As Summer Wanes, Autumn Dining Promises More Fun

Menus and events that herald the arrival of fall are already spreaking the word. Photo by Pixabay/Pexels.

The dining scene has been so active in August that autumn promises to bring more openings, closings, fundraisers and special events.

This week, menus have expanded, new eateries opened, and a brewpub pays tribute to a beloved member of the hospitality industry.

Frank ‘The Tank’ Kaszeta

On Saturday, Aug. 26, Stitch House Brewery will hold the second FrankaPalooza to honor director of operations Frank “The Tank” Kaszeta, who died in 2021.

“He was one of my best friends,” said Dan Sheridan, who owns Stitch House. “We were together for business and nonbusiness, basically 24-7.”

Sheridan said the first FrankaPalooza raised about $6,000 for the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Delaware, which named a room for Kaszeta.

This year’s event, which starts at 7 p.m., will feature food, music by Richie D and Kris V and giveaways and a passel of raffle items, including gift cards from Tonic Seafood & Steak and a tasting menu for two from Bardea Steak.

“The amount of donations and people attending is a tribute to how unforgettable Frank was,” Sheridan said.

Dog Pirate Brewing Co.’s first offerings include chocolate porter and extra-special bitter.

Argh, time for beer and grog

Beach Time Distilling in Lewes was among the first to offer local craft spirits in the state. Now, owner Greg Christmas has jumped on the brewing bandwagon.

The addition is not surprising, considering Christmas previously was a plant engineer at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.

Christmas began selling canned cocktails featuring his spirits about six years ago. Canning beer was the next natural step.

Dog Pirate Brewing Co.’s first offerings include chocolate porter and extra-special bitter.

Bellefonte Brewing’s Old Capitol Trail location is holding the first Delaware Pizza Brawl Sept. 23.

Autumn Pizza Brawl

The sold-out Delaware Burger Battle is on Aug. 26, and yours truly will be a judge. But if you missed out on some tasty patties, tuck into pizza on the first day of fall, Sept. 23, from noon to 5 p.m., when Bellefonte Brewing’s Old Capitol Trail location is holding the Delaware Pizza Brawl.

Area restaurants will compete for bragging rights and a $1,000 order, which will go to the staff of Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware.

Ticketholders will judge the participating pizzas on taste, style, ingredients and appearance.

302 Acai, a food trailer, has opened on Route 1 in the shopping center that houses Touch of Italy.

Healthy eats near beach

302 Acai, a food trailer, has opened on Route 1 in the Rehoboth Beach-area shopping center that houses Touch of Italy.

If the face at the window looks familiar, it’s Matthew McKay, who previously owned the vacuum sales business in the same center.

The new endeavor sells bowls made with antioxidant-rich acai and pitaya.

Acai, a superfruit, is a berry from the acai palm in Amazonia. The dark purple skin gives a bowl a vibrant hue, and the flavor is a surprising cross of dark chocolate and blueberries.

Pitaya, known as dragon fruit, comes from cactuses native to Central and South America, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Offerings also include smoothies, homemade popsicles, energy drinks and protein shakes.

Wilma’s offers $55 eight-course meals with a New Orleans theme on Thursdays.

Wilma’s 8-course Thursdays

Wilma’s in downtown Wilmington now offers The Tasting Table on Thursday evenings.

Chef James Sparks prepares eight-course meals with a New Orleans theme for $55. Each menu includes a surprise course.

“We wanted to offer a new and exciting dining experience at Wilma’s and also allow guests who just can’t decide on one thing the option to try it all,” said Matt Gray, a marketing specialist with The Buccini/Pollin Group, which manages the restaurant and duckpin bowling alley.

A typical menu might include sweet-and-spicy barbecue ribs; elote (Mexican street corn); steamed mussels with chorizo and tomato in a garlicky wine sauce; alligator sausage; chicken and waffles with bourbon-spiked syrup; mixed berry cobbler on a vanilla biscuit; and the surprise course.

Reserve a seat on Resy.

Cafeneo in Newark started offering bagel and croissant breakfast sandwiches this week.

Cafeneo’s breakfast, lunch sandwiches

Cafeneo in Newark, which specializes in Greek coffee beverages, recently added bagel and croissant breakfast sandwiches this week.

Selections include egg and cheese plain or with the addition of ham, turkey sausage or bacon.

The shop has also expanded its lunch menu to include avocado spread on sourdough bread with sundried tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette; an open-faced sourdough bread sandwich with prosciutto, whipped feta spread, prosciutto, balsamic vinaigrette glaze and fresh basil; and the Mediterranean with salami, turkey, fresh melted mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and basil on ciabatta. (You can order a vegetarian version of the Mediterranean.)

First State Corn will be moving into the space formerly occupied by Preshy’s Restaurant in Rehoboth.

No pasta for you!

Judging by the Facebook groups devoted to beach dining, people either love or hate Preshy’s Restaurant in Midway.

Some consider the Italian restaurant the Rehoboth Beach version of the Soup Nazi on “Seinfeld.” For instance, one diner reported that only “red” or “white” wine was available.

A request for more parmesan was met with a firm “no” and woe to the guest who asked for a substitution.

Conversely, regular diners considered the owner a character and loved the food and its low prices.

The lengthy debates are over.

Preshy’s is leaving, and the owners behind First State Corn & More are moving in later this year.

First State Corn, which started as a food truck, expanded to Rehoboth Avenue earlier this year.

The new restaurant will be called First State Cravings.

As summer wanes, autumn dining promises more fun