May 4th, 2010
I don’t know if you had the chance to experience what a beautiful evening it was on Tuesday night in Lewes. I talk about this town frequently, but how could you not? Every time I visit Lewes, I leave with a sense of relaxation and happiness.
In the past I have mentioned that one of the most important features of Lewes are its residents. They are always ready to showcase their town. Tonight was no exception because I was invited by one of its own to just come for drinks and sit on his front porch. I really could have stayed there all night. It was so comfortable and more so after residents would wave at us from their cars. Big smiles on their faces.
The City of Lewes has a list of Core Values and these are:
Lewes has a special and historic relationship with the sea.
Lewes is a community of diversity.
Lewes values its human town scale and sense of face-to-face intimacy that is characteristic of its quality of life.
Lewes is a town of busy days and quiet nights.
Lewes recognizes and maintains its internal communities.
Lewes has a unique historical origin and strives to highlight its heritage through building design and architectural preservation.
Sitting on this front porch I was able to enjoy the protected “vistas” of the Canal. So much open space; fencing and landscaping has been limited. The Pilottown Rd/Gillis Neck corridor was officially designated as one of Delaware’s Scenic and Hitoric Byways.
We finally decided to go check the new University of Delaware Wind Turbine, which looms over the Lewes’ skyline.
A wind turbine is a machine that harnesses the kinetic energy in the wind and converts it to electrical energy. Mechanical energy created by its rotating blades turns a generator that creates electricity.
It is located at the College of Marine Studies, at the end of Pilottown Rd. If you get a chance just drive over, you will not miss it. Here are the specifications:
The tower is 256 feet.
It will stand approximately 400 feet high from its tower base to the apex of its blade at peak rotation.
Weighs 203 tons.
Blade length is 144 feet (3 blades).
Rotational directions are clockwise from front view.
9-19 Revolutions per minute.
From the College of Marine Studies we continued our guided trip towards the State of Delaware Public Boat Launch. This is a state of the art facility.
The scenery was magical; watching flounder fishing and an amazing sunset. The marshes added their touch with expanse views.
We finished our evening at Agave, the Mexican restaurant I have also talked about so much. Its location is right in the center of the town, on Second St. It was such a good meal in the company of a great friend. Perfect!!
I will talk to you later…..you know I cannot help it.
Note: Information for this post was taken from www.ci.lewes.de.us/core-values/ and from http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/lewesturbine/
April 24th, 2010
Well, this week, certainly, I have had a diversed group of posts. From Fager’s in Ocean City, Maryland, Tulip Festival in Lewes, Life Saving Station, Shredder Truck, yesterday, Friday, 4/23, the preview of Avery’s Rest (archaeological dig), and ending in Dewey Beach at Que Pasa? with entertainment at Lighthouse with John Eddie. Afterall, my blog, is AboutMyBeaches, so experiencing what these resorts have to offer is part of my job. Please, don’t laugh. I am serious, it’s true.
I arrived at Que Pasa? at dusk. This Mexican Cantina is located on 124 Dickinson St. in Dewey Beach. Tel. 302-226-1820. I wrote about this restaurant on 9/2/09. Just go and click on the month of September and scroll down to the date. It is an open Bar on the water, facing Rehoboth Bay. The view could not be better. You are able to eat at the Cantina, outdoors or you can go to their own restaurant inside. On a beautiful evening like last night people had started happy hour early and it was crowded.
Happy Hour is not just one happy hour anymore, it is all day. In Dewey Beach, that’s the way of life. It is a true beach town; water, water sports, restaurants and music.
And that’s how my evening started.
A friend mentioned to me, last summer, that I needed to go to Dewey and listen to John Eddie. For one reason or another I never did. Again, she mentioned that he was playing for the first time, this season, at Lighthouse on Friday. She is a true fan of his.
As I mentioned, Que Pasa? was full and we had drinks there and said hello to locals and residents alike. Then, we ate inside because it does get chilly in the evening, at this time of the year.
A few of us ordered the seared tuna. It was so delicious, perfect portion and cooked just the way it should be, very pink in the middle. It was accompanied with sauteed potatoes, a slaw and a chipotle sauce. Other orders were steak quesadillas, shrimp quesadillas, crabcake sandwich. Everyone was happy.
