July 16th, 2011
It started when Lorenzo was visiting. Out in the back we were, eating crabs, and there he came in, bearing a beautiful Mini Smith Island Cake. Thank God it was a Mini; enough for everyone to have a slice. I could have eaten it all myself.
It had also been a few days since a friend mentioned Hamel’s in passing. At first I did not know what she was talking about. Let me refresh your memory; you will recognize it immediately.
Years ago, before Farmers’ Markets made a comeback into the lives of all of us, there was McQuay’s in Rehoboth Beach. It was one of the first places you saw as you came into downtown Rehoboth. Fresh tomatoes, corn, blueberries and general produce, beautifully displayed. I even think that you could have an account. It really was the place to go.
Fast forward, the building is still there, even the name has been left on the building; honoring what it used to be and trying to fill its old shoes. But, Hamel’s Gourmet Market is making this old market proud.
Hamel’s is located at 510 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302-227-3386, It will be on your right hand side as you are coming into Rehoboth, past the bridge, across from the Chamber of Commerce, and just before the roundabout.
I decided to stop by and check it out. Immediately, I saw Chad. I have know him for a long time; him being one of my sons’ friends. He is the Executive Chef for Hammel’s Gourmet Market. He has been in the food business for years. Always loved to cook.
You can call Chad Travis for catering and anything you need from Hamel’s at the above mentioned telephone number, or you can e-mail him at ctravis_fl@yahoo.com.
Hamel’s is a full service gourmet market, with a wide selection of fresh baked specialties, including turkey, ham, and roast beef.
The pastries and breads are made locally, as well.
Prepared salads can be bought by the pound; lobster, shrimp, spicy tuna, tuna, egg, chicken, curry chicken with dried cherries, shrimp ceviche, cole slaw, among others.
They call them Something Special Sandwiches. These are the sandwiches that Hamel’s is well known for and at the top of the list is the Lobby. This is a lobster roll sandwich with plenty of lobster salad on a fresh baked Milano roll with lettuce. Hands down, it is the favorite. Others are a shrimp salad sandwich, Anthony’s Favorite which has Citterio Prosciutto on a Milano roll with homemade pesto basic dressing, mozzarella cheese, lettuce and tomato. Then, the South Philly is a roasted pork, provolone cheese, and roasted peppers on a fresh baked Milano roll.
If you do not want to cook or have some of those unexpected guests coming for dinner, please give them a call. Their steaks, seafood, ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and chicken are grill perfect.
A sample of their prepared foods would be lasagna, mac & cheese, sausage and peppers, meatball sausage and peppers and so much more. Stop by and get a take-out menu.
You have to meet Chad. He is passionate about his cooking and has lots of plans for Hamel’s.
Chad is planning to have, on selected Saturdays, a few demonstrations. Hamel’s is not large enough to hold classes but something like a knife skills demo will be doable. Music? Chad is planning that, as well.
Chopping or mincing? Learning the basics? Knife skills are one of the most important parts if you enjoy the culinary arts. There is more to it than just cutting.
I decided to buy some pesto, which by the way tasted delicious.
And, beer cheese which was like a triple threat with three cheeses; a nice kick to get you taste buds going and very spreadable.
Then on my salad I put the cherry balsamic vinaigrette, which Chad also made. My son made the salad of fresh tomatoes from Freemans, mozzarella from Giant and fresh basil from my garden. The drizzle of this vinaigrette was delicious; the sweetness complementing the rest of the flavors in those fresh vegetables.
I notice the potato chips; locally made, as well. They were called Cape Seasonings. Website? www.capeseasonings.com.
The Mini Smith Island Cakes are there to tempt you. Cupcakes, also made by them are available, as well.
And like that wasn’t enough, there is also gelato from Gelato Gal. I wrote a post on Gelato Gal on 8/11/10. If you want to see it just click on the month of August of 2010 and scroll down to the date.
Hamel’s looks so inviting. The produce is perfect. If you want you can linger with some coffee or a soft drink; sit outside because there are a few tables available.
At times the most fabulous dinner can take no time to prepare….check them out…talk to you later…
February 9th, 2011
About 6 or 7 years ago I went with Shelley and Scott to this New York Style Deli Market called Way Beyond Bagels. It is located at the Shoppes at Addison Place. The address is 16850 Jog Rd., Delray Beach, FL 33446. Tel. 561-638-1320. The website is www.waybeyondbagels.com. This area is called “county club mile” because if you drive on this road, all you will pass is one country club/gated community after another.
