Rehoboth Foodie

Thirty-seven years ... and counting! The Back Porch Cafe is the oldest fine-dining establishment in Rehoboth Beach. Thirty-four years ago, award-winning chef and co-owner Leo Medisch attended culinary school in New York City. While there, he lived with none other than Joyce Felton, who was putting together plans to open the Blue Moon with Victor Pisapia (one of the original owners of the Back Porch). Kind of need a program to keep track of it all. The classical French tendencies in the kitchen are hard to miss (Leo honed his skills in several high-end French joints in New York City). Grand sauces, root vegetables and delicate pastries abound, but they are also not shy about putting a little seasonal twist on traditional menu items.

Restaurants like the Back Porch Cafe can make life difficult for a restaurant reviewer. No matter how many times I visit, it's just about impossible to find anything substantial to kvetch about. How can I maintain any credibility if I can't whine about something!?! Thanks, Leo, Keith and Marilyn.

UPDATE! Over the last few months, it hasn't gone unnoticed that I awarded one of the highest food ratings to Back Porch Cafe. I don't take that lightly, and I'm always on the lookout to make sure things stay the way they were. I've been back several times since then, and each meal has been wonderful. On our most recent visit, I started with the Grilled Shrimp Sausage with Parsnip Marmelade and a Chick Pea Fritter. The sausage was brightly spiced, but not so much that you couldn't taste the shrimp. The little silver-dollar sized bean cake was caramelized on the outside and moist on the inside. The marmelade was the perfect foil for the maritime edge of the shrimp.

Other starters included the Brown Sugar/Tea Smoked Duck Breast over Sesame Noodles. A polite drizzle of Sriracha added a spicy exclamation mark. It was an amazing portion for $14 and could have served as a light entree. The skin was tight and crispy, with the tannic bite of the tea playing well with the moist duck.

Mains included the Seared Rabbit Loin with Roasted Red Pepper Paprikash (a Hungarian stew based on a roux of paprika). The portion looked like a chicken quarter and was perfectly done. I had the Chili Cocoa Rubber Pork Filet. The tender loin section was seared on the outside, delightfully medium on the inside, sliced and nested atop a buttery mound of Sweet Potato Puree, accompanied by Black Bean Adobo. I can't believe I'm saying this: It was perfect.

The Oven Roasted Guinea Hen rested ever so happily on a bed of Pancetta and Butternut Pudding. I expected a smaller bird, but it was nicely sized and amazingly meaty. The Grilled King Salmon was flanked by Green Lentils and drizzled with a fig vinegar (!) and Mint Pesto. Note that Back Porch cooks with the freshest seasonal ingredients, so the menu will change. Use these descriptions as guidelines, 'cause you never know what these people are going to come up with next.

The place was packed, and our service was polite, friendly and seamless. One or two other high-ticket places around here should take notice!

We now return you to our program already in progress:

Our party of 4 started with the Crab Ravioli. The huge (at least 3" square) pillows of pasta are filled with crabmeat with Sea Beans (naturally salty, succulent little plants that grow in the ocean). All of this floats in a Lemon Vin Blanc (a creamy white wine sauce containing what tasted like fish or crab veloute). The Bocconcini appetizer consisted of cool white mozzarella balls (a combination of cow and water buffalo milk) on a bed of artichoke and arugula with a mild pistachio vinaigrette. The parade of appetizers continued with the Calamari Manicotti. The manicotti "shell" was actually the body of the little squid (minus the scary tentacles), stuffed to a generous plumpness with a mix of guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon made from pork cheeks), pine nuts and fresh peas. The happy cephalopods were enrobed in a not-at-all imposing basil marinara. In an interesting twist on the old-fashioned cucumber and onions, crispy Bob Russell cucumbers (home farmers Bob & Barbara Russell supply high-quality veggies & herbs to the Back Porch) were sliced into half-moons, sprinkled with fresh mint and drizzled with a nutty tahini vinaigrette. Last and certainly not least, the Grilled Porcini Mushroom was accompanied by chevre-infused gnocchi with sage in a creamy blueberry brown-butter. Every appetizer we've had so far at the Back Porch has been, in a word, delicious.

My most recent main course was the Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin. The gently salty Italian ham is wrapped around slightly pink in-the-center pork. I was able to cut it with the side of a fork, and the prosciutto remained intact so every bite included a taste of both meats. A disc of Polenta, infused with Fontina (a sharp Italian hard cheese), along with a colorful mix of morels, still-crispy leeks and bright cubes of carrot topped it all off. On another visit I had the Domestic Lamb. The roughly Frenched chops were surrounded by an aromatic ragout of shank meat and vegetables. One of the kickers of that dish was a sea of deep-red linguini made with beet root and poppyseed. The Fresh Ricotta, Eggplant and Chanterelle Mushroom Lasagne entree was finished with that light basil Marinara that I suspect also graced the calamari. The crusty, fresh bread at the table (very much like a brick-oven French-style Pain au Levan) was the perfect tool for sopping up any remaining traces of that Marinara. Waste not, want not, I always say....

A Magret Duck Breast ("magret" meaning a lean portion of duck) was grilled with red coconut and curry. Two surprises on this plate: #1, the deliciously crispy and acidic Bok Choy. #2, a baseball-sized portion of (wait for it...) Green Tea Tapioca. How does Chef Leo come up with this stuff? The cool tannic bent of the tea played very nicely with the starchy softness of the tapioca pearls. All this was surrounded by a little lake of Pear Miso Broth. This was a party in your mouth if there ever was one.

I generally comment on service only if it is sub-standard. But I have to mention the team of servers who waited on us on a few of our visits. Plates quietly disappear when they were empty, clean silverware mysteriously appears when needed, and last night our primary server even made a point of not intruding during what she (correctly) assumed was a somewhat intense conversation. There are still some establishments around here that offer this level of care, but they are few and far between. It's so refreshing, and something I was beginning to believe did not exist outside of Manhattan or the 5-star Celebrity Chef eateries in Las Vegas.

If the weather is not too hot, I suggest you sit in the (actual) back porch area...maybe even on the elevated "loft" [pictured] if you're lucky enough to get a table there. The view of the neighboring roofs (and even a church steeple) is engaging and decidedly Parisian. One of my favorite Foodies, former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl, wrote, "When restaurants hold up their end of the bargain, they give us the illusion of being surrounded by servants intent on ensuring our happiness, and offering extraordinary food." My experience so far suggests that Chef Medisch, his business partner Keith Fitzgerald and the staff at Back Porch Cafe certainly work hard to "hold up their end of the bargain."

Back Porch Cafe is at 59 Rehoboth Avenue, on the north side, in the middle of the ocean block. Reservations are a must (302) 227-3674. They are also one of the few fine-dining joints to be open for lunch. They are closed off-season. Click here to see a sample menu. (L., D., Bar) Price Range: Expensive +.

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