July 8th, 2010
Located in the middle of Dewey Beach, Delaware is Two Seas. On one side the Atlantic Ocean and on the other, the Rehoboth Bay.
The address? 1300 Coastal Highway, (Van Dyke Ave. and Coastal Highway), Dewey Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302-227-2610.
No website and not a lot of advertising; but as usual, word of mouth is the best advertising. On Facebook? Well, of course, isn’t everybody? Well, almost, since I know a few that refuse to get into it.
I have been wanting to go to this restaurant for some time. I am almost embarrass to tell you that it has been 22 years since I have been there. Yes, 22 years ago I was coming out of my pre-natal class and had dinner there. Some things never change. Good food is always on my mind.
Two Seas opened 24 years ago and it has had a few renovations and additions since then. Same location, though.
It has parking which is a welcome relief at this time of the year. You have to climb a few steps; no elevator.
You are in for a treat if you decide to visit Two Seas.
This restaurant has those 5 key ingredients that make a restaurant. Quality, culinary competence, service, ambiance and price.
Ingredients should be the best money can buy. Culinary competence, well the chef should out do himself, the service should be very attentive but not intrusive, the ambiance should also be relaxing, and the price should be reasonable.
Two Seas has an extra ingredient; a view on the roof top, with a bar, tables for tapas, drinks, appetizers and happy hour.
The roof top menu is a little bit different from the main dining room menu, but not much.
The restaurant is attended by the Carr family and their staff. Friendly and again, very attentive to your needs.
Guess what? Gluten free menu for those on a gluten free diet.
The main dining room was crowded; but comfortable and the decoration throughout the restaurant was “coastal chic”.
After the drink order was taken I could not wait to taste some of their offerings.
My starter was a Crab Chowder. It was New England cream style with Maryland Crab. It had a hint of nutmeg. Very good.
An order of oysters is always a must, if available. Good review, as well.
The Baked Brie was warm with fresh basil pesto, vine ripe tomato and toast points. It was good for 3 or 4 people and very nice.
For the main event I had their signature dish: Sweet onion crusted Red Snapper, oven baked and served with Madeira sauce. The onions were caramelized and the sweetness complemented the fish.
Another entree ordered was the Pan seared Rockfish. Served over corn and bacon hash and finished with an avocado, cilantro sour cream. I had a taste of it and it really had such a good flavor. The mixture of the bacon hash and the avocado and cilantro gave it such a different taste. I love those types of combinations.
The next entree was the Crab crusted Halibut, which was finished with a lemon buerre blanc. Also different, being that it was crusted with crab.
No dessert was ordered because I had made Flan and it was waiting at home.
I still cannot believe I had not been to that restaurant in so long. But to tell you the truth, and in my defense, the building does not look like a restaurant.
Anyway, as usual I took a lot of pictures and you just have to try it yourself. Last night, the sunset was priceless!!
I am not kidding I cant’ wait to go back. It is great when the unexpected surprises you in such a pleasant way.
Note: Two Seas is available for private parties.
See you later…..relax…you are at the beach!!
April 20th, 2010
What a perfect night to have dinner at Fager’s in Ocean City, Maryland. This very popular restaurant is located at 201-60th St. in the Bay. Tel. 410-524-5500, toll free tel. 888-371-5400. Website www.fagers.com and the e-mail address is island@fagers.com.
If you are visiting Ocean City, Maryland, you are bound to show up at Fager’s during your visit. How could you not? If you want to have fun, this is the place to be. Restaurant, Bar, Entertainment, Perfect Location and the Sunset is amazing, as it was tonight. Look at that picture. I could have sat outside but since it was still a little chilly we were all inside.
When sunset approaches, the music starts. Not just any music, but guests will be listening to a concerto of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The music and the view will mesmerize anyone having dinner at that time of the evening. And, once sunset occurs, the music stops and the clapping begins.
And, that is how our dinner started. Tonight we saw several familiar faces and met some new ones, as well. The restaurant was comfortably crowded.
We were all there for their prime rib. I have to tell you that I last came to Fager’s back in December and at the time I wrote that the prime rib was not that great. Well, tonight I would have to tell you that they outdid themselves. The beef was beautiful, cooked to perfection, juices perfectly seasoned, accompanied with colorful veggies and a baked potato.
