You’d be wrong if you think swimming and sunning are coastal Delaware’s leading activities. According to the tourism group Visit Southern Delaware, dining is the leading visitor activity along the coast, surpassing the allure of the surf and tax-free shopping.
While the Culinary Coast offers a variety of cuisines, some foods are area favorites. Try these seven items for local flavor.
“Dining is the leading visitor activity along the coast, surpassing the allure of the surf and tax-free shopping.”
➊ Scrapple
Breakfast spots from Lewes to Fenwick Island serve scrapple made with leftover meat scraps after butchering.
German immigrants likely brought the food to the mid-Atlantic, which explains its link to Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish traditions. Scrapple became a staple in agriculturally rich Sussex County, where thrifty farmers abound.
Thanks to the package’s ingredient list, scrapple is no mystery meat. (If you’re squeamish, don’t read it.) Today, there are pork and turkey versions. But a recipe’s balance of seasonings, fat, cornmeal—or flour—can make a difference to finicky fans.
Local purveyors include Hughes Delaware Maid in Felton, RAPA Scrapple in Bridgeville, now owned by Jones Farm, and Kirby & Holloway, which purchased Milton Scrapple.
In addition to sliced scrapple, Ocean Grill in Lewes features scrapple fries.
➋ Slippery Dumplings
Tell locals that dumplings are round if you want to look like a newbie. On the Delmarva Peninsula, they’re flat, thin and cooked in chicken stock—sometimes with gravy. Farther south, some call them “slick” dumplings. The Southern Grille in Ellendale is famous for its version.
➌ Strawberry Pretzel Salad
The Southern Grille is also the place for this Sussex County delight, which is under the dessert category. However, some hosts serve it at home as a side.
What’s more, it’s not a salad per se. A pretzel crust supports a layer of cream cheese—mixed with whipped cream— gelatin, and fresh or frozen strawberries. It’s more like a cheesecake, which Crust & Craft in the Midway area calls it.
➍ Fried Oysters & Chicken Salad
Although famous in Sussex County, the combo was reportedly born in 17th-century Philadelphia taverns. A pile of cheap oysters was a thrifty way to supplement smaller portions of then-costly chicken.
The distinctive surf-and-turf creation is available at Irish Eyes Restaurant & Pub in Milton and Lewes and is on the lunch menu at Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth.
➎ Crab Cakes
To start an argument, start naming the best crab cakes in the area. Yet most will agree that Woody’s Dewey Beach deserves a spot at the top of the list.
Jimmy O’Conor spent 25 years perfecting his recipe before opening the restaurant in 2009. Initially, the Baltimore native planned to focus on pit beef, and while it’s on the menu, most customers go for the crab.
➏ Steamed Crabs
Maryland gets all the glory. However, Delaware’s blue crabs bring in well over $10 million a year, making it Delaware’s most important fishery. Commercial watermen land around 4 million pounds of blue crabs in Delaware yearly.
Admittedly, restaurants such as The Surfing Crab in Lewes, The Crab House in Rehoboth Beach and The Blue Crab in Bethany Beach source crustaceans from several states depending on the time of year. Louisiana has bragging rights to the largest fishery, and Maryland is also a powerhouse.
➐ The Bobbie
Capriotti’s sub shop started in Wilmington, Delaware’s Little Italy, not Sussex County. However, there are now locations in Milford, Lewes and Millsboro.
The chain’s signature Bobbie sandwich, named for founders Lois and Alan Margolet’s aunt, is considered Delaware’s signature sandwich. Imagine a Thanksgiving table laden with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Capriotti’s tucks these holiday favorites on a roll—that’s the Bobbie.
It might be summer, but this sandwich is welcome at beach picnics, even in sweltering weather.
