Based on this article about the 100 foods you must eat in North Carolina’s 100 counties, I got to wondering about Delaware’s three most essential foods – grouped by New Castle, Kent and Sussex.
Let’s crowd source this mother, but I’ll start. Kent County is hereby represented by the Wagon Wheel restaurant’s muskrat and stewed tomatoes… until it is unseated, by someone nominating some actual food,
we got a lot of humble pie here in Sussex
failing that – we got Scrapple and Menudo -(thats the Latino version of the same stuff -thought it was fitting to mention…..
Humble Pie seems to top the charts tho
Hardy’s 1000 calorie burger in kent.
Lot’s of crow being eaten down here washed down with a bottle of St. Bodie Girl lager.
But if you really want a treat, it has to be my chicken soup & matzo balls.
And as a local favorite, it has to be the Blue Moon’s Moon Pie.
scrapple.
Chicken & Dumplings. Slick corn bread.
if you’re in sussex you need to wash it down with a cold Dogfish Head.
Chicken and potato salad barbecued roadside by a community group: Kiwanis, Jaycees, fire company, etc. Washed down with lemonade or iced tea. Good luck finding this upstate.
Do NOT eat potato salad at roadside fundraiser vendors. On the other hand, its a great way to lose weight in a hurry, its just not very fun.
Specifically: in Sussex, grab the Greenwood Fire Department’s BBQ chicken. Get there early, because they sell out fast.
Some NCC nominations:
banana (or strawberry) cream pie at Arner’s on Rte. 13
Deerhead hot dogs, with the works – “It’s the sauce!”
Woodside Farm ice cream – bonus points for going to the farm and visiting the cows while you’re eating the ice cream.
People’s Festival in wilmington. Look for Ox tail roti. dont worry about what it actually might be or how/when/where it was made. It is delicious and sometimes, you just gotta roll the dice. like acme sushi.
Scrapple… slathered with grape jelly.
RAPA’s recipe comes closest to the scrapple my grandfather made at our annual ‘hog killin’. Pop used to cure some bitchin bacon, too.
– Menudo rocks, but has nothing to do with real scrapple.
– Dogfish Head is practically my neighbor. I strongly recommend taking the tour.
– Nobody down eats Humble Pie or crow down here, except for the transplants from the city.
Sadly, up here in NCC, we can’t limit it to one place. It’s a real problem to have so much abundance from the wealth created that the rest of the state lives off of.
for now, I’ll enjoy my Sushi on Saturday’s at Le Shio so I’ll throw that place into the ring for any Asian Fusion lovers.
I hate mentioning chain restaurants as I think they are evil. But everyone must at least eat at a Melting Pot once in their life.
after that feel free to pop into Chelsea’s Tavern for a great beer on tap and some awesome food.
People who provide a specific place comprehend this exercise. Commenters who simply ejaculate “scrapple” do not.
I’m ready to make a ruling.
1) Dogfish Head qualifies as a food and can represent SC on the final list. That leaves Kent and the State’s most intelligent and affluent county.
Melting pot… meh.
What is Ox tail roti?
fine, fine, It’s a dining experience more than a place to go to over and over.
I’ll try again…sheesh
Rapa’s is hands down the best scrapple in Delaware. Tip for judging scrapple: Read the label. The good stuff has pork liver listed near the top.
But grape jelly? My wife’s grandmother saw me dab up some pancake syrup with my grits once and said, “Oooh, I can’t stand sweet on my grits!” I think scrapple might fall into the same category.
By the way, Delaware is the only state in which I’ve ever seen grits and scrapple on the same menu. Makes us #1 in my book.
Upstate Nominees:
I second Arner’s. Best pie in the state, I dare someone to find better. Also woodside farms. I mourn the loss of Nawlins Snowballs all these years later. Damn you Ritas.
DV: Personally I prefer mikis for my sushi. Also Rasa Sayang if you’re going Malaysian
The Dog House on 13 for hot dogs, Stoney’s on 202 for Fish and Chips. Mary’s Country Kitchen or Jimmy’s for an old school breakfast and OBVIOUSLY The Kitchen Sink sundae from The Charcoal Pit. Everyone NEEDS to eat that (or as much of that until it melts) at least once.
My three nominations:
New Castle County: Stoltzfus sausage sandwich at the New Castle Farmer’s Market
Kent County: crabs at Sambo’s tavern in Leipsic
Sussex County: Since I found the place a few years ago, no trip to the beach has been complete for me without baja style fish (mahi-mahi) and shrimp tacos at El Dorado on Route 24 just off Route 1 (next to Gray Hare tavern) outside Rehoboth.
“People who provide a specific place comprehend this exercise. ”
Why does it matter where you eat your scrapple? But if you insist…scrapple, from my kitchen.
