Up until a few minutes ago I had not realized that the blog I started in 2009 is celebrating 13 years of sharing my thoughts on finding out about events, restaurants, reviews, where to shop and what to cook for dinner today. http://www.aboutmybeaches.com
No photos at the beginning until I caught on how important photos are to all of us. We are so visual.
The first post was about McCabes Gourmet Market in Bethany Beach. No longer McCabes, times have changed. Great store that we all loved for many years. Their Queso (Mexican Cheese Dip) Recipe is on the website. Click on it and put it on the Search.
My second post was Agave. The ever present Margaritas, the Avocado Martini, music, best chili, guacamole and so on.
At the time blogs were beginning to take place in our society. But, people would still smiled like saying: really? Blah, Blah, and Blah. The point of my blog was that I could put my two cents in about places that I have been to, my beloved beaches in Southern Delaware and beyond. Food, recipes and reviews. We all have different tastes, likes and dislikes but it was my diary sort of speak of. I can write when I want to and other times I just take a break and put tidbits on My Facebook page.
Since the beginning I have spoken of how good the corn is in Southern Delaware. I just took this photo the other day. White corn, but they have yellow and a mix kernel ones, as well. Freeman’s on Robinsonville Rd. in Lewes is the best. Every day it is picked and it is so fresh that you can eat it raw. I usually eat one or two ears like that. Amazing.
Lewes’ Lighthouses are something to see.
Strolling the Boardwalk day or night.
I have lived here for so many years. I am a foodie and love to eat and experience different cultures.
My blog continues and one of the best things that have happened since opening AboutMyBeaches is that I have learned so much about our area. It is not just the beaches, so much more depth. It has given my family a very nice life. I don’t take it for granted. I appreciate it.
Until then check my Facebook Page, and Instagram and stop here for recipes and information. It’s all good.
Love Crabs….these ones from Suicide Bridge.
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Historic Reading Terminal in Philadelphia is over 125 years old. It is one of America’s largest and oldest public markets. Visiting the City of Brotherly Love, there is no way you cannot visit this amazing market. Usually is full of people. Lunch time? It will be hard to find a place to sit in order to enjoy some of the delicious food only Philadelphia offers.
The middle of the market was usually open with tables and benches and no “social distancing” because it was not necessary. Nowadays, you can still visit The Reading Terminal and as you can see from the photo above there are booths and partitions in order to avoid any contamination.
Just a few weeks ago, a little visit to have some lunch and buy a few things that here, in Rehoboth Beach, you cannot find.
Also lunch was going to be a must at Beck’s. If you like Cajun food this is the best place in Philly to get a good bowl of Gumbo.
We sat at their bar and surfaces were spotless. Look at this bowl of Gumbo. At this time of the year with Lent on my mind as well as Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, definitely this gumbo hit the spot. A little heat, full of flavor is not to be missed.
And trying to get it all in we also had this “delicacy” from Dinic’s to go with our gumbo.
What can I say? It may not be a good combination of foods but it is best here at the Reading Terminal.
So, don’t be scared. Wear your mask, get out of town and live a little.
AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook. Follow me there and leave me a message if you want to chime in on the post.
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“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” anthelme brillat-savarin
Everyone’s is a food critic these days. I find that the experience comes from eating out often. It is actually very personal. You might love the restaurant and then someone will come back saying; what were you thinking?
The more relaxed you are while eating, the best it will be for you and your dining companion.
Kris Etze and I chose The Station on Kings located at 720 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE 19958. Tel. 302-645-0300. You can reserve tables online and the restaurant has plenty of parking. They are open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Early morning coffee and baked goods are served. Every day you can enjoy lunch and dinner. Website? http://www.thestationlewes.com
Kris is a well known local personal chef. If you would like to know more about her…..she gives cooking classes too, please check her website http://www.abracadinner.com.
I love to see a beautiful plate full of colorful and well seasoned food. Kris can dissect how perfectly cooked a dish is. A pro at what she does.
The Station on Kings is a one stop shop. Beautifully displays of food, baked goods, home accessories.
Our server was very attentive. We ordered some wine and then jumped into the appetizers.
Have you ever had Blistered Shishito Peppers? Or, even know what they are?
