June 8th, 2013
The new eatery located at 111 Neil’s Alley in Historic Lewes, Delaware is Nectar. It is a Cafe & Juice Bar. Its friendly and charming owner is Sarah McKeown. And, Jody, Sue, and I found her very busy on a rainy day at the Delaware Beaches.
Nectar opens at 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day of the week. Tel. 302-645-5842. Email nectar302@gmail.com.
My first impression of Nectar was that I had a feeling of warmth. The restaurant embraces you as you step in. Like a hug…you know what I mean. The lighting is perfect; not too bright and not dim either. It flows very well.
The juice bar has plenty of seating at the bar and by the window. You can choose one of their specialty juices or be adventurous and develop your own signature juice.
There is an open living room, where you can relax, sip your drinks, or wait for your party to join you.
Plenty of tables have been arranged in the main dining room. Every chair is different. The plates on the wall are all beautiful. A lot of thought has gone into the decorating of Nectar. It shows as the restaurant has his own unique aura.
I wanted to try one of their juices. Afterall, it is also a juice bar. I chose the Lean Green Machine. It had green apple, cucumber, basil, spinach, lime, and jalapeno. Boost your metabolism with this fat-fighting tonic…..and those jalapenos were definitely doing a dance with my taste buds. Very good!
Nectar accommodates everyone. Breakfast is served all day, soups, salads, deli salads, sandwiches and dessert. We had made our choices.
We ordered 2 soups; a Carrot & Ginger Soup (left photo), and a Tomato Soup (right). Jody loved hers and my Tomato Soup was excellent. Well seasoned; tasty and just so you know, this soup is also served at Nectar with a grilled cheese sandwich…you can dunk.
Sue ordered the blueberry pancakes. They were fluffy topped with homemade blueberry maple syrup. The pancakes were crusty on the outside and soft inside. Also available gluten-free!! Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that the servings are very generous.
Jody went with the Quinoa Salad. That powerful grain is very versatile and was mixed with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and feta cheese on a bed of mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
My Salmon Citrus Salad was awesome! Pan seared salmon fillet served over butter lettuce, capers, fennel, grapefruit and orange slices with a citrus vinaigrette.
We were perfectly content, so no dessert was ordered. They do have lemon and mixed berry tart, strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, vegan chocolate avocado torde and the daily flavor ice cream.
Note: Nectar also serves Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s made with Gluten Free Tito’s Vodka, Beer & Wine!!
We wish Nectar the best for Summer of 2013!!
April 23rd, 2011
I really don’t mind driving distances to go to a good and unique restaurant. I do mind waiting in line to get into a restaurant, though. And with that in mind my husband and I went to meet Ross and Cindi at The Grove Market in Bishopville, Maryland.
The Grove Market is at 12402 St. Martins Neck Rd., Bishopville, MD 21813. Tel. 410-352-5055. No website. And, if you are planning on having dinner there, bring cash or check. No credit cards are accepted.
That being said and done, the next step is you have to go through the process of getting a reservation. All you have to do is call. But don’t expect to get a reservation that pronto. Well, maybe, if you are lucky or have a good friend like I do. Even though I think Leslie, the owner, knows me now. When you call, leave your request and I would even leave a second choice for time and day.
The Grove Market is very small, and so popular. Be patient. I have written a couple of times about it and questioned if it has been worth going through the “ordeal” of making the reservation. Every time the answer is, Yes!! It is that good.
This was their opening week-end for the new season. From Rehoboth Beach it takes about 45 minutes. Go Ocean Highway until the Rt. 90 Bridge. Take that exit and continue to the next light. Turn right on St. Martins Neck Rd. and continue driving for about 1 1/2 miles. It is on the left hand side of the road. A tiny little place. Check the picture so that you can remember it.
It was packed, but Leslie moved her patrons quickly. Don’t expect to stay there forever.
The Grove Market looked good; all spruced up for the season but always keeping that look that makes it so unique.
I was so happy to see that John McDonald was at the helm of the tiny kitchen. He is a fantastic chef.
We were seated in the back room which I really like; only 3 tables and backyard view. It is funky. There were lights and signs and, wow, also flowers on the table. Yes, the tables are plastic, and the tablecloths are faded. That is why you go there; so different, but the food is the icing on the cake.
In the back dining room, your waiter will take your order for beer or wine. Bottled water is available, as well.
Then, the waiter will announce the appetizers. There is no written menu, did I tell you that? Everything is from memory. Plenty of appetizers for the size of the restaurant. I could not copy one thing down so bear with me and check the pictures.
