August is the time when I refuse to loosen my grip on summer. School bells aren’t ringing quite yet, tomatoes and corn are still overflowing at produce stands, and I stick by a vow not to drink any pumpkin beers or lattes until October.
This summer, I’ve heard and answered the call of some of the great restaurants along Southern Delaware’s culinary coast, but I also popped around to places in New Castle County for very good eats.
Here are some restaurants I’ve visited and mentioned recently in our weekly Delaware Eats newsletter. Not getting the newsletter on Wednesdays? You’re missing out on exclusive local dining and other food-related content. Sign up here.
101 Coastal Hwy, Fenwick Island, onecoastal.com
Earlier this month, I stayed in Fenwick Island (one of the state’s much-more laid back beach towns which I really need to go to more often) and went to see The Mavericks at the fabulous Freeman Arts Pavilion in nearby Selbyville.
I highly, highly, highly recommend going to see a concert at this gorg outdoor venue right off Delaware Route 54. It was a beautiful night with an almost full moon and the band had people on their feet and dancing. I’ve seen The Mavericks several times (did you go to their super-fun Christmas concert several years ago at The Grand in Wilmington?) and they never fail to pump up the crowd.
While in Fenwick, a pal and I finally dined at Matt Kern’s One Coastal Restaurant. Kern was the former executive chef at Heirloom in Lewes and during his stint there, he earned two James Beard semi-finalist nominations as Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Put One Coastal on your dining list. Kern is easily one of the state’s most talented chefs. One Coastal is his dinner-only restaurant just off Delaware Route 1. The atmosphere is very casual, but the food is of fine-dining quality.
We started with the cucumber-lime martinis, not-too-boozy or sweet but thoroughly refreshing cocktails that made for a very nice way to begin a meal.
We also got the housemade rolls, which resembled Parker House rolls and were served with creamy peach-infused butter. The fresh and sweet (but not-too-sweet) beet and blueberry salad came with pickled shallots, fried pecan crumble and whipped mascarpone. It was dressed with a blackberry vinaigrette.
Portions are large and we only ate half (and brought home the rest) of the excellent, medium-rare, dry-aged flank steak served with creamed kale and a crispy potato latke, I couldn’t do dessert (the 96-degree temps outside tamped down my appetite a bit). But I’ll be back. I’m already thinking about ordering the New Jersey scallops and corn or the spice-crusted Ocean City tuna.
Here’s the menu. Reservations are highly recommended.
3697 Bay Road, Milford, medingsseafood.com
For me, now through the end of summer is all about crabs, crabs, crabs.
Everyone (who likes shellfish) has their own favorite crab house. On the way back from the beach recently, a pal and I planned a trip to Sambo’s Tavern in Leipsic, which is now celebrating 70 years in business. (Holy smokes!)
But, well, we got too hungry as we neared Kent County. So, we pulled into Meding’s Seafood in Milford. It’s the place with the big propeller which has an awesome history tied to the Apollo 13 mission. For real! Read more here.
We sat on the screened, but open-air, porch, cracked steamed crabs ($60 a dozen), and ate hot salty French fries, a bowl of excellent and crunchy cole slaw and sipped homemade iced tea. (No beer for the responsible driver.)
Now, to me, that’s a perfect summer day.
Miller Road Station, 3101 Miller Road Wilmington; lapizzeriametro.com
I’ve had pizza on the brain lately, the world’s most perfect handheld food.
I think some of the best (if not the best) wood-fired pies in the state can be found at La Pizzeria Metro. It’s the same owners as Cafe Riviera who have run their business at the Concord Mall since 1981, in case you don’t know.
I love this place. The pizza crust is the perfect combination of chewy and crispy.
My dining buddies and I split the 12-inch round Margherita pizza ($12) and then went with one of the pizzas named for nearby neighborhoods.
I recommend the Cool Spring/Tilton Park ($17) pie made with Kennett Square mushrooms, caramelized onions, fontina cheese, mozzarella and basil cream sauce. We also got the garlic knots ($6) and three of us split the Metro house salad, ($9).
La Pizzeria Metro is open every day but Monday.
3701 Lancaster Pike, Wilmington; febysfishery.com
Monday is lobster night at Feby’s Fishery which has long been a family favorite. You get 1⅟₄ pound whole Maine lobster and two sides for $29. The price has been creeping up in recent years (I remember when it was $19.99), but this is still a good deal. It’s offered from 3 to 9 p.m.
This special also is offered on Wednesdays from 3 to 8:30 p.m.
Harry’s Savoy Grill has a Tuesday Lobster Night for $41.95, It includes a 1.5-pound whole Maine lobster served with corn on the cob and garlic new potatoes. It’s every Tuesday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
107 Savannah Road, Lewes; striperbites.com
OK, so did I do some eating at this well-known Lewes restaurant? Not exactly. But some pals and I did belly up to the bar during an overcast day to sample some tasty adult beverages. They have a happy hour special daily at the bar from 4 to 6 p.m.
The “rocktails” menu has a concoction known as the Social Butterfly, $12, a blend of Butterfly Cannon Blue Tequila (it gives the drink a lavender hue), simple syrup and lime. Striper Bites has such a convivial atmosphere and some top-notch bartenders. Give it a try if you haven’t already.
108 Second St., Lewes; lewesoyster.com
Friends and family in June checked out the Lewes Oyster House on Second Street in Lewes. Some may remember it as the site of the former Jerry’s Seafood (home of the “crab bomb.”)
I had been there several months ago and highly recommend the lobster roll. On this visit, we grabbed seats at the bar on another overcast afternoon and had cocktails and snacks.
Get the Mure Margarita. The $16 cocktail is a blend of reposado tequila, grand Marnier, blackberry liqueur, lime, agave nectar and pepper tincture. (If you don’t want heat, skip the pepper.)
We got a bunch of snacks including the boardwalk fries with lobster and corn, fries with truffle and Parmesan, fresh ceviche and the smoked fish dip.
And, of course, you can’t go wrong with the restaurant’s selection of fresh oysters.
Contact Patricia Talorico at ptalorico@delawareonline.com and follow her on Twitter @pattytalorico Sign-up for her Delaware Eats newsletter.
