Out & About Magazine April 2016

Also In This Issue World Cafe Live at The Queen Turns 5 12th Annual City Restaurant Week Indie Films Worth Watching

Dine

Around Tasty events & appetizing additions to the area scene

APRIL 2016 CO M P L I M E N TA R Y VOL. 29 | NO. 2

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APR 19-24

2016

— Tickets start at $40 — Call 302.888.0200 or visit www.ThePlayhouseDE.org APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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OVER 60 CRAFT

BEERS

LATE NIGHT - HAPPY HOUR - BRUNCH

76 E Main St, Newark, DE 19711 • (302) 738-3800 • HakunaHospitalityGroup.com APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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NOCHE DE

D Ma

CARNAVAL 4.29.16 . 6 PM – 10 PM $5 . CASH BAR

Celebrate the exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art and the diversity of Latin American culture with this festive, afterhours night carnival!

Details at delart.org.

2301 Kentmere Parkway | Wilmington, DE 302.571.9590 | delart.org

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LIVE MUSIC INTIKANA DJ PERLY DJ SOUL BUCK DR. DRUM ORQUESTA SALSABOR FOOD TRUCKS

SPONSORED BY Photograph by Alessandra Nicole.

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2 INSIDE 2

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Out & About Magazine Published each month by TSN Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mailing & business address: 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

17 83

our staff Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Associate Editor Krista Connor • kconnor@tsnpub.com Director of Digital Media & Distribution Marie Graham Poot • mgraham@tsnpub.com

what’s inside START

DRINK

7 The War on Words 9 F.Y.I. 10 By the Numbers 13 Worth Trying 15 A Tale of Two Passions 17 The Mill 21 OperaDelaware 23 Downtown Visions

52 Tea Time 57 R2Hop2 61 Sips

Contributing Designer Ryan Alexander, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

LEARN

WATCH

8 Food Truck Success

Contributing Writers Mark Fields, Pam George, Paula Goulden, Rob Kalesse, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Robert Lhulier, Allan McKinley, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Scott Pruden, Eric Ruth, Matt Sullivan

FOCUS

71 Reviews 74 Movies on Tap 75 Six-Pack Cinema 77 Staff Indie Picks

Creative Director & Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. matt@catvis.biz Graphic Designer Tyler Mitchell, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. tyler@catvis.biz

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Contributing Photographers Dennis Dischler, Joe del Tufo, Tim Hawk, Les Kipp, Anthony Santoro, Matt Urban Interns Shawn Caparelli, Matt Moore Special Projects Sarah Green, John Holton, David Hallberg

27 New Eateries Abound 33 Heart of the Home Tour

EAT

LISTEN 63 WCL at The Queen’s 5th 67 Musikarmageddon Solo 68 Tuned In

PLAY 83 Snap Shots

36 City Restaurant Week 39 Bites

WILMINGTON 41 Art on the Town 45 Theatre N 46 On the Riverfront

On the cover: Restaurateur Dan Butler in a home kitchen, part of the Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour. See story on page 33.

Photo Joe del Tufo

FEATURES 27 New Eateries Abound Hope springs eternal in the traditionally tough restaurant business. Witness the slew of new eateries cropping up in New Castle County.

By Rob Kalesse

33 Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour Fundraiser gives visitors a look into area’s finest homes—and offers tastings from local restaurants.

By Krista Connor

36 City Restaurant Week Wilmington’s culinary rite of spring returns for its 12th year this month. The 2016 lineup features 14 of Wilmington’s finest eateries, each owner-operated.

63 Symbol of a Downtown Revival Transformed from a derelict building, World Cafe Live at The Queen celebrates its fifth anniversary.

Founders and fans look back — and forward.

By Krista Connor

Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 Website: outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A writer/editor’s slightly snarky and relentless crusade to eliminate grammatical gaffes from our everyday communications

Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine

THE WAR ON WORDS A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse

By Bob Yearick

Phony Sophistication It’s always been with us, but I’m convinced phony sophistication is increasing. I’m referring to the use of words that sound classy or even elegant, but are wrong. As more and more media folk train their cameras and microphones on public and not-so-public figures, we are bombarded with these misguided attempts at sophistication. Here, in no particular order, are those that seem to be most prevalent: • Choosing “between you and I” instead of the correct “between you and me.”

• Pronouncing the t in often. Yes, it is silent.

• Using “infer” to mean “imply.” They are not synonymous.

• Using “amongst” (ugh!) instead of “among.”

• Using “begs the question” for “raises the question.” Never use this phrase. That’s not what it means.

• Using “literally” for emphasis. It will almost always be wrong.

(See Literally of the Month.)

• Using “whom” or “whomever” in such phrases as “Police are looking for whomever is responsible.” In this case whomever is not the object of for, as it may appear at first glance; it’s the subject of the second verb (is). When placed as a subject, always use who or whoever.

• Using “bemused” to mean “amused.” Bemused means confused, puzzled.

Media Watch Both from old reliable, The Wilmington News Journal. Corrections in parentheses: Headline on the sports page: “Durant gets passed (past) injury.”

From a report on schools: “Beyond placing undo (undue) pressure on high school kids and their families, the tests spawned a multi-million dollar test prep industry . . .”

Errant Prepositions Prepositions continue to present problems for many in the media. We’ve seen some strange uses for them lately. For instance: From a Wilmington News Journal story: “The group packed a federal courtroom in Wilmington on Thursday to impart on the judge the serious danger the public and girls would face if a life sentence was not handed down.” The phrase is “impart to.”

Perhaps the reporter meant “impress upon.”

Also from the NJ, another example of the odd language that dominates the paper’s captions: “Bill Cosby arrives to the Montgomery County Court House Feb. 2, 2016, in Norristown, Pa.” Never mind the weird insertion of the date and year, one arrives at a destination.

And we saw a TV commercial for flowers in which the voiceover informed us: “Order now and save 20 percent off.” This is clearly a case for the Department of Redundancies Dept.

Mea Culpa Reader Ken Matlusky spotted what he accurately called “an ironic error” in our February column. In the section about the most common redundancies, he noticed that I mentioned "our personal favorites,” and asked, “Isn't using 'personal' immediately before 'favorites' a redundancy?” Right you are, Ken. Good catch.

Also, in the March column, the sentence “his condition was aggravated by the drugs prescribed” was said to be incorrect. It is correct, as several readers noted. The object of the aggravation — his “condition”—could be aggravated ( made worse) by the drugs.

Word of the Month

gaucherie Pronounced goh-shuh-REE, it’s a noun meaning a lack of tact or grace; also an instance of this. (From the French “gauche,” which means left-handed or awkward.)

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Literally of the Month “They literally bend over backwards to accommodate (military personnel).” – Gen. Frank Vavala, head of the Delaware National Guard, endorsing DelTech in the school’s 50th anniversary video.

From the Campaign Trail Presidential candidates and those who cover them continue to provide “War” material.

• A reader spotted an online story that reported Hillary Clinton had eeked out a win in Iowa. That would be eked.

• In one Republican shouting match—er—debate—Marco Rubio kept repeating, “Let’s dispel with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing.” There is no need for “with” after dispel. Methinks he meant “dispense with.”

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

Contact me for a fun power point presentation on grammar.

Seen a good (bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

3/24/16 3:07 PM

LEARN

Norrawit Milburn earned his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Wilmington University.

KAPOW! SUCCESS IN THE FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS WilmU graduate Norrawit Milburn, 'the Thai Guy,' revs his culinary engine to bring Delawareans new gastronomic adventures

I

n 2006, Norrawit Milburn earned his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Wilmington University, but he didn’t use it to don a suit and tie. Instead, he dusted off a business plan he had completed for a WilmU class, and with his parents, opened the phenomenally successful UBON—a Thai restaurant in Wilmington ‘s Shipyard Center on the Riverfront.

However, while UBON thrived, Milburn still couldn’t shake a desire to hit the road, literally. With his wife, Jody, he opened the hugely popular food truck Kapow.

Milburn didn’t know it at the time, but the foundation he built at WilmU prepared him for his exciting culinary career.

“I had the cooking skills,” he says, “but I needed to learn how to build a brand.” And build he did.

Just one month after opening, Kapow was added to Zagat’s “10 Reasons to Drive to Wilmington” list, and also was named a Best of 2014 Readers’ Choice winner in the News Journal.

While its home base is northern Delaware, Kapow makes its way to Newark, Dewey, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. (It hits the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts every Thursday.)

Foodies crave its Asian fusion goodies, like Kimchi tacos, Buddha Bellies, Huli Huli bowls and Thai Ta Tas. Milburn appeared on “Hell’s Kitchen” in 2008. Then, several years later, he co-founded the Rolling Revolution, a team of regional vending truck owners and operators who hope to sustain the industry and foster a sense of community. This fall, he will open a brick-and-mortar location in the Boothwyn Farmers Market, aptly named Kapow Kitchen.

Thanks to customer demand, Milburn is using his WilmU business acumen to market his Thai Guy Sauce and will publish his cookbook, “Thai Guy Cooking with Kapow.” Both will be available this year.

With degree programs including Marketing, Sports Management, Business Analytics, and Finance, to name a few, business degrees are among the most popular with WilmU students. And, like “the Thai Guy,” you can never tell how far your WilmU degree will take you. To learn more about WilmU business degrees—at the bachelor’s, masters, or doctoral level— go to wilmu.edu/Business.

Get to know WilmU at the Spring Open House! $35

application fee waived at this event

May 4 • 4:30–7:00 PM Three locations: New Castle Campus • Dover • Georgetown RSVP: wilmu.edu/OpenHouse

Wilmington University is a nonprofit institution.

8 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Things worth knowing

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS TO COMPETE FOR $25,000

W

omen innovators will compete in the second Great Dames Remarkable Ideas Competition, hoping to secure $25,000 in seed money and services. Last year, 41 women from seven states competed, and a Delaware woman was selected. This year's theme is Creating Solutions for a Healthier World.

The contest is split into three events: DEDO Director Bernice Whaley helped initiate the ideation session on March 14, then five selected candidates will pitch their ideas on April 11.

Secretary of Health & Social Services Rita Landgraf will announce the winner on May 9. The site for all three events is Pizza

by Elizabeths in Greenville.

"We're trying to be a catalyst for women entrepreneurs to come together to collaborate and create new offerings and businesses from their innovations," says Great Dames CEO Sharon Kelly Hake. "We're also providing a platform for women to articulate their big ideas."

For information or tickets, visit GreatDames.com/events.

DFVA SPRING ART SHOW

T

he Hagley Soda House in Wilmington will host the 17th annual Spring Art Show on the weekend of April 8-10. Sponsored in part

by Delaware Foundation for the Visual Arts, proceeds from the event provide scholarship money for Delaware students pursuing a career in the arts. Charles Rowe will be this year’s honored artist and his painting, “Black and White,” will be offered for sale. Art Show times vary daily. Visit dfva.org for more information.

DAY FOR DOGS

S

aturday, April 9, is a big day for area canines looking for a good home.

The second annual Woofstock at Bellevue Expo will take place in the Figure 8 Barn at Bellevue State Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is a family fun festival promoting pet services and organizations in New Castle County.

Local organizations will hold agility and obedience demonstrations and there will also be several rescue organizations showcasing pets available for adoption.

Admission is free with park entrance fee!

For more information visit delspca.org.

Later that evening, the 10th annual Muttini Mixer will take place at World Cafe Live at The Queen (500 N. Market St., Wilm.). This dog-friendly cocktail party (7-10 p.m.) benefits Delaware Humane Association. Dressy attire is encouraged for dogs and their owners. For tickets or more info visit muttinimixer.com.

FOR KIDS’ SAKE

K

ind to Kids is an organization that services Delaware foster children, at-risk youth, and teens that have aged out of the system. This organization will present its Fifth Annual Spring Celebration Awards at the Hotel DuPont ballroom on Friday, May 6, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Senator Chris Coons will be the keynote speaker and the awards for Community Leader, Corporate Service, and Rising Star will be awarded, respectively, to Sarah Leath, president and publisher of The News Journal, Chip Rossi, Delaware Market president for Bank of America, and former foster youth John Shatesky. Registration is $40 per person, or you can register for a table of eight for $300. Visit kindtokids.org for more information.

he Mezzanine Art Gallery (820 N. French St., Wilm.) will be showing the work of contributing Out & About photographer Joe del Tufo throughout April. His piece, “Spirit of Eden: Nemours,” will be on view each day from 5 to 7 p.m. It features infrared photographs taking over a five-year period at historic Nemours Garden and Mansion. The gallery is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information visit artsdel.org.

POETRY TO THEIR EARS

H

annah Sturgis of Polytech High School was the winner of this year’s Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts. Brandon Dowson of Middletown High School was first runner-up and Jordan McMillian of Sanford School was second runner-up.

Sturgis was awarded $200 and an allexpense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the national championship on May 2-4.

Polytech High School also will receive a $500 stipend to buy poetry books. For more information about the competition, visit artsdel.org.

FRED SEARS TO RECEIVE MURIEL E. GILMAN AWARD

F

red Sears, a Wilmington native who recently retired as president and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation, will be honored for his volunteer work on behalf of local youth during the 21st Century Fund for Delaware’s Children annual reception on Wednesday, April 13 (5:30-7:30 p.m.), at the University & Whist Club. Sears served the Delaware banking community for more than 38 years and is a former City of Wilmington councilman. He has served on more than 40 boards. The 21st Century Fund for Delaware’s Children was created by lifelong volunteer and children’s advocate Muriel E. Gilman. The organization’s mission is to improve the quality of life for vulnerable children in Delaware. For tickets to the reception or more information on 21st Century visit 21childrensfund.org.

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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MOTHER’Sday sunday may 8 th

brunch with MOM

START

by the numbers Some statistics about World Cafe Live at The Queen as it celebrates its 5th Anniversary

10am – 2pm $ 38 adults $ 16 kids (ages 4 – 12) free (3 & under) includes coffee and tea service

75

dinner for MOM

5pm – 9pm special a la carte menu just for MOM! Reservations Strongly Suggested

Number of weddings held at The Queen.

25,000 Value, in dollars, of the tickets donated to Delaware charity auctions and organizations.

300,000 Number of dollars raised at the annual “Shine A Light” fundraiser for local school programs.

WINEdinner Friday, April 22 , 6:30 nd

pm

• Meet the vintner • Reservations required

500,000 Number of guests who have been at the venue for a meal, show, or special event.

PAINT&sip Monday, April 25 , 7 th

$

pm

39/Person

To Register: kennett-design.com

• No experience necessary!

• All supplies and instruction included

302.571.1492 • ColumbusInn.net 2216 Penn. Ave., Wilmington

1,800 Number of concerts that have been held there.

Shine A Light on The Queen 2016.

Photo Joe del Tufo

150 Number of fundraisers held at World Cafe Live at The Queen.

10 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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OPERADELAWARE •IS A REVELATION•

Faccio’s ‘Amleto work... ’ is a m wo a betwee rthy of being jor n Verd i and V placed erismo.

–En

FRANCO FACCIO

HAMLET Maestro Anthony Barrese leads the OperaDelaware Orchestra and Chorus with a stellar cast including Joshua Kohl, Sarah Asmar, Tim Mix, Lara Tillotson and Ben Wager. Directed by E. Loren Meeker.

Our most ambitious festival yet!

EAST COAS PREMIE T RE

ns umatio tic exh Opera portance are im .. of this unheard of. virtually is

e Loom –Georg L TIMES CIA FINAN

•COME REVEL WITH US•

MAY 14-22, 2016

rico Gira rdi RE DE LLA S ERA

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GIUSEPPE VERDI

FALSTAFF Maestro Giovanni Reggioli, leads a thrilling cast including Steven Condy, Sean Anderson, Victoria Cannizzo, Sharin Apostolou and Ryan MacPherson.

Directed by Dean Anthony.

BUY TICKETS NOW! 302-442-7807 | operaDE.org

12 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Worth Trying Suggestions from our staff and contributors

RaR Brewing Hopslam hit Delaware stores a few weeks ago, which was pretty exciting. However, the same day that became available I also grabbed RaR Brewing’s Nanticoke Nectar from Cambridge, Md. Knowing nothing about it, I had zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised. It’s a really citrusy American IPA weighing in at 7.4 percent abv, and it smells delightful (the aroma is stronger than the taste). I look forward to trying more of their stuff.

—Marie Graham Poot, Director of Digital Media

The Bobino Key Clip Anyone who knows me also knows that I always lose my keys, despite the fact that they're the size of a janitor's ring. My girlie pal recently set me straight with a clever gift—the Bobino key clip. This little gadget fastens inside my purse, holding my keys securely in a spot that's easily accessed. Get yours at Francesca's in Greenville, The Container Store, or online at bobino.com.

—Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Contributing Writer

Mount Harmon Plantation

Taco Tuesdays at Two Stones

Mount Harmon Plantation is a beautifully restored 18th century plantation on the banks of the Sassafras River. It was a very profitable tobacco farm with a tobacco house, a colonial kitchen and a boxwood garden. Mount Harmon is open to the public May 1 through Oct. 31. Bring a picnic lunch and walk the nature trail. Enjoy the variety of ecosystems and wildlife, including endangered species protected on this preserve. Mount Harmon is located in Earleville, Md., 20 miles south of Elkton. There is an entrance fee, but it goes to help preserve this beautiful and historic area. www.mountharmon.org.

