Thursday, August 13, 2009
Hobos in Rehoboth
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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My annual trek to Rehoboth Beach, Del., always results in a new food experience to write about. And this year's vacation was no exception.
My local friends, who stay apprised of such things just for old “Larr,” were anxious to take me to Hobos Restaurant and Bar, located in an old house on Baltimore Avenue.
With a name like Hobos, you might expect a bunch of poor people sitting around eating beans out of can. Not so fast, hoss! Nope, chef Gretchen Hanson is ready to impress you with an eclectic menu of very fresh edibles.
While we would have preferred avoiding the heat and humidity of summer by eating inside, the indoor bar/dining area was closed during this particular lunch for repairs. So we made do in the front-porch dining room, which turned out to be fine -- a mild breeze made it quite refreshing, in fact.
Service was prompt and pleasant, the table a bit wobbly (well it is an old front porch), and drink service was water and tea (the bar was down for some sort of repairs).
There were some unusual offerings on the luncheon menu, including a crab and brie baguette with arugula salad and red peppers. And a quesadilla filled with squash blossoms, poblano peppers and cilantro cream (a friend tried it and loved it).
But I tend toward wraps and sandwiches on hot beach days, so I tried the Havana, a Cuban pork sandwich with Serrano ham, pork and bitter orange, Jarlsberg cheese, pickled onions, pickles and stone-ground mustard. To my notion, this was one of the better Cuban sandwiches I've enjoyed. They tend to be a bit dry, but this one was bursting with flavor and plenty juicy and lovely -- a treat to the taste buds with its combination of sweet, sour and other.
We also ordered a Chesapeake wrap comprised of classic shrimp salad with avocado, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. The chef had a deft hand at creating exciting flavor combinations even with the tried-and-true.
Plated salads excel at this restaurant not only for the lovely plate presentations, but for the interesting couplings of ingredients: Panzanella with heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and pesto vinaigrette was a winner with my friends, for instance.
There's a Tijuana Caesar with Grana Padano cheese and homemade croutons for a mere $8, but you can add chicken, skirt steak, grilled salmon or shrimp for additional bucks to make it more interesting.
A Santa Fe tortilla salad with queso fresco featured grilled corn, black beans, avocados and baby greens with the option of add-ons such as shrimp or steak.
The Puerto Escondido crab and artichoke tostada topped with red-pepper cream served with a salad of baby greens and artichoke hearts is a winner, even at $16.
There are prepared salads to go: South Beach chicken, Tunalicious salad, couscous with fire-roasted vegetables, quinoa salad with ginger salsa, red harissa tabbouleh, and even chickpea salad with cilantro vinaigrette.
There are announced daily lunch and dinner specials. But most special of all is the fact that Hobos is a nice combination of informal, beachy-type dining but with a very high level of sophistication, food-wise.
The chef, staff and ocean breezes combine to make this a first-rate dining experience.
Hobos Restaurant and Bar
56 Baltimore Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
(302) 226-2226
www.myhobos.com
My local friends, who stay apprised of such things just for old “Larr,” were anxious to take me to Hobos Restaurant and Bar, located in an old house on Baltimore Avenue.
With a name like Hobos, you might expect a bunch of poor people sitting around eating beans out of can. Not so fast, hoss! Nope, chef Gretchen Hanson is ready to impress you with an eclectic menu of very fresh edibles.
While we would have preferred avoiding the heat and humidity of summer by eating inside, the indoor bar/dining area was closed during this particular lunch for repairs. So we made do in the front-porch dining room, which turned out to be fine -- a mild breeze made it quite refreshing, in fact.
Service was prompt and pleasant, the table a bit wobbly (well it is an old front porch), and drink service was water and tea (the bar was down for some sort of repairs).
There were some unusual offerings on the luncheon menu, including a crab and brie baguette with arugula salad and red peppers. And a quesadilla filled with squash blossoms, poblano peppers and cilantro cream (a friend tried it and loved it).
But I tend toward wraps and sandwiches on hot beach days, so I tried the Havana, a Cuban pork sandwich with Serrano ham, pork and bitter orange, Jarlsberg cheese, pickled onions, pickles and stone-ground mustard. To my notion, this was one of the better Cuban sandwiches I've enjoyed. They tend to be a bit dry, but this one was bursting with flavor and plenty juicy and lovely -- a treat to the taste buds with its combination of sweet, sour and other.
We also ordered a Chesapeake wrap comprised of classic shrimp salad with avocado, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. The chef had a deft hand at creating exciting flavor combinations even with the tried-and-true.
Plated salads excel at this restaurant not only for the lovely plate presentations, but for the interesting couplings of ingredients: Panzanella with heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and pesto vinaigrette was a winner with my friends, for instance.
There's a Tijuana Caesar with Grana Padano cheese and homemade croutons for a mere $8, but you can add chicken, skirt steak, grilled salmon or shrimp for additional bucks to make it more interesting.
A Santa Fe tortilla salad with queso fresco featured grilled corn, black beans, avocados and baby greens with the option of add-ons such as shrimp or steak.
The Puerto Escondido crab and artichoke tostada topped with red-pepper cream served with a salad of baby greens and artichoke hearts is a winner, even at $16.
There are prepared salads to go: South Beach chicken, Tunalicious salad, couscous with fire-roasted vegetables, quinoa salad with ginger salsa, red harissa tabbouleh, and even chickpea salad with cilantro vinaigrette.
There are announced daily lunch and dinner specials. But most special of all is the fact that Hobos is a nice combination of informal, beachy-type dining but with a very high level of sophistication, food-wise.
The chef, staff and ocean breezes combine to make this a first-rate dining experience.
Hobos Restaurant and Bar
56 Baltimore Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
(302) 226-2226
www.myhobos.com
