Reader mail

Happy freaking Friday. Is that the sun I see? It's been so long, I'm not sure.

It's been one of the loonnngggest weeks of my life - illness and furloughs decimated our department and I'm one tired editor.

Ooooh! One of my colleagues just handed me a scone from Liz Marden's Hockessin dessert and pastry shop. (Thanks Lucia! Air kiss, air kiss!) Just the little pick-me-up I needed to go along with my morning cuppa.

Some commenters have taken me to the wood shed for thinking that the name of Chip Hearn's cheeky "Better than Sex" ice cream is funny as well as a pretty successful marketing tool. Here's Wednesday's story.

Just so we're clear, we are talking about ice cream - ice cream - not "Penthouse" magazine. In fact, it's ice cream named after cake - a cake Chip's sister serves and one that the Food Network's Paula Deen also makes. It's right here on the Food Network web site. Deen and Hearn may be a little saucy, but neither one is Larry Flynt.

But I'll defend your right to express your opinions, even if I don't happen to agree with them. So keep firing away. (Air kiss, air kiss!)

However, there is one very simple way to avoid "exposing" - tee hee - "Better than Sex" ice cream to children or to anyone who is offended by the name: Don't go to the ice cream stand.

But you'll be missing out on some great ice cream. (Hearn has 70 plus flavors.) And if you don't believe me, then maybe you'll believe Gourmet magazine and Food Network, who have both raved about the ice cream made by Jim Mitchell of Woodside Farm Creamery in Hockessin.

Okey-doke. Had dinner at the new Stone Balloon Winehouse in Newark. Mamma mia! That ain't the Balloon, I remember. It's gorgeous. It smells good. There is wine served here! The menu includes several hits along with a few swings-and-misses.

Here's my Taste column for your reading pleasure.

Friday means reader mail. You ask. We answer. Email your dining queries at ptalorico@delawareonline.com.

BOUQUETS FOR THE BALLOON'S QUAIL

QUESTION: Hi Pat. Your review of the Winehouse was very honest and interesting. I have not eaten a whole meal there, but have had samplings of some things. I completely agree with you that the quail is very good.

Not sure if you ever will return (not sure that it is worthy of a return visit based on your review), but I do highly recommend their desserts. They should play them up more.

It is fun to have a place like the Winehouse on Main Street in Newark. The wines are very good, but they compete with Ryan German's Caffe Gelato in that category.

Personally, for a comparable menu, I love Sovana Bistro. What do you think? Thanks for all your reviews!

ANSWER: Thanks for the email. I recently reviewed Sovana Bistro in Kennett Square. Equal love back. Here's the link.

A MIXED BAG OF .....SOMETHING

QUESTION: Good morning, Patricia.
Yesterday, I went to the farmer's market for a few items. One thing we really love is baby spinach. I bought a bag of what I thought was baby spinach and when I opened it this morning to put some on my sandwich, I discovered it wasn't. What was in the bag was stems and leaves and flowers from what appears to be pea plants. Okay, so we also love sugar snap and snow peas, and I often grow them in my garden. However, I've never eaten the plant.

What do you think?

I figure they must be edible, if they're selling them there, but nowhere have I ever seen a recipe or mention of them. Hope you can help me.

Thanks,

Carol

ANSWER: Carol, kudos to you for shopping a farmers market. Local, seasonal is the way to go. I wish I could tell you what you bought, but without seeing it, I'm afraid to even make a guess. Readers, any suggestions or ideas?

DOBER DAN FROM SLOVENIA!

QUESTION: Dear Patricia,

First of all regards from Slovenia. By coincidence I found your article about Kendov Dvorec and I was so pleased when I discovered with such nice words you have described me.

I hope you are doing well and from time to time we are still talking with Klavdij about your group. We had really nice time.

Thank you very much again for spreading such nice image about me and Klavdij.

Best regards and hope to see you again.

Bogdan Toncic

ANSWER: Readers, last fall I wrote about my trip to Slovenia and the dumpling cooking class I took there taught by Klavdij Pirih and Bogdan Toncic at a beautiful hotel called the Kendov Dvorec in Spodnja Idrija. Bodgan was a wonderful tour guide to the country and not only did I cook with him, he also took us to visit many wineries and local sites. It was a wonderful vacation. (And I have since sent Klavdij and him copies of the article.)

Thoughts on spinach and "Sex"....