Wow, that’s a mouthful! The tortillas are fresher than the Prince.

The filling options are varied, and you get to mix and match your selections. My favorite from the Newark location is the Superman. The roasted pumpkin and butternut squash puree is really what makes it over-the-top good.

—Ryan Alexander, Contributing Designer

—John Murray, Contributing Writer

Have something you think is worth trying?

Send an email to Jim with your suggestion to jmiller@tsnpub.com

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3/24/16 9:18 AM

PATIO NOW OPEN!

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Flat Bread Day All Day- All Gourmet Flat Breads are only $5, $2.00 Off All Our Classic Cocktails 6pm-close $1.25 Raw Oysters All Day! Sunday Brunch! $4 Make Your Own Bloody Bar 10am-2pm

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www.cantwells-tavern.com 14 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A TALE OF TWO PASSIONS Royal Pest marketing director pens children’s books—about bugs and wildlife

By Krista Connor

I

n the office of Royal Pest Marketing Director Rick DeDonato, bugs are practically crawling off the walls from his array of entomology posters, charts and diagrams. And the theme continues among the piles of paperwork on his desk. But there the bugs are the fictional kind—the ones depicted in DeDonato’s illustrated children’s books, which nicely marry his passion for writing with his fulltime career at the planet-friendly pest control center in New Castle.

The Wilmington resident’s first book, Pipsie, Nature Detective: The Disappearing Caterpillar, is geared for children ages 5-8 and follows the adventures of a young girl named Pipsie.

And even though it’s been a full year—Pipsie was published last March—DeDonato still is giddy with excitement and surprise, interrupting himself with stories of the book’s triumphs: Teachers from around the country send in photos of classroom reading sessions; women’s equality groups champion the young female

detective; national libraries have placed the book on shelves thanks to a nod from the School Library Journal, and DeDonato is frequently invited to book signings and readings.

And The Disappearing Caterpillar, an Amazon-published book, is just the beginning. Nature detective Pipsie’s second adventure, The Lunchnapper, is out on April 12, with a third book scheduled for some time next year.

In the first book, curious young Pipsie and her turtle friend, Alfred Z. Turtle, notice that their new friend, Frannie the caterpillar, has vanished. Pipsie is on the case with her magnifying glass, running through the scientific process: discovery, organization of facts, hypothesis.

“She approaches it as if it’s a scientific project, which is what sets the story apart from other children’s fiction, of cute characters doing cute things,” DeDonato says. “And she doesn’t use the internet—does all the discovery herself.” ► APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY continued from previous page

Photo courtesy of Rick DeDonato

BUILD A BETTER YOU

Rick DeDonato and State Representative Kim Williams answer questions about Pipsie for students at Marbrook Elementary School.

2 5 1 8 We s t 4 t h S t .

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Between his private advertising agency and working with Royal Pest—which, take note, focuses more on pest control and education rather than total obliteration—DeDonato has been interacting with entomologists since the ‘90s. So it seemed only natural that his heroine should be a gutsy detective searching out buggy clues in The Disappearing Caterpillar.

DeDonato knew from the start he wanted the Pipsie stories to be educational—and to make clear that not all bugs are bad—so to ensure total accuracy he solicited help from area experts. For the first book he worked with Jess King, entomologist and wildlife conservationist at the University of Delaware, and he also compiled “fun facts” about butterflies online at pipsienaturedetective.com.

For The Lunchnapper, DeDonato worked with wildlife expert and DNREC employee Jason Davis. For the third book, Royal Pest entomologist John Moore is assisting with bee facts.

Bugs and wildlife aside, Pipsie herself has been in DeDonato’s mind for almost 30 years.

Raised in Totowa, N.J., he earned a BA in advertising from Penn State in 1977 and went on to receive several advertising awards for his work. But his lifelong dream was to become a children’s book writer, and despite a growing stack of rejected manuscripts, he didn’t give up.

It wasn’t until DeDonato married in 1984 (and later divorced) and had two children, Alexis and Matt—now young adults—that he met Pipsie.

“The way it started: when she was little, my daughter used to have this little invisible friend she called Pipsie,” DeDonato says.

“We’d do stuff—carve pumpkins, go to the grocery store, go for a walk—and write these adventure stories with Pipsie in them. And my son had a pet turtle named Alfred E. Turtle. So when I needed a name for the turtle in the book, I was inspired by him.”

DeDonato endured the exhaustive publishing process, which started four years ago when Amazon signed him to a contract based on the Pipsie concept. He wrote the book in 2013, and illustrator Tracy Bishop worked her magic on it in 2014. Once The Disappearing Caterpillar went up on Amazon last year, it started selling “like crazy,” says DeDonato. “I was blown away.”

He says there is at least one aspect of the publishing process that doesn’t “bug” him: “My whole career, my job has been to make products look good as a behind-the-scenes person. Now, I’m the one. I’m the author and others are doing the marketing.”

The Disappearing Caterpillar is available on Amazon, and The Lunchnapper can be found there starting April 12.

16 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The Mill: A New Business Lifestyle Robert Herrera officially opens The Mill on April 1. Photo Joe del Tufo

The coworking space joins downtown’s growing reputation as a hub for business technology

By Larry Nagengast

H

oused in a former DuPont Co. office building and bearing a name and logo saluting the legacy of that iconic gunpowder and chemicals manufacturer, Wilmington’s newest coworking space aims to become the first home for “the next generation of Delaware businesses.”

Dover-born Robert Herrera officially opens The Mill, on the fourth floor of the Nemours Building at 10th and Tatnall streets, on April 1.

The Mill joins the coIN Loft at 605 N. Market St. and 1313 Innovation in Hercules Plaza at 13th and Market. Herrera insists there is a place for all three as the first office space for startups and freelancers who hope to catch the initial entrepreneurial wave in a downtown that seems to be repurposing itself into a hub for small business technology.

Coworking hubs represent the future, “the newest type of space,” says Wilmington real estate consultant David

J. Wilk. “Traditional office space is no longer worth the cost unless you’re a corporate user who needs to sardine everyone into place.”

Visitors entering The Mill via the elevator will face a reception area that features a television screen that can be programmed with a welcome message from clients using its conference rooms and a series of shelves that will display patent models from the Hagley Museum’s collection.

Conference rooms, a kitchen and a library line the broad main hallway that acts as the spine of the operation. In the middle of the hallway, Herrera has installed a custom-made 28-foot-long table made from American chestnut, a species rendered virtually extinct by blight in the first half of the 20th century. The tabletop, fashioned from wood recovered from a mill in Pennsylvania, will be outfitted with electrical and internet connections for 18 users. ► APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START THE MILL: A NEW BUSINESS LIFESTYLE continued from previous page

A kegerator and ping pong

Catalyst Visuals WEB - PRINT - VIDEO wilmington / 302 655 9949 / catvis.biz

The kitchen area will include a full bar, complete with a kegerator, and enough room for a catering crew, adding to The Mill’s appeal as a venue for after-hours tech meetups.

Participants in the Challenge Program, which trains at-risk youth in construction skills, are building four tables for the conference rooms. The tables will also give The Mill’s tenants a chance to unwind, Herrera says, “because they’re conveniently designed to ping-pong table dimensions.”

(At press time, Herrera was hoping Gov. Jack Markell, a notoriously competitive ping pong player, would display his skills at The Mill’s grand opening ceremony.)

With a row of nine glass-walled and windowed offices along its west side (each one equipped with customized Bluetooth speakers concealed in the ceiling tiles), The Mill offers more privacy than coIN Loft, where most users work on tables and desks in an open central area or sink into plush sofas or chairs before firing up their laptops. And, unlike 1313 Innovation, The Mill won’t be promoting itself primarily as a destination for tech-oriented startups.

“Coworking is growing all over the country, and the successful ones don’t focus on any one type of business,” Herrera says. While he would like to have a small law firm set up shop at The Mill, “the market will dictate the types of businesses we get,” he says.

Even so, with credit card banks and corporate law firms now the dominant players in the city’s business scene, Herrera sees significant growth potential here for startups that focus on technology to support the financial and legal sectors.

Monthly fees: $45-$1,200

The founders of Counsl, an Austin, Texas, startup that fits that description, visited Delaware in late January to pitch a mobile app that streamlines the incorporation process.

After meeting with key law firms, Markell and other state officials, they expressed their intention to move to Wilmington, and they met with Herrera to discuss leasing office space at The Mill.

18 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo O&A

Herrera installed this custom-made 28-foot-long table, made from American chestnut, and outfitted it with electrical and internet connections for 18 users.

Monthly fees at The Mill range from $45 for table-access only to $350 for an individual private office and $1,200 for an office that can accommodate up to four desks and chairs. The Mill will have space for about 55 users, Herrera says. As of early February, five of the nine private offices had been reserved.

All users will have access to the facility’s conference rooms, for fees ranging from free to $30, depending on membership level and demand.

Herrera, 30, studied architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and worked at two architectural firms in New York City, where he helped to design several coworking spaces.

“As a Delaware native, I’m happy to come back and do something here with what I’ve learned,” he says.

True to his own coworking roots, Herrera says he spends some time almost every day at the coIN Loft, and he has hired two small businesses housed there, First Ascent Design and The Barn, to build his website and develop his branding materials. “Everyone at the coIN Loft is my friend,” he says.

“Robert does everything right,” says Mona Parikh, managing director of Start It Up Delaware at the coIN Loft and community engagement liaison for the University of Delaware’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship.

The Mill, she says, “will be the most sophisticated, provide the most resources, the most support and more high-end amenities” of any of the area’s coworking spaces.

"If a company or startup team is at a point where $1,200 per month for truly amazing office space is viable, The Mill is where they belong,” she says. “The other price points for desk rental are great as well, but the offices are going to be the true gems."

“The Mill embraces a totally new lifestyle for businesses,” Herrera says. “This is our community. We’re trying to bring people together.”

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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From the playwright of last season’s hit production

BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE!

London, 1879. The prestigious Explorers Club is in crisis: their acting president wants to admit a woman, but this decision could shake the very foundation of the British Empire. Grab your safety goggles for some very mad science involving deadly cobras, irate Irishmen and the occasional airship. Get your tickets today!

SUN

MON

TUES

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2PM 2PM

15

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5

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APRIL 27-MAY 15 7PM 1

THU

27

2

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9

10

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2PM 2PM

7PM

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LIMITED SEATING

8PM 2PM 8PM

14

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Written by

Nell Benjamin Directed by

Bud Martin

For Tickets: 302-594-1100 | www.DelawareTheatre.org

20 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START

A 2013 performance of Elixir of Love is typical of the kind of lavish production OperaDelaware can present. Photo Mark Garvin

OPERADELAWARE: NEW TACTICS=NEW FANS Two-weekend festival in May is drawing opera lovers from across the country

By Karen Jessee

I

n May, Wilmington will be the destination of choice for opera lovers as distant as Santa Fe, N. M., and Colorado, as well as New York and Washington, D. C. The reason: an opera festival spanning two weeks with the focus on Shakespeare. It’s the latest effort by OperaDelaware and General Director Brendan Cooke to open new horizons for the art form in Delaware by presenting the local company’s most ambitious pieces.

Cooke is married with two children, but he claims that OperaDelaware, which he has headed since 2012, is his third child—and this one demands a million-dollar budget. Established in 1945, it is the 11th oldest opera company in the nation, and its venue—the Opera House on Market Street—provides a lush and centrally located site for OperaDelaware productions.

Despite these advantages, Cooke, who has a master’s in music from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and who founded the Baltimore Concert Opera, acknowledges that OperaDelaware had to change its tactics to keep from closing its doors like so many other opera companies.

“The old ways simply were no longer working,” he says.

“We analyzed the use of our physical space at our Riverfront Studio, our ticket sales, our strategies, and developed something new that would allow us to present staged operas of the highest quality once again.” As a result, Cooke is putting a new face on this 400-year-old art form.► APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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We brought in our loyal opera lovers, and they in turn brought friends and family, all new to opera, into this setting.

— Brendan Cooke

Photo courtesy of OperaDelaware

KRESTON

The first makeover: cabaret style programs that allowed CREATING A SENSE OperaDelaware to expand and OF COMMUNITY develop its audiences here at continued from previous page home. At these casual gatherings at OperaDelaware Studios on the Riverfront, performers gave attendees the tools and vocabulary to appreciate what is often viewed as a high and mighty art form.

OperaDelaware presented meaningful opera in an accessible way that developed new audiences. Says Cooke, “We brought in our loyal opera lovers, and they in turn brought friends and family, all new to opera, into this setting.”

The second makeover: an Opera Festival that is drawing fans from across the country. On May 14 and 15, 20, 21 and 22, OperaDelaware will offer three performances of a lost setting of Franco Faccio’s Hamlet (Amleto), an East Coast premiere of a work written in 1865, and two performances of Verdi’s final opera, Falstaff. Hamlet and Falstaff will be presented at the Grand at the same time. On Friday, May 19, Shakespeare in Song will be performed at the OperaDelaware Studio.

Anne Midgette, one of the nation’s top music critics, made Hamlet a not-to-be-missed choice for the season in her February 7 Washington Post column. “It is well worth hearing for any lover of Italian opera,” says Midgette. “Because it’s going on to the festival in Bregenz, Austria, this summer and is likely to get quite a bit of attention there, you can say you heard it before that.”

Only 30 percent of funding for these unique opera events comes from ticket sales. Other funding for OperaDelaware comes from numerous foundations, individual and corporate donors as well as the state. It also is the recipient of an Art Works Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts—only one of two organizations to receive such funding this year in Delaware.

Says Cooke: “Great cities have great opera companies.

Wilmington has great restaurants, hotels and theaters. We are a train ride away from New York and Washington. We are the perfect location for an opera festival. Why not invite these other cities to see our city, stay overnight, eat here, enjoy our entertainment, and revel in our history? There’s something for everyone here.”

As for the opera experience itself, Cooke asserts that there are two kinds of people: those who love opera and those who don’t love opera…yet. “You don’t need a tuxedo or a tiara; you need to be willing to be transformed. You need to appreciate that these singers have devoted their lives to training their voices with the strength and stamina to fill gargantuan opera houses without the luxury of a microphone.”

Check out the ticket prices and the dress code (none) at operade.org.

Says Cooke, “Go to live theatre: experience that moment when the last note is sung, when there is a hush, a pause, and suddenly the audience leaps to its feet and bursts into thunderous applause demanding encores. Go to the opera. Prepare to be transformed.”

22 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Joe del Tufo

START

Supported by Downtown Visions, the Ladybug Music Festival drew thousands to Market Street last July.

CR EATIN G A S ENSE O F COMMUN IT Y In its 22 years, Downtown Visions has grown from its original 'clean and safe' mandate to become an award-winning economic force that provides loans, grants and general support for businesses and events

By Larry Nagengast

S

tarting with a mission of keeping Wilmington’s business district “clean and safe,” Downtown Visions has become much more.

It’s aiding the redevelopment of the city’s core, recruiting new businesses, helping business owners beautify their storefronts, organizing a Farmers’ Market on Rodney Square, sponsoring or collaborating on concerts and special events, and promoting the growth of a critical residential mass along Market Street.

“We’re developing a great sense of community downtown,” says Marty Hageman, the retired Wilmington police officer who has served as Downtown Visions’ executive director since the organization’s founding in 1994.

Any remaining doubts about Downtown Visions’ role in creating that sense of community were erased last month, when the organization and its nominees received a series of “Excellence

in Downtown Revitalization” awards from the Delaware Economic Development Office and its Delaware Main Street program.

Downtown Visions was honored for having the best business development program of any Main Street entity in the state. Three Buccini/Pollin Group projects were cited: 608 N. Market for best new building, 726 N. Market for best façade over $7,500, and 627 N. Market, formerly a Kennard’s department store and Delaware State University site, for best adaptive reuse.

In addition, the Ladybug Music Festival, promoted by Downtown Visions, was named best special event and Buccini/ Pollin was recognized as best community partner. Social media guru Ken Grant was named outstanding volunteer and two Market Street icons, restaurateur Scott Morrison and deli owner Jimmy Hackett, received posthumous awards as outstanding businesspersons. ► APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Whether more honors come its way remain to be seen, but Downtown Visions is clearly elevating its profile. “We’re taking a more expanded role in the different areas of our operations,” Hageman says.

Its founding 22 years ago was made possible when the General Assembly passed legislation enabling creation of a Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District.

The new organization started with its “clean and safe” mandate, which was expanded in 2007, when Downtown Visions took on the additional charge of serving as the city’s entity in the national Main Street economic development initiative.

Since then, Downtown Visions has provided grants and loans to help about 60 businesses install new facades on their storefronts and make related improvements.

“Major developers are transforming downtown, but we can help the small business people who own single buildings,” Hageman says. “They often have had their upstairs vacant for 50 years or more. If we can help to repurpose that into living spaces, we think that is very important.”

Downtown Visions recently expanded its business development efforts by partnering with the city’s Economic Development office and another nonprofit, the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation, to create the Wilmington Storefront Project.

