You should see the 1997 Blue Moon. Freshly painted and upholstered, with an adventurous new menu, the Blue Moon, in its 17th season in Rehoboth, is better than ever. And ever was pretty wonderful, so you can imagine the new version.
Chef Marla Sierzega has kept the best of the Blue Moon's famous recipes (don't panic, the rack of lamb is as perfect as you remember) and given them - and some new creations - a contemporary accent. The freshest produce and vegetables are artfully combined with unique sauces, grains and seasonings to compliment innovative main dishes - and they all qualify for that most rare designation: food as genuine art.
Marla is fond of saying, "This isn't that difficult, you can make it at home!" Don't you dare believe it! This chef has a flair for combining remarkable tastes with great looking presentation - and her well-run kitchen can do just about anything you ask.
So, about our evening...
Evenings, actually. We cheated a little on this review and had a preview of Marlas new menu before making our official Camp visit. On Valentine's weekend we'd taken a party of ten to the Moon - and everyone absolutely raved. We also raved about the long wine list, which offers fine selections to complement any taste and budget. Unfortunately, our group got loose with the wine list and at a certain point in the evening I realized I could make all the notes I wanted about the food, but deciphering them later might be impossible. Hence, the visit a week later...
The first thing we noticed was the bright new wall colors and the art from Gabby's collection - plus new tropical pink and green cushions on the booths - not only did they look grand, but they stay put when you get up. Much appreciated.
Steve waited on us, helping to make the evening a treat. His style, like that of all the Blue Moon waitstaff, is simple: be warm and friendly, offering suggestions and interacting with patrons where appropriate, but maintaining a thoroughly professional attitude. In so many good restaurants the staff chooses to be either coldly professional or overly intrusive. At Blue Moon the tightrope is always traveled with finesse.
We sampled tastes of four appetizers - the light, lovely Baked Polenta and Eggplant Tower with Tomato chevre sauce, truly remarkable Lobster Sushi atop Asian salad, Baked Oysters with Ham, mushrooms and shallots (memories of days on the Chesapeake!), and my personal favorite Oriental Duck Roulade with Apple Chutney and Red Current. Priced $7-8.50, the appetizers are superstars on their own, and I wouldn't rule out combining two and a salad for the perfect meal. It took vigilance just to sample...
Outstanding salads included the mixed greens with black olives, pine nuts and Red wine and Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette and the traditional (only more so) Caesar, all in the $6-6.75 range.
Ah, the Mains.
Bonnie, unable to make a choice, sampled the Mixed Grill of Beef (char-broiled), Lamb (delicately seasoned) and (spicy HOT) Shrimp, complemented by powerful sauces, thoughtfully served separately - New Mexico barbecue sauce, peppered polenta diamonds and sauteed veggies in a sage-garlic oil. She proclaimed each taste better than the last.
I went for the astonishingly non-fatty Tamari-glazed duck (I'm in a duck phase, I guess) in plum sauce, accompanied by a unique bean and wild rice pancake and warm curried kale. Bonnie had a taste and noted "If the kale I refused to eat as a child on my grandparents farm had tasted this good I would never have lost my allowance."
As noted earlier; Rack of Lamb may just be the Moon's signature entree - and although we didn't sample it this trip out, the oven-roasted lamb with mint carmelized onion sauce is a great choice for a first visit.
The Sunday night atmosphere was subdued but by no means too quiet, with lovely music and nicely adjusted lighting.
Dessert seemed impossible, but our darned work ethic made us persevere. Having shared more than one Moon Pie the week before (great as ever - mighty layers of ice cream topped with baked meringue plus chocolate and strawberry sauces, with the addition of fresh fruit garnish for '97) we tried the White Chocolate Mousse with passion fruit sauce and Streudel that outdoes N.Y.'s Lindy's by a city block.
While lapping up dessert I asked Bonnie to pass me a Sweet and Low for the coffee and she just laughed in my face.
With entree prices ranging from $18 - $26, Blue Moon matches tariffs with the best of them - and is very well worth the price. And, for a modest plate charge, sharing is always an option, as is making a meal from the fabulous appetizers, soups or salads. There are many, many ways to enjoy the Blue Moon experience more than once in a blue moon and we recommend them all.
One footnote (literally): A week after our Sunday night sampling, I looked up from the dashboard of my treadmill at the gym to find Marla huffing and puffing alongside me. "Well, I'm glad to see you here, "I said to her. 'After all, you're one of the reasons I'm here." We smiled and just kept on walking...
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3/28/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.