Had a ball hanging last Friday with Chip Hearn and store manager Lisa Young at Hearn's Ice Cream Store on Rehoboth Avenue near the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach.

A fun day even though it seems like we were in the middle of a monsoon with all the rain and wind.

Hearn is a great guy with a terrific sense of humor and every summer he always comes up with really wacky flavors. Jim Mitchell of the fabulous Woodside Farm Creamery in Hockessin makes the ice cream, so you know it's really good.

Here's my story today.

So once I heard that Hearn was offering spinach a.k.a. "Popeye's Favorite" ice cream on the menu this year, I hopped in the car and was in Rehoboth the next day.

Now that is really weird. I must say I'm not a fan of savory ice cream, but I was intrigued and had to sample it.

Spinach ice cream, what can I say? It's not really horrible - it tastes like a fresh spinach salad, but it's not overpowering.

Do I want a whole cone of this? That would be a no. But a tasting spoonful is fine.

The flavor that is causing much buzz, as you imagine and just as the fiendishly clever Hearn planned, is "Better than Sex."

Is it? Let's leave something to the imagination. Try it yourself and decide.

But I will say this is: That's one terrific ice cream. It's cake batter ice cream blended with Duncan Hines Devil's Foods cake mix, a strong vanilla extract, crunched up Heath bars and ribbons of fudge. If you like chocolate, you'll really like this.

Do I want a cone of this? Oh, yes, indeedy. Maybe even a pint or a quart.

I spent a good two-hours chatting with Hearn and sampling ice cream. (Hey, it's my job, people.)

And believe me, you were glad it wasn't your job when it came to trying the flavor called "Tastes like Chicken." There's no poultry in the ice cream, Hearn just calls it that because he says people always say a weird flavor tastes like, well, you know what.

The flavor is garlic amaretto chip - amaretto flavored ice cream, colored red with chopped garlic and chocolate chips added. Hearn says he made it red as kind of goof from his old bartending days at the Starboard. (He once owned the Dewey Beach bar.)

Hearn says whenever a customer would order a shot that a bartender didn't know how to make, he would just tell them to make it red. Most shots are red, and sloshy customers seldom knew the difference. So there you have it.

Anyway, "Tastes Like Chicken," quite frankly, tastes like nothing I ever want to eat again. Ever. There was enough garlic in it to kill all the "Twilight" vampires and it could also take out the entire cast of "True Blood."

Icky, yucky, bleech.

It was the only ice cream that I sampled that I couldn't finish.

More "Sex," please.

Restaurant freebies

Here's one of the stories in Wednesday's Life section:


By PATRICIA TALORICO
The News Journal

Forget the complimentary bread basket.

Some restaurateurs are doing a little more for customers than handing out free rolls.

Restaurant "freebies" or little extras given before, during and after a meal can be a savvy way to thank diners for their patronage and possibly ensuring their return.

Wilmington's Moro restaurant and Sovana Bistro, of Kennett Square, Pa., are among the many eateries that start diners with a no-charge amuse-bouche, a one-bite nibble, sent out by the chef.

The Hotel du Pont's Green Room has long ended meals with its signature freshly baked macaroons, while for nearly 16 years Pizza by Elizabeths has presented free pieces of handmade toffee to each diner along with the bill.

"We call it Greenville crack cocaine," jokes Pizza by Elizabeths' co-owner Betsy LeRoy about the toffee, which became a customer favorite not long after the restaurant opened in 1993.

"We decided when we opened that we wanted to give the customer one little last sweet bite before they left," LeRoy said. "I'm not a big dessert eater, but I always like something a little sweet at the end of a meal."

At first, the restaurant gave out buttercreams and white and dark chocolate bark. But LeRoy soon began looking for another confection to offer and turned to her family for advice.

"My mom made what we called 'chock o' nut toffee' every year for Christmas. I asked her if I could have the recipe."

The toffee - which has a crackly caramel base made with sugar, butter and cream - is topped with melted chocolate and toasted pieces of walnuts.

"It's pretty labor-intensive," LeRoy says of the toffee, which cools on baking sheets before being broken by hand.

While the Pizza by Elizabeths staff continued making buttercreams and bark, it wasn't long before customers began asking solely for the toffee - and sometimes even fighting over the pieces.

"Everyone just wanted it. Now that's all we make. I told my mother, 'You missed the boat. You should have been a candy maker. You'd be sitting on easy street right now,'" LeRoy says laughing.

