We won't be covering every place like we did with City Restaurant Week in Wilmington, but we do want to provide a sampling of the event and bring you different voices - and tastes.
Talorico got an early jump with a visit last Friday to the Porcini House Bistro and Treetop Lounge (formerly Chez La Mer) IT WAS UPDATED TODAY.
Also today, staff reporter Victor Greto shares his experience at Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats.
Victor is darn proud of the fact that he's definitely NOT a foodie - just a regular guy who enjoys a good meal. Just like many so other diners. Enjoy.
By VICTOR GRETO
Who knew that spinach leaves could be so tasty?
Or venison (dead Bambi) could be so tender and not salty?
Or that Banana Foster could have so much ice cream?
This is what one can experience during Restaurant Week at the Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in this downtown seaside resort.
The restaurant doesn't advertise it all that well, and I had to ask for the restuarant week flyer-menus (which I already had downloaded off the Web site). But our waitress, Olivia, was helpful and eager to please. Ironically or not, what I didn't care for was the beer: the Indian Brown Ale that came with the "grass-fed meatloaf with 90 Minute IPA gravy" was too syrupy for my taste.
Although the meat loaf was fine -- despite my feeling that the "grass-fed" claim was both superfluous and begged a host of other questions -- the gravy tasted like something poured out of a bottle and warmed up. But the spinach salad with hazelnuts and goat cheese tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette was so good, I ate most of it off the plate of a friend I had dragged with me. And let me be clear: I loathe spinach as much as Bluto did.
I ordered the melon-wrapped proscuitto, which was good, but puzzling because I have no idea why melon smothered by fatty ham should taste so fine together. (EDITORS NOTE: Melon and ham are a classic combination because the saltiness of the cured ham tends to enhance the sweetness of the fruit)
But, see, this is something I learned while shoving forkfuls of both appetizers in my mouth: that good taste in food is all about combinations. I know. Any foodie knows this, but I'm not a foodie, and masochistically proud of that fact. OK?
The Raison D'Etre beer (come on; does a beer really have to have a name like that??) that came with my grilled venison tenderloin with dried cranberry sauce was better than the brown ale, but it still was too syrupy for my taste. (EDITORS NOTE: Dogfish owner Sam Calagione has long touted that he likes to make "off-centered ales for off-centered people" - hence the "off-centered" name.) But the venison itself was good -- tender like the name, and presented in small chunks -- and I liked the sauce with it, too.
For dessert, I ordered the beach beer float, which was fine, but they skimped on the ice cream. Alas. My friend ordered the Banana Foster Warm Brown Sundae, which was much better, and came with a cartload of ice cream -- that they may have taken from my float, come to think on it -- that was delicious to the last pool of cream.
What also is cool about eating at a restaurant here just before the summer season kicks in is the relaxing atmosphere.
Contact Victor Greto at 324-2832 or vgreto@delawareonline.com.
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