DV: Personally I prefer mikis for my sushi. Also Rasa Sayang if you’re going Malaysian
can’t argue you there, Le Shio is my spot more for location. Mikimoto’s is a cut above for sure.
Miscreant telling people to put grape jelly on scrapple is like the Pope voicing an opinion on circumcision.
Any idiot knows you put strawberry jam on scrapple.
NCC: Walt’s Flavor Crisp
Kent: Helen’s Sausage Hizzy
Sussex: Steamed #1s from the Rehoboth Bay
Scrapple with grape jelly? Hum, interesting. Prefer mine deep fried with ketchup and hot sauce. Rapa’s the best but Kirby Holloway rocks too! Luv the gelatinous covering of tasty lipids that congeal just inside the wrapper!
Guess I know what Im having for breakfast mañana.
Or a Nicoboli!
NCCo: The Bobbie from Capriotti’s
Kent: Helen’s Sausage House
Sussex: Scrapple Sandwich
on great sandwiches. a moment or silence for Daffy Deli and the Bomb
Greenwood BBQ chicken!
When Chris Coons agreed to spend time door knocking with me during the campaign, to introduce him to Greenwood, I insisted that our first stop was to eat BBQ chicken next to the fire station. Or maybe I was just hungry.
I know-cool story bro.
Oh man, how could I forget the Bobbie? I might have to rescind my original vote for the Stoltzfus sausage in NCC.
Speaking of sausage, I’m going to be nitpicky and point out that Helen’s Sausage House is actually in New Castle County (though not by much). Not that that makes it any less awesome…
Snapper turtle soup at the Wilmington Country Club
Goat masala at Flavor of India in Dover
Cheeseburger sub at Pizza Villa in Lewes
OK, how about the macaroons at the Hotel duPont for NCC? If not, I’ll go with the Bobbie.
You’d have to go with the hillbilly meat (as Mrs. XStryker once put it) at the Wagon Wheel for Kent.
And for Sussex, I’d say a DFH 90 Minute IPA (or a classic Punkin Ale)
I can’t believe I forgot the Bobbie. I’m angry with myself.
also: RIP Daffy Deli, much love.
If we’re picking a specific DFH I’d go with Midas Touch, simply for the badassery that is it’s orgin story.
Greenwood chicken BBQ for Sussex, or RAPA scrapple…I’d say those are most iconic.
Thw Bobbie doesn’t count, it is available statewide.
Just agreeing or adding to the list:
NCC — Hotel duPont macaroons–absolutely Geek
Kent–chicken salad/rice pudding made at any firehouse auxiliary
Sussex–pretzel salad–never heard of it until being there, and yum!
1. All You Damn Jelly-Lovin’ Heathens: Scrapple is eaten with American cheese on white bread. Everyone knows that. Stop ruining God’s Food. Sandwiches are good & hot at the Harbeson Deli.
2. Joanne – What on the good green earth is pretzel salad?? I’ve lived in Sussex most of my life and never heard of anything by that name.
It’s that cream cheese, strawberry jello, strawberries, whipped creme, smashed pretzel crust concoction, that folks down there told me it’s called!!!
New Castle: Sausage gravy over biscuits with eggs at Crossroads
Kent: Flounder sandwich at Shuckers or broiled scallops at Kirby and Holloways
Sussex: Italian sausage with peppers and onions at Gus and Gus’s on the Boardwalk
New Castle: Winterthur Sunday Brunch
Kent:what Steve said
Sussex:Nico-bolis! with everything! I love Joan & Nick! And the kids are fantastic as well.
Nico-Bolis!
Ohhh … that mess. Thanks! I never heard it called that, but don’t doubt that you’re right. I bypass it at potlucks, myself. I much prefer sweet potatoes with mini-marshmallows.
NCC: Post House
Kent: Eh..
Sussex: Go Fish! You can’t go wrong with a fried battered banger.
Margaritas at Agave in Lewes – oh wait you said food. Um…margaritas at Agave.
The Bobbie, Helen’s Sausage House, Greenwood BBQ chicken.
Just think like a campaign manager. Where would you send your candidate for a photo op? If you’re in Greenwood and ask for BBQ sauce, you’re done like Kerry asking for swiss cheese on his cheesesteak in Philly.
I’ve made my ruling and these are the finalists:
NCC: Walt’s Flavor Crisp or The Bobbie ? I favor the Flavor Crisp even though I’ve never heard of it until just now. (The Bobbie is all hype. If someone said, “Capastrami” they might have a point.)
KC: Crabs at Sambo’s tavern in Leipsic vs Crabs at the Boondocks. I have to check a map, but if Boondocks is in Kent, it should win. If not, DQ’ed.
Sussex: Italian sausage with peppers and onions at Gus and Gus’s on the Boardwalk or DFH 90 Minute IPA ? I’m leaning Gus & Gus.
