You see it out there? I love this photo showing the point at Cape Henlopen. Our destination on July 20th was the historic Harbor of Refuge. This is one of the two lighthouses located on the Delaware Bay between Lewes, and Cape May, New Jersey.
Cape May-Lewes Ferry
“The earliest lighthouses were simple bonfires built on hillsides to guide ships. The first American lighthouse came to life in 1716 at Boston Harbor.”
The Delaware Breakwater, the East End Lighthouse, and the Harbor of Refuge Light Station entered in 1976 on the National Register of Historic Places as the nation’s first offshore Historic District.
I have been touring these lighthouses for the past 6 years. When I have a guest that might be interested in something like this I go for it. This lighthouses and the breakwater are iconic. They were the first structures of their kind to be built in the Western Hemisphere.
For the purpose of this post I am writing about the Harbor of Refuge. The tour was given by The Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation. They are the caretaker of this lighthouse. Please visit the website http://delawarebaylights.org.
In the website you can check the tours. They usually give the tours until mid September. The telephone is 302-644-7046. You can also check them on Facebook. Usually they say you have to send forms in but I think if you are here at the beach, you might be able to go anyway. Just give them a call or email them.
On July 20th I invited friends from Ocean City, Maryland to this tour. I don’t know if you remember but it was so hot. We arrived at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal in Lewes. My friends had not experienced this.
On the Rocks is the outdoor restaurant and bar and Dogfish Head has its own little space there, as well.
The organizers of the tour were getting ready. We on the other hand were hiding from the heat.
It was time to go. You do have to wear life vests and make sure you wear closed toe shoes too. The tour departs from the finger pier.
Before arriving to the Harbor of Refuge we got close to the East End Lighthouse for a few photo opportunities.
Along the way you may spot dolphins and all kinds of fish. In the tour you will usually have Red and Garrett and several docents.
The Delaware Breakwater along with the lighthouses are marvels of the 19th century. They were the first structures of their kind to be built in the Western Hemisphere. The breakwater wall started construction in 1828.
On this particular day spear fishing was going on.
The Harbor of Refuge was built in 1926 to replace a previous lighthouse. The Harbor of Refuge is one of the most exposed lighthouses on the Atlantic seaboard. Just this past week, on the Cape Gazette there was an article mentioning how in need of repair is this lighthouse. I think because its precarious location, it is in need of repair at all times. The rocks on one side are coming down because of the erosion. In 2013 I took the first 2 photos and just this year I took this other photo. You can see what they are talking about.
Now you will see the difference in this one.
During this particular tour Bill Harris was with us. He was the last keeper of the lighthouse in 1973.
Each level of the lighthouse had its purpose. Kitchen, sleeping quarters, etc. etc. And throughout the tour the docents are able to answer all your questions.
I recommend this tour. The scenery and the history are just so impressive.
It did not matter if it was that hot. We made it.
On the above photo we were getting ready to go back. You can see Red giving the last instructions, Bill Harris and I think that is Garrett on the far left. And Cindi and I sitting below thinking that just about this time a beer would be wonderful.
I have plenty of post on these lighthouses on this website. Please check them out to see if this is something you might like to do. By visiting and donating to the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation we can keep them going.
I do have a Facebook Page for AboutMyBeaches. You can leave me comments there.
Hope your Summer 2019 has been awesome.
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We should consider ourselves so lucky to be at the Southern Delaware Beaches. Scorching temperatures even if sitting at the beach.
With hot temperatures I would like something light for lunch and dinner. It was late in the afternoon when I decided to stop at Miyagi Ramen Bar located at Shops at Seacoast, 19266 Coastal Highway, Unit 6 in Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. It is where the Safeway is.
Miyagi opened a few years ago and to tell you the truth I should have stopped sooner. It was great to see Kim again. I used to always talk to him when he was at Saketumi. He owns Miyagi and is enjoying the hard work that it takes to give customers the best ingredients money can buy.
By the way his noodles are homemade. He makes weekly trips to Philadelphia to buy all the ingredients needed to make these dishes all top notch.
The restaurant is bigger than it appears from the outside. Plenty of parking which is a relief this time of the year.
There is a full bar, as well.
I decided on the Tuna Poke Bowl. This dish had sashimi grade tuna, poke sauce, avocado, edamame, bonito, seaweed salad, nori, masago and mixed greens over rice. It was delicious. A healthy serving too.
The telephone is 302-567-2385. Take out orders are offered but to me I think the experience is eating inside. Check the menu.
I cannot wait to go again. Plenty to choose from even for my Vegan friends.
Unitl later, let me know how you like by going to the AboutMyBeaches Facebook page.
Summer 2019 is passing by.
