Out & About Magazine -- Dec 2010

VOL. 23 NO. 10

DECEMBER 2010

OutAndAboutNow.Com

COMPLIMENTARY

Inside

The Year's Best Music pg 53

WINE All About

PLUS: >>> How to cook with, order & pair wine >>> The Food Bank's next challenge >>> Donna Rego's slow-food approach

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11/19/2010 10:34:05 AM

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4 . Inside

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December  | O&A

11/22/2010 11:34:57 AM

INSIDE

Published each month by TSN Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing & business address: 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

O&ACONTENTS December 2010 | Vol. 23, No. 10 | www.outandaboutnow.com

FEATURES Publisher Gerald DuPhily Editor-in-Chief Michael Pollock Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller

12 THE HUNGER FOR MORE The Food Bank of Delaware has the state’s hunger problem under control.

Its next challenge? The school system. By Michael Pollock

18 UP CLOSE: ALL ABOUT WINE The four things you need to know about wine; pairing wine with dessert; ordering wine confidently; and how to cook with wine.

29 TIME IS ON HER SIDE Director of Sales Marie Graham

Donna Rego and the slow-food approach. By Michael Pollock

47 SETTING SAIL Creative/Production Manager Matthew Loeb Art Director Joy Smoker Senior Graphic Designer Shawna Sneath

New Sweden’s fresh take on Americana. By Michael Pollock

DEPARTMENTS 7

Out Front

12 Gift Guide Contributing Editor Bob Yearick Senior Writers Pam George, Carol Kipp Larry Nagengast, Scott Pruden Contributing Writers Mark Fields, Robert Lhulier J. Burke Morrison, Ciro Poppiti

29 Food & Drink 41 Movies 47 Music 57 Nightlife

Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Dennis Dischler Tim Hawk, Les Kipp, Matt Urban

In the spirit of A Around the World in 80 Days at the Dela Delaware Theatre Company, we’ve hidden the show’s protagonist, Phileas Fogg, on four pages in this issue (this page not included). in If you can find him, you’ll be eli eligible to win a pair of tickets to see a p performance. Go to our new website, ou outandaboutnow.com, to enter.

For editorial and advertising information: (302) 655-6483 • Fax (302) 654-0569 Website: www.outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com

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11/22/2010 7:29:00 PM

Based on people he knows well, Milwaukee artist Marc Sijan creates faces and figures that capture human emotion, movement, and the minute details of individual appearance.

Experience Sijan’s 17 startlingly lifelike sculptures on view throughout the Museum’s galleries.

NOVEMBER 13, 2010 – JANUARY 16, 2011 In Delaware, this exhibition is made possible by The Edgar A. Thronson Foundation.

Additional support is provided by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Image: Lady with Lipstick, 2002. Marc Sijan (born 1946). 14 x 8 x 6 inches. Courtesy Marc Sijan.

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6 . Inside

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December  | O&A

11/22/2010 11:12:17 AM

The War

OUTFRONT

ON WORDS

By Bob Yearick

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to correct some of the most common mistakes Americans make in both the written and spoken word.

Politically speaking Cleaning up some leftovers from the recent elections: • It’s “I have run a positive campaign,” not “I have ran a positive campaign.”

• From a Ron Williams column in The News Journal: “Our U.S. Senate race has generated a tremendous amount of e-mails to members of the editorial board.” If Ron were a “War” reader, he would have written “a tremendous number of e-mails…”

• It’s the Democratic Party, not the Democrat Party. A local radio talk-show host frequently gets it wrong, and Republican State Sen. Greg Lavelle got it wrong in his campaign literature.

Department of Redundancies Dept.

From Phil Grosz’s column in Blue White Illustrated, the weekly that covers Penn State (Roar Lions!) football: “As a refresher, here’s a short recap [of the season].” A recap is, in essence, a refresher, and it’s a concise summary, thus “short” is implied. So, ol’ Phil, a longtime favorite of “War,” is doubly redundant.

From USA Today: “[Jimmy] Vivino previously served as former associate music director, arranger, guitarist and vocalist for The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien…” No need, we hope, to explain this one.

Media Watch Hate to bring back bad memories of the San Francisco Giants’ Cody Ross and his NLCS heroics, but here’s a line from The Philadelphia Inquirer the day after the series ended: “Charlie Manuel was praiseworthy of Ross…” Our favorite

www.out-and-about.com

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WORD OF THE MONTH

hagiography

Pronounced hag-ee-OG-ruh-fee, it is a biography that idealizes or idolizes the person.

manager was “complimentary” of Ross, whose play was praiseworthy.

From an online AP story about the Jeff Gordon/Jeff Burton shoving match after a recent NASCAR race. “Gordon said he never expected anything like that to happen between he and Burton.” And so we encounter another writer who was absent when the English teacher explained that prepositions require objective pronouns—in this case, him.

From a review of the play Sylvia in The News Journal: “Theater is chock-a-block with memorable love affairs but few are as delicious and ditsy as that of Greg (Kurt Zischke) and his eponymous (our italics) talking stray pooch Sylvia…” Eponymous is a useful but tricky word.

It relates to a state, city, work of art, etc., whose name is taken from the name of a person. Never mind that a dog, not a person, is involved here; this sentence makes it sound as if the dog is named after its owner, when what is meant is that the play takes its name from the dog.

Leftovers Some housekeeping from the November “War”: Our discussion of gerunds (nouns formed from verbs, and all end in ing) revealed to us that not everyone knows how to pronounce the word.

Do it with a soft g: JERE-und.

Also, the editor of the Wilmington weekly that covers the young-adult entertainment scene—OK, it’s Spark—emailed us to take the blame for the miscue in the assistant editor’s column that we pointed out last month. It was he, he ’fesses, who mistakenly edited into the copy the word “women” where “woman” was needed. He says he thus violated the most important tenet of copy editing: “First, do no harm.” We can relate; in the past, one or two editors have done the same to us.

BONUS

WORD OF THE MONTH cynosure Pronounced sI-nuh-shoo r, it means something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc.

Heard or seen a good

(bad) one lately?

Drop us a line at allwriter@ comcast.net.

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11/23/2010 11:05:32 AM

A Toast to the

First State n Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution. Show your support by raising your glass in a simultaneous toast of local beer on Delaware Day, Dec. 7, 2010 at 7 p.m., sponsored by Twin Lakes Brewery.

Currently, the following bars are set to participate. Check twinlakesbrewery. com for updates.

O

Dressed for Success

M

ore than $100,000 was raised for student scholarships at this year’s Wilmington University Green & White Ball, a black-tie event held Oct. 30 on campus. Pictured at top, from left to right: Ray Wildman, Erin O’Connor, Suki Deen, and Rob Eleuterio. At bottom: Wilmington University president Jack P. Varsalona, newly elected U.S. Senator Chris Coons, and Dr. Robert C. Messina, president of Burlington County College. photos by John Donnelly

8 . Out Front

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Back k Burner Burrne ner BBC C Tavern Tav vern ve rn Buckley’s kley y’s Tavern y’ T vern Ta n Capers ers & Lemons Lem L em mon ns Columbus umb bus us IInn nn n Crimson Moon mso on Mo oo on n Cromwell’s mw well we elll’ss Tavern Tav av ver en er Deep Blue p Bl llu ue ue Deerr Park Pa ark Tavern ar ark Tav Ta ve e ern rn rn Eclipse Bistro pse Bi issttro Elements ments Piano Piia ano o Bar Barr Famous Jacks mous Jac cks ks Feby’s Fishery y’s Fishe ery ry Gallucio’s u io’s uc Jackson kso son n Inn Kelly’s y’’s Logan Lo n House Hous Ho ous u e McGlynn’s Glynn’ n’ss Pub Pu ub Mona na Lisa a Piccolina Toscana olina Tosc can ana Pickled Pub kled Pig Pu ub Pig & Fi Fish F sh Pizza Elizabeths za a by E Eli liza z be beth t s Public lic House e Wilmington Wilmi ilmi il ming gto t n Redfi Grill Steakhouse fire re Gr G illl & St tea e kh khou ouse s Six Paup Paupers uper erss Stanley’s nley’s ’ Tavern Ta av ve ern rn Tijuana ana Taco o Shop Sho h p December  | O&A

11/23/2010 12:35:47 PM

DUI. LOSE YOUR LICENSE.

Of Prose & Prize An O&A contributor nets a big literary honor

A

uthor and O&A contributor Scott Pruden can now count himself, in one small way, among John Irving, Rick Moody, and Joyce Carol Oates. All of these writers have been nominated, at one time or another, for the prestigious literary honor that is the Pushcart Prize, given out since 1976 to celebrate the best work of small presses.

(Winners are featured in the influential Pushcart Prize anthology.) Pruden has been nominated in fiction for his novel Immaculate Deception, which follows the afterlife adventures of an investigative reporter. Congratulations, Scott! Learn more about the novel (and buy it) at scottpruden.com.

www.out-and-about.com

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One DUI changes everything. You’ll pay an average of $3,400 in fines, court costs and attorney fees, lose your license for up to a year and get a criminal record. Delaware is cracking down on impaired drivers with weekly DUI checkpoints and patrols.

GET THE SOBERING FACTS: WWW.OHS.DELAWARE.GOV

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11/22/2010 12:59:00 PM

UD is for you.

You need knowledge that will make a difference in the real world— and you need it fast.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM INFORMATION SESSION

Thursday, January 27 5:30 p.m.

UD certificates deliver practical, use-it-the-next-day skills in a short time.

The programs are scheduled to suit working professionals like you.

And that credential on your resume couldn’t hurt.

(program begins at 6:00 p.m.)

Doubletree Hotel 700 N. King Street, Wilmington (Call 302-831-7600 to register.)

Financial Planning Certificate Information Session: Feb. 3 on the Newark campus.

•

Bring a friend!

•

Visit www.pcs.udel.edu/certificate/, or contact us at continuing-ed@udel.edu or 302-831-7600 for a list of programs.

The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity University.

T H A N K

OA120010

Y O U

to all of the generous sponsors and vendors who helped make the 2010 Wilmington University Green & White Scholarship Ball a success.

Green and White Ballro om Sp onsor

Bronze Sp onsors

PNC Bank

Themed Ro om Sp onsors Atlantic Mechanical Bellevue Realty Corporation Burlington County College The News Journal TD Bank

G old Sp onsors Canon Business Solutions Communication Printing, Inc. Insurance and Financial Services, LTD (IFS) Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL)

Silver Sp onsors Delaware School and Office, LLC Emory Hill Saul Ewing, LLP Shure-Line Electrical, Inc. Three Rivers Systems Today’s Graphics, Inc.

ABM Janitorial Service Allied Barton Security Services Dr. Michael J. Axe and Dr. Joseph Straight Comcast Spotlight Dr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Cupples Delaware Express Shuttle & Tours Delaware Technical and Community College (Stanton/Wilmington) Delaware Today/Media Two DVL, Inc. Gunnip & Company LLP Dr. Edward and Connie Guthrie Integration Logistics, Inc. Liberty Mutual Group New Castle County Chamber of Commerce OfficeMax Roberts Painting & Wallpaper Romano Electronics, Inc. Salem Community College Security Instruments Laird Stabler & Associates, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Shaw, Jr. Joseph W. Small Associates

Vend ors Action Coffee Company Augusta Grille Bella Vista Bings Bakery Café Scalessa Capriotti’s Columbus Inn COSI Drexelbrook Catering El Diablo Burritos Feby’s Fishery Food for Thought Catering Harry and David Harry’s Savoy Grill Italian Kitchen Olé Tapas Lounge and Restaurant Papa’s Pastry Shop Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Seasons Pizza Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware Union City Grille United Distributors of Delaware, LLC University and Whist Club Where Pigs Fly Williamson Hospitality and Catering

Gifts in Kind Deer Park Spring Water Formal Affairs Premier Wine and Spirits Prestige Packaging Standard Distributors The Resale Boutique Today’s Graphics, Inc. Wawa Beverage Company

w i l m u . e d u / g r e e n a n d w h i t e 10 . Out Front

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December  | O&A

11/22/2010 2:58:53 PM

DUI .

SHAME ON YOU.

Attention, Writers!

Short-Story contest now open Let’s see your best 1,500 words

W

riters, warm up your pens, notepads, computers, whatever. The Out & About short-story contest is back, and this time, the competition is co-sponsored by the Delaware Literary Connection, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting Delaware writers.

Contest entries must be no more than 1,500 words, may be fiction or nonfiction, and must address the theme of turning points.

Turning points occur in everyone’s life: marriage, the birth of a child, a career path. Some are the result of choices we make; some the result of choices made by others. They can be positive—winning the lottery—or negative—winning the lottery. They’re often serious, but sometimes, especially in retrospect, humorous.

Previously published pieces are not eligible. Entry deadline is Feb. 15. First-, second-, and third-place winners will be announced in the April issue of Out & About and will be published in subsequent issues.

All entries must be typewritten (12-point type, preferably Times New Roman) and must be available in electronic form. Each entry must have a title sheet with the entrant’s name, address, email address, and phone number. Subsequent pages must be numbered and include the title of the piece but not the entrant’s name to ensure the anonymity of each submission when judged.

Entries should be sent to: Delaware Literary Connection, 237 Cayman Ct., Wilmington, DE 19808.

Entries will be judged by the DLC board of directors, who are not eligible to enter.

Prizes, to be announced next month, will be awarded to the winner and first and second runners-up. www.out-and-about.com

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One DUI changes everything. You’ll pay an average of $3,400 in fines, court costs and attorney fees, lose your license for up to a year and get a criminal record. Delaware is cracking down on impaired drivers with weekly DUI checkpoints and patrols.

