Top Chef reality check

Life after "Top Chef" doesn't automatically mean a great restaurant gig. A story in The New York Observer says Season 1's Big Flavor Dave Martin - "I'm not your bitch, bitch" - and Season 2's Hunk-a-burnin' Love Sam Talbot are still looking for dream kitchen jobs.

Reader mail

QUESTION: Hi Patricia. I wanted to see if you knew what happened to a few restaurants that used to be around: Air Transport Command in New Castle; Saints and Sinners in Bear (I think); and the Front Porch had a fire at one point. Thanks! Stephanie

ANSWER: Air Transport Command restaurant, a part of the New Castle County landscape for more than 20 years, closed its doors on March 29, 2006, according to a handwritten sign on the door.

When the aviation-themed eatery near the New Castle Airport on U.S. 13 opened in 1984, themed restaurants were big business. The restaurant was named for the military's Air Transport Command, which had a support group at the former New Castle Air Base. Because some of the first women aviators to fly transport planes flew out of New Castle, the restaurant was dedicated to them. Flying heroes of World War II were commemorated at the restaurant where customers could pick up a set of headphones and listen to the ground-to-air instructions at the nearby control tower. Airplane parts were mounted on walls, jeeps and cannons were in the front and a taped history of the war played in restrooms. The eatery is owned by Specialty Restaurants Corp. of Long Beach, Calif., which operates several aviation eateries with both World War I and World War II motifs. Future plans for the site are unknown.

- Not sure what happened to Saints & Sinners at Summit North Marina (off Red Lion Road/Del. 71). But maybe you can get an idea of what the restaurant was like from Eric Ruth’s Nov. 2006 review of the eatery where he gave it a 1/2 star rating (poor to fair.) Ruth found “a distinct shortage of "authentic" New Orleans attitude. His take: "Only a worthwhile destination when diners steer clear of the poorly executed New Orleans-style dishes and stick with such traditional fare as fried shrimp and steak. The gorgeous canal-side setting makes up for the half-hearted attempt at Bourbon Street ambience, though any hope of relaxation is unsettled by over-eager rock bands.”

- An early morning blaze in Dec. 2003 destroyed the Front Porch, a popular Penny Hill-area bar and restaurant. “It looked like something out of a horror movie,” one witness told The News Journal after the fire.

Express doesn't always mean fast

A friend and I stopped at Kabab Express, 3621 Kirkwood Highway; 995-2233. It's inside Spice World, an Indian grocer, across from Panera Bread. We got the boti kabab ($6.49 for chicken; $7.49 for lamb). Calling this place an "express" is about as accurate as calling Paris Hilton a religion scholar. (C'mon now: How did Larry King keep a straight face when the heirhead claimed that she read the bible in jail?)

Only two people were in the kitchen and the guy behind the counter told us "Go sit down" while we waited for our meal. It wasn't a super long wait, but it certainly wasn't fast. The chunks of chicken and lamb weren't served on skewers - so much for kebabs. And the accompanying onions and green pepper were raw. (I was expecting them to be grilled.) But I enjoyed the spicy lamb (chicken was good, but a tad dry), the homemade coriander chutney and the hot and freshly made naan is worth a stop back. Bottom line: I'd go here again. Just not when I'm in a hurry.

"Top Chef" recap

"We're in serious need of wow," said Queer Eye Ted after a parade of bland re-worked comfort food crossed the judge's table on last night's episode of "Top Chef."

Yep, that kind of summed up this episode. No one is really standing out for me so far this season.
- Let's start with guest judge Alfred Portale. The King of Tall Food is short. Who knew? I like Portale's Gotham Bar & Grill in New York. Last time I was there, we sat at the bar next to some woman who is a regular on "Law & Order."

- Portale has a Philly connection. He used to be the consulting chef at the Striped Bass.

- But isn't it kind of cheesy that guest judges give their cookbooks out as prizes? Please. Check those egos at the door.

- Loved the look on Hung's face when Portale criticized his too-big crouton. (Get your mind out of the gutter. It's not a euphemism, he really was talking about a crouton!)

- I hate tuna noodle casserole and C.J.'s "big green blob version" hasn't changed my mind. Wonder why he didn't use seared tuna instead of that overcooked or canned version?

- Howie is the comeback kid. His version of "pork chops and applesauce" - OK, everyone channel Peter Brady - looked really good.

- Brian gets immunity and then serves lobster, a dish high in cholesterol. This after the challenge was about cutting out cholesterol. His response: "A little cholesterol" is OK. Isn't that like telling someone with a peanut allergy that a dab of peanut butter won't kill you? Just saying.

- Glad Micah was 86-ed, especially after the xenophobic remark about "Americans like their ketchup." Oh yeah, and we're all hamburgers eaters who eat apple pie every day too.

- Why didn't the producers show Portale saying "yuck" after eating Micah's meatloaf? Now, that's must see TV.

- Kudos to Dale for making instant mashers taste good. Now, if he just wore long pants and did something with his hair....

- Underdone lentils don't add texture, Lia, they just taste like underdone lentils.

Where restaurants go wrong ...

If you ask me, the biggest problem with Delaware restaurants today is lack of consistency -- one night, service and food can be fine, only to turn sour on the next visit. This presents an especially prickly problem for food critics, especially when diners visit a restaurant based on our recommendations, only to be disappointed because the chef has been replaced, the staffing levels are short, or the place is mobbed (sometimes because of the review itself).

