It’s not often that you get to meet your idols. But during the James Beard Awards events in Chicago this past weekend, Delaware’s Matt Kern chatted with Elizabeth Faulkner, a “Top Chef” alum and “a hero of mine for probably 20 years,” said Kern, chef-owner of One Coastal in Fenwick Island. He met Michel Nischan, another hero, and Kevin Tien …
Greater Wilmington Pizza Week Continues Through June 8
Pizza is a $46.98 billion industry in the United States, and its appeal is evident in the First State. Options range from small standalone pizzerias to Rehoboth Beach-based Grotto Pizza, which has more than 20 locations. The industry receives its due on National Pizza Day, which is Nov. 12 this year. But that’s not enough time to salute Wilmington’s favorite …
Get a Glimpse of Bar Reverie’s May 29 Wine dinner
Despite the name, a wine dinner is not all about wine; the special events give chefs the chance to think outside their daily menus, which is why they’ve become so popular. Indeed, featured dishes and ingredients often stray from the restaurant concept. Consequently, it’s rare to get a glimpse, let alone a taste, of what the chef is planning. However, …
3 beach restaurants to try this summer
Memorial Day weekend may be the traditional start of the summer at the beach. but anyone who lives in coastal Sussex County knows the highways are crowded most of the year. Nevertheless, beach restaurants are gearing up for an onslaught. According to the tourism group Visit Southern Delaware, dining is the leading visitor activity along the coast, surpassing the allure …
Fusco’s Italian Water Ice opens on Kirkwood Highway
The Fusco’s Italian Water Ice stand in Wilmington’s Little Italy has long been part of Joseph Staffieri’s life. His great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles worked in the seasonal business. “As a kid, I would stop in to see whichever family member was working,” said Staffieri, who went to St. Anthony of Padua Grade School. “I have great memories. I loved it.” But it …
Robbie Jester aims to infuse new life into Kitty Knight
Robbie Jester has come home. Sort of. Raised in Galena, Maryland, the chef is partnering with Jamestown Hospitality Group, owner of Deep Blue at Kitty Knight, an inn and restaurant in Galena, to infuse new life into the old establishment. “Ironically, my dad owned Kitty Knight in the 1980s, and I was conceived there,” said Jester, a Culinary Institute of …
Dan Butler’s BlueBird brings breakfast, lunch happiness
Dan Butler is unafraid to take risks. In 1991, the Culinary Institute of America graduate opened Griglia Toscana in Trolley Square. At the time, most Italian restaurants served red “gravy” and meatballs. However, Butler offered artisanal pizza from a wood-burning oven, grilled veal and hard-to-find risotto. He wasn’t afraid to mess with success; he’s tweaked Toscana several times. It’s now Piccolina …
Dela-brity Chef Robbie Jester is back on TV
If you peruse the list of upcoming Food Network programs, you might see a familiar name on the list of “Chopped” contestants. Wearing a red chef’s coat, Robbie Jester of Pizzeria Mariana in Newark stands behind the signature basket of mystery ingredients. Jester is one of the 16 chefs competing on “Chopped Battle Italiano,” which will debut on Tuesday, May 28. Chefs Scott Conant, …
Meet Bobby Pancake, celebrating High 5 Hospitality’s 20 years
Bobby Pancake has heard it all. The CEO of Newark-based High 5 Hospitality is accustomed to people commenting on his last name, especially since High 5 operates Eggspectation, a Christiana-area restaurant famous for breakfast and brunch. How does he handle it? “I deal with it the same way Kevin Bacon deals with it,” he said. “So, I’m Bobby Pancake, and he’s Kevin Bacon. …
Delaware’s Matt Kern of One Coastal is a James Beard Finalist
When Matt Kern was growing up in the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, area, he often felt like he didn’t belong. That changed when he was 14 and started working in a restaurant kitchen. “I immediately felt comfortable,” recalled Kern, who couldn’t afford culinary school tuition. His sense of belonging has reached a new level. This morning, the James Beard Foundation released the Restaurant and …