GET THE SOBERING FACTS: WWW.OHS.DELAWARE.GOV

11

11/22/2010 1:27:48 PM

IN IT TO WIN IT! You don’t have to spend a lot to give a lot this holiday season.

Pick up Delaware Lottery Instant Games for everyone on your gift list at your nearest Delaware Lottery retailers and start spreading the joy. ( Instant Tickets start at $1, lottery.state.de.us)

HOLIDAY TIE ONE ON! What guy wouldn’t love a fashion-forward Bruno Piattelli tie tucked away in his stocking? ($55, Mystique Fashions, 1408 N. Dupont St., Wilmington)

gift

GUIDE

Stuff stockings with these gifts from area locations

OFF THE CUFF! Cuffs made of sterling silver, bronze, copper, and precious gemstones by local designer Olga Ganoudis are the perfect gift for your boho-chic, style-savvy friends. (from $220, Olga Ganoudis Jewelry, 1313 N. Scott St., Wilmington OlgaGanoudis.com or etsy.com/shop/OlgaGanoudis)

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SNAP SHOT! The world’s best-selling wearable HD camera for sports, the HERO offers crisp, detailed, HD quality photos and videos for your next outdoor adventure. According to The New York Times, this wearable camera “packs more power than most professional cameras on the market today.” Some accessories included. (from $179.99, The Ski Bum, theskbum.com)

11/23/2010 2:05:35 PM

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

FOR THE KIDS! Need the perfect gift for a family? The Delaware Children’s Museum offers family-membership packages for year-round family fun! (from $120, Delaware Children’s Museum, delawarechildrensmuseum.org)

FEELIN’ FIT! Give the gift of fitness with a specialty package from Fusion Fitness Center. But hurry, because their special pricing for the holiday season ends Dec. 24. (from $29, Fusion Fitness Center, fusionfitnesscenter.com)

TINY BUBBLES! Gifting multiples of these stocking-friendly mini-bottles of Prosecco (187ml) is a fun way to introduce a newbie to the world of sparkling wines. (from $3.99, Collier’s of Centreville, collierswine.com)

Tiamo ($4.49, 187ml)

and Villa Jolanda ($3.99, 187ml)

Prosecco from Collier’s of Centreville

SCRUB DOWN! Popping this cult-classic lip scrub into stockings is sure to put a smile on your giftee’s face! Available in a variety of flavors at Houppette. ($24, Houppette, houppette.com) 13

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11/23/2010 2:10:43 PM

Th Food The F d Bank B k off D Delaware l has h the th state’s t t ’ hunger h problem bl under control. Its next challenge? The school system.

By Michael Pollock photos by Anna McDermott

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11/23/2010 12:37:04 PM

P

atricia Beebe, the executive director of the Food Bank of Delaware for the past 12 years, prides herself on thinking outside the box. Prior to moving to Delaware, she worked for nonprofits in Wisconsin and Texas. Beebe speaks with the steadfast determination that’s expected of someone who’s made a career out of nonprofit work, as though her head and heart are now anchored in the same place.

Still, there are surprises. One such surprise came earlier this year, when the results of a national study, called Hunger in America 2010, were released. The study was conducted in 2009 for Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of emergency-food providers, and it revealed something Beebe now calls “unbelievable.”

“It showed that we were serving an unduplicated count of 241,600 Delawareans,” Beebe says from her office in Newark, part of the Food Bank’s upstate headquarters.

Delaware’s population is estimated to be about 885,000. Run the fast math.

That means one in four Delawareans has used the Food Bank’s emergencyfood services in the last year—about 17,500 different people each week.

“And we know that number is higher,” Beebe says, “because of the number of people who are having to seek assistance for the first time ever”—in other words, there were probably more people, in similar situations, who found themselves needing to bridge a gap. “They may need it just for three months, or one month,” Beebe says. “That shows the depth of what’s happening economically.”

Still, the study is promising. If a quarter of the state’s population is utilizing the Food Bank, Delaware, like the rest of the country, is trying to make it through a rough time. But that’s not a hunger problem. That’s an economic problem. Delaware, as it turns out, is addressing its hunger needs quite well.

“As a state, we’re fortunate in that we’ve consistently and habitually spent a lot of money to have a program like this function, and function well, with our member agencies throughout the state,” Beebe says. In addition to the Food Bank’s Newark location, a Milford location serves Kent and Sussex counties.

The Food Bank has nearly 450 of what they call “hunger-relief ” partners, or places where clients can pick up food. These are shelter programs and emergency soup kitchens, but they’re also food closets—one in each of the state service centers, “as a way to get people the assistance they need while they’re already getting services like childcare,” Beebe says.

One of those hunger-relief partners is Lutheran Community Services, in Trolley Square, which runs a produce distribution every Wednesday in addition to its Monday-throughFriday food closet. LCS is, in fact, the Food Bank’s biggest customer, buying and giving out half a million pounds of food across 13 locations in the state each year. (The Food Bank estimates giving out somewhere between 7 and 12 million of pounds of food to its member agencies annually.)

In the beginning, the Food Bank of Delaware was designed as an infrastructure that would make running local food closets more efficient. Wilmington’s fragmented service community brought the need to attention. “We started looking around the city, at the food closets, and we tried to create a situation where people would know where they were and when they were open,” explains Food Bank founder and long-time board member Retha Fisher. She secured a grant—about $90,000, she remembers, from the General Assembly—“and we started in a warehouse in Newark, where someone would come pick up the food and distribute it to the food closets.”

The Food Bank was a conglomerate. continued on next page

www.out-and-about.com

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The Food Bank gives out somewhere between 7 and 12 million pounds of food every year at about 450 locations throughout the state.

15

11/22/2010 1:17:53 PM

The Hunger for More

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continued from previous page

“The idea was to keep the food closets running and have the warehouse exist for storage.”

That was in the late ’70s and early 1980s—the late Carter years and early Reagan era—when the United States was facing what was perhaps its worst economic climate since the Great Depression. Today, Fisher says, “The need is greater than it was then.

Loss of income is a great contributor.

One client who uses the Food Bank’s Richardson Park Community Action Center pantry, outside Elsmere, has been unable to find full-time employment as a construction worker for more than a year. Food stamps help, but toward the end of the month, when they run out, the Food Bank is something of a godsend. “If it wasn’t for them, I’d be hurting,” the client says.

Today, as it was 30 years ago, the city of Wilmington still sees some of the greatest need in the state. Through its daily food closet and weekly produce distribution, LCS serves anywhere from 25 to 80 families a day. Jean Warren, LCS’s executive director, puts this face on the city’s hunger: “We’re serving people who are just on the edge. Often, they’re working people. But they’re barely making enough to get by. They’re one emergency or one missed paycheck away from disaster.”

“Or they might be doubled up in a household: one wage earner for two families,” Steve Tindall, LCS’ development director, says. He echoes Fisher’s earlier statement: “So they pay the rent, but there’s not enough for food.”

Tindall’s observation ties into another eye-opening number that came out of the hunger study: Forty-two percent of the Food Bank’s clients were children— defined as those under 18. Given the number of families utilizing services and the particular situations of those families, that may not seem so unusual. But Beebe sees a bigger challenge emerging.

“There’s a direct link between hunger and academics—not paying attention or falling asleep, or kids worried about being hungry,” she says. She points to a conversation she had with Dr. Lillian Lowery, the state’s secretary of education, about Race to the Top, the Obama Administration’s education-reform initiative that Delaware recently placed December  | O&A

11/23/2010 12:39:22 PM

first in the nation for, to a reward of $100 million. “I asked if there was anything in the program that talks about making sure children are adequately fed,” Beebe says.

“The common-sense stuff. And they said no. It’s all focused on academics. These are no-brainer things. But if I don’t stand up and say them, people will assume they’re not there.”

But the Food Bank has gone beyond awareness. They’ve instituted a backpack program, where students are able to take food home on the weekends, and they prepare food for after-school programs. They have nutritionists available to make sure clients are getting proper nourishment.

And while state funding lags, support doesn’t: Gov. Markell has turned his annual birthday party in Milton into a Food Bank fundraiser; earlier this year, he served as Grand Marshall for the Parade to Fight Hunger at the Wilmington Grand Prix.

Foundational and corporate giving is vital. Bank of America, in particular, has been responsive. In 2009, the Food Bank received BoA’s Neighborhood Builder Award, part of its Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. The $200,000 unrestricted grant pays out $100,000 to the Food Bank over two years. BoA also gave the Food Bank an additional $55,000 for its mobile-food pantry on Wilmington’s East Side, plus $5,000 for the Blue Jean Ball, an annual let-downyour-hair fundraiser held in the fall. That says nothing of BoA’s huge volunteer hours, which are the equivalent of the Food Bank having two and a half full-time staff members. “We’ve really targeted our giving,” says BoA market manager and vice president April Birmingham, “so that we can help address exactly where the needs are.”

Individual donations via direct mailing are also surprisingly high. “The individual gets it. And our corporate sponsors get it. They understand that during this time of year, if you give money to anyone, it should be for a basic human need. That light bulb is on.”

“If we put ourselves out of business, that’s fine,” Beebe laughs when asked what would happen if hunger could be eradicated. “We’ve evolved. We used to just give out food, but we don’t see that as our goal anymore. That’s still important, but we’ve recognized that there are other ways we can go about this.” www.out-and-about.com

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om

OUTNOW.c

OUTANDAB

get ready.

it’s coming...

17

11/23/2010 1:17:01 PM

of Surprise The four things you need to know about what makes a wine

By Lee Miller

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11/22/2010 3:28:41 PM

UPCLOSE

A

nyone involved in wine knows there’s plenty of mystique, misgivings, and misunderstandings about this beverage of the gods. But the one that strikes a particularly sensitive chord in those of us in the wine business is the consumer who so innocently says, “Well, all wines are really pretty much the same, aren’t they?”

What is it that makes a wine what it is? Big, rich, earthy, dry, or light, fresh, fruity, sweet; does it just happen? Absolutely not. Wines, like creative food presentations or other works of art, are conceived, planned, and carefully orchestrated to achieve the flavors, aromas, textures, and other characteristics desired.

For the sake of science, however, there are four main elements that affect what a wine looks like, tastes like, smells like, and even feels like.

THE GRAPE There are many types of grapes—called varietals—just like there are many types of apples. And as a Golden Delicious has little resemblance to a Granny Smith, so, too, do grapes. Varieties run the gamut from the big, powerful, inky Cabs to the light and delicate Rieslings.

Grapes come in red (actually purple or black in color) and white (actually green or yellow). They come in different, inherent flavors; a Cabernet Sauvignon typically has vegetative flavors (green olives, cedar wood), while a Pinot Noir represents the fruity side of the flavor spectrum (raspberries, black cherries).

They come with different smells or aromas, from Riesling, with its wonderfully floral nose, to Sauvignon Blanc, with its fragrance of freshly mown hay.

The grape is the starting point or building block of a wine. Winemakers do not do anything to make the grape this way. They simply choose one they think will make the wine they want to make.

How many varieties are there? Literally hundreds. Some of the most familiar are (white) Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Albarino, Riesling, Vigionier, Gewurtztraminer, and Grunerveltliner; and (red) Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah/Shiraz, Chambourcin, Nebiolo, and Zinfandel.

THE GROWING ENVIRONMENT Or put another way, the sites, soils, and climate where the grape is grown. A Chardonnay grape grown in Burgundy,

France (with a cool climate) will have less sugar, which equals less alcohol and less strength than a Chardonnay grape grown in Australia (which has a hot climate). Grapevines grown on top of a hill or a southeastern slope will receive more sunlight and produce fruit of slightly different character than grapes grown at the bottom of a hill or on the northern side of a slope, and will probably cost you a lot more.

Plant on gravel (ever hear of Graves?) and the grapes will have different characteristics than if the soil is limestone. The French also believe that minerals and trace elements in the soil are responsible for unique flavors like eucalyptus or mint, which occasionally show up in wines. And some of the “feel” attributes like pH (soft or hard?), acidity (sour or flat?) are also forged in the vineyard.

Equally important in the total picture of a particular wine is the particular growing conditions of a particular year—the Vintage, as it’s called. A hot, dry, sunny vintage will produce grapes of more intensity than a wet, low-sunlight year. Rain in the spring is great, but prolonged rain at harvest time can spell disaster in the form of rots and mildews.

THE PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE When grapes are harvested, there are a number of ways they can be handled as they begin their journey into wine.

Basic wine production consists of three steps: crushing/stemming (breaking the grapes and removing the stems), pressing (separating the juice from the continued on next page

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Elements of Surprise continued from previous page

skins and seeds), and fermenting (adding yeast to the juice, which consumes the sugar and converts it to alcohol).

Crushing can be done the “old” way, by foot (remember “I Love Lucy”?) or in modern stainless steel equipment; if done by foot the stems would remain with the grapes, thereby adding a “woody” flavor and texture; if done by machine (a crusher-stemmer), the stems would be quickly removed and the juice much “cleaner” in flavor (but the stems may be added back in later).

Fermenting can be done with various strains of yeast (hence different flavors), and at different temperatures. A “cool” fermentation would go slowly and preserve light, fresh, fruity flavors and fragrances; a “hot” fermentation would go fast and furious, cooking away the more delicate flavors and aromas and baking in yeasty, earthy smells.

And more decisions. Ferment dry (until all the sugar is gone) or stop the fermentation and leave the wine sweet? Or semi-sweet, or semi-dry? Blend two lots together? Different varieties? Same varieties from different vineyards? Each choice made by the winemaker goes a little further into the wine’s eventual composition and character.

