September 8th, 2014
Cindi and I stopped for a quick visit to Onancock, Virginia. This is one of the largest towns on Virginia’s remote Eastern Shore. I don’t know why they say remote….from the Delaware Beaches it was about 2 1/2 hours.
 
Anyway, we went straight to the marina to Mallards at the Wharf, located at 2 Market St. in Onancock.Tel. 757-787-8558. The restaurant is in The Hopkins Bros Building, circa 1842. It is owned and maintained by Virginia’s Eastern Shore Historical Society…http://www.shorehistory.org.
Do you see the guitar hanging on the wall? Well, this restaurant is also owned by Chef Johnny Mo, who is the Executive Chef, along with Miguel Wiese, Chef de Cuisine. We arrived late afternoon. The restaurant was quiet. But, he is known to entertain its guests frequently. Check the menu and events at The Mallards by visiting http://www.mallardsllc.com.
You can find Chef Johnny Mo on Facebook, as well. This chef is also the Founder of the benefit Music for The Hungry, whose proceeds go directly to the Foodbank of the Eastern Shore. More info., please visit http://www.chefjohnnymo.com.
Being that the location is the Eastern Shore you can imagine all the fresh seafood on the menu.
Cindi and I decided on the Fish Tacos. Fresh mahi-mahi grilled, not fried, with lime juiuce over shredded lettuce, salsa, and spicy mayo, served on a flour tortilla…truly delicious. One of the best!!
Event: The 24th Onancock Bay Challenge will be on Saturday, September 20th. Rain day….Sunday, 9/21. A special prize and trophy will be awarded for the largest “Eastern Shore Brown Trout” (Oyster Toad) brought to the dock. For more information, please call 757-709-8697, 757-787-4237 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
So as you travel Lankford Highway (Rt. 13) up and down….this is a great place to stop and refuel.
Talk to you later.
March 26th, 2013
This is the time of the year for Shad. Springtime!! Shad are part of the herring family. They swim up rivers to spawn. Shad roe, or eggs, are a delicacy for many, including my husband. Adult shad are toothless!!
Shad are indigenous to the Atlantic coastline of North America. In the late 1800’s shad were a major source of food in Delaware.
I knew where I had to go…Rehoboth Seafood has had a presence in Rehoboth Beach since 1978. It is located at 20238 Coastal Highway (Rt. 1) in Rehoboth Beach. Tel. 302-227-3551 Website? http://www.rehobothseafoodmarket.com. Find them on Facebook. At this time of the year, it opens Tuesday through Sunday.
Mark Lane is the owner. He was telling me that this particular shad and shad roe I bought today had just come from North Carolina today. They should be catching them soon in Delaware. The season this year might also be a short one.
Shad is a fish full of bones. If you are a longtime resident of the Delaware Beaches…remember Brown’s Seafood? He could certainly clean shad. You would never find a single bone. He taught Mark how to clean shad. I have bought it before from Rehoboth Seafood and you will not be disappointed.
Different ways of cooking shad….I usually just baste it with a lemon juice and butter, mixed with paprika and in the oven on 425 degrees…10 minutes to the inch. The fish is mild and so good.
Shad roe was always cooked in my house, broiled with bacon. Mark told me his wife fixes it with a dusting of flour and capers.
Rehoboth Seafood is a full service seafood retail and wholesail store. In the summer you can buy vegetables and other foods prepared by Mark’s wife. Great for those unexpected guests.
You need something special, just ask Mark. He’ll get it for you.
As I was leaving he said….I have not seen you at Giant lately. How could that be? I am practically there every day.
Talk to you later…
June 26th, 2012
Matt’s Fish Camp is now a year old. I feel the same way about this restaurant today as I felt when I first visited. It has the essence of casual coastal dining; steps from the ocean and across the bay. Come as you are; or just put something casual and enjoy the culinary competence, the good service, and that relaxed ambiance that we all love at the beach.
It was such a gorgeous day. As I was driving home from Bethany Beach, I passed Matt’s Fish Camp. I knew exactly where I was going for dinner. Looking forward to it, as well. I wanted to see if they would fill my expectations, and see if they were just as good as before. Afterall, is the Summer of 2012.
Matt’s Fish Camp is located at 28635 Coastal Highway (Rt. 1). It is really in North Bethany at Tower Shores. Plenty of parking available. Tel. 302-539-CAMP. Website http://www.mattsfishcamp.com.
Matt’s Fish Camp is part of the family of restaurants, owned by SoDel Concepts, whose Owner and Head Chef is Matt Haley himself.
Matt’s Fish Camp opens at 11 a.m. daily and stays open pretty late too. It does not accept reservations. I have a new strategy since I do not like to wait; going at the latest possible time. Arrive when almost everyone is finishing their dinner. Perfect timing for photos. That’s exactly what we did tonight.
We got a table for two. I was also paying attention to what the people on the next table were saying. There were 3 guys; a delicious meal, they were commenting among themselves.
