LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Business Beat |
by Barry Becker |
Each year around this time, as vacationers begin arriving for a summer of sun and sand, reporters from The Big City (pick one) whisk through town in a day and write hasty articles about Rehoboth with snappy titles such as What Rehoboth Is Really Like, or Where To Eat at the Beach. One recent reporter from Baltimore wrote what is arguably the silliest story yet. She stayed in a B & B miles from town which she discussed at great length, never mentioning any of the fabulous ones that dot our town, all of which are worthy of full page reviews, then offered that there is no haute cuisine in Rehoboth, just casual cheap beach eats! Poor dear! So, even though I am in deep denial that the summer season has once again arrived, I do want to provide a more accurate, albeit brief, glimpse of Rehoboth as a Public Service to our avid readers and vacationers. Of course, throughout the summer you simply must check this column for more details of Things You Should Not Miss. Once off the congested highway, youll find that downtown Rehoboth is a wonderful seaside town with unique shops, personal services and restaurants. If you leave here unfulfilled, the only person you have to blame is the face you see in the mirror. And speaking of mirrors, what better place to begin our quick tour of Rehoboth than with ABIZAKS: Cool Contemporary Stuff (208 Rehoboth Avenue). John and Pam Sadler have created what is arguably the coolest furniture and accessories store in all of Delaware. Need a new mirror? Lamp? Overstuffed chair? Coffee table? Bath accessories? Table fountain? Dining room set? The listis endless, and you wont find stuff like this anywhere else. Great furniture for every room of the house, over-the-top-accessories with an accent on fun, just about everything you need to be cool, and all from cool contemporary people! If its clothes youre after, a stop at SGT. PEPPER (139 Rehoboth Avenue) is a must. I was so glad to run into Barbara here the other day, back from her winter respite at last, and of course its always a pleasure to see Jack. I LOVE this shop....you just cant go wrong with such unique clothes and shoes, and at such great prices! At 58 Baltimore Avenue, Im thrilled to see Bill Sievert and John Theis at their new SPLASH location. As usual, theyve outdone themselves with sleek fun casual and beach wear and accessories. You can find their gorgeous home furnishings shop in Lewes (102 Second St.). L. A. CONNECTION (127 Rehoboth Avenue) also has amazing summer wear for women and men, as well as home furnishings that youll find you cant live without. EVERY WEAR (36 Baltimore Avenue) is a fun destination for summer/casual/beach wear, too, and for a wide selection of more tailored clothing for men and women, check out CARLTONS (31 Rehoboth Avenue). At EARTHLY WONDERS (Mariners Square, between Rehoboth and Baltimore Avenues) you can find fabulous soaps, jewelry, gifts from around the world, exclusive cards, and even great new cookie and muffin mixes. OUT WEAR GEAR (111 Rehoboth Avenue) offers an extensive line of rainbow wear and accessories, LAMBDA RISING (39 Baltimore Avenue) stocks nearly 3,000 gay and lesbian books as well as CDs, videos, cards, and gifts, and "READING MATTERS" (205 Rehoboth Avenue) has a fantastic selection of new and used books and periodicals that are great for beach reading. If its jewels youre after, youd have to drive pretty far to find collections of jewelry as stunning as those at ELEGANT SLUMMING (33 Baltimore Avenue ) or RIO MINING (17 N. First St). For more on great shopping ideas, check the map on the center spread of Letters. Where Should I Eat? Baltimore reporters aside, there are yummy restaurants in town in all price ranges and to suit every taste. Our Restaurant Reviewer, Fay Jacobs, is in France for an extended period of time celebrating a Significant Birthday (I will not divulge how significant, but you can figure it must be pretty big if she flew half way around the world to party). I had intended, quite naturally, to fill in for her and review lots of restaurants while she was away. But then I had a vision of Fay eating her way across France...why, shes probably ordering another butter-soaked croissant for breakfast as youre reading this, planning her next sauce-laden meal with a different wine with every course as she sallies through Provence. Then theres the cheese tray, followed by champagne and a cream covered chocolate pate for dessert, followed by a sweet dessert wine. Happy birthday, Fay! The way I see it, Fay will get off the plane in a mumu and not go near a restaurant until at least October. So, on to YUM YUM and A TASTE OF HEAVEN and more for me! I did get to the BEACH HOUSE (316 Rehoboth Avenue) while she was gone, one of the newest additions to Rehoboths life. It opened at Easter, and is already lining up to be one of the summer hot spots. The site of the former Potpouri, the Beach House offers casual dining in the front of the restaurant, and a more formal atmosphere in the rear where the walls have been sponged a beautiful purple. This is a place for great inexpensive to mid-price eating, with selections that will suit every palate and every generation. Theres Your Moms Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans ($7.95!), Cajun Salmon with horseradish mashed potatoes, Jumbo Lump Crabcakes, Prince Edward Island mussels, and more. I LOVE trout, so I tired the corn meal crusted rainbow version with dots of fabulous goat cheese over asparagus and rice which was wonderful! Theres also a great bar to hang out at, and entertainment is planned throughout the summer. On Memorial Day weekend, Christine Havrilla will perform on Saturday and Sunday. Red Letter Day is already lined up for several gigs this summer, and there will be live music on Wednesday nights. Watch for more details on piano nights during the week as well. Theres dancing on weekends after the dining hour winds down, but the kitchen will stay open for late night fare. I know where Im stopping on the way home from the midnight shift! The Beach House is a great place where everyone will have a good time, so go and enjoy! There are many other fine places to eat in the area, and well cover many of them as the summer progresses. Recently, two German tourists who were in town for a week asked me for some restaurant recommendations. Each day they reported back to me... FUSION was, as I told them, superb, and on their last day they came and said they saved CHEZ LA MER for last, and they voted it the best restaurant on their whole vacation. There are just too many incredible restaurants in town to even begin mentioning right now, but the guide on the map is a good place to start. Have a great weekend, and remember to be nice to everyone. Ill try, too! |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 5, May 22, 1998. |