A new survey makes an interesting observation on the ways restaurants go wrong, discovering that diners' main beef is with service, specifically rude wait-people. The “Ouch Point” study by Opinion Research Corporation found that a quarter of respondents had problems with rude service, followed closely by frustration with hosts and maître d’s who underestimate the waiting time for a table (20 percent). On a positive note, relatively few of those polled (12 percent) had problems with "ill-prepared" food; 10 percent said "cold food" is their greatest dining-out dissatisfaction.

Of course, it also depends on who is being dissatisfied. Diners in the 18-24 year old age bracket were more likely (55 percent) to perceive rude wait staff as a problem, compared with 32 percent of respondents over age 65. Better-off diners were more likely to have problems with rudeness, and also more likely to confront hosts who underestimate waiting times.

Softshell success

A News Journal reader asked where to find good softshell crabs. We recommended Feby's Fishery. Here was the response today:

Patricia,
Thanks for the recommendation. We went last night and the softshells were great! - Mitch.

Woo-hoo! Thanks, Mitch. We aim to please.

Reader mail

Finally got some answers on these queries from last week. Got a dining question? You ask, we answer.


QUESTION: Hi. It's that time of year, again, and I was wondering where to go for soft shelled crabs within a half hour drive of Wilmington. Atmosphere is not an issue, just soft shells correctly prepared with not too much oil or breading. Thanks.

ANSWER: Try Feby's Fishery, 3701 Lancaster Pike(Del. Route 48), Wilmington; 998-9501. I called the restaurant and the person I spoke with said Feby's just got a shipment of soft-shells in. (There's a seafood market attached to the restaurant.) Feby's usually deep-fries or sautes softshells - but the kitchen will prepare the dish anyway you'd like.

QUESTION: Hi, Patricia! I am fairly new to the area and also fairly new to your newspapers, but I really enjoyed the question/answer samplings in the paper today. It inspired me to write to you, as I've been frustrating myself trying to find a great romantic restaurant to take my husband to for his birthday on June 30th. We're partial to steaks and Italian food for nice evenings out (we're both rather picky eaters in our own way and these have been our compromises. I don't eat seafood at all, so that's out!). We've been to Moro several times and LOVED it. I'm hoping to zero in on the Newark or Wilmington areas as we have to drop off/pick up our son at a party and only have a four hour time span with which to eat. Looking forward to
hearing your suggestions. Thanks! Elizabeth, Landenberg, Pa.

ANSWER: Hi Elizabeth. Normally, I'd hand this question over to Eric Ruth, our fine-dining critic. But he's out of the office. (Is everyone but me on vacation?) Not sure of your price point. But here are few suggestions. OK, when it comes to steaks in the Wilmington area, there's always Walter's Steakhouse on Union Street in the Little Italy neighborhood. It's an old-fashioned style steakhouse, some may say too old-fashioned, but definitely an old school steak joint. Sullivan's Restaurant is a chain eatery on Concord Pike, but some beef lovers swear by it. When it comes to Italian, Eric Ruth recently reviewed the new Pomodoro Italian restaurant on Union Street (across from Walter's.) Some people love the tiny and quirky Pastabilities restaurant (on Lincoln Street in Little Italy,) while others aren't fans of the small space. (You walk through the kitchen where owner Luigi Vitrone is cooking.) If you like Moro, you'll probably also like Restaurant 821 on Market Street in downtown Wilmington.

Dining out pet peeves

News Journal reader Joan Kovach gave me a call the other day.
The Pike Creek resident wanted to share one of her biggest dining-out pet peeves: Being addressed by the server as "you guys."
Kovach says she and her friend John frequently dine out. It doesn't seem to matter if they're at a fine-dining establishment or a casual eatery. The server almost always says "How are you guys?"
"We usually look at each other and smirk," Kovach says.
"Why can't they just say 'How are you this evening?'"
Good question. According to the Urban Dictionary, calling a group "you guys" may be proof of America's sexist bias. Or, more likely, it's an attempt to be friendly and casual.
It doesn't bother me so much - I know I've used "you guys" before. I much prefer it then getting "madam'ed" or when a pushy server does the hard sell on a pricey wine or brings entrees when I'm still eating an appetizer.
What are your dining out pet peeves?

Barbecue without the fire

Can you call barbecue barbecue if you don't use a grill?

I dunno, but I've got to share this easy, oven-baked New Orleans style peel and eat barbecue shrimp recipe that my pal Stephanie once made. (It was so outrageously delicious, she gave me the recipe. I think she got it from Southern Living magazine.) I brought it to a dinner party Saturday night and it was a big hit. I tweaked it just a bit. Pass crusty French bread and dunk it in the sauce. It's damn good!

New Orleans style barbecue shrimp
4 pounds unpeeled, large fresh raw shrimp (I only used 3 pounds but we had other dishes)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Heinz 57 sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 lemons, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (I didn't have any in my spice cabinet so I used a mix of ground cumin, chile powder and smoked paprika)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, but it seemed like too much to me and 1/2 teaspoon was fine for our tastebuds)
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
French bread
Put shrimp in a large, plastic, freezer style bag with a zip closing. Set aside.
Combine butter and all ingredients - except French bread - in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts. Let cool slightly. Pour mixture into the bag with the shrimp. Zip seal bag closed. Place the bag in a bowl in the refrigerator. Chill 2 hours, turning bag every 30 minutes.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes in a large pan; turning once with a spatula after 10 minutes. Serve with crusty slices of bread. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Reader mail

Happy, rainy Monday.