THE WINEMAKER The final element in making a wine what it is consists of the style or personality imposed by the winemaker. Winemakers are like artists and chefs. Line up 10 artists in front of a sunset, instruct them to paint it, and you can be assured each picture will be noticeably different, based on that artist’s perception, experience, and talent. So, too, will 10 winemakers, given the same grapes and using the same equipment, come up with 10 different wines.

Although the winemaker has been making decisions about each wine right from the beginning, the final signature happens during the finishing, or aging, stage of a wine’s life.

Is it aged in stainless steel tanks to keep it fresh and fragrant?

Or is it transferred into an oak barrel for longer-term aging, during which it will absorb flavors (buttery, earthy, nutty, toasty, smoky) and textures (tannins, which help preserve the wine)? Will the oak be American (spicy and forward) or French (vanilla and subtle)? And for how long?

All of these factors contribute to making a wine what it is, and to assuring that no two are exactly alike. But I believe it’s more important to recognize that there are differences, and to focus your energies on identifying which characteristics you like and which you don’t. Do you prefer wines that are thick, rich, and robust, or do you prefer wines that are crisp, clean, and light? Once you know that, you can get exactly what you want by taking advantage of the experts at hand—the sommelier at your favorite restaurant, the wine guy at your neighborhood spirits shop, or your favorite local winemaker. If you can describe it, we can help you find it.

Lee Miller is the proprietor of Chaddsford Winery.

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If the dessert is sweeter than the wine, the wine will get drowned out and muted.

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• Try to match the color of the wine to the color of the dessert. For example, darker-pigmented wines, such as Port, pair well with darker-tinted desserts like chocolate cake. Lighter-colored wines such as Sauternes or Late Harvest Rieslings pair well with a variety of cheeses, fruits, and light pastries.

Shopping for dessert wines There is a virtual cornucopia of varying types and styles of dessert wines on the market today. Since holiday desserts encompass a wide spectrum of flavors and textures, the key is to stick with a couple of basic types of dessert wines and go with the styles that offer the most pairing versatility.

SCuriosities weet we et How do you pair a wine with dessert?

All you need are two simple rules.

I

By David Govatos

have never had a huge sweet tooth. And, much to my wife’s chagrin, I rarely “want to see” the dessert menu when dining out.

However, having worked many a Christmas in the trenches of wine and liquor retail, I have witnessed firsthand how perplexing the purchase of a dessert wine can be even for the most seasoned wine aficionado. Most people experience high anxiety trying to pick a wine they know nothing about, especially a dessert wine. To save you time and sanity this holiday season, I’ve put together a few tips to help you both pair and purchase.

Pairing dessert wines with dessert When paring dessert wines, you want to follow two general rules: • The wine you’re pairing needs to be as sweet or sweeter than the dessert you are matching it with.

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What to look for: Type: Port Style: Late Bottle Vintage (LBV) Port Pair with: Virtually anything with chocolate and rich blue cheeses like Stilton.

No holiday dessert bar is complete without a bottle of Port.

Though there are a lot of ports to choose from, I love the versatility and affordability of a Late Bottle Vintage (LBV) Port. The great thing about LBV Port is that it does not require additional aging before drinking and typically does not require decanting.

Type: Sweet Sparkling Style: Mascato d’asti Pair with: Sugar cookies and anything with a predominate fruit component.

Many people are already familiar with Asti Spumanti (now known as just Asti), the suspiciously inexpensive and massproduced, super-sweet, low-alcohol sparkling wine from Italy.

However, fewer people are as familiar with Mascato d’asti, which is sort of the artisanal version of Asti Spumanti. Unlike Asti, Mascato di Asti is made in small batches, is slightly less sparkling (called “frizzante”), and possesses an added aromatic complexity that its effervescent relative does not. Mascato di Asti is also a little bit more expensive than typical Asti, but it’s definitely worth the extra few bucks.

Type: “Late Harvest” Style: Washington State “Late Harvest” Rieslings Pair with: Cake, tarts, and apple pie.

By definition, an American wine that carries the term “Late Harvest” on its label simply indicates that the grapes (and that means any grape) that made the wine were picked later than the regular harvest, and therefore typically have high sugar contents. A good number of the classic dessert wines from around the world classify as late harvest, but for me some of the best values in the dessert-wine category today are late harvest Rieslings from Washington State.

David Govatos has been selling wine for eight years and currently works for Bacchus Importers. Find more of his thoughts at delawarewineguy.com.

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Mastering

the Menu How to order wine confidently

By Tom Hudson

• Divide and conquer. Depending on the food choices, many choices on the wine list can be eliminated quickly.

For instance, when all the guests at your table are ordering meat with heavy sauces, you can quickly eliminate the white, Rose, and sparkling wine sections of the wine list. Evaluate the remaining reds on the wine list, remove those outside your desired price points, and chances are you’ve already eliminated 75 to 90 percent of the wines. The remaining choices are a lot more manageable.

rior to opening Domaine Hudson in 2005, I spent a lot of time traveling domestically, visiting my clients as their CPA. Those travels invariably included meals at finer restaurants. The wine list often ended up in my hands for selection(s) for those at our table.

In those 20-plus years that I traveled at least two weeks per month, I developed the following methodology to navigate even the largest, most daunting wine lists. Here are my recommendations to impress your boss, client, date, or others when selecting wine at restaurants.

• Ask if there are wines available that are not on the list.

All restaurants with serious wine programs are constantly adding new selections to their list. These wines are often some of the hardest to find, most tightly allocated, best-tasting, and greatest values. (At Domaine Hudson, we reprint our 450plus selection wine list at least weekly, but we constantly have a new selection that just arrived that isn’t on the list yet, or never makes it on the official list due to its scarcity.) Wine is meant to be shared, and if you ask, most wine stewards will be glad to share their rarest selections with you (I always have at least a dozen choices like this in my cellar).

• Look at the food menu first, then go to the wine list second. See what the menu has to offer, ask your guests what they intend to order for food, then pick up the wine list. It’s an injustice to order a crisp, zippy white with a big steak, and the same rule applies when ordering a monster, high-alcohol Shiraz with light, flaky fish. Wine is, overall, a compliment to food.

• Consider the number of selections on the wine list from a particular region or grape. For instance, our wine list is heaviest with selections from France’s Southern Rhone region, as well as Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, California, and Willamette Valley, Oregon. As manager of our wine program,

P

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I believe wines from these regions suit our menu best. The more selections, the better the chances of ďŹ nding the smallproduction, reasonably priced, best examples of these wines. • Think outside the box and order a wine make from a region you don’t know, or from a grape you’ve never heard of.

Non-fortiďŹ ed, dry, red-table wines from Portugal are often some of the best values on restaurant wine lists. Made from the same varietals that go into Port, these wines are still great bargains due to their relative unknown factor, at least for now.

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• Ask for recommendations.

Restaurants with serious wine lists will either have a sommelier on hand, or will have provided proper training for servers.

Ask your server what he’s drinking lately.

Those who love wine drink a lot of it, and they’ll point you in the direction of where the best quality-to-price choices on the list are. • Do advance planning. Look at the restaurant’s wine list online and start the process before you arrive. If a restaurant’s wine is not currently on its website, consider this when evaluating if the place is taking the time to develop a serious wine program. • Use your smart phone to research more about the wine you’re considering.

Websites such as winespectator.com and erobertparker.com oer an immense library of tasting notes, although many are subscription-based. For wine info online, I prefer cellartracker.com, which is a comprehensive list of substantially all wines produced. We use this program to produce our wine list as well to manage our inventory. We recently purchased iPads for guests, so they can click on any wine on our list and see detailed tasting notes.

Whatever you decide, ultimately, keep it simple. Make wine part of your meal, but never more important than food and conversation. Your guests will appreciate you for that.

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Escoffier. With seafood and fish, dry white wine is often used in the base recipe for cooking and sauces. To understand this concept, you really must look at wine as an element, not necessarily an ingredient; in this case, it’s acid. Acid in a dish provides balance to the other elements in play—such as fat, sugar, starch, protein—and creates harmony and depth of flavor. Think of using dry white wine in place of (or with) fresh-squeezed lemon. Alternately, the acid in a red wine can be used to cut the richness of a meat sauce or stock. But be careful; glugging some Chianti into, say, your spaghetti sauce can add acidity to a sauce already rich with natural acids from not-so-ripe tomatoes. Solution: Use a fruity wine that accents the fruitiness of the tomatoes, not the acids, like Bardolino or grenache. It’s all about balance.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is in the quality of the wine they cook with. Come on, admit it. You’ve had a bottle with 4 to 5 oz. left sitting on your counter with the cork jammed way down, as if to preserve it another week or two.

You think, “Can’t waste it! I’ll cook with it.” But prolonged exposure to oxygen kills wine, and so, the longer it’s opened, the less life it has. Therefore, if you wouldn’t drink it, you wouldn’t want to cook with it. Wine is supposed to enhance the flavors of a dish, not skew them. So, don’t ruin all the hard work If you wouldn’t you’ve done by dumping bad or oxidized drink it, you wine into the pot.

Another application for wine and wouldn’t want to cooking is one we use a lot at this time of cook with it. year: braising. The long, soulful process of braising creates layers of flavors from the ingredients added at the beginning of the process: root vegetables, garlic, herbs, spices, meat, stock, and of course, wine, usually something with good body.

Using the same or similar wine for braising as you plan to serve with the meal is common practice, once again, in providing a harmony of flavors. Admittedly, it’s hard to give up even a dram of your prized Barolo just for a sauce at the steep cost normally attached to it, but it’s an indelible taste memory.

This summer, we talked about some of the tenets for pairing beer with food. One of them holds true for cooking with wine: what grows together, goes together.

This helps in determining what kind of wine you should reat food and great wine were cook with. First, consider the other elements in your dish, and meant to be shared together. then, stay regional to your wine choice. Are you steaming a The combination of the pot of mussels or clams with fresh herbs? Try an herbaceous two have a deep and lasting wine with good acidity and low sugar, like sauvignon blanc or marriage that has been around for 2,000 Muscadet. Stewing some mushrooms for the holiday turkey? years. The earliest recipes on record use Go with an earthy grape like pinot noir or sangiovese to wine as part of the cooking process, and in accentuate the flavors. Oak-aged chardonnays like to cozy up most cases, it’s also the wine served with to butter-rich dishes, while gewürztraminer and riesling work the dish. So now that all things foodie, wonders in dishes of their native regions, like stewed cabbages cooking, and culinary have become a with cloves and spice and hand-made charcuterie. There isn’t new national pastime, why don’t more a right or wrong selection, just ones that are chemically better. people cook with wine? A lot of it can be And in the end, always drink and cook with what tastes good attributed to a misunderstanding of why to you. wine is used in cooking.

The Classical French cooking technique calls for wine in most of the traditional recipes and preparations set forth by the masters, Carême and Robert Lhulier is the executive chef at the University & Whist Club.

Better Tasting Through

Chemistry The art of cooking with wine By Robert Lhulier

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Patone Cellars 646 S. Guernsey Rd. West Grove, Pa. Office: 545-7388 patonecellars.com Paradocx Vineyard 1833 Flint Hill Rd. Landenberg, Pa. (610) 255-5684 paradocx.com Penns Woods Winery 124 Beaver Valley Rd. Chadds Ford, Pa. (610) 459-0808 pennswoodswinery.com Stargazers Vineyard 1024 Wheatland Drive Coatesville, Pa. (610) 486-0422 stargazersvineyard.com Twin Brook Winery 5697 Strasburg Rd. Gap, Pa. (717) 442-4915 twinbrookwinery.com

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FOOD&DRINK

Time Is on Her Side Donna Rego and the slow-food approach Depending on eye level and attention span, one of the first things visitors to the Slow Food International website see is a ticker of testimonials scrolling across the homepage.

Preceding them on one of the slides is the nonprofit organization’s philosophy:

Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating.

T

By Michael Pollock

he idea that we should take our time—heeding that first word in the Slow Food movement—is one of those things we hear, agree with, and hardly think about again. We should get to know our food just like we should volunteer more, follow the news more, or study the issues before voting. That’s not to say any of these causes is disposable.

In fact, they’re just the opposite: These things require great changes not just to our daily routines but to our entire senses of being, to our Google-at-theready habits. Change requires time, and we’re in too much of a rush to re-allocate what little of it we have.

Or so we think. Some of us—say, those born before the Antichrist gave

us both internet access and cell phones within a few years of each other—are born with an appreciation to take things slow. You’ll find many of them at the Bellefonte Café, a slow-food restaurant that relaxes in what might perhaps be the most relaxed neighborhood in all of northern Delaware. (Sorry, Arden.) And running the whole show, on her watch, is Donna Rego, advocate for a life of slow.

DONNA REGO GREW UP IN NORTH JERSEY before moving to San Francisco

in the late ’70s, where she spun records in nightclubs and worked as a music promoter. In 1988, she was hired by Virgin Records, who relocated her to Los Angeles. Two years later, she was continued on page 31

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Time Is on Her Side

continued from page 29

transferred to Philadelphia to handle the label’s promotion work with radio. A year after that, she found a place in Old New Castle, and it’s here Rego began to see the need to slow things down.

“I was getting way stressed out, because I had lived in major cities pretty much my whole life. This was a refreshing change.”

