Welcome to Home Skillet, where tiny posters of Giada de Laurentiis hang in our lockers. Here are a few of the best food and wine events for the coming week:
Thursday, October 23: Feelin’ old school? Hop on board the Back Burner Dinner Train tomorrow.
Ride Wilmington and Western Railroad vintage railcar (a 1929 doodlebug railcar to be specific) to the Back Burner Restaurant in Hockessin for entrees and desserts. Hors d’oeuvres are served on board the, um, doodlebug.
Entrees include chicken en croute, pan-seared salmon napoleon and beef tips stroganoff.
It ain’t quite the gravy train, but hey, there’s bound to be some gravy around somewhere, right? Reservations are required, so dial 998-1930 to make yours, and visit www.wwrr.com for more.
Thursday, October 23: Those plucky young movers and shakers The Wilmington Jaycees host their 6th Annual Brew Review tomorrow, all in the name of a great cause.
Greenville’s own Twin Lakes Brewery will be on hand with some beers for tasting, as will Penn Brewing from Pittsburgh, Blue Moon from Colorado, Pottsville’s famous Yuengling, plus brewers as far-reaching as Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic and the Bahamas.
Ameritage Bistro chefs will provide the munchies and proceeds benefit the Jaycees’ Thanksgiving Food Basket Program which helps feed more than 400 Wilmington families with the West End Neighborhood House.
A silent auction is also part of the entertainment, with autographed Flyers pucks, a mani/pedi from Sharif Zaki, Delaware Theatre Company tickets and tons more gift certificates from local businesses and restaurants up for bid.
Everything happens at Ameritage Bistro in Wilmington from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Order yours here.
Wednesday, October 29: Newark is a party town and one of its best restaurants, the venerable Caffé Gelato, loves to follow suit. Wine dinners, fundraisers, Halloween bashes (more on that next week)—these folks definitely enjoy a good party.
This time it’s the Late Harvest Wine Dinner, which gives due to the spoils of the fall harvest. See: acorn squash (found roasted and pureed in a bisque with Vermont maple syrup and creme fraiche), cranberries (found braised in Zinfandel and paired with a warm pancetta vinaigrette) and pumpkin (found caramelized in an amazing-sounding pumpkin creme brulee. Lots of great wines, too. Check out the full menu here.
A reception begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Caffe Gelato in Newark. Call 738-5811 to make reservations ($65 a head) and visit www.caffegelato.net to join the mailing list and get your unpopular self invited to all the parties.
Hey! Email me and tell me about your upcoming dining event—so it can end up all crispy and golden brown in the Home Skillet.