Still working on some reader mail from last week. In the meantime, in response to my query about fajita stand on Pa. Route 41, a reader said:

There is a stand on route 41 in Toughkennamon - 41 and Newark road. I have never been there but there is always a line.

OK, I'm checking it out this weekend.

And here's a letter from a happy diner (John, I have been to Cafe Palermo and wrote about it in a Dish column. I recall the food was much better (very good, in fact) than the decor; it looks like a pizzeria from the outside and the dining room seemed in the middle of a remodeling during my visits, but that was about a year ago.)

Dear Patricia,
If you haven't been to Cafe Palermo on Miller Road 3 shops down from Home Depot...GO!!!!
I had dinner there tonight and it was one of if not the most delicious meals I've had since I was in Tuscany last Thanksgiving. It's owned by Maria(forgot her last name,sorry) formerly of Cafe Riviera (Concord Mall) and is easily as good if not significantly better. Their pizza is better than Riviera and their dinners are better than their pizza! I went in intending to get a chicken cheesesteak w/the works but I got peering at the specials board and decided I had to try the Taste of Italy. Turn on your imagination now... shrimp, fettucini, rainbow tortellini, gnocchi(I grew up on these, rest in peace Grandmom), portobella ravioli, lobster ravioli, and ricotta pesto ravioli in a garlic parmesan almost Alfredo sauce...addictively good. Brava Maria!!! Speaking of addictively good, their garlic parmesan breadsticks are heaven! Baked with olive oil that tastes like it was just pressed. I dared to have dessert (I rarely have sweets after a wonderful dinner but tonig ht I couldn't say no). Cheesecake, homemade cannolis, mmm but I had to try the Tira Misu. Delicately spongy, subtlely sweet, drippingly delicious. Easily as good as I had in Tuscany. Double expresso with lemon. Happy belly, happier taste buds, sleepytime (you know how that goes!)! $27 on Mastercard. Most prices are under $17 for dinner and $10 for lunch. If you haven't been, GO! If you have, GO AGAIN!!! Tell Eric Ruth, tell everyone! Plus the atmosphere and decor is like an intimate italian villa. I hope to see you there. Ciao!
John Neal

Reader mail

First, if you're interested in Phily dining, check out my story today on a few new restaurants worth visiting.
Friday is Q&A day and the mailbag is overflowing. Someone asked sent me a query about softshell crabs and there was another letter about romantic dining spots that aren't yet posted. Hang on- I'm working on those answers, and a few others, and will try to post today or Monday. Here's what's on your minds so far:





QUESTION: Hello. Your reply to Mary Kumar on a choice of an Indian restaurant in Wednesday’s News Journal was surprising. We have eaten at all the area Indian places, including the one on Kirkwood Highway that you recommended and we keep coming back to India Palace on Maryland Avenue. We have eaten there for over 10 years and the quality is unwavering, the service is excellent, they have a backroom for parties. They may not have the atmosphere that the Kirkwood place does, but we found the prices to be quite reasonable.So, if the one you are recommending is the one next to Blockbuster we were very disappointed in it from the service to the prices (overpriced) and the lackluster food….they should try it out before they do a big party to see if it is to their taste. The only thing it had going for it was the atmosphere and the big windows but that doesn’t make up for inferior food!If I have the wrong one I am sorry, but I believe the India Palace is the best one around.Thanks, Kathleen


ANSWER: Thanks Kathleen. It's good to get feedback. I haven't been to the Maryland Avenue restaurant in years. I will give it a try. But I must say I haven't had the same experiences you had at Palace of Asia on Kirkwood Highway. My last visit was about a month ago and maybe things have changed since then.


QUESTION: Was just curious what happened to Cafe Bellissimo? I really enjoyed the restaurant. Will they reopen somewhere?


ANSWER: Cafe Bellissimo is gone for good. Business was already sagging when Paul Owens and his wife Maribel bought the Italian restaurant at 3421 Kirkwood Highway in 2002. They sold bought the 8,000-square-foot restaurant and it's now Palace of Asia. According to a News Journal story from Aug. 2006, Lora Johnson, chairwoman of Delaware Tech's new entrepreneurship program, was a former co-owner of Cafe Bellissimo restaurants on Kirkwood Highway in Prices Corner and in Springfield, Pa. She now co-owns Roux 3, a Mediterranean restaurant in Newtown Square, Pa.


QUESTION: Hello, The News Journal ran news of a new restaurant to open in Kennett run by the former owner of Django. Could you possibly direct me to a resource for that restaurant? Thanks very much. Betsy West


ANSWER: Hi Betsy. Aimee Olexy and Bryan Sikora are now running Talula’s Table, 102 W. State St., Kennett Square, Pa.; (610) 444-8255. The couple used to run Philadelphia’s outstanding Django restaurant but stepped away from city living and the around the clock hours of the restaurant industry after their daughter Annalee was born. Now, they run Talula’s Table in Kennett Square, a take-out gourmet shop -not a restaurant. (Great selection of cheeses!) However, in the middle of the store is a large, wooden table that seats 8 to 10 people. The couple book the table out for private parties - and guests bring their own wine. Bryan makes an 8-course meal and the cost is $85 per person. Keep an eye out for an upcoming Sunday story on Aimee and Bryan in July. I'll let readers know when it's running.