I always used to get their chopped liver and their waldorf chicken salad; my mouth was just watering thinking about it. Since we were out and about it was the perfect place to stop and get a bite to eat. I have not been there in quite some time.
You do need a car since you have to go west from downtown Delray Beach. I took Atlantic Avenue to Jog. Then turned left and went about 1 mile. You will see it on the left hand side of the road.
It is always crowded; very popular. They open Mondays to Fridays from 6:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
When you step in all you see is beautiful food every where. It really is a New York Style Deli Market. Everything looks so fresh.
They carry Brooklyn’s finest smoked fish like nova, belly, sturgeon, sable, chopped nova, whitefish, scotch salmon and baked salmon.
They have about 2 dozen different bagel flavors, and hand whipped specialty cream cheeses.
They have salads and ready to go salads, soups like split pea and chicken noodle. The day I went they also had chicken pot pie, stuffed cabbage and wraps all ready to go.
I almost forgot to tell you that they have a great assortment of baked goods. For example, the cookies looked great but I did not get any. I cannot tempt myself that way. They had mini linzer tarts, and ruggalah, muffins, homemade chocolate flourless torte, homemade chocolate peanut butter flourless torte, just to name a few.
We ordered one croissant sandwich with waldorf chicken salad. It was delicious.
Mine was a plain bagel with chopped liver and the works. It was just like I expected it to be; fantastic. I even bought chopped liver to go.
It is one of those places that you can come for breakfast, lunch or even stop and get something for a light dinner.
There is a self serve dining room and also outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is so popular that it really was hard to find an empty table, therefore, we ate inside.
Way Beyond Bagels caters, but please call them or go on their website above mentioned for more information. They offer free delivery on all orders above $125.00.
It’s good to talk to you….I’ll do that later again. See you,
January 12th, 2011
This is a salumeria, a pasticeria and the Lewes location will soon be a trattoria, as well.
When A Touch of Italy opened in Rehoboth Beach back in October of 2009 I knew exactly what kind of product they were going to be delivering. Lou’s mother was well known in the Bethany Beach area with an amazing bakery.
I wrote about A Touch of Italy in Rehoboth on 10/16/09 and you can see that by clicking on that month and scrolling down to the date.
So, Michael was hungry today on a cold winter’s day. As we were doing errands in Rehoboth he remembered A Touch of Italy from when, in December, I took him after they had just opened in Lewes. A Touch of Italy in Rehoboth; you could have found us there at around 3:00 p.m. We were lucky because I thought maybe because of the weather, well, it could have been closed.
The Rehoboth location of A Touch of Italy is 33A Baltimore Ave., the tel. is 302-227-1500 and the website for both locations is www.touchofitalyde.com.
Lou was there. Once again, Michael decided to have the same hero as the one he had in Lewes. That’s the only one he has tried. Lou fixed him a beautiful Rocky Marciano with hot sopresata, sharp provolone cheese imported from Italy, roasted peppers and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, in a semolina bread with sesame seeds.
Then I wanted some Spanish Manchego cheese. It is one of my favorites. Lou took a piece and then sliced a fig; what a treat that was!!
We also left with some cookies, which I am sure his mother made.
Michael could not wait to get home. Of course, he had to wait until I took a picture. Took several, actually. Here is another one.
Again, no talking; just thumbs up enjoying what he said was the most delicious hero. I took a bite and I kid you not when I say that I could have eaten the whole thing. The meats, the combinations of roasted peppers and cheese, could not have been better. Another time he will have to try something else.
The Rehoboth location will have new winter hours as of next week. They will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The Lewes location opens every day and the address is 101 Second St. Tel. 302-827-2730.
I wrote about the Lewes location on 12/3/10. If you would like to see that post, just click on that month and scroll down to the date.
Have a great one…talk to you later….
December 17th, 2010
Always looking for a place to have something to eat; a unique place with a different ambiance. Debbie and I got together before I left to come to Florida to sort of catch up like good friends always like to do. I was surprised when she told me that she had never been to Greenman Juice Bar & Bistro; afterall, even though she is not a native, she practically could be.