Up close and personal…here is the photo. They are great for snacks. Easy to “blister” too. They are from Japan and sweet. But, caution is in order. 1 in 10 peppers are spicy. Don’t worry, nothing extreme. People that are in the know like Kris, will probably tell you that high heat and quick cooking is what you want. You want them fairly firm but with charred blisters on all sides.
My expert told me they were perfectly cooked. And me, the eating expert, will tell you that they were mild. The dipping sauce of kimchi aioli was also very good.
There is plenty to choose if you are vegetarian or have to eat gluten free.
Kris chose the Vegetarian Risotto. This dish was composed of farro, grilled corn, shaved fennel, house ricotta and chives. It was a nice portion and Kris really commented on how good it was.
I really do love octopus, so every time I see it being offered I order it. You want it to be firm but not dry and chewey and at The Station on Kings it did not disappoint. Perfectly done!! It was served with smoked potatoes, romesco, chorizo jam and salsa verde. Romesco is a tomato-based sauce that originated in Tarragona, Catalonia. The sauce was made by fishermen and should be eaten with fish.
Our choice for a sweet ending was Stone Fruit Frangipane Tart. A frangipane is made with almonds or almond flavoring, butter, sugar and eggs. The combination of cherries and roasted apricots was delicious. Cardamon almonds, brown butter caramel, and rum toffee ice cream. What can I say? Awesome!!
I am looking at these photos and I am salivating. Summer 2019 has brought the local restaurants to bring the best of what they have. Just yummy!!
Check my FB page AboutMyBeaches and comment if you have made it already to The Station on Kings.
Until then, Relax, You are at The Beach.
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A coffee shop experience is different for most everyone. I remember when I used to be petrified of going into Starbucks. How in the world do you order? I learned quickly…..A Venti, Cafe Mocha, Extra Hot, No Whip. That is my standard.
People watching is a must. Some are relaxing checking their texts. Others are rushing by.
When I was young I remember my grandmother always had coffee in the balcony in Puerto Rico, accompanied by the neighbors. It was a time to relax and talk. Really talk! You had to. There were no portable phones yet. Not even in the imagination of us mortals.
I was in Philadelphia last month and this city is perfect for foodies. It is also a paradise for good coffee shops. Are you a coffee snub? Then you are in the right city.
United By Blue started in Philadelphia in 2013. My son told me he was taking me to a very interesting coffee shop. Indeed it was! It is located at 205 Race St., Old City, Philadelphia 19106. Tel. 267-457-3114. Website? https://www.unitedbyblue.com/pages/flagship
United By Blue is local, so you probably won’t see too many tourists yet. Another location on Walnut Street.
Their coffee was excellent. You can do a little online shopping if you want to try something delicious.
A Breakfast sandwhich with home fries. The menu is online, as well. It was perfect for a cool morning in the City of Brotherly Love.
We all call our planet home and United By Blue is doing its part to help keep it clean. Their Mission? “For every product sold, United By Blue removes one pound of trash from our World’s ocean and waterways.” To find out why please log onto the website above referenced.
Besides being a coffee shop, it is also a retail store. Apparel for men, women, including shoes. Camping gear too.
In the store there is copperwear to buy. I particularly liked the straws. I think you can see them in the following photo, inside the mugs.
Very interesting indeed. Read about them, join a cleanup and check past cleanups as well.
In the meantime, if you are in Philly and want to really be a neighborhood local, by all means stop by. Remember this company offers coffee, food, retail shopping but in their hearts it is an “enviornmental conservation organization”.
Follow them on Instagram ubb_phila and on FB as United By Blue.
Have a great day.
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On my previous post I mentioned that day tripping to Philadelphia is an easy one from the Delaware Beaches. It only takes a few hours and if you casually plan it well, you will have a fun day. A change of scenery, as well.
The Philadelphia Museum of art is located at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Our quest was to make it to the Fabulous Fashion: From Dior’s New Look to Now exhibit. It is there until March 3rd. You can check the museum’s website by visiting https://philamuseum.org.
I was trying to see what dining experience we could have at the museum. In order not to be rushed it would be perfect to eat there. I found out that a new restaurant called Stir had opened in October, 2018. There is the restaurant and there is also a Cafe. My interest was Stir, the restaurant.
Stir was designed by Frank Owen Gehry. His is considered to be one of the most well known architects in the world. Some of his buildings, including his home in Los Angeles have become world-renowned attractions.