QUESTION: My son went to Joe's today on Kirkwood Highway - they are closed. Will they find another location? Miss that fried mac and cheese. Sharon


ANSWER: This question came up back in March 15. (See archives or click on Reader Mail label below.) But here's the answer again: According to Joe's owner Pat Nilon. "Customers loved it, there was just not enough of them. " Check out Nilson's other eatery Cromwell's Tavern in Greenville. Pat said he wasn't sure if he was going to make the fried mac and cheese at Cromwell's, but you could always ask on your next visit.


QUESTION: We've never been bothered by noise at Harry's Seafood Grill, perhaps because we were in the dining room. The noisiest places we/ve encountered are Il Gelato, Iron Hill - Wilmington, and Deep Blue. Never again.
Suzanne & Peter Franck


ANSWER: Just goes to show that everyone's dining experience is different.

Fishing and chatting with Dave

Had a really interesting and fun conversation with chef Dave Pasternack. Dave mans the helm at New York City's famed seafood restaurant Esca. Known as the "fish whisperer" in the industry, he has an unbelievable knowledge of fish and a new cookbook "The Young Man & the Sea" (Artisan, $45.)

I want to cook everything from this book, especially the rigatoni with tuna Bolognese, the fennel and blood orange salad with shrimp and the Sicilian style swordfish. (Look for my story on Dave and some fish recipes on Wednesday, June 27, in the Life section.)

Top Chef recap

OK - let me say this off the bat about "Top Chef:" Why is the hair so weird this season? I glad Sandee was a goner because her ugly fauxhawk was really getting on my nerves. That last said - glad to see that Norman Van Aken, the godfather of South Florida cuisine, was a guest judge last night. He's a real chef's chef and busted chops BIG TIME in the quick fire challenge. If you're going to be a judge, judge. Don't dance around the fact that the food isn't up to snuff. Van Aken did just that to this viewer's delight. Glad I didn't have to eat Micah's scary avocado-citrus pudding, ah, uh, soup.

JUST AN FYI: Van Aken's cookbook "New World Kitchen: Latin American and Caribbean Cuisine" (Ecco, 2003) was featured in a News Journal Cookbook Club article. Our reader reviewer gave a big thumbs-up to his simple, elegant recipes. It makes for some great summer reading and cooking.

Some random Top Chef thoughts:
- Why didn't Sara N. know that scotch bonnet peppers are the hottest peppers in the world? Geez, Louise, I know that and I'm not a trained chef.
- I actually thought Brian's seafood sausage sounded pretty good. I've had this before and, done right, it can be quite tasty.
- I'm not going to be eating at Howie's restaurant in Florida anytime soon. This guy, who can't get food on the plate on time and overcooks pork tenderloin, owns his own restaurant?
- I want Joey gone. Now. If you think drumsticks are a high-end barbecue item, you should be cooking them at a roadside BBQ stand - not on an episode of Top Chef.
- Wow, Tre is really a hit-or-miss kind of chef, though peach barbecue salmon sounds good in theory. Too bad the execution was off.
- Hung is my pick for walking away with the top toque award this season.

Pre-concert cocktails

Went to the Mann Center in Philly last night to see Lyle Lovett. I swear I'm not a Lyle stalker, even though I've probably seen him now a half dozen times. What can I say? I never get tired of seeing Lyle and His Large Band live. Opener k.d. lang sang a show-stopping rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" that gave me, and I'm pretty sure everyone else in the audience, goosebumps. Girl can really belt it out.
Before the concert, we got a plastic glass of wine ($7) and a bottle of New Castle Brown Ale ($6.75), which I guess isn't too bad for concert drinks. A pretzel was $3.25.
Lyle, a big story teller in concert, talked about how his girlfriend April is a cooking enthusiast and he's an eating enthusiast. He calls it an ideal relationship. April's cooking inspired him to write a new song called "Keep it in Your Pantry." Typical witty Lyle Lovett lyrics. I hope it's played on WXPN-FM (88.5) soon.

Reader mail and roadside smoke

Hey, all. If you sent an email to Second Helpings with dining questions, we'll try to answer it and post on Friday (or maybe late Thursday.) Friday is the day for reader mail - though we do encourage you to send questions in earlier. Today's story generated much interest. Thanks for writing! Lots of interesting queries - and opinions. Stay tuned.

On to another note: roadside barbecue. I adore this summer tradition. Sidestep the weekend Sussex County traffic snarl on Del. 1 and travel along U.S. 13 until you get to the tiny town of Greenwood. Stop when you see gray smoke, smell the tantalizing barbecue aroma and spy the "Chicken is ready" sign.
Pull into the parking lot of the Greenwood Volunteer Fire Company, take a couple bucks out of your pocket and get ready for some good eats.
Chicken barbecue has been a summer tradition at the Greenwood pit (U.S. 13 near Del. 16; 349-4529) for 45 years. The seasonal stand is open Fridays through Sundays; it's one of those true-blue Delaware experiences, kind of like Punkin Chunkin, the Apple-Scrapple Festival and the Point-to-Point festivities.

Over Memorial Day weekend, I noticed more and more stands. I just got a flyer about Mista B's BBQ chicken and ribs every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. at the Red Lion Inn, on Route 71 at the railroad crossing in Bear. Anyone been there?

Know of any other roadside stands? I'll check 'em out and write an upcoming story. I also seem to remember - maybe? - grilled fajitas off Route 41 in Avondale, Pa., last summer? Anyone? Anyone?

