Edible Delmarva: Fall 2022
There are so many things I love about each season here in Delmarva, but I especially love how one season slides so easily and seamlessly into the next. Summer lingers well into the autumn months, coming with blessedly cooler temperatures, fewer beach visitors, and evenings long enough for campfires and s’mores.
The harvest abundance continues, with local markets full of apples, squashes, and sweet potatoes, as well as melons, tomatoes, and berries. There are festivals celebrating oysters, brew fests and wine trails, artisan markets and street foods, and outdoor dining continues well into fall at our favorite spots to eat and drink. This is truly the season to appreciate all the reasons people come to visit Delmarva — and why so many are making the move permanent.
Staying in the restaurant business for decades is no easy task and doing it while maintaining relevance and respect is even harder. Xavier Teixido, of Harry’s Hospitality Group, is one of the few who have done so. With chef and leadership skills honed at some of the nation’s finest restaurants, Teixido came back to his native Wilmington and opened a series of successful restaurants (another coming up this year!) yet is most proud of mentoring many others who have gone on to launch careers throughout the region.
Mentorship and education also underlies the hospitality program at the University of Delaware, exemplified by their student-run fine-dining restaurant, Vita Nova. Here, students hone their management, front of house, and kitchen skills while gathering menu inspiration from seasonal dishes featuring local ingredients.
In addition to the fine-dining and casual restaurants at the Delaware beaches, there are also many options for a great breakfast — for many the most important meal of the day! Contributor Kent Jacobson visits several spots at the beach for the inside dish on where to find your favorite sweets and savories. And speaking of breakfast, Kate Livie explores that staple of Delmarva breakfast plates: scrapple. If you’ve wondered what it is, how it got its reputation, and where to find the best, come along as Kate sets out on The Scrapple Trail.
Deep roots in Maryland’s Eastern Shore waterman community inspired Glenn Higgins and his wife, Linda, to create the dazzling Chesapeake Seafood market for the best fish and seafood sourced locally and globally. This year, they expanded the market to bring that same level of service and sourcing by adding Prime Meats to the menu and they are busier than ever — drawing more than just locals to their St. Michaels location and catering across the region. Looks like the secret is out.
Another Eastern Shore hidden gem is Zelda’s Speakeasy in Chestertown, where in-the-know residents watch for the green light on Cross Street indicating the bar is open. You won’t find it on social media, in advertising, or on promotional posters — just word of mouth from one friend to another - the embodiment of a “best-kept local secret”.
Loving local is at the core of everything Edible stands for, and there are more than 80 publications across the nation that love their local as much as we do. When you travel, enhance the experience by checking out the local Edible to learn what the locals love. And when you’re here in Delmarva, keep showing the love for local and let us know what’s on your favorites list.
