Rehoboth Foodie

Abbott's Grill is Kevin Reading's most recent restaurant venture, having created and then moved on from Espuma and Nage in Rehoboth. Chef Reading enjoys creating a concept and bringing it into reality. Abbott's replaces the old "Smith & Company" steakhouse in a shopping center on Front Street mostly offering various state/country services. After visiting Abbott's Grill several times, I have to admit that I was surprised at the consistent quality of the food and the service. In fact, during our second visit, Kevin himself was bussing tables, seating customers and running food, apparently filling-in for a missing hostess. Welcome to the world of the restaurant owner. We were impressed.

That being said, it's still all about the food, especially after driving 15-20 minutes north to Milford. One of the stars of the appetizer show is the Apple-Scrapple Flatbread [pictured, right]. (FYI, "flatbread" is fru-fru code for "teeny little pizza.") If you're a fan of scrapple, then this is the dish for you. Bite-size chunks are cooked very well done (a must with scrapple) and share the top of the rectangular crust with cubes of sweet apple, squash and caramelized onion. A creamy cheddar blankets it all. It's cut into four little slices, so you have four opportunities to say, "Stay away from this or I'll stab you with my fork."

We also ordered the Pear & Arugula Salad [pictured, left] with walnuts, plump, dark currants and chewy brie croutons. A sherry vinaigrette tops it off, and is mild enough to allow the taste of the ingredients to shine through. One of my newest Foodettes ordered the Onion/Fennel Soup, and I quote: "Everything is amazingly balanced. No one taste hammers away at you." Top it off with a plump pillow of creamy white cheddar.

On our last visit, I had the Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Grits and Chipotle Butter [pictured, right]. At the risk of stirring up the Chronic Complainers (you know who you are), it was delicious. So often shrimp can get overcooked and rubbery when you're trying to crisp-up the bacon, but this was not the case here. The salty bite of  bacon encloses three nice-sized shrimp, and the whole thing is nestled on a bed of smooth, not-too-buttery grits with a warm, chipotle edge. There's only one place in Rehoboth that might have better Shrimp & Grits, but it could very well be a tie. I'll get back to you on that.

Other sides and appetizers included the Warm Vegetable Salad sprinkled with goat cheese (it even had a cute little corn cob in there) [pictured, left], and the Oyster Caesar Salad [pictured right]. I judge a place by how crispy and light their fried oysters are (frying fresh oysters is an art), and these were good, though the crust might have suffered a bit from sitting in the dressing (maybe put the oysters on top, where they can't absorb the liquid). The Caesar dressing politely refrained from masking the taste of the cubes of Tasso, chunks of avocado, fried capers and crispy croutons redolent of Tabasco. Last but not least, we had the Baked Potato Soup. I always associate this sort of dish with drywall paste, but Abbott's is delightfully light (had to be the sour cream), with the potato flavor kicked up with crispy bits of bacon.

They have other goodies on the appetizer/sides menu that we haven't tried yet. I am thoroughly intrigued by the Fried Green Tomatoes, Pumpkin Gnocchi (Critic's Choice Award winner, best pasta dish, Best of Delaware, thank you very much) and the Beer-Braised Mussels. Go. Try them. Then post your thoughts below. Of course I might beat you to it.

It's hard to believe that after all these appetizers we still had room for dinner. But that's what being a Foodie is all about (in fact, it's a major part of the State Licensing Exam). On our first visit, I had the Lobster Pot Pie [pictured, left]. The puff-pastry crust was perfectly crispy and golden brown, however I would have liked to have seen more lobster. For the $22 tariff there should have been more than the 3 or so tiny pieces in there. I would also have liked it if they backed-off just a bit on the terragon. Though pungent with the spice, the creamy filling had a great, non-grainy texture and was filled with cubes of root veggies and peas. One of the stars of the entree show is certainly the Lobster Mac & Cheese. Interestingly, they were not at all stingy with the lobster in this dish. Delightfully al dente orecchiette pasta gently cups one of the creamiest, non-floury cheese sauces I have ever had. Peas and mushrooms add color and freshness. In the words of my new Foodie friend, the flavors were perfectly balanced, with no single taste standing out.

On a more recent visit, I had the Bronco Steak Sandwich [pictured, right] slathered with Goat Cheese Boursin, mushrooms, garlic mayo and crunchy onions (I suspect the onions might be the ones from the can, but I like them, so never mind). It's all piled on a ciabatta roll that has been pressed (or grilled) panini-style. The combination of tastes was good, and the beef tenderloin was lean and cooked perfectly medium. The fries were tasty, if not a bit flaccid, even for steak fries.

The chicken and dumplings [pictured left] bear some mention. The menu warns that these are "Not yo' mamma's" (or something like that) and they are right. A golden brown chicken quarter perches atop a bed of cherry tomatoes, peas, small, stemmed whole carrots (a cultivar variant of the regular carrot) and pearl onions. The dumplings are actually herbed gnocchi. The whole thing is slightly submerged in a dark and savory sauce, actually more of a gravy. It was quite delicious and disappeared from the plate in record time.

On our last visit one of our party had the Blueberry Lemonade, a mixture of blueberry vodka and house-made lemonade. Little berries float about and she loved it. I can never get past the 60-Minute IPA on tap.

UPDATE: My first official lunch at Abbott's included their BBQ Beef Brisket sandwich with a side salad. Melted cheese and a dark, savory sauce worked perfectly with a fresh soft roll (thank you, Ryan!). I posted a photo (below, right) for your drooling enjoyment.

Now back to our program already in progress:

Abbott's Grill celebrated their first year anniversary in December 2010 and appears to be thriving. On our last visit, we plopped ourselves in the bar and had the pleasure of being served by Nancy Saxon. In addition to her great demeanor and wicked sense of humor she also holds the distinction of being the aunt of the uber-creative Hari Cameron, Chef du Cuisine at Rehoboth's Nage restaurant.

Abbott's Grill features a Sunday brunch buffet, a special pub menu, various events and entertainment, a fun-looking outside deck with a huge fireplace, and lunch from 11:30 to 2:30 every day but Sunday. Apparently the chef, Ryan Cunningham, moves things on and off the menu with the seasons, so be sure to call 302-491-6736 to find out what's going on.

Driving north, take the first Milford exit, crossing over Rt. 1 going west. After the scary metal bridge over the Mispillion River, turn left onto Rt. 14. Look for the shopping center on your right. Abbott's is toward the right in the corner. Call for hours, specials or whatever, call (302) 491-6736. Click here to see their menus. (L., D., Bar) Price range: Moderate.