Greenman is located at 12 Wilmington Ave., about one block from the beach. Tel. is 302-227-4909. No website, but if you are on Facebook, you can become their friend and check out what’s going on at this very popular local spot.
Late breakfast, early lunch that was about the time we got there. A little quiet but that quickly changed. The restaurant is definitely small, but you would not want it any other way. Tables are available and in good weather you can also sit out on their porch. Just sit yourself and someone will come to your table quickly. A board behind their counter will show some of their teas, smoothies, and organic drinks that are available.
For such a small restaurant they offer a wide variety of foods; gourmet sandwiches, soups, quiches, salads, and burgers, among other things on the menu.
On that particular day Debbie had the daily quiche. Nice size and she said that it was very good.
I had a panini breakfast sandwich with cheese. The eggs were light and the cheese in it did not overpower the panini.
Then, our eyes followed the waiter to the next table. You could not help to stare. We were in close proximity. What was that? It was huge. Well, it was their homemade Pumpkin Creme Brulee French Toast. I just could not help myself and asked the gentleman before he plunged his fork into this amazing French toast if I could take a picture for my blog. He happily agreed.
We drank coffee and tea and enjoyed our company. I always find that my relationships with my friends are priceless and sharing a meal with them is just the best. Lucky, actually is how I feel.
A few days later I decided to take my son Michael for lunch at Greenman. Just like Debbie, he had never been. I knew he would fall in love with it, which he did. He then just took Erica yesterday as snow was falling in Rehoboth Beach. She loved it just as much. It reminded them of the undergraduate years just left behind in Boulder, Colorado. Greenman could have fit in Boulder perfectly.
Please remember that Greenman is open from Thursdays to Mondays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. through the New Year. They also have take out and are still taking orders for holiday baked goods.
Have a great week-end…….talk to you later…
November 14th, 2010
I don’t know why I woke up with a craving for pizza. You see, I have not had a real pizza in over a year. With the gluten free type of eating we do in our home, well, what can I say, I just have not had one.
There are gluten free pizzas but they really need to be improved. Nowhere near the real thing.
Rehoboth Beach has great pizza joints. They are institutions in our beaches. At first I thought I would get a small pizza from each and do my own tasting. Then I thought better; just get one each day and enjoy it slowly.
I decided to go to Louie’s Pizza located at 11 Rehoboth Ave., right by the Boardwalk. Tel. 302-227-6002. Website www.homeofthegrinder.com.
Louie’s has been in Rehoboth since 1974. They will close for the months of December, January and February.
They proudly say that they are “Home of the Grinder”. A Grinder is a sub which is oven baked for 3 minutes.
You can dine in or call for take-out orders. Two separate entrances. Not too many smiles on their faces; they seemed to be all business.
Louie’s is all about grinders, subs and pizzas. They also serve salads, which are made to order. No alcohol. Their gyros are supposed to be very good, as well.
The pizza dough and sauce are made fresh daily.
I had called my pizza in. I was going to take it home and eat only one slice.
Ha! Easier said than done. The moment I picked it up I proceeded to walk to the Boardwalk and sat in one of those comfortable benches overlooking the ocean and thought I had died and gone to haven the moment I bit into the pizza.
It was so delicious. Thin, well done, light, crispy and each bite was full of flavor. The back of the pizza was baked to perfection.
I had 3 slices; I am not ashame. The pizza was not that big. The small one was $5.95.
Enjoy the pictures because I certainly did enjoy the pizza.
Talk to you later….I have to go and walk it off….
Did I tell you that it was a gorgeous day on the beach? Of course not, I was too busy, you know, eating.
July 26th, 2010
I have mentioned before that I practically go to the grocery store every day. Regarding dinner, I never know what will strike my mood as that favorite time of the day approaches.
Some times I like to cook but in order to write a post to the blog I need to go out and have someone else cook for me.
Such was the case last night. My mood? Sashimi. That’s what I eat when I go to a Sushi restaurant. You know, sashimi is usually the first course in a formal Japanese meal. The reason is that it is considered the finest dish; it should be eaten before other strong flavors affect the palate.
