May 14th, 2012
Break fast in Downtown Rehoboth Beach with friends? Breakfast is when I usually get together; more so than lunch, I would say. It is in the a.m. when try to catch up with events happening in our lives; then off to do whatever else we, usually, have to do.
In the past few weeks I have visited The Gallery Espresso located at 70 Rehoboth Ave., right in Dowtown Rehoboth Beach. They are at 1st Street Station, on the corner of 1st St. and Rehoboth Avenue. It is the south side of the ocean block. Tel. 302-231-2113. Website? www.thegalleryespresso.com. You can find them on Twitter as The Gallery Espresso and on Facebook as Gallery Espresso. John is the owner and you will usually find him behind the counter, along with some of his staff.
This is a coffee shop with a twist; an art gallery and retail store on one side. John has local artists exhibiting in his coffee shop. Their art is for sale. John is also an artist working on different projects and would be more than happy to show you around.
Comfortable sofas, free Wi-Fi, high top tables, as well as regular tables are available for the patrons.
On a nice day you can sit outside and enjoy the outdoors. Pets are welcomed on their patio.
Enjoy one of their bold coffees served in one large cup; my preference. Add one of their freshly baked cookies.
John and his staff are friendly and can give you suggestions, depending of what you are in the mood for.
Place your order at the counter; food will be brought to the table. Check the webiste for their menus.
The other day I wanted to try a crepe. I chose the broccoli and chicken. Two large crepes arrived. No way you will complain, here, not having enough food. It was almost plenty for two people.
The next time when I visited I asked if I could only have one crepe. That time I chose the ham and cheese with a light cheese sauce on top. That was the perfect size for me.
The Gallery Espresso makes everything fresh. They even have some vegan and gluten free items. Please call the above mentioned number if you are interested in any, and see if on that particular day, it will be available.
Other friends have had the scrambled egg platter.
And, another that calls herself an expert on eggwhite scrambles also enjoyed a nice breakfast.
The Gallery Espresso opens every day. Besides breakfast they offer plenty more. It is casual and relaxing; stay as long as you want.
Have a great day!!
February 21st, 2011
We did not know what the weather was going to do today, but Paula and I did not care. All we wanted to do was sit, have a cup of coffee and probably a bite to eat for breakfast. Yes, we had to catch up. She is part of that group of friends that are considered my “partners in crime”.
We decided to go to The Gallery Espresso. Neither Paula nor I had been there. Downtown Rehoboth was crowded. Long week-ends are usually pretty busy this time of the year even if it is cold.
The Gallery Espresso is located at 70 Rehoboth Ave., in the 1st Street Station. Tel. 302-231-2113. There is a website, http://www.thegalleryespresso.com. I tried to visit the website but did not open up. They could be working on it so I am going to confirm that it is the right one.
This is a coffee shop but it has an added twist; an art gallery and retail items. That side of the coffee shop is being set up so not everything was in place. They are going into their 3rd year in this location.
During the warmer months you can enjoy outdoor seating; a few tables are available. Please note that they serve all day breakfast and lunch.
The coffee shop is owned by John and Judy. John took care of us this morning. I did not know what to order. They had burritos, egg sandwiches, crepes, hot sandwiches, grilled wraps, salads and grilled paninis. For the young at heart they have oatmeal, grilled cheese, grilled peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly and peanut butter and fluff.
At first I wanted a crepe but they were dessert crepes. John suggested the grilled panini. I had an Egg’n Cheese Panini; swiss and ham on herbed grilled multigrain panini. It was pretty big. I don’t know why I say this because I really ate the whole thing. It was nicely grilled and the combination of swiss cheese, ham and eggs, well, you know how it is…good!!
Paula was not that far behind because she chose the French Toast. These were big slices of French bread with buttered maple syrup. She did not have any problems eating this either. I love French toast when is made with French bread; a different flavor and consistency.
Coffee and chatting. My coffee was bold, served in a large cup. Their espresso is imported from Italy. You can buy their brand of coffee right there, as well.
I could not believe we were there for over 3 hours solving the world problems, and also our own.
Then we took a look at a dish going by. They were beautiful crepes. I just got up and went to the next door table and asked them if I could take a picture of the Banana Caramel Crepes. There were 2 crepes filled with fresh bananas, Ghiradelli caramel sauce and whipped cream. They really did look delicious.
I always approach the gluten free factor and John told me that this summer they are planning to offer some gluten free items.
The Gallery Espresso was relaxing; perfect place to work on your computer, read the paper; or just enjoy another day at the beach.
Talk to you later…..soon….
January 8th, 2011
“A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands.” lord byron
We really would be in trouble if that was true. Nevertheless, I had lobster on New Year’s Eve. And even though it was lobster; the dinner was casual, in front of the fire place. I still don’t have a working oven. Can you believe that? It has not been that bad, though.
I was thinking, why is it that some of the specialty foods are only to be eaten on special occasions? I think that every time you sit at the table, it should be special. The food should be prepared from the heart; like you mean it.