This initiative identifies available retail locations in the downtown business district and assists businesses desiring to locate there by providing grants of up to $25,000 to fit out their shops as well as support their marketing and social media efforts.

The program has helped about 30 businesses so far, Hageman says.

Even with 21 new businesses opening downtown last year, more retail is needed to complement the recent growth of residential properties along Market Street, he says. “We want the world to know that downtown Wilmington is open for business,” he says.

The storefront project maintains a listing of sites available for retail development, most of them on Market Street and West Ninth Street.

“Right now is the perfect time to locate downtown,” says David Sanchez, owner of Spaceboy Clothing, which has been on Market Street since 2011. “You can make it if you want. You can do whatever you want. I see it as my playground.”

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piccolinatoscana .com , 302.654.8001 1412 n. dupont st., wilmington

d ine w u! s

O&A File Photo

ith

Noah Merenda (far left) and David Sanchez (center), of Spaceboy Clothing, helped former Mayor Jim Baker open their store in 2011. Joing them were Councilwoman Hanifa Shabazz and Marty Hageman, executive director of Downtown Visions.

Sanchez salutes Will Minster, director of business development and manager of the Main Street program. “He helped me get the facade grant. He was with me when I got my permits from the city.

When I have a question or an idea for something, he’s my go-to guy,” Sanchez says.

As one example, he cites the support he received from Minster last spring when he and Maiza Hixson came up with the idea for a “Make-Out Mob,” a grassroots sharing of hugs and kisses to counter the negativity associated with the “Murder Town USA” publicity of the previous six months. Minster jumped on the proposal and organized publicity through Downtown Visions and social media channels.

The event at Henry B. du Pont Park on Delaware Avenue wasn’t huge—about 50 people turned out—but the buzz it generated was substantial.

Minster hopes to expand on those efforts this year.

“We’re tailoring our events to be stronger,” he says.

In 2015, its weekly Farmers Market drew about 50,000 city residents and downtown workers to Rodney Square.

In addition, Downtown Visions had a role in 109 concerts featuring local musicians, including 65 lunchtime concerts.

One of its most successful events was the Ladybug Music Festival, featuring female musicians, in July. Gayle Dillman, who partnered with Jeremy Hebbel to create Gable Music Ventures, the sponsor of Ladybug, says support from Minster and Downtown Visions was essential to building her business.

Not long after they got started in 2011, Dillman and Hebbel heard about Minster’s efforts to promote social and entertainment events in the Market Street corridor.

She contacted Minster for advice on partnerships and collaborations. “Will, Jeremy and I just hit it off real well,” she says, and soon Downtown Visions was helping Gable promote evening music programs in the LOMA district.

The first Ladybug was held in 2012 and by last year the musical block party had grown to 50 performers who attracted an audience of about 3,000. This year, Minster says, he’d like to see a crowd closer to 6,000 as the July 21 event expands to take up both the 200 and 300 blocks of Market Street.

Last year, a series of summer concerts organized by Gable drew an average of 75 people, Minster says. Additionally, over Thanksgiving weekend, Downtown Visions contracted with Gable to bring in 21 musicians to perform at nine venues as part of Small Business Saturday activities. ►

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“Will gets it,” Dillman says. “He understands that to have a vibrant downtown you have to make it safer.”

Mark Fields, executive director of the Grand Opera House, agrees.

Downtown Visions, he says, “has been a very helpful ally to the Grand in overcoming the misperception that downtown is inordinately unsafe.”

Downtown Visions “ambassadors,” who provide safety escorts to about 3,000 downtown workers and visitors a year, provide “a reassuring presence on the street,” Fields says.

“The ambassadors are easily spotted and they help people overcome an anxiety that does not have much to do with day-to-day realities” in the business district, he says.

“We strive to be your constant companion,” says Mike Maggitti, Downtown Visions’ director of operations.

“We don’t work bankers’ hours. We’re there until 11:30 at night, every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we’re out in all weather.”

Downtown Visions tries to keep track of all events in the city, not just those at the major venues like the Grand, the Playhouse and World Cafe Live at The Queen, Maggitti says. “We want you to get there safely and to leave safely, so we have our team in the vicinity a half-hour before the show starts and until a halfhour after the show ends.”

“One of the things that make a city feel safe is having people in the streets,” Dillman says. With ambassadors out on the street, “there’s always somebody within sight. You don’t feel alone, you don’t feel unsafe. Now, you can be out until 11:30, and Market is still crowded.”

Besides improving safety downtown, Fields says, Downtown Visions, underwritten in part by assessments paid by businesses and nonprofits in the business district, keeps the area clean, “a job that the city doesn’t have the resources to do.”

Downtown Visions’ role in strengthening the business district helped convince Fields to make a move of his own last fall, from the suburbs to an apartment in the Lofts at Second and LOMA. “They made me realize that there’s always somebody out there,” he says. “It’s nice to have that presence.”

26 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS

Merchant Bar, La Fia’s sister bar and restaurant, is conveniently located just across the street.

New Eateries Abound

Throughout the County Hope springs eternal in the traditionally tough restaurant business. Witness the slew of new eateries cropping up in New Castle County, from Trolley Square in Wilmington to Four Corners in Smyrna. Some have undergone major makeovers, while others have simply changed their name and approach. Here’s a tour of what’s new and improved on the restaurant scene.

By Rob Kalesse Photos by Joe del Tufo

Merchant on Market

Since opening their doors in the summer of 2013, Bryan Sikora and wife Andrea Loconti have experienced continued success at La Fia Bakery + Market + Bistro. But when it came to having a bar where patrons could hang out until late in the evening, the 5th and Market location just didn’t have the space.

Enter Merchant Bar, La Fia’s sister bar and restaurant, located just across the street. Loconti says their new venture was made possible when their landlord took possession of the building at 426 N. Market and invited them to rent the space.

“We’ve been looking for more space to accommodate a bar crowd almost since the beginning at La Fia,” says Loconti. “When this opportunity arose, we jumped on it. Now our La Fia crowd can spill across the street to Merchant.”

She also says Merchant Bar will keep its doors open until 11 p.m. on weeknights and 1 a.m. on weekends—late closings that can be hard to find on Market Street. Merchant will focus on classic cocktails with a contemporary twist, and lots of specialty smoked meats and housemade sausages. ► APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Covered Outdoor Patio • Happy Hour Specials Live Piano Every Thurs, Fri & Sat Brunch on Sundays 423 Baltimore Pike | Chadds Ford, PA 19317 | 610.388.7700 | thegablesatchaddsford.com

FOCUS NEW EATERIES ABOUND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY continued from previous page

“Bryan is very skilled at making sausage, so we will be grinding our own meats and making our own casings, as well as baking our own breads, of course,” says Loconti. “Our cocktails will feature recipes we’ve developed for the Old Fashioned, Sazerac and sloe gin fizz, and all our liquor will be call and premium brands.”

The menu currently features a Bar Snacks section, with $6 small plates like marinated olives with hummus and red and gold pickled beets, while the Breads & Buns section features a house-smoked Chicago Dog ($12). The smoked hot dog is topped with pickles, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, mustard and spicy peppers.

Loconti says their smoker will be used to create a number of dishes in hopes of catering to a younger crowd later in the evening. Merchant Bar is open Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 4 p.m., and will have live music and DJs on the weekends.

A Touch of Creole Comes to Union Street

Fans of the upstairs bar at the old Pan Tai, 837 N. Union St., can finally return to their old haunt, now called North Quarter Creole.

That group of fans includes co-owners Mike Goodwin and Brady Harris, who used to hang out quite a bit at the bar overlooking Union.

“I used to love this location when it was Pan Tai, and the former owners had a good business going here for years,” says Goodwin, former chef and owner of CP Goodwin’s on Kirkwood Highway.

“I really thought the neighborhood was starving for someone to take it over; we’re local and we care about the building, the customers, and the product we put out.”

Since opening in November, Goodwin and Harris say the neighborhood has welcomed the addition of another restaurant destination on Union Street, especially since their cuisine—a crossover of southern and Creole—presents something new to the strip.

“Some of the recipes I learned from my grandmother, cooking in her kitchen as a kid, but we also wanted to include a bit of our Irish heritage in the place as well,” says Goodwin. “We visited New Orleans and found an Irish district of bars there, so we decided to run with it.”

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The lunch and dinner menus include Cajun/Creole standards like gumbo, muffuletta and etouffee, while at the bar Irish whiskey fans can find a great selection of Jameson’s line of aged whiskeys for sipping. North Quarter Creole is open seven days a week, beginning at 11:30 a.m. for lunch.

Big Fish Restaurant Group Gets Even Bigger

Once just a single restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Big Fish has expanded to Glen Mills, Pa., and the Wilmington Riverfront.

This year, brothers Eric and Norman Sugrue look to venture into Trolley Square, as well as expand on the Riverfront.

This month, the restaurateurs will open the Trolley Square Oyster House in the former Satsuma Asian fusion restaurant, which closed in January. Eric Sugrue says they will focus on what has earned them success to the tune of nearly 10 restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic over the years: quality seafood.

“Simple seafood, really good crab cakes, lots of sandwiches and salads, that’s our plan for the menu at Trolley Square Oyster House,” says Sugrue. “Oh, and oysters, naturally. We’ll have a rotation of five to seven oysters on at all times, from various parts of the country, as well as a lot of different raw bar items.”

While Satsuma was still open for business, rumors had circulated that Sikar Lounge, a cigar bar just a block away on North DuPont Street, would eventually inhabit the second floor of the building.

Sugrue dispels those rumors, however, saying that the Trolley Square Oyster House will include both floors, as well as the outdoor bar.

Aesthetically speaking, the restaurant group has made a lot of changes, including a new paint scheme of different shades of blue and natural wood colors, as well as new floors and fixtures. No walls have been torn down, but a raw bar will replace the old sushi bar from Satsuma.

On the Riverfront, many visitors may have seen a sign for “Taco Grande” in the vacant lot between Big Fish and Iron Hill. Sugrue says a general contractor will be hired once plans are finished for what will be a casual Tex-Mex restaurant.

“We hope to get things started in terms of construction in the next two months, and then hopefully open in November,” says Sugrue.

“The place will be smaller than Big Fish, but will still feature an outside bar and seating, and an open-air kitchen. And of course, margaritas will be a big part of what we do with the bar, both inside and out.”

Mother’s Day Celebration

Sun., May 8th

Open FOr Brunch & Dinner!

Special Menus Available.

Visit TonicBarGrille.com To Make Reservations & See The Menus.

New Private Dining Room

Opening SOOn!

Accepting Reservations For Sit Down Dinners Up To 60 And Cocktail Parties Up To 100.

Tonic Takes over at Deep Blue

After 17 years in business, Chef Dan Butler knew it was time for a change. So he brought on a silent partner and went to work on what is now a bustling little downtown joint called Tonic Bar & Grille. Stop in for happy hour most nights or acoustic music on the weekends at the old Deep Blue location, 111 W. 11th St. So far, says Butler, “It’s been phenomenal. It’s rewarding when you do the hard work and create something new, and the buzz is created, and then it’s validated.” Butler also owns and runs Piccolina Toscana in Trolley Square and Brandywine Prime in Chadds Ford, Pa. “Our goal now is to be consistent with all our guests, so that they know what to expect when they come here.”

What guests can expect is a menu that’s not quite steakhouse, but features a good selection of prime beef and chops, as well as some holdovers from the beloved Deep Blue. According to Butler, one of his primary challenges over the years at Deep Blue was that diners thought it was a seafood-only restaurant. ►

302.777.2040 | TonicBarGrille.com 111 West 11th Street | Downtown Wilmington

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS NEW EATERIES ABOUND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY continued from previous page

It’s a

Chef Patrick Bradley serving up a steak at Tonic Bar & Grille.

“I don’t want to get pigeon-holed into the idea of being a ‘steakhouse’ and what that represents, because we really have put together a menu that appeals to all tastes,” he says. “We’ve even kept the tuna tartare appetizer and five-spice tuna entree for diehard Deep Blue fans.”

The dining room now features more subdued tones like shades of grays and browns, and has a more intimate atmosphere, with areas separated by dividers. Quiet spaces and dining areas for private parties and corporate dinners are now available. At the bar, the crowd is a bit livelier, and 15 TVs air big sporting events.

Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m., and features $2 Miller Lite and Yuengling drafts, and a $6 bar food menu. Be sure to check out the revamped cocktail list, featuring the Dante’s Inferno ($10), made with vodka, muddled mint, blood orange puree, Hellfire bitters, lime juice, simple syrup and a splash of seltzer.

What’s Old is New Again at Salute Bistro & Bar

The old Limoncello Restaurant on Ogletown-Stanton Road in Newark is back in the former owner’s hands, and under a new name. Anthony Causi, who has more than 30 years in the Delaware restaurant industry, returns with co-owner Dave Patel, to head up Salute Bistro & Bar. As in the past, the focus is homemade Italian in a family-friendly atmosphere.

“Before we opened on January 7th, we remodeled the place, built a bar, changed the name, and put a lot of the original menu back in place, with a few changes,” says Causi. “It feels good to be back here, and I think a lot of familiar faces feel the same.”

Italian specialties, like sautéed broccoli rabe and sausage ($9), panzanella ($10) and brick oven pizzas ($10-$14) litter the menu. Happy hour takes place Monday through Friday, featuring $5 martinis and appetizers and $1 off all beers.

Metro in Middletown

Middletown added another gastropub to its growing restaurant landscape in midDecember when the Metro Pub & Grille opened just off Main Street at the Peachtree Station retail center. Designed to resemble the town’s old train station, complete with an industrial look with A-frame supports and warm, earthy tones, the new eatery features fresh and local menu items and craft beer on tap.

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Longtime Wilmington diners will recognize a familiar face in the Metro Pub & Grill’s kitchen, where Executive Chef Patrick D’Amico, formerly of Harry’s Savoy Grille and Hotel du Pont’s Green Room, has taken the helm. D’Amico left Harry’s last year to join RM Hospitality Group, which includes Richard Clark, of Clark Construction, and Andrew Cofield, the pub’s general manager.

“Our goal here is to feature dishes that are always in season, keeping things fresh and local, both in the kitchen and behind the bar,” Cofield says. “Our signature cocktails will focus on bourbon, which is still big, and gin, which is on the rise. We also plan on implementing some different flavors in our house-made bitters, which will complement the seasonally changing menu.”

A 20-tap draft system and 50 wines by the glass and bottle will be catered to pair signature dishes like the wild boar Sloppy Joe ($13), dark rum-painted pork belly ($9.50), and venison chili ($8.50). There will be a rotating brunch menu on Sundays, and a Brooklyn Beer Dinner is in the works, according to Cofield. For a full look at the menu, go to metropubandgrill.com.

10% DISCOUNT

TO ALL HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES!

Smyrna Goes Upscale with a Brewpub

As the self-proclaimed “first casual upscale restaurant” in town, The Inn at Duck Creek brings farm-to-table and linen serviettes to the restored historical landmark at the Four Corners intersection of Smyrna. After months of renovations to the buildings at Main and Commerce streets (originally erected in the early 1700s), The Inn opened on Dec. 30.

Co-owner Howard Johnson spent years in the quick-service industry (think Subway and Dunkin’ Donuts) before partnering with Donna Ignasz, a finance and banking specialist for PNC. Johnson says the major challenge during the restoration process was dropping a restaurant and bar into a historical building while maintaining its charm and integrity.

“We had a choice to either tear down these buildings before they crumbled, or carefully restore things,” says Johnson. “With the help of [property owner] Edward Ide and i3a, an engineering and construction firm here in town, we were able to do the latter, and I think we will be rewarded for that effort in the long run.”

Set among four buildings at 2, 4, 6 and 8 Main Street, the Inn at Duck Creek boasts four dining rooms and a fifth private room on the third floor of the main building, as well as a 24-seat tavern and several fireplaces. At the bar, the shout-out to local craft is evident.

“We’re featuring the best that Smyrna has to offer at the bar, including spirits from Painted Stave, beers from Blue Earl, and wines from Harvest Ridge, which is in nearby Marydel,” says Johnson, who believes the inn will only help Smyrna’s continuing renaissance.

Just outside of town, along South DuPont Highway, Brick Works Brewings & Eats will be open this month. Specializing in housemade beers, handcrafted cocktails and locally sourced foods, Brick Works pays homage to Smyrna’s brick industry.

The brewpub, a first in Smyrna, is the brainchild of Eric Williams and Ryan Maloney, of Mispillion River Brewing, and Kevin Reading and Laura Burton, of Abbott’s Grill, both located in Milford. The group chose to head north for this dining destination, according to spokesperson Lauren Bigelow, “because of the burgeoning population and culture of the city.”

With brewers and chefs at their fingertips, monthly beer dinners are on tap at Brick Works, beginning April 21 at 6 p.m.

Tickets are currently available at Fabbottsgrillde.com.

Join Us

FOR HAPPY HOUR!

$5 Apps, $5 Martinis, & $1 Off Beers!

(At the Bar, 4-7pm, Mon-Fri)

SUNDAYS: $2 Domestic Beers • $5 Personal Pizzas (noon-10pm) MONDAYS: $7 Large Cheese Pizzas TUESDAYS: $9 Ravioli Dinner WEDNESDAYS: ½ Price Burgers THURSDAYS: Buy-One, Get-One Strombolis

Patio Now Open!

