Restaurant Review: Dew Point Brewing Co.

You know that old adage about buying property that says the three most important aspects to consider before purchasing are location, location, location. The Hoffman Family, who own and run Dew Point Brewery, got that one exactly right.

It is difficult to imagine a better place to have a brewery than the old Garrett Snuff Mill. A gorgeous old brick building that still has the smoke stack in the middle of the yard and ivy growing up the sides. While the brewery itself is easy to find with your GPS, the tasting room is a bit of a hunt. It is around the back of the building and up a flight of stairs.

Delaware's Covered Bridges

I have written before about my love of covered bridges. I admit that I was not aware that northern Delaware had some covered bridges until I stumbled across one of the three one day while I was driving somewhere else.

A bit of research showed that only three "authentic" covered bridges exist in Delaware, all in New Castle county. While some covered bridges exist in Kent and Sussex counties, they are not deemed authentic. To be so, the bridge must be constructed with tresses, not other methods. Who knew?

Restaurant Review: Pizzadili Winery

Tucked away outside of Felton is a small vineyard with a great story. The first grapes were planted by two brothers who learned the wine making business from their father in Sardinia. How they got to this country and ended up outside of Dover and what they did once they were here is a fabulous story that you need to hear for yourself.

I was very lucky. I wandered in to the tasting room early one afternoon and joined some other people who left soon after I arrived. As a result, I was able to sit and try the wines while chatting with Angela who now owns the vineyard. She told me story after story about her father and her uncle. Each is better than the last.

The Millville Boardwalk

You would think that the Delaware beaches have enough entertainment complexes to keep all the locals and visitors... well, entertained. When I heard that yet another was being built inland from the beaches, I must admit to a great deal of skepticism. There seemed to be two problems to me: the first, who needs another mini golf course and the second, who is going to bother to drive three and half miles west of Bethany to find it?

Turns out, lots of people will and have. I was hanging out with my niece and nephew this past weekend and we decided to go check it out. Both kids are teenagers and both have seen great mini golf courses and great arcades. I expected them to be a bit bored by it all.

Again, I was wrong.

Restaurant Review: Mariachi Restaurant

Feeding a growing young man who is also a vegetarian can be a challenge. I spent the better part of an hour recently researching the cuisines that cater to this diet. There are several, but the one that resonated the most with the two teenagers I was feeding was Mexican.

I then shifted my research to Mexican restaurants at the beach. The one that kept coming up as the best was Mariachi. They take reservations and had one available for the three of us at the time we wanted. Done.

Restaurant Review: Bethany Blues

I need to start this review with full disclosure. I worked at Blues for five years and so I am, perhaps, a bit biased about how good the food and the service is. But, in my defense, I had some back up validation the other day.

I am spending the weekend at the beach with my niece and nephew, both of whom are teenagers and both of whom have eaten at Blues many times in the past. On the first night we were together, I told them I would take them anywhere they wanted to go for dinner. The instant and unanimous decision that I got was "Blues --for the mac and cheese."

Restaurant Review: Autumn Arch Beer Project

To begin at the beginning, this brewery is a pain in the neck to find. I had two different GPS systems send me on a wild goose chase until I figured out that the best way to find it was old school. Even that was a challenge.

Trust your GPS to get you to Pencader Drive. Once you are there, follow the numbers until you get to 810. You will know you are there because there is a big sign that says Delaware Auto Glass and a tiny little sign down by the road that says Autumn Arch. The brewery is in Suite C, right next door to the glass place. I am not going to tell you how many times I drove past it before I got there. Suffice it to say I was more than ready for a drink when I walked in the door.

I had come to the right place.