This recipe is a Lobster Newburg. Actually, this is an American dish. I added small peas to give the dish contrast and color. The dish was to also be baked, but I did not see any need to it; nor did I have the oven to do that. So here it goes.
Crepes with Lobster Newburg
2 1/2 cups lobster meat (I got 3 small lobsters)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen petite peas
2 cups medium cream (I mixed 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of half and half)
1/2 tablespoon flour (I used Arrowhead Mills, gluten free baking mix)
1/4 cup dry Sherry (remember? a little more of this or a little less of that)
1 cup cream (heavy)
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste (I did not use salt)
Crepes
I had the market cooked the lobsters and as soon as I got home I got the meat out and put it aside. Chop it but you still want to see nice chunks of lobster.
In a large skillet melt butter and saute the mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the lobster and peas to heat through. Don’t overcook it, please.
Heat, but do not boil, the cream sauce and add sherry to it. Then add the egg yolks to the heavy cream and combine. Then add it to the cream sauce. If you think that it is too thin then add the flour and wisk it in quickly. Add the paprika and seasonings.
Note: As you can see there are 2 creams; one is the cream sauce and the other is the 1 cup of heavy cream. To that cup of heavy cream you will be adding the egg yolks. A little confusing, I know.
Add the cream to the lobster, mushroom and peas. Again just heat it through. If you want you can just turn it off while you are preparing the crepes. It should not take long.
Crepes
This recipe for crepes can be made ahead of time; even the night before. Just cover and refrigerate. It is a basic recipe and can be used plain with just a bit of honey on top or as a stuffed crepe.
3 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ( I used Arrowhead Mills gluten free baking mix)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon milk
A pinch of salt
Combine all of the above and stir until the ingredients are the consistency of thin cream.
In a 10 inch non-stick frying pan or crepe pan, melt 1 tblsp. of butter. When it bubbles, pour some of the batter, enough to cover the bottom with a thin coating. Cook a couple of minutes and with a large spatula flip it over and cook on the other side for a few minutes, as well. Take it out of the pan and continue with the rest of them using butter as needed. I made four of them and had left-over batter.
After I filled the crepe I put extra sauce on top. It turned out very nice and the combination of flavors was good. If you do not like Sherry, then you can use Madeira. Lobster Newburg was originally prepared with Madeira wine but it seemed that it was thought to be too sweet.
As you can see from my pictures I had steamed asparagus as a side dish. You can prepare your favorite vegetable or just a salad. You know, make it your own.
This is a rich and flavorful dish. You might just want to have one crepe and save the rest for another day.
It can serve 4 people easily.
Enjoy it and the next day….do extra exercises….talk to you later…
October 3rd, 2010
What a gorgeous day it was, yesterday, at the Delaware Beaches. I decided to go to Rehoboth and check out Cafe Papillon. Then, I encountered a multitude of people. Yes, they will be there today too looking for bargains on the sidewalks of Rehoboth Beach.
I had forgotten that this week-end was the sidewalk sale. Downtown merchants in Rehoboth clean out their stores and everything pretty much goes on sale.
No, it is not my thing. That’s probably why I did not give it too much thought. Anyway, I had to park two streets over south of Rehoboth Avenue.
Rehoboth is a small town so it was easy walking. Lots of people walking the Boardwalk, as well.
Cafe Papillon is located at the Penny Lane Mall, 42 Rehoboth Ave., Tel. 302-227-7568. Website is www.cafepapillon.com. The Penny Lane Mall is a small alley full of shops that connects Rehoboth Ave. with Wilmington Ave.
Cafe Papillon is right in the middle of the mall. It is an authentic French Cafe and if you speak French, well, you will be right at home.
On one side you will find the patisserie where French baked goods are sold. Salads and sandwiches are sold there as well. Coffee and Beverages? On that side also. Everything is made in-house.
I was gazing at the tropezienne, fruits tarts and eclairs, but just got coffee. I was waiting for my crepe.
A tropezienne is a creme tart that takes a long time to prepare. It was developed in St. Tropez using local ingredients.
The creperie is on the other side and it is strictly for the purpose of ordering and cooking the crepes right there in front of you.
Different crepes were ordered. One was a ham, cheese and tomato and the other an egg, smoked salmon and tomato. I was watching him make the crepes and at the same time I wondered what he thought I was doing. Every time he added an ingredient I took a picture. He really did not mind, he told me so.
I could not wait to eat it. Outdoors at the cafe was perfect; a sunny, cool, autumn day it was. Sitting al fresco, enjoying our breakfast made us feel we were somewhere else and not one block off the Atlantic Ocean.
Of course, we had to have a dessert crepe. The suggestion was the Nutella and Banana Crepe. Nutella is a hazelnut base spread very popular in Europe and I think fairly popular here in the States, as well.
The combination of the fruit and the spread was delicious.
Just as we finished we took off for a long walk; had to. I don’t need to explain why.
Have a great day!! Talk to you later….
Note: Cafe Papillon is only open on week-ends now until October 17th and then is until next year. Another thing to remember is that they only accept cash.
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