CHECK OUT OUR ENTERTAINMENT! (Monthly schedule on our website)

CATERING AVAILABLE! 4621 Ogletown Staton Road - Newark, Delaware (302) 294-6340 • SaluteBistroAndBar.com Like Us On Facebook!

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS

Chef Dan Butler, owner of Piccolina Toscana, in a home kitchen featured on the Junior League of Wilmington's Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour. Photo Joe del Tufo

HEART OF THE HOME KITCHEN TOUR Fundraiser gives visitors a look into area’s finest homes—and offers tastings from local restaurants

By Krista Connor

F

or 95 years, the Junior League of Wilmington has been a female-run educational and charitable organization committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities.

Fundraising is a focal point for the League, which hosts its biggest fundraiser of the year, Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour, on Saturday, April 9.

Each year, the self-guided tour, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., showcases approximately 15 of the area’s finest home kitchens in Wilmington, Newark, Hockessin and Southern Chester County. A list of this year’s selections, along with a tour map, will be released on April 8 at heartofthehometour.com. ►

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Celebrate Spring with one of Wilmington’s most treasured events!

Saturday, May 7, 2016

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (rain or shine) Tour 14 spectacular gardens in the Brandywine Valley

Tickets only $30! www.wilmingtongardenday.org or at participating area merchants

Tickets on sale now!

proudlysupports supportsWilmington WilmingtonGarden GardenDay Day proudly glorious gardens • gracious homes • grand tradition

FOCUS HEART OF THE HOME KITCHEN TOUR continued from previous page

Event Chair Angela Salvucci says aesthetics aren’t the only draw. Over the past few years, many attendees have been coming for the food.

“Since so many people were saying the food demonstrations were their favorite part of the tour, we've really been putting some energy into making the food sampling aspect a big focus,” says Salvucci.

Restaurants involved include 8th and Union Kitchen, BBC Tavern, BellaVista Trattoria, Bixby's Caterers, Brew HaHa!, Caffé Gelato, De La Coeur Café, Food Bank of Delaware Culinary School and more.

The Junior League has hosted the Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour since 2004, although since 2012 the tour has been alternating with The Junior League’s Whale of a Sale fundraiser, so this is the tour’s 11th year.

In previous years, the event has raised as much as $50,000, and Salvucci hopes to top that on April 9.

“As we meet with homeowners who have just renovated their homes to include these astonishing dream kitchens, it is not lost on anyone that they are obviously very fortunate,” says Salvucci.

“So the tour is a way to give back, for these families to invite the community into what really is the heart of their home, and by doing so help raise money to support some programs that are making a tangible difference to people less fortunate.”

Funds raised will go directly to the League’s mission and community programs, which focus on improving the lives of girls age 12-18 in the Greater Wilmington area. This includes making improvements to facilities at the Delaware Adolescent Program, which helps pregnant teenagers receive pre-natal care and continue their education.

Tour tickets are available online or at various locations, including Apropos, Everything but the Kitchen Sink, J. McLaughlin, Heart and Home, Kitchen Kapers and the Wilmington Country Store. Tickets are $30 each or four for $100 in advance, or $35 day-of.

For more information, visit the website or contact JLW@JLWilmington.org.

OCTOBER | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 34 APRIL 20162015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Invest Downtown Get Cash Back!

Develop in downtown Wilmington and you could qualify for a new

20% GRANT REBATE, UP TO $1 MILLION. Large and small investments may qualify – from residential rehab projects to mixed-use commercial development.

Visit DeStateHousing.com/DDD to learn more about Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts program, including available local incentives for investing downtown.

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W 2016

APRIL 4-9

ilmington’s culinary rite of spring, City Restaurant Week, returns for its 12th year this month. This annual promotion provides great incentive to visit one of Wilmington’s destination restaurants.

The 2016 lineup features 14 of Wilmington’s finest, each owner-operated.

That’s one of the beauties of the city’s fine dining scene. Chain restaurants are not an option.

“City Restaurant Week puts spirit in our community, encouraging people to get out, connect with friends and try new restaurants,” says Xavier Teixido, an owner of Harry’s Seafood Grill on the Riverfront. “It highlights the diversity and depth of quality of dining options in our neighborhoods.”

Once again, diners will be treated to an array of menus, offering everything from Asian to French to Latin to Italian. Prix-fixe, two-course lunches are $15.

Three-course dinners are $35.

“CRW is the great reminder of what a wonderful, interesting, eclectic city Wilmington is,” says Beth Ross, co-owner of Domaine Hudson. “CRW is not just about experiencing what the city has to offer for a discounted price, but reminding everyone of just what Wilmington is about.”

For an overview of this year’s participating restaurants, read on.

VIEW RESTAURANT MENUS AT

CityRestaurantWeek.com Make reservations directly with the restaurant

CANTINA DI NAPOLI

CHELSEA TAVERN

7 A Trolley Square 777-3300

821 North Market St. 482-3333

Part of the family owned and operated Napoli family of restaurants which boasts over 20 years of culinary experience, specializing in Neapolitan Italian cuisine, opened its doors in the heart of Trolley Square in 2012.

The most popular feature to their extensive menu is the Italian concept of bocconcini, better known as small plates. They pride themselves in fresh prepared breads, pastas, salad dressings, and mozzarella cheese, to name a few. Relax and enjoy a glass of wine, in the second floor dining room or sit downstairs and watch your chefs prepare your meals from scratch. Buon Appetito!

Chelsea Tavern is a place for amazing appetizers, a unique craft beer and the ideal place to share small plates or a setting to experience a more traditional lunch or dinner. Beverage highlights include great cocktails, amazing 31 tapped handcrafted beers, superb wines by the glass… all may be enjoyed alone or as a complement to our handcrafted original menus featuring the best in gastro-comfort cuisine with a twist.

COCINA LOLO

COLUMBUS INN

405 N. King Street 384-6186

2216 Pennsylvania Ave. 571-1492

Creative and original food inspired from authentic Latin dishes and influences from Mexico. Lolo offers a diverse menu with favorites like our pork carnitas tacos, ceviches, quesadillas and a creative tapas menu for those who want to try everything. The bar at Lolo aims to preserve the classic Latin cocktails while also creating some original cocktails of our own.

We only use the highest quality ingredients. We hand squeeze our citrus daily. We make all of our own syrups. We only use 100% Blue Agave Tequilas.

We source many authentic Mexican ingredients for our recipes. You will also find some of your favorite Latin-inspired cocktails like our caipirinha.

Columbus Inn, a Wilmington tradition since 1849, is a premier American tavern and restaurant that seamlessly combines the best of “old and new,” serving seasonally inspired, market fresh, progressive yet playful modern cuisine paired with an amazing selection of old and new world wines, micro and macro brews, as well as traditional and new style spirits. The creative menus for dinner, brunches and private events feature new and classic dishes with an approachable, new age twist at an affordable value. From happy hour to special events, there is always a good reason to come “inn.”

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DOMAINE HUDSON 1314 N. Washington St. 655-9463

Named a “must-visit restaurant serving some of the best food in Wilmington, if not the entire state” by The News Journal and awarded “best restaurant in Wilmington” by TripAdvisor, Domaine Hudson is known for premium food, superb wine pairings and inventive cocktails. Zagat rates the food as “perfection” and service as “excellent.” A well-known wine tasting destination, Domaine Hudson offers more than 450 premium wines and 40 wines by the glass. A closed-door dining room is the perfect setting for your private party or business meeting.

ERNEST & SCOTT TAPROOM 902 North Market St. 384-8113 The name Ernest & Scott is inspired by the fascinating relationship between writers and bon vivants Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, part of which actually took place here in Wilmington. The concept aims to capture the spirit of both writers. Whether you seek a local watering hole to saddle up to the bar for a hearty sandwich and a beer, or an elegant location for a magnificent dining event, guests at Ernest & Scott will find a warm, friendly environment where all are welcome.

THE GREEN ROOM

HARRY’S SEAFOOD GRILL

100 West 11th St. 594-3154

101 South Market St. 777-1500

Enjoy French cuisine in the 100-year-old Green Room at the Hotel du Pont, an unforgettable setting of oak paneling, coffered oak beamed ceilings, gold chandeliers, and original oil paintings. The world-class Green Room is a winner of the Four-Diamond AAA Award for 28 consecutive years.

Featuring a colorful combination of shimmering draperies, wingback chairs, and Versace patterned china, the historic elegance of the Green Room is complemented by a fresh, seasonally-inspired menu under the direction of Executive Chef Keith Miller. An award-winning wine collection and impeccable service will further enhance your fine dining experience.

The name Harry’s has always been recognized for its tradition of fresh ingredients, innovative cuisine and unsurpassed service. That tradition can be found on Wilmington’s Riverfront at Harry’s Seafood Grill. Adjacent to the Riverwalk, Harry’s Seafood Grill is the place for lunch, dinner, cocktails and a late night in Wilmington. A chic atmosphere, fresh raw bar, award-winning crab cakes, outstanding lobsters, imaginatively prepared seafood, great martinis and 50 wines by the glass are some of the keys to an exciting experience. Harry’s is a coveted spot for patio dining or cocktails on the waterfront.

MIKIMOTOS LA FIA BAKERY + MARKET + BISTRO 421 N. Market St. 543-5574 The menu at La Fia has something for everyone. From handmade pasta, gnocchi and ravioli to the eclectic menu of small plates, each dish is carefully crafted by Chef Bryan Sikora. Chef Sikora finds inspiration in all types of European cuisine. The kitchen at La Fia prides itself in making everything in house from the freshly baked bread to the desserts, La Fia is true artisan cooking. In 2014 Chef Sikora was nominated for Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic and he continues to deliver his outstanding food to Wilmington.

1212 North Washington St. 656-8638

In August 2000, owner Darius Mansoory added a second restaurant to his portfolio when he opened Mikimotos Asian Grill & Sushi Bar. Like its older sister, Washington Street Ale House, Mikimotos continues to surpass the expectations of its guests. Mikimotos is a high-energy restaurant sheathed in contemporary urban décor. Walls and tables are dressed in bold reds and yellows with black accents. The half-moon bar, a Wilmington hotspot, delivers creative cocktails along with old favorites, and the unusual circleshaped 24-seat sushi bar serves the freshest fish in the city. ►

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PICCOLINA TOSCANA

TONIC BAR & GRILLE

1412 N. DuPont St. 654-8001

111 West 11th Street 777-2040

Dan Butler opened Toscana upon returning home to Wilmington in 1990. His vision was a contemporary Italian restaurant with the big city feel of the places that he had seen in his travels and work experience in Europe, Washington, D.C and Florida. His education and the kitchens he has worked in since taught him to cook everything from scratch, using the best, freshest ingredients in a simple way that lets the natural goodness shine. Toscana has been renovated and updated several times over the years, including a to-go and catering shop adjacent to the restaurant, but the core concept of nice people serving “really good food” has never changed.

Located in Downtown, Wilmington, Tonic is the creation of well-known Wilmington restaurateur Dan Butler (Piccolina Toscana, Brandywine Prime) and longtime business partner Paul Bouchard. Tonic blends an urban sensibility with the classic American steakhouse to bring a warm and inviting dining experience. Tonic strives to leave a lasting impression with a relaxing decor, hospitable service, delicious craft beers, plenty of big red wines, and, of course, the finest steaks available.

WASHINGTON STREET ALE HOUSE

UBON THAI CUISINE 936 Justison St. 656-1706

2016

Jeenwong Thai Cuisine has been in Wilmington for about 13 years now, and is proud to have chosen to stay here and present Ubon Thai Cuisine. Their goal is to bring exotic flavors to Wilmington, such as “Thai Guy’s Wings” and “Yai’s Rolls,” with service that makes customers feel like they’re with family.

They take all the fresh ingredients that you would see in Thailand, along with local produce, to create family Thai dishes, including“Yai’s Rolls” and the “Momochas” —from scratch.

1206 North Washington St. 658-2537 Opened in 1997 by Darius Mansoory, Washington Street Ale House specializes in great food and handcrafted beers. With an extensive selection of 24 beers on tap, this is the best place in the city to enjoy great drinks with family and friends. Guests are able to relax and unwind in the inviting dining room, which is the perfect location for evening dates, family outings and friendly get-togethers. And the year-round deck offers a premier atmosphere to enjoy dinner and appetizers for any occasion.

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF WILMINGTON HEART OF THE HOME® KITCHEN TOUR

Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor

Tour Dream Kitchens & Enjoy Fabulous Food April 9th 9:30a.m. - 4:30p.m.

HeartOfTheHomeTour.com Tickets: $30 each | $35 day-of | 4 for $100

Photo: Susie Hall Mathews Real Estate & Photography outaboutkitchentourhalfpagead.indd 1 38 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT 45 YEARS FOR GALLUCIO’S

FROM FOOD TRUCK TO CAFE

TRIPLE THREAT!

T

he Triple Threat BBQ Festival will take place at the Harrington Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday, April 8-9. There will be a two-day wing tasting competition, and spectators’ $5 entry fee entitles them to taste five flavors of wings. Each taster will vote for his or her favorite and the winner will receive a cash prize. There also will be a craft beer tasting on both days, with 16 breweries offering three beers each to sample. Tickets for the beer tasting are $25. Tickets for both the wing competition and the beer tasting can be purchased online or onsite.

For more, visit delawarefairgrounds.com.

M

ET

O

n March 1, 11 teams from Delaware high schools met in Dover for the Fourth Annual Delaware ProStart Student Invitational, a state-wide competition focusing on the culinary and management skills of area students.

Divided into teams, the culinary students demonstrated their ability to prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes while using just two butane burners.

Their knife skills and poultry fabrication were also taken into account by judges.

Meanwhile, the management teams created a restaurant proposal by giving a verbal presentation that exhibited the critical thinking required for a manager’s day-to-day operations.

A William Penn team won the culinary competition, while Cape Henlopen High School’s team won the management contest.

The winners received a total of $33,000 in scholarship opportunities.

The Delaware Restaurant Association will sponsor their travel to attend and compete in the National ProStart Student Invitational in Texas this month.

For more information about the competition, visit prostart.restaurant.org.

YD

’S JANSSkEeN t

mar SI

DELAWARE PROSTART STUDENT INVITATIONAL

& EV E R

AY

W

iLDWiCH food truck became an instant hit after debuting in the city in July 2014. Now, things have gotten even tastier. WiLDWiCH has opened a downtown Wilmington cafe offering gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, baked goodies, fresh lemonade and coffee. It’s at 800 Delaware Ave., Suite 100.

Fan favorites include the K.C.Q. hickory smoked pulled pork, Kansas City-style barbecue sauce with tangy slaw, and the Saigon, a hickory smoked salmon filet, serrano aioli, pickled daikon and carrot, and cucumber with cilantro.

The cafe also will offer a business lunch menu featuring sandwich trays, hot sandwich stations, salads, bruschetta, hummus, fruit, crudités, baked goods, and much more. The cafe is open weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

And for food truck loyalists, be advised that, after a winter hiatus, the truck is back on the streets and will continue to operate in tandem with the cafe.

For more, visit wildwich.com.

GO

Tasty things worth knowing

UR

BITES W

ilmington’s Gallucio’s Italian Restaurant is celebrating 45 years in business this spring. In honor of the anniversary, the eatery, at 1709 Lovering Ave., will feature a new menu that includes bruschetta, fried calamari, chicken parmigiana, sautéed seafood, a variety of pizza and a signature burger menu.

The restaurant will “give back” to patrons all year long, and will offer an assortment of coupons as well, says General Manager Greg Dorak.

“We are privileged to have served the Wilmington area for so many years,” Dorak says.

Gallucio’s is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. For more information visit gallucios-de.com.

NCE 19

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FROM FINE FOOD TO FLOWERS, WE DO IT ALL. For your special day, let Janssen’s catering take care of you. From customized, full-service catering designed to fit your budget, to floral arrangements, china and linens, we can do it all.

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APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Arts & Culture Town Halls Wednesdays thru April 27th

Blue Rocks Home Opener Thursday, April 7

LUMA: Art IN Darkness Sunday, April 10

The Feelies Friday, April 15

Photography Road Trip (Parks) Sunday, April 17

42nd Street Tues, April 19 - Sun, April 24

Concerts on Kentmere Thursday, April 21

Wilm Earth Day Celebration Friday, April 22

Sinbad Friday, April 22

Little Women Friday, April 22 - Sunday, May 1

The Explorer’s Club Wed, April 27 - Sun, May 15

Mastersingers of Wilmington Saturday, April 30

RICHARD RAW MC & COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

Full details for these events, plus hundreds more at: 30 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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inWilmingtonDE.com

3/24/16 2:53 PM

CITY OF WILMINGTON

On the Town

Nina Spencer at Artopia.

w

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE REFRESHMENTS

K

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

DT

DOWNTOWN LOOP

WE

WEST END LOOP

NW

NORTH WILMINGTON LOOP

NC

NEW CASTLE LOOP

THE WILMINGTON ART LOOP FRIDAY, APRIL 1 5 - 9 p.m. artloopwilm.org

ALSO IN THIS SECTION: This Month at Theatre N

cityfest

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Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org

THE WILMINGTON ART LOOP FRIDAY, APRIL 1 5 - 9 p.m.

