Celebrate Letters’ foodie issue by dining al fresco on the boards. Join throngs of vacationers, beach food aficionados, locals who know just what’s best, and flocks of seagulls on a foray into boardwalk dining. So slide into a pair of flip flops, get ready to people watch, and let’s get eating!
Number One
Life’s uncertain—eat dessert first. There’s a zillion kinds of ice cream, frozen custard, candy, ices, cotton candy, sodas, milk shakes, and other sweets. When’s the last time you had a hot funnel cake? It’s amazing. Try to wear white clothing, though. Or you’ll be visibly speckled with confectioner’s sugar for the rest of the day. Three words of advice if you want to take your fried dough cake to the next level: Just add toppings. A s’mores inspired cake comes with the classic chocolate, marshmallows, and graham cracker toppings. Hello, sugar high!
That’s not all that’s fried next to the dunes—fried Oreos are sure to be a conversation starter. Are you a cream-filled cookie fan looking to skip the fryer? Swing by Candy Kitchen for their chocolate-covered Oreos. Simply divine.
Number Two
Carbohydrate load, even if you are not a marathoner. Although getting through the whole boardwalk on a food junket takes training. Try a jumbo soft pretzel, a homemade donut, and of course, beach fries. But be careful. If you walk with a bucket of Thrasher’s merely steps away from the storefront, the seagulls will swoop down and take your fries, and possibly your index finger and wedding ring. Outsmart them by walking away from the ocean with their prey. This strategy worked perfectly when the Letters staff conquered a bucket of fries. If you’re nervous about sharing we recommend a bucket or cup of fries per pair of hands. After one delicious fry, you’ll find greediness takes over.
And don’t forget pizza. Tomato pie with cheese abounds on the boards. It’s yummy, messy, and absolutely required for a complete boardwalk culinary tour. Enjoy a slice as you stroll along or carry the large square box somewhat awkwardly back to your car while swerving through the crowded sidewalks. Sample Grotto’s on the boards or Louie’s and Nicola’s just a few steps up Rehoboth Avenue.
Number Three
Round out your meal by adding protein to your carbs with pepperoni on that pizza. Or go with Gus & Gus’s fried chicken and crab cakes, any number of available corn dogs, burgers, or Coney Island franks, shrimp snacks, grinders, or Philly cheesesteaks. Talk about a main course.
Once your hands are full, shove some napkins in your pocket and grab a white bench. Flip the bench back for an ocean view or a bandstand view and chow down.
Number Four
There are no rules! Go and enjoy every morsel and don’t worry about the calories. The boardwalk is one mile long, so tack on a lap or two to make room for more. ▼
It’s Louie!
Lazaros “Louie” Gouvas came to Rehoboth, more than 50 years ago from Greece to work for his Uncle George who owned George’s Lunch, first on Rehoboth Avenue and then on the North Boardwalk. Gone now, George’s Lunch was one of many Rehoboth restaurants opened by Greek Americans.
George put Louie to work even though Louie didn’t know how to make pizza.
According to Louie’s son Tim, George said “Give me a week, you’ll be a pizza-making expert.”
It worked! In April 1974, after eight years at George’s, Louie started Louie’s Pizza at 11 Rehoboth Ave. While his sons, Tony and Tim, have taken over much of the day-to-day management of Louie’s, the family patriarch still comes to work every morning.
Letters captured Louie last week, biking to work, more than a half-century after he first arrived in Rehoboth.▼