This year, Saturday nights in April were as busy in downtown Rehoboth Beach as Saturday nights in July; I love this town! It truly is a year ‘round beach town.

It was especially busy at Eden Restaurant last Saturday, while I sat at the bar and sipped a glass of Pinot Grigio waiting for friends to arrive. We’d concocted this plan to take a large group to Eden Restaurant so we could try the many interesting things on the menu; it seemed a shame to only order two entrees.

I’d never been there before and when my friends heard I was planning to write about an Eden meal, not only did they wrangle an invitation, they also managed to bring two more friends. I’m not complaining, though, as it meant I had great company and could try much more food than usual… and y’all know I love to eat!

We started with a smattering of libations. My favorite was the Clementine Crush, served in this giant water glass with tons of ice and fresh mint. The Forbidden Fruit was in a martini glass and tasted like a delicious summer treat with a pineapple base. The Mojito was also excellent and not too sweet as some Mojitos can be. If you can’t make up your mind, order the Porterhouse, which is hailed on the menu as "the best of both worlds" mixing the Mojito with Forbidden Fruit for a sweet, minty, fruity slice of sunshine.

We passed the adult beverages around and loved all of them. Just when we figured we’d better slow down on the drinking, the bread arrived.

There should have been trumpets blowing to celebrate and announce this bread. Seriously. It was fresh and soft with huge chunks of roasted garlic. The butter of the day was infused with truffle oil, honey and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper. You simply must love a place with a "house butter of the day." This bread and butter was so good, you can imagine the negotiations that took place over the last piece.

Our wonderful server, Danielle, has been an Eden manager for five years, ever since the restaurant moved to its new larger location on Baltimore Avenue. Surely, she would have brought us more bread, but we still had a lot of food coming, so, difficult as it was, we declined an additional loaf.

As the appetizers came out, I could smell them before I could see them. There was a special hearty venison dish served with pearl onions and delicious gravy. My friend Harper said the Lobster and Crab Tower was the best thing she’d ever tasted. That’s high praise from a DC "foodie." The tower has lobster and crab stacked in layers with mango, red peppers, a balsamic reduction and topped with fresh guacamole. While my food allergies wouldn’t allow me to try it, I can say it’s beautiful and had everyone raving.

There were two other appetizers, the Duck Confit and a cheese plate. My favorite, the free range duck, was served with homemade pasta and wild mushrooms in a butter parmesan sauce—rich and light at the same time. The cheese plate was definitely the best cheese plate I’ve ever had— all the cheeses were delicious and served with a huge pile of fresh berries, pecans and a truffle honey sauce into which we tried dipping everything. The cheese plate is not only a yummy appetizer, but would also make an excellent dessert.

Then Danielle brought us a unique salad: a head of romaine cut in half and briefly grilled before being served with a Caesar dressing. There is no doubt I would get that salad again. In fact, I saw a lot of those grilled Caesars being served, so I imagine it’s very popular. Scrumptious!

Chef Jamie Wilson had a couple special entrées that night, and we tried the Pork with Ravioli filled with Mascarpone and Sweet Potato. It was a glorious dance of flavors.

One of their most popular entrées is the Mac N Cheese with light bow tie pasta in a rich cheese sauce with roasted red peppers. The mild goat cheese is what makes this dish so special; it was very good.

We also ordered both the Ahi and the Filet Mignon entrées, and we ordered them rare. The Ahi melted in the mouth and was served with a spicy seaweed salad that complimented it perfectly. The Filet was amazingly tender and served with homemade gnocchi that were flavorful and light.

As we waited for our desserts, we enjoyed the "high" from all that luscious food and my friend, Deb, told a great story about meeting the boys from the band "Hanson" while in an airport recently. We laughed and realized that the space in Eden is perfectly conducive to conversation. It’s not loud, but it’s not shushed. There are cute curtains between each booth, and it feels airy and modern.

Our desserts did not disappoint. The Flourless Chocolate Torte pleased even the pastry chef at our table, and the Grand Marnier Soufflé was a sweet orange ball of creamy pleasure.

We were the last ones to leave the restaurant, and we strolled around town for a long time before finally heading home to reality. Eden is well-named since it provides a sense of bliss and delight.

Did I mention that Eden is a busy place? Well, the moral of the story is that you should call 302-227-3330 to make a reservation soon and enjoy your own fabulous Eden meal. You can peruse their menu at www.edenrestaurant.com. They serve dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays starting at 6 p.m. and are located at 23 Baltimore Avenue, just east of First Street.