Blue Hen opens for business in Rehoboth Beach
The creators of Henlopen City Oyster House have opened the doors at Blue Hen, offering all the ambiance of Henlopen City Oyster House but with a menu focusing mainly on land-based foods.
Co-owner Chris Bisaha said of the menu, “Heavier on meats. We have a big cheese program here. Some more small plates, hors d’oeuvres type size. We’re in a hotel - we figure people can get in and out and have a snack at the bar.”
Other meats include thinly sliced hams, duck and steak. Chef Bill Clifton said Blue Hen is using locally sourced meats raised free-range.
“Just trying to use better animals. No steroids; they’re raised the right way. They eat what pigs should eat, they eat what cows should eat,” he said.
Clifton said of the cheese menu, “We use all-American artisanal cheeses. I just wanted to highlight what American cheese makers are doing. There was a big boom with beer, and I think those kinds of things are happening all around America with charcuteries and cheeses. They’re producing world-class stuff.”
The challenge for Bisaha, co-owner Baker and Clifton was to give a similar ambiance as Henlopen City Oyster House with a different style of menu. Blue Hen offers a more open space, about 100 seats - similar to Oyster House - and with a soon-to-be completed outdoor area with a fire pit.
“The dining room is more spacious, which is good because over there it can get a little cramped. It came out very well with the aisleways and space,” Bisaha said. “Our challenge is to keep up with quality food and service.”
“Just taking little things that we had done over there and do them on a bigger scale,” Clifton said.
Like the Oyster House, Blue Hen will have a rotating craft beer list, with six draft taps. Bisaha said the bottled beer list will change with the menu about four times a year. He said Blue Hen also has two wine taps and a Nitro cold coffee machine that will also be used for cocktails.
The restaurant did a soft opening March 9 and Bisaha said reaction has been positive so far.
“We didn’t put anything on Facebook or Instagram. We just wanted to move slow and let the kitchen get accustomed to everything,” he said.
As for whether he’s nervous about opening a second restaurant, Bisaha said, “I think there’s always nervousness when you get open. You want to obviously be successful. With the success we’ve had down there, people come up here and expect the same thing. People come in, it should be right.”
Blue Hen, 33 Wilmington Ave. at the Avenue Inn, is open for dinner only, starting at 5 p.m., although Bisaha said down the road, the restaurant could start offering weekend brunch and light fare, although that’s not likely to begin this year. For more information, call 278-7842.