I went last night to Saketumi. It is my favorite at the beach for sushi or sashimi. It is located at 18814 Highway One, (Rt1 or Ocean Highway), Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302-645-2818. Website www.saketumirestaurant.com.
Saketumi is a modern restaurant specializing in Asian cuisine. They have take out, catering, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese. They serve lunch, dinner and brunch on Sundays.
Saketumi has plenty of parking available. And, if you are visiting or are a resident you know how important that is at this time of the year.
I like to sit at the Sushi Bar. I get to see what is going on and interact with the Sous Chef. At Saketumi, this would be Tanaka San. He is an artist when it comes to presenting the food. Just gorgeous. You hate to disturb the plate.
Tanaka has always presented me with an appetizer. I have asked him so many times what it is that I am eating, but to tell you the truth I cannot understand what he says to me, so, I just eat and enjoy it. The fish is in a vinegar sauce with a little bit of onion and I love it; I really do not know what it is, though.
I could not help but take pictures of some of the dishes being prepared.
The tuna sashimi looked delicate.
The Tuna Tuna Surprise or TTS was so colorful. It had inside-blackened tuna, asparagus, sweet goma sauce and wasabi aioli. Outside-akami tuna, tobiko, chive.
The Dynamite was also beautiful. It was a baked California roll, with spicy mayo, scallop, fresh crabmeat and masago on top.
A version of the Dynamite was ordered. To make it gluten free no masago was put on top. Extra tobiko on top. Tobiko is flying fish roe. Very good.
My dish was called Pine Sashimi. Strictly Sashimi for me. It had tuna, yellowtail, salmon, sawara, albacore, kampachi, madai, izumidai, hirame and botan ebi. Got it? It was to die for. The presentation? A work of art.
The albacore (tuna) was white. I had never had it. It was meatier, soft and buttery; melting in your mouth.
What else can I say? I have gone so many times to Saketumi and I can honestly tell you that my service at the sushi bar and the food have been excellent.
Talk to you later….you know I will….
May 13th, 2010
“Gourmandise is an impassioned, rational, and habitual preference for all objects that flatter the sense of taste.” From The Physiology of Taste
On that same train of thought I wonder, what is a delicacy? Is it a cultural thing? Or is it because of the unusual flavors, charasteristics or, really, because it is rare? I think it is a combination of all those things.
Visiting Boulder gave me the opportunity to try different cuisines. Some of them I blogged about, just like this post and some I just kept to myself. Boulder has cuisine from all over the world, and I was ready to try it all.
After visiting the Boulder Beer Company, we decided to eat some Tibetan food. The Tibet Kitchen was our choice. They are located at 2359 Arapahoe Ave., Tel. 303-440-0882. The website is http://tibetkitchen.com. They deliver, have party trays and do catering. You may eat in or out, in their courtyard.
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north of the Himalayas. Average elevation is 16,000 feet, therefore it is the highest region on Earth. Considered to be the “Roof of the World”. Tibet is part of the People’s Republic of China and it is a land of contrasts.
It is important to know that the most important crop is barley. Dough made from barley flour called stampa, is the staple food of Tibet. It is rolled into noodles or made into steamed dumplings called Momos. That is exactly what I had for lunch at the Tibet Kitchen. These dumplings are considered a national dish. The shape of the dumpling is symbolic of the coming together after a long interval. At the Tibet Kitchen, they are made fresh every single day and we had a combination of the vegetarian, chicken and beef, accompanied with a hot sauce. They were absolutely delicious.
 Momos We also had the Jhasa Shamdah, which is a chicken curry, marinated in home made yogurt and potatoes. Delicate flavors and spices. Very good.
 Jhasa Shamdah (Chicken Curry) It was a cool day but the sun was strong. As we sat outside in this courtyard you could not help to look at the decorations. They all had meaning. I really did not know what it all meant so I started searching for some information.
The irons perfectly placed in pyramid form; the same with the CDs and other figurines. They had to have symbolism.
The Tibet Stupa is called a Chorten in Tibetan. It means “basis of offering”. The Chorten is a statue or monument, often pyramid shape in structure.
The Chorten reminds those who encounter it to focus on their path to enlightenment. The ways in which your eyes travel from its base to its dramatic crescent at its top, reflects the transition to an enlightened state.
