LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
EATING Out |
by Barry Becker |
Rehoboth's Romantic Back Porch
The Back Porch Caf (59 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach) has long been one of the great dining destinations in the area, known not only for its creative dinner cuisine but for its wonderful Sunday brunches as well. The cozy restaurant offers patio seating, for those great summer nights, or you can, as we did, choose to sit on the rooftop deck. We sat under a huge tree overhanging the deck, and felt like we were in another world. Of course, the food helped transport us there, too. For our first course, options included delicious-sounding dishes such as roast quail with oyster and sage dressing; ballantine of duck fois gras with fennel and fava beans; empanada fritas with crab, corn, black beans and aged monterey jack cheese; or goat cheese truffles, among other items. I chose the salmon, wasabi and ricotta ravioli with lime cream. There were 3 huge ravioli, light and rich with salmon, on a bed of lemony heaven with kaffir leaves. I can't even begin to tell you how fabulous they were, a mouth watering blend of citrus, spice and fresh salmon. For our second starter I decided to be adventurous. I've never had sweetbreads before, and you don't often find them on menus. But here they were, so I figured it was about time to try them. They were sauted with wild mushrooms, ramps (baby leeks) and beurre noisette (little hazelnuts) and served with watercress and topped with frizzled leeks. I will admit I was a little hesitant, but the sweetbreads were wonderful, and the way they were prepared offered a wild and incredible combination of flavors and textures on the palate. The entre selections were also difficult to choose from as they all sounded equally delicious. They ranged from oven roasted halibut and pan roasted spring rabbit to grilled rack of lamb with goat cheese and miso glazed salmon. We finally settled on the grilled rosemary veal rib chop, with gorgonzola gnocchi and asparagus. Rosemary is my favorite spice, so this was just divine, a thick rib chop, tender, juicy and perfectly done, with lots of rosemary. Yum! We also had the Thai green curry duckling with butternut squash, a carrot and kaffir lime stir fry with peanuts and green beans, served with basmati rice. I love duck, and this was delicious, big pieces of tender duck and a duck leg confit, so tender it fell right off the bone by barely touching it with the fork. And the green curry wasn't too spicy, but added great flavor to the stir fry, as did the lime, all adding up to a perfect harmony of flavors and spices that would have me go back for this many times! For dessert we had a light and summery lemon tart, served with berries (a combination of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) and whipped cream, of course, which was absolutely perfect, along with the tiramisu, which came highly recommended and was also very good. The Back Porch excels on many levels, from very attentive and professional service to creative and fabulous food. Make sure it's on your list of "musts" for fine dining while you're at the beach. Enjoy! The Back Porch Caf, 59 Rehoboth Avenue, is open daily for lunch and dinner. For reservations, call 302-227-3674. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 8, June 29, 2001. |