On the Town

cityfestwilm.com/artloopwilmington cityfest

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE ART LOOP. STEP 1: Select exhibitions that interest you.

STEP 2: Map out your choices and select transportation. You may want to walk, drive or take the downtown DART Trolley. A limited number of seats are available on the Art Loop shuttle. Please reserve your seat by calling 302.576.2100 or email artloop@WilmingtonDE.gov.

STEP 3: Meet local and regional artists while enjoying the newest exhibitions to open in Wilmington and the surrounding areas.

STEP 4: Enjoy one of Wilmington’s excellent restaraunt or nightlife locations. Please visit the food and drink section of inwilmingtonde.com.

STEP 5: Repeat the first Friday of every month!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHERE DOES THE ART LOOP START? The Art Loop is a self-guided, go-at-your-own pace tour that can start at any of the locations listed in this guide. There is no designated route for the Art Loop.

HOW DO I APPLY TO EXHIBIT ON THE ART LOOP? Participating galleries book and curate the exhi-

bitions and should be contacted directly at the contact information provided in this guide.

HOW DO I TAKE THE ART LOOP SHUTTLE? Reserve one of the limited number of seats by calling 302.576.2100 or email artloop@WilmingtonDE.gov. The bus will pick-up and drop-off at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts.

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The Delaware Contemporary 200 S. Madison Street Wilmington, DE 302.656.6466 • thedcca.org

Opening reception for studio artists Lauren Peters and Carlucci Coelho, new group exhibition “Carried Weight” on view, Matthew Christopher’s “Abandoned America” book signing, Painted Stave Distillery vodka tasting, DJ Skinny White, cash bar, and Rolling Revolution food truck fare! Image: Xaviera Simmons, courtesy David Castillo Gallery. Art Loop reception 5-9 PM. On view Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat - 10 am-5 PM; Wed, Sun - 12 - 5 PM through April 30th.

Zaikka Indian Grill 209 N Market Street Wilmington, DE www.zaikka.com Abstract & Back Ryan Wuebbels’ paintings explore abstraction using mostly oils on canvas, often applied without a brush. The Delaware based artist also includes minor landscape and other real world references in some of his latest works. Art Loop reception 5-8 PM. On view Mon – Fri 11 - 8 through April 30th.

LaFate Gallery 227 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE arteun@aol.com www.lafategallery.com

Featuring the works of Joe Melloy, Sr. Michael T. Melloy, and Kevin Melloy, with paintings in Acrylic and mixed media. The Show is a tribute to the love of flowers by the late Bert Melloy, former head floral designer at Winterthur, and lecturer and author on floral arranging. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm.

On view Tue - Thurs. 11am – 5 pm, Fri-Sat 10 am – 6 pm through April 29th.

2nd & LOMA 211 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.655.0124 2ndandloma.com Zathray Burton’s “Love At It’s Best”.

Remember when you met that special person and love grew into something beautiful, your life was changed forever. Art Loop Reception 5 – 8pm. On view Mon – Fri from 9am – 5pm through April 22nd.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

3/24/16 12:46 PM

Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org LOMA Coffee 239 Market Street Wilmington, DE The Shadow Effect. The Shadow Collection, Jessica Edinger. Things aren’t always what they seem when viewed in the dark. Art Loop reception 5-8 PM. On view Mon – Fri 11 - 8 through April 29th.

Bobbi Rhian’s Executive Lounge 302 North Market Street Wilmington, DE www.urboiphotography.com The Work of Lindsey Epps Tucker, Lifestyle/commercial photographer Lindsey Epps Tucker. Art loop reception 6-9 PM. On view Monday thru Friday 12 – 1 AM through April 30th.

MIZ INK 316 N Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.565.7710 www.mizink.weebly.com Pete Darker’s Toy Chest, Pete Darker’ Toy Chest Lawerence Moore II Isabel Jean-Louis Zelda Pete Darker is a creative genius that uses art to express his love and passion for Comics. Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Saturday 10 A – 6PM through April 30th.

Eye Shadow, An exploration of a broad range of lived themes from a woman’s perspective featuring artist Shannon Woodloe, Susan Thomas -Holder and Marlene Lacy. Subjects are self-reflection, feminism, motherhood, health and wellness, spirituality, friendship, community, and social justice. Art Loop reception 5:30 - 8 pm. On view Monday through Saturday 9 AM – 6pm through April 29.

The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.thegrandwilmington.org 4youth Productions’ Student Photography Exhibit. Where Art and Science Collide; featuring amazing artwork created by our students. Please join us for this free event open to the community and meet our students while enjoying great art and delicious hors d’ourves.

Reception on 4/8 from 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Friday, 10 AM – 5PM, weekends subject to staff availability through May 3rd.

Levitea 228 W. 9th Street Wilmington, DE 302.565.9802 leviteawilmington.com Golden Streets, Brandon Aufiero. Solo exhibit by photographer Brandon Aufiero featuring photographs of the Streets of Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 PM. On view 10 – 6 PM Tuesday through Saturday through April 3rd.

Delaware College of Art and Design 600 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.dcad.edu

Mezzanine Gallery 820 N. French Street Wilmington, DE artsdel.org

Annual Continuing Education Exhibition, April 1- 29th, 2016, Toni & Stuart B. Young Gallery.

Young Gallery DCAD’s Continuing Education Program offers courses open to the community and certificate programs. This annual exhibition spotlights the work and assignments completed through the program. Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Friday 9 AM – 9 PM, Sat/Sun 10 AM – 4 PM through April 29th.

Spirit of Eden: Nemours, Joe del Tufo, This exhibit will feature new color infrared work including the debut of work done over five years of shooting at the Nemours Garden and Mansion. Art Loop reception 5 – 7 pm. On view Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm through March 24th.

Jerry’s Artarama 704 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.268.1238 wilmingtonde-jerrys.com

The 3rd Place 1139 W. 7th Street (entrance on Harrison St.) Wilmington, DE 717.578.3478 3rdplacewilm.com

Ralph Marley, Book of Ralph : A Color Depiction Of Life. A series based on seeking knowledge of self. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:00 PM. On view 9 AM – 6PM through April 30th.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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Christina Cultural Arts Center 705 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.690.8092 • ccade.org

Group show featuring the work of Creative Vision Factory Artists including featured painting by Carl Bailey. Art Loop Reception 5 - 9 PM. On view Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8-12 noon, Saturday 10-2 PM through April 28, 2016.

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West End Loop

artloopwilm.org The Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street Wilmington, DE 302.652.7847 www.howardpylestudio.org

Brandywine Hundred Library 1300 Foulk Road Wilmington, DE Recycled 3D Paintings, 3D Recycled Art in honor of Earth Day, Tatnall Art teacher, Cyntaya Welch and her 60 preschool students create colorful, sculptural painting using recycled materials and found objects. Art Loop Reception 5 – 8 PM. On View Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri 10 AM – 6PM, Sat 10 AM – 5 PM, Sun 1 PM – 5PM through April 29th.

New members Patricia Connelly, Joyce Nerlinger, and Karen Kuhrt; present their varied styles, from realistic to abstract through a combination of paintings in oils, acrylic, and mixed media. Art Loop reception: 5:30-8pm. On view by appointment only through May 1st, 2016.

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue Wilmington, DE 302.529.0506 Robyn Burckhardt, Acrylic paintings; Rhoda Kahler sculpture; Wes Memeger acrylic paintings and constructions. This show explores abstractions from three different points of view. Art Loop reception 5–8 pm On view Tue – Fri 10 am – 5 pm, Sat 10 am – 4 pm through May 3rd.

Buzz Ware Village Center at Arden 2119 the Highway Arden, DE ardenbuzz.com

Recommission of a Battleship, #5 by Hiro Sakaguchi

Fractals - Exploring the Imagination, Richard Ortolano. An exploratory process leading his imagination in many directions. Colorful swirling designs; bold shapes; delicate pastels; rigid patterns; or organic designs simulating natural objects, but he is always welcoming and seeking other’s interpretations. Art Loop Reception 6-9PM. On view by appointment only through April 30th.

Petal Pushers 25A Trolley Square Wilmington, DE www.petalpushersdel.com

Artopia 903 Brandywine Blvd Bellefonte, DE www.artopiaboutique.com

Floral oil paintings by Kathleen Keene Also functional and decorative ceramics by Well Born Clay. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 PM. On view Monday through Friday 9 AM – 6 PM, Sat 10 - 3 through April 30th.

Folk art by Nina Spencer. Vivid use of color and evocative imagery give life to Spencer’s works on canvas and tile depicting bayou life through a child’s eyes.

Art Loop reception 5 – 8 PM. On view Tuesday - Friday 11 PM - 5 PM, Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM, Sunday 12 - 4 PM.

Station Gallery 3922 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 302.654.8638 stationgallery.net

Somerville Manning Gallery Breck’s Mill, 2nd Floor 101 Stone Block Greenville, DE sommervillemanning.com

“New Drawings & Paintings”, W. Gary Smith.

Landscape architect Gary Smith has created a new world of colorful gardens, fantastical creatures and abstracted tropical leaves for this solo show. Whimsical drawings are meticulously done using pen and ink with colored pencil; larger works are painted with pastels. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm. On view Mon – Fri 9 am – 5 pm, Sat 10 am – 3 pm through April 30th.

Robert C. Jackson: Recent Paintings. Nationally acclaimed artist Robert C. Jackson painted this year’s Wilmington Flower Market poster in his signature trompe l’oeil style and humor-this solo exhibition of new work also acts as an unveiling of the poster.

Wilmington HOPE Commission 38 Vandever Ave Wilmington, DE www.wilmhope.org

Christine Lafuente’s paintings reveal a painterly dialogue with her subjects; they are as much about intimacy and the creative act, as they are about the mysterious ways that light can elevate the ordinary.

Future Relics, Artist Alim Smith explores the past, present and future of African Americans in Wilmington through art and conversation.

Art Loop Reception 6 – 8 PM. On view Mon thru Tuesday 10 – 4 PM by appointment through April 30th.

Art Loop Reception 5 – 7 PM. On view Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM through April 9th.

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North Wilmington Loop

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

3/24/16 12:47 PM

Theatre N at Nemours

theatren.org

PRICES: $8 | general admission $6 | seniors and children 302.576.2565 Monday - Friday 1007 N. Orange Street Wilmington, DE 19801

302.571.4075 Nights & Weekends theatren.org ONLY YESTERDAY

PG | 1 hr 58 mins | April 1-7 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 1pm, 7pm Mon. 7pm | Wed. 7pm Realizing that she is at a crossroads in her life, bored twenty-something Taeko heads for the countryside.

The trip dredges up forgotten childhood memories which unfold in flashback to younger years: the first immature stirrings of romance, the onset of puberty, and the frustrations of math and boys.

LADY IN THE VAN

PG-13 | 1 hr 43 mins | April 1-7 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 1pm, 7pm | Sun. 4pm Tues. 7pm | Thurs. 7pm Alan Bennett’s story is based on the true story of Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who “temporarily” parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years. What begins as a begrudged favor becomes a relationship that will change both their lives.

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT

NR | 2 hrs 5 mins | April 8-13 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 1pm, 7pm Mon. 7pm | Wed. 7pm Spanish,Portuguese,German,Catalan, Latin With English Subtitles At once blistering and poetic, the ravages of colonialism cast a dark shadow over the South American landscape in EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT, the third feature by Ciro Guerra. Filmed in stunning black-and-white, SERPENT centers on Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and the last survivor of his people, and the two scientists who, over the course of 40 years, build a friendship with him.

DURANT’S NEVER CLOSES

NR | April 14 -21 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 7pm Tues. 7pm | Wed. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm Special Screening Q&A with Director, Travis Mills Thursday, April 14th at 7pm.

Tom Sizemore plays Jack Durant, a dynamic and dangerous gentleman who runs the most famous steakhouse in the city. He caters to movie stars, politicians and mobsters. He knows all their secrets but does anyone really know the man they call Jack Durant?

MEMORIA

R | 1 hr 10 mins | April 15-21 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 7pm Mon. 7pm | Wed. 7pm Based on James Franco’s “Palo Alto Stories” and “A California Childhood”, Ivan Cohen is a young boy living in Palo Alto, California. Unsatisfied by his slacker group of friends, his love for a girl who doesn’t know he exists, and a dysfunctional family life, he is struggling to find his place in the world.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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*Theatre N reserves the right to change the film schedule at any time. Please visit our website at www.theatren.org for the most up to date information for all film and events at Theatre N.

THE PREPPIE CONNECTION

NR | 1 hr 37 mins | April 15-21 Fri. 10pm | Sat. 8pm | Sun. 1pm | Thurs. 7pm How to win friends: smuggle $300k of uncut cocaine into your snooty prep school. Toby a blue-collar scholarship student at an elite boarding school who finds an in with the cool crowd by supplying them with cocaine. But things spiral out of control when Toby goes from smalltime dealer to international drug trafficker, culminating in a trip to Colombia and a daring deal with a cartel.

MY GOLDEN DAYS

R | 2 hrs | April 22-28 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 1pm, 7pm Mon. 7pm | Wed. 7pm French with English subtitles A middle-aged anthropologist (Mathieu Amalric) reminisces about family, school adventures, a student trip to the USSR and the love (Lou Roy-Lecollinet) of his life.

BORN TO BE BLUE

NR | 1 hr 38 mins | April 22-28 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm Sun. 4pm | Tues. 7pm | Thurs. 7pm Ethan Hawke lights up the screen as jazz legend Chet Baker, whose tumultuous life is thrillingly reimagined with wit, verve, and style to burn. In the 1950s, Baker was one of the most famous trumpeters in the world, renowned as both a pioneer of the West Coast jazz scene and an icon of cool. By the 1960s, he was all but washed up, his career and personal life in shambles due to years of heroin addiction.

FRANCOFONIA

NR | 1 hr 28 mins | April 29-May 5 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm Sun. 1pm, 7pm | Mon. 7pm | Wed. 7pm Russian, French, German & English with English subtitles Set against the backdrop of the Louvre Museum’s history and artworks, master director Alexander Sokurov applies his uniquely personal vision onto staged re-enactments and archives for FRANCOFONIA, a fascinating portrait of real-life characters Jacques Jaujard and Count Franziskus Wolff-Metternich and their compulsory collaboration at the Louvre Museum under the Nazi Occupation.

SKY

NR | 1 hr 43 mins | April 29-May 5 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm Sun. 4pm | Tues. 7pm | Thurs. 7pm A French woman finds liberation in the dusty highways, wide open spaces, and smoky barrooms of the American West in this captivating road movie. Diane Kruger stars as the Parisian Romy who, while on vacation in California, breaks things off once and for all with her boorish husband in a dramatic final fight.

A free woman in a strange land, Romy embarks on a life-changing trip through the desert that brings in her touch with strangers who impact her life in various ways.

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1. Amtrak Station 2. Opera Delaware Studios/City Theater Co. 3. Wilmington Youth Rowing Assn., WYRA.ORG 4. Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park 5. Residences at Christina Landing 6. Harry’s Seafood Grill / Riverfront Market, HARRYS-SAVOY.COM 7. Delaware Theatre Co., DELAWARETHEATRE.ORG 8. FireStone Roasting House, FIRESTONERIVERFRONT.COM 9. Cosi at the Barclays Crescent Building, GETCOSI.COM 10. Hare Pavilion/Riverwalk 11. AAA Mid-Atlantic Travel Center, AAAMIDATLANTIC.COM 12. The Delaware Contemporary, THEDCCA.ORG

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13. Justison Landing, Currie Hair, Skin & Nails, CURRIEDAYSPA.COM Veritas Wine & Spirits, VERITASWINESHOP.COM Starbucks on the Riverfront 14. Kooma, KOOMASUSHI.COM Goju Training Center, GOJUROBICS.COM 15. Delaware Children’s Museum, DELAWARECHILDRENSMUSEUM.ORG Riverwalk Mini Golf, RIVERWALKMINIGOLF.COM 16. Joe’s Crab Shack, JOESCRABSHACK.COM 17. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, IRONHILLBREWERY.COM 18. Public Docks 19. Big Fish Grill, BIGFISHRIVERFRONT.COM

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20. Frawley Stadium, BLUEROCKS.COM Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame 21. Chase Center on the Riverfront, CENTERONTHERIVERFRONT.COM 22. Dravo Plaza & Dock 23. Shipyard Center Planet Fitness, PLANETFITNESS.COM 24. Timothy’s Restaurant, TIMOTHYSONTHERIVERFRONT.COM Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, MOLLYSICECREAM.COM Ubon Thai Restaurant 25. Wilmington Rowing Center, WILMINGTONROWING.ORG 26. Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge/ DuPont Environmental Education Center, DUPONTEEC.ORG

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27 Riverfront Commuter Lot, RIVERFRONTWILM.COM/PARKING 28. Penn Cinema Riverfront IMAX, PENNCINEMARIVERFRONT.COM 29. CrossFit Riverfront, CFRIVERFRONT.COM 30. The Residences at Harlan Flats, HARLANFLATS.THERESIDENCES.NET 31. Stratosphere Trampoline Park, WILMINGTONTRAMPOLINEPARK.COM 32. The Westin Wilmington, WESTINWILMINGTON.COM River Rock Kitchen, RIVERROCKKITCHEN.COM 33. Delaware Humane Association, DEHUMANE.ORG Photo by Joe del Tufo

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Tea Time As the state’s only tea bar, Wilmington’s Levitea has joined a nationwide trend. In a little more than a year, it’s become a gathering place for a broad cross-section of customers.