I chose the clams in a very well seasoned broth. Thank God they brought a spoon. All gone, it was.
My husband chose the mussels. I was surprised because he never orders them. I am the one that loves them. Just as good as my clams.
Cindi had the soup. This was a beet and tomato soup. The color was just beautiful.
Ross had the beef kabobs. The rind of the orange and the combination of seasonings were tremendous; so tender.
Soon we were ready for the main event. And this is how it went.
I ordered the lamb. I wish I could remember everything he said. The lamb was a very big portion. It had chutney and raisins; a little Indian, maybe? A little sweet and tangy. I could not eat it all. Served with a breadstick, which is the recipe that was used many years ago when they had pizza.
My husband ordered the scallops with risotto and asparagus. I have had them; very good, as well.
Cindi ordered the shrimp. She was a happy camper.
And, Ross orders the same thing every single time. The Duck. Well, he gave me a piece and I can now see why. It was crispy and the sauce was tremendous; a semi sweet soy drizzle with an English cumberland sauce. I will have it next time.
No room for dessert, except Ross ordered the chocolate pie. He asked for extra forks but he only gave me a bite. Smooth texture; if you like chocolate, order it.
I am going to have to take a notebook next time to write the ingredients down. What happened was that between the talking and more bla bla bla, then, hello? It was over. You got the idea, though.
Please note: The Grove Market is sensitive to customers with food related allergies.
Since I started this blog almost 2 years ago I can tell you that the majority of the time I have had good meals; but also some lukewarms, as well. I give the benefit of the doubt and go again. Everyone can have a bad night. It is when those bad nights are consistent; then there is a problem. I guess I have been lucky or easy to please.
Sharing a meal with friends is something else…I love it!!
Talk to you later….you know I will…
April 6th, 2010
On April 2nd I wrote a post for my blog on a store in Hockessin, Delaware called Everything but the Kitchen Sink. You can see that post if you scroll down to that particular date. It was, as I described it, one of those must stop shops; the store had everything imaginable for the home, brides or just for your own pampering.
Next to that store was a restaurant called The Back Burner. The Kitchen Sink and The Back Burner are owned by the same owners but they are completely different businesses.
The address is: 425 Hockessin Corner. Tels. 302-239-2732 for the To Go Shop and for reservations 302-239-2314. The website is www.backburner.com. Hours of operation are Mondays through Saturdays from 9:30 – 7:00 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Hockessin is in the Brandywine Valley, minutes from Centreville, Greenville, Winterthur and Longwood Gardens. Definitely, upstate from the Delaware Beaches.
Paula and I decided to have our lunch there and our choice for seating was in their Cafe. There is another part of the restaurant where the seating is more traditional. The Cafe is very relaxed; ordering at the counter; the lunch will be brough to your table. It was a busy place.
The Back Burner offers gourmet food to go; fresh and frozen. They also have a very good selection of domestic and imported cheeses.
Catering is available as well as gift baskets.
One of the soups that is prepared daily at The Back Burner is the Pumpkin Mushroom Soup. Just remember, this area is known for their mushrooms.
I decided to have the Caesar Salad with grilled chicken on top. It had Romaine Hearts tossed with their house-made dressing, Asiago cheese and herb croutons. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the dressing was light.
Paula had their Cafe Salad. This salad had baby mixed greens, bleu cheese, dried cranberries, grape tomatoes and spiced walnuts served with balsamic vinaigrette.
The salads were pretty big; we were not complaining, we cleaned our plates.
Some of the sandwiches on the menu looked appetizing. Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with roasted eggplant, zucchini, squash, red pepper, onion, and brie cheese on a toasted brioche bun. The Meatball Grinder had hand crafted meatballs served on a steak roll with their home made tomato basil sauce and finished with Provolone cheese. The Carolina Pulled Pork had apple cider braised pork shoulder, crispy onion strings, pickle, served on a toasted brioche roll. All sandwiches are served with their house-made chips, fruit and a pickle.
There were side orders available as well as a kids’ menu. Affordable? You bet. All their offerings were between $3.50 and $9.00.
This restaurant is definitely not near any of the Delaware Beaches. It is also not off of 1-95. But, it was so nice to spend the time with Paula, visiting other areas. That’s what my blog is all about.
Oh, I almost forgot. The Cafe has bottled beer and wine available.
Visit their website for complete info. on menus, catering, etc. etc.
Have a great day!! Talk to you later…
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