LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Eating OUT: This Little Piggie Cried, "Yum!" |
by Barry Becker |
What better place for two little piggies to eat than the DELMARVA BBQ COMPANY (3304 Highway One between Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach). We could tell we were in for good authentic BBQ as soon as we stepped out of the car in the parking lot and the tantalizing aroma of smoked meat filled the air. Inside, the restaurant is cozy with lots of exposed wood, deep booths, and a great upstairs that has that country charm. Some walls are painted like a barn, others like brick walls, all giving a feel of comfort. And pigs! There are pigs everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them, in all sizes and functions. In fact, on the first floor, the windows serve as showcases for pigs from around the world (salt and pepper shakers, figurines, pitchers, you name it). But enough on the ambiance, let's get on to the food. Those of you accustomed to reading about how much Konrad and I can put away in one sitting will not be disappointed by our visit to Delmarva BBQ. Let's begin with the meat. All of the meat here is smoked on the premises. Sandy, our very attentive hostess, showed us the big smoker in the back, where up to 500 pounds of meat can be smoked at a time. All the meat is pulled while it is still warm. We, of course, tried just about everything. The fabulous smoked pulled pork, the tangy Carolina smoked pulled pork, and a sweet pulled pork, rich and delicious, in addition to the Carolina pulled chicken, smoked pulled chicken, pulled chicken, and smoked sliced beef. All the meats were tender and juicy and smoky, served with two kinds of sauce, if you care to add any. There is a sweet sauce on the table, and a warmed Carolina sauce served with the meal. Both were flavorful, smoky and wonderful. With this we had a sample of their western chunk chili, dense with meat and beans and just spicy enough, topped with cheese and raw onions. (On an earlier visit we had the ribs, which are absolutely divine!) We also, quite naturally, sampled every side dish possible, from the creamy cole slaw to succulent fried corn off the cob with bacon, the yummy country potato salad made with sour cream, and rich bourbon baked beans. We also tried Beryl's wild rice salad, dense with carrots and other vegetables, and served with red beet eggs and sliced beets. Yum! All the recipes were created by the owner, Dennis Flood, and are just good old home eating. But let's not forget the fried food. You couldn't be in a southern restaurant without the fried food, and here it is crunchy on the outside, perfect on the inside, as it should be. A platter of fried okra, deep fried green tomatoes, Texas toast, and fabulous corn fritters was a big hit, served with a mustard sauce and homemade tartar sauce on the side. Can one possibly eat dessert after all this? Well, one did (guess who?), and it was divine. Key West Key Lime Cake is a lemony bundt cake, served with a tart key lime icing that is light and delicious. We could also have had the chocolate bread pudding cake with mocha amaretto sauce, or the banana bread pudding cake with bourbon sauce. (I guess if we hadn't eaten so much for dinner we could have tried one of these, too.....they sounded great!) Delmarva BBQ just opened in June, and already they are establishing a great clientele. The restaurant seats nearly 100 people, so it's a great place to go have a meal (or get take out). Open year round, they have great lunch specials, and will deliver from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. ($20 minimum). This fall, they're planning great sounding specials, but the details are not complete. All we can say is make sure to check them out during the fall and winter months. You won't be disappointed. Delmarva BBQ has carved out a great new niche in the restaurant world in the Rehoboth area. With great food, reasonable prices, comfortable ambiance and attentive service, you can't go wrong here. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 13, Sept. 17, 1999 |