Restaurant Review: Thompson Island Brewing Company

"[S]imple food can translate to beautiful simple beers."

-- Matt Patton, SoDel Concepts Director of Operations

The New York International Beer Competition is a big deal. Brewers from fourteen countries submit over 800 different beers in over thirty categories. Many of these brewers have been around for a long time and know what they're doing.

Imagine the cheek of a brewery that is a year old entering such a competition. Now, imagine that brewery not only winning three silver medals, but being named Delaware Brewery of the Year. That is exactly what happened in 2021 with Thompson Island Brewing Company. I had to go check this out.

Delaware Botanic Gardens

"All gardening is landscape painting."

-- William Kent

With quite a few public gardens located in and around northern Delaware, you might think that another Botanic Garden in the southern part of the state is unnecessary. I did. I was wrong.

Restaurant Review: Bardea Food and Drink

He profits most who serves best.

-- Arthur Sheldon

Normally, I would have been extremely impressed when I walked into Bardea. But, I was so nonplussed, that it took me several minutes to recover before I could enjoy where I was. More on that below.

Delaware Discoveries Trail

A detail from the Children's Museum.

"To my mind a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful and pretty. There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them."

-- Pierre-Auguste Renoir

The Delaware Tourism Office is always trying to find different ways to encourage people both local and not to explore the state. Some of their ideas are excellent. Case in point is the Delaware Discoveries Trail.

Developed in the fall of 2020 when the country and the state needed some color and some fresh air, the DTO commissioned artists to paint something that would be displayed outside from the top of the state to the bottom. I spent a day visiting them all and I am here to tell you that it is a success.

Restaurant Review: Irish Eyes Restaurant and Pub

It's hard to beat the location of this restaurant. Sitting right on the water, it is accessible by foot, by bike, by car, or by boat. It could be many things; it has chosen to be a bar with food that allows its customers to relax and enjoy sitting outside at the beach.

While it is not necessarily the choice I would make, it is hard to argue with the success this restaurant has enjoyed for over thirty years. It is down to earth and it is a fun place to hang out.

Restaurant Review: Beach Time Distilling

"The martini: the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet."

-- H.L. Mencken

I admire people with passion. It doesn't matter if whomever I am speaking with cares about the same things I do, but if they discuss it with passion I am always intrigued and willing to listen.

I was reminded of this when I visited Beach Time Distilling. While making or producing alcohol is not something that I foresee spending any amount of time on, the owner of BTD, Greg Christmas, is so passionate about what he does that I found myself entranced for the ninety minutes I spent with him.