Rehoboth Foodie

As a professional musician for over 20 years, I could always be found in the kitchens when I wasn't on stage. My "day job" was in professional media production and technical education, but my heart (and stomach) has always been in the food business. I was a partner in a great Italian deli, a top-notch catering service (crystal, china and silver all the way), and a big supper club with Cajun and Creole specialties flyin' out of a high-tech kitchen.

I've written menus, written/edited/tested recipes for cookbooks, and penned restaurant reviews and articles for various publications. I designed, owned (and worked full-time at) my own full-service restaurant; and have been twice honored with the title of "Pitmaster" for excellence in the preparation and smoking of BBQ.

My post-graduate degree is in Microbiology, and I scored 100% on my food sanitation/Restaurant Manager's license exam in Maryland and Virginia. I'm the poster child for obsessive food sanitation. (Sometimes I'm not a very good dinner guest, and woe be it to the bartender who sneezes while making my cocktail....)

Aren't you sorry you asked? That was exhausting! Enough about me.

One of the great things about Rehoboth Beach restaurants is the competition. The change of seasons is indeed brutal for a summer resort, and only the strong survive. As a result, most places are at least OK, so you'll read a lot of positive comments if the establishment earned them. Any restaurant can have a bad night, so I never review a place unless I've eaten there several times (with as many people as I can drag with me). I'm not the least bit shy about criticism. I regularly update the reviews and ratings to keep them as current and accurate as possible.

My goal is to promote Rehoboth Beach dining while remaining honest and impartial. I don't gush unless a place deserves it, and I don't pull punches, either. I don't accept ads from restaurants, I dine anonymously and pay full price. With so many good places to eat around here, it just doesn't make sense to waste the calories -- or the money -- on anything less.

Be sure to check the "Off-Season Specials" list for winter cheap eats.

Share your opinions! Post a comment after the reviews. (The system will not publish your email address--use a pseudonym if your mother owns a place you hate.) Be civil and objective. Contact the Foodie if you'd like to see a particular spot reviewed. I'll do my best to eat there and post some thoughts. It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it.

Enjoy!

Your Designated Eater,
The Rehoboth Foodie

CODES AND ABBREVIATIONS

At the end of each article, I describe price range as Inexpensive (average entree under $12), Moderate (average entree $13-$23) or Expensive (average entree $24 and up). I add a "+" or a "-" if the prices seem to fall in-between.

Also at the end of each article, I describe if the restaurant is open for Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Dinner (D), and if they have a bar (Bar).  Many restaurants vary their hours in the winter depending on the weather and their mood. I always provide a phone number so you can call to make sure. If a place has an online menu, you can view it by clicking the menu link in the text at the end of each review. Check the "Off-Season Specials" list for cheap winter eats, and access the appropriate reviews by clicking the restaurant name in the list.