Email
Print
FeedSplendor in the Glass
An examination of favorite spring tonics. Plus, Cantwell’s Tavern helps an Odessa landmark return to its roots, and check out a Giant Pit Stop at Dover International Speedway.
(page 3 of 3)
Historically Tasteful
Cantwell’s Tavern helps an Odessa landmark return to its roots. Welcome to the 19th century.
The stately Brick Hotel, which rests on the corner of Main and Second streets in downtown Odessa, offered in its prime a bed and a frosty pint to merchants, sea captains and visitors to the port town. Now the 188-year-old Brick is ready for its return to glory.
The Historic Odessa Foundation, headed by Debbie Buckson, has spent months converting the property into Cantwell’s Tavern, an inviting, fireplace-laden restaurant steeped in town history.
Furnishings inside the striking Federal building will reflect an early 19th-century American tavern, and menus will harken to the region’s culinary history while featuring seasonal and locally procured produce, meat and seafood.
Cantwell’s, which opens this month, will be operated by restaurateur K.C. Kulp, the man behind the popular Whip Tavern in Unionville, Pa.
History is part of the fabric of Odessa. Residents love the programs available for kids at the Corbit-Calloway Library, the oldest library in the state, and the Corbit-Sharp House (circa 1774) is a National Historic Landmark. Cantwell’s, for its part, will feature open-hearth cooking, and a custom period bar, built to historically accurate scale. “It’ll be a nice mix,” Buckson says. “It will allow visitors to employ all their senses.”
Cantwell’s will make history for Odessa in another way. The small town, which relies heavily on museum visitors for revenue, is noticeably scant on restaurants. “Museum properties need to look for consistent revenue instead of looking for the next bus,” Buckson says. “We’ve talked about it for so long, and everybody realized how important it was. It’s a major milestone for Odessa.”
Cantwell’s Tavern will offer lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday, plus brunch and dinner on Sundays. It will also serve as exclusive caterer for events hosted at any of the Historic Houses of Odessa. —Matt Amis