By Krista Connor Photos by Matt Urban

L

ike any veteran bartender, Tynisha Lomax is accomplished in behind-the-counter skills: she engages in natural, witty banter with customers, listens to barstool woes, and knows the exact pour an indecisive patron needs.

But there’s one big difference—instead of doling out shots, Lomax pours pots of tea into white mugs at her tea bar, Levitea, at 9th and Tatnall in Wilmington. While waiting for customers’ tea to brew, she often treats them to “smellabrations” by opening one of her cans of loose leaf teas and waving the tin lid, sending the scents—bergamot, pumpkin chai, Earl Grey lavender, peach oolong, sweet chocolate orange, pu-erh—wafting toward customers.

Lomax is currently the only self-proclaimed loose leaf modern American tea bar proprietor in Delaware. But that may not be for long. Thousands of tea shops are popping up nationwide, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc. Artisan loose leaf tea establishments—Tea Bar in Portland, Ore., Samovar Tea Bar in San Francisco, Chalait in New York City—are being looked to in the wake of third-wave coffee trends, according to Bon Appetit Magazine. Thanks to Lomax, Wilmington joined the movement a little more than a year ago.

Brightly lit with minimalist décor, Levitea eschews the Victorian look that might be expected in such an establishment.

Lomax has carefully avoided traditional British or Asian tea room themes, explaining that she wanted to go in an alternative direction when she opened the shop in November 2014. As a result, Levitea gives off an artistic, laidback vibe.

“I wanted to do tea in a more casual way,” Lomax explains. “It’s what I call an American tea shop. I think America doesn’t really have a tea culture as a whole, but maybe that can change.”

Accolades are quickly building for the establishment. Last year, Levitea won a “Best of Delaware” award from Delaware Today, and the Green Room at the Hotel du Pont features a variety of its teas each month. Soon, the shop will offer teas to-go by the ounce, and an online store will be up and running, along with a blog. And this summer, Lomax promises bubble tea.

A Wilmington native and Tatnall School graduate (class of ’94), Lomax says customers complain that they don’t want to leave the shop to go back to work after a nice tea or lunch break (food is provided by Yummy Tummy, a Wilmington purveyor of high-end sandwiches, salad and fruit salad).

But that wasn’t always the case. At first, people told her she’d never make it.

“Who wants a tea shop?” she remembers people asking.

“So I had to think, ‘What would be the best way to introduce people to tea?’ We’re American, we don’t want fine china every time we go out, but we don’t want a plastic cup either,” Lomax says.

So she decided to give her shop a lighthearted, informal atmosphere without aiming for a specific demographic. Her efforts seem to have paid off—after the community’s initial uncertainty. The shop is now visited by customers ranging from local regulars to area politicians.

“I think the atmosphere brings people in,” Lomax says. “If they come here once, they’ll come again. It’s a place where people really get together—old, young, rich, poor, different ages and genders.”

She says that such diversity is an important platform for her.

“This is a tea shop. I don’t want to be specific. I think that’s what this city is missing, the diversity. People tell me you’re never going to diversify Wilmington, but every effort matters.” ►

◄ Tynisha Lomax, proprietor of Delaware's only tea bar Levitea, calls the establishment a modern "American tea shop."

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DRINK TEA TIME continued from previous page

State Line Liquors Family owned & operated Since 1937 — 4 Generations!

www.statelineliquors.com

Spring wines are here including a great selection of Rosé Special Events and Tastings Visit us on the web for details Many customers stop by to sip tea with a book in hand, or to or eat lunch during work breaks.

Lomax eventually wants to add a window bar at the front of the shop. But otherwise, everything had already been renovated, ironically by the prior owner, who had opened a tearoom for a few months before closing because he and his wife were expecting their first baby in 2014.

Lomax had her eye on the space for a while even before the tearoom existed, while she worked as a web content coordinator for a national non-profit based in Delaware. Her passion for tea had been growing as she studied the benefits, properties and histories of tea, hoping to one day open a shop. Around the time that the tearoom became available Lomax was laid off from her job, prompting her to take the plunge and lease the space despite not having a business background.

“There’s something about tea that just makes you take a moment. Take it in. It’s like wine. You want to smell it. You become a tea sommelier.”

Levitea has become a destination for the creative community. Artists are invited to share their work at the tea bar, whether it’s artwork on the walls, live concerts or comedy nights. The space is also available for gatherings like birthday parties. A vegan group even comes in to do food demonstrations. Additionally, Lomax hosts a few events a month—Rawcoustic, an acoustic happy hour every other Wednesday, and Levitea Lounge, a latenight artsy open mic every other Thursday.

“We drink tea and eat food and laugh a lot,” says Lomax. “I really open it up to the community—it’s all about ‘What do you guys want, who wants to do what here?’”

Hours are Tuesdays - Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Visit leviteawilmington.com for more.

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Photo courtesy of Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company

DRINK

Since 2012, R2Hop2 has grown each year, while Fordham & Dominion has added more vendors and unique attractions to the event.

Crafty Endeavor Fordham & Dominion Brewing’s fifth annual R2Hop2 set for April 23

By Matt Moore

L

ive music, games, regional vendors, food, craft beers on tap: Those are just a few of the attractions as Fordham & Dominion Brewing Co. hosts its fifth annual R2Hop2 Beer and Music Festival on Saturday, April 23, from noon-5 p.m.

More than 40 vendors will fill the Dover microbrewer’s sprawling grounds at 1284 McD Drive, offering fresh food and beer, face painting and even haircuts for the kids.

Live music will be provided by Delmarva-based bands Pasadena, Barrelhouse and Casey Alvarez.

According to Ryan Telle, Fordham & Dominion’s VP of marketing and lead graphic designer, the goal for this year is to make the festival as interactive as possible. ►

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Photo courtesy of Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company

DOVER MICROBREWERY HOSTS BEER AND MUSIC FEST continued from previous page

The festival is named after this brewery equipment, which allegedly looks like R2D2.

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2 0 1 6 MUSIKARMAGEDDON

Friday, April 15 7pm • Tickets $5 at the door live @ the baby grand 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 16 Local Singer/Songwriters will compete in a head-to-head contest to determine the area’s best talent

For a list of competing artists go to

Musikarmageddon.com

“In addition to guests being able to move irst it was hard lemonade, then from vendor to vendor, there’s gonna be things to partake keg toss, or is photo hard cider,in—the and now there yet booth, another Jenga, corn hole,onface-painting, and player the burgeoning the house, ” he says. craftbounce product scene: hard soda.

The festival will have a strong Delaware Thewith rise more of thisthan new90entry wasofkickflavor, percent the started when Small Town Brewery's vendors coming from in-state.

NotThis Your Father's Root approach Beer (originally communal has become root was of a re-released number of elements releasedthe in 2012)

by Pabst featured in this year’s festival, including last March.

Now, riding the wave with a collaboration with Painted Stave Pabst and adding their own spin on hard Distilling of Smyrna on a dry hopped sodas areOver beer the leaders and whiskey. last MillerCoors eight months, Anheuser-Busch.

The three brewers are the two companies have worked closely together to the bring whiskeymarket into tapping into adultthis beverage fruition andawill release it at sweet the festival by creating product whose taste via an interactive Painted Stave makes it easier and more funbooth. to drink “They’ll have their own booth serving than beer. the whiskey, in addition to a booth where Sayscan Kate Tigani, marketing people drink the assistant beer by itself, then manager advertising coordinator of the beer inand the barrel that the whiskey was made in, then the whiskey says.

Standard Distributing Co.,itself,” "It'sTelle exciting. same up mechanism this It's The opening a wholethat newmakes category whiskey, as well as the entire Fordham & and a whole new consumer base by Dominion portfolio, has also inspired the introducing beer to people who were name R2Hop2. turned off by beer."of equipment that we “It’s this piece use According on a regular dry hop to basis USA toTODAY, IRI,oura beer, and it kind of looks like R2D2,” market research company, predicts Telle says.

“He’s functioning that hard soda salesawillfull double in 2016. employee, if you will.”

Imagine this when considering that Since 2012, the R2Hop2 Beer Not and Your Beer sold $7.2 million MusicFather's FestivalRoot has grown every year, with in thevendors first six months 2015, according more added toofits roster as well as unique features Insights. like the antique fire to Beer Marketer's truck that will Riggs, be parkedfield at the marketing brewery— Mellissa complete with draft pumps on the side of manager for MillerCoors, says this trend it that pour beer.

f

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Photo courtesy of Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company

Dominion's Oak Barrel Stout.

The history of the brewery itself extends back to 1989, when Old Dominion Brewing Co. was founded by Jerry Bailey in Ashburn, Va. Old Dominion was eventually purchased by the longstanding Fordham Brewing Co. in 2007, which was founded in 1703 by Benjamin Fordham and rebranded in 1995 in Annapolis.

By 2009, the two breweries merged under the title Coastal Brewing Company and moved to the current headquarters in Dover.

Since then, the two brands have been brewed and bottled under the same roof while still maintaining their distinct characteristics.

“Fordham is that sessionable, easy-drinking beer for that craft beer drinker who’s on the cusp,” Telle says. “They’ll drink a major brewery brand, but they can also gravitate over to that Fordham portfolio. Whereas Dominion is for more of that experienced craft beer drinker—those high-alcohol beers, those double IPAs, those Belgian tripels. It kind of pleases all beer drinkers’ palates.”

Ten years later, Fordham & Dominion Brewery has become a prominent name in the craft beer industry, producing more than 15 beers and distributing to more than seven states as well as to the United Kingdom.

"We've always believed in being a mile deep and an inch wide. Having more of a monumental impact in our own and also neighboring areas means the most to us and for our future," says Fordham and Dominion Marketing Coordinator Joe Gilmore.

According to Telle, the R2Hop2 Beer and Music Festival is intended to emphasize the importance of community as an integral element of the brewery.

“The idea is to make quality beer on top of making friends,” he says. “Whatever you can do to make an impact.”

General admission for the festival is $25 and includes four beer samples, a commemorative glass and unlimited soda. Designated driver tickets are also available for $20 and include unlimited soda as well. VIP tickets are sold out.

KIMBERLY BROWN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST

WHAT’S #INWILM THIS MONTH

What’s IN Your Dirt?

Saturday, April 9

Kalmar Nyckel Tours Sunday, April 17

Spring INto Nature Saturday, April 23

Pedal Through the Parks Saturday, April 30

Full details for these events and more:

inWilmingtonDE.com

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

Beer Grainiac

Late Night

Bar Deals

Craft beer reviews from Grain’s Jim O’Donoghue

THIS MONTH:

Dogfish Head Beer To Drink Music To

B

eer to Drink Music To is a Belgian-style tripel brewed with sweet orange peel, green cardamom, peppercorns and vanilla. Dogfish did a great job adding more complexity to an already complex style. You get what you would traditionally expect from a tripel but with additional flavors that don’t go over the top. At a 9 percent ABV, grab your favorite vinyl and enjoy a relaxing afternoon. If you like La Fin Du Monde you should give this one a try.

– Jim O’Donoghue

9pm – Close | Bar Only

5

$

Jr. Pizzas plain or pepperoni

1/2 Price Apps No substitutions. Certain restrictions may apply. Not valid with any other discounts or offers. Excludes gluten-free. Valid at Pennsylvania Avenue, Concord Pike, Dover Newark, Milford, Seaford and Grand Slam, Lewes only.

Home of the

BIG BEER $

3.50

22 oz. Drafts

All Day, Every Day *bar only | NCCo locations

For a full location listing visit

GrottoPizza.com

60 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

SIPS Here's what's pouring

MAHALO, APOLLO!

I

ron Hill Brewery and Restaurant’s Wilmington location will welcome the warmer months on Saturday, April 2, with a celebration of the release of summer wheat beer Mahalo, Apollo! This golden, refreshing beer will be available on draft and in a four-pack of cans. Also, for members of King of the Hill Rewards Club, there will be a corn hole tournament with prizes. For more information, visit ironhillbrewery.com.

NEW BREWS FROM YORKLYN

OVER 30 DIFFERENT SIXTELS IN STOCK!

D

ew Point Brewing Co. will become the area’s newest microbrewery when it opens its doors in early May. Housed in a historic building at the former Garrett Snuff Mills, 2878 Creek Rd., along the Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway, the family-run brewery will feature a rustic-style tasting room.

Five to seven craft beers will be available on tap at opening, and guests can also choose from bottles of select beers and growlers. The tasting room will seat about 35 people, so not only can visitors have a sample at the brewery, but they can also enjoy a glass nearby. For updates, visit dewpointbrewing.com.

BALLAST POINT

GRAPEFRUIT SCULPIN

28

.99

12 - 12 oz Bottles

FOUNDERS

ALL DAY IPA

17

.99

15 - 12 oz Cans

SWEETWATER

VARIETY JAMES BEARD NOMINEE: SAM CALAGIONE

SPRING IS HERE WITH TASTY BEER

D

over’s Dominion Brewing Company is celebrating milder weather with a spring seasonal, the Cherry Blossom Lager, which has returned for the fourth year in a row to commemorate the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. through April 17. Cherry Blossom is brewed using a classic German lager recipe. Once the lager is filtered, it is sent to the brite tank where it is aged on red sour cherries and dark sweet cherries for 72 hours before packaging and kegging. Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager is available in six-packs and on draft.

S

ince 2011, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery founder Sam Calagione has been recognized by the culinary industry's most prestigious honor, the James Beard Foundation Awards. While Calagione has never won the top prize, he has been nominated every year for the past six years.

Calagione, along with his wife Mariah, owns two restaurants in Rehoboth— Chesapeake & Maine and Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, as well as Dogfish Inn. He is a finalist for the foundation’s award for Outstanding Wine, Beer & Spirits Professional.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards recognize culinary and beverage professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields. The 2016 James Beard Awards Gala will take place at Lyric Opera of Chicago on May 2.

37

.99

24 - 12 oz Bottles

SUMMER FEST AT BREWERS OUTLET! May 7th, 12pm-4pm Sample beers from 15 breweries including Victory, New Belgium, Evolution, and many more!

No charge.

Must be 21 years or older.

www.BrewersOutlet202.com Route 202 – One Mile N. of DE/PA Line Mon–Sat 9–9, Sun 10–5 • 610-459-8228

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Join Us As We Celebrate Our 80TH ANNIVERSARY Mondays: 15% off Craft Beer 6-Packs • Tuesdays: 15% off Whiskeys over $50 Wednesdays: 15% off 750mls of Wine • Thursdays: $2 off Growler Fills

D

62 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN

The Queen Theater transformed from deserted to dazzling after reconstruction between 2009-2011. Photo courtesy of World Cafe Live at The Queen

SYMBOL OF A DOWNTOWN REVIVAL Transformed from a derelict building, World Cafe Live at The Queen celebrates its fifth anniversary, and founders and fans look back—and forward

By Krista Connor

I

t’s 2008, and word has spread throughout the Wilmington arts community that Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live music and events venue is branching out to revive the derelict Queen Theater on lower Market Street. Abandoned for 50 years, it is a 45,000-square-foot shadow of a once-pulsating downtown.

From the Indian Queen Tavern in 1789 to a banking headquarters in 1871, to the Clayton House Hotel that same decade, to a movie theater in 1916, the building had already endured more than a century of transformations before its doors closed in 1959.

And now, the people who make their weekday commute past the ghost of a building at 500 N. Market St. have one of three reactions: Some shake their heads at one more depressing, crumbled piece of architecture that will never be anything more; some glance up, briefly wondering, hopeful for what it could be; and then there are the pragmatic visionaries who are certain that reconstructing the theater into a music and events venue would be a major step in the resuscitation of a stricken yet enduring downtown.

If successful, it would be a cornerstone in the $300 million effort already underway to breathe new life into Market Street. ► APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Thankfully, the visionaries—Wilmington developers Buccini/Pollin Group (who initiated the idea), city officials, SYMBOL OF A WCL founder Hal Real with Real Entertainment Group, DOWNTOWN REVIVAL area philanthropists, countless board members, dozens of continued from previous page corporate backers—are triumphant.

Construction begins in 2009, and two years later in April 2011, The Queen’s doors are open for business after a $25 million restoration.

Flash forward to present day, and on Friday, April 1, World Cafe Live at The Queen celebrates its fifth anniversary with a day full of music, featuring Grammy winner Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals during a special WXPN Free at Noon performance.

But the five years are so much more than a number. In that time, the building has become equal to other Market Street entertainment icons—The Grand Opera House, DuPont Theater/Playhouse on Rodney Square—by attracting 1,800 internationallyacclaimed or up-and-coming artists, drawing more than 500,000 guests, and hosting 950 events. It has welcomed Ingrid Michaelson, the Wailers, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Manchester Orchestra, Neutral Milk Hotel, Conor Oberst and more.