The gratis toffee - one piece per customer - has actually made some diners lifelong Pizza by Elizabeths fans. After one man left a comment card complaining that the restaurant was "stingy with that toffee," LeRoy wrote him a letter explaining the involved process of the candy making, thanked him for his business and then sent along a free box of toffee.

"He said he would be a walking advertisement on Kennett Pike," LeRoy says.

For those customers who want more than one piece, the candy is now available for sale at the restaurant in 1/4-pound boxes for $6 and 1/2-pound boxes for $12.

Savory chips

Free bowls of salty munchies are a given at many restaurants and taverns. But Capers & Lemons takes it one step further.

The Italian restaurant makes the rosemary-flavored potato chips that it sets out for customers sipping cocktails at the bar.

"We were trying to do something unique and were looking for a different way to set us apart," says Carl Georigi, owner of the Mill Creek-area eatery, off Centerville Road.

Homemade potato chips have been a part of Georigi's Hockessin restaurant, Dome, for several years.

The deep-fried chips at Capers & Lemons, which also grace some plates in the dining room, are made with thinly sliced potatoes that are sprinkled with rosemary, garlic power and salt and pepper.

Georigi says the homemade chips are a natural extension of the kitchen, where executive chef Mike O'Hare also makes his own mozzarella and cures his own meats.

"They're out on the bar as a savory, salty offering. It encourages you to drink and it's a little tease as to what's to come," Georigi says.

Bags of the chips also are sold in the restaurant's adjoining market for $2.95.

Cutting costs

Not every restaurateur believes in giveaways, especially in a dodgy economy.

Last fall, Harry's Savoy Grill, in Brandywine Hundred, offered customers plates of complimentary pickled mushrooms. Now, the only freebies at the Naamans Road restaurant are the mints at the front door.

"Over the years, we've done those things, but we currently don't," says Harry's owner Xavier Teixido. "It's expensive."

And the free crocks of smooth, creamy, homemade cheese spread that had graced the tables at the Hunter's Den restaurant for more than 27 years have been removed.

Owner Don Jester says the cheese spread, a family recipe, was first served in 1981 when his parents, Don Sr. and Helen Marie Jester, purchased the old Blue Lantern Inn on Kirkwood Highway and renamed it the Hunter's Den.

The tradition followed when the Hunter's Den moved to its present Marshallton location, at 3517 Old Capitol Trail.

But several months ago, Jester stopped giving away the cheese spread. "Some people would eat it and say 'I don't need an appetizer.' "

"We're trying to cut things back," says the restaurateur, who also has scaled back prices at the eatery and now offers a $5.95 lunch menu and $10.95 dinner menu.

The cheese spread isn't gone; it's just become a part of the menu.

"We're still offering it as an appetizer, and for $3.95 it's pretty dirt cheap," says Jester, adding that the spread also is available for takeout. A one-pound container is $5.95.

"It's staying," he says. "We're selling about 20 to 30 pounds a week."

Just don't ask for the recipe. "It's a secret," Jester says. "I've had phone calls asking what's in it, but I can't tell you."

Sometimes the best things in life aren't free.

FOOD DOGs: Pure Bread is fast, filling and flavorful

By ANDRE L. SMITH

When I need a fast lunch that packs great taste and a portion that will feed this 350-pound appetite, there is one place that pops into mind right away: Pure Bread.

Caught lunch there today with a friend, and had to send a Food DOGs shout out to Pure Bread for their friendly service and excellent sandwiches. While there are tons of choices, the sandwich of my choosing is a simple one:

• Turkey with bacon


• Sourdough bread


• Lettuce


• Mayo


• Pickle on the side

The best thing about this sandwich is that the meat is stacked so high that you've got to open wide to get a good bite. It seems that this is the norm since I saw other dining with a similar amount of meat on their sandwiches. Add soup, chips, and a drink and you'll leave full and looking forward to your next trip. Mine might be tonight.

As an added bonus, you can get a coffee/cappuccino to get you through the rest of your afternoon.

TIP: Don't forget to pick up a Pure Bread punch card, if you plan to visit frequently.

FIVE-STAR QUICK REVIEW
Taste:
Service:
Prices:
Atmosphere:
Overall:

Hey crabby.....UPDATED

** NOTE TO READERS: Some people, who have called and emailed me, seem to think the great crab cake search is over. It has only begun. Eric Ruth and I are chasing down your suggestions. We'll have a story about the hunt and our findings, most likely in late July. Stay tuned. I'll let you know well in advance of publication. Thanks. PT.

