From the stills to the taps, It’s all local at Chesapeake & Maine

It’s been almost 25 years since I started writing about our Cape Region food industry, and so many things have changed! Former Back Porch Restaurant co-owner Keith Fitzgerald said it best when he told me, “Beach dining should be more than just corn dogs and pizza.” Though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with corn dogs and pizza, an influx of entrepreneurial talent and kitchen creativity has definitely secured our place as the Nation’s Summer Capital.

We have garnered the attention of the prestigious James Beard Foundation, the Michelin Guide, Wine Spectator Magazine and Netflix, just to name a few. Over the past few years, many of our local chefs have attracted the attention of the Food Network – in fact, this Saturday I’ll have the honor of interviewing this week’s Food Network “Chopped” contestant – yet another talented Delaware chef – on my Beach Eats radio show. Quite a leap from corn dogs and pizza, huh?

And it’s not just about food. It’s a rare out-of-town menu that doesn’t offer a brew from any number of our local breweries. One of the first is Dogfish Head Brewery. Now an integral part of Boston Beer Company (home of Samuel Adams), this sparkling empire started out in the back room of a little Rehoboth Avenue restaurant called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats.

As the DFH brewings (and eventually spirits) began to make a name for themselves, the company began concentrating on the “eats” part of the title. And out of that process grew Chesapeake & Maine Restaurant in the old Potpourri and Finbar’s space next door to the original Dogfish eatery. The concept pays homage to boss Sam Calagione's childhood vacation spots in Maine and his Eastern Shore locale near the Chesapeake Bay.

Just last week, Sam and his team unveiled a brand-new iteration of Chesapeake & Maine. Though our busy schedules didn’t mesh, Cape Gazette publisher Chris Rausch (I’m fortunate to have him as part of my vast network of restaurant spies, moles and operatives) kindly served as my eyes, ears and taste buds as he and Cape Gazette reporter Chris Flood (a known Maine enthusiast) enjoyed an inaugural dinner with Sam Calagione and his wife Mariah. General manager Erica Gallagher brought Chris and crew up to date on C&M’s new menu and restaurant renovations. One of the striking features is the sleek new bar behind which lead mixologist Ryan Warwick plies his trade.

As soon as you enter C&M, it’s immediately obvious that it’s all about fresh seafood. In fact, the raw bar area is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen. So it made sense that the first course would be oysters on the half-shell, served with what was apparently fresh horseradish that, in Rausch’s words, could “wake you up from a dead sleep.” I love it that way. A round of Ryan’s peach cocktails quickly put out the delectable fire.

There were lots of favorites on the original menu, and Head Chef Jordan Drew wisely kept many of the most popular. A few of the stars on the new menu are Steak Bordelaise (get it with crab or lobster!), a scratch-made Lobster Ravioli, a colorful Tuna Poke Bowl and (lightly) Seared Scallops. Server Michelle quietly suggested the Steak Oscar, evoking memories of the long-gone Oscar’s Restaurant that used to be diagonally across the street from the current Dogfish complex.

Chef Jordan has taken the menu to international levels, importing flavors from North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and even Mexico. He’s determined to stay in sync with Dogfish Head’s off-centered mentality.

Warwick is keeping Chesapeake & Maine’s James Beard Award-nominated bar program on track. Given that the Dogfish stills are just a few minutes north of Rehoboth, Ryan said, “We have a straight connection with where our spirits come from.” And he has free rein to integrate these not only into his signature cocktails, but some of the menu items as well.

It’s no secret that Dogfish Head is one of our local industries whose innovation and creativity help to secure our ongoing position as the Nation’s Summer Capital. See more at dogfish.com/restaurants/chesapeake-maine.