I never anticipated writing a blog about where I grew up, especially since I have no desire to ever move back there. However, that being said, I’ve grown to love certain areas of my home state. An unexpected trip home last March reaffirmed this. Also, the restaurants in all honesty are top notch.
So let’s get to it. I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, but this entire post is going to be about lower Delaware. My parents moved to Lewes, Delaware, the first town in the first state, about two years ago, and it is my favorite part of this small state.
Hands down, my favorite restaurant in Lewes: Agave. Their creative twist on Mexican food excites your taste buds and leaves you in a food coma. Start with a margarita made with agave nectar and fresh lime juice. They squeeze the lime juice into your glass right in front of you. After you have your drink, order a guacamole sampler. They have five different kinds to choose from. My personal favorites are the goat cheese & pine nut, gala apple & midnight moon cheese and roasted pumpkin seed & aged gouda. Seriously, it’s so good. My top entree recommendations are: blue cheese & steak quesadilla, mole enchilada and the garlic pepper shrimp. Don’t forget a side of corn on the cob! The only downside to this great place, is it is always busy. So expect a wait. They are doing their second expansion, so will have more room soon, but in the meantime it’s crowded pretty much every night.
One of the friendliest staff awards goes to Striper Bites. It’s also one of our favorite bars. No light pours here! The nautical theme and cute patio make this a popular choice for locals and tourists alike. On summer weekends they shuck oysters right on the patio. Grab yourself a drink and enjoy some calamari and seared tuna to start. Any seafood entree is a good choice for dinner as it’s about as fresh as you can get.
After all that food you might need some exercise. I know I do. Cape Henlopen State Park offers beaches, bike trails, historical sites, fishing, disc golf, camping (in season) and a nature center. Spend a day outside. You won’t regret it. Bonus: pets are allowed on a leash in most areas of the park, including some beach areas.
Moving slightly south we hit Rehoboth Beach. Rehoboth to this day has one of my favorite board walks. The main area has classic beach side restaurants, candy shops, ice cream parlors, arcades, a bandstand, and Funland – rides and carnival games galore. Shoot up the side streets for finer dining and brewpubs. Chesapeake & Maine is a newer restaurant to the Rehoboth scene and owned by Dogfish Head Brewery. The interior is one of the most creative beach restaurants I’ve ever seen. And their cocktail menu is a Maine attraction. ;o) Too obvious?
Continuing slightly south we hit Dewey Beach. This beach side party town guarantees a good time and although there are endless bars and restaurants I could highlight here, I’ll just focus on one: Starboard. My sister and I happened to be home for their opening weekend and had too much fun. It felt like we were in college again. And it’s not every day that you can move away from an area and get featured in a bar’s opening weekend video. Twice. Enjoy their Bloody Mary bar or grab a orange crush, Dewey’s signature cocktail. If you’re not huge on orange, you can get a crush in a variety of flavors depending on the time of the year, my personal favorite is grapefruit. This bar is huge and fun. It should definitely be on your list.
Since I did grow up in Delaware, here are a few other places I typically take guests who have never visited. Wintherthur, Dogfish Head Brewery, tax free shopping at the Christiana Mall or Tanger Outlets, Hagley Museum and Library, and Brandywine State Park. If you can time it right, Dover, Delaware is now home to Firefly Music Festival, one of the fastest growing music festivals in the country.
I’m heading back east soon and can’t wait to visit some of these awesome places. Do you have any Delaware must dos?
agirlcalledfred 