We were enjoying every moment but we really were waiting for the time to arrive in order to see John Eddie.
Finally, we decided to walk around the restaurant to Lighthouse. Que Pasa? and Lighthouse are part of the Ruddertowne Complex of entertainment venues and restaurants located in Dewey.
I was told that even though John Eddie was supposed to start at 9 p.m., he is never on time. On Friday, the fans were getting restless since it was almost 10 p.m. and they were still setting up. You could see everything going on because Lighthouse is not that big and it was full to capacity.
I did not know what to expect of him. He had a boyish look and a resemblance to Bruce Springstein in the way he moves and performs. By the way, Bruce is a fan of his.
His music genre? A little bit of country and a lot of rock and roll. Then add some soul and folk music; that’s John Eddie. His website is www.johneddie.com.
As a songwriter you find that his songs are very personal but some are definitely, foot stumping.
The moment, I kid you not, he started performing there was not one single person that was not dancing. That lasted about 3 hours. He engaged his audience and you were right there with him. Yo Faithful! Raise Your Bottles, Raise Your Glasses and everyone did, many times.
His renditions of Rod Stewart’s 1971 Maggie Mae and Elvis’ 1969 Suspicious Minds were phenomenal. He plays them in every show. Fans expect him to.
His followers travel to see him perform. Today he is at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, then to Kennet Square, PA and then to San Diego, CA. But, this summer, starting on May 27th, he will pretty much be every Thursday, at the Cove, also located at Ruddertowne in Dewey.
So, if you like to dance and listen to good music, put on your dancing shoes and you now know where to go.
Have a great week-end!!
February 23rd, 2010
I found myself at the BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. We all say it is Baltimore, but, really the right address for the airport is Linthicum, Maryland. We arrived with more than enough time, so now, what? Please, I don’t want to eat at the airport. Even though there are airports known to have very good eateries, I really have not found any.
So, it was nice to see that right by the Southwest ticket counters there was a new restaurant. It is actually called DuClaw Brewing Co. It looked lively and definitely a visual attraction. It had a good menu but, unfortunately, since my husband has to eat gluten free, most of the items had gluten. So, why bother? Did not try it but it is worth mentioning.
We went right through Security. I guess not too many people were flying on Sunday. BWI looked clean, bright and organized.
After going through Security we found ourselves on Concourse B so we kept walking and found out a colorful restaurant called Zona Mexicana. Zona Mexicana is very clean and modern. It has a full bar with flat screen t.v.s arround the restaurant and plenty of seating; bar tables or benches. The music was pretty good too.
If you are there early you can have their American Platter breakfast which is scrambled eggs, ranchero potatoes, bacon with fresh fruit and wheat toast but if you want to kick it up a notch you can have it Mexicana style, topping it with fresh salsa and queso fresco. Queso fresco is found in every Mexican restaurant recently. Breakfast is served from 6:00 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.
My husband and I had the Border Burger. It was very good, made to order and a very large portion. You can see it on the picture. I ordered a side salad that came in a taco shell. Originally, my husband wanted to have the tacos. The shell is made out of corn so a person with a gluten allergy can have them. But, the problem was that Zona Mexicana makes their own shells and they are fried in the same oil in which other foods are fried in. This is what usually restaurants do, and it is something you have to have in mind when ordering.
 Border Burger Even though our Concourse was A, which was on the other side, I am glad we went and checked this new restaurant. I am passing it along to you since this is an international airport and you might find yourselves in it one of these days.
Our waiter, Dave was very nice and I asked him about the restaurant since I had never heard of it. Apparently there is a connection with DuClaw Brewing Co.; the owners are looking for another place within the airport to put another eatery, so stay tuned.
Who would have thought that maybe these restaurants could become as popular as restaurants in other airports throughout the U.S. as well as in major cities train stations?
Zona Mexicana has fast and friendly service while you wait anxiously to board. Kid-friendly, as well.
It is open from Sundays to Fridays from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. and on Saturdays from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. Their telephone is 410-850-4846.
A smooth flight and cooler weather in Florida. Nos vemos luego… Talk to you later…
October 12th, 2009
This is one of those recipes that is easy, filling , good and all you have to do is add a green salad, maybe some dinner rolls; sit back and relax.