We, actually, made a reservation through Open Table. The restaurant’s ceiling looks like it is floating. The chairs were so comfortable and the lighting was perfect. The Executive Chef is Mark Tropea who is a Philly-born guy with 20 years of experience.
Stir is managed by the Philadelphia’s Constellation Culinary Group which was known as the STARR Catering Group.
The moment I saw the Roasted Duck on the menu, I knew that would be my choice. Served with Vadouvan carrots, wheat berries, sour cherry and port reduction. Vadouvan is a French Masala Curry Powder with a little kick. The blending of classic curry spices with aromatic onion, garlic, and shallot. It is ground to fine powder. Medium rare and chrispy on top is how it was presented. So delicious, I want to go back.
The Grilled Venison Loin also caused a “Stir” because just like the duck it was perfectly cooked, as well. A currant and pink peppercorn gastrique, castle valley grits, and brased rainbow chard complemented the venison.
We did not have dessert. But, we did have wine. Our server was friendly and his suggestions were on point.
But we had a tour to catch. Isn’t it great when a restaurant delivers such a good experience?
Anyway, remember that there is an AboutMyBeaches FaceBook page and if you like it will be much appreciated.
Until then…..Spring is around the corner.
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Each piece is tailored specifically for the client. “The word ‘haute’ means high, in the sense of high class. “Couture” refers primarily to designers or couturiers and dressmaking that’s made to order.”
For example, above, you see dresses for the Spring of 1948 designed by Christian Dior. The pink one was a new revolutionary “Look” geared to the active life of the day. A little different from what I call active, but what do I know, right? I am just writing a post.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is located at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., Philadelphia, PA 19130. Website? http://www.philamuseum.org
This particular exhibit is called Fabulous Fashions and will be there until March 3rd. From the Delaware Beaches it is about 2 1/2 hours and an easy trip to say the least. Grab a friend and go. That’s what I did. Cindi and I had the best time. Not overly scheduled, just enjoying a winter day in the city.
The starting price for haute couture is $30,000. Long hours of work can hike that price, as will also the embellishments chosen.
For example the photo above shown at the exhibit is called “Sea Fan Fantasy”. Designed by Tina Leser, and American designer for Edwin H. Foreman, Inc. It was hand-painted and spray-painted cellulose acetate plain weave with metallic sequins. Ms. Leser was from Philadelphia and liked to incorporate exotic elements from her travels. This was gown was indicative of the fashion trends of 1947.
Fashion trends keep changing. But what goes around comes around. When I looked at the above fashions I can see them being worn in 2019. On the first photo, the dress with the horizontal stripes was originally designed in 1952 and later on reinterpreted in 2013. In 2013 Francisco Costa, creative director for Calvin Kline and designer Ellsworth Kelly, modernized the look a bit. The original dress was longer and had a light blue band on the bottom.
Anne Fogarty was the designer for the above pictured dress. She started out as a model and was from Pennsylvania. She became well-known for full skirted designs with fitted bodices. She was inspired by Dior. This dress was her own and was so tiny that the Museum needed to make a special manequin.
The evening dress on the left was designed by Ives Saint Laurent for his Fall/Winter 10th collection 1966-67. He was 30 years old and the dress was meant to speak for the moment…”here today, gone tomorrow, young, amused”.
The gold dress on the right, I had never heard of the American designer Vicky Tiel. This dress was designed in 1989. Her signature style was the draping and construction for the glorification of the female body. Her favorite was a low, strapless neckline. She is still active in Paris.
The accessories that make or break a design…texture, color, and design.
The shoes date from 1991 and the purse circa 1955-65.
Major designers also design hats. Here are some from Balenciaga, Givenchy, Nan Duskin, Stephen Jones.
Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, was from Philadelphia. Her dress is a classic and was designed by Helen Rose who was an American costume designer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The dress was donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is very delicate now and they don’t really bring it out much. But the next photo will show her headpiece made also by Helen Rose, the shoes designed by David Evins, an American, born in England, with a copper penny encased in the right shoe for good luck, and a Bride’s Manual decorated by the wardrobe department of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. This was a gift to her from a family friend from Chestnut Hill. She also carried a small bouquet of lillies of the valley.
We took a tour and I recomment it very much. Maybe you should call for the tour hours as they are not offered on an hourly basis. Then, you may want to have something to eat there as well. That is another post in the making.
Until then…check my Facebook Page AboutMyBeaches. Would love it if you decide to Like it.