 I love the long table in the middle of the room. To fill it with friends would be wonderful. We started with a few appetizers. I already knew what my entree would be.
Lobster Deviled Eggs. Again, I had to be fast with the camera. One of them was gone by the time I turned my head. A good amount of lobster and great taste.
The Semi Spicy and Homemade Pickles, served in a jar, I really liked. On summer nights, light with a slight kick.
The first time we ordered skate was at Matt’s Fish Camp last year. Tonight we ordered it again and asked to be cooked gluten free. It was served over mashed potatoes. Even though the restaurant was comfortably crowded still, the chef did not mind it at all. Skate is delicate and mild; from Chincoteague, Virginia.
I decided to have the Fried Baby Tails. I was served 4 tails, beer battered and fried. They were really good; well seasoned and oh soooo tender. The dipping sauce? Just right.
We both ordered watermelon as a side dish. This was excellent; a seasoning of salt, pepper, paprika and other spices. Lemon on the side. Having watermelon as a side dish is so refreshing; it also cleans your palate.
Coffee, pictures….that was it. Sorry, not a sweet ending on this evening. We were perfectly content. We then headed home. It only took us about 10 minutes to get to Rehoboth Beach.
Note: Anastasi was our server. She was friendly, knew her menu well, and was very attentive. She also knew about the gluten allergy; no explanations were necessary.
You can also access Matt’s Fish Camp’s website on AboutMyBeaches, right under links, or you can also click on the banner of SoDel Concepts on the right hand side of my website. Both, will take you directly into their sites.
I hope you have another beautiful day tomorrow!! Talk to you later…
February 13th, 2012
The peanut gallery made the statement “I told you we should have waited”. I said “it opens at 11 a.m., I am calling, he is late”.
I had asked one of the best informed Key West taxi drivers; Where can I get fresh conch?
We were standing at the corner of Truman Ave. and White St., precisely at a Chevron Station. This was a scene from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The signs were scaring me some. I dialed 305-849-2078. When are you opening?, I asked. He said “Do you want seafood?” I answered, I want conch salad and conch fritters. “I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”
We stood there as the blue truck came in and out came Armando, The Pirate. He wanted a few minutes to set up. He also told me that the conch was not coming until the afternoon. By law you cannot get conch out of Florida waters. It usually comes from the Turks and Caicos. When did that become a law? About 17 years ago, he said. I guess it was over harvested. He said that there is plenty of conch out there, though.
So I started to check out his spot. He had a menu. Fresh fish and all kinds of other delicacies. You can eat in or take out. His name is Armando but everyone calls him Mundy. His wife, Mercedes, is Cuban and she can cook too. Mundy has been providing seafood to Key West restaurants for about 20 years. Pirate Seafood is the name of the company. Website? www.pirateseafood.com.
All of a sudden Mundy brought the bag of stone crabs. They were so big. He said they had been out of the water for about 5 hours. You could still smell that salt water. You could not get stone crabs fresher than these ones and at a fraction of the price. Mundy started separating them.
In the meantime, Mundy told us he had conch fritters, made by him and Mercedes. I first had conch fritters in the island of Exuma in the Bahamas and fell totally in love with them. Pop them in your mouth, is all you have to do. Have not had them like that since. Mundy did not disappoint. These conch fritters were fantastic. The fritters were full of conch. Worth waiting for. The Key Lime mustard for dipping was delicious, as well.
Since there was no fresh conch to make conch salad we opted for lobster and shrimp ceviche. By the way I told Mundy I was writing about him on my blog. He said, “be honest”. So, here it goes. I thought that both ceviches had too much vinegar. I like lots of lime, olive oil, hot sauce, a tablespoon of tomato sauce, a little bit of onion and even hot peppers in it. Throw some cilantro and you have a great tasting ceviche.
Also another highlight of the trip; the stone crabs. We ordered the jumbos. Huge. Mundy was separating them by size. Then, he cracked them with a shucker; cracked in just the right places for easy access. More Key Lime Mustard, please? You can find this shucker at www.shucker.com.
Mundy opens Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Closes Sundays and Mondays. You can call him at 305-849-2078. Guess what? He delivers, so if you are in Key West for an extended period of time, call him. But, really, to capture the local color, you should go to the corner of Truman and White.
Talk to you later…..have a good one!!
February 7th, 2012
My day started with a trip to Belle Glade. What was I doing there? Guess what? If you want fast service from the Florida DMV, it is the best location. From Delray Beach it is a hike; probably about an hour give or take a few more minutes. 95 North to Exit 68, turn left and keep on trucking.
The sugar cane fields extended for miles and miles. Years ago Puerto Rico had so many sugar cane fields, so I actually enjoyed seeing them.
Then, I kept thinking…what happened to the sun? I have yet to see it. Prior to coming to Florida everyone said how gorgeous it was and la la la and more la. It was pouring rain.
What else but think about a late lunch? A suggestion from the peanut gallery. How about the Whale’s Rib in Deerfield Beach? Kept on driving. Did not matter at this point.
