LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
EATING Out |
by Jennifer Rubenstein |
A New Neighborhood Place at the Beach
When we walked into Rigby's last week after celebrating the grand opening and dedication of the new wing of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, we were already filled with a strong sense of community. We entered Rigby's and were greeted by people having fun, live music being played and warm welcomes. In fact, eating at Rigby's Bar & Grill is more like attending a friend's excellent eclectic dinner party rather than dining out at a stuffy restaurant. Their atmosphere definitely fits with their motto, "a neighborhood place at the beach." When John Black and John Glenstrup took over the space where Partner's Bistro used to be, they made a few changes to the bar, but the dining room looks completely differentdone in earth tones and with large abstract art pieces. But you don't read this column to hear about art, so let's get to the food. The menu is all new. Chef Theo Lipkins has put together an interesting menu using fresh local homemade items such as Chincoteague oysters. It changes often in order to keep up with seasonal changes. We were immediately put at ease by the cute smile and witty comments from Billy, our server. We started with the wine list which offers moderately priced bottles with a good variety. We picked the Mondavi pinot noir, and it turned out to be marvelous. Billy served us some raisin bread and butter. We then ordered appetizers: chicken wings, steamed shrimp, and a Caesar salad. The wings were humungous and seasoned with paprika butter. They were delicious. I tend to think of paprika as a fairly tasteless spice but these were very flavorful and juicy. I would definitely order them again. The Mexican peel and eat shrimp were seasoned with lime, roasted garlic and crushed red pepper. I am a big fan of red pepper, so I had to try these. They were very yummy. The Caesar salad was our favorite starter. Everyone at the table agreed that this is Caesar done right. It has crispy Romaine, croutons that are crunchy but not hard, plenty of parmesan cheese, and most importantly, a Caesar dressing that is incredibly delicious. This homemade dressing is perfectly creamy and tart. Since first trying Rigby's Caesar, I've already been back twice to have it again. It's really good. My feelings toward this salad are beginning to border on obsession. As we were eating, we chatted with our friends, Philip Brown and Mark Horne, who happened to be at the next table. They agreed about the Caesar. Phil said the Caesar was "old fashioned," which, in this case, means way better than what one usually gets these days. For our entrees, I ordered the Bolognese. My honey, Sharon, got the crab cakes, and my Aunt Linda, who was visiting from the Pacific Northwest ordered the salmon. The Bolonese was a thick meaty sauce served over a generous helping of hand-cut papperdelle. Papperdelle are wide, flat, long noodles. These were made in house and so tender that they melted in my mouth. It was a delicious dish. The crab cakes were tasty, but a little unusual. Instead of just being crab, they had some extra flavors in them. We asked what it was and were told that they are seasoned with a little sherry, chervil and Dijon mustard. I liked the added flavor and thought it complemented the crab. They were served with a side of peas and pearl onions which were delicious. The highlight of the dish, however, was the fried green tomatoes. We all loved them and suggested that they add it to the menu as an appetizer. Yum. There were many wonderful things on the menu that we did not get to try such as risotto, mac and cheese, hanger steak or roast pork. Of the three entres that we sampled, the consensus was that the salmon was the best. The salmon is grilled and served with asparagus, wild mushrooms, chervil and lemon. I would love to learn how they grill it because the outside was a super thin layer of char, but as soon as the fork breaks that thin outer layer, it's nothing but smooth, juicy salmon. It must be flash grilled or something. Anyway, the effect is quite lovely in the mouth. There is a crisp, hearty, earthy flavor followed by the rich, creamy melt of the salmon. It was wonderful. The mushrooms were meaty without being tough, but they too melted in my mouth at the same time, without being mushy. Chef Theo Lipkins doesn't take full credit for the new menu or the wonderful texture and flavor pairings, he is quick to say that the kitchen works as a team. Under the direction of John and John, the team is scoring big! It shouldn't have surprised me to learn of this community-minded attitude by the head chef, considering the collective mood of the restaurant. Visit Rigby's and sample the flavor of the neighborhood. Rigby's Bar & Grill is located at 404 Rehoboth Avenue and can be reached at 302-227-6080; they open at 3 p.m. daily with dinner starting at 5 p.m. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 19, No. 06 June 5, 2009 |