Rego’s career at Virgin dictated that she get certain artists on the label radio airplay via marketing, phone calls, and personal visits. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, she says, and by 1995, she was burnt out. “It didn’t feel the same as when I started. It had gotten way commercialized and wasn’t going in a direction I felt good about. I don’t think I realized it at the time, but I think I got out just at the right time. Because right after that, people started losing their jobs. The music business crumbling was almost like a preview to the bad economy that would come later. They just overspent. They put too much money into a lot of crap.”

Today, the walls of the Bellefonte Café are decorated with memorabilia from that era: sales-certification plaques for albums by the Smashing Pumpkins and Whitney Houston, and photos with people like Lenny Kravitz. In them, Rego can be seen donning her trademark hats, which she still wears at the restaurant.

If her years in the music industry only served to bring Rego to this new place, that might be enough. But the Bellefonte Café is linked to music in other ways. An antiques shop before it was a restaurant, the café is a popular venue for folk and rockabilly acts, as well as a favorite haunt for local musicians and other artists.

And, Rego says, “It was because I was in the music industry that I got to go to so many restaurants.”

After settling in Delaware and leaving her gig at Virgin in late 1995, Rego bought a house on Brandywine Boulevard, turned it into an antiques store, and eventually converted it to the Bellefonte Café, in 2002. It was intended to be, in Rego’s words, “a place I’d want to go to.”

While it seems Rego’s old life and current life couldn’t be further apart, the idea that she’s now running her own restaurant isn’t such a stretch. One of Rego’s first jobs out of high school was running a snack bar at a health-food store, where she squeezed juices and made salads and sandwiches. “I was www.out-and-about.com

12_FoodDrink.indd 5

always pretty fussy about food anyway. I just feel like good food doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to be fast food. It can be real food, and it can be good.”

THE BELLEFONTE CAFÉ UNDERWENT A MAKEOVER last spring. Expenses

totaled $150,000 and included a renovated upstairs, a new bathroom, and the addition of a bar. The café is painted in funky greens and purples and has a recycled feel throughout—art, knickknacks, games. That’s important, because you’ll have plenty of time to explore the decor while you wait for a freshly made sandwich, wrap, or quesadilla. While the hummus and soups are prepared in advance—the Cuban black-bean soup is especially popular—“Every order has its own attention paid to it,” Rego says.

“If you’ve got 25 orders in line, multiply that by at least five to eight minutes per order,” due to the small kitchen. Plus, she says, “I just don’t want to compromise the food. I’d rather it take longer and be exactly right.”

Regulars know the drill: chips and guacamole to snack on, coffee or tea to hold things over. But the wait time lends itself to a forgotten pastime, and one of the hallmarks of a slow-food lifestyle: conversation. Rego recalls a review of the café she found online. “Someone said, ‘The food takes time, so you might want to bring a friend so you can chat it up.’

It’s great atmosphere; there’s great music.

Enjoy it, you know?”

Atmosphere, music, and of course, food. These are things we can only appreciate once we stop and look around. Busier than ever, Rego knows how hard that can be. But she also knows it’s still important. “It’s hard to find the time these days, but people need to learn how to relax again,” she says, letting out a big laugh. “I understand that better than anybody, because I have no time, either.

But for some reason, if I’m going to go out to eat, I don’t want to be in a hurry.”

31

11/22/2010 1:20:41 PM

NO WHINING

Wednesdays Enjoy your favorite bottle of wine for Pò FWFSZ 8FEOFTEBZ BMM EBZ MPOH

COME IN AND TRY OUT OUR NEW MENU ITEMS. Along with your old favorites, we are now offering fresh fish and other creative creations.

We hope to see you soon at Kid Shelleen’s!

8 UI 4U t t XXX LJETIFMMFFOT DPN

DELAWARE DAY December 7, Toast at 7pm

On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the First State to ratify the Constitution of the United States.

Please take a moment and enjoy your family and friends at a Local Delaware restaurant or tavern and show your dedication to DELAWARE, THE FIRST STATE with a simultaneous toast of local beer!

Delaware has the finest breweries in America!

Current List of Participating Locations: Back Burner BBC Tavern Buckley’s Tavern Capers and Lemons Columbus Inn Crimson Moon Cromwell’s Tavern Deep Blue Deer Park Tavern Eclipse Bistro Element’s Piano Bar Famous Jacks Feby’s Fishery

Gallucio’s Cafe Jackson Inn Kelly’s Logan House McGlynn’s Pub Mona Lisa Piccolina Toscana Pickled Pig Pub Pig and Fish Pizza by Elizabeths Public House Red Fire Grill Steakhouse Six Paupers Stanley’s Tavern Tijuana Taco Shop

Please check TwinLakesBrewery.com for Updated List 32 . Food & Drink

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November ď™…ď™ƒď™„ď™ƒ | O&A

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FOOD&DRINK

>>>SUDS It’s the Most Wonderful Time for a Bier

By J. Burke Morrison

D

uring this holiday season, conversations will likely abound regarding what to drink with turkey, roast beast, ham, etc.

These conversations will almost exclusively revolve around grape juice, err, I mean wine. Red with beef, white with poultry, and the oh-so-contentious pairs for the side dishes, like (insert dramatic dundun-dun sound effect), asparagus! Foodies throughout the world all agree that asparagus is one of the toughest food products to pair with wine. However, a clean, crisp Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic will battle the astringency of asparagus brilliantly, and, by the way, it’s a perfect pair for turkey and roast beast as well.

If there are any spicy selections on the holiday table this year, consider an IPA, such as Shipyard IPA or Heavy Sea’s Loose Cannon.

Of course, there is one other highly anticipated part of the holiday repast: dessert!

When looking for a dessert bier, consider the following: What bier style will complement your dessert? You don’t want to overpower the last course. Pumpkin biers are excellent complements to pumpkin pie (if you can still find them on the liquor-store shelves), though totally off-base for, say, strawberry cheesecake or German chocolate cake. For the latter, I recommend any number of fruit-enhanced biers (Fruli Strawberry Bier from Belgium is the quintessential dessert bier, by the way), or even a nice Yuengling Porter or Tweed’s Tavern Stout from Twin Lakes (only available at the brewery or on tap at some of Delaware’s fine restaurants and taverns).

Now, once dinner’s over, dessert and coffee have been served, and everyone’s kicking back to watch some football, it’s time: pop the cork on that special holiday bier. Some of the best options for this occasion have the words Christmas, Noel, Holiday Winter, or a similar designation.

Many may be the size of a Champagne bottle, with a cork cage and all. But beware, many of these seasonal delights pack a bit of a punch.

On the lower end are “winter warmers” with 5 to 7 percent ABV, and they can go precipitously higher to 12 percent and up. Affligem Noel is an excellent example of this style and, as with many Belgian beauties, if properly stored, will age well for several years. In fact, Rodenbach’s Vintage ale being released this year is a 2007.

And don’t forget Santa this holiday season…I hear he’s tired of milk and cookies. Maybe this is the year that you leave Santa something a little special (hint: he loves Salvator Doppel-Bock).

www.out-and-about.com

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11/22/2010 1:22:49 PM

HAPPY HOUR .0/ '3* t QN

TAKE A BREAK FROM

LET US HOST YOUR OFFICE &

HOLIDAY

HOLIDAY PARTIES!

SHOPPING!

We’re located right across the street from the Brandywine Town Center—relax with a margarita!

Food & drink specials available throughout the holiday season.

Catering available on and off premise Gift Certificates to the M Mexican Post make great holiday presents! p Featuring 50 types of tequila!

AWARD WINNING MARGARITAS!

Buy $25 in Gift Certificates Get and extra $5!

302.478.3939 | 3100 Naaman’s Road | Wilmington, DE | MexicanPost.com | facebook.com/Mex.Post 34 . Food & Drink

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December ď™…ď™ƒď™„ď™ƒ | O&A

11/22/2010 5:43:22 PM

State Line Liquors

getting

CRAFTY

Family owned (3 generations) & operated for over 37 years! www.statelineliquors.com

Stocking nearly 2,000 different beers • Singles, packs & cases

events you don’t want to miss

{

{ Select beer

Special Events and Tastings Visit our website or

for details

Gourmet Food & Cheeses Sign up for our Discount Club Card details online: statelineliquors.com

Dogfish Head dogfish.com Dec. 12: Monthly beer-dinner series, in partnership this month with Swallow Acres, who will provide cuts for a pork dinner. Raison D’Etre-and-bacon ice cream float paired with World Wide Stout. Seats @ 6:30pm. $57/person, incl. gratuity.

Dec. 31: NYE Beer Dinner. Menu features tuna sashimi, lamp-chop lollipops, and surf and turf, paired with Snowblower, Chet’s Nuts, and other drinks. 6pm ($65) & 9pm ($85) seatings.

Over 75 Single Malt Scotches

RANKED #7 in the world Best Beer Retailer 2008 ratebeer.com

Top Wine Shop from Food & Wine Magazine

Gift Baskets Available

Open 7 days a week 1610 ELKTON RD, Route 279 . ELKTON, MD OUTSIDE MD. (800) 446-WINE, IN MARYLAND (410) 398-3838

HOL1DAY G1FT CARDS: WWW.1RONH1LLBREWERY.COM

BOTTLED RE SERVES

Iron Hill ironhillbrewery.com Dec. 1: Wilmington Mug Club Appreciation Night. Scrooge bottledreserve tasting. 6-8pm.

Dec. 15: Wilmington Mug Club Appreciation Night. Beer-and-cheese pairings. 6-8pm.

Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 31: Bottled Reserves Beer Tasting. Complimentary tastings from 5-9pm.

FINE HANDCRAFTED A L E S & L AG E R S SPECIAL RESERVE

750 ML

BOTTLES

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT YOUR LOCAL IRON HILL BREWERY ONLY CORPORATE GIFT-GIVING • CASE DISCOUNTS • NOT FOR RESALE HANDCRAFTED AND HAND-BOTTLED BY

1RON H1LL BREWERY & RESTAURANT W1LM1NGTON NEWARK WEST CHESTER MED1A NORTH WALES PHOEN1XV1LLE LANCASTER MAPLE SHADE WWW.1RONH1LLBREWERY.COM

35

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Wine & Dine Matching food with wine is easy with these recommended pairings Prime rib: Jade Provencale “A Rhone-style blend of Syrah, Morvedre, and Grenache. Full without heavy tannins.”

— John Constantinou, Walter’s Steakhouse Margherita pizza: Villa Pozzi Nero d’Avola “A margherita pizza uses simple, Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, fresh mozzarella, and fresh tomatoes, and should be paired with a wine of similar style and structure. A Nero d’Avola from Sicily shares those same attributes. Together, a margherita pizza and a Nero d’Avola will complement each other nicely.”

— Candace Roseo, BellaVista Trattoria Filet mignon: Crios de Susana Balbo, Argentinean Malbec “Dollar for dollar, one of the finer (yet affordable) pours in its class.”

— Matthew Curtis, Union City Grille Pot roast: High Note Malbec — Pat Nilon, Cromwell’s Tavern Cheese plate: Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay “Spicy aromas and flavors that are tightly knit into a very refreshing harmony of

36 . Food & Drink

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December  | O&A

11/22/2010 5:32:48 PM

fruits and flowers, supported by subtle notes of earth and oak.”

— Jason Dietterick, Stone Balloon Wine House Pan-seared yellowfin tuna: 2009 Cakebread Chardonnay “Served along a side of wasabi-soy mashed potatoes and field greens with spicy Asian dressing.”

— Chef Paul Egnor, Pizza by Elizabeths Crab cakes: 2009 Natura Chardonnay “A well-balanced Chilean Chardonnay.”

— Kelly O’Hanlon, Kid Shelleen’s Wild salmon: Grayson Pinot Noir “Red wine with fish? Well, yes, salmon is a fatty fish that, when grilled, takes on a smoky, earthy quality. The pinot has acidity to cut through the richness and marry up well with the earthiness.”

— Chef Dan Butler, Piccolina Toscana Niman Ranch Pork Chop: Pensfolds Thomas Hyland Cabernet Sauvignon “Our pork chop is more flavorful than others so it stands up to the Cab; likewise, being from Australia the wine pairs well with the strong pork flavor.”

— Rory Conway, BBC Tavern & Grill

Dinner with the Coach

2010

Join Dick Vermeil for wine at the BBC

C

atch Dick Vermiel at the BBC Tavern & Grill on Thursday, Dec. 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., as the former coach and wine enthusiast will be on hand to host a wine dinner and photos.

The dinner includes Maine lobster tail, pan-seared sea scallops, filet au poivre with a cognac cream sauce, and for dessert, chocolate footballs with pastry cream and fresh raspberries. Vermeil wines from OnThEdge Winery will be served. Tickets to the event are $150 each, and proceeds benefit the Mary Campbell Center and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For more, go to bbctavernandgrill.com or call 655-3785. www.out-and-about.com

12_FoodDrink.indd 11

37

11/22/2010 5:25:33 PM

EAGLES TAILGATE PART Y!

Centerspread_dec10.indd 2

Remote Broadcast Hosted by Ike Reese

THURS, DEC 23

7:30pm at Tailgates Restaurant 4124 Ogletown Stanton Road, Newark, DE

610 WIP Giveaways and appearances by Swoop, Two Eagles Players and Two Eagles Cheerleaders!

11/22/2010 3:00:35 PM

Stephanie Wescott Bartender at Tailgates Sports Bar and Grill, Newark BL: How long have you been working at Tailgates?

SW: Six years as a bartender including three years as bar manager.

BL: You were in the Bud Light Best Bartender Competition [in December 2006] so you must be pretty popular…

SW: That was a good experience. At the time, I just wanted to get the bar’s name out there and let people know this was a fun place.

