The Best of Delaware 2009

From crab cakes and cheesesteaks to prime rib and clam bakes, little Delaware is packed with great places to eat and terrific places to shop. Here’s the cream of the crop.

by Matt Amis, Maria Hess, Drew Ostroski, a host of guest critics (click on page 52 to meet them) and, of course, you Published June 16, 2009 at 08:21 AM

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Food, Food, Food

All-Time Favorite Italian Place

Critics, upstate: More than 31 years has cemented Giuseppe and Anna Martuscelli’s La Casa Pasta as a legend of Italian cuisine in Delaware. The husband and wife’s passion for flavorful, homemade coastal Italian cuisine has seduced generations of diners. Who can resist marveling at marble floors and stone statues while eating the hearty sopressata, seafood cannelloni or the famous paccheri alla Giuseppe, which combines extra-wide rigatoni, monkfish, shrimp, cannelloni, Collina tomatoes and marinara sauce? (120 Four Seasons Pkwy., Newark, 738-9935)

Best Appetizers

Readers, upstate: Six Paupers (7465 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, 489-7287)
Readers, downstate: Big Fish Grill (20298 Coastal Hwy., Rehoboth Beach, 227-9007)
Critics, upstate: Poppiti enjoys Nonna Ristorante’s stuzzichini menu of small plates that is served all day. “Owner and chef Chris Peters is so creative and talented, and he’s constantly tweaking the menu,” Poppiti says. The menu offers pasta dishes such as gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream, vegetables like grilled asparagus, and seafood dishes that include crab cakes and applewood-smoked bacon shrimp. Poppiti’s favorite: scallops wrapped in bacon with a whiskey-liqueur reduction. (Del. 4 and Harmony Road, Newark, 737-9999)

Best Bagels

Readers, upstate: Fabulous Bagel Boys (4706 Limestone Road, Wilmington, 892-9303)
Readers, downstate: Surf Bagel & Deli (17382 Coastal Hwy., Lewes, 644-1822)
Critics, upstate: Bagelmania turns outright manic in the mornings, when fresh homemade bagels like the popular cheddar-dill flavor, coffee and warm bagel sandwiches fly. “They have a great selection, and it’s always fresh,” Keeler says. “And they are great supporters of the UD football program.” (416 Suburban Drive, Newark, 369-1950)
Critics, downstate: Inside the surf-themed Surf Bagel & deli (complete with boards), New York-style bagels achieve a perfectly satisfying chewy bite. “They’re hands down the best,” Livingston says. “They can give New York a run for its money. Great spreads and sandwiches, too.” Wax up your surf bagel with gourmet spreads such as lox, sun-dried tomato, and scallion. (17382 Coastal Hwy., Lewes, 644-1822)

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