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“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious” ruth reichl
I first wrote about The Grove Market in 2009. This was before I had incorporated photos in my posts. Having photos is wonderful because, we, humans, are so visual. The scenery, the colors, always create an impact in our minds.
A few weeks ago I had guests and we were on the go from the moment they arrived. On Friday evening we met my friend, Cindi, and her husband in West Ocean City and from there we took to 12402 Saint Martins Neck Rd., Bishopville, MD 21813. Tel. 410-352-5055. My guests had no idea where we were taking them. Then, the first impression of the place was the photo above taken. What would you say about this tiny place on a country road not far from Ocean City?
My friend’s husband told them to please choose the cheese pizza because it was the best. They were like….really?
Inside what you will find is a small bar, only beer and wine is served at The Grove Market. And only about 10 tables. We sat in the back of the building.
As you can see, very simple, funky and also whimsical.
The pizza story is not way off. At some point it was a pizza place. The breadsticks served are from the pizza recipe from those years long ago. It was a fish market too.
There is a protocol to get a reservation. You call, if nobody answers leave the message with the time of the reservation and day. And, give another time as well or day. If Leslie calls you and tells you I only have this or that, please take it. This is a special place. The food is outstanding.
Cash only. Depending how much wine or beer you drink the cost will vary. Between $100 and $120 per person to be on the safe side. Be prompt, and you cannot linger. The place is small and others want to experience what you just had.
I have mentioned before that there are 5 ingredients for a good restaurant; quality of ingredients, culinary competence, service, ambiance, and price. The Grove Market has all those. You’ll see when you go.
John McDonald is chef extraordinare. In a very small kitchen he creates unique dishes full of flavor. Many years ago he owned The Garden Gourmet in Rehoboth Beach. He is a wine connoiseur, as well. He truly is excellent and so nice.
Here is our group. Patrick is Leslie’s brother and he is such a character. The restaurant does not have a menu. First the appetizers, then the dinner, then dessert. Out loud so the group of tables in the back need to pay attention. When Patrick danced the Macarena, I knew we would have a good time.
So this is what we had:
Appetizers:
Please have in mind that even though the menu changes here and there, they continue to have many favorites all the time.
Crab Remick was ordered by Cindi. I have had it before and at this time of the year the crabmeat is superb.
Our friend, Jody, ordered the Beef Stroganoff….served with no noodles.
Patti ordered the Cream of Crab Soup. Thick and full of crab, with a hint of Sherry.
And I ordered a salad that could have been shared.
Wine was ordered. But, I was a designated driver so nothing for me.
Now dinner…..Patrick came out again, veryl lively to announce their offerings. A few of us already knew what we wanted. Practically, we always order their duck. A Delaware duck, no less. It was roasted to perfection wih a semi-sweet sauce and chutney. Ross and I did not want to share with anyone and the bones were clean at the end.
Cindi had the lamb. If I had not had the duck that would have been my other choice. It looked fantastic.
Another excellent choice that is usually on the menu are the scallops. Jody ordered them and look how perfectly cooked they look. See the breadstick on the side of his plate. This is what I was talking about at the beginning of the post. How they have kept the pizza dough recipe and added as a bread.
Our friend, Patti, ordered the crabcakes. No fillers just tremendous lump.
Some entrees came with the side dish of cucumbers, onions, breadstick and potatoes. The others had it already on their plates.
A few desserts were ordered. The portions at The Grove Market are healthy ones. But, it is always good to order a few.
The Bumbleberry is a pie of a mixture of berries. There is no such thing as a bumbleberry. It is usually on the menu.
And also, usually on the menu is the Chocolate Silk Pie.
The story goes like this….Do you remember the movie Runaway Bride? It was mostly filmed in Berlin, Maryland. Not far away from The Grove Market. Apparently they were looking for a restaurant to feed their crew and stars. The Grove Market fed them through the duration of the filming.
I can go on an on talking about a restaurant and its food. But, it is the people that share your meal that make it priceless!!
Give it a try. Let me know on my AboutMyBeaches Facebook page how you rate your experience. Until then, Summer 2019 continues.
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At times when you do not plan anything and just go with the flow or wing it, you have the most fun. Long summer days, not rushing, is part of living here at the Delaware Beaches. Believe me, I know I am lucky to live here and never take it for granted.
Debbie and I took off towards the Big Chill Beach Club. This is located south of Dewey Beach, Delaware, and probably closer to Bethany Beach. The actual address is 27099 Coastal Hwy., Bethany Beach, DE 19930. It opens at 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day. Website? http://www.bigchillbeachclub.com
You can have the server sit you at a table or you can take a seatt at the bar looking out, which is what Debbie and I did. That was our view, sipping a little wine. We checked the menu and it actually looked good. Have not tasted the food so let me know if you do.