Mexican Meatball Soup
2 tbsps. olive oil
2-3/4 cups chopped onion (divided use)
4 garlic cloves, minced (divided use)
2 small bay leaves
4 (14 1/2 oz.) cans beef broth
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup chunky salsa (medium or hot)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (divided use)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 lb. bulk pork sausage (Jimmy Dean’s is gluten free)
6 tbsps. yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 3/4 cups onions, 2 garlic cloves and bay leaves; saute 5 minutes.
Add broth, tomatoes with juice, salsa and 1/4 cup cilantro. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine ground beef, sausage, cornmeal, milk, egg, salt, pepper and cumin, then remaining cup of onions, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup cilantro in a bowl. Mix well.
Shape meat mixture into 1-1/2″ balls.
Add rice and meatballs to soup and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice and meatballs are tender, about 20 minutes, while still stirring once in a while.
Ladle into bowls and serve.
Note: If you get ripe avocados you can chop them and garnish the soup with them. Gives the soup even more color.
You can easily make this soup gluten free. Check labels on salsa, beef broth and pork sausage.
Enjoy!!
October 3rd, 2009
Spinach Balls (Thanks to Louise)
2 10 ounce packages chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups herb stuffing mix
1 cup firmly packed freshly grated Parmesan cheese (5 oz. wedge)
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 small green onions, finely chopped
3 eggs
dash of nutmeg
mustard sauce – see below
Combine all ingredients, except sauce, in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into 1″ balls. Cover, refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set balls on ungreased baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with the following mustard sauce.
Mustard Sauce
1/2 cup dry mustard
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
Combine mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Cover and let stand 4 hours at room temperature.
Note: I would make the sauce ahead of time and then proceed to make the spinach balls if you are planning on serving them on the same day.
Chicken Tortilla Soup (Thanks to Cindi)
2 14.5 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (I use the low sodium for dietary reasons)
1 1/2 diced cooked chicken
2 tsp. chili powder
1 box of Zatarain Red Beans and Rice (prepared-takes 30 minutes)
Monterey Jack cheese, chopped jalapenos and tortilla chips for garnish
Combine the cans of diced tomatoes with the chicken broth in a large saucepan and boil.
Sprinkle the diced cooked chicken with the chili powder and mix well. Add into saucepan, along with the prepared rice mix. Heat through.
Scoop into bowls and top with the garnishes.
Note: I like foods with a little heat. For the garnish, put in the tortillas first, then the shredded cheese and then the jalapenos. Or, put the garnishes on the side and everyone can just add their own. This recipe can be doubled easily for a big crowd. All you need to add is a colorful salad. Very easy!!
Can you believe that I did not have any Key Lime Pie in Florida? Well, with the above soup, you can have a sweet ending with the following recipe.
Key Lime Pie
Crust:
1 package Keebler, cinnamon graham crackers
3/4 stick butter, melted
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Crush graham crackers. Combine with melted butter. Press into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake 5 minutes to set. Cool.
Filling:
5 egg yolks
2 cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cups Key lime juice
Beat egg yolks. Combine with condensed milk. Add lime juice. Beat all ingredients together. Pour into the 9 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool. It will serve 8.
Note: To serve you can use Cool Whip. They have it even sugar free. Or, you can make your own, which is best. Just use whipping cream (I use Lewes cream in Delaware) and whip it until peaks form. You may grate some of the lime in it while whipping and even add a little sugar, but you won’t need it.
Regarding the key lime juice. The best is the fresh one; no question. Usually at the grocery store you can get a bag filled with the small key lines. I would imagine that in Florida, you might even have a tree. If you don’t have anything fresh, then use the juice in a bottle.
I hope you like these recipes. See you later.
September 2nd, 2009
Mexican restaurants are ever so popular. They are everywhere; small eateries or good size restaurants. The ingredients are easier to find, as well. I have been wanting to go to Que Pasa in Dewey Beach and my interest was predominantly in their Cantina. Que Pasa is a full fledge restaurant, where you can eat indoors, but I wanted to be outside and get the feel of the open air bar by the bay.
Believe it or not the word Cantina comes from the Italian word wine cellar, winery or vault. In Latin canto means corner.
In the 1890’s a Cantina in the Southwest U.S. meant bar or saloon.
