This was our fourth trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Due to my oldest son Joe’s new college schedule, he isn’t off during teacher’s convention, so we had to wait until Friday afternoon to leave, whereas we normally took advantage of the school closure to alight for the shore.
Being here on a weekend, it’s way more crowded than we’re used to. But still plenty nice!
I tend to plan around how we’re going to eat, so I’ll mostly discuss food:
This was Friday night’s dinner, and our third time to visit. It’s always been outstanding: it looks rustic and quaint but it’s a slick and professional dining experience. This time was good but not roundly great; the fries on the classic Shrimp Fry were of mixed quality, with limp and brown fries in the mix. Aaron and I both had the trout, and it was amazing: crispy and light, with a creamy sauce on the plate and a farro and quinoa mixture with beans, chorizo, and bacon. Rhonda and I split a pumpkin pie that had me puzzled: it was cooked down, almost cheesecake-like. I don’t go for desert, but I did this time and it was excellent.
2. Drift:
Saturday night’s adventure was Drift, a new spot for us and to Rehoboth. It looked good on Yelp and had great reviews, but I was concerned with the limited selections on the menu. Fears unfounded; Drift was exceptional. Aaron got a scallop crudo that was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. The scallops were whisked in buttermilk and a vinaigrette, and tossed with salmon roe and finger lime. I think this was my first blush with finger lime and the sensation was wholly unexpected. Rhonda and I split an apple and burrata salad; she likes to make cheese plates at home and burrata is a favorite when it’s on sale. This was like what she might make at home, but the introduction of the tender-yet-firm apples, cooked enough to be jammy but crunchy, added a level of texture and sweetness that contrasted the rich creaminess of the cheese. For dinner, Joe ordered gnocchi (he’s the pickiest eater of our tribe but has opened up a great deal in the last few years, one notable holdout remaining an affinity for chicken). Aaron had the swordfish schnitzel, which was a thin fillet of swordfish, breaded and fried like a nice Maillard of veal. I haven’t ordered swordfish since getting tired of it back in my pescatarian days, and Anthony Bourdain’s story about the giant tapeworms sealed the can on that particular fish for me. But I was all set to try that dish until I heard about the scallops from the waiter. I can’t say that they are as fresh as the crudo, as that dish featured a scallop served in its own shell, and as I described to Aaron, the creature was alive moments before they brought it to the table. I’m thinking the dinner boasted similarly fresh scallops. The wait staff ask you if medium is ok as a doneness; I wasn’t anticipating the question, and don’t know what medium is relative to a scallop, but as a person who eats sashimi scallop, there can’t be a wrong answer save for “well done,” which is a no-no as with steak. My plan was to share a bit with Rhonda, who was enticed by the filet.
A word here about filet: it’s the cut I’m least likely to buy, especially at a restaurant. I like it plenty, but don’t prefer it to other cuts. I have always made it well (not well done), though; I band it up along the midsection of the individual steak, and then grill it till it has a nice char, finishing over indirect heat. I now exclusively sous vide the filet at 128 or 129 for an hour or so and then finish on the grill.
But this dish? Superb. I will henceforth sous vide mine a bit lower, shooting for something in between rare and medium rare. The rub was salty and sweet. It was a stunning entree, and generous to boot: you expect to overpay for steak at a restaurant, and like me might be loathe to order one because you make good ones at home. But this was worth it.
I wanted to skip lunch on Saturday because of the dinner and drinks that accompany our getaways to Rehoboth Beach, but the boys would have been sorely disappointed at omitting a stop at Miyagi for ramen. It was the first place I ever had ramen (save for Nissin in college) and the best. A thin, watery Japanese beer is the thing to go with such a lunch. I had a seafood hotpot and tried to control my noodle lust. Rhonda threatens every time to get something besides ramen but then doubts herself. She regretted skipping the ramen. Aaron had chasu buns and ramen; Joe, a karage chicken appetizer and then ramen.
Other Notables
- Kilwin’s: caramel apples. Enough said. Fudge too. And bark.
- Thrasher’s Fries: rustic boardwalk fries
- Outlets: dropping a few pounds makes clothes shopping fun. I didn’t gain any weight on vacation, either; I was anxious about having to skip a couple of days on the rower but fear:unfounded.
- The car wouldn’t start in the driveway to the ferry (we always take the ferry because it’s a nice adventure and you can, you guessed it, have a drink on the boat). Now I have a battery jump pack in the trunk
- I wouldn’t buy a Mac Pro but I did enjoy seeing one in person
