June 3rd, 2010
“If life is the pursuit of happiness…the Beach should be the Destination.”
With that in mind, I started my evening, on Wednesday, having dinner at the Beach with friends; good company and engaging conversation, always with this group.
It was that time of the day and I got a call from a good local friend. Yes, the one and only that I wrote about on my first “blogging” day. He was hungry and so was I. We decided on Mixx, located on 26 Baltimore Ave., a block from the beach. The Tel. is 302-226-8700. The website is www.mixxrehoboth.com.
I have got to tell you that it really was a beautiful night in the Delarmava Peninsula. The stars were out and after such a busy holiday week-end the beaches were quiet. We live here and even though we like to see the hustle and bustle of a busy coastal town, sometimes there are those evenings when a little bit of serenity is all we want. And such was the evening on Wednesday.
I have been wanting to try Mixx. I read about it in the fall and what attracted me at the time was that they had a fish encrusted in popcorn. I love an innovative cuisine and I had a feeling this place was going to give me what I wanted.
Mixx is located on the bottom floor of the building. I was very pleasantly surprised to see this bistro with a comfortable bar, just the right size for the restaurant. The decor is modern and colorful with plenty of art.
The size is deceiving; it is bigger than you think. You have the choice of booths or individual tables. There is no crowded feel to it.
On Wednesdays, the special is Burger & Martini Mixx. This means you are able to get $8 burgers and half priced martinis.
I had to call ahead of time to find out about gluten free cooking. I am surprised to see how many restaurants are offering gluten free menus or marking the dishes that are gluten free. Mixx is one of them.
We chose a couple of appetizers. The flashed fried Calamari with 3 dipping sauces. Sweet and sour, roasted garlic and chili, the diavolo sauce. We also had the Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps; toasted sesame and marinated pork, carrots, cucumbers, and rice stick, seved with butterhead lettuce and sweet peanut chili sauce. We all liked these dishes a lot.
Since it was burger night, it usually is more of a limited menu, therefore a couple of gluten free choices were available. The person chose the Deviled Short Ribs, horseradish braised, served with rice and grilled asparagus; finished with a cabernet balsamic reduction. They were so tender and perfectly seasoned.
The rest of us ordered different burgers. The Short Rib Burger which is their signature burger with fried onions, mushrooms served with french fries and truffle oil. She thought is was delicious.
I had the Asian Pork. This was our waiter, Davie’s, suggestion and it was ground pork, roasted garlic and chili sauce topped with an Asian slaw. I chose carrot chips. I loved it and would have it again.
The Bison Burger was ordered. Ground bison topped with sauteed mushrooms, frizzled onions, cheddar cheese and roasted red pepper mayo. He chose sweet potato fries. He was very satisfied, as well.
If you were to ask me to describe this restaurant I would definitely say that it is American Fusion, just like Mixx describes it and I would further expand that its cuisine has an eclectic approach that features dishes using a wide variety of ingredients from different cuisines and regions and then combine them.
Mixx has full and tapas portions available for most menu items.
It never stops amazing me how comforting it is to share a meal with friends. I have said it so many times and I will say it again; Priceless!!
Have a great week…talk to you later…
June 2nd, 2010
Who would make an appointmet in Baltimore, Maryland the day after Memorial week-end? Well, I did. That was really crazy because just in Ocean City, Maryland, right here at the beaches, there were 250,000 visitors that decided to spend the week-end with us. I don’t know how many in the Delaware beaches but plenty were here, as well.
Needless to say, they have to go home so on Tuesday we all drove West in caravan style.
At one point we are at a dead stop on Rt. 404. Many of you know which route this is. A suggestion was made in my car to take a “short cut”. Yeap, the short cut took us 10 miles back on a winding road that was sort of familiar but really wasn’t.
It did not matter to much to me and I just laughed and hoped that other suggestions would not be made.
My thoughts were really on where I would, definitely, be stopping on my way back. Harris Crab House is a must for me when I find myself traveling these roads. The restaurant is located right there in Kent Island and I have talked about it in the past. And once again I am talking about it because you never know how the food or service is going to be. The location is perfect for a crab house. Right on the water, watching the boats go by.