BL: And what makes this place a fun place to work for you?

SW: It’s family-owned-and-operated and a lot of the employees have been here for a while. It’s a great place to work and the clientele is loyal. Some of the customers are in here a lot: It’s like Cheers. Of course, they will all read this later and tease me. On the way over here, I was thinking “Don’t say anything that will give them the chance to make fun of you!”

BL: Why is that?

SW: Oh, they like to tease me. I was interviewed once on Comcast SportsNet Live after the Eagles/Redskins game and I [had been drinking] and everyone here saw it and made fun of me for it later... It was on the TV here and I suddenly got a ton of text messages from my Everyone made fun of me. Then I talked to my Dad the customers. Everyon next day.

B What did he say?

BL: SSW: He made fun of me.

B So, what’s going on here tonight?

BL: SSW: DJ Shubie does Oldies Line Dancing from 7-9pm [on Fridays] and llater he’ll start play playing newer music. He’s also here Saturday nights, 99pm to close. He’s be been here two years and he’s great! He likes to make ffun of me, too. Which reminds me…

B What’s that?

BL: SSW: Please try not to make me look like a silly, silly girl.

Centerspread_dec10.indd 3

11/22/2010 3:02:19 PM

age s s e M om fr ...

D y Bobb

DELAWARESPORTSLEAGUE.COM D E L AWA R E S P O R T S L E AG U E . C O M

We miss you, Roxie! (Aug. 2005 — Dec. 2008)

I

do not think that I have ever felt as good about a season as I have about this Fall. Statewide, across 6 sports, we have 92 teams full of people that you can make friends and have fun with! We are already gearing up for Winter & Spring when we will be announcing at least 3 new sports! In this season of thankfulness, love, and giving I want to make sure that all of you know that the spirit of the holiday’s is always a part of what DSL is about and it is all of you that make that a reality. We are poised and ready to bring in 2011 with the 2nd Annual Roxie Awards on January 21st which celebrates all that I was talking about above. They are for you and about you. It’s our way of saying thank you for a year of fun and friendship.

Happy Holiday’s Everyone!

Monthly Highlights...

WILMINGTON DODGEBALL: The Untouchables have the best record in Dodgeball through week 6. That week the player of the night was Clarke Kania. His interesting choice of attire just may land him a leading roll in “What Not To Wear – DSL Dodgeball Addition”.

YMCA SPORTS: Congratulations to The Delaware Hoosiers once again with a Championship!!! With Lisa Krzywicki, Bill Manley, Michelle Whalen, Joe Wright, Mike Sordini, Ryan Dill, Jessica Bogia, Kelly Ellis, Karlis Trops, Tiara Malcom, Phil Keener, JP Bogia, and yes…Bobby D! Congratulations to IB Nutz 4 Volleyball on their First Championship! The Champions are Kathryn Erb, Tai Huynh, Derek Underwood, Chris Punke, Johnson Vuong, Liz Caruso and Sarah Evans.

Upcoming Events & Outings: HAPPENING IN DECEMBER: •The Roxie Awards Nominations •The Roxie Awards Casting Call, Sat., Dec. 4th

BEACH DODGEBALL: Mildirt, the returning champions are back lead by Captain Stuart Deeney to defend their title, but the rest of the league might have something to say about that. Good Luck to everyone and Weclome Back DSL At The Beach!

FALL BALL KICKBALL: Congratulations to The Mustang’s, the First Ever Fall Ball Champions! On the team were Pete Capriotti, Dan Healy, Leslie Davis, Kate May, Kevin Jordan, Jeremy DelMatto, Mare McCusker, Ali McGonegal, Matt Quinn and Dave Haley.

DSL CO-ED FLAG FOOTBALL: Heading into the last week of the season Business Time and Don’t Be…are at the top of the leader board. Led by Alan Emerson of Business Time and Tom Fleetman of Don’t Be…these teams are on a collision course for the first ever DSL Co-Ed Flag presented byy Al’s Sporting g Football Final’s p p g Goods!

XX . MUSIC

12_OAC2_WILMC3.indd 3

DelawareSportsLeague.com

It is the policy of Delaware Sports League that all members and/or those participating in Delaware Sports League games, events and/or outings must be 21 years of age or older. Neither athletic ability nor the consumption of alcohol is a requirement to participate in Delaware Sports League games, events, or outings. This is about the people, not the party. The only MAY 2008 | O&A XX requirement is that you are open to all people, treat them well, be safe with yourself and others, and have fun!

11/22/2010 1:29:22 PM

MOVIES

Swan Dive Natalie Portman mesmerizes in backstage tale of the ballet

By Mark Fields

O

www.out-and-about.com

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BL

A C K S WA

4

N

ne would assume it’s a long way from the roughand-tumble world of downscale wrestling to the rarefied milieu of classical ballet, but director Darren Aronofsky has made a connection.

And just as he drew a career-redefining performance from Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, it would seem that Natalie Portman, star of his newest film Black Swan, is poised to achieve similar acclaim.

Remarkably, despite their wildly different subject matter, the two films share a common thread of self-doubting protagonists that must overcome the demons in their heads to to achieve their ambitions. And in both films, the question is at what cost.

Nina (Portman), a graceful but painfully reserved dancer in the corps of a New York ballet company, is given an extraordinary opportunity when she is cast as the lead in a new production of Swan Lake. Thomas, the director of the company (played with a vague sexual menace by Vincent Cassel), tells Nina that she has the technical ability to play both the virginal White Swan and her fiendish counterpart, the Black Swan. However, she lacks the frenzied abandon that the darker role requires. Nina’s challenge to discover, and then reveal, that side of her is further heightened when Lilly (Mila Kunis), a new dancer to the company, becomes her rival.

As Nina fights off the threat of her competition and also chafes against the demands of her controlling mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), she slowly descends into a madness that is both disturbing and strangely freeing. And a film that appeared to be a straightforward exploration of the creative process becomes a taut psychodrama.

STARS

Director Aronofksy draws on a clever and well-crafted screenplay by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin to play out a disorienting story that hypnotically floats between reality and fevered imagination. As Nina comes closer to her debut as the star, the line between the two grows ever less clear.

Set to the familiar ballet melodies of Tchaikovsky, Black Swan effectively captures both the lonely, driven life of a professional dancer and the ecstatic spirit within. Natalie Portman, a luminous actress who has demonstrated incredible diversity in her career thus far, manages to bring together in this character traits that range from demure to demented, with equal conviction. And in doing so, she captures both the external beauty and the inner turmoil of the artistic soul.

41

11/22/2010 1:34:48 PM

For the few individuals remaining in the Western Hemisphere who do not know, Part 1 is the penultimate film in the most financially successful franchise in motionpicture history. Based on the deliriously popular series of novels by J.K. Rowling, the epic story follows the maturation of a young schoolboy blessed with extraordinary magical abilities in his struggle against Voldemort, a powerful dark wizard. Harry is also blessed, more importantly, with a noble heart and the unflagging loyalty of his two closest friends, Ron and Hermione.

As this story opens, Voldemort’s powers are growing, and the three friends, alone and on the run, are keenly aware that they must work together defeat their enemy.

HP7 But they don’t know how to do it, and now lack the guidance of adults, and especially their beloved headmaster, Dumbledore.

Part 1 is perhaps the most brooding and stark STARS portion of the whole tale, especially since it, by design, lacks the anticipated emotional pay-off of the conclusion. Eduardo Serra’s austerely beautiful photography and the deliberate pacing of director David Yates accurately capture the novel’s tone, but that makes for some fairly somber viewing.

The film also suffers from the cursory screen time devoted to most of the huge cast of characters that have accumulated over time. It’s hard not to feel a little cheated. Part 1 focuses, with the exception of some rousing set pieces, almost exclusively on the emotional toll of this responsibility on Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson have evolved immensely as actors from charming preMeditations on the beginning of the end adolescents to thoughtful young adults. Their performances for Harry Potter here are quite moving.

Although it would be blithe to dismiss Part 1 as a mere ull disclosure right up front: I have always been a big fan of set-up for Part 2 (coming next summer), it is, in itself, an the wizardly world of Harry Potter (both print and cinematic incomplete experience. Full of touching grace notes for the versions), which makes me, in the words of my daughter and true Potterphiles, it serves primarily to bring us Muggles back her friends, a “Dumbledork.” I therefore lack the objectivity of into Rowling’s magical world well-primed for the grand finale. a true critic. So instead, I will offer the musings of a disciple in the matter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

4

Hallow Ground F

of ITS TIME

www.theatren.com

See the original Tron a day before the long-awaited sequel hits theaters

E

xcitement around this month’s sequel to the cult hit Tron—and its Daft Punkhelmed soundtrack, which reportedly includes a 90-piece orchestra orchestra—has has been building for nearly a year and a half. (Talks of a remake or sequel date back to the late 1990s.) The original 1982 film was a super-produced piece of futuristic fantasy: It was backed by Disney, starred a much younger Jeff Bridges, and featured a soundtrack by groundbreaking electronic composer Wendy Carlos, who created the menacing theme from A Clockwork Orange. You can catch it free, with a small cash donation or by bringing a non-perishable food item, at Theatre N on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. That’s one day before Tron: Legacy (also starring Bridges) hits theaters everywhere else.

—Michael Pollock 42 . Movies

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December  | O&A

11/23/2010 1:51:15 PM

WILMINGTON

Now featuring a new menu!

Join us during happy hour on December 1st 2nd and 3rd to enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and half-price entrees. Featuring the best dishes from our Newark location plus other delicious surprises.

– Select drinks just $5 –

302.425.5200 2 0 0 6 Pe n n s y l v a n i a A v e , W i l m i n g t o n w w w. S a n t a Fe W i l m i n g t o n . c o m

www.out-and-about.com

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FINE FOOD MAKES A FABULOUS GIFT This holiday, surprise everyone on your list with something special from Janssen’s Market.

From unique cheeses and gourmet fare to delicious bakery treats, we have something for everyone!

WWW.JANSSENSMARKET.COM 3801 KENNETT PIKE, GREENVILLE, DE 302.654.9941

43

11/23/2010 1:18:58 PM

8BTIJOHUPO 4USFFU "MF )PVTF r .JLJNPUPT r 1SFTUP r 4UJOHSBZ

CherryTreeGroup.com 44 . Movies

12_Movies.indd 6

December  | O&A

11/22/2010 6:24:10 PM

Roast Turkey with Stressing

All the togetherness of the holidays can bring out the best and sometimes worst in people, as evidenced in this DVD festival of uncomfortable seasonal celebrations

By Mark Fields The Family Stone (2005) Sarah Jessica Parker plays against her familiar and breezy Carrie Bradshaw persona as a chronically uptight business woman being introduced at Christmas to her fiancé’s outgoing and relaxed family. In spite of some obvious plot devices, a large all-star cast (Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Rachel McAdams) breathes life into this overlooked screwball comedy.

Pieces of April (2003) Rebellious daughter April (Katie Holmes) decides to make Thanksgiving dinner for her dysfunctional family in her tiny Lower East Side apartment. Not only is her apartment too small for the festivities, she discovers that her oven doesn’t work and must find a neighbor willing to loan his. Of course, old sibling rivalries and new challenges (April’s black boyfriend) emerge, but the film belongs to Holmes and Patricia Clarkson, as her cancer-stricken mother.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) Best Thanksgiving comedy ever! Martin plays a beleaguered businessman struggling to get home after a cancelled flight.

John Candy—at his obnoxious yet endearing best—becomes his unwelcomed travelling companion. Although the tropes of buddy movies and road pictures are a tad too familiar, Martin’s slow burn makes a perfect foil for Candy’s good-natured bumbling. John Hughes directed this funny, bittersweet charmer. “Those aren’t pillows!”

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) By this third installment of the Griswold Family’s misadventures, the air had completely gone out of the franchise. A tentatively connected set of comic bits tests the already-limited appeal of star Chevy Chase, and the culture clash with his ne’er-do-well cousin (played by Randy Quaid) is more disturbing than funny, even more so now in light of Quaid’s highly publicized personal meltdowns.

The Badly Made Christmas Slapstick Comedy (1990 – Present) Nothing stresses me as much as the prospect of the latest terrible Hollywood comedy about ugly behavior at the holidays.

From Jingle All the Way and Deck the Halls to Christmas with the Kranks and Four Christmases, nothing says the holidays like humiliating some familiar movie stars with unlikable, overblown characters and ludicrously unfunny situations. I prefer my ham on the dinner table and not in the local cineplex.

Ho, ho, no thank you.

www.out-and-about.com

12_Movies.indd 7

“Best Greenville Classic” – Delaware Today, 2010

3 COURSE DINNERS $19.95 Soup or Salad / Entree / Dessert

Friday & Saturday Nights

$1 HOUSE MARTINIS $1 HOUSE WINE Thursday Nights (w/ purchase of entrée) HALF PRICE HALF-POUND ANGUS BURGERS Sunday 4pm-close HALF PRICE WINE BY THE GLASS OR BOTTLE Monday Nights

HALF PRICE BONELESS WINGS Tuesday Nights $1 JUMBO SHRIMP (ea.) & $2 MILLER LITE DRAFTS Wednesday Nights

92” HD TV Featuring sports events & blu ray concerts

cromwellstavern.com 3858 Kennett Pike | Powder Mill Square, Greenville | 302.571.0561 45

11/22/2010 3:26:49 PM

The Deer Park Tavern THURSDAYS c1

e Wed, D

LE BATT of the S D BANover!

No c

TThurs. Dec. 2:

Christmas Ball with Life Speed

No Cover with Santa Hat!

