A great week for Valentines and seafood lovers
I don’t usually get gifts for Valentine’s Day, but last week was a delectable exception. Not only was I given the opportunity to break the news about the new Matt’s Fish Camp soon to open in Lewes, but I also enjoyed a sparkling feast at Fish On and an enchanting Italian-themed wine dinner at Palate.
One of this winter’s best-kept secrets is that Back Porch Café executive chef Tim McNitt has been helping out in the kitchen at Gary and Lorraine Papp’s Palate restaurant. Gary and Tim’s collective resumes make for a dream team if there ever was one. Portovino Wine Imports lent their expertise to the Italian extravaganza, providing five different wines for the chefs to play with back there in the kitchen. And a restaurant-full of Palate fans delighted in the results.
One of my childhood memories is of my mother enjoying a rare glass of dark red, very effervescent and very sweet Lambrusco. She preferred the variety in the big jug with the finger loop at the top (no wonder I act the way I do). I always thought it tasted like Welch’s grape jelly. So I was surprised to see Lambrusco being poured into champagne flutes during Palate’s first course. But this wasn’t yo’ mamma’s fizzy wine! The Denny Bini Lambrusco from a tiny farm in central Emilia-Romagna was refreshingly light and bubbly with gentle berry flavors. It was the perfect foil for the intensely flavored first-course antipasto bar that included tiny crostini crowned with buttery dollops of duck and pork paté. Mussels, fragrant with tomato and toasted speck (think prosciutto, but smoked) also joined the party. Lambrusco. Who wooda thought!?!
The second course of Valencia orange salad with shaved fennel, radicchio and crab was washed down with a rather floral white as the primo corso of gorgonzola walnut ravioli (lounging in a savory mushroom ragout) arrived at the table. A bold Rossa Scarpa stood up to the soft earthiness of the cheese and mushrooms.
The dinner was topped off with a fork-tender slice of pork rib roast resting happily on a bed of rapini (broccoli rabe), golden raisins, pine nuts and toasted garlic cloves. A scrumptious, ruby-red Barbera was cleverly paired with this slightly sweet/garlicky dish. Thank you, Gary and Tim, for ruining me for pork chops forever. Dessert came all too quickly as pastry genius Lorraine Papp treated us to her raspberry chocolate tiramisu.
My Valentine’s Day Eve was spent at Fish On in Lewes. I am a great fan of chefs Maurice Catlett and Jen “Bowtime-Showtime” Myers. This particular dream team has evolved Fish On into one of the go-to spots in Lewes for simple dinners with a sly twist (like fried chicken steam buns and short rib stroganoff). Along with Teller Wine mavens Catherine and Kevin Hester, Maurice and Jen outdid themselves to the great pleasure of a sellout crowd.
It is a lucky oyster that ends up at Fish On (or Bluecoast, or Northeast Seafood Kitchen, or Catch 54 for that matter). Every preparation I see from these people seems to one-up the one I saw before. The Valentine’s aphrodisiac du jour consisted of raw oysters decorated with a simple, pomegranate-bright mignonette. A sparkling rosé played nicely with the beautifully plated bivalves.
The bright and acidic theme continued with a cool arugula salad adorned with tart chevre and figs. Leave it to the Fish On dream team to come up with pumpkin seed dressing. A golden Dibon Cava Brut brought a whisper of apples and pears to the dish. Course number three signaled that we were now getting down to business with grilled and curried shrimp surrounded by a warm avocado raisin slaw. The slight sweetness of Dr. Loosen Riesling against the curry made for a fun mouth party.
The crew at Fish On loves to preserve lemons. And you never know where that soft taste will turn up. Last Saturday it was folded into ground lamb kefta and then stirred into pasta shells. Charred artichokes, pignolis and olives sang backup perfectly in key with the Middle Eastern bent of the citrusy lamb. The Santa Julia Brut Rosé held its own against the aggressive tastes. If a dish could be music, that one would be a spirited bouzouki band.
On the afternoon preceding the dinner, Chef Jen Myers posted multiple Facebook photos of her deconstructed Bananas Foster. I was genuinely afraid she was going to eat it all before we got there! (Fortunately, she curbed her enthusiasm.) The sautéed bananas were plopped atop a dark chocolate cake sporting a chai whipped-cream sidekick. The Italian region of Piemonte was celebrated with Bera Brachetto. Its bubbly, cherry-colored red whispered of semi-sweet strawberry and spice.
OK, I’ve made you wait long enough: In case you didn’t see last week’s news at RehobothFoodie.com, the second Matt’s Fish Camp is slated to open in the old Lazy Susan’s/Tijuana Taxi/Donut Connection building near the Jerusalem International Market in Lewes’ Tenley Court. Do not miss the fried Ipswich clams and the bacon/clam chowder. Trust me on this.
Bob Yesbek is a serial foodie and can be reached at byesbek@CapeGazette.com.