Some of us had salads as a starter. I had the wedge with Blue Cheese dressing and bacon and walnuts. I have had this salad before and it is very refreshing and the dressing is light.
Just for your info. a standing rib roast is a cut of beef from the rib section, which is one of the eight primal cuts of beef.
A slice of standing rib roast will include portions of the so-called “eye” of the rib as well as the outer, fat-marbled muscle known as the “lip” or “cap”.
Always, the best part of having dinner out, is sharing it with good friends. It is priceless!!
Note: Fager’s is one of the many restaurants at all of our beaches that have a gluten free menu.
Talk to you later….probably tomorrow….
April 1st, 2010
Perfect weather this Easter week-end is attracting many visitors. I went to downtown Rehoboth today and was so surprised to see it so crowded and finding parking was a little tricky. But, it did feel like summer; kids running around, dogs all over the place, the smell of french fries and the buckets of popcorn. Best of all, we were not wearing coats.
If you ask me what to do in Rehoboth, the first time you visit our beaches, I would have to tell you to visit the Rehoboth Beach Museum. It is also the home of the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society. It will give you insight in what this community is all about.
The Museum is offering a special reduced admission rate for Friday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 4th. On those days admission for a group of up to 2 adults and 2 children will be only $5 and each child will receive an egg with candy inside. All children under 12 are free, but must be accompanied by an adult.
The special rate honors a Rehoboth Beach tradition from the days when the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was still standing. Families would trek to the lighthouse, bringing picnic lunches and rolling eggs down the great sand dune around the lighthouse. The Museum invites you to go and see a replica of the lighthouse, and learn about the boardwalk and shipwrecks. Vintage bathing suits and post cards are on display.
The Rehoboth Beach Museum is located at 511 Rehoboth Ave., near the traffic circle with the lighthouse and the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center. Parking is free. Museum hours are Friday, 10 – 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 – 3 p.m. More info? Please call 302-227-7310.
I wrote about this Museum on 2/19/10. All you have to do is go to Archives on the left hand side of this blog and click on February and scroll down to that date.
Sunday, 4/4/10 – Happy Easter!! Sunrise Service at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, sponsored by the Lewes-Rehoboth Association of Churches. For more information, please call 302-227-2109.
Easter Sunday Brunches:
Big Fish Grill located on 20298 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach. Tel. 302-227-Fish. Website is www.bigfishgrill.com. Brunch is from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. I wrote a post on this restaurant on 1/23/10. To see it, all you have to do is go under Archives on the left hand side of this blog and click on January and scroll down to the date. Please note that this restaurant has a gluten free menu, among other allergy related menus.
Summer House, located on 228 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach. From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tel. 302-227-3895. Website is www.summerhousesaloon.com.
Cafe Sole – Brunch is every Sunday and Easter Sunday’s Brunch will have lamb, ham and other specials in addition to the regular brunch items. Cafe Sole’s brunch is from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. They are located on 44 Baltimore Ave. Tel. 302-227-7107. Website is www.rehoboth.com/cafesole.
I wrote a post of this restaurant on 9/1/09, so if you would like to read it, please go to Archives on the left hand side of this blog and click on September and scroll down to the date. This is a restaurant that has a gluten awareness.
Have a great Easter week-end….enjoy all those activities….but most of all enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the beaches…
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….
December 11th, 2009
The 2 restaurants that I am about to tell you are fixtures in our beaches. Anyone that comes on vacation to the Delaware Beaches or Ocean City will definitely visit either one, or both.
You also probably know that the owners of both of them also own other venues at the beaches. They have been in business for many years and their operations run like clockwork.
But, maybe there is something you do not know about them.
Let’s start with….
Fager’s Island
Fager’s is located on 201-60th Street in the Bay, Ocean City, MD 21842. The tel. is 410-524-5500. The toll free tel. is 888-371-5400. The website is www.fagers.com. The e-mail address is island@fagers.com.
Fager’s is one of those restaurants that cover every aspect when it comes to having fun. Perfect location, fantastic sunsets, on the water, outdoor dining, gift shop, dancing, dining promotions, music, full bars, very good menus for all tastes; in other words, very welcoming.