New N Ne w YYears ears Eve PParty with DJ Dance Party, Champange Toast , Party Favors EVERY MONDAY Showtime Trivia

EVERY TUESDAY EVERY WEDNESDAY EVERY THURSDAY EVERY FRIDAY %+ %BODF 1BSUZ t /0 $07&3 Mug Night!

Jefe DJ Dance Party $1 Vodka/Captain Drinks NO COVER $1.50 Coors Light and PBR Drafts Drafts

Sunday Brunch from 9am–2pm Sunday Night

CHORDUROY

Made exclusively for Deer Park and McGlynns Pub. Wednesdays only $2.50. Brewed by Twin Lakes Brewery

Dec 2: Lifespeed Dec 9: Burnt Sienna Dec 16: Kristen & The Noise Dec 23: Liquid A Dec 30: Drop Dead Sexy

SATURDAYS Dec 4: What Mama Said Dec 11: Ballyhoo!

Dec 18: Fat Daddy Has Been Dec 25: Merry Christmas! Closed

302.369.9414

108 West Main Street, Newark, DE 19711

www.deerparktavern.com

Wednesday December 15 5–9 PM, at James Street Tavern 8FTU .BSLFU 4USFFU /FXQPSU t

The 3rd Annual Delaware KIDS Fund

Holiday Toy Drive BeneďŹ ts local children’s hospitals and other non-proďŹ t organizations collecting gifts for needy children.

Donated toys must be new, unused, and unwrapped.

In lieu of a donated toy, guests will pay a $5 cover.

Each toy donation or cover charge will be redeemed for one complimentary drink and snacks at James Street during the event. dekidsfund.org 46 . Music

12_Music.indd 10

–must be 21 to enter–

jstavern.com December ď™…ď™ƒď™„ď™ƒ | O&A

11/22/2010 2:45:40 PM

MUSIC

SETTING

Saıl New Sweden’s fresh take on Americana

I

New Sweden plays Mojo on Main Dec. 17.

f music brings us closer, and technology pulls us apart, what to make of New Sweden, which has Craigslist to thank for its current lineup?

It’s a stretch, but it’s true. Guitarist/ vocalist/harmonica player/foot stomper/ noisemaker Billy Dobies had been playing with vocalist/banjo player/ mandolin player/organist/noisemaker Jimmy Dukenfield for a few months starting in the summer of 2009. They’d written about four songs, but felt they weren’t complete without fuller arrangements. Enter the find-anythingand-we-mean-anything site Craigslist, which brought on board Caroline Stratton (viola, organ, washboard, and backing vocals) and Dan Weirauch (bass, backing vocals). Jimmy’s younger brother Zac joined later on drums and percussion.

The winners of this year’s Musikarmageddon, a battle-of-thebands competition featuring local bands (and whose sponsors include this magazine), New Sweden is full of these welcome compromises. They write deeply emotional songs in the vein of the

www.out-and-about.com

12_Music.indd 1

Avett Brothers and Bright Eyes, but they can’t stop being funny. On the gently strummed “Son of a Bitch,” Jimmy Dukenfield sings, “I have a friend, threw me under the bus / He was thinking of him, I was thinking of us.” After that first line, Dobies can’t help himself and breaks the fourth wall: “That musta hurt, Jimmy!” And still, the song’s repeated line, told from the son of a bitch’s point of view, is devastating: “I don’t know what to do, I pretend.” They make serious art without taking themselves seriously.

New Sweden takes its name from, well, New Sweden, the first permanent colony in Delaware. In a rare show of seriousness, Dobies says, “We’re trying to do something new. I think it went together rather well.

I’ve had more fun with this band in such a small time than I’ve had with bands I’ve been with for two or three years. Jimmy’s been in tons of bands. Dan’s been in tons of bands. It clicked with these guys. The first time I got together [with Jimmy], I felt it was more engaging than anything I had ever done.”

After a winter’s worth of rehearsals, New Sweden began playing live last spring. Their sets caught on, boosted

By Michael Pollock photo by Noah Gabriel Merenda L-R: Jimmy Dukenfield, Billy Dobies, Dan Weirauch, Caroline Stratton, Zac Dukenfield.

continued on next page

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11/22/2010 6:31:46 PM

Setting Sail

Every Monday @ 7pm!

Prizes & Giveaways!

A DELAW LANDMA ARE RK!

Come out for

MNF TRIVIA TAILGATE!

with Geno!

Impressed with daddy’s picks last month?

Cool, come see me at the Logan House to see these 4: 12/6 | New York Jets @ New England Mark Sanchez has more trouble passing on second down than Rex Ryan has passing on seconds, period.

Look for Bill Belichick’s D to treat the Manchise like a Ho Ho Ho.

Patriots 34 | Jets 22 12/13 | Baltimore @ Houston It’s mid December, that time of year when you’re mailing your Christmas Cards and the Texans are just mailing it in. Hey, Matt Schaub realizes the Ravens D is just like Santa as they both ride their Blitzen deep into the winter.

Ravens 31 | Texans 20 12/20 | Chicago @ Minnesota The Bears have seen more ridiculous breaks this year than Brett Favre’s skeletal system, but things have a way of balancing out in the NFL and the only thing falling more than snow in Chicago this December will be the Bears in the standing

Vikings 34 | Bears 23 12/27 | New Orleans @ Atlanta Matt Ryan may have one career loss at home, but he has zero career wins at home on national TV with the NFC South title on the line. The Saints and Drew Brees are no stranger to this pressure but the young Falcons offense will see more big balls dropped than NYC will this weekend.

Saints 37 | Falcons 29

Thursday, Dec. 9, 77-9pm 9pm CALLING ALL MUSICIANS, SONGWRITERS, PERFORMERS, PRODUCERS, STUDIO ENGINEERS, SOUND TECHS & OTHER INDUSTRY PROS! CCome meet & greet bboardd members b andd industry id leaders l d from f the h Philadelphia Phil d l hi Ch Ph Chapter off The GRAMMYS (NARAS). Network and see what opportunities await you. We are so much more than an award-giving organization. FREE ADMISSION!

o They ’re Leroy Hawkes & The Hipnotics return to the stage Dec. 18th! CoN v ! e k c r!

Montana Wildaxe return to the stage Dec. 23rd!

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(302) 65-LOGAN

continued from previous page

by a uniďŹ ed (but unplanned, the band insists) stage presence that favors annel shirts and acoustic instruments, slivers of communal Americana in an age of Facebook and iPhone apps. The band’s win at Musikarmageddon—where this writer was one of six judges—is hardly a surprise. “They dress the part,â€? a fellow judge told me that night. “When you’re playing in your basement, at home, it’s ďŹ ne to wear whatever you want. But when you go out and play live, you should put on a show for the audience.â€? It doesn’t hurt that New Sweden writes songs, like the Avetts and Conor Oberst before them, that sound well beyond their 20and 30-something ages. “I’m looking forward to these next guys,â€? the same judge told me before New Sweden took the stage at Musikarmageddon. “Every time I’ve seen them, the fans are singing along. They’re actually singing the songs.

Who does that for a local band?�

For now, those songs—in addition to “Son of a Bitch,â€? my favorites include “View from the Mountain,â€? “If King Don’t Come,â€? and “Happiness = Changeâ€?—are streaming in their live versions at New Sweden’s ReverbNation site. But an album is in the works—scheduled for completion by the end of the month— and it’s hard to not feel excited about the outcome. Releases may not sell anymore, and local releases sell even less, but the idea is to have a calling card that leads to mini-tours; a keepsake someone can take home after a show. Making a record is another one of those ways we use technology to connect for very oldfashioned reasons. It’s a lot like ďŹ nding your bandmates on Craigslist.

For this group, whose members’ day jobs could hardly be more dierent— Stratton is a nuclear engineer, Dobies paints houses—New Sweden is the happy result of what happens when purpose outweighs background. They’re all here for the same reason, regardless of the roads that led them. “I guess it takes a little bit of everybody to make the world go around,â€? Dobies says, emitting the kind of front-porch hospitality evident in the lyrics he sings. He can’t resist the joke that comes next. “But Caroline is the real boss.â€?

December ď™…ď™ƒď™„ď™ƒ | O&A

11/22/2010 2:23:53 PM

Personal Training Sports Performance Nutrition

STOCKINGSOUNDS Make your music purchases unique this season with a handful of local releases

(302) 762-9170 .JMMFS 3PBE t 8JMNJOHUPO %FMBXBSF

www.CoreFitnessStudio.com The Cocks, Tuesday Morning Hangover (SONec). Six years and a sobering dose of tragedy went into the breezy bar-rock band’s first album, which fans of Sparklehorse and early Wilco will dig. And while the history is complicated, the music isn’t. CD release party Dec. 4 at Mojo on Main. Also available at thecocksonline.com.

The Collingwood, The Pitter-Patter of Little Everything (Myatin Recordings).

Landenberg-based photographer/musician Chris Malinowski and his band have crafted five dense, elaborate songs that call to mind Afghan Whigs, with the briefest of them still running over seven minutes. Available at iTunes. (The Collingwood will be playing JB McGinnes on Dec. 11 and the Wedge on New Year’s Eve.) Jet Phynx, The Art (Gallery of Phynx). Baltimore native and former Newark resident Jet Phynx (pronounced fee-nix) takes us on a tour of what it’s like to be a high-flying, shades-buying, VIP-only socialite on his new rap-pop album, The Art. Available at jetphynx.com and iTunes.

Jon Conner, Rap Man. Six years after his debut album was shelved, Delaware’s Jon Conner is still making heavy noise with this production team, Big Boyz Beatz, and a slew of mixtapes. His latest shows he hasn’t lost his touch, turning the Lloyd Banks hit “Beamer, Benz or Bentley” into the grim “Chucky, Jason, Freddy.” Available at jonconner.com.

Licorice Roots, “Strangers in Marshmallow Boots” b/w “Pixilated Pixie” 7-inch single (Daisi Records). This arrived, with a simple one-sheet description, in our office last month. It’s the title track from the very great, very low-key Licorice Roots record that came out last December, backed with a non-album B-side. We don’t own a turntable, so we can’t play it. And like all things with the Newark indie-pop band, we don’t exactly understand the motives behind it. We do, however, recommend finding it. Email licoriceroots@yahoo.com or inquire at myspace.com/licorice roots.

— Michael Pollock www.out-and-about.com

12_Music.indd 3

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11/22/2010 2:24:09 PM

Beyond the Gold The Philly chapter of the Grammy Awards targets Wilmington

M

Something For Everyone.

WVUD.ORG

ention NARAS and you’ll get a blank stare. Explain that it’s the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and you might get a nod.

Say the word Grammy, and finally, a response: “Oh.” Eligible members of NARAS chapters—there are more than a dozen around the country in major cities—do in fact vote on the Grammy Awards. “But we’ve got a branding problem,” says local musician Nik Everett, a long-time member of the Philadelphia chapter of NARAS who now sits on the organization’s board.

It’s not the clunky abbreviation, he says. “The problem is that people think we’re just the Grammys. But there’s so much more to what we do. It goes beyond just giving out awards.”

That other work involves education and awareness—“trying to unite different genres of professionals within the industry, to give them a base to network with,” Everett says— as well as advocacy work and charity programs such as MusiCares, which seeks to help musicians in times of financial, medical, and personal need.

Like a lot of organizations, Everett says, “We’re trying to expand.” Philly’s outreach is focusing on South Jersey and Wilmington. “Wilmington used to feel like a suburb of Philly,” Everett says, “but now it has its own identity.

The downside is that we’ve always been a destination. It’s helped us that we’re close to all these other big cities, but it’s hindered us, too.”

On Thursday, Dec. 9, Kelly’s Logan House—an ardent supporter of local music—will host a meet-and-greet for the Philly chapter of NARAS, and those interested in learning more are invited. The event kicks off at 7 p.m., followed by a night of live music starting at 9.

— Michael Pollock

50 . Music

12_Music.indd 4

11/22/2010 2:24:23 PM

GIGS

Going Tapas All Year Long...

The T he T Taste. astte. T The he V Vibe. ibe. SSouth outh B Beach. each.

TROMBONE SHORTY The Bullbuckers (ska/funk) Dec. 18: Home Grown Café myspace.com/bullbuckers Diego Paulo (Latin-flavored rock) Dec. 8: Mojo on Main Dec. 18: Dogfish Head myspace.com/diegopaulo

“Sophisticated but comfortable...It’s worth the trip”

.

- Justin Williams, The News Journal

For Banquet Menus TTo Fit Any Budget Visit Us At:

www.aquasolrestaurant.com www.aquas

Freelance Whales (symphonic pop) Dec. 14: Johnny Brenda’s The robust street-performance band, fronted

by Wilmington native Judah Dadone, comes home (or close to it) for the holidays.

The Hold-Up (roots rock) Tuesdays @ Blue Parrot myspace.com/thebigholdup Kennett Flash (select shows) Dec. 2: Righters in the Wround, featuring Jenny Bostick, Scott Birney, Butch Zito & Marc Moss Dec. 4: Rod Kim (singer/songwriter) Dec. 5, 12, 19: Open-mic nights Dec. 10: Angel Band (roots/folk) Dec. 17: Jenny & Tyler (pop/folk) kennettflash.org Mad-Sweet Pangs (folk rock) Dec. 31: Home Grown Café New Year’s Eve Bash madsweetpangs.com Mojo 13 (select events) Dec. 18: Tric Town (indie-music showcase) Tuesdays @ 9pm: Karaoke Champs Hosted by Gentle Jones & featuring a trophy prize myspace.com/mojothirteen

12_Music.indd 5

The Sc enic

On The Summit North Marina 3006 Summit Harbour Place Bear, DE 19701 302.365.6490

Old 97s (country rock) Dec. 11: TLA The long-running alt.country band makes a stop in Philly in support of its new album, The Grand Theatre (Volume One).