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Finally the sun has come out. Buds are on the trees, weeping willows are getting greener. Some signs and hints that Spring is around the corner. Well, you know, we had a few nor’easters to take care of but, hopefully, we should almost be finished with winter.
My young second cousin, Natalia, stayed with me for some time after the devastation of two hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Right before she lef Southern Delaware the weather in Southern Delaware was gray and miserable, so I took her to Longwood Gardens. Their Orchid Extravaganza is going on and it is gorgeous. If you get a chance, it is there until March 25th. The address is 1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, PAQ 19348.
When you think about it, it is very accessible, only a couple of hours away. You can spend the day. The area offers so much, plus a little bit of a change of scenery.
Flowers have a positive effect on humans. I try to fill my vases with flowers as much as I can. When I see them I have a different disposition altogether. Longwood Gardens open year round. Please check their website, https://www.longwoodgardens.org
It is that time of the year, so if you are ready to get into the spirit of Easter, make a visit to these beautiful gardens.
Discover your own backyard. Have a great day!
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Everyone was driving south as I took for Philly driving north from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The DE beaches are so crowded. It is the height of the season. Hot summer days get everyone out of town. I love a Saturday and Sunday in a city. You can walk around with ease.
Such was last Saturday. I arrived at Rittenhouse Square. This is one of the prettiest squares in Philadelphia. Quickly we took a walk to South St. looking for a cafe that is very popular and very understated. Called Ants Pants Cafe, located at 2212 South St. Tel. 215-875-8002. The Cafe has a small terrace in the back if you want to eat al fresco. They offer breakfast, brunch, and lunch. They take cash only but there is also an ATM machine inside. Website? http://www.antspantscafe.com
The Ants Pants Cafe has offerings that could be found in any cafe in Australia. The coffee is from Australia’s Tobbys Estate. Ants Pants mean outstandingly good person.
Not knowing what the other table was asking I found out that they had ordered sweet potato fries. They looked amazing so I had to have them. They were brought in with sour cream and sweet chili sauces.
A Spinach Salad with baby spinach, goat cheese, green apples, walnuts, red onions with a balsamaic vinaigrette, dressing, topped with crispy bacon. An order of yogurt with fruit was also enjoyed. All good and fresh with very friendly service. Ants Pants Cafe offer smoothies, milkshakes and juice. It is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Walking back to Rittenhouse Square I could not believe how quiet the streets were. People usually do not see Philly this way. The beautiful streets with its grand row houses and flowers. The city is getting ready for the Democratic Convention and the Equality Forum.
Rittenhouse Square has so many shops, restaurants and cafes. This particular children’s shop caught my attention. I am putting it in the post because I have so many friends becoming grandparents. Check it out ladies.
From tailoring, reconstruction, and custom design, Irina Sigal is on Locust Street. Dressmaker Irina Sigal…www.irinasigal.com.
These people were having fun discovering the city. Exploring Philly like never before. It is a 15 guest bike. An open air tour bus. You are among other riders who might want to pedal around Philly during the day and during evenings stop at favorite bars. They offer history tours, food tours, fitness rides, kids’ parties, and a new history tour with Ben Franklin. Please visit http://www.bigredpedaltours.com
Time for coffee. The daily addiction. I remember not that long ago in Puerto Rico, they thought that Americans did not know how to drink coffee. Not strong enough, they would say. Well that has certainly changed with amazing coffee shops found all throughout the nation. One coffee shop being mentioned as one of the bests nationwide is La Colombe. I arrived at this coffee shop located at 130 South 19th street in Philadelphia. Tel. 215-563-0860. It was packed with customers drinking the most incredible coffee. This is not the only spot in Pennsylvania. They have opened coffee shops in Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York. Check their website at http://www.lacolombe/blogs/cafes.
La Colombe takes an iced coffee to a different level. First ever Draft Latte, a take on the draft beers, except it is coffee. It even has the foam. Now you can even find it in a can!! It certainly was delicious sipped among others in this coffee shop which reminds me of a coffee shop in Europe.
Things cannot be that bad in the world as long as there is coffee…lol.
We could not get into this tiny bar called the Graffitti Bar. Through the alley way we went only to find it completely full. Oh well, another time.
There was a bit of thunder and a few sprinkles. Time to head back home but not before I saw this couple. Yes, romance is still in the air.
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