Sifting on the front porch of Iguana Grill, sipping Margaritas, and watching the Baltimore Avenue crowd go by is a Rehoboth tradition for my household. And judging from the busy porch, bar (technically, cantina) and dining room, it's a tradition for lots and lots of folks. And with great reason.
The menu borrows the best of Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, pairs it with fresh seafood, throws in a little American beef and comes up a winner.
The minute the sun peeked out from the late March clouds we ran over to Iguana Grill and checked out our favorite fable on the porch. There we were, amid budding forsythia, sipping cocktails and trying to keep the March winds from blowing the napkins, menu and salt and pepper shakers (it was some wind) down Baltimore Avenue.
Noting our plight, Hugh come along and rolled down the plastic awning, cutting off the wind tunnel effect and still allowing us to feel like harbingers of spring.
First things first (as the menu says) we tried the Wing Thing. If the secret's in the sauce, then you'll have to ask Hugh how he does itwhile these wings looked pretty much like your regular buffalo variety, they were soooo much betterspicy without being tastelessly hot; with a flavor so unique the ranch dressing was superfluous.
Bonnie ordered the calamaria delicacy I had not, until this particular lunch, developed a taste for; I'd always felt it was like munching rubber bands. But noat Iguana Grill the fried calamari were lightly battered and very tender and tasty. All of a sudden, I was a fan. But it's the sweet and sassy saucea bright red sweet pepper jelly that made the dish. I hope I'm not giving away any state secrets here, but Iguana lore has it that the calamari originally came with another sauceand a lucky kitchen mix-up led a hapless waiter to serve the calamari with the pepper jam Hugh bought to put on his morning bagel. The rest is calamari history.
The appetizer portions were quite large, and I feared we wouldn't make it through the sandwiches... but we persevered. I had the grilled chicken filet with jerk seasonings in pitaso tender and juicy, it didn't need the offered jalapena mayo, making it a terrific low fat choice (I know, I know, I already had the fried wings and calamari, but it's nice to know I could have come to Iguana Grill and not have strayed).
Bonnie had the Chesapeake Cakethe Grill's take on crab cakes. It's really a shrimp, scallop and crab cake, with absolutely no fillertopped with a lemon cilantro caper sauce. If you're not a cilantro lover, don't let that stop youthe sauce is light and the capers really come through.
The appetizers range from $2.75 for Texas Toothpicks (Taters) to $7.75 for the very sharable Calamari or 7
layer Dip; Salad choices include Tucson Taco, ($6.25) and Caesar ($3.75) or Mixed Greens and veggies, ($3.25)...you can add chicken, tuna or beef to the Caesar or Mixed Greens ($6.25-$7.75).
The Quesadilla is another great choice, served classically ($6.75), or with the addition of Peck (Chicken and another $2) or Moo (beef and $3).
Dinner entrees range from ribs, filet mignon or pasta to catfish, grilled salmon, jerk chicken and Chesapeake Crab Cake dinner ($10.75-$14.75).
The Washington Post found the friendly Iguana Grill Cantina to be the "the beach equivalent of Cheers..."
We agree. It's great funbut the bartender is definitely brighter and it's nice not to have that annoying Sam and Diane running around. And when you say "cheers!" with one of the Iguana's Margaritas, you're bound to have a wonderful
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3/28/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.