STAFF WRITER MARK NARDONE DISHES ON THIS WEEK’S
BEST WINE EVENTS AND MORE
December 2012
 |
12/18/12Coming SoonNearing the eve of the next year, we’re looking forward to all things new, and there are more than a few looming on the dining scenes. It should be any day before the Café Bar at Veritas Wine opens. Housed in Veritas Wines at 321 Justison St. in Wilmington, the bar will seat more than 30 for a glass and a nosh of cheese, cured meats and olives. We’re also looking forward to The Melt Down, in the old Post House at 141 E. Main St. in Newark. The folks who brought you Peace A Pizza up the street plan to bring pure comfort via grilled sandwiches made with gourmet cheeses and artisan breads. That sounds dreamy to us. Also on Main Street in Newark, Café Olé, a European-style Spanish tapas bar brought to you by the good people at Olé Tapas on Old... Posted at 09:00 AM | Permalink |
 |
12/11/12Holy Fish!Italy claims half of your Insider’s DNA, so you should know this: the feast of seven fishes on Christmas Eve is a bigger deal than Christmas itself. This year, anyone can experience it at Union City Grille in Wilmington, starting at 4 p.m. on Dec. 4. Check the menu: UCG Clam Chowder, followed by an appetizer of (your choice) marinated shrimp cocktail in lemon-sriracha sauce, oysters baked in bourbon barbecue sauce with garlic and panko, or brie baked in phyllo with pears, roasted peppers and candied walnuts over arugula drizzled with fig balsamic. Choose a main course: boneless short rib on Gorgonzola polenta with Royal Trumpet mushrooms and oven-dried grape tomatoes, pistachio-coated lamb chops with Dijon demiglace, smoked bacon Brussels sprouts and caramelized shallot-sage... |
 |
12/04/12Fueling Up at the MallWith the holiday shopping crunch upon us, spending extended periods of time at Christiana Mall this month seems unavoidable. At some point you’ll need to eat. The food court, refurbished a couple years ago, still offers an endless supply of fried nuggets, syrupy moo shu, and standards like Auntie Anne’s, Orange Julius and Cinnabon. But there are newer and fancier digs, including California Pizza Kitchen, Cheesecake Factory and Pacuigo Gelato. In an effort to supplement its destination shopping with destination dining, property bosses General Growth Properties also lured a handful of boutique chain restaurants. Three caught the eye of DT dining critic Matt Amis awhile back: Brio Tuscan Grille, J.B. Dawson’s Restaurant & Bar, and Sixth & Pine in Nordstrom.... Posted at 11:28 AM | Permalink |
 |
11/27/12Matt Haley's Amazing SuccessA Hard-Won and Well-Deserved Success Matt Haley—white-haired, goateed and bear-shouldered—is preparing stuffed peppers. One is tempted to think a professional chef would have a far more elaborate kitchen at home, but his is surprisingly spare, equipped with nice appliances, but only the basics—including an overworked coffeemaker. The peppers, however, are anything but basic. They rest in a casserole dish on the counter, all bright yellow and orange and red and striking to look at, awaiting a sauce of pumpkin and squash that Haley is taking great pains at this moment to roast perfectly before puréeing. This is the Haley approach to cooking. His food is simple but surprising, familiar yet unique. It is the food you grew up on tweaked to suit your... Posted at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
 |
11/19/12The Canal House: Take IIWith fall tightening its chilly grip, the re-born Schaefer’s Canal House in Chesapeake City was calm. When chef Bruce Wetterau and his staff weren’t running ragged, they were able to author some terrific homespun flavors. Servers, afforded time to breathe, exuded charm. And the food—delivered hot and on time—was often delicious. Panko-breaded oysters, plump and crispy, held strong onto their texture and briny pop, even under a sprinkling of wasabi aïoli and toasted sesame cream. The dueling sauces cleverly manage to accentuate the oysters’ inherent sweetness. Chesapeake restaurants usually know their way around a blue crab, and Schaefer’s sturdy and meaty crab cakes (broiled lump, little filler) matched the panache of creamy crab dip, which... |