Hayes Carll opens.

Rufus Wainwright (singer/songwriter) Dec. 14: The Grand The literary-minded pop songsmith returns to Wilmington behind his latest, All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu.

“Sun R Still H as Dec oom ” em

.

Open

For Yo ber Dates Office ur Holiday Party!

Spokey Speaky (reggae rock) Thursdays @ D&H Jamaican Cuisine spokeyspeaky.com World Café Live (select shows) Dec. 12: Nellie McKay Dec. 16: Alejandro Escovedo Dec. 31: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue worldcafelive.com

51

11/23/2010 1:14:49 PM

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52 . Music

12_Music.indd 6

December  | O&A

11/22/2010 3:25:26 PM

the

MUSIC

Best Albums of 2010

By Kevin Liedel, press-relations manager for the Grand Opera House

Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles (II) Alice Glass and Ethan Kath deserve a lot of credit for using Atari 2600 sounds to build this gem of an album.

Eat that, Commodore 64 and ColecoVision!

Sleigh Bells, Treats I had a dream once where I was riding a winged dolphin armed with lasers and a rainbow mohawk.

Finally, someone recorded the perfect soundtrack for it: heavy metal dance beats paired with cheerleader shouts.

Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz A dude called Sufjan records a concept album named Adz about a guy called Royal. Honestly now, how could this not have worked?

Jonsi, Go He may not be Iceland’s toughest musician (Bjork would totally win in a fistfight), but after Go, Jonsi is undoubtedly its best.

Yeasayer, Odd Blood Freaky, funny, fanatical, and flittering, with an album cover creepy enough to force otherwise sane people into writing bad alliteration.

The Drums, self-titled Buddy Holly and the Crickets haven’t been channeled this well since Rivers Cuomo was still sane (and talented.)

So in other words, a long, long time. www.out-and-about.com

12_Music.indd 7

Vampire Weekend, Contra Pretentious, yes, but also so effectively catchy that it convinced me life as a South American rebel is as fun and relaxing as a yachting trip on Cape Cod. Yay!

Enduringly Great Songs from This Year

By Michael Pollock, O&A editor-in-chief Grinderman, “Heathen Child” So we like Nick Cave here at O&A. “Heathen Child” isn’t the best song he wrote this year—that would be “Worm Tamer”—but it does have the best explosions: the guitars, the drums, the brisk finality that “You are wrong.”

Robyn, “Dancing on My Own” A two-hit wonder from the Clinton years, Robyn reinvented herself as a confident dance-pop singer/ songwriter, and this song—a loser’s proud anthem—shows off her newfound talents.

Eminem, “Not Afraid” No song’s chorus and scattered downbeats repeated themselves, welcomingly, in my head like Em’s comeback theme.

This despite the single’s high profile and blanket presence on radio and video.

The National, “Bloodbuzz Ohio” High Violet is full of songs like this, where domestic life never felt so suffocating.

But “Bloodbuzz,” the way it builds, erupts, and sputters at the end, is the album’s glorious release.

Beach House, “Norway” I had a friend say time stopped every time he played Teen Dream. “Norway,” with its panting vocals and melting synth notes, especially has that effect on me.

Waka Flocka Flame, “Hard in Da Paint” Where would we be without a mindless trunk-rattler from a rapper who opts for shouting his name in lieu of actual lyrics? Don’t think too hard on this one.

Phantogram, “Mouthful of Diamonds” What begins as a crisp triphop track quickly folds into a spurred lover’s lament with the addition of a spidery guitar.

Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith, “Not in Love” The Cure as electro thrash?

Crystal Castles with heart?

Yes, it’s everything you could hope for. continued on next page

53

11/23/2010 12:38:10 PM

MUSIC

Overlooked Electronic & Experimental Albums

Favorite Hip-Hop Albums

By Joy Smoker, O&A art director

By Mike Nigro, host & program coordinator for Graffiti Radio

Baths, Cerulean (Anticon) Cerulean is trying to be everything for you at once: your best friend, your lover, the best album you’ve ever heard. The synths and drums ebb, flow, hiccup, and stumble over each other, and like anything (or anyone) that tries this hard, it can sometimes be annoyingly eager. But in the end, you’re just glad somebody cares at all.

James Blake, CMYK EP (R&S) I’m going to say it now: James Blake has the best album of 2011. Blake released three EPs this year that methodically destroyed the lines between dubstep, R&B, jazz, ambient, and most other musical genres, and he shows no sign of letting up.

Calling him an electronic musician would be missing the point entirely: It’s unfair that a 21-year-old with a Macbook has this much soul.

Caribou, Swim (Merge) By far the most accessible album you’ll find on this list, and that’s not by chance.

Caribou’s Dan Snaith had been studying different facets of avant-pop perfection for over a decade prior to the release of Swim this year, and finally found the magic combination of composition, rhythm, melody and that WTF factor.

Matthew Dear, Black City (Ghostly) While James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem have been churning out 54 . Music

12_Music.indd 8

passable facsimiles of ’70s Bowie for about a decade now, it’s about time that somebody finally took a shot at oneupping him. Instead of merely writing songs that sound like Bowie/Eno/Byrne c.

1975-1985, Matthew Dear embodies the spirit of excitement and discovery that characterized those artists’ work.

Emeralds, Does It Look Like I’m Here?

(Editions Mego) While Emeralds’ music functions like a kaleidoscope, don’t call it ambient. While these tunes might be composed of various synth drones, arpeggios, and Frippian guitar work, there’s way too much melody and forward movement here for this record to fade into the background.

Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Yeezy more than makes up for his arrogant antics over the past few years with this album. It truly is THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL-TIME. OF ALL-TIME!

Gold Panda, Lucky Shiner (Ghostly) One of the most warm and personal records of the year doesn’t have a single live instrument on it. Composed entirely of dusty samples, Gold Panda’s Lucky Shiner appropriates snippets of other people’s lives into something original and incredibly powerful. The record is thick with nostalgia, but think of it as a memorial: respectful of the past, with the understanding that life goes on.

Pantha du Prince, Black Noise (Rough Trade) Trying to pin down Pantha du Prince’s music would be like trying to grab a smoke ring. His ethereal soundscapes slowly unfurl and morph into unexpected shapes, but never stay that way for long. Like saying the same word over and over again, if you think too hard about how it works, you’ll find yourself suddenly, eerily confused.

Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon II This isn’t your traditional hip-hop album. It’s more like Gnarls Barkley meets TV on the Radio. In other words, it’s laidback hipster-hop.

Big Boi, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty Big Boi’s debut solo album is pure fun.

Just about every track makes me wanna dance all up in the hizzy. For shizzy.

Listen to Mike Nigro weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m. on 93.7 HD-2 and graffitiradio.com.

December  | O&A

11/22/2010 2:25:22 PM

WEEKLY SPECIALS

Monday

Tuesday

1/2 price appetizers 1/2 price burgers ALL DAY! ALL DAY!

* Food specials start @ 5:00pm Not available for take out

Wednesday

Thursday

Sunday

All you can eat wings $9.99 Oldies DJ Dance Party at Polly Drummond and Peoples Plaza locations

All you can eat shrimp $10.99 Prime Rib $15.99 while supplies last

Beef & Beer $6

Friday Night Oldies DJ Dance Party at Polly Drummond and Peoples Plaza Locations

Bring in the New Year at McGlynns Pub!

On New Years Eve there will be a DJ dance party at the Polly Drummond and Peoples Plaza locations, Champange Toast and Party Favors!

Book your holiday parties! /FXBSL t %PWFS

Happy Hour Now 3 -7pm

McGlynns Pub and Deer Park Tavern Gift Cards make a great holiday gift!

www.mcglynnspub.com 800 N. State St | Dover, DE | 302-674-0144 8 Polly Drummond Shopping Center | Newark, DE | 302-738-7814 108 Peoples Plaza (Corner of Rtes. 40 & 896) | Newark, DE | 302-834-6661

Brewed exclusively for McGlynns Pub & Deer Park Tavern by Twin Lakes Brewery www.out-and-about.com

12_Music.indd 9

55

11/22/2010 2:25:43 PM

Out & About Magazine’s

SANTA

Crawl

Sat, Dec 11• 8PM • $5 Cover Wear a Santa Hat and don’t pay a cover!

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OutAndAboutNow.com 302.655.6483

56 5 6 . Nig Nightlife ig ghtl tlife iife fee

12_Nightlife.indd 6

December  | O&A

11/22/2010 4:22:59 PM

NIGHTLIFE

T

his year’s Halloween Loop, held at 21 venues throughout downtown Wilmington on Oct. 30, was one for the books. The number of participating bars was at its highest in nearly 20 years, and Market Street made a grand return.

Among the 12,000 costumed revelers were these ďŹ ne folks, from top to bottom: Carlo Roca and Stefania Iannaco (Mona Lisa); Natasha Brooks and Tiki Johnson; the Cat in the Hat with Thing 1 and Thing 2; Stephanie Balin and Vivien Narcisa; Dionne Stevenson, Tampress Scott, Jamal Williams, and Takee Jenkins; and Lauren Frisby and Helen Berkenshire. photos by Tony Kukulich

www.out-and-about.com

12_Nightlife.indd 7

XX

11/22/2010 6:52:00 PM

STANLEY’S

75TH ANNIVERSARY Celebration Presented by:

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Miller Lite, Coors Light & Yuengling Lager Specials 2-FOR-1 WINGS Weekly Door Prizes: Dinners for 2, Coolers, Footballs, Hats, T-Shirts & More!

WEEKLY GRAND PRIZE! BILL BERGEY

2 Eagles Tickets. 35-yard line Lower-level with Limo Transportation

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12_Nightlife.indd 2

11/22/2010 11:51:59 AM

Monday

12_FlipPageCalendar.indd 1

Kwanza begins Boxing Day

Last chance to catch ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ at the DE Theatre Co!

ccacde.org

CAROLS IN COLOR Rufus Wainwright @ the Grand

28

Daft Punk releases ‘TRON’ SDTRK

TwinLakesBrewery.com

Delaware Day! Toast at Multiple Locations @ 7pm

Tuesday 1 ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ at the DE Theatre Co. 12/1-19 Happy Hanukkah!

Wednes Wednesday sday

Original ‘TRON’ (1982) FREE @ Theatre N!

w/Dick Vermeil!

6:30-8:30pm

BBC Wine Dinner

YMCA Black Achievers Dinner w/LeVar Burton

Thursday

Have a wonderful holiday season!

December

SUNDAY

10

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

31

Christmas Eve

THE NUTCRACKER @ THE GRAND

Friday

11/22/2010 7:03:39 PM

Christmas

HOHOHO HOHOHO

at the DE Children’s Theatre

BABES IN TOYLAND

Saturday

magazine December 2010 | Vol. 2 | Issue 7

Looking Back, Staying Ahead Celebrating the industries and initiatives that saw growth in 2010

in

E THIS ISSU

12_Wilmington_Cover.indd 1

A recap of the year’s biggest events How you can save green by going green LeVar Burton, Phileas Fogg & lots of art on the Riverfront

11/22/2010 2:51:43 PM

g tin r a t ts S 600 n e R at $

ONLY A FEW UNITS AVAILABLE! APPLY TODAY ONLINE AT INGERMAN.COM

SHIPLEY LOFTS Affordable

Find our community on Facebook

12_OAC2_WILMC3.indd 6

Community

302 654 9113 / www.ingerman.com

11/23/2010 2:38:06 PM

WHY DRIVE TO PHILLY?

The Grand offers world-class entertainers right here, plus...afforable tickets, cheap parking & terrific nearby restaurants.

Bowfire

Dec 9 | 8pm | $32 - $46

in W il m in gt o n

LIVE IS BETTER!

David Broza

Dec 22 | 8pm | $27 - $36

Presented in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Delaware and the Consulate General of Israel in Philadelphia

Dailey & Vincent

Rufus Wainwright Dec 14 | 8pm | $35 - $48

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Jan 28 | 8pm | $31 - $46

Jan 27 | 8pm | $28 - $35

TicketsAtTheGrand.org | 302-652-5577 | 800-37-GRAND | 818 N. Market Wilmington

THEGRAND 12_Wilmington_Inside.indd 1

All tickets subject to Box Office service charges.

Artists, dates, times and programs are subject to change.

THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF THE ARTS, A STATE AGENCY DEDICATED TO NURTURING AND SUPPORTING THE ARTS IN DELAWARE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

11/22/2010 11:44:02 AM

Get in the Holiday Spirit

in Downtown Wilmington!

Save on shopping for holiday gifts with your holiday “in” pin!

Take a stroll down Market St. and see beautiful holiday scenes painted on storefronts by DCAD students.

Beat the crowds in the mall and come see Santa Claus and his elves on SaturdayDec. 4, 11 and 18 at the DE History Museum from 11am–2pm!

Free metered parking after noon through December.

Check for details and participating merchants at downtownwilmington.com This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

2 . Inside magazine

12_Wilmington_Inside.indd 2

11/22/2010 5:45:41 PM

Produced by magazine

all rights reserved

TSN Publishing, Inc. President Gerald DuPhily

Editor-in-Chief Michael Pollock

Art Director Joy Smoker Production Manager Matt Loeb Senior Graphic Designer Shawna Sneath

December 2010 volume 2, issue 7

6 Cover Story Looking Back, Staying Ahead Twenty-ten was a challenging year for all of us, and the city was no exception. But we enjoyed our share of good news as well. Here, a recap of the industries and initiatives that saw growth.

