February 21st, 2011
JAM Bistro by Eden, Rehoboth Beach, Restaurant, Review, Delaware Beaches
Last September 9, 2010, I went to dinner with friends to a very popular restaurant in Rehoboth Beach called Eden. You can read this post if you click on the month of September on the left hand side of this website and scroll down to the date. On that night I happened to look across the street and saw a new restaurant that I did not know about. It was JAM; also owned by Eden; recently opened. A mental note to visit this restaurant some time soon.
Well, it has been more than a few months so on Friday, Linda, Harry, John and I decided to check it out. I had previously called to find out if they were aware of gluten allergies. They said yes and to inform the waitress.
JAM is located at 20 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. is 302-226-5266. Website? www.jambistro.com. It is open Thursdays and Fridays from 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:100 a.m. E-mail is info@edenrestaurant.com.
Linda and Harry are game to try something new even though at times I see a hesitation when I suggest to go to a new place. It was pretty funny when a couple of years ago I took them to the Grove Market in Bishopville, MD. Linda did not know what to think when we arrived.
On Saturday, it was the perfect night to go out. We needed to catch up. When the 4 of us get together is non-stop talking and laughter.
I had no preconceived ideas about JAM. Did not even read a review; I wanted to see for myself.
A flight down a set of stairs and then you enter to a surprise. From the outside JAM is so deceiving. I thought it would be small but it was not. A large room with tables scattered throughout and tablecloths. A partition divided a bar with tables set for dinner. We decided to sit in the larger dining room. The colors and art were very pretty.
JAM is a casual restaurant. We live at the beach; it should be that way.
Amy was our waitress and she was very friendly. Throughout our meal she stopped at the table to see if we needed anything; very unobtrusive. She let us talk and talk and talk.
At JAM you can order every wine by the glass, but what got rave reviews was the Dirty Martini. It came just like a dirty martini should; cloudy.
A few appetizers were ordered:
Crispy smashed firgerlings with smoked bacon and vermont cheddar, Old Bay and tartar sauce. They were crispy and you could definitely taste the Old Bay.
Shrimp dumplings, lemongrass broth, green, yuzu/truffle dressing. Yuzu is a sour Japanese citrus fruit; the rind predominantly used. Seasoned well with a nice flaky crust.
House made meatballs, tomato gravy and shaved parmesan was another appetizer ordered, but Linda has been perfecting meatballs at home and thought hers were better.
I went with the $30 prix fixe menu and I chose the roasted carrot and ginger soup with fried parsnips chips. It was delicious and I hope I can get the recipe.
More wine and more dry martinis followed. Then for our entrees we ordered.
Grilled Pork Chop and a side of broccolini over mashed potatoes. It looked beautiful. Harry said it was delicious; not dry and great gravy.
Linda had the Pappardelle Bolognese which was a house made pasta with shaved pecorino and olive oil. I think she liked it but, again, she has been experimenting a lot with her own Bolognese sauce and she thought hers was so good. She is inviting us to sample her Italian cooking. A post will be coming soon.
John and I chose the Grilled Whole Silver Snapper that came over jasmine rice, garlic broccolini and a preserved orange vinaigrette. Amy suggested we had this entree and it truly was delicious. It was a white flaky fish with mild flavor; seasoned and cooked to perfection.
A word of caution. If you do not like to see a whole fish then don’t order it. That has never bothered me. Also if you don’t like the idea of picking thrugh fishbones, then don’t order it either. You will be missing a great tasting fish, though.
We had to try the desserts and a outrageous dark chocolate brownie was ordered with vanilla bean ice cream, and caramel krispies. The brownie was dense and sweet, just as it should be.
My Key Lime Pie was also perfect. Tart; not too sweet, just the way I like it.
Coffee and laughter was the perfect ending to a perfect evening……friends, always there….I love it that way….
Talk to you later…
P.S. I must be hitting all the restaurants at the right time because to tell you the truth most of them have been good with just a few having bad nights. I hope that’s what they had.
Tags: Affordable, American Food, Delaware Beaches, Full Bar, Gluten free awareness, JAM, JAM Bistro By Eden, rehoboth beach, review, seafood restaurant, Things to do at the beach, What to do at the beaches
Sounds like you guys had a great evening. Loved everything you described. As you know I will stay away from Martinis, wether they are clear of dirty!!