Cat's meow and other cookbooks

There is a cookbook for everything. Really. Everything. Just check out this list from AbeBooks.com, an online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books. This is Abe's Top 10 List of the Weirdest, Most Bizarre Cookbooks. I'm not arguing with any title on this oddball list:

10. "Strange Foods: Bush Meats, Bats and Butterflies" by Jerry Hopkins.

9. "Cooking for Cats: The Best Recipes for Felix, Orlando and the Rest" by Elisabeth Meyer Zu Stieghorst-Kastrup. (Cat ladies everywhere rejoice! No more store bought Meow Mix for kitty.)

8. "Mini Ketchup Cookbook" by Cameron Pearl. (Answer me this: Why?)

7. "Wookiee Cookies: The Star Wars Cookbook" by Robin Davis. (So successful with Star War freaks and geeks there was a follow-up: The Star Wars Cookbook II: Darth Malt and More Galactic Recipes." Hey mom, can we have Darth double dogs, Bubble City Salad and Boss Nass Broccoli for dinner tonight? Who do you think I am, Darth Waiter? Bah-ha-ha-ha!)

6. "Cooking to Kill: The Poison Cookbook" by Ebenezer Murgatroyd. (Supposedly, a joke cookbook. We hope. )

5. "Cooking in the Nude: For Playful Gourmets" by Stephen Cornwall and Debbra Cornwall. (Splattering bacon is definitely a nude cooking no-no. Ouch! that's gonna leave a mark.)

4. "The Special Effects Cookbook" by Michael Samonek. (Learn how to make your food look like dinosaurs and other fun things!)

3. "The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook: 33 Ways to Cook Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes, and Their Kin" by David George Gordon. (Three Bee Salad or Chocolate Cricket Torte, anyone? Anyone? OK, pass the vomit bucket this way.)

2. "The Original Roadkill Cookbook" by Buck Peterson. (This book not only spawned a mini-roadkill gift industry, it sold more than 200,000 copies. Be afraid, America. Very afraid.)

1. "Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine," by Bill Scheller and Chris Maynard. (It was published in 1989 and, not surprisingly, is out-of-print. Cooking on the car engine is apparently not as popular or as wacky as steaming fish in the dishwasher.)

Laura Bush at the Back Porch

According to WGMD radio's blog, First Lady Laura Bush recently spent some time in Rehoboth Beach and made her rounds to some of the local restaurants.

Bush apparently dined at the Back Porch Cafe (loved that Rehoboth Avenue restaurant!) with friends. No word on if she tried bartender Bee Neild's killer margaritas - he hand juices the limes - easily the best at the beach.

LaBan bams Brandywine Prime

The Liberty Bells weren't ringing out for Brandywine Prime restaurant.

Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan, who rates restaurants with Liberty Bells, gave only one (hit or miss) to Dan Butler, Paul Bouchard and Michael Majewski's new Chadds Ford, Pa., eatery in Sunday's Inky. Read the review.

(Pix on the left is the owners tasting wines at Chaddsford Winery - NOT toasting the review.)

Taste is certainly subjective, however. News Journal dining critic Eric Ruth bestowed three stars (very good) on the restaurant in April.

Ode to Panzarotti

Check out this poem, now on the Delaware Moms website. (OK, now I NEED a Panzarotti, despite those doggone 17 grams of fat per serving.)

Ode to a Panzarotti
Submitted by MarketingMom on Fri Jun 15, 2007

Dear Panzarotti, I look at you and wonder, why am I so loyal?
You're just some dough, puffed up by hot oil.

The line for your gooey goodness trails back to the fairgrounds.
At this point, no one is worried about packing on the pounds.

I hold you in my hand, glistening in your wax paper,
and I want to thank your creator, the dough shaper.

I wait; I anticipate; I salivate.

What is it about you? Inside your fold, you hold my memories.

Music, crowds, family, friends, melt together with your cheese.
I love you, Panzarotti. I'll see you again next year, you Italian hottie!

More pizza ponderings

A little late on blogging today, sorry. I'm not a slacker, just had a few stories to finish writing.
So I finally got a cheese pizza from Tony's Cafe on Possum Park Road and Paper Mill Road. I've been hearing about this place for some time.
My thoughts: Take-out pizza doesn't travel all that well. See, here's the thing: Even if the crust is super crispy when it's removed from the oven, by the time the pizza is packed into a box - and driven some distance, the pie will begin steaming. Bye-bye crispy. Moral of the story: Don't buy a pizza in Newark and then eat it in Hockessin.
But Tony's has a very nice thin crisp and I like the oregano flavor in the sauce. It was good pizza, but I think it may be better to eat it there. I find Tony's intriguing -it was crowded and the Italian guys at the counter were sweet. I plan to go back soon and try the pizza again. Right now, though, I think Pizza by Elizabeths still has the best pizza in Delaware.

Back behind the stove

Fans of chef Robert Lhulier, formerly of the Chef's Table at the David Finney Inn, should know he's now chef de cuisine at Harry's Savoy Grill on Naamans Road. (See my Diners Digest column.)

And now, Lhulier's former sous chef Danny Profita tells me he is the main toque at Cafe Scalessa's on Greenhill Avenue in Wilmington. Readers may remember an article I wrote about Profita making fresh mozzarella cheese at the Chef's Table. Now, he's making it Wednesday through Saturdays at Cafe Scalessa's.