I believe they started their 1/2 price prime rib in November. It is on Mondays and Tuesdays. We took a friend for his birthday this past Tuesday. I made a reservation and I would suggest you do the same because both of those nights are very popular.
We were seated in their fine dining section, on the first floor. Our waiter was young and very nice. We all knew what we wanted; the prime rib!! It is known to be one of the best, if not the best in the area. I think since last year they only offer one cut. It is a pretty good size one. The shaved fresh horseradish complements the beef so well.
We all started with the wedge salad with the blue cheese dressing and bacon. It was truly the best one I have ever had. Three of us ordered it and we all thought the same thing. It was so fresh and not heavy at all. I hope the dressing was homemade because that is exactly what it tasted like.
I don’t know how to say it but I might as well be straightforward. The prime rib was not that good. I hate to say it but it really wasn’t. One person had his cooked medium rare but closer to rare, the next two had theirs cooked medium and I had mine cooked medium rare. One came raw, I kid you not, the other one undercooked and mine was rare. So, we sent 3 of them back to cook them a little bit more. Prime rib is a cut that has a recognizable distribution of fat. Well, this particular cut, on this night was just full of fat. We mentioned it to our waiter, but what could he do but apologize.
We were not the only ones. We knew someone that went on Tuesday, as well, and the same thing happened. It was probably just an off night.
For dessert we had a lemon lust, which is made from the same recipe as Rita’s who is a well known baker in the area. We also had a flourless, dense chocolate cake, which was gluten free.
I have told you in the past that my husband has to eat gluten free. Fager’s is one of the restaurants that is offering a gluten free menu. Not only does the menu reflect the gluten free items available but it also highlights other entrees that can be eaten if you have other food allergies. More and more restaurants are offering these menus because it saves them time when ordering. It seems that everyone has an allergy these days. Fager’s has gone the extra mile by having this menu readily available, even including wine recommendations.
So, what’s an off night when you have just had a very pleasant evening, sharing dinner with friends? We will be back again.
The next restaurant I want to tell you about is….
Big Fish Grill
Big Fish Grill is located on 20298 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. The tel. is 302-227-9007. The website is www.bigfishgrill.com.
This restaurant has been a success since it opened its doors years ago. Always crowded. It does not matter if it is at the height of the summer season or the middle of winter. It is casual and it has a beachy atmosphere. The food is always consistent; very good and affordable.
I did not feel like cooking on Wednesday, and felt like having fish so off we went to Big Fish. It was a somewhat subdued night.
The first thing Allison, our waitress, put on the table was the smoked fish spread. It is so good. They sell it at their fish store next door.
We did not get any appetizers and went right to the entrees. I ordered their glazed salmon, which is always delicious and I had them put it on top of their Spinach Salad. This salad has young spinach leaves, gorgonzola cheese, sliced mushrooms, bacon, chopped egg and warm apple cider vinaigrette. The combination was perfect and I cannot wait to have it again.
My husband started to ask about the sauces he could have on his fish because of his gluten free diet. Immediately, Allison, brought him a gluten free menu and explained to him everything about it. She also told him he could not have salmon since they marinate it in teriyaki sauce. He decided on a blackened mahi mahi and he liked it so much that he ordered another piece.
Big Fish goes above and beyond when you talk about serving a person with a food allergy. After the food is prepared in the kitchen, the manager has to inspect it and only the manager can bring it to the table. How about that for service? Even when the second piece of fish was ordered she had to do the same.
Then to top it all, not only do they have a gluten free menu; they also have: Dairy Free Menu, Egg Free Menu, Garlic Free Menu, Nut Free Menu and a Shellfish Free Menu.
This is the first time that I have seen a restaurant with such precise guidelines regarding food allergies. Amazing!!
Please note that Big Fish Grill offers cooking classes and the last 2 in 2009 are going to be on December 12th and December 26th. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $75.00. Please call 302-227-9007 for more information.
For the person that enjoys beer, Big Fish offers a gluten free beer.
Note: Both of the restaurants above described have so much to tell you in their websites, so please check it out.
I give thanks to Fager’s and Big Fish for making it easier for the people with food allergy issues.
See you soon….
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