So the Great Crab Cake search is well underway and I promised an update.

Stopped in Jake's Seafood House Restaurant at First Street and Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach last week to give the crab cake there a try. Several readers sent me emails touting these cakes.

I asked for the crab cake sandwich ($11.99) - which my server suggested that I order fried, not broiled - and only ate the cake, not the bun, lettuce and tomato. (But I couldn't resist the fries, especially after topping them with malt vinegar. )

It had lumps of crab meat, some bready filler, but not too much, and hints of mustard, perhaps from the crab itself and maybe from a Dijon condiment bottle. It's a little on the small side. I found myself dabbing on tartar sauce to perk up the flavor, which isn't a great sign.

This is a perfectly fine cake, but not a life changing, oh-my-God-you-gotta-go-there crab cake.

The quest continues.

Harry's update

The new Harry's fish stall at the Wilmington Riverfront Market should be up and running in about three weeks, according to Xavier Teixido, owner of Harry's Savoy Grill and the nearby Harry's Seafood Grill.

Teixido says the stall (formerly Lapp's Market) is under construction and he hopes to have it complete by the end of June.

The stand will be selling fish sandwiches (made with cod or hake), crab cakes, and burgers and fries, among other things.

For breakfast, Teixido, who used to work at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, says he plans to sell beignets and New Orleans coffee.

Reader mail: UPDATED

Hey, all. I'll be out of the office most of Friday in Sussex County.

Lots on the agenda, including sampling spinach - yes, spinach! - ice cream. I plan to chase it down with a few other flavors, namely one called - wait for it, wait for it - "Better Than Sex."

Did that grab your attention?

Exactly.

I'll fill you in on greater detail in Wednesday's Life section.

IN OTHER NEWS:

- Eric Ruth checks out area meat markets in Friday's "Taste" column. Butcher shops, that is. Sorry. Maturity isn't one of my strengths.

- Beer and wine sales in Delaware grocery stores? I hope so. That was one of things I liked about living in the D.C. area. One less trip can be very nice.

- Venice in Wilmington? OK, this I have to see since Venezia is one of my favorite cities. Are you ready for a bellini?

- Just saw a funny Craig's List Help Wanted ad: "Need breakfast cook and line chef at very busy downtown Rehoboth restaurant. Must be a morning person, hard worker and team player. Drama free, please."

- New pho restaurant - Pho Cali on Kirkwood Highway next to the Pathmark is supposed to be open NOW.

- And finally a reader called and asked about the short recipe for tzaziki (Greek yogurt sauce) that ran in last Wednesday's Life section. No, dear reader, it did not have garlic. That was a recipe from Food Network star Ellie Krieger, whose version is different than what some think of as traditional tzaziki. But here's a recipe with garlic. (Sorry, I didn't call you back - you didn't leave your phone number.)

Onto the mailbag. Remember: You ask. We answer. Every Friday. Email questions to me at ptalorico@delawareonline.com.

CIAO, VINCENTE'S

QUESTION: Hello Friends! After a year of retirement, we are proud to announce our Grand Reopening for the new Vincente's Restaurant! We are now located on 5914 Kirkwood Highway. [Just pass Del. Park and across from All Saints Cemetery.] Our phone number is 302-543-6451 to make reservations. You can also visit our website.
We look forward to seeing you!!!
Sincerely,
Vincente

ANSWER: Thanks, Mr. Mancari. OK, Vincente fans you know where to go for the Italian "talking menu" and tableside caesar salad.

TABLE FOR FOUR? YOU MAY HAVE A WAIT, SIR.

QUESTION: Hi, I thought I would relay a story. Three weeks ago, my wife and I went to Capers & Lemons at 6 p.m. for dinner with no reservations. When we got there, it was mobbed and we were told it was an hour wait. We left and dined elsewhere.

Last week, it was my wife's b-day and I asked her where she wanted to go and she stated, "Let's try that Capers & Lemons place again, but let's get reservations this time." I called them to make a reservation for 4 and was told over the phone they ONLY take reservations for tables of 5 and nothing less. 5? OK. I told the person over the phone that I thought this was a poor rule in a down economy. After speaking to my wife, she chose to go to Okura instead. (Japanese restaurant in Hockessin.)

The Okura meal was excellent and we spent over $200 on that meal. Needless to say, we will not be going to Capers & Lemons at all in the future. I have never heard of a minimum of 5 reservations rule. Is this new or common? We dine out fairly regularly and have never run into this. Love the column.