Woo-hoo. Fresh tomato season is right around the corner. Danny, my man, I'll be seeing you soon.

Top Chef recap

One of the new contestants on "Top Chef Season 3: Miami" seems a little familiar.

I did a little checking and, yep, Tre Wilcox of Abacus in Dallas came to the 2006 Meals from the Masters Celebrity Chefs Brunch in Wilmington. (It's the chi-chi event held at the Bank of America building, formerly MBNA HQ.)

Wilcox, who was nominated for a James Beard Award as a rising young chef, served pepper seared sea scallops with wilted spinach and leeks on black truffle potato sauce. Anyone remember this dish?

The cockiness quota seems pretty high this season on "Top Chef." Goody goody. I love a good slap down.

And the producers really need to make Anthony Bourdain a regular judge. (Like Queer Eye Ted.) I had drinks with Anthony or Tony, as he's known to pals, at the old Blue Angel in Philly. He is pretty hilarious in person, but much lower key.

Tell me lies, sweet little lies

Some people will do anything to get on TV.

Tall tales former Marine Josh Adam Garcia (JAG) has told on his way to trying to win the title of “The Next Food Network Star” are coming back to burn him.

The Marine Corps Times has checked into Garcia's background and it seems he was never deployed to Afghanistan, never finished culinary school and apparently fibbed about his ranking.

Make it snappy

Eating a forkful of scrambled eggs is pure torture to me.
Can’t stand ‘em.
My brain short circuits and the "danger, danger" alert goes off in my head: Get this spongy mess out of your mouth. RIGHT. NOW.
I sometimes get the same reaction when it comes to oatmeal.
I'll chalk it up to the mush factor.
I'm a crunchy food person and tend to graviate towards foods with snap. So do a lot of people, according to an interesting article today in the Chicago Tribune.

Cry me a river

On last night's "Hell's Kitchen," Aaron, the chubby retirement home chef, blubbered his way through another episode. Yet, he somehow managed not to get the boot from Professional Screamer/Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Hmmm, wonder why? Maybe, Ramsay remembers what it's like to have a major kitchen meltdown. According to an article on Salon.com, Ramsay's mentor, now bitter rival , Marco Pierre White, once published a picture of Ramsay crying in a corner after a particularly bad night of service.

Does it takes a crybaby to know a crybaby?

Italian fest thoughts

Stopped by the Italian Festival on Sunday and had a good time, but a few thoughts:

- The Trevi Fountain replica was a little, well, underwhelming. I know I shouldn't have been expecting the majesty of Rome's original wishing well, but, I guess I was. Still, if you haven't seen the fountain, it's worth a stop - and a coin toss, which we did.

- It was fun to see the Roman soldiers in "Ben Hur" costumes (really! from the movie!) strolling around the Italian culture section. Organizers have changed where the band performs and refocused some things. This has always been one of my favorite areas of the festival.

- Really cool - people dancing in the square in front of the Antonian. It reminded me (a little bit) of the San Marco piazza in Venice, where bands play at the outdoor cafes and customers, high on booze and just being in Venice, sometimes hop up to slow dance.

- I wish I saved my appetite for the stand run by Moro restaurant and got the truffle fries. News Journal photographer Fred Comegys said Moro's sausage sandwich also rocked. Moro's stand is near the entrance to the carnival rides, across from the Ricotta Puffs and Panzarotti stand.

- Didn't care for the suppli, a deep-fried Roman specialty served Sunday. Our rice balls were cold and didn't have much flavor. If you want really good fried rice balls - go to Mangia Mangia pizza shop at Sixth and Lincoln streets in Little Italy and order the risotto balls.

- My family is pretty picky about meatballs and we thought St. Anthony's weren't bad. They're not my mom's meatballs, but still not bad.

- Two ravioli fanatics in our group thought these cheese pillows were OK - for festival food.

- The tomato sauce, however, got a collective "Eh." It's on the sweet side. Not a fan of the sweet.

- Porkette sandwich needed more salt and spices and the broccoli rabe more garlic. I'm going with the spizzato later this week.

- The kids with us liked the thin-crust pizza. But then, what kid doesn't like pizza?

- We got a bottle of Pinot Grigio ($13) -they pour it into a pitcher, which, you should know, you'll have a pay a $5 deposit on. You get the $5 back when you return the pitcher.

- Beer drinkers should definitely order a Peroni draft, $4.

- Thought this was funny and sweet: Two teenagers in line ahead of us at the Caffe Gelato booth didn't see the sign that said the ice cream cost cost $5 a cup. They only had $9 on them. My mom was just about to hand one of the teens a $1, but the staff gave the kids the ice cream for $9. Nice.

- We loved the Italian rum cake - from its topping of crunchy toasted almonds to pasticciera cream filling. An Italian rum layer cake was always my birthday cake growing up and the huge slice ($3.25) we got Sunday - and passed around several times - had just enough rum and wasn't too soggy.

- The cannoli was scarfed down before I had a bite. I guess that's telling you about the cannoli.

- Didn't try the tiramisu. Too stuffed from the rum cake.

- Your festival thoughts?

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam ...

Wonderful Spam. I suppose it was a result of my mother force-feeding me Spam casserole as a kid, but I have to admit the occasional craving -- let's say, once every couple years or so. Hey, we sing the praises of scrapple around here, so who are we to denigrate any loaflike pork product?