As we arrived it seemed there was a yoga class. This yoga studio in Rehoboth Beach, SoulFire, was celebrating with a class their 1st year anniversary. Very popular as you can see. SoulFire Collective Yoga is located at 176 Rehoboth Ave., #2a, in Downtown Rehoboth Beach. Website? http://www.soulfirecollective.com
The sun was setting and being high up you could capture how pretty it was.
Summer 2019 is expected to be a very busy one. The Delaware Beaches are year round resorts. People want to get out of the city. They want to experience that total physical and mental inertia. Refresh, really. Rehoboth Beach has a sign as you enter the city that says “Relax, You Are at The Beach”.
Finding parking might take all that physical and mental inertia by the wayside so Debbie and I continued to Misaki Sushi in South Bethany. Parking, good food, great service and very affordable.
Misaki has been around for many years. The location is at 34444 Coastal Highway, York Beach Mall, Bethany Beach, DE 19930. It opens at 5 p.m. Tel. 302-539-0500. You can find them on Facebook as Misaki Sushi Bethany Beach. You can also find them on Instagram.
A shout to our server who was attentive but not intrusive.
Debbie and I started with two salads. The Seaweed Salad for Debbie, which was marinated seaweed and sesame seeds. And mine was the Lighthouse Salad which I found delicious. Seared tuna, avocado and sweet miso.
I love scallop sashimi so when on the menu, I do order it. My roll was the special of the evening.
For Debbie the Bam Bam, salmon, scallop and avocado.
We chatted, caught up with each other, and laughed…..what are friends for, right?
The Art of Sipping & Dining, a way to relax, enjoy and reconnect. Talk to you later.
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This past Friday was a beautiful night in Bethany Beach, Delaware. For those off you that have never visited this coastal town, this is a very popular family resort in Southern Delaware. I know it well because I lived here for many years. It has come a long way since back in the mid 70s when we first moved here.
The town has kept its charm. A Main Street, Garfield Parkway, leads to the ocean and then the side streets have beach homes that all are very walkable to the beach. It is a year round resort just like all the other beaches in Southern Delaware. My friend, Cathy, and I chose 14 Global, which is located at 14 N Pennsylvania Ave. Right next to the Post Office. Their tel. is 302-616-1035. Their website is: http://www.14global.com
One thing to have in mind as you visit the Delaware resorts is that in the summer you pretty much need to make a reservation. If restaurants do not offer them, and a lot do not, then please plan ahead. Show up, put your name down, have a drink. You are on vacation so in reality you have to go with the flow.
I love the idea that 14 Global has kept a small, intimate setting. Good atmosphere too. And this restaurant offers many choices for those with food allergies.
We decided to share our dining experience. We first tried the Grilled Caesar Salad. The first time I tried one of these I fell in love how a grilled romaine tasted. This one had a homemade dressing, romain hearts, romano, bacon and cheddar corn pone croutons. The croutons had the perfect texture.
From 14 Global’s Small Shares we ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartare. A beautiful presentation, surprising us with Habanero Sesame Oil, sea beans, watermelon radish, red onion, jalapeno, mint, avocado mousse, pistachio dust, pea shoots, red alaea salt, and crispy wonton chips.
Picking something out from their Medium Shares we decided on the Vegetable Plate. At 14 Global you will find Small Shares and Medium Shares. Depending on how hungry you are, the Medium Shares are a larger portion. The Roasted Vegetable Plate came full of color and delicious veggies…carrots, wild mushrooms, beets, cauliflower, asparagus, shallots, truffle and herb goat cheese. It tasted as good as it looks on this photo.
Moving on to our last dish we decided on the Surf & Turf Tacos, which were under their Medium shares. They are called 14 Global Mini Beach Tacos. The Surf & Turf ones were 4 tacos, the others were 3 tacos. They were delicious with charred corn and cilantro relish, pickled purple cabbage, pico de gallo, avocado mousse, cotija cheese, and citrus aioli.
We accompanied our dinner with the house Chardonnay, Butter, from Napa, California. A Chang Tai cocktail was also served. Sorry, I forgot to take those photos. lol
The desserts sounded sooooo good, but we were satisfied. No desserts for us on Friday.
There is an art when you sit down at a table to enjoy a meal with a friend, a significant other or even by yourself. You don’t have to be a foodie, but I think you should taste and enjoy the different flavors and spices. You will get a completely new experience when you take your time.
Until next time, I hope you enjoy our Delaware Beaches and everything they have to offer.
Relax, you are at the Beach.
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