Seaford, Delaware, is in West Sussex County. From Rehoboth Beach it is probably about 38 miles. It may be a little bit of a hike for some, but for me, “Good Food, Will Travel. And so my post begins with 4 of us taking off for Seaford. Mind you, even though 2 of them do not live there anymore, they do have strong ties to this town. Locals they are.
I apologize for the photo above. A bit blurry but at least you can see how pretty this brick building is.
These true locals tell me how wonderful it was to grow up in Seaford. It was a prosperous town located along the Nanticoke River. At one point it was voted to be the Best Small Town in America.
For many years DuPont was in this town. Seaford was also known as the Nylon Capital of the World.
Restaurants, Inns, golf courses, hospitals, Seaford had everything a small prosperous town would want. Unfortunately, a lot of that is now gone.
Hold it there, don’t discount this town as a lost cause. There is one restaurant that for 28 years has been and still is worth going. And, I just went to Bon Appetit for the first time last week. I remember people mentioning the restaurant, and how good it was. I just never visited.
Bon Appetit is located at 312 High St. You need to call for reservations to 302-629-3700. They open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until 9 .m. Website? http://www.bonappetitseaford.net
Husband and wife team. Chino from Peru and Karen from NY. Please read about them on their website above mentioned. Everything is prepared in-house.
There is Karen on the photo. The restaurant was about to close and we were saying our goodbyes. Bon Appetit has tablecloths, lace, French prints and a comfortable atmosphere.
They have a great menu with appetizers like corn fritters, poached mussels, country pate, pickled herring, smoked bluefish and so on. Soups and salads including the French onion soup, chilled Gazpacho, etc.
About 9 entrees are offered along with a couple of nightly specials.
Desserts which we did not have are Profiterole, Chocolate Mousse, Creme Caramel and so forth.
For a Wednesday night it was crowded.
I don’t think I have been in a restaurant in recent years where the butter served looked like this. So glad that this presentation has not gone by the wayside.
You almost hated to touch it. Small rolls for the table.
Some photos I did not take but the smoked fish ordered was delicious. I had a bite.
The Chilled Gazpacho I did have. I can make a Gazpacho, as well, and there are many ways of making this traditional Spanish soup. This particular one was excellent. Don’t miss it when you go.
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms were delicious. Almost could not get that photo.
Sauteed File Mignon with Diane sauce was ordered. Perfectly cooked and seasoned.
I knew even before I got to the restaurant what I was going to have. Tommy said that they were known for their duck. I order duck everywhere I go and this was one I was hoping was going to be as good as it was described.
Tommy and I had it and it did not disappoint. It was roast half of duck with a honey pear sauce. Crispy and great combination of flavors.
Ever since they started the restaurant every dish is accompanied by a vegetable mousse. You can see it in these photos. It is so good and a detail that cannot be forgotten.
No photo of the soft shell crabs, but they were big. Got great reviews too.
All in all a very nice evening.
The Rehoboth Foodie has written about Bon Appetit. And, when I told him where I was he said “LOVE Bon Appetit! Now, THERE’S skill”.
All I have to say is that I cannot wait to go back. Remember that driving around Sussex County is pretty easy. Fall is here pretty much so go out and try something new. You won”t be disappointed.
Enjoy!!
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There is my fig tree. Isn’t that a beauty? Once you see their leaves, you recognize them everywhere. Too bad they lose the leaves during the winter. They are so pretty.
My figs start ripening in September and once they start they seem to do it quickly. So my friends with Italian ancestry always are there to help me out in the consumption of this delicious fruit.
I picked those figs a couple of days ago. Wait until you see the recipe. If I must say so myself, it turned out so well.
My love of figs started over 20 years ago. In Southern Delaware there are plenty of us with fig trees. I know where they are. Shhhhhh, a secret!!
I love them fresh the best. They are just so sweet.
A few years ago I went with friends to Italy. In the town of Terracina which is to the southeast of Rome and a vacation spot for locals I immediately spotted one growing on the side of the street. Check it out.
Of course I had some. They were there for the taking. In the Island of Capri I had a Fig Smoothie. Loaded with figs and very refreshing during hot weather.
On the search put Fig Stack. The recipe is very easy. Last night I decided to make the recipe again and here it goes.
