Rehoboth Foodie

It's hard to imagine anything at 50 Wilmington Ave. other than the overpriced (and a bit too impressed with itself) Celsius restaurant. But that's ancient history: The new kid on the block is now Henlopen City Oyster House. Experienced Rehoboth restaurateurs Chris Bisaha and Joe Baker have created a bright, friendly atmosphere, and they say that 75% of their ingredients are procured from local farmers and purveyors. (I've been asked not to elaborate on their previous culinary escapades here in Rehoboth, but suffice it to say that you've probably been to at least one of their former eateries.)

First things first: It's definitely noisy in there when it's busy. The typical noise of a room full of people is amplified by the nature of the space. This is the one biggest complaint I receive about this place. Chris and Joe: You've got a good thing goin' there. Why not put a little acoustic treatment on the ceiling and walls to make it even better! If you wish, you can contact me and I'll tell you how.

On one of our recent visits we started with the Oysters Rockefeller. Crispy bacon, spinach and a dash of Pernod (an anisette-like liqueur) played nicely with the plump bivalves. I ordered the Oyster Stew. Though it was generously endowed with oysters, the broth was thin (almost watery) and very mild. I prefer oyster stew a bit more aggressively spiced, with a little more onion in a broth at least thick enough to keep all of the ingredients from immediately falling to the bottom of the bowl. The fried Calamari had a surprising twist: diced pickles! Scary as that may sound, it really worked. The dish was crispy and..."pickley" (in a good way). I do have one gripe, however. The Calamari should have either been drained a bit longer after leaving the fryer, or served on something absorbent like a paper towel or a napkin. Why have an unattractive pool of grease underneath such a tasty dish?

One contender for "star of the show" is the Fried Oysters. We had them as an appetizer, over top of a crunchy, vinegary slaw. The other contender is the fried shrimp. One of my trusted Foodettes (we'll call him "Jack") had the Shrimp Po'Boy sandwich with brightly spiced cabbage, pickled onions and tomatoes. "Fried" should not mean "greasy" (if it's done properly), and neither the shrimp nor the oysters were greasy in the least. On a separate visit, one of our party ordered the Beet & Crab Salad with crunchy sunflower seeds and Ewe's Blue (an American artisanal blue cheese made with sheep's milk). He pronounced it "really good" (he's not very creative when unprepared).

One of the stars of the entree menu is the Alaskan Silverbrite Salmon. The fish was delicately seared (without drying it out), surrounded by crunchy bok choy and sugarsnaps, then coated in an ever-so-slightly-sweet soy ginger glaze. The Jumbo Soft Shell Crabs were firm and crunchy on a bed of veggies including grilled asparagus. OK, I'm a sucker for a New England Lobster Roll. It's a common misconception here in Rehoboth Beach that lobster salad in a sub roll (and not the proper "New England" style buttered and grilled split-top roll) is, in fact, an official "New England Lobster Roll." Well, it's not. But that being said, I still order it. The lobster salad at Henlopen City Oyster House is loaded with lobster meat, has just enough "wetness" to hold it together, and is mildly spiced so you can taste the sweetness of the delectible arachnid. I will continue to whine about everybody's faux-"Lobster Rolls" around here until somebody gets the bread right. In the meantime, I will continue to order them. So there.

Another member of our party ordered the Blackened Rockfish. As a certified (and trusted) Foodette, she likes to complain--but the only sound we could hear from her quadrant of the table was chewing and the occasional giggle. Pieces of crusty, flakey fish surround a polenta "cake" made with blue corn. I sent her to the little girls' room to get me a rating for this review, and then I snuck a taste. It was buttery and nutty and the rough-cut blue corn made for a great mouth-feel. They should make a main course out of that polenta. On another visit, the quintessential comfort food was the Lobster Mac & Cheese. They use gouda and parmesan over shells (The Foodie thought he was the only one who did that), with a dash of cognac. Scallions and buttery breadcrumbs crown this dish.

The bathrooms got an extra .5 on the ratings because each is equipped with a Dyson Air Blade hand dryer. Far from being those annoying hot air things that take forever, this machine qualifies as a 5-Ticket Ride at Disney World. The Foodie's first encounter with these jet-engine hand dryers was in the lobby restrooms at the Sheraton Towers/Convention Center in midtown Manhattan. Now they're now popping up all over the place. Not impressed? Try it after a couple of martinis....

Henlopen City Oyster House is on Wilmington Ave. near Second St., next to Salt Air. On the "bar" side of the restaurant there's a little built-in raw bar featuring a long list of oysters from all over the place, including Hog Island, VA, Prince Edward Island in Canada, and Wellfleet, Massachusetts. The "dining" side of the facility is rather stark with white walls and high ceilings. The tables are close together, and it's a bit crowded, but it is a busy fish house, and it is the beach, so chill out, smile, and rub elbows with the tourons. Not sure about their off-season plans, so be sure to call as the summer wanes (302) 260-9193. In the meantime, they are open at 4:30 for dinner 7 days, and plan to start lunches in the fall. (L. (see previous), D., Bar). Price range: Expensive -.