Says Tina Betz, executive director of the nonprofit corporation Light Up The Queen, which is dedicated to furthering The Queen’s revival and community programs: “The Queen was dying ‘til it was finally dead for about 50 years. It was not only possible to make a successful project out of the renovation, but now World Cafe Live at The Queen has been alive for five years. It feels pretty damn good.”

A BEACON OF LIGHT

And to Real, the five years parallel Wilmington’s journey.

“I think World Cafe Live at The Queen is a symbol of the city—of urban blight casting a shadow over Market Street that’s turned into a beacon of light to the future,” he says. “This is the visible difference of what happens when you light a place up and have hundreds of thousands of people coming and going at all times and for all things.”

Photo James Kegley

IT TAKES A COUPLE OF MAJOR ANCHORS THAT HUNKER DOWN AND SAY, ‘WE’RE HERE. WE MEAN IT. WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.’ THE FUTURE IS NOW. —Hal Real, WCL Founder Real has watched Market Street start to become the changed place people had wished for. New restaurants have opened and continue to open, apartment buildings have sprung up, and a new generation of young professionals has sought out an urban living environment.

“It’s action, it’s happening,” he says. “And I’m proud of our role as a catalyst for that. We look forward to seeing what it looks like five years from now. It takes a couple of major anchors that hunker down and say, ‘We’re here. We mean it. We’re not going anywhere.’

The future is now.”

While for years The Grand and DuPont Theater/Playhouse had brought thousands of people into town, Betz says the “big desert” from 7th Street to 2nd has been heavily impacted by The Queen’s revival. Having people come to 5th and Market helped them understand that areas south of 7th didn’t have to be a “desolate, unused, unattended area of town,” says Betz.

“Since The Queen came back to life, we’ve had several new restaurants open, and the 400 block of Market Street—that sat as a war zone for many years—has been totally transformed,” she says.

It’s now a place you want to go, she says.

Senator Tom Carper, an avid music fan and long-time supporter of the venue since its founding, agrees.

“Potential is being realized, and a big part of that has been the presence of The Queen,” he says. “I love The Queen.”

Of course, despite positive changes, negative stereotypes about downtown and Market Street still exist.

64 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Joe del Tufo

February’s sold-out Shine A Light concert, an annual benefit for Light Up The Queen Foundation, raised more than $100,000.

Real offers an example: Parents of couples interested in holding weddings at The Queen (there have been 75 held there so far) have been known to refuse to go to the venue to look at it, and countless visitors from the suburbs have recounted to Real their hesitation in coming to a show or event out of fear for their safety.

Until they arrive. Then, he says, they’re blown away, and most return for future events, and spread the word to their friends and families.

“A lot of the naysayers said you’re not getting old people, young people, white people, black people, poor people, rich people, to come to this place. ‘That’s just not Wilmington,’” says Real. “We’ve proven that so wrong. We’re leveraging the power of music to build community in a casual way.”

Join us at

54 East Main Street, Newark, Delaware on April, 16, 2016 at 8 am for

COMMUNITY CLUBHOUSE

For Carper, who originally wanted to be a music promoter before he got into politics, The Queen’s past five years represent “the fulfilment of a dream.” He’s been to 40 concerts at the venue —favorites being the Jayhawks, Dar Williams, Gin Blossom—and even got to host his 65th birthday concert there in 2012, with 1,000 people.

“It’s a community project,” says Real. “It belongs to everyone, whether you’re 5 years-old or 85. It’s for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, corporate workshops, beer and wine events, kids’ programs.”

Through these avenues and more, The Queen dubs itself “a community clubhouse.” It promotes civic engagement and partners with the Light Up the Queen Foundation to offer programs to thousands of Wilmington students, including innovative music education Bridge Sessions through LiveConnections, the Smart Arts! performance series and the inaugural Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency for 13 talented young people. ►

Limited edition releases, giveaways, special sales and much more! visit our website for more info: www.rainbow-online.com

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN Best of DE Winner REaDers ChoiCe 2015 SYMBOL OF A DOWNTOWN REVIVAL continued from previous page

Photo Joe del Tufo

3 Decades of Authentic & Traditional Family Recipes

More than 1,800 concerts have been held at The Queen since 2011.

Weekday Lunch Specials Starting at

$10

Thai Cuisine Encompassing All 4 Regions Fresh Whole Fish & Seafood

Happy Hour Tue-Sun 4p-7p Bar Only Tapas & Daily Drink Specials

Live Music Wed & Sun Nights

Tue-Thu 11am-10pm Fri 11am-11pm Sat 12pm-11pm Sun 4pm-9pm

www.ubonthaicusine.com

302-656-1706 936 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

And aside from hosting international acts, WCLQ is a great base for up-and-coming artists, including local musicians and outof-towners looking for a gig. Real says it’s the kind of place for fans to say, “Oh, I saw them play in an intimate setting before they got really popular.”

And performers appreciate the stage they are given. Ben LeRoy, an area musician who frequently performs at the venue with his band THE SNAP and during the Shine a Light fundraisers for The Queen, says it’s an honor every time he steps onto the stage.

“The fact that we have a world class venue in our own backyard is not only a win for music fans, but also for working musicians who may not otherwise have the opportunity to perform in that type of environment,” he says.

Real, who moved to Wilmington from Philadelphia when the WCLQ project was underway, has since become involved with dozens of city boards and community groups. For him, the best moments are when, in his words, “we’re this hubbub of community in action,” such as Shine a Light concerts and the Boysie Lowery residency.

Programs like the residency present a path for a new generation of artists to continue what started a half decade ago.

Betz says the program has received testimony from thousands of kids who have walked through the doors for the first time and are amazed not just by the building but by the arts education programming.

“So many walk away totally engaged and involved, excited to come back,” she says. “Those are the highlights that keep you going.

It’s why everybody works so hard to make sure it keeps going.”

She sees the anniversary as an important road marker.

“We’re out of the terrible twos, and we’re not just walking, but able to run a little bit as a 5-year-old.”

In addition to Free at Noon on the April 1 anniversary, the Upstairs Live restaurant will offer lunch and free live music from David Falcone.

Free music will continue until midnight with a rotating cast of players from the annual Shine A Light fundraiser for the Light Up The Queen Foundation. Donations to support the foundation’s community programs will be accepted at the door. No RSVP is required. At 8 p.m. Downstairs Live local favorites Universal Funk Order, Atlas Gray and Spokey Speaky play a free show until 11:30 p.m. Again, no RSVP required.

66 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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MUSIKARMAGEDDON SOLO RETURNS Second annual off-shoot of the battle of the bands seeks new champion The second annual Musikarmageddon Solo battle is back on Friday, April 15, featuring 16 up-and-coming musicians who will go head-to-head for the win.

All of the artists will compete in a bracket-style competition before a panel of judges.

Competitors include area musicians Erin Kelsey, Kathy Layfield, David Wilson, Kevin Henry, Kevin McCove and Liz Sutor. Supporters and music fans are welcome.

The singer/songwriter-focused competition, an off-shoot of the annual summer Musikarmageddon battle of the bands in Wilmington, will be held at the baby grand. Perks include prizes and booking opportunities for the winner.

Last year’s winner was Tommy Murray, an area lawyer and musician.

Event founder Joe Trainor, of popular area band the Joe Trainor Trio, looks forward to hearing the authenticity the singer/songwriters bring to the table.

“I think it’s a fascinating opportunity to take away the flash and volume of the full band setting and see how songs stack up against one another,” says Trainor. “When stripped down to just an instrument and a voice, you can really hear the song. And that’s our focus with this competition.”

Look for Musikarmageddon Solo updates in the next few issues.

—O&A

APRIL 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WORLD CAFE LIVE

AT THE QUEEN

WILMINGTON

MAY

3

THE

ENGLISH

BEAT

7

11

TUNED IN Not-to-be-missed music news NEW ALBUM, NEW SHOW

The Cocks perform at Milton Theatre

MAY

MAY

LISTEN

KIEFER SUTHERLAND

The Cocks, a Delaware band, recently released their first CD in five years, Shake Out the Ghosts.

They’re also scheduled to appear at the Milton Theatre on Thursday, April 21. Two short films will be shown as part of the event—a monthly movie series. The band will perform between films, starting at 8 p.m.

The Cocks formed in 2001, starting with Mark Stallard and Phil Young, and later, drummer Pete Romano. They are known in the Wilmington music scene for their songwriting abilities.

They played local gigs while producing their first CD, Tuesday Morning Hangover, on their own.

To live stream Shake Out the Ghosts and learn more about the band, visit thecocksonline.com.

CTC PRESENTS HAIR

MAY

12

GRAHAM

PARKER SOLO SHOW

4/12 THE MOWGLI’S 4/15 4/17 4/22 5/14

JULIA NUNES, THE REBEL LIGHT

THE FEELIES AN EVENING WITH THE CHURCH TAYLOR HICKS KEEP IT DARK

AN EVENING OF GENESIS 5/16 AMOS LEE MUTLU

5/31 LAKE STREET DIVE @ W C L ATT H E Q U E E N WORLDCAFELIVE.COM

500 N MARKET ST W I L M I N G TO N , D E (302) 994.1400

Landmark musical embodies ‘60s counterculture Through Saturday, April 9, City Theater Company welcomes the 1960s and the dawning of the Age of Aquarius with Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. With book and lyrics by James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, this classic musical continues to celebrate the hippie generation that defies racism, sexism, and convention nearly 50 years after its premiere. It’s directed by Michael Gray, with music under the direction of Joe Trainor.

Shows at the Black Box at 4 S. Poplar St., Wilmington, are at 8 p.m. with one 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 3. General tickets are $25 and VIP tickets (choice seating and two complimentary drinks) are $40.

Visit City-Theater.org for more.

68 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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CELEBRATE SCANDINAVIA

Music School of Delaware offers northern European fun Celebrate “The Music & Culture of Scandinavia” on Sunday, April 17, at the Music School of Delaware. Spend the afternoon improving your Swedish language skills, tasting culinary delights from Iceland and Finland, drawing your rendition of Munch’s The Scream, and competing in a hockey contest for an Ikea gift card.

A segment of the Music School of Delaware’s Cultural Crossroads Series, the afternoon includes a concert featuring the Wilmington Ballet Academy of Dance with a faculty wind quintet and a choreographed performance of music

by Carl Nielsen. Sing along with classic hits by ABBA, performed by the Music School’s student jazz and rock ensembles.

The event will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the school’s Wilmington Branch, 4101 Washington St. Tickets are $10, $5 for students and seniors, and can be purchased by calling 732-1132 or visiting brownpapertickets.com.

TOP JAZZ TROMBONIST AT CHRISTINA CULTURAL ARTS CENTER Delfeayo Marsalis will perform April 21 The Christina Cultural Arts Center welcomes jazz trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis on Thursday, April 21, for a landmark concert. The brother of noted jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis will perform music from his CD, The Last Southern Gentlemen, in the intimate surroundings of Christina’s Clifford Brown Performance Space at 705 N. Market St., Wilmington. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, from $20-40, are available at ccacde.org.

Local high-schooler’s song is featured in upcoming movie A Tatnall School student, 15-year-old Sophie Tyler Brown—who goes by Sofi Tyler—has her sights set on a professional singing career. And recently the dream became a reality: she performed her original song, “Monotony,” for the soundtrack of the Hollywood movie High Strung. The movie is set for release Friday, April 8, in AMC theaters around the country. It also was picked up in 20 countries by Radio Disney.

The opportunity sprouted from Brown’s music video for her song, “Cinderella,” which was produced in Chadds Ford, Pa. The video was discovered on YouTube by an acquaintance who has a connection with High Strung director Michael Damian, best known for his 20-year stint as “Danny” on The Young and the Restless and his hit song, “Rock On,” from the early ‘80s. Damian loved what he heard, and brought Brown on board.

In addition to the inclusion of “Monotony” on the movie’s soundtrack, Damian directed Brown’s music video for the song.

Internationally renowned Snarky Puppy performed at the Email with ideas, CCACtuned-in@tsnpub.com in February. Photo Nehemiah Kent

and they could be added to our list.

ALL SHOWS AT 8PM UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED GABLE MUSIC VENTURES PRESENTS FREE!

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 7PM

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2 SHOWS! (9PM+11PM)

8 SAVE THE VALLEY HIGH

SCHOOL ROCK FEST 9 THE SERAFIN STRING QUARTET (7PM) 15 LA SANTA CECILIA 16 RUST NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE 17 JAZZ BRUNCH WITH THE SERMON! (12:30PM) 17 LAS CAFETERAS 21 THE ROOMSOUNDS 21-22 HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL HAPPY HOUR SCREENINGS (4PM) 22 TURBO SUIT 28 ANDY MCKEE 29 JAZZ GENESIS: THE HERITAGE SERIES

DELAWARE JAZZ ALL STARS, WILMINGTON YOUTH JAZZ BAND

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APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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HAVE YOU HEARD OF SOMETHING?

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OPENS MAY 5

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Escape to the movies at Wilmington’s only locally-owned and independently operated multiplex, featuring 15 state-of-theart screens including the state’s only IMAX® Theatre.

302.656.4314 | 401 S. Madison Street | Wilmington, DE 19801

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© 2016 MARVEL STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IMAX IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.

70 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Hello, My Name is Doris

2

STARS µµµµµ Sallie Field plays quirky Doris Miller. Photo Aaron Epstein/Roadside Attractions

YOU LOST ME AT HELLO Sally Field vehicle finds humor in lonely eccentricity

By Mark Fields

I

suppose you could praise Hello, My Name is Doris for the fact that it is a contemporary empowerment comedy that focuses on an older female character. And in fact, Sally Field brings much nuance and humor to her role as Doris Miller, a quirky 60-something adrift in millennial-centric New York City, yearning for some genuine human connection in a world that has largely marginalized her.

Doris Miller is an accountant for a stylish magazine in Manhattan. Her eccentric personal style (she looks like a Goodwill Store threw up on her) is informed by her penchant for trash-picking and hoarding. Having just lost her mother, Doris shambles around in her overstuffed Staten Island home, shuttles back and forth to work, and daydreams of a life very different from the one she has. Beyond her small circle of friends and her judgmental brother’s family, she is an invisible cog in the enormous wheel of modern America.

Then, on the fatuous advice of a self-help guru (glibly played by Peter Gallagher), Doris decides to bravely/foolishly pursue a much younger co-worker. This launches a comedy of manners mixed with occasional fantasy and leavened with a dose of heartbreak.

Directed by actor-writer Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer), the movie skates along on the charm of seeing our beloved Norma Rae dressed like a kaleidoscopic bag lady, out of place everywhere she goes. The underwritten screenplay by Showalter and Laura Terruso is so inattentive to detail that the audience is left to fill in the numerous blanks and patch over the implausibilties.

The cast, which in addition to Field as Doris and Max Greenfield (New Girl) as the May to her December, provides a strong complement of lived-in, resonant performances, especially from Tyne Daly as Doris’ best friend, as well as Kumail Nanjani and Natasha Lyonne as co-workers, Stephen Root and Wendi McClendon-Covey as her boorish brother and sister-in-law, and Elizabeth Reaser as the most hands-on therapist in film history.

At times, Hello, My Name is Doris vaguely reminded me of Hal Ashby’s transcendent 1979 Being There, which depicted a simpleton gardener’s meteoric rise to political adviser and media darling as he unthinkingly dispensed gardening advice that everyone mistook for profundity. There is nothing so profound going on here. ► APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FULL RACK or COMBO w

ONLY

Tuesday Rib Special:

$

17

.99 In House Only

The Deer Park Tavern Time To Break Out Those Sexy Sundresses!

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Entertainment Schedule EVERY TUESDAY:

Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh

Sun

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dress PARTY!

With Jefe and DJ Andrew Hugh

EVERY THURSDAY & FRIDAY:

DJ Willoughby

SATURDAYS: 2nd- Ballyhoo!

9th- As If 16th- Radio Halo

23rd- Hi 5 Swan Dive 30th-Vigilantes

SUNDAY NIGHT: Chorduroy

Newark Wine and Dine • April 2 • Featuring Josh Cellar Wine and Joseph Carr Wine MONDAYS ½ Price Appetizers (5pm-Close)

TUESDAYS ½ Price Burgers ALL DAY! $4 Double LIT’s

WEDNESDAYS - MEXICAN NIGHT! ½ Price Nachos & Quesadillas ALL DAY! $3 Coronas & Margaritas • $1.50 Tacos

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THURSDAYS ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Wings (5pm-Close) ½ Price Burgers (11:30am-3pm) • $2 Rail Drinks

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72 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Photo Melinda Sue Gordon / courtesy of Broad Green Pictures

YOU LOST ME AT HELLO continued from page XX

The admittedly uplifting story seemed to resonate with the audience with whom I attended the movie. But I could never be certain how I was supposed to feel about her quixotic stratagem. Am I laughing with Doris, or at her?

Knight of Cups

1

HEALTHY STARTS HERE

STAR µµµµµ Cate Blanchett stars as “Nancy” and Christian Bale as “Rick” in Knight of Cups.

KNIGHT OF CUPS Terrence Malick’s first two feature films, Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven (1978,) captivated the imaginations of art film lovers with austere lyricism and gorgeously photographed heartland landscapes. The fact that cinephiles had to wait a full 20 years for the director’s next feature only heightened the anticipation and burnished his indie reputation.

