Lydia Croce has salads, soups, wraps and charcuterie boards at Lydia’s Grab & Go Bistro in downtown Rehoboth.
There’s good news for Delaware diners who want more high-quality, quick-service options. Several eateries have recently opened or are preparing to open.
For instance, Lydia’s Grab & Go Bistro now serves salads, soups, wraps and charcuterie boards in The Shops at Baltimore Commons in downtown Rehoboth Beach.
Lydia Croce previously worked at Big Fish Grill and Atlantic Social in the Rehoboth area.
With items such as whipped feta, chopped vegetable and herb salads, and quinoa and arugula salads, Croce stands out from the other sandwich shops on Baltimore Avenue.
While waiting for your order, check out the cookbook shelf.
First State Charcuterie will have a grand opening July 1 and 2 in Frankford.
Speaking of meat and cheese, First State Charcuterie will hold a grand opening on July 1 and 2 for its brick-and-mortar store in Frankford.
Owner Jenna Bullock started as a delivery service in October 2020, and the fledgling business was so well received that she quit her HR job six months later.
In north Wilmington, Boro Gelato & Cafe plans to open on July 1 near Taverna and El Camino Mexican Kitchen in The Concord, the Talleyville office and residential complex.
Owner Colin Dyckman is starting with coffee, gelato and pastry, with more options on the way.
Dinner at Drip
Dinner at DripDrip Café in Hockessin is the go-to place for brunch and a good cup of coffee, but on July 19, the Lantana Square restaurant will host a five-course meal with pairings from Citadel Trading Corp, a wine importer.
Chef Dan Tagle’s menu includes strawberry-peach gazpacho, oyster tempura, burrata salad, espresso-rubbed pork tenderloin and chocolate-raspberry trifle cake.
Tickets are $90 each, and the dinner benefits SL24: Unlocke The Light Foundation in Newark, which offers resources for students struggling with depression, self-injury and suicide.
Sweet franchises
For the most part, culinary franchises concentrate on savory dishes. If there’s a dessert in the mix, it’s usually ice cream. But two new Delaware businesses are coloring outside the lines.For instance, Crumbl Cookies opened on Friday, June 23, in the Fashion Center in Christiana.
Founded in 2017, the Utah-based company offers a rotating selection of flavors, announced weekly via social media.
Specialty flavors might include cornbread, cookies and cream, s’mores, key lime pie and buttermilk pancake.
The store’s hours cater to those craving late-night sweets: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
If you need to take a dessert to a July 4 picnic, Nothing Bundt Cakes has you covered. The franchise now has a Concord Pike location selling full-size and mini cakes in fanciful flavors such as key lime, snickerdoodle and white chocolate raspberry.
Owners Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz started the company in 1997 in their Las Vegas kitchens. Today, there are 500 stores in more than 40 states.
A circus performer on a suspended ring added panache to La Vida Hospitality’s kickoff for its Celebrate Wellness initiative.
Celebrate wellness
It’s no secret that hospitality workers experience higher levels of burnout than many other professions, which can lead to substance abuse and other mental and physical conditions.
Earlier this month, La Vida Hospitality kicked off its Celebrate Wellness initiative to promote wellbeing within the hospitality group, which includes Crooked Hammock Brewery in Lewes and Middletown, Big Chill Beach Club in Bethany Beach and Taco Reho in Rehoboth and, soon, in Middletown.
Held at Big Chill Beach Club near the Indian River Inlet bridge, the party included guests dressed in orange — the color of health — a circus performer on a suspended ring and a lavish buffet including — what else? — tacos.
However, the guests also viewed a moving video featuring industry performers who’d experienced industry stress, including Josh Grapski, La Vida’s managing partner. Celebrate Wellness is a foundation, and thus far, sponsored seminars have included workshops on managing funds and creating healthy habits.
While the foundation initially provides programming for La Vida employees, it will also serve the community, and guests included Carrie Leishman from the Delaware Restaurant Association, Mike Dickinson, president of SoDel Concepts, and Hari Cameron, Delaware’s recent Food Network celebrity chef.
Hammock Light is a lager brewed for cookouts and backyard picnics.
Crooked Hammock kicks back
More from La Vida: Crooked Hammock has launched The Kickback, a loyalty program for customers who earn rewards on the app (Android or Apple) to collect points for beer, merch, and VIP access.
And, just in time for summer, the brewery has released a new beer, Hammock Light, a lager brewed for cookouts and backyard picnics.
Cheers to Wine Spectator winners
Wine Spectator recently released the names of the 2023 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recipients, and Delaware is well represented.
In alphabetical order: Bardea Food & Drink and Bardea Steak in Wilmington; Benvenuto Restaurant in Milford; Blue Moon Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach; Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar in Rehoboth and Bethany Beach; Caffe Gelato in Newark; Catch 54 near Fenwick Island; CS Brazilian Steakhouse in Newark; Eden in Rehoboth; and Lupo Italian Kitchen in Rehoboth.
Upscale Crab and Seafood is among the new food trucks serving Lewes Beach.
Sun, fun & food
Visitors to Lewes Beach (recently dubbed Savannah Beach at the end of Savannah Road) have likely noticed that more food trucks have joined B.S. BBQ in the lot across from the Dairy Queen.
Participants include Fat Vinny Cheesesteaks, Fusco’s Italian Water Ice — which also sells Nick’s Pizza — Mira’s Kitchen, Upscale Crab and Seafood, Auntie Anne’s, Cup ‘r Cone, Flipping Waffles and Tacos Emily.
Don’t-miss food festivals
Plan now if you want to attend an upcoming food festival; many tickets sell out.
That’s certainly true of the Delaware Burger Battle, scheduled for Aug. 26, starting at noon, at Rockford Tower in Rockford Park.
The 2023 event benefits the Food Bank of Delaware and the Delaware Restaurant Association’s high school education program.
Early bird tickets have flown the coop, so the $62.50 general admission will soon follow. There are lower fees for teens, designated drivers and kids.
The Southern Delaware Wine & Music Festival — SoDel Fest for short — is on Sept. 16, from noon to 3 p.m., at Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes.
Thus far, food vendors include DiFebo’s Restaurant, 14 Global Cuisine, Lefty’s Alley & Eats and Common Ground Hospitality, which owns several southern Delaware restaurants.
A large part of the appeal is sipping wines and other libations in a scenic setting, and this year’s venue is the perfect backdrop.
Tickets are $150 each. Note that many online ticket agencies add a service fee.
Small Wonder, Big Bites is an occasional column by Pam George. For more than two decades, she has been writing about Delaware’s ever-evolving dining scene. The award-winning writer is also the author of five books and the Facebook blog, “Small Wonder, Big Bites.” She divides her time between Wilmington and Lewes.
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