Off Season Specials and All That Jazz
Wow! I can’t believe summer is over, especially as I write this it’s currently 83 degrees at the beach and the sidewalks are packed due to the Sidewalk Sale, The AIDS Walk, the Buddy Walk, and Greyhound Weekend. At least the Rehoboth meters are no longer in effect and the “no turn on red” signs are gone. And just in time for the greyhounds, the beach and the boardwalk are now legally open to our four legged friends until May 1, 2012 (on leashes, of course).
Wilmington Avenue in Rehoboth continues to create and crush the restaurant trade. Romeo’s closed, Salt Air has temporarily closed, and Mallory Square Fish House was closed for um...legal issues. As of this writing, the newly created Shorebreak Lodge, Cypress, and Tuscan Grill are still going strong. When I strolled past Cypress today, I learned that pets are welcome on their patio, there’s a separate menu for vegetarians, and they are featuring a belly dancer every evening.
So we really are getting a Panera. It will be across from Starbucks and Pier 1 on Route 1 with 6000 square feet, indoor and outdoor seating, and a drive-through. They plan to break ground in the spring and hope to be open for the summer season (thanks to Brittany D for the update).
Almost all of the area’s restaurants begin to offer fabulous specials this time of year in order to entice the locals to continue to wine and dine their way around town. Two of the best ways to know who is offering what and when, are the “Off Season Specials” section on rehobothfoodie.com, and The LIST, as it’s known, which will be posted on localsonlyblog.com October 19. I don’t plan to cook again until April—just sayin’.
The first time I heard about the Outlet Liquor Wine Festival, I pooh-poohed it. Then I decided to go and… holy cow! There were 25 vintners—each offering four or five wines to taste; 20 restaurants offering samples of their delicacies, and live music It was a blast and it’s back—Saturday, October 15. Be there.
Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival runs through Sunday, October 16 and is at three venues this year including the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, the Rehoboth Beach Theatre of the Arts (Baltimore Ave) and Epworth United Methodist Church on Holland Glade Road.
Coming in November—the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. This five-day event showcases approximately 100 of the best American and international films including features, documentaries, and shorts (November 9-13).
I’m just so proud of how well the beach is doing in this economy. Tanger Outlets reports that they will soon be 100% occupied—and many downtown Rehoboth businesses are claiming that 2011 was their best year ever. Blue Moon just celebrated its 30th anniversary and Dogfish Brewery is currently the 19th largest brewer in the country. Three Delaware festivals were named among the Nation’s 100 Best Events for 2012 including the World Championship Punkin Chunkin, Nov 4-6 in Bridgeville; the Apple-Scrapple Festival (also in Bridgeville), Oct 14-15, and Rehoboth’s own Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddler’s Festival, Oct 28-30. Go Delaware!
Deb Griffin is a real estate agent living full time at the beach with her honey bunny, Greer, and a Jack Russell terror named Rosie. Email Deb Griffin