His 2011 film, The Tree of Life (starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn), was nominated for both Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards, a fact that still confounds this critic, who found the movie incomprehensible and pretentious. Nevertheless, A-list actors flock to his latest projects, and some critics still await Malick’s films with tremendous interest.

Knight of Cups, with Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman and a host of other familiar faces (you can’t really call what they do in this acting; it’s more like posing), may finally dampen that inexplicable adoration. Ostensibly the exploration of a disillusioned Hollywood screenwriter searching for love and meaning through a string of romantic relationships (though I only know that from the production notes, not the impossible-tofollow screenplay), Cups is an astonishingly self-indulgent and opaque cinematic exercise.

Its brief moments of beauty are completely overwhelmed by the frustrating multiple narrators, purposefully inscrutable story, and capricious editing. The film feels more like the navel-gazing clap-trappery of a self-important grad student than the work of a seasoned filmmaker.

One can only assume that Malick is searching for some new philosophy of film narrative, but Knight of Cups and its predecessor, The Tree of Life, are compelling evidence, at least to me, that he hasn’t yet found it.

The title is a cryptic reference to the tarot; in fact, the film is divided into chapters that all bear titles of tarot cards. The Knight of Cups Reversed indicates “a situation which was initially incredibly appealing, romantic and exciting but which later turns out to be something very different, and one walks away feeling quite disappointed.” Sadly, that description is more apt than Malick might wish.

JOIN TODAY!

www.ymcade.org Financial assistance is available.

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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MOVIES ON TAP TASTING SERIES Held at Penn Cinema, the first film (Caddyshack) and brew (Mispillion) night is April 12 Premier Wine & Spirits, in conjunction with Penn Cinema on the Riverfront and O&A Magazine, is hosting a new, monthly interactive tasting series, Movies on Tap. The series, which kicks off on Tuesday, April 12, with Caddyshack, will feature meet-and-greet tasting opportunities with some of the area’s best breweries while providing a rare opportunity to view cultclassic films on the big screen.

The April 12 event features Milford’s Mispillion River Brewing, and future breweries include Yards, Evil Genius, 2SP Brewing, 16 Mile, Flying Dog, Twin Lakes Brewing and Schlafly.

Attendees can chat with a local brewer, learn about their beer, and watch a classic film of the brewer’s choosing—all for a good cause. This month’s event will raise money for the Food Bank of Delaware. Tickets are $20, which includes beer samples, movie, and popcorn, with proceeds benefiting the brewer’s charity of choice.

Says Ryan Kennedy, director of marketing for Premier Wine & Spirits: “We realized there was a really unique opportunity to bring the brewing industry and movie industry together—while supporting the community we all work in.”

—O&A 74 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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SIX-PACK CINEMA

WATCH

BETTER…STRONGER…FASTER Six films that explore the opportunities and limitations of technology

By Paula Goulden and Mark Fields The 1970s TV show The Six Million Dollar Man opened with the futuristic promise of saving an astronaut’s life by rebuilding him with bionic parts, intoning, “Gentlemen, we have the technology.” The possibilities and pitfalls of our technology have long been the fascination of filmmakers. Upload these six films to see what we mean.

Steve Jobs

(2015)

Danny Boyle’s biopic on the Apple CEO and fabulist focuses on three days in Jobs’ life, immediately prior to the carefully orchestrated launch events for various Apple computer products. In each, the viewer sees the public image of the entrepreneur contrasted with his tumultuous private life. Michael Fassbender captures the enigmatic paradoxes of this controversial figure, but Aaron Sorkin’s loquacious script fails to make Jobs more understandable, let alone likable. —M. F. The Imitation Game

(2014)

This is the story of Alan Turing (Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch), who invented the computer. A British mathematician whose team deciphered the Nazi Enigma code that was instrumental in winning World War II, Turing also was a closeted homosexual at a time when that was a criminal offense in England. The movie artfully balances the code-cracking thriller elements with the antisocial Turing’s emotional struggles. —P. G. Apollo 13

(1998)

Based on the true story of Jim Lovell’s heroic crew, the film charts the tense hours of the famed space flight as engineers on the ground attempt to devise a plan to prevent disaster aboard the crippled command module as it attempts to return home. Ron Howard’s crisp direction and solid performances from Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon and Gary Sinise (among a large and starry cast) make this piece of history soar. —M. F. Electric Dreams

(1984)

A nerdy architect buys a powerful computer to assist him in organizing his life, and accidentally makes the computer sentient with a wayward glass of champagne. Then the architect finds himself in an awkward love triangle with the beautiful cellist upstairs…and his computer. This unlikely comedy from the beginning of the digital era is sweet, and the graphical depictions of the computer’s consciousness and the thrumming electronic score by Giorgio Moroder still have their quaint, dated charm. —M. F. THX1138

(1971)

George Lucas’ first feature film stars a young Robert Duvall as a hapless drone within an underground dystopian society of the future. Dominated by the computers and robots that surround them, THX and his roommate gradually become aware of their controlled existence and seek to escape. Lucas depicts this world with a compelling visual style that conveys the crushing impact of technology run amok. —M. F. Desk Set

(1957)

The last film comedy to pair Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn has the two on opposite sides of the technological divide. Tracy plays an engineer testing a new computer and Hepburn is the TV network researcher whom the device is intended to replace. The stars are comfortable in their romantic interplay, though they are both too old to be truly credible. The woman vs. machine struggle ends predictably, especially since it pits the formidable Miss Hepburn against an early—and balky—computer. —M. F. MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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#DIGIN TO THESE DELICIOUS EVENTS:

Taste of the Americas Sunday, April 3

City Restaurant Week Mon, April 4 - Sat, April 9

10th Annual Muttini Mixer Saturday, April 9

BRIAN MARINE SALES & OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST

Wine & Craft Beer Tasting Saturday, April 16

Full details for these events & hundreds more at: inWilmingtonDE.com

Come Enjoy Our Great Weekly Entertainment

Come Try Our Seasonal Craft Beers Over 22 Beers on Tap at the Polly Drummond and Peoples Plaza Locations!

Every Wednesday:

DJ DANCE PARTY

Karaoke Every Tuesday at our Dover Location!

MONDAYS

½ Price Appetizers All Day

TUESDAYS

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WEDNESDAYS

All You Can Eat Wings $11.99 after 5pm

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: 108 Peoples Plaza (Corner of Rtes. 40 & 896) | Newark, DE | 302-834-6661 8 Polly Drummond Shopping Center | Newark, DE | 302-738-7814 800 North State Street | Dover, DE | 302-674-0144

THURSDAYS

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76 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Our staff picks their top independent films. Our esteemed movie critic, Mark Fields, gets to pick two: his all-time favorite and one from last year.

All Time - Pulp Fiction Pulp Fiction remains a masterpiece of bravura storytelling with an utterly contemporary sensibility from the feverish cinephile mind of Quentin Tarantino. Unlike the director’s more recent films that eventually surrender the narrative to his penchant for bloodletting, Pulp Fiction is nonetheless violent yet services a taut story populated with intriguing characters well-played by John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis and Uma Thurman, among others. The real heart of the film, however, is Tarantino’s hyper-eloquent, pop culture-drenched screenplay. Royale with Cheese, anyone?

2015 - Ex Machina Ex Machina, directed by first-timer Alex Garland from his own screenplay, was a stand-out even in a year of several stunning indie features (Anomalisa, 45 Years, Carol and Room, to name a few). A finely-tuned study in palpable tension, Ex Machina tells a slightly futuristic story about a lowly computer coder hired by a reclusive genius to test the humanity of his newest female android, the comely and clever Ava. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander, the chamber sci-fi piece is both brooding and provocative.

—Mark Fields, Movie Critic Citizen Four Many view Edward Snowden as a traitor for going public with what he discovered about government surveillance as a National Security Agency contractor. You owe it to yourself to watch this Academy Awardwinning documentary by director Laura Poitras before rendering a verdict. What would you do if you were privy to such information? Watching Snowden’s internal struggle to reconcile this dilemma is gripping; contemplating the impact of his revelations is downright frightening. A suggestion: Rent Enemy of the State, the 1998 espionage thriller starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman, then rent Citizen Four.

—Jerry duPhily, Publisher

People Places Things Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords leads the small but solid cast in this relatable 2015 rom-com. Clement plays a divorced art instructor navigating the waters of single parenthood and modern dating. The script steers clear of the clichés of the romantic comedy genre, and it benefits from great supporting performances from Jessica Williams, of The Daily Show, and Michael Chernus, of Orange Is The New Black. ► —Ryan Alexander, Contributing Designer

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Join us for the area’s largest

Cinco de Mayo Festival

Countdown to

Sunday, May 8th noon - close

DE Specials all weekend long!

May 5 - 8

KEEP THE PARTY GOING AFTER

POINT-TOPOINT!

Corona Girls Food & Drink Specials Giveaways Kid Friendly

Live Bands & DJ Photo booth Dunk tank Salsa Dancers

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BORN & BRED IN WILMINGTON’S LITTLE ITALY!

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Brewed with sun-loving flavors.

Take home a 4-pack today.

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78 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH FAVORITE INDIE FILMS continued from previous page

Kung Fury This is a martial arts/comedy short, written, directed by and starring David Sandberg, of the Swedish film company Laser Unicorns. It was funded on Kickstarter and raised just over $500,000. An homage to 1980s martial arts and cop films, Kung Fury is the title character—a tough martial arts cop in Miami who goes back in time to kill the worst criminal of all time, Adolf Hitler, known as “Kung Führer.” There is plenty of outlandish action and violence involving arcade machine robots, dinosaurs, and Viking gods packed in this 31-minute film. The completely outlandish visual effects, with a 1980s visual look, are what make this film great.

—Tyler Mitchell, Graphic Designer

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Winner of the 2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award, this quirky, funny film is the story of Greg Gaines (Thomas Mann), an awkward high school senior whose mom (Connie Britton) forces him to spend time with Rachel, a girl (Olivia Cooke) in his class whom he hasn’t spoken to since kindergarten and who has just been diagnosed with cancer. The result, believe it or not, is mostly humorous, but also poignant and memorable. You can’t ask for much more.

—Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels At one time, this was not only my favorite indie film, but my favorite film overall. Although the typical Guy Ritchie film is appealing because of the action, and they often seem to have the same plot, Lock, Stock has a unique plot with plenty of twists, dry humor and coincidental meetings. It can be described as a “crime caper comedy-drama.”

—Matt Loeb, Creative Director/Production Manager

Beasts of the Southern Wild This unconventional story takes place in an unidentified Louisiana Delta community, focusing on a resilient 6-year-old girl named Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis, Annie) and her ailing father, Wink. Balanced between the struggles of an eroding way of life and mythical undercurrents—Hushpuppy’s imaginary monsters—this 2012 film is a raw and triumphant portrait of intrepid persistence. Director Benh Zeitlin utilized only a small crew with mainly dozens of local residents from Montegut, La., to keep its authentic feel. Combine plot with the score, cinematography and talent, and this poetic movie is worth watching again and again. ► —Krista Connor, Associate Editor

BBC

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APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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THURSDAY May 5

th

FAVORITE INDIE FILMS continued from previous page

DJ Noj & Jefe Acoustic

5 Jacks (Olde No. 7, Honey & Fire)

$

3 Select Craft Beer Bottles

$

FRIDAY May 6

th

DJ Noj & Blue Label 5 Absoluts

$

3 Miller Lite Bottles

$

SATURDAY May 7

riverfrontOASIS

Once This modern-day musical set on the streets of Dublin was filmed in 17 days for less than $100,000. “Guy” (Glen Hansard), a street musician who works in his father’s vacuum repair shop, meets “Girl” (Marketa Irglova), a Czech immigrant and singer/songwriter/ pianist who happens to need her vacuum repaired. After realizing their commonalities, they head to a local music store to play together, and it’s immediately clear that they’re a natural fit. They decide to record with some of Guy’s band friends. In the process, they discover each other’s painful past and navigate through their own unrequited love.

The beautiful, intimate music makes the movie, and the song “Falling Slowly” won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song. And Hansard and Irglova actually did fall in love while filming. They dated and did multiple world tours as the musical duo The Swell Season, but eventually broke up in 2010.

—Marie Graham Poot, Director of Digital Media & Distribution

For All Mankind If one of the primary goals of film is to transport one to another place, then in that sense, For All Mankind is about as memorable as any film gets, indie or not. The Academy-Awardnominated documentary essentially takes its viewers to the moon and back: a complete space voyage pieced together like a motion-picture scrapbook.

Using footage from the Apollo space missions of the ‘60s and ‘70s, 80 hours of astronaut interviews, and countless missioncontrol audio conversations, filmmakers created an exhilarating experience that takes viewers along for a ride in the same space capsule as the often-awestruck astronauts. Some of the visuals are breathtaking. With the film’s lovely soundtrack, Brian Eno adds frontier elements to his more familiar atmospheric touches. In addition to reaffirming patriotic ideals, the film illustrates our untapped human potential in this humble corner of the universe.

—Jim Miller, Director of Publications

th

(2pm – 1am)

Kevin McDermott Acoustic 5pm – 8pm Stays in Vegas 5 Cpt. Morgans

$

3 Miller Lite Bottles

$

SUNDAY May 8

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Mother’s Day!!!

Chorduroy Acoustic 4pm – 7pm

Call For Patio Reservations 5 ‘Stone Crushes

$

3 Select Seasonal Beer

$

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3 Mimosas Just For Mom!

facebook.com/FireStoneWilmington

4-day weekend!

Check Out Our Website For Updated Band Schedules & Great Summer Specials!

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APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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82 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY

SNAP SHOTS

2.

1.

4.

3.

6.

5.

Photos by Anthony Santoro 1. Greater Overbrook String Band from Philadelphia performs during downtown Wilmington’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 12.

2. John Kelley dressed as St. Patrick on a parade float heading down King St. 3. From left. Irelyn Brown, Lynda Brown, Landon Brown and Lindsey Brown take part

4. Sheri Vandenbraak, Lana LaRochelle, Justin Lake, Kim Kandravi, Kevin Becker

having a good time outside Catherine Rooney’s.

5. Celebrators flock to Kelly’s Logan House after the parade.

6. Chapel Street Junction Band at the Logan House during the 26th annual St. Paddy’s Loop that same night.

in parade fun from the sidelines.

APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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both patios open april 1st 84 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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presents

PARTY ANIMAL

LOOP A benefit for DE Humane Association FRI, APR 15 • 7PM-1AM $5 COVER (to benefit the pets)

13 CLUBS 8TH & UNION KITCHEN • ANEJO CATHERINE ROONEY’S • CHELSEA TAVERN CLUB LAVISH • DEAD PRESIDENTS ERNEST & SCOTT TAPROOM • FIRESTONE GALLUCIO’S CAFE • GROTTO PIZZA KELLY’S LOGAN HOUSE • THE WICKED VINE TIMOTHY’S RIVERFRONT

OutAndAboutNow.com • 302.655.6483

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Save the Date

2016 Best of Delaware Party!

Visit BestofDE.com for tickets and information. Get tickets early and save!

THURSDAY

Presented by:

July 21 BENEFITING:

DOVER DOWNSÂ HOTEL & CASINO DOVER, DE

Delaware Guidance Services for Family & Youth Big Brothers Big Sisters of DE

Music by:

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Custom Sponsorships are available at a variety of price points. For sponsorship information, call 302.504.1326

Delaware Brain Tumor Walk Saturday, April 23, 2016 Wilmington, DE Enjoy a 5K walk for all ages to find a cure for brain tumors. www.BrainTumorWalk.org/Delaware

Walk. Donate. Volunteer.

86 APRIL 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LOOK!

ANTI-BIOTIC FREE

CHICKEN

PORK BEEF

TROLLEY SQ. • BRANMAR PLAZA • MAIN ST. NEWARK

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MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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13245-PTP Out & About April 2016 Ad.QXP_Layout 1 3/14/16 11:19 AM Page 1

Sunday, May 8

E Photos by Jim Graham

njoy a glorious day of steeplechase racing and celebrate this year’s 38th Annual Winterthur Point-to-Point. Pack a picnic lunch or festive tailgate spread and get ready to enjoy one of the Brandywine Valley’s most stylish sporting events!

Buy wris your

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For complete details on all Point-to-Point activities and to purchase admission, call 800.448.3883 or visit winterthur.org/ptp. NEW! Purchase tailgate parking and tent options online at ptptailgate.com.

Sponsored by Capital One, Dogfish Head, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, SC&A Construction and Weymouth, Swayze & Corroon Insurance

Advance sales only. Rain-or-shine event. No refunds. All wristbands must be purchased by May 7. Adult general admission $30 (March 1–April 29), $50 (April 30–May 7). No wristbands will be mailed after April 29. Children under 12 free. Discount for Winterthur Members. Proceeds benefit the continued maintenance and preservation of the garden and estate at Winterthur.

Purchase your Point-to-Point general admission at any of the following locations:

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ShopRite Supermarkets 501 South Walnut Street Wilmington, DE 19801 302.225.6900

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Winterthur is nestled in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, between I-95 and Route 1.

800.448.3883 • 302.888.4600 • winterthur.org

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