The Whale’s Rib is located at 2031 NE 2nd St. (by the beach), Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. Tel. 954-421-8880.
If the Whale’s Rib was good enough for Guy Fieri, of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives then it was going to be great for me. I love all those well known eateries by the beach. Casual, fun, and unique.
The restaurant is all wood with plenty of plaques adorning the walls. Lots of license plates donated by customers. The Delaware tag caught my attention. Didn’t they know that they are worth money? Others, were vanity tags.
 
We sat on the back room and Chynel was our server. She was friendly and gave me great recommendations, even though, I knew exactly what I was ordering.
A few beers and iced teas were ordered.
I love conch. Their conch chowder is made in-house. Very well seasoned and plenty of conch.
My husband decided on the stone crabs. I know a lot of people love them. I am probably one of the few that don’t. I just think they don’t have that much taste. Blue crabs fan all the way, that’s who I am.
The rest ordered the Dolphin Key West Sandwich with Thousand Island Dressing, Purple Cole Slaw and Swiss Cheese. Chynel told me to order it blackened. It really was delicious; moist and not salty, which was great.
 
Chynel told me that Guy Fieri ordered the same sandwich but his was fried. He also had the Whale Fries and Oysters Rockefeller. A twist to these oysters is that they are served with tomatoes on top.
I saw an order going by of Fried Grouper Fingers. They were huge. Chynel told me she has never seen anyone being able to finish that dish.
Whale’s Rib is a locals hang-out. You will get fresh seafood, that’s for sure.
April 20th, 2011
I needed to write this post last night while my taste buds were still remembering the delicious meal I had just enjoyed.
I experienced at Matt’s Fish Camp a great quality of ingredients, a culinary competence, a very good service and a relaxing and casual ambiance.
Matt’s Fish Camp had soft openings a few nights this week. Officially, this new restaurant is opening on Thursday, April 21st. They will open 7 days a week with lunch and dinner by Memorial Week-End. At present, they are opening at 4:00 p.m., Wednesdays to Fridays, and at 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Location? South of Indian River Bridge, in North Bethany at Tower Shores. Tel. is 302-539-CAMP. Website? www.mattsfishcamp.com.
Matt’s Fish Camp is the newest addition of already very well-known and successful restaurants from Lewes to Fenwick Island, Delaware, owned by Sodel Concepts. To find out more info. about all their restaurants and catering services, please visit http://www.sodelconcepts.com.
It is just the type of restaurant that captures the essence of coastal dining; the ocean on one side, the bay on the other. Local favorites serving the freshest catch of the day. Just like the fish camps in the south.
On the right side of the building there are picnic tables where you can enjoy your carry out.
In the inside, a little music in the background, bar tables on one side; you can check the sun setting. Open kitchen on the other side.
The dining area is set up with booths and tables. It is very casual. Just come as you are type of restaurant. The staff? Very friendly.
I started checking the menu. I am sure they were wanting to see how it was received. You can purchase wines by the bottle or by the glass. Beers, some local like Evolution Primal Pale Ale, Dogfish 90min ipa and 16 Mile Blues Golden Ale. Others, like Corona, Blue Moon, Troegs Hopback Amber, Miller Light, Coors Light and a Maryland favorite, the Natty Boh.
My eyes first went to what was called Jars. These are starters served in Jars. We ordered Matt’s spice roasted peanuts. Slightly salted, slightly spicy; herbs in plain view.
Then I ordered the conch “red” chowder. I love conch. When I see it, I don’t think twice about it. The soup had plenty of conch; the right amount of spice. The flavor brought me right to the islands of the Caribbean.
My husband had Matt’s imperial crab stuffed oysters. These oysters had a little bit of breading but Matt fixed him some without the breading. Very good; the crab imperial did not take over the oysters.
For the main entree I decided to have the whole black bass. It was grilled and served over mashed potatoes, yellow squash and sugar snaps. Every time I can order a whole fish, I will do so. Even though you have to work around those little bones, it is worth it. The taste is so different; the bones really add so much flavor while cooking. It was tender and, again, perfectly seasoned.
My husband decided to have the skate. Both of us had never had it. It was to have been dredged in flour in ordered to be pan seared but because of the gluten allergy it was served without the flour. I took a bite and it melted in my mouth. Very delicate. I was so surprised. It was so good!!
Potato salad was brought to the table for sharing. Perfect summer side.
By this time, my brain was signaling that I had eaten too much. To please stop! Well, Mike, our waiter, which by the way was very attentive, told me that he really loved the blueberry pie. It was a classic pie. I have to say that it was not overly sweet at all and I think Matt said he put a little pepper and sorry but I forgot which herb he mentioned. Thyme, perhaps?
Then George and Jerry came to the table. Having not seen each other in such a long time we started to catch up. A small order of the skate was ordered again because we raved so much about it that George needed to try it. They were pretty happy with their meals, as well.
I have a feeling we closed the fish camp. Talk to you later….you know what? You are going to love it. You’ll see. Let me know….
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