Not one to ignore significant culinary developments simply because of its lowly reputation, I've sniffed out (phew!) some Spam news from around the world.

Dateline United Kingdom: Not only can you get Spam Fritters here -- "succulent pieces of Spam covered in a deliciously light and crispy golden batter" -- they have a "limited edition" Spam product called (I swear) "Stinky French Garlic Spam." A take-off of the old Monty Python film "Holy Grail," it's "actually made in Denmark with Chinese Garlic," and features cartoon Holy Grail characters on the can. I want one!

It also turns out they're mad for the stuff in Hawaii -- Burger King just relented to competition from McDonald's there and began offering Spam-inated items. There's the Spam Platter — "two slices of Spam nestled between white rice and scrambled eggs." I think I'll stick with the Biscuit Sandwich with Spam.

Tidbit: There are more varieties of Spam sold in Hawaii than anywhere else -- Spam Garlic, Spam Bacon, Spam with Cheese, Spam with Tabasco. We have Spam Turkey locally, though I would not advise trying it.

Feeling festive?

I was thinking about going to The Greek Festival tonight - it's the last night. But when I went out to lunch this afternoon, the car thermometer read 97 degrees. Not sure if I want to face a herd of people in this heat just to get a gyro.

But I definitely plan to go to the Italian Festival Sunday afternoon. I love going to the festival on opening day and I've gotta see the Trevi Fountain replica. See my story today. I've been to Rome a few times and never tire of seeing the Trevi Fountain - and tossing in a few coins.

Wanna bet that someone is going to pull an Anita Ekberg "La Dolce Vita" move and take a splashy swim at least once this week?

Get a table, not a booth

Next time you go to a restaurant you may not want to ask for a booth.

Customers seated in booths spend significantly more per person than those seated at other tables, according to a study by faculty members at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration in Restaurants & Institution Digest.

Sniff the air and if you smell lavender at the restaurant, get ready to open your wallet.

The aroma of lavender isn’t known to prompt hunger or thirst, but researchers find it to be a relaxing scent that can entice restaurant patrons to linger and, often, order additional beverages or desserts.

A lemony fresh aroma, however, does not increase a customers' stay.

Fish tacos

I'm always psyched to find new places to munch and a good place to consider is El Dorado Restaurant, a Baja California-style taco shop that opened last summer in the little Plaza 24 shopping center off Del. 24, near Rehoboth Beach. See my review today.

Beach eats can get expensive and at El Dorado you can get freshly made mahi mahi tacos for $2.99.

Chez La Mer says adieu

This just in:
Espuma chef/owner Jay Caputo (that's him cooking eggs at the Meals from the Masters Celebrity Chefs Brunch) is purchasing Chez La Mer, one of Rehoboth Beach's most venerable restaurants.
Caputo, who has owned Espuma since 2004, will finalize the purchase at the end of the month.
Chez La Mer, a high-end French restaurant in a large, rambling, salmon pink beach house full of angles, windows and wood, has been a part of the Rehoboth dining scene since the 1970s.
The restaurant at the corner of Second Street and Wilmington Avenue has a cozy porch and deck terrace which offers a view of the town.
Caputo plans to begin major renovations this fall, but will "tweak" the menu this summer.

More on this after I chat with Jay.

Top Chef recap

Very entertaining "Top Chef" reunion show/grudge match last night. Among the highlights/lowlights:
- How lame was it that Season 3 contestants judged the Season 1 and 2 chefs?
- Marcel, a.k.a. Astro Boy, should never, ever, try to rap on national TV. And foams are over, kid. Over.
- Ilan showed that borrowing Spanish recipes from your former boss certainly won't help you when you have to think on your own two feet. Gadzooks - what was up with the icky raw egg, wild rice, flabby skin duck experiment? Glad I didn't have to eat that stomach turning mess.
- Didn't Sam seem sullen and not really into the whole grudge match? (Or maybe it was the leering looks from Queer Eye Judge Ted?)
- Speaking of new Queer Eye Judge Ted. Love him! So witty and insightful. Keep him and get rid of Gail.

- Stephen's expression was priceless when Judge Tom told him that serving wine with every dish may actually help the other team.
- Elia's bleached do is definitely a Glamour don't. Get a new stylist, stat!
- Harold rocks, even though the judges didn't love his lamb meatballs and mint gnocchi. (Wonder if it's on the menu of his new New York restaurant, Perilla?)
- Big Flavor Dave is hilarious. He needs his own show.
- Tiffani wasn't nearly as annoying and bitchy as before. And girl can cook.

Top Chef grudge match tonight

Only one thing is easing my sorrow that the "Sopranos" will end on Sunday, and that's the return of "Top Chef" on Bravo. Tonight at 10 p.m. is an All-Stars grudge match and then the new season, taped in Miami, begins next week.

I lost a lot of respect for Ilan, the winner of last season. And not just because he tried to wrestle his fellow chef Marcel to the ground and shave his head. When I was in New York recently, a group of us tried to get a table at Casa Mono, the Spanish restaurant where Ilan worked. The wait was too long so we went elsewhere. But first I scanned the menu and recognized several dishes that Ilan "borrowed" from Chef Andy Nusser and cooked on the show.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it certainly isn't original, is it?

More panzarotti

For at least 20 years, M. Fierro & Sons have been selling panzarottis at St. Anthony's Italian Festival which begins this Sunday.

