Dining out - outside!
As the spring monsoons finally subside, few things can be more celebratory than eating out - outside. After all, a leisurely nocturnal nosh is what the beach is all about, and sipping a frosty libation while ordering extra cheese on pretty much anything is always better when it’s al fresco. And there are lots of places where you can do just that - with or without the extra cheese.
My submissions for the best outdoor spots in downtown Rehoboth include Papa Grande’s treehouse deck perched above the corner of Second and Wilmington. Pork, sloppy Joe and grilled Spam tacos (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!) go perfectly with Papa’s house margarita rimmed with SoDel Concepts’ spicy jalapeno salt. Equally inviting is the rooftop lake atop Cultured Pearl. Talk about an investment! Founder and proprietor Susan Wood seats her guests under festive gazebos suspended above a 15,000 gallon lake. As you might expect, multihued sea creatures cavort below. (Sometimes I wonder what they’re thinking when they look up and see people dipping their uncooked relatives into wasabi.)
If elevated dining is good, then the Back Porch Café is great. The two-level deck is encircled in greenery, and the upper portion sports a one-of-a-kind view of rooftops and steeples that decorate Rehoboth and Baltimore avenues. No wonder Back Porch Café has been there for 42 years. Owners Keith Fitzgerald, Marilyn Spitz and their loyal crew match the breathtaking views with equally breathtaking food and service.
The oceanfront Greene Turtle takes full advantage of the Atlantic. The narrow front balcony is mostly tables for two, and that prime real estate is worth waiting for. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of those tables, you’re in for an informal evening of kicked-up bar noshes high above the never-ending Boardwalk promenade. Just a few doors to the west, the second-floor porch at Yolanda Pineda’s Mariachi punctuates the taste of her handmade pupusas with a partial view of the ocean.
Not everybody is lucky enough to have aerial dining, but street level isn’t so bad either. One of the best is Victoria’s Restaurant in the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel. On-Boardwalk dining with wrought iron appointments and experienced waitrons is in particular demand during Sea Witch weekend in October. Guests carve out reservations weeks in advance for front-row viewing of bulldogs dressed as ballerinas, Chihuahuas masquerading as pirates and disinterested cats marching (sort of) in the annual dress-your-pet parade. Just slightly south is the always-festive Sandcrab beach bar at the Atlantic Sands Hotel. There’s nothing quite like a poolside sip - or bite - right smack on the ocean. About-face to the north and there’s Obie’s by the Sea, celebrating their 36th year of sun-drenched patrons monitoring the sand and the surf.
People-watching should be an Olympic sport on Baltimore Avenue. Witness the parade of nocturnal partygoers perched at JAM Bistro’s brand-new outdoor bar, the tables in front of Eden, the huge patio at DiFebo’s, Arena’s in the Village by the Sea mall, Aqua Grill, Iguana Grill, Hobos and a(MUSE.). Café Azafrán’s patio is in the back, but it still counts - especially when owner and Paella Master Rich Steele is staging his bi-weekly in-season made-right-in-front-of-you paella fest. On Wilmington there’s Green Man, Zogg’s (you’ll love the tiki bar), and the iconic Royal Treat. Bring your game face to the sandy biergarten at the unpredictable and always fun Purple Parrot.
Lunches and dinners on Rehoboth Avenue sidewalks and porches couldn’t be more in the middle of it all. Dogfish Head, Cilantro, Grotto Pizza, Claws and Penny Lane’s Café Papillon all offer outdoor dining. Slightly off the beaten path on Lake Avenue is Stingray’s hard-fought-for deck and Ristorante Zebra’s quietly elegant porch.
Yes, Dewey Beach and Lewes both have their own special places where you can eat with no walls, but I’ve got to leave something for future columns! So don your Birkenstocks and your best seersuckers and enjoy warm (finally!), breezy evenings under the stars.
Bob Yesbek is a serial foodie and can be reached at byesbek@CapeGazette.com.
