Lewes Oyster House proves that things smart to all who wait.
After months of delays, the downtown Lewes restaurant at 108 Second St. It opened its doors to the public this week.
Last week, however, the Second Street restaurant took a spin with friends and family, and a reporter headed to a seat at the oyster bar to take a look.
They showed that the team had used their time wisely.
The track of the partners is impressive.
Tim Bartle is a veteran who worked for Charlie Palmer Collective. Tom Little is also on board, whom many know from his time at Crooked Hammock Brewery and its control group, La Vida Hospitality Restaurant Group.
While applying for La Vida, Little met Sean Corea, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.
Lewes Oyster House has a cozy feel like those establishments, but the owners get some sleep at work.
From the logo to the menu, it is transparent that they have an idea of your concept.
The space, formerly Jerry’s Seafood, is housed in the Walsh Building, which was built in the 1930s.
It was a network center and a fire station, but most people the site was the original Rose.
The partners looked for the place to eat to look like a pub, a meeting place for the city.
And, in the past, an East Coast tavern used to offer oysters, which is why beach-favorite bivalves are the star.
In fact, the level is set from the beginning.
The oyster bar is at the lowest point next to the windows facing the street. Aquarium-shaped tanks involving oysters are nested next to the glass.
RELATED STORY: Rosenfeld closes at Brandywine Hundred
RELATED STORY: Finally! Wegmans opens in Delaware
So far, they’ve included Rehoboth Bay’s gentle Arrowhead Point, Chincoteague; Sewansecott of Virginia; and Pink Moon, sensitive oysters from Prince Edward Island.
A blast to put climbers back on the sidewalk, but it works.
The curious stopped to take a look at the restaurant, and diners enjoy a double screen: they can see the peelers and pedestrians.
A luxurious bench for an organization sits on one side of the oyster bar, creating a table to see and see: everyone who enters the place to eat will have to pass.
On the side, a wall of wines.
Most seating is on the level, where black banquets with brass railings line an exposed brick wall.
The main bar is also located on this level, as is a room that can host parties.
Resplendent wood accents, panels, stained glass, octagonal tiles and pewter ceilings contribute to the Old World style.
As for art, the framed photographs pay homage to the nautical theme, and beach real estate expert Lee Ann Wilkinson, who owns the building, contributed some of her oyster dishes, which hang near the oyster bar.
For example, Korea named the shellfish towers ($85, $110) after the chimney towers in Cape Henlopen State Park, which was once a World War II military base.
In addition to raw oysters, there are cooked mixes, the Buffalo Soldier in New Orleans ($12), fried oysters topped with gorgonzola, butter and Louisiana’s Crystal Hot Sauce.
There is plenty of food to accompany oysters, craft beer and a variety of wines.
Take, for example, Memphis-style wings, crab-stuffed Kennett mushrooms ($14), which arrive in a snail dish, and a corndog with lobster and chips ($26).
Certainly, many dishes reveal Korea’s gastronomic roots. Starters also come with beef tartare ($15), whipped ricotta toast ($11) and roasted shishito peppers ($11).
Anyway, the food is fun. And while the appetizers were impressive — butter-poached halibut ($32), duck ice cream with lavender honey ($31) — the sandwiches were too tempting for the nosy reporter to resist.
Let’s talk for a minute about the fried blue catfish sandwich ($13), dipped in buttermilk and cornmeal and served with remoulade and Pennsylvania Dutch cabbage salad.
Blue catfish, an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay, are delicious, much meatier and sweeter than their pedestrian brethren. More restaurants serve this sustainable and affordable species.
The lobster roll is a decent edition of the main signature sandwich, with the Frankfurt bread split.
Both were accompanied by deliciously crispy and savory fries, served in boxes covered in brown paper that resemble potato peels.
Obviously, one is not enough to revel in what Lewes Oyster House has to offer. And that’s a smart thing.
Share this post