Bruce

ANSWER: Hi Bruce. Thanks for the email. Yes, I actually have heard of and been to quite a few restaurants that do not take reservations for parties of four and under. Why? I suspect it's because some people are very late for reservations, don't show up for reservations or bother calling to cancel if they can't make a reservation. A table held for a reservation is lost money for the eatery, especially if many other people are waiting. I guess the thinking is that a party of five or more has less of a chance of canceling. Since it opened, Capers & Lemons has been a very popular eatery. The times I've been there has always been a wait.

Glad to hear you had a good dinner at Okura. I'm a fan of their sushi.

Restaurateurs, care to weigh in about no-reservation policies?

TURKISH EATS BACK IN ELKTON, Md.

QUESTION: Hi, Pat. Love your column!

Wanted to share that we recently visited Cappadocia Restaurant in Elkton for lunch and were quite pleasantly surprised with both the food and atmosphere. (Although their website indicates differently, it seems that they're no longer at the former 1st State Diner on 896 - http://www.firststatediner.com/)

For appetizers we tried the Dolma, Hommos, Baba Ghanouj, and Tarama - yum! For mains we tried the lamb Shish Kebab and the Adana Kebab sandwich - both were delicious.

Having stuffed ourselves overly full with this visit, next time we plan to pace ourselves and leave room to try the Baklava and Turkish Coffee.

As fans of Turkish and similarly prepared foods, it's so nice to find a local restaurant that does this cuisine well. (We're also a little worried - we were the only ones in there for lunch - it would be so disappointing if they don't make it.)

E. Daniels

ANSWER: I remember reviewing this same restaurant - you don't say, but is it near the Wawa right over the Delaware state line? - a few years ago. I took some friends who are very familiar with Turkish cuisine and they enjoyed the food, especially the meze and "puffy" bread. But I recall the room was very short on decor - in fact, it had all the charm of a bingo hall. The eatery later changed hands and the food wasn't the same. Sounds like I need to revisit sometime soon.

Mr. Zee

A time-out from food and wine to say a few words about Mr. Zee - longtime News Journal sports writer Matt Zabitka, who died last week.

Way back in the day, I occasionally wrote sports stories and would chat about what I was working on with Mr. Zee. (I don't think I ever called him Matt.) He was a kind man who was always encouraging and enthusiastic. Mr. Zee had phone numbers for almost anyone you would ever need to contact - all carefully written on index cards.

You almost never needed to go "check the archives" after talking to Mr. Zee. He knew all the details on local sports figures.

After one of my first "big" features stories in the paper - a piece on the 50th anniversary of the non-defunct Pala's Pizza - Mr. Zee sought me out and was one of the first people in the newsroom to give me a pat on the back. It meant more to me than he would ever know.

At one time in my career, I sat near Mr. Zee and would hear him talking on the phone to athletes. "What's your height and weight" was always part of the conversation - so much so that it's a part of News Journal legend. He always seemed so happy to be writing and talking to people. It was a joy to listen to him and watch him in action in his 70s and 80s - as well as fun to watch him pound out his stories using two fingers to type.

News Journal photographer Fred Comegys said he believes his first assignment as a photographer was going along with Mr. Zee to interview an old-time baseball player. (The photo and story later appeared in Time magazine.)

Tonight, Fred and I said goodbye to Mr. Zee. He was wearing a black suit and red bow tie and had his News Journal press card with him.

Let them eat cake

It's on!

The great crab cake search of the summer has been begun.

Eric Ruth and I are sifting through your suggestions and comments. I began the quest with a trip to Seasons Pizza, a surprising (well, to me) suggestion from a number of readers. That's one tasty broiled cake ($13.99). Photo to the right was taken by Bob Craig, another crab cake fanatic.

I'll keep you updated on the progress. We'll publish the results of the search later this summer.

What they're reading in the White House: UPDATE

If you're reading this, you're in good company.

This photo from MSNBC.com shows that's a copy of The News Journal - right there in the White House.

Photo (from Joe Biden's office) is from a slide show that accompanies Brian Williams' report on "Inside the Obama White House."

And for the food angle on this post? In the same report, President Obama was shown to be a Five Guys Burger and Fries fan. He and the Secret Service went for a burger run. Did you think Biden will ever introduce him to the Charcoal Pit?

UPDATE: Part II of Brian Williams' report airs tonight at 9.