August 31st, 2010
Hola: Espero todos esten bien en tan bonita noche.
I started this blog a year ago in July and Agave was one of the first restaurants I reviewed. If you would like to see that post all you have to do is look under the Archives and click on the month of July, 2009 and scroll to 7/27.
I had not even planned to go out to dinner. Once in a while I do have to stay home and cook. I love cooking. But, I found myself driving north from Rehoboth Beach to the town of historic Lewes. By the way, the traffic was light, what a relief!!
Agave is located on 137 2nd St., Lewes, DE 19958. Tel. is 302-645-1232. Agave is on Facebook.
Just like the many times I have dined in this restaurant, tonight was another good one. I have not been in some time, though. Waiting for the smoke to blow as they say; not because of the peppers cooking in the restaurant, but because of the crowds.
I sat at the bar. Those colorful martini glasses were still there; an extensive selection of Tequila, as well.
For a Tuesday night at around 7:30 p.m. the restaurant was pretty crowded. Agave has opened an upstairs room which is perfect for having a drink while you wait for a table. There are no reservations taken at Agave.
The first thing that caught my attention on the menu was a soup called Crema de Cilantro (Cream of Cilantro). It was a light cream cilantro broth with “queso fresco” and roasted poblanos. Delicious and it has been a new summer addition to the menu. Perfecta y muy bien sasonada.
Agave uses a lot of “queso fresco” which is like a crumbled goat cheese.
For my entree I ordered a Caesar Salad, which had a house made dressing topped with “queso fresco” and crispy bacon, house made croutons, and topped with fillet.
I have had this salad many times and it was still very good tonight. The croutons were particularly good also. They tasted a bit like cornbread.
I noticed that it said that the Caesar Salad was invented in Tijuana. I did not know that or who Caesar was.
Caesar Cardini, an Italian born Mexican, was responsible for its development. He was living in San Diego; also worked in Tijuana avoiding the restrictions of prohibitions.
There are several stories on how or why he created the salad. He apparently added the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing “by the chef”.
The other entree ordered was Chiles en Nogada; meat stuffed poblano chiles with seasonings like cumin, cinnamon and azafran. A nut sauce was drizzled on the top and a side dish of rice and beans was included.
Poblano Pepper is a mild chile peper from the State of Puebla, Mexico. When it is dried, it is called Ancho Chile. It is one of the most popular peppers grown in Mexico.
Chiles en Nogada is a sophisticated dish most popular during the Mexican Independence festivities. It incorporates green, white and red ingredients just like the colors on the Mexican flag.
It was a very nice dinner; casual and relaxing like all dinners should be. Lewes looked so pretty, people sitting outside eating ice cream at King’s Ice Cream or just strolling. Yes, it was picture perfect.
Buenas noches….hablamos luego…..
Note: Information for this post was taken from Wikipedia.
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
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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