A couple of green tomatoes (or as green as you can get them this time of the year)
A couple of ears of corn
4 slices of thin bacon cut in half
Corn starch
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Honey
2 cups or more of figs cut in half (I like a lot of them)
Balsamic reduction (you can make your own or buy commercial one)
Cook the bacon in a large frying pan. Place on paper towels. Keep the drippings.
Cut the corn off the cob. Set aside.
Cut the two green tomatoes in slices. This recipe served 2. You need to have 3 slices for each person.
Get a plastic bag and put about 1 1/2 cups of Corn starch. Season with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes in the bag and shake gently to coat.
Heat bacon drippings and add some vegetable oil. You do not need a huge amount of oil. Fry the tomatoes, turning them over once. You want them to have a nice honey color. Place on paper towels.
In a small frying pan put a little bit of butter and cook the corn for a few minutes. Take them out and put in a bowl.
In the same pan put another tablespoon of butter and add the figs. You want them to cook some but not to let them get mushy. Add about a tablespoon of honey or even a bit more. Check the photo above. The figs are in the back burner after the cooking process.
Get two pretty plates to start making the Stack. First put corn on the plate. Spread it a bit in order to place the first fried tomato. Then 2 pieces of bacon, then spoon figs with juice on. It can drip to the sides. That adds to the allure of the dish. Repeat the process, finishing with the third fried green tomato on the top. Spoon figs around the corn. The final touch is a drizzle of the reduction of balsamic vinegar. Yes, I did make this reduction some months ago.
Voila!! This is Fig, Fried Green Tomato Stack. This dish has the texture, the tang, the finish; yes, the everything. It is totally delicious and you just need a nice cup of wine and enjoy!!
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They call it Stewman’s and it is located on the waterfront at 35 West St., Bar Harbor, Maine. Tel. 201-288-0346. Website? http://www.stewmanslobsterpound.com
From the West Street Hotel, and our balcony, we had an advantage view. Around 11:30 a.m. or so the line begins to form. It goes quickly and we were there on Labor Day. An ideal setting to be able to sit right on the water.
Early in the morning we took a walk around the area. Not open yet but you were able to get the idea of what they would be serving there. It has a full menu and of course many of the delicacies that you come to experience in Bar Harbor.
You can watch them make the lobster bisque and the clam chowder. Pounds and pounds of this delicious soups with an addition of Sherry.
It was quiet but not for long.
Then look at it as the afternoon progressed.
We stopped for a tasting of soup. Both completely different, but my bisque was truly delicious.
I’ll be honest, I thought, originally, that it was going to be a tourist trap. Yes, tourist do come in but, boy, was I wrong. It is definitely worth trying. It stays open until 9 p.m.
So if you are thinking of a quick get away this Fall, Maine has captured my attention.
Posting from Maine’s trip, I remain.
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For so many years every time we have a hot summer in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, I say that I would love to visit Maine. Had never been until just last week, on Labor Day weekend.
I wanted something not too big, waterfront, and accessible to everything in town. The West Street Hotel fit that to a tee. Located at 50 West Street, it is located downtown on the waterfront.
Getting to Bar Harbor was pretty easy if flying from the Philadelphia airport. You fly into Bangor. Only about 1 hour and 20 minutes if that. Then rent a car and drive one hour to Bangor. Perfect for a quick get-away trip.
The hotel has about 84 rooms. There is parking in the property but if by any chance it is full they will valet your car. This hotel is part of the Opal Group and they owned a lot on the Bar Harbor waterfront.
Easy checking in with a friendly staff and you will see a greeting pooch, as well.
We arrived Wednesday, 9/2 and were greeted by a fire in the fireplace. The weather was beautiful.
The room had a balcony and our view was gorgeous. Check these photos.
Things that caught my eye were that Bar Harbor is so clean. Never saw any trash whatsoever. Did not see any police around either. Did finally see the police station.
It did catch my attention finding these mailboxes with free masks inside and a hand sanitizer pump.
The tides in that part of Maine change fast. Every day they are so significant, ranging from 8 to 11 feet of water ebbing and flowing, and up and down the shoreline, the beach and in the rivers that flow to the ocean. Check out the next 2 photos. From our balcony we could see how low the tide was across. People walk and drive the cars during low tide. But, there are some that have been caught in it and that fjord has no ramp. In a matter of a few hours it completely fills up again. Very interesting.
There are more posts from Bar Harbor coming up….Lobsters, Out and About, tune in.
The West Street Hotel was perfect for us. And it will be perfect again some other time.
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