Hurricanes, moonshine and Sazerac in Fenwick
The late Matt Haley prided himself on keeping his restaurants open year-round, so when it was announced that SoDel Concepts’ eateries would be closed last Sunday to mark the celebration of his life, it was a last-minute scramble for EatingRehoboth food tours to replace Lupo di Mare and Papa Grande’s Rehoboth on the schedule. What a surprise when so many downtown restaurateurs came to our rescue to help fill the void! Just another example of the respect Matt commanded here at the beach.
In the wake of the untimely death of their boss, it’s been a challenge for SoDel Concepts’ employees to pick up the pieces and continue business as usual. After all, the dedication that Matt had for his Global Delaware Fund and other humanitarian endeavors would be lost if the restaurants didn’t continue to operate efficiently and profitably.
But the focus of the upper management guys is a whole lot more than just the day-to-day operations. Even before the event, Scott Kammerer, Jim Affeldt, Doug Ruley and Mike Dickinson were doing what they knew Matt would be doing if he were still with us: Moving forward with new ideas to keep things fresh at all eight restaurants.
So it was no surprise when Jim asked me to check out a brand-new interactive cooking class they put together at Catch 54 in Fenwick. More than just a cooking demo, the format was more up close and personal: Dishes were made from scratch and then literally handed across the table for the attendees to enjoy. We not only learned some of the chefs’ secrets, but we enjoyed a tasty meal as well.
They called out the big guns for this inaugural session, with none other than Northeast Seafood Kitchen Executive Chef Ronnie Burkle (quite possibly one of the nicest guys on the planet), Corporate Chef (and menu mastermind) Doug Ruley and Co-Director of Operations Jim Affeldt (who is also an accomplished bartender - who knew!?!). Matt would have been proud to see them rise above their personal loss to laugh, joke and teach their way through the evening. Even in the face of the mini-nor’easter trying to rage outside (it never really reached the “rage” point), bartender emeritus Affeldt kept everybody’s spirits high - in every sense of the word.
The theme of this program was Cajun/Creole cooking, so Ronnie kicked things off by making pickled okra, mixing, spicing and cooking the brine right before our very eyes. Wow it smelled good! And it tasted even better perched atop an extravagant deviled egg adorned with shaved Andouille sausage, a roasted pepper ring and Cajun seasoning. The humble egg never had it so good.
In the meantime, Affeldt concocted a drink that could not be duplicated anywhere but a Matt Haley restaurant: Peach-infused Everclear moonshine mixed with Haley’s own Black & White Soda. (Think ginger ale, but with black pepper, bay leaf and a drop of white balsamic.)
Those of you who have strolled Bourbon Street in New Orleans are certainly familiar with The Big Easy’s signature drink, the Hurricane. And Affeldt did ‘em up right with dark rum and lots of red stuff (hint: Think of a little guy in a Hawaiian shirt punching somebody…).
While we were trying to focus on the ongoing mixology, Doug Ruley was searing shrimp for his take on étouffée, served Creole-style by the addition of tomato. I suspect that the Black & White cocktail he was sipping contributed to his last-minute decision to add some of the most delicious lump crabmeat I’ve ever tasted. Leave it to him to give that Louisiana staple a Delaware twist.
The ever-loquacious OC radio personality Bulldog was also in attendance. This guy has never met a bourbon he didn’t like, and Affeldt’s Louisiana Milk Punch was the crowning touch for Bulldog’s very long day. Bourbon & milk! The breakfast of champions.
Burkle topped off the class with pecan pie. But get this: The buttery crust, pecans, chocolate chips (and of course bourbon) were deconstructed and presented vertically in a Mason jar. The towering treat was topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
A final Q&A was fueled by a Sazerac cocktail complete with Absinthe (the non-hallucinogenic variety), rye, bitters, fresh lemon rind and the obligatory sugar cube. Fortunately our class period continued well past its advertised conclusion, so we all had a chance to return to our senses before venturing out into that poor excuse for a storm.
Matt may be gone, but the thousands of people who depend on his enterprises for their livelihoods have nothing to worry about. His hand-picked management team is committed to keeping business as usual with a dash of innovation to keep things interesting.