Harris Crab House is on Kent Narrows Way, North, Grasonville, MD 21638. It is Rt. 5/301, Exit 42. Tel. 410-827-9500 and website is www.harriscrabhouse.com.
It was late in the afternoon but not dinner time so the idea was to have just an appetizer. Well, I have to confess that I love steamed clams, especially, cherrystones.
Of the small clams there are “littlenecks” that are from Littleneck Bay, Long Island, N.Y. and are better eaten raw or in chowders, and the “cherrystones” which are slightly larger in size and named for Cherrystone Creek, Virginia. These could be eaten raw or cooked, but I love them best steamed, as mentioned above.
I really was a pig; I ate 60 clams. Yeap, I did. I am not guilty beacuse they were so good; sweet and salty and the perfect size. Then I just had 3 crabs; a balancing act.
The crabs were not as good as they usually are. The man at the next table who had eaten plenty of crabs in his life thought they were paper thin. And, they were, even though they were tasty. The waiter said that they were hit hard during the week-end. The size of the crabs were large but not that large, really. They were out of the jumbos, and the prices were high.
This man mentioned that his favorite crab house in Ocean City, Maryland is The Crab Bag. Probably so, but I will have to check it out since I have not been there this season. Will let you know.
By the way, I had lunch in Baltimore, Maryland yesterday at a restaurant called Tark’s Grill. I did not take pictures but it is worth mentioning in case you are in the area of Greenspring Station, Lutherville. It was delicious with an extensive wine list and menu. There is outdoor seating available and my signature salad, Lindsays Chicago Chopped Salad with Blackened Chicken was great. It had chopped pickles, almost unnoticeable, but it really added to the salad.
Tark’s Grill is a traditional American Bistro. The address is 2360 West Joppa Rd., Suite 116, Lutherville, MD 21093. Tel. is 410-583-Tark. The website is www.tarksgrill.com.
I hope you have a great day…talk to you later…
May 12th, 2010
If you are visiting Boulder, you will probably be taken to a tour of the Boulder Beer Company.
Well, it was the perfect tour after a really fantastic Commencement at the University of Colorado. Let me tell you a bit about it.
The University holds the general commencement exercises at a certain time. After that, then the different Colleges will hold individual commencements and that is where I found myself. Specifically, at the English-Literature commencements.
It was held at the Mary Rippon Theatre inside the University. It is an outdoor theatre in a gorgeous setting. The perfect commencement for English and Literature. On summer evenings, Colorado Shakespeare Festival performances take place here.
The theatre was named in honor of Mary Rippon, who in 1878 arrived at CU and was the 3rd faculty member; it is believed the first woman to teach at a state university. Pretty impressive. She was described as quiet, low-voiced, attractive, full of energy, and wholly devoted to her work.
Since we had finished with graduation, we had the afternoon off and we were on our way to the Boulder Beer Company.
This was Colorado’s first microbrew and the 43rd licensed brewery in the United States. There are 1,500 licenses at the present time. Founded in 1979 by physics professors at University of Colorado who were home brewers, as well. The brewery started on a farm in a “goatshack”. They are no longer the owners, but they do visit regularly.
The company is very civic minded. In 2008, it became a sponsoring partner in Boulder’s “10 for a Change Challenge” and is already PACE Certified (Partners for a Clean Environment). It also participates in “Beer 4 Boobs), a nationwide charity program raising money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. And, they also host an annual “Goatshed Revival” Beer Festival in honor of their first brewery that was in a shed shared by goats. Proceeds are donated to the Community Food Share, a non-profit organization feeding the community’s poor.
 Overflow Boulder Beer Company is located at 2880 Wilderness Pl. Tel. 303-444-8448. Website is www.boulderbeer.com.
 Quality Control They had a lot of people in attendance. It is not just a microbrew; it has a restaurant called The Pub. It serves pub grub and has indoor and outdoor seating. Full bar, of course, offering all their beers. They also offer Gluten Free Beer, not brewed by them, but up the road. During this trip, it was amazing to see how progressive this town is in regards to food allergies.