Congratulations finalists.
Try Louies for subs and Pizza. There’s lots of high end food in Rehoboth
Looks like Sambo’s Tavern Crabs will represent Kent.
Next up, DFH 90 Minute IPA v. Gus & Gus Boardwalk Italian Sausage.
What’s scrapple?
MJ – everything but the oink!
I think we are firing MJ, now.
it does seem there are grounds for dismissal.
WOOOOHOOOOOOOOO
Get your SC votes in. Polls close this afternoon.
beer-the perfect food
i vote the Dfh IPA
now…whos buying me one or two or three
Italian Sausage With Onions & Peppers From Gus & Gus Place, Rehoboth joins Sambo’s crabs and takes the gold in SC. Vote now for Walt’s Flavor Crisp.
R U kidding me? The Bobbie?
I like the occasional Bobbie as much as anyone, but a franchise wins NCC? A “signature” food you can get exactly the same way in a dozen states. I guess Merica’s best steak house is The Outback
Voting is still open. If you haven’t had Walt’s just go to the website and even viewing the low res pictures, you can see that it is awesome.
If the Bobbie wins, I’m not going to use my judge’s challenge to overturn it – but there is a judge’s challenge on the horizon.
It wasn’t always a franchise; the original is in NCCo, isn’t it? But no Delaware sub can stand up to one from Philly, because we don’t have decent hoagie rolls in Delaware. Whereas Walt’s might be the best chicken ever.
Face it, Delaware is a vast culinary wasteland. There are places where you can get good food, even very good food, but nothing universally recognized as regional signature dishes. That’s not a bad thing, it just means we are eclectic. On the plus side, Delaware is becoming more open to new foods.
The first Capriotti’s was in Claymont. We can’t disqualify the Bobbie just because we were kind enough to share it with other portions of the country.
The criteria is not that the food is some kind of regional dish, but that it is great. This contest is saying, “If you travel to this county, eat this food or Jason330 will regard you as an idiot.”
I’m with Jason — the occasional Bobbie is great, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get one. The accomplishment of Walt’s chicken is in how well it is (consistently) cooked — which is a its’s own accomplishment for friend chicken. Crispy on the outside; tender and juicy on the inside — it *almost* reminds me of Korean fried chicken. Flavor though, is just OK.
But as Geezer was talking about steak subs, I was reminded of the very fine steak subs up at the Claymont Steak Sub Shop. Tony Luke’s is my favorite steak sub and Claymont might be my second.
“MJ – [scrapple is] everything but the oink!”
Not true. You’re thinking of hot dogs, which contain all sorts of offal along with muscle tissue. The hard, translucent bits you occasionally bite into are eye lenses, for example. Scrapple, by contrast, lists its pork part ingredients on the label, and no decent brand includes the “meat by-products” that most hot dogs do.
Scrapple is technically speaking a country pate, with cornmeal added to the meat. The best brands have a high percentage of pork liver, along with hearts, snouts and skin. For my money, RAPA (all caps, because it stands for Ralph and Paul Adams, I think) is the best brand out there.
“The hard, translucent bits you occasionally bite into are eye lenses,”
Just when you think every possible combination of English words has been used, you find out how wrong you are.
After all the scrapple chat here I went out and tried “Greenwod Brand.” It was very good, but I’ve never had a scrapple that I didn’t like.
BTW – My computer thinks that there is no such word as scrapple.
well here’s the way i thought about it. i’ve had a lot of friends who came to delware for college etc. and i was born and raised here. consistently my “oh my god you have to try this thing you haven’t heard of” reccommendation to them? the bobbie. I also know home grown friends that moved away that have them whenever they’re home. Maybe i’m just friends with turkey people.
also, have you ever tried to make one with your thanksgiving leftovers? you can’t quite duplicate it. you can get close, but theirs is always better.
also, Geezer
thank you for ruining hot dogs for me for AT LEAST the next six months. eye lenses…. ugh… that’s going to take a long time to forget…
While in Ohio a couple of weeks ago, we met up with some friends from Indiana. Prior to the meet we asked them if we could bring them anything from Delaware. They requested scrapple or salt water taffy. They had never eaten ether, and I was surprised they had even heard of them. We acted as if we didn’t hear the request for taffy, and smuggled a kilo of RAPA scrapple to Ohio and had them over for breakfast. They’re addicted.
The “What do ex-pat Delawareans eat when they come back?” question is a pretty good measure of local specialty. For Doverites like myself it is cheesesteaks from Giacomo’s.
Tasty-cakes, cheese-steaks and subs from almost anywhere.
V: Get the Hebrew National brand. Remember their old commercial, the one with Uncle Sam holding a frankfurter while the voiceover mentions all the things the FDA allows in hot dogs but Hebrew National doesn’t, because they answer to a higher authority? It’s all true. No nasty bits.