Georgetown’s stately courthouse honored with a brand-new taste
Mention the words Kirby & Holloway, and most people think of the family restaurant in Dover known for delicious meats and tasty breakfasts. Around 1942, John Holloway and Russell T. Kirby of Milford built two businesses that were to become Delaware institutions: the restaurant in Dover and the meat-processing plant in Harrington. The very first restaurant was at Loockerman Street and Route 13 and had fewer than 30 seats.
In 1953, the landmark eatery was moved a few blocks north, where it remained until an unfortunate fire in October 2014. Locals remember the ‘50s incarnation of the restaurant as the quintessential drive-in where airmen from Dover Air Force Base flocked to enjoy the pretty servers on roller skates and the home-style comfort food. After it changed hands once or twice, Jim Gray of Dover bought it in 1982 and continued to serve up milkshakes, meatloaf, hearty breakfasts, freshly cut pork chops and burgers until last year’s calamity.
Though the ownership of the Harrington meat-processing plant and the restaurant has since diverged, both businesses retained the Kirby & Holloway name, with the scrapple and sausage still sourced from the meat-processing facility. Russell passed away at age 96, but Kirby & Holloway Provision Company, under the direction of his son, Russell “Rudy” Kirby II, continues to provide Rudy’s grandma’s delicious scrapple to loyal Delaware fans. A popular variation on the original recipes is available under the names Milton Sausage and Milton Scrapple. I’ve received numerous emails about this brand, which enjoys a fiercely devoted following all its own.
In an effort to expand their product line and further identify Kirby & Holloway meats with Delaware, Russell II and his sales/PR guru Jack Jefferson teamed up with Chad Campbell, Brett McCrea and former head of marketing Claus Hagelman of Georgetown’s 16 Mile Brewery. Scrapple and beer just seem to go together, so they spiked the secret recipe with 16 Mile’s Old Court Ale, bringing a whisper of citrus and caramel to grandma’s signature breakfast treat. After the standard arm-wrestling match with the powers-that-be (it took several months just to approve the label - standard procedure when introducing a new food product), Courthouse Scrapple was rolled out at a gala event last Saturday at the brewery on South Bedford Street in Georgetown. Though I had the pleasure of tasting the product several months ago (see the pain I go through for my readers?), I didn’t want to miss the official debut of this new all-Delaware delight.
In a word, the place was packed. 16 Mile’s brand-new marketing guru Sarah Dickinson handed out tastes of 16 Mile’s latest one-offs and seasonal brews while Captain Blue’s Grass Band picked their way through beer-sippin’ tunes. The beer and the music both played nicely with the scrapple and brat sandwiches flyin’ out of Kirby & Holloway’s rolling kitchen. Probably one of the most unusual one-offs was the Old Court with onion and romano cheese.
My apprehension turned into delight after the first taste. Imagine the umami-laden hint of sharp cheese and sautéed onions with softly sweet caramel. My second favorite was the Killer Tiller one-off, made especially for chileheads! Peppers boss Chip Hearn would love this one, and it’s definitely not for the squeamish. I had two.
Part of doing whatever it is I do is to wade through sanctimonious emails from those who like to hear themselves proselytize about all manner of foods. Sadly, scrapple is one of those foods, and you’d be amazed at the ridiculous things people believe about this sometimes misunderstood breakfast meat. Yes, it is made with the less visually attractive parts of the pig (by the way, the next time your favorite fine-dining menu touts guanciale, remember that it is basically face. Savory, tender and delicious face, but face nonetheless). At the risk of bursting a few holier-than-thou bubbles, quality outfits like Kirby & Holloway process their scrapple under the same strict sanitary conditions as their pork chops, sausages and hams. Courthouse Scrapple hits the stores this week, so give it a try.