We had such a nice lunch in this garden, taking it all in; the mountains, the beautiful weather, the clean air, happiness, the food but most of all the company. Perfect!!
Talk to you later….
Note: Information for this post was taken from www.tibetway.net, www.crystallinks.com/tibet.html, www.ackland.org.
January 5th, 2010
Well, I guess one of my New Year’s Resolutions is down the drain. And, it happened in Baltimore, Maryland. Boy, it did not take long.
I was supposed to have had a bit of more self control, but how could I? When you read this post you will see why.
At the beginning of December there was an article in the Baltimore Sun about a gluten free bakery in Charm City. It gave an interesting story on how it started and how this bakery was now making gluten free cupcakes, as well. Cupcakes, the “new” rage.
Monday was my opportunity to visit them and check it out.
Sweet Sin Bakery is located on 123 West 27th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. The tel. number is 410-464-7211. You may place orders by calling 410-366-5777. Fax number is 410-366-5788. Website is www.glutenfreedesserts.com and the e-mail address is Richard@glutenfreedesserts.com. They are open Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Richard and Renee D’Souza are the owners, bakers and cooks. Renee is the person that has a gluten allergy and that is how this whole thing started. They have been in business for 5 years and even though I had not heard about them until now, they are becoming very popular because of the amazing products they are bringing to people with celiac disease. You see, when you have this allergy, is not that you can just pop a pill. The only thing for it is a strict diet.
So, needless to say, I am very happy to have found them since I have mentioned in the past about my husband’s gluten allergy.
Besides being a gluten free bakery, they also prepare soups. In the next few weeks they will also have a full gluten free menu with about 5 or 6 dishes.
The soups they had today were so delicious that I took a quart of each one home. Have in mind that these soups are made with natural ingredients and no added preservatives.
The first one was a Crab and Clam Chowder and it had crabs, clams, shrimp, tomato, garlic, coconut, green peppers, carrots, green peas, okra, jalapenos, potatoes and onions. The seafood was so tasty and the broth was rich. Richard told me that the soup was so natural that not even oil was present. The broth is all homemade, as well.
The other soup was a vegan soup. It was a Sweet Potato, Pumpkin Soup and it had sweet potatoes, pumpkin, onions, garlic, rosemary, coconut, basil, tomato, olive oil and cinnamon. It was fantastic with the perfect seasoning and sweetness.
Veganism, Dairy Free and Casein. What are these terms?
Veganism is a lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. They do not consume animal products of any kind.
Dairy Free contains no milk, cheese, butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream, whey, casein or foods that contain those ingredients.
Casein is a protein found in all mammals’ milk. The most common foods that contain it are milks, ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, butter, lunch meats and cheese.
The cakes looked very appetizing as well as the tarts and pies. I tried the pecan pie and it really was good.
My sister in law and I sat in the living area of this row house and had our soup and 3 cupcakes. I have to confess that I had 2 and she had 1/2 of the other and took the rest home. I really don’t feel guilty, though.
As we sat there chatting people kept coming in. Some were buying soups/muffins, bake goods and others were talking about gluten free foods. Nobody rushed us; you can read or have a cup of Zeke’s coffee.
I really would love this bakery to make products for our beaches. I think we need it and we have plenty of stores that could carry their goods.
Sweet Sin also bakes sandwich bread. I had it toasted, with a little bit of butter and it had good taste, was dense and it held well.
I left this great bakery with a bunch of goodies like, pecan tart, which is casein, dairy and soy free, double chocolate mousse cake, with no added preservatives, a key lime tart, also casein, dairy and soy free, lemon meringue, chocolate-raspberry truffle, chocolate dipped cheese cake and chocolate caramel tart.
Then, I bought an assortment of cupcakes and cookies, as well.
If you get the opportunity to visit Sweet Sin in Baltimore, you will find out that they have something unique, besides their winning disposition. Nobody knows better what people with food allergies go through than the owners of this bakery. They have not compromised flavor as they developed the recipes that will make you want to come back for more.
Now you know why my New Year’s Resolution was on hold for the day. And, even though this post was not from any of my beach towns, it was definitely worth writing about.
Note: The cupcakes have eggs. Most of their products are made with only non-hydrogenated fats, including olive oil and organic palm oil shortening.
Information on Veganism was taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/veganism
Talk to you later….
 
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