The tour started in the Brew House with full explanation of how everything worked. Then, inside to tour the facility. You can see it from the pictures. On this particular day, they unveiled their first canned beer. Not their goal but needed for when bottles are not allowed. Hazed & Infused is one of their most popular ones and they started with that particular one.
 First Canned Beer 
The list of beers are:
Hazed & Infuzed – Dry Hopped Ale
Mojo – India Pale Ale
Flashback – India Brown Ale
Sweaty Betty Blonde – Kefeweizen (Bavarian style)
Cold Hop – British Style Ale
Mojo Risin’ – Double IPA
Buffalo Gold – Golden Ale
Pass Time – Pale Ale
Singletrack – Copper Ale
Sundance – Amber Ale
Planet Porter – 2007 Bronze Medal. Smooth with a hint of coffee.
Soon the Kinda Blue will be out. It is a Blueberry Wheat (American Wheat Beer).
After the tour, we were all invited to a Beer Tasting and my top 3 were the Hazed & Infused, then Mojo and then the Singletrack.
It was very nice and enjoyable. Definitely, worth it.
From there we took off to eat Tibetan food…..will tell you later about that one.
Note: Information for this post was taken from www.boulderhistorymuseum.org/rippon.asp and http://en.wikipedia.org
May 11th, 2010
I arrived in Boulder last Thursday, full of that East Coast “rush”. I don’t know why. I felt like I was talking and walking a mile a minute. Crazy.
I know that in some of my posts I always say to the people visiting the Delaware and Maryland Beaches to “kick back and relax”. Well, that is exactly what I did, even though it took me more than a few hours to get used to the altitude and the dry air.
Boulder is unique. As you approach the city, the first thing that comes into view are the Flatirons, which are the background to this college town.
What a difference!! A few hours before, I was in Delaware, at sea level, and now I was 5,700 feet high.
No, my oxygen level was fine and I was not huffing and puffing as I made my way to Jill’s Restaurant for a drink and a couple of appetizers to tie my group over until dinner time.
Jill’s Restaurant is a modern bistro that encourages organic farming practices. The restaurant showcases contemporary cuisine with a Mediterranean accent.
It seats 70, has a full bar, and a beautiful private room, called the Honey-Onyx Room. You may dine outdoors, weather permitting overlooking the Flatiron Mountains. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We sat at the bar. The restaurant was crowded since it was graduation week-end at University of Colorado, right in town.
We just wanted a few drinks and a little something to eat. We chose the Fat Tire Steamed Mussels, with roasted crostini. They were delicious and the broth was to die for. Fat Tire is an amber ale beer brewed in Fort Collins, Colorado. We also had the Veggie Spring Rolls with a Chili Ginger Sauce, which were very good, as well. We chatted, relaxed and took notice of how pretty this bistro was. The main dinning room had an open kitchen so you could appreciate the comings and goings of a busy restaurant. The whole set up was very comfortable.
Jill’s Restaurant is located at 900 Walnut Street. Tel. 720-406-7399. The website is http://www.jillsdining.com. Please check out the website because there are different events coming up during the month of May and other pertinent information.
The restaurant is in the St. Julien Hotel & Spa. This hotel is a sophisticated retreat. It has a serene atmosphere accentuaded by the gorgeous mountain views. Their tel. is 720-406-9696 or 720-406-8218. Website is www.stjulien.com.
It is beautiful with an attentive staff.
Yes, that is how my stay in Boulder started…..talk to you later….
May 10th, 2010
Conch Island is the new addition to the many restaurants in downtown Rehoboth Beach. I love seeing all these new places opening up at this time of the year. More blogging for me.
The owners of Conch Island are not new to the restaurant business; they own several others at the beaches. I wanted to check the place out, so I stopped to have a drink. It was actually a little too early but perfect if I wanted to take some pictures. It is hard to take pictures if the place is full of patrons.
Conch Island is located at 207 Rehoboth Avenue, right in the center of town. The tel. is 302-226-West.