The Italian Festival used to be the only place in Delaware to find these crunchy, cheesy, South Jersey born deep-fried turnovers. Now, Panzarottis can be found at a few Delaware eating establishments - and at Ikea stores nationwide.

Check out my story today on the Panzarotti and Chris Betts who owns the year-old pizza shop Mangia Mangia in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood. It's at the corner of Sixth and Lincoln streets. If you're walking to the festival, you can stroll up to walk-up window at Mangia Mangia, order a Panzarotti and eat it on the way. Or just go to the Fierro's Panzarotti booth when you get there.

Spidey doesn't cough up the cash

Spider Man can spin a web, but he apparently isn't a big spender. Neither is Madge.

Tobey Maguire, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rupert Everett are all lousy tippers, according a USA Today web site

My brother used to work at Disney World and he was always telling me about cheap celebrities. Some of the big names who he said didn't mind handing out big tips included Dan Aykroyd, Ted Nugent and Kelly Ripa.

Cheese and crab salad

Dropped into Domaine Hudson in Wilmington recently to celebrate my pal Lucia's new gig as editor of Delaware Moms. It's a cool site. Check it out.
We had Proscecco and the cheese plate - a stinky French cheese, a caramelly tasting gouda and Bayley Hazen Blue, a lovely Vermont made artisanal raw cow's milk blue. But I'm still thinking about chef Jason Barrowcliff's jumbo lumb crab salad with avocado purée and fresh corn sauce, $13. If you're a crab lover, this is a terrific nosh.

"Welcome to Hell"

Britain's Beelzebub of Cooking, Gordon Ramsay, welcomed a fresh batch of culinary recruits to his seventh circle of the stove last night with the third season of "Hell's Kitchen."

The first episode was pretty much a repeat of the last few seasons: The cooks are a bunch of screw-ups who can't cook eggs or pasta. Ramsay goes ballistic, wrinkles his face like a Sharpei , diners wait endlessly for their meals and complain that it's taking too long. Someone stabs someone in the back. Someone goes home. End of this one-note show.

Ramsay's bark and his short-tempered school yard bully routine plays old after 15 minutes. As Bonnie, the nanny/personal chef put it "he makes me want to pee my pants." Bonnie, wear a diaper. Ramsay offers no sympathy and clearly can't stomach anyone who can stand to lose weight - he was a former professional soccer player. You just know that the Aaron, the overweight, crybaby retirement home chef isn't going to fair well. Too early to tell who will emerge as fan favorites, but I kind of like Eddie, the 5 foot 2-inch line cook from Atlanta, who calls himself "a bulldog in a Chihuahua's body," Melissa, the New York line cook and Rock, the executive chef from Spotsylvania, Va.

Hopefully, this season will fair better than Ramsay's New York restaurant which, as detailed in a recent New Yorker article, is getting a lukewarm reception from diners and critics.

Grilling: Part II

The heart wants what the heart wants.
But sometimes the pocket wins over. And the harsh words of loved ones.
I went grill shopping this weekend - and stared lovingly and longingly at Weber gas grills. I found a beauty and it was calling to me. In a dreamy state, I reached in my pocket for my credit card when two people who know me so well slapped me upside the head - figuratively speaking - and said: "Are you crazy??" This is a $600 to $700 grill, depending on where you shop.
Priorities, baby, priorities. That was the riot act I was read. My cash would be better suited elsewhere, my conscience and those head slappers told me. Then, they threatened to take my credit card. No toucha my card.
So we went to Sears and bought a Kenmore grill - which was less than half the price of the Weber. It's got three burners, porcelain cast-iron grates and a side burner (with removable griddle.)
Haven't used it yet, but I want to flick it on tonight. I like it, really I do, but I can't stop thinking about that Weber. Sigh!
Is it better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all?

Sopranos near swan song

Hey, if you get a chance, check out our Sopranos blog. I'm a huge fan of this HBO series.

Funny how Sunday's episode had so many food images and scenes:

- Tony going to Satriale's for a gabagool sandwich - and unable to eat it when he found out there was a hit out on him.

- The girl in rehab who has "food issues."

- Carmella making A.J. homemade oatmeal - basically baby food for a big baby.

- Tony tearing out the steak recipe from the magazine at Melfi's office. (Raw meat for a real animal.)

- The awkward encounter with Charmaine and Artie Bucco at the Vesuvio restaurant when Carmella and Tony pretend how everything is going great for their kids.

-The dinner party scene with Melfi when everyone realizes Tony is her patient. (Someone mentions that Melfi knowing her wines; that's a shout out to actress Lorraine Bracco who owns a winery.)

- Tony and Paulie raiding the Sopranos kitchen for supplies.

- A subdued Tony in the safe house, going alone in the bedroom, as his "soldiers" plan to order take-out.

A grilling about grills

After years of being grill-less - basically due to no backyard - I'm finally going shopping this weekend for a barbecue.

Even though 50 percent of Americans now own a charcoal grill, I want a gas grill. (Sorry, purists, but it's easier and I want to grill often this summer.)

I want a grill that's big enough so I can make beer can chicken. Beer can chicken rocks!

And then, well, I'm pretty clueless. I know I need to do some research - where is that Consumer Reports? - but any help would be appreciated.

For instance, should I splurge on a Weber grill? (Weber has a handy gas grill buying guide.) What about those grills with side burners? Does anyone use them? What about grates? Are cast-iron grates better than porcelain enamel?