In Spain, it means a bar at a train station or any establishment located at or near a workplace where food and drinks are served.
In rural Mexico, it refers to a bar normally frequented only by males, but aren’t we lucky because some of those traditional restrictions on entries to Cantinas are changing. Keep in mind that in many areas it is still viewed as “scandalous” for proper ladies to be seen at a genuine Cantina.
Que Pasa’s location is on 124 Dickinson St. in Dewey Beach. Tel. is 302-226-1820. They are open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
I think that my husband and I were a little too early. You know, Dewey Beach doesn’t get hopping until later at night, but some people do eat early too. There are a lot of families in Dewey.
The Cantina is completely open with a lot of seating around the bar and high tables where you can also eat and drink. As you come down the steps to the “beach” you will be able to sit there, as well, and enjoy a beautiful sunset if you are there at that time of the evening.
As a full bar, Que Pasa, has wines, and signature drinks. They also have an extensive list of Tequilas to choose from like the Blanco or Silver, which is aged under 60 days, the Reposado, which is aged 2 months or more in oak barrels or the Anejo, which is aged in oak barrels for over a year.
We did not have anything to eat but I have been told that their tacos and the steak quesadillas are very good.
Some of the appetizers on the menu were: Spanish pickles, which are spicy pickled veggies, freshly made chips and salsa, queso fundido (cheese fondue) with wild mushrooms or chorizo served with soft tacos.
Salads are also available as well as tacos made with meats or fish, fried or grilled. Quesadillas and burritos, of course, are available too.
Some of the entrees: Grilled skirt steak, braised pork, surf and turf enchiladas and chipotle and corn spiced crabcakes.
Desserts like fried sweet plantains, chocolate cake, lemon tart and tequila raisin bread pudding looked interesting.
After being at Que Pasa?, I decided that my recipe for Pollo Borracho (Drunken Chicken) would be the dish to cook.
Here it goes and I hope you like it.
Pollo Borracho
3 tblsps. corn oil
1 large frying chicken, disjointed or your favorite pieces
1 1/2 tsps. Red “chile” powder
1/2 pound chorizo (Spanish/Mexican sausage)
1 medium oinion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup tequila – gold
2 tblsps. capers
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and brown chicken pieces in it with “chile” powder; salt lightly and transfer to a casserole dish.
Remove sausage from its casing and cook, with onions and garlic, in the same frying pan until sausage is cooked through. Sprinkle over chicken pieces.
Mix together orange juice and tequila and pour over the chicken, then sprinkle with the capers.
Cover tightly and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for and hour or until the chicken is very tender.
Serve with rice and your favorite salad or vegetable.
Serves 4 to 5 and remember always to make it your own and enjoy.
Several Notes: This recipe, originally was with chile pasilla but you can use the red chile powder and it is just as good.
Chile Powder is not to be confused with Chili Powder. “Chile powder is the ground, dried fruit of one or more varieties of chile peppers, most commonly, red pepper or cayenne pepper.”
They add quite a different flavoring to food. Don’t mix them up, because it will not be the same.
The Pasilla Chile or Poblano that it called for, originally in the recipe, is a relative of the bell pepper. It looks like an elongated green bell pepper. Not as spicy as Tabasco sauce, though. If you are buying fresh ones, then pick the darkest ones. The dried ones are black and their flavor is a mixture of raisins and bell peppers.
It seems like so much information but at least now you know that when you go to your favorite store and see all those peppers, you will, at least, be able to identify some of them.
The information for the word Cantina was taken from www.en.wikipedia.org.wiki/Cantina, the Chile powder was taken from http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Red_chile_powder, and the Pasilla Chile information was taken from http://daviswiki.org/Pasilla_Chile
August 10th, 2009
 El Dorado, Mahi Mahi, Dolphin-it means the same. This unpretentious restaurant opened its doors 3 years ago and we started going there about 2 years ago, which is when we discovered it.
I was so happy to go there the other night, early in the evening, with Matt and Michael. The restaurant was crowded and the patrons seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was really so good to see Aquiles, the owner, do well. It has been pretty much word of mouth and I guess people have been talking. He really has been working hard and his broad smile and friendly attitude are winning combinations.