The restaurant is large and there are 3 bars. It is not crowded with tables; bar tables are spread out. It is going to be perfect for listening to music. They do have a stage and on week-ends they will have entertainment.
Conch Island has the Captain Morgan Bar. It is a quiet corner of the restaurant, where you can chat with friends away from the music on the other side.
It is a fullfledged restaurant. Some of the appetizers that caught my attention were: Conch Fritters, Smoked Fish Dip, Cracked Conch, Tuna Tataki and Jerk Chicken Quesadillas.
I love Conch Chowder and they do have it, as well. Sandwiches like the catch of the day and the Cuban Sandwich interested me, as well.
For entrees they do have the classics from the grill like New York Strip and Filet Mignon. Other additions are Key West Scallops, Cayo Hueso Paella, and Key West Pink Shrimp among others.
The desserts that tempted me were the Key Lime Pie and the Chocolate Republic Rum Cake which is served warm with a white chocolate glaze.
I think they will do well. The restaurant is casual just like it should be at the beaches. I really would like to visit on a week-end when maybe a little Calypso music could be enjoyed.
Have a great day!!! Talk to you later….as usual….
April 29th, 2010
There is a second edition of Dewey Beach History & Tales and it provided me with some information for this post. This book is available at Browseabout Books located on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
I took a drive through Dewey Beach, and you could tell that they are getting ready for this week-end. Every week more establishments are opening up. Well, Memorial Week-End is around the corner and that is, actually, the official opening of the season.
Oh, how things have changed since those early days at the Bottle & Cork in the 40’s. By today’s standards it really was a bargain. There was a tab for a birthday party which included 20 beers, 3 shots, 1/2 pint Black label, and one cigar. The total was $3.65. The tab would then be settled 16 days later after an additional purchase of two more pints.
The Bottle & Cork’s appearance has change since those early days, but what has not changed is the aura around it. Vacationers in Dewey will make those lines to get in.
The Bottle & Cork is opening up on Saturday, May 1st. Full of history, being that it was established in 1936. The stories it could tell, if it could talk.
 Getting ready for opening day!!  Almost ready!! It was one of the major contributors to the growth of Dewey in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Apparently, no directions to any place in Dewey were complete without mentioning the Bottle & Cork, such as “go 2 blocks past the Cork, and turn right”, or “If you arrive at the Bottle & Cork, you have gone too far”.
In the late 70’s Dewey was a drinking town with no apparent police force or lifeguards to control the situation. The town has come a long way. It is still considered a party town. It is young and energetic, and definitely, a true beach town.
So, Saturday, May 1st at 9 p.m. is the official opening. In case you do not know, the Cork is located at 1807 Rt. 1 in Dewey. You cannot miss it. Tel. 302-227-7272. You can follow them on twitter and Facebook.
The entertainment for opening night is Burnt Sienna and they play a wide range of genres and eras. They started in 1997 and their concerts are very high energy.
Have a great week-end.
Talk to you later….
April 24th, 2010
Well, this week, certainly, I have had a diversed group of posts. From Fager’s in Ocean City, Maryland, Tulip Festival in Lewes, Life Saving Station, Shredder Truck, yesterday, Friday, 4/23, the preview of Avery’s Rest (archaeological dig), and ending in Dewey Beach at Que Pasa? with entertainment at Lighthouse with John Eddie. Afterall, my blog, is AboutMyBeaches, so experiencing what these resorts have to offer is part of my job. Please, don’t laugh. I am serious, it’s true.
I arrived at Que Pasa? at dusk. This Mexican Cantina is located on 124 Dickinson St. in Dewey Beach. Tel. 302-226-1820. I wrote about this restaurant on 9/2/09. Just go and click on the month of September and scroll down to the date. It is an open Bar on the water, facing Rehoboth Bay. The view could not be better. You are able to eat at the Cantina, outdoors or you can go to their own restaurant inside. On a beautiful evening like last night people had started happy hour early and it was crowded.
Happy Hour is not just one happy hour anymore, it is all day. In Dewey Beach, that’s the way of life. It is a true beach town; water, water sports, restaurants and music.
And that’s how my evening started.
