LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Eating OUT - Espuma: Where Everything is Art! |
by Barry Becker |
ESPUMA (First St. & Wilmington Ave.) is one of those rare restaurants that just walking in the door you know youre in for a special night. Kevin Reading, who also owns the Fox Point Grill in Wilmington, has transformed this space into a delicious and inviting melange of color, sound and light, that only foreshadows the food experience you are about to enjoy. I had been to the pre-opening of the restaurant a few weeks earlier for a wonderful art show by the Rehoboth Art League, so I knew a little of what to expect of the creative menu of Spanish Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Wesley Overturf just returned from the Cayman Islands and Cuba as Executive Chef of the Westin Hotel, and he has created an adventurous menu full of fabulous dishes. Its hard to imagine that this used to be The Pantry (and before that, Pierres Pantry). The restaurants walls and ceiling are now a festive blend of sponged yellow, aqua, mint, orange, blue and more, with colorful accents and bold vibrant paintings on the walls; subdued lighting and lively music complete the atmosphere. Mariel, our waitress, was a pure delight and very helpful. She first brought out Shrimp Mousse on a crunchy flat bread, with sprigs of fragrant lemon thyme and colorful swirls of beet oil, chive oil and saffron oil decorating the plate. The Mousse was light, flavorful and perfect, the thyme and oils glorious complements to it and the crunchy bread. Next came a Bear Claw, a dense bread warm from the oven, with flecks of cheese and chorizo adding amazing flavor, with 100% Spanish extra virgin olive oil on the plate to soak up. We started our meal in earnest with soup. The Yellow Tomato Whip with Fresh Basil has 25-year old balsamic vinegar drizzled on top with a slice of grilled tomato floating in the center of the huge white bowl. Its a cold soup, thick, but deceptively light, whipped to the point of evaporating in your mouth with a fabulous burst of flavor. The very light Blue Crab Consomm was a perfect light broth with huge flavorful chunks of crab meat and a wonderful Roasted Fennel Flan gracing the center of the bowl. We split one appetizer and one salad, because at the rate we were going we would never make it through dinner. We opted for the Pequillo Peppers Filled with Spiny Lobster Brandade, on Lobster Roe with Caper Buerre Blanc. This, I could live on, a warm roasted pepper stuffed with an exquisite lobster mousse, topped with lobster, and artfully decorated with the beet, chive and saffron oils, surrounded by roe and capers. Everything here is art. The food is served on hugely oversized plates and bowls, and all come with colorful swirls of oils and sprigs of edible flowers and spices. For a salad we split the Confit Tomato with Cous Cous, Spanish Goat Cheese, Sourdough Crostini, and Basil Oil Vinaigrette, a perfect salad for a warm summer night. The chilled tomato was on a huge plate drizzled with a syrupy reduction of balsamic vinegar, and the mixed greens, goat cheese and other ingredients made it a light, creative and delicious salad. For entrees, Kevin and Wesley prepared a sumptuous medley platter for us so we could sample a few dishes. The Tunisian Grilled Porgy was one of the best fish dishes I have ever had, very lightly covered in Japanese bread crumbs with cayenne and saffron to give it a reddish glow. It has a little kick to it, but does not at all overwhelm the wonderful fish, juicy and light and flavorful. The fish was served with two tasty sides, one a warm Barley and Lentil salad, the other an Apple Conserve of paper-thin sliced apples heated and spiced, which was perfect. The Butchers Steak Provencial was rare, juicy, peppery, tender to the point of evaporation, everything perfect red meat is supposed to be. Its served with a squid and Squid Demiglace and Poached Finger Potatoes. We also sampled the Sauteed Squab which was juicy, rich, tender and glorious, along with a side of thin sliced roasted root vegetables and a sweet potato chip. The dessert menu is as creative as the rest of it. There are ice creams, sorbets and sherberts, which are great after such a big meal, but of course we opted for the Fried Milk and Chocolate Today. The former is actually a square of custard and berries coated in crushed almonds and fried, served on a lemon creme sauce alongside a slice of fennel seed cake with berries and caramel sauce (like two desserts in oneis this a great restaurant or what??) Both were delicious and unique. The best, of course, was the Chocolate Today. This changes daily (thus the name), but on this evening it consisted of a one inch thick light chocolate espresso torte with about a four inch layer of white chocolate mousse on top, dusted with cocoa and accompanied with berries, chocolate drizzles, and berry sauce. The mousse was heavenly, extremely light, and the torte was rich and fabulous. What a way to end a meal! Kevin told us on the way out that this is a menu that will change frequently. Well have to head back this summer to try out some more dishes. As long as they stay this consistently fabulous and creative, Espuma will certainly be one of the top talk-of-the-town restaurants in Rehoboth this summer. During our meal, two women came in and sat behind us. They were going to have dessert and coffee. As they looked over the menu, one of them turned to the other and said, "Oh, my. Can a restaurant like this fly in Rehoboth?" I can only respond, "You betcha!" Espuma will flourish wherever people love exquisite, inventive food, courteous service, festive atmosphere, and a caring kitchen and staff. Welcome to Rehoboth, Kevin, Wesley and gang. We hope you have many successful and happy years here. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 5, May 21, 1999 |