El Dorado is located on 18766 John J. Williams Highway, which is also Rt. 24 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. As you make the turn into Rt. 24, by McDonalds, the strip mall, where El Dorado is, will be a little further up on the right, by the first traffic light. The telephone is 302-645-1596 in case you want to order take out. The web site is www.eldoradorehoboth.com Hours of operations are 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.
I always speak Spanish to Aquiles. Si, en este restaurante se habla Espanol e Ingles. Aquiles is from Guadalajara and has mastered the Baja California syle of preparing fish and shrimp tacos.
Besides the tacos, they have burritos made from fish or shrimp, Baja-style or grilled chicken or steak, spicy pulled pork or veggie. Then they have their specialty burritos with names like Puerto Vallarta, which is grilled shrimp and chorizo with guacamole, romaine, Chipotle Sauce and Pico de Gallo. Or, the Tampico, which is grilled crabmeat with guacamole, romaine, Chipotle Sauce and Pico de Gallo. They have quesadillas and guacamole, salads and combo meals. There is also a children’s menu available.
El Dorado serves Mexican beers and our own local Dog Fish Head. They also have homemade Margaritas as well as Sangria made with Chianti, which makes it a little dry, but not too sweet. If you don’t feel like you want to have an alcoholic beverage, then you don’t have to worry because they have plenty of soft drinks. And, if you are going that route then try the Jarritos, which are soft drinks from Mexico, made with natural, pure cane sugar. The flavors are pineapple, mandarin, grapefruit soda, mango and tamarind. Tamarind is my favorite. I love that fruit. Tart and tangy.
This is the type of restaurant that will need no planning to get to. Come as you are type of place it is. Don’t want to cook or just came from the beach or got out of the movies late or just came from work and are exhausted. Perfect place if you have young people visiting, because the restaurant is very affordable and casual.
What make the desserts special at El Dorado? Well, they are made from scratch at the restaurant and they will be hard to resist. They have the ever present flan which is a Spanish custard and the cake is called Tres Leches (3 Milks).
I hope you stop by and try it when you are visiting Lewes, Rehoboth, or Dewey Beach. It is close to all those beach towns.
I almost forgot to tell you that if you are on a gluten free diet, they will be able to prepare dishes for you. Just tell them when you are ordering and don’t order the burritos since it is a flour tortilla but any of the grilled meats or fish would be fine. And, their rice and beans are gluten free.
So……hasta luego amigos y buen provecho!!!
July 27th, 2009
Hola Amigos:
This restaurant is worth the trip to Lewes even if you live in West Ocean City, Maryland or Dover, Delaware. It is small and gets crowded fast so if you do not wish to wait then go early or late. The atmosphere is lively and casual with a good beat of Latin music on the background. You see some of the patrons enjoying the ever present Margaritas served in colorful martini glasses and at the same time moving their shoulders to the music. The waiters and bartenders are very friendly. They have a full bar so if Tequila is not your thing then you may have wine or beer.
Even though I have not tried everything on the menu, the food coming from their open kitchen looks fabulous. It is very reasonable and the portions are actually big. Their nachos can probably feed 4 people with no problem. My husband loves their ears of corn. It is presented grilled but on top it has a chipotle sauce with a crumbled “queso”. The husk is pulled back and braided. It is so delicious that it is the only thing my husband ever has and they already know it. Their chili is fantastic. Not ground beef but more like pieces of fillet and the right amount of spice. Their guacamole is also very good. They have 3 kinds and you can have a sample of each. One is shrimp and garlic, the original topped with tomatoes and onions and the other has pine nuts. The different salads are excellent too and you can top them with shrimp, fillet or chicken. All of them have that “queso” on top which resembles goat cheese. Their entrees range from stuffed chilies to fish tacos.
If you are on a gluten free diet, the chips are made of corn so you can eat your guacamole with no problem. Just make sure you mention that you are on a wheat free diet.
If you tend to finish your meal with dessert, you will not be disappointed. What better way to finish your meal than with flan? The custard is always an ever present dessert in Latin American restaurants. They also have other great desserts, it is just that flan is the one I would pick. Buen Provecho!!
Eating in Lewes, Delaware is very relaxing. And, no meters after 6:00 p.m.
Agave is located on 137 2nd St., Lewes, DE 19958 and their tel. is 302-645-1232
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