Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Leisure eating at Larry's favorite beach
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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I made my annual treck to Rehoboth Beach a few weeks ago and revisited a nice place where I had eaten once before. So I decided to include it in an article this time around.
The Baywood Clubhouse Restaurant is an elegant place, as golf club communities often are. The inside bar and large dining areas boast deep, dark, wood paneling, elegant appointments, and a wine selection that, literally, fills one entire wall.
Even more pleasing to the lunch or dinner crowd is the vast, wraparound porch overlooking the links. Dining outdoors, when it's not too hot, is the way to go at this clubhouse. Aside from the lovely gated community and the golf course, Baywood boasts some of the most beautiful and extensive landscaping, with annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs in layers. The porch itself is reminiscent of antebellum homes of yore, with ceiling fans and large seating areas for diners and drinkers.
Even if your fellow diners are as dull as a rusty nail, the scenery beyond them will make it worthwhile.
And the food's pretty good as well, though a bit uneven on my two or three times there. Usually though, the kitchen comes through, despite a recent uninspired New England clam chowder and a so-so Philly cheese steak sandwich.
The prices are certainly reasonable enough, given the near-opulent clubhouse surroundings. Luncheon menu items start around $8 and barely top $12. A soup and sandwich combo, which one of my friends took advantage of, can be enjoyed for $9; soup and salad for even less.
The salads are ample and very crisp and fresh: bleu cheese, Cobb, shrimp and papaya, chef's and a salad platter.
Sandwiches are nicely done and filling. I've had their bistro (mozzarella, roasted red peppers, capers, arugula and tomatoes with a nice pesto sauce served on a baguette), and there's the grilled veggie sandwich, grilled salmon on sourdough, buffalo shrimp wrap, grilled cheese (Swiss, feta, and goat -- it's a really good meal), chicken, cheeseburger, chicken breast, pastrami and Swiss and Reuben.
I've had the pastrami -- served hot with onions on rye -- almost on par of a deli concoction. (Notice that I worked in the word "par," in sticking with the golf motif.)
Seafood entrees include an excellent jumbo lump crab. If you can't get a decent crab dish in this neck of the woods, you might as well give up.
Everyone claims the best crab cakes, even home in Roanoke, so you're on your own, but I found these to be full of big pieces of white meat, with little filling, and broiled to perfection. There's a flounder Francaise, fried shrimp, and a Dijon & molasses glazed salmon that a friend declared "quite excellent."
For the traditionalists: lots or steaks, even a by-request King cut; I can almost imagine something that big being delivered via wheel barrow. Oh, and there's veal, either gorgonzola or picatta.
There are larger and fancy-fied versions of much of this for the dinner crowd, plus announced daily specials. There are pasta entrees that are cheap and filling and generally quite nice, available anytime.
Desserts are plentiful, though I only tried the apple pie a la mode, which claims to be "prepared the old fashioned way." I have no idea what exactly was old fashioned about it, but it was fine without being exceptional.
I give the place high marks on service, food, wine selection, and ambiance. So who in the world would need much more than that anyway?
BAYWOOD CLUBHOUSE RESTAURANT
(open to the public)
Lunch 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Dinner 5 p.m.
Full bar
Carry out
Childrens' menu
Lite fare available
32267 Clubhouse Way
Millsboro, Del. (not far from Rehoboth Beach)
(302) 947-9225
