bit of a beer nut, to put it Bud Light-ly, and his Two Stones Pub is a literal shrine to ales and porters: “Come worship at the beer temple,” reads his takeout flyer. Flung in each corner of his cozy pub are Buddha statues, content smiles played across their faces and beer bellies hanging proudly. If you are even remotely interested in craft beer, this is your Shangri-La. And that’s why we are so eagerly awaiting the opening of Two Stones Pub No. 3. First came Newark. Then North Wilmington. Now, there’s Kennett Square (843 E. Baltimore Pike), and it can’t open soon enough. Check the progress of renovations at 2SP’s Facebook page. And see here what dining critic Matt Amis wrote about the first location when it opened. twostonespub.com

two stones pub

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A Warm Welcome

Speaking of beer, gastropubs and the like, the big news in Delaware is the arrival of the New Belgium brews. Native to Fort Collins, Colo., New Belgium hit big in the Rockies and the West Coast with Fat Tire Amber Ale almost 20 years ago. Ulysses Gastropub in North Wilmington is celebrating the migration with the premier of New Belgium Beers on Aug. 19. That means you can try several styles, including Fat Tire, India Pale Ale,
 Rampant Imperial IPA
 and the Trippel
 Shift Pale Lager. And that’s just the beginning of things at Ulysses. The Victory Brewing Company Tap Takeover happens Aug. 14, which means your favorite styles from Victory, of Downingtown, Pa., will be available. Come Sept. 12, Troegs Brewery of Harrisburg, Pa., will provide the beers for a special a la carte food pairing, so you can try the Dream Weaver 
Perpetual IPA,
 Dead Reckoning Porter, 
Hop Back Amber
 and another brew to be announced. Evolution Craft Brewing Co. of good ol’ Dover will take over the taps on Sept. 25. Finally, Heavy Seas Brewing Co. will be featured on Oct. 9. The big fun: Ulysses collaborated with Heavy Seas on its own brew. The firkin will be tapped at 4 p.m., so be there. One last note: Large-format beers and bottles of wine are half price on Tuesdays when you buy a dinner. You can’t beat that. 691-3456, ulyssesgastropub.com

Beer for Blood

When the beer clears your system, donate a pint of blood. If you give at the Blood Bank of Delmarva’s Wilmington center (913 N. Market St.) anytime between now and Sept. 5, the BB will buy you a pint of Twin Lakes brew at neighboring Ernest & Scott Taproom (900 Market St.) on Sept. 6. That gives you a day to replenish your blood cells and metabolize that free brew before you keel over. So you give a pint, get a pint, save lives and enjoy a free happy hour where you can learn about eating healthy for your blood type. To schedule an appointment, visit www.DelmarvaBlood.org

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The BBB—and B

One last beer-related item: If you hit Hockessin’s venerable back Burner Restaurant on Tuesdays, you can take advantage of the $6 burger night. You’ll have six different burgers to choose from, and six different brews to pair them with. We like. 239-2314, backburner.com

Up and Away

Finally, Stone Balloon Winehouse on Main Street in Newark is now 16 Mile Taphouse, which means your favorite Georgetown brewer has taken over. Slight tweaks. Coming soon. Check it out. www.stoneballoonwh.com

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Life’s a Peach

This has nothing to do with beer: The 2013 Olde-Tyme Middletown Peach Festival happens Aug. 17, beginning at 9 a.m. with the annual parade on Broad Street. Most activities happen on Main Street, with entertainment scheduled throughout the town all day. There are activities for children, a local artist exhibit, car show, historical exhibits, a peach pie contest—yum—crafts, music, food, games and, of course, peaches, peaches, peaches. The Peach Festival happens rain or shine. Be there. middletownpeachfestival.com

Happy Trail

This bears repeating: The Delaware Dining Trail includes eight restaurants in each county that exemplify fine dining or local flavor. For instance, there’s The Charcoal Pit in North Wilmington. Why? Because The newest full-time server at the original Charcoal Pit on Concord Pike has worked there 10 years. Some have been there 25 years. If that means things change slowly at The Pit, that’s a good thing. The place looks much as it did when it opened in 1956. The counter was long ago moved from the bank of windows up front to make room for lots of cozy booths, but the place still feels like the place you hung out at as a teen, because you still hang out there when you need a good char-grilled burger and ice cream. So do your teenaged grandchildren. And you often you hang out there together. That’s cool. Then there’s a point that could be argued: Karen and Chino Pedemonte’s Bon Appétit in Seaford is the last true French restaurant in the state. A point that can’t be disputed: It is truly continental in every way. The decor is modest and understated, the very definition of elegance: white linens, fresh flowers, candlelight. The food would please the most bullish of purists. Smoked bluefish is served with horseradish sauce, country paté with mustard. A daily quiche. Garlicky escargot. And that’s just to start. The list of entrées reads like a true bistro menu, sprinkled as it is with Cressonnières, epinards, citrons and Dijonaisses. The wine list offers classics such as bottles by Louis Jadot, as well as contemporary favorites such as Cakebread Chardonnay—which, we’ll point out, is made from a classically French grape. Or enjoy a Pernod and water. One could say there’s no place else like this in Western Sussex. Then again, one could say there’s no place else like it in Delaware. It’s a holiday weekend, so grab your Delaware Dining Trail Passport, then get to The Pit or Appétit and the other 22 local classics. See them here.

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