It’s Restaurant Week in Rehoboth Beach, which means 20 great places have created special meals just for the occasion. Enjoy any for a fixed price of $20-$30, and without fighting the crowds that come on peak summer weekends. We couldn’t resist a bit menu grazing, so here’s an example of what you’ll find.
From our Friends at Dos Locos Fajitas and Stonegrill:
Start with a wedge of grilled Caesar salad, Mexican calamari with spicy tequila sauce, fresh guacamole and chips, or roasted corn-green chile bisque. Then dig into a crab quesadilla, the Loco Enchiladas, a 7-ounce sirloin steak, a grilled sirloin-blue cheese quesadilla, sesame-crusted ahi, duck carnitas quesadilla, the famous fajitas (of course) or the fish du jour. End with a red velvet cupcake, fried ice cream or flan. Best of all, the price includes a glass of sangria or a margarita.
At the always-fun Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats:
Begin with rosemary-parmesan fries, fried pickles or a Cobb salad. Move on to a Summer People Pizza (red sauce, local queso fresco and mozzarella and topped with fresh cilantro), a wood-grilled portobello sandwich, or wood-grilled sirloin with chimichurri sauce and fresh cut fries. Your dessert? Chicory Stout-bacon-chocolate cheesecake or triple chocolate cookies with whipped cream.
At the seductive Eden:
Choose a first course of asparagus bisque, pork meatballs, eggplant ratatouille, a wedge or wilted spinach salad and a delicious flatbread. Graduate to braised buffalo short ribs; Scottish salmon with chorizo risotto, orange chimichurri and braised spinach; or grilled Carolina-style chicken breast. Save room for banana pudding, Key lime pie, white chocolate mousse or a fruit crisp of the day.
Of course, that’s just a sampling of menus and participating restaurants. Here are the rest:
Adriatico, Back Porch Café, Blue, Blue Moon, Catchers, Espuma, Hobo’s, Jakes Seafood House, Lupo di Mare, Mariachi Restaurant, MIXX, Pig + Fish Restaurant Company, Planet X, Rehoboth Ale House, Rigby’s Bar & Grill, Ristorante Zebra, Stingray Sushi Bar + Asian Latino Grill, Stoney Lonen, Summer House, Victoria’s Restaurant.
That’s 20 great places. You have five days. Start eating.
You Can’t Get to the Beach?
Then pretend. Dine outside. Here is a random sampling of our favorite outdoor places.
Proximity to water helps. Foremost in our minds is the Christina Riverfront. That means Firestone, Timothy’s, and Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant. Seafood is a bonus. Think Harry’s Seafood Grill and Big Fish Grill. All have decks right on the river. Even after all these years, we can’t believe it’s Wilmington.
More water: McGlynn’s on Silver Lake in Dover. Aqua Sol in Bear, on the C&D Canal. And speaking of the canal, no summer is complete without several visits to the Chesapeake Inn.
Hidden gems (or not so obvious choices): The grotto at Pizza By Elizabeths is a treat. Buckley’s Tavern in Centreville (three outdoor areas!) Don’t forget Redfire Grill in Hockessin, Capers and Lemons in Wilmington, Sovana Bistro in Kennett or Harry’s Savoy Grill in North Wilmington.
It’s not exactly Paris, but sidewalk dining on Main Street in Newark has its charms. From Iron Hill, check out the scene on the deck at Klondike Kate’s. From Kate’s, check out the scene at Iron Hill. The Deer Park’s two-story veranda is a step back in time, and Caffé Gelato is now a classic. Grotto Pizza is always packed. Dig deeper to find the aerie at Kildare’s (also in the Galleria, but upstairs and around back).
Trolley Square offers a wide variety of outdoor environments and styles: Piccolina Toscana, Catherine Rooney’s, Kelly’s Logan House, Kid Shelleen’s always-happening deck and the charming courtyard at the Del Rose Café. On Market Street, check Chelsea Tavern, Enoteca 902 and, at lunch, the classic Cavanaugh’s.
For more, including other beach faves, click here.
