State of the Union
Who can keep up with chef Matthew Curtis and Union City Grille? Not only have they plotted a Jersey Boys/Temptations wine dinner for Aug. 17, they’ve revamped the lunch menu. First, the dinner: barbecue shrimp in bacon and garlic ciabatta with melted fontina and truffle honey to start, followed by Jersey corn chowder and peeky toe crab fritter, then Jersey tomato salad, with entrées cedar-plank salmon with grilled red onion, balsamic buerre blanc and pancetta-braised broccolini. Dessert: banana bread pudding with candied pecans and bourbon syrup. The wines are from Frank’s Union Street. The Dining Insider knows, but you’ll have to attend to find out. As for the lunch menu, just check out the sandwiches: porchetta and garlicky broccoli rabe, a grilled chicken BLT, the 8-ounce Union Burger, a cheesesteak panini with cheddar called The Tugger, a portobello burger and jumbo blackened crab cake. We say yum. Check in to see the other changes.
Wild Willey
Since SR1 opened, some businesses on U.S. 13 died with the decreased traffic flow. Not so Willey Farms near Townsend, a local favorite that has thrived. Lest you think it’s a mere garden center, let us you remind you that there’s a full-service deli, an amazing produce market (Florida honeybell tangerines, pomegranates, avocadoes and Florida strawberries all in season now), unheralded but top-notch natural foods loaded with organic fare, a supply of old-fashioned candies and plenty of gourmet products. If you’re headed up or down the state, make a visit.
Delebrity Chef News
If you missed the Philadelphia Inquirer story on Matt Haley and Bryony Zeigler of SoDel Concepts, check it out. Say what you will, that pair knows how to work the press. (See? They worked us just now without even trying.) Go to articles.philly.com/2011-08-04/news/29851010_1_fine-dining-eatery-restaurants-porch-café. (BTW, we were sorry to see the fire at their Catch 54 in Fenwick Island. We hope for its speedy return.)
Taco Crazy
There is one place for the best tacos around: El Dorado on Del. 24 in Rehoboth. Fresh, delicious, customizable with anything from the salsa bar, totally authentic. Check it out: The veggie taco of beer-battered or grilled tofu with guacamole and Romaine, marinated grilled chicken (pollo asado) or steak (carne asada), and Baja-style shrimp or fish, beer battered, with white sauce and thinly sliced cabbage. Trust The Insider: One trip will make you a believer. Call ahead: 645-1596.
