August 5th, 2019

Station on Kings, Lewes, Delaware, Restaurant, Review, Lunch, Dinner, Bakery, Cafe, Garden Store, The Art of Wining and Dining, Southern Delaware

“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.

March 27th, 2019

United By Blue, Coffee Shop, Retail Store, Accessories, Apparel, Camping, Online Shopping, Old City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

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.