Reader mail

Happy Friday, foodies!

I'm trying to scoot out early today. Got tickets to see the Phillies tonight. Woo-hoo! You gotta believe. OK, I don't want to jinx the game so I will say no more except I'm definitely getting a beer and a Tony Luke's roast pork sandwich. Maybe a hot dog. Maybe some peanuts....I love Broad Street baseball.

Crabs, sushi grade fish and a BYO in Glen Mills, Pa., are some of the topics for today's Reader Mail. Need a restaurant suggestion this weekend? Read Eric Ruth's three-star (very good) review of Amici's in Landenberg, Pa.

Keep the questions coming. You ask. We answer. Every Friday.

Do you know any stores that sell sushi grade fish in Delaware or Pennsylvania? I'm tempted to try and make sushi at home but want to have a very good grade of fish. Bill Reinhard.

My first stop would be Dawson’s Seafood, 821 N Madison St., Wilmington; (302) 658-4238. Dawson’s sells fish to many area restaurants and I often see chefs shopping there. The fish isn’t in a case. You ask for it and someone goes in the back room and pulls it out and cuts it for you. The market is not in the best neighborhood in Wilmington, but the quality of the seafood is impeccable. (Just so you know, Dawson's doesn't look like a store from the outside and it kind of feels like a secret place.) I just called and spoke to someone at the market. They recommend always calling ahead of time to see what’s available and what is sushi grade. (Sometimes they'll order sushi grade fish and it doesn't come in that way. They won't sell it to you. They're very picky that way. A demand for the highest quality is something you definitely want from a seafood market.) The retail side has limited hours. It’s open Monday through Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursdays and Fridays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s not open on weekends.
You could also try Hadfield's Seafood, Captain's Catch, 5828 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington; 998-3457; or Feby's Fishery, 3701 Lancaster Pike,(Del. Route 48),Wilmington, 998-9496. Readers, let me know if I'm missing a quality market.


Hi Patricia,
I am looking for a place within 15-20 miles of New Castle County…that is open on Sundays…and serves the BEST Crabs?My 2 daughters and I celebrate an annual tradition of eating crabs together in late Sept...early October. We plan on doing that THIS Sunday, September 30th. The last two years we’ve gone to the Hill Top near Avon Grove, PA, where they had “All You Can Eat” for $23.95 each. I haven’t seen them advertise that this year. So, we’re on the look out for a NEW place and would welcome your suggestions.
Thank you,
Tom Hynson

Hey, Tom. What a fun tradition. I like your thinking. I want to be a member of your family. Also, a smart move. Crabs are fatter and heavier in the fall than the summer. The “BEST” is always a hard question to answer. What is considered the "BEST” to some people may not be the "BEST” for others. One of my favorite places to eat crabs is The Tap Room, 201 Bohemia Ave.,Chesapeake City, Md.; (410) 885-2344/ It’s not too far from Newark, Del. Chesapeake City is a quaint town and I’ve always like the laid back style of the Tap Room. (It’s cash only.) Some places to consider, closer to New Castle County, may be Kathy’s Crab House (formerly Wiso’s Crab House), 107 Fifth St. (Route 9), Delaware City, or Lestardo’s Crab House, Rt. 273 & Prangs Lane, New Castle; (302) 328-5070. Here’s a story I wrote about crab feasting in the fall. It also has a list of some local crabhouses. Always call ahead of time to ask about availability. Get ready to tap those mallets.


Big Fork, Old Ridge Village, DELICIOUS! Give it a try!


Eric Ruth did and wrote a review of Big Fork, U.S. 202 at Ridge Road, Olde Ridge Village Shopping Center, near Chadds Ford, Pa. (610) 358-8008, on Sept. 16, 2006. He gave it a three star (very good) review and wrote "some dishes bring moments so clearly superlative that they could stand up to the best of Philly, or even Manhattan."