A friend mentioned to me, last summer, that I needed to go to Dewey and listen to John Eddie. For one reason or another I never did. Again, she mentioned that he was playing for the first time, this season, at Lighthouse on Friday. She is a true fan of his.
As I mentioned, Que Pasa? was full and we had drinks there and said hello to locals and residents alike. Then, we ate inside because it does get chilly in the evening, at this time of the year.
A few of us ordered the seared tuna. It was so delicious, perfect portion and cooked just the way it should be, very pink in the middle. It was accompanied with sauteed potatoes, a slaw and a chipotle sauce. Other orders were steak quesadillas, shrimp quesadillas, crabcake sandwich. Everyone was happy.
We were enjoying every moment but we really were waiting for the time to arrive in order to see John Eddie.
Finally, we decided to walk around the restaurant to Lighthouse. Que Pasa? and Lighthouse are part of the Ruddertowne Complex of entertainment venues and restaurants located in Dewey.
I was told that even though John Eddie was supposed to start at 9 p.m., he is never on time. On Friday, the fans were getting restless since it was almost 10 p.m. and they were still setting up. You could see everything going on because Lighthouse is not that big and it was full to capacity.
I did not know what to expect of him. He had a boyish look and a resemblance to Bruce Springstein in the way he moves and performs. By the way, Bruce is a fan of his.
His music genre? A little bit of country and a lot of rock and roll. Then add some soul and folk music; that’s John Eddie. His website is www.johneddie.com.
As a songwriter you find that his songs are very personal but some are definitely, foot stumping.
The moment, I kid you not, he started performing there was not one single person that was not dancing. That lasted about 3 hours. He engaged his audience and you were right there with him. Yo Faithful! Raise Your Bottles, Raise Your Glasses and everyone did, many times.
His renditions of Rod Stewart’s 1971 Maggie Mae and Elvis’ 1969 Suspicious Minds were phenomenal. He plays them in every show. Fans expect him to.
His followers travel to see him perform. Today he is at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, then to Kennet Square, PA and then to San Diego, CA. But, this summer, starting on May 27th, he will pretty much be every Thursday, at the Cove, also located at Ruddertowne in Dewey.
So, if you like to dance and listen to good music, put on your dancing shoes and you now know where to go.
Have a great week-end!!
April 20th, 2010
What a perfect night to have dinner at Fager’s in Ocean City, Maryland. This very popular restaurant is located at 201-60th St. in the Bay. Tel. 410-524-5500, toll free tel. 888-371-5400. Website www.fagers.com and the e-mail address is island@fagers.com.
If you are visiting Ocean City, Maryland, you are bound to show up at Fager’s during your visit. How could you not? If you want to have fun, this is the place to be. Restaurant, Bar, Entertainment, Perfect Location and the Sunset is amazing, as it was tonight. Look at that picture. I could have sat outside but since it was still a little chilly we were all inside.
When sunset approaches, the music starts. Not just any music, but guests will be listening to a concerto of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The music and the view will mesmerize anyone having dinner at that time of the evening. And, once sunset occurs, the music stops and the clapping begins.
And, that is how our dinner started. Tonight we saw several familiar faces and met some new ones, as well. The restaurant was comfortably crowded.
We were all there for their prime rib. I have to tell you that I last came to Fager’s back in December and at the time I wrote that the prime rib was not that great. Well, tonight I would have to tell you that they outdid themselves. The beef was beautiful, cooked to perfection, juices perfectly seasoned, accompanied with colorful veggies and a baked potato.
Some of us had salads as a starter. I had the wedge with Blue Cheese dressing and bacon and walnuts. I have had this salad before and it is very refreshing and the dressing is light.
Just for your info. a standing rib roast is a cut of beef from the rib section, which is one of the eight primal cuts of beef.
A slice of standing rib roast will include portions of the so-called “eye” of the rib as well as the outer, fat-marbled muscle known as the “lip” or “cap”.
Always, the best part of having dinner out, is sharing it with good friends. It is priceless!!
Note: Fager’s is one of the many restaurants at all of our beaches that have a gluten free menu.
Talk to you later….probably tomorrow….
 
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