11

In This Together

The Green House Effect A new workbook helps residents reduce their, and the city’s, carbon footprint.

12

Riverfront

December on the Water Advertising Sales Jim Hunter Miller Marie Graham

LeVar Burton at the YMCA’s Black Achievers Dinner, Around the World in 80 Days at Delaware Theatre, unique art gifts at DCCA, and a family outing at the Peterson Wildlife Refuge.

Project Manager Christine Serio

Contributing Writers Josephine Eccel, Pam George Carol Kipp, Larry Nagengast Shari Williams, Bob Yearick

4

“in” Calendar

18

City Notes

19

Wilmington Renaissance News

ON THE COVER: Chef Julio Lazzarini at his new restaurant, Vinoteca 902. photo by Tim Hawk

Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Tim Hawk Les Kipp, Matt Urban

For editorial and advertising information: p (302) 655-6483 f (302) 654-0569

TSN Media, Inc. 307 A Street Wilmington, DE 19801

ABOUT THE “IN” CAMPAIGN Wilmington is truly in the middle of it all, and the “in” campaign is a celebration of the accomplishments we continue to achieve as a community to make our city stronger and more attractive. From neighborhood and business development to our arts and cultural scene, the people of Wilmington are working together to support our city’s ongoing growth and prosperity.

ABOUT WILMINGTON MAGAZINE The mission of Wilmington Magazine is to capture, through stories and images, the ongoing energy present in the city. We aim to inform readers, both inside and outside Wilmington, of the city’s residential, financial, and cultural progress while remaining entertaining and vibrant.

DECEMBER 2010 | 3

12_Wilmington_Inside.indd 3

11/23/2010 1:22:06 PM

In Calendar

Rufus Wainwright at the Grand, Dec. 14. photo by Kevin Westenberg

DON’T MISS 12/4 – 1/8

12/7– 12/12

12/17

DEEC Amphibian Fun

Handel’s Messiah Rocks

The Nutcracker

@ Delaware Children’s Museum

@ DuPont Theatre

@ Grand Opera House

delawarechildrensmuseum.org

duponttheatre.com

thegrandwilmington.org

Wednesday, December 1

Counseling, Connections, and Delaware HIV Consortium • ‘On Assignment: American Illustration 1850-1950’ Wednesday, Dec. 1 - Sunday, Feb. 20 Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Pkwy delart.org • ‘Ultra-Realistic Sculpture’ by Marc Sijan Wednesday, Dec. 1 - Sunday, Jan. 16 Delaware Art Museum

2301 Kentmere Pkwy 571-9590; delart.org • ‘Different Views: Painters of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’ Wednesday, December 1 - Sunday, January 23 Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Pkwy delart.org • ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ Thru Sunday, Dec. 19 Delaware Theatre Company

• World AIDS Day: "We Are Greater Than AIDS" HIV-testing event Beautiful Gate Outreach Center 604 N. Walnut Street bgate.org • World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil Westminster Presbyterian Church 1502 W. 13th Street Sponsored by AIDS Delaware, Brandywine 4 . In Calendar

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200 Water Street delawaretheatre.org

Thursday, December 2 • Art Salad Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts Noon - 1pm 200 Madison Street 656-6466; thedcca.org • Wilmington Handbell Ensemble First & Central Presbyterian Church 1101 Market Street fandc.org

Friday, December 3 • ‘Reckless’ by Craig Lucas Friday, December 3 - Saturday, December 18 Presented by City Theater Company Opera Delaware Studios 4 S. Poplar Street city-theater.org • Lobster & Wreath Festival Friday, December 3 - Saturday, December 4 The Church of the Holy City 1118 N. Broom Street churchoftheholycity.org • Art Loop & re:Fresh After Party Various locations - see website wilmingtonde.gov/artloop • ‘You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger’ The latest star-studded ensemble piece from Woody Allen Theatre N Nemours Bldg, 11th & Tatnall streets theatren.org

Saturday, December 4 • DEEC Amphibian Fun Saturday, December 4 - Saturday, January 8 Delaware Children's Museum delawarechildrensmuseum.org • ‘Babes in Toyland’ Saturday, December 4 - Sunday, December 19 Delaware Children's Theatre dechildrenstheatre.org • The Grand Gala Procol Harum perform with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra Concert at the Grand; after party at the DuPont Theatre thegrandwilmington.org

Sunday, December 5 • Poetry Readings Delaware Art Museum, 1:30-2pm 2301 Kentmere Pkwy delart.org • Holiday Sing The Music School of Delaware, 3-5pm 4101 Washington Street 762-1132; musicschoolofdelaware.org

Monday, December 6 • Open House Week Monday, Dec. 6 - Saturday, Dec. 11 Christina Cultural Arts Center 652-0101; ccacde.org

Tuesday, December 7 • Handel's ‘Messiah Rocks’ Tuesday, December 7 - Sunday, December 12 DuPont Theatre 10th & Market streets duponttheatre.com

Thursday, December 9 • Art Salad Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts Noon - 1pm 200 Madison Street 656-6466; thedcca.org • YMCA Black Achievers Dinner LeVar Burton is the keynote speaker Chase Center on the Riverfront Call 472-9622 for tix & more info

DELAWARE’S O F F - B R O A D W AY

Friday, December 10 • ‘Howl’ James Franco plays Allen Ginsberg as the poet creates his most famous poem Friday, December 10 - Sunday, December 12 Theatre N Nemours Bldg, 11th & Tatnall streets theatren.org

Saturday, December 11 • Holiday House Tour 10am-4pm Starts at Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Pkwy delart.org

Sunday, December 12 • ‘Carols in Color’ Annual holiday production presented by Christina Cultural Arts Center and Eleone Dance Theatre at the Wilmington Christian School Theater ccacde.org

Tuesday, December 14 • Rufus Wainwright Grand Opera House 818 N. Market Street 652-5577; thegrandwilmington.org

Wednesday, December 15 • Beethoven Birthday Bash The Music School of Delaware, 7-9pm 4101 Washington Street 762-1132; musicschoolofdelaware.org

Thursday, December 16 • ‘Tron’ Catch the original 1982 cult hit a day before the hotly anticipated sequel hits theaters Theatre N Nemours Bldg, 11th & Tatnall streets theatren.org

Friday, December 17 • The Nutcracker Friday, December 17 - Sunday, December 19 Grand Opera House 818 N. Market St. 652-5577; thegrandwilmington.org

Saturday, December 18 • The Nutcracker Saturday, Dec. 18 & Sunday, Dec. 19 DuPont Theatre 10th & Market streets 656-4401; duponttheatre.com

Friday, December 31 • New Year’s Eve Party Chase Center on the Riverfront evewilmington.com; 656-8400

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Looking Back

LOOKING BACK,

STAYING AHEAD 2010 was a challenging year for all of us, and the city was no exception.

But we enjoyed our share of good news as well. Here, a recap of the industries and initiatives that saw growth.

Restaurant Renaissance New places to eat popped up all over the city in 2010. And lucky for us, they weren’t relegated to one pocket of town. You could hit the Riverfront and try hand-crafted pizzas fresh out of the brick oven at FireStone, restaurateur Eric Sugrue’s latest creation. (Another Sugrue eatery, Big Fish, also resides on the Riverfront and opened shortly before FireStone.)

At the Riverfront Market, Harry’s added Fish Market + Grill—a catering-and-takeout space—and

situated it directly adjacent to Harry’s Seafood. At the other end of the market, BellaVista opened a takeout location (they have a restaurant on Limestone Road) to serve its authentic pizza.

In Trolley Square, Chef Dan Butler closed his popular Toscana for two weeks for renovations.

When the restaurant re-opened, in early October, it sported a new interior and a new name, Piccolina Toscana. (You can view footage of the transformation at piccolinatoscana.com.)

Over in the Trolley Square Shopping Center, El Diablo offered up another lunch/ dinner option with Chef Roger Andrews’ selection of madefrom-scratch burritos. Nearby, just off Pennsylvania Avenue, Santa Fe Wilmington combined upscale Mexican food with a chic atmosphere to complement its Newark location.

But it was perhaps Market Street that experience the biggest restaurant boom this year.

Authentic Irish pub fare found a

TOAST TO THE YEAR Chef Julio Lazzarini (pictured with mom Ivy) opened his second downtown restaurant, Vinoteca 902, this year. photo by Tim Hawk 6 . Looking Back magazine

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new home at Shenanigans (125 N. Market), while Primo found its latest location for hoagies (823 N. Market). Meanwhile, fans of craft brews and colorful menu items crowded into Chelsea Tavern (821 N. Market), which took over the former Restaurant 821 space across the street from the Grand. Also finding a new occupant this year was Vinoteca 902 (902 N. Market), notable for several reasons. Not only does it fill the void left behind by the former Exchange, it marks Chef Julio Lazzarini’s second venture into the downtown dining scene. (He also runs Orillas Tapas Bar & Restaurant, at 413 N. Market.) The restaurant, which opened in early November, boasts Lazzarini’s trademark Medilatino cuisine—a combination of classic Mediterranean flavors with a Latin touch. Vinoteca’s opening was a fitting celebration for Lazzarini, who starred on the Food Network show Chopped last year and hosted a cooking demonstration at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago this past May. “It was a huge gamble because of the economy,” Lazzarini admits of opening a second restaurant in the city. “We thought about the location, and being on upper Market Street, near the Hotel du Pont and the legal district, that could help us capture a different audience. But it’ll take a lot of hard work to maintain it, because we’re a city that’s still growing.”

Come Together Wilmington, due to its size and mobility, has always been an ideal breeding ground for networking opportunities. This year, that notion proved especially true. There was the unveiling of Shipley Lofts (701 Shipley St.) in April, boasting 23 affordable, artistfriendly units and a first-floor gallery space that will likely appeal to graduates of DCAD. Elsewhere, the LoMa district, on Lower Market Street, welcomed the Film Brothers Movie Co-Op. A sort of incubator for the local film industry, it’s a space not just for filmmakers but for producers and those involved on the technical side of moviemaking.

“We see a place where business meets the arts,” Film Brothers co-owner Gordon DelGiorno told Wilmington Magazine in October. “When businesses support the arts, it ties them in with their community and creates relationships.”

DelGiorno and company aren’t alone. Last spring, the coIN Loft began renting out space to start-ups, small businesses, and creative collectives at 300 W. Ninth St. The loft functions under the philosophy of co-working, where many workers, often from different companies or places of employment, can work independently in the same space.

“We believe networking is crucial in building businesses and community,” coIN Loft co-owner Wes Garnett Jr. says, adding that “it’s part of our business

model to have weekly networking events. People need to be able to share ideas and connect not just on a business level, but on a personal one, too. It’s not just progressive thinking, it’s smart business.”

Still in Love with the Arts The city hosted its usual lineup of great arts festivals and music bashes: the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in June, the Peoples’ Festival Tribute to Bob Marley in July, the Riverfront Blues Festival in August, the experimental-arts fest Fringe Wilmington in September and October.

The CityLife Block Party Series—which featured such renowned acts as Yarn, DJ Logic, and Ernie & the Automatics—took over the Plaza at City Center all summer long, while Musikarmageddon, a local battle-of-the-bands competition, brought live music to Kelly’s Logan House and the Baby Grand. Back in May, transplanted guitarist David Bromberg curated his very own folk festival at Justison Park, David Bromberg’s Big Noise, which Philly’s WXPN broadcast live.

But this year also marked the return of a city favorite: the Brandywine Arts Festival—rechristened, under the leadership of local businessman Barry Schlecker, as the Brandywine Festival of the Arts.

Brandywine Park, as well as hundreds of artisans and thousands of attendees, were happy to have the September festival back where it belongs. Look for Schlecker and his community of artisans to carry on the new tradition.

Speaking of new traditions, the city was abuzz in 2010 with updates on and concert fundraisers for the Queen Theater at Fifth and Market streets.

The ambitious, $20-million-plus project has broken ground and aims to be up and running—that is, performances on the World Café Live stage—by April. In the meantime, we’ve gotten our share of out-of-town performers (Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Bonerama, the Rebirth Brass Band) to hold us over.

Family Matters The opening of the DuPont Environmental Education Center at the Russell W. Peterson Wildlife Refuge signaled a renewed interest in making the Riverfront—and the city with it—a more familyfriendly place. And soon enough, it had company.

In April, after months of anticipation and years of planning, the Delaware Children’s Museum opened in the space formerly occupied by Kahunaville. A 37,000-square-foot, $12 million project that features seven exhibit spaces, the Children’s Museum was continued on next page

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Looking Back, Staying Ahead continued from previous page

born out of a deep-seated commitment to growth—for both kids and the Riverfront. It was also backed by an important economic study that showed a children’s museum has a sort of ripple effect that can generate lots of business activity around it. “The lesson of the Delaware Children’s Museum is never, ever, ever give up,” executive director Julie Van Blarcom told us back in April. “The Riverfront has taken some criticism, but they’ve elevated the city.

They never lost their vision.”

And just as the Peterson Wildlife Refuge got a like-minded neighbor, the Children’s Museum will be joined another family attraction: a 14-screen movie theater that includes an IMAX. As this issue was headed to press, we received word of the land-transfer deal that would jumpstart the process. The Riverfront Development Corp. will now be able to sell the four and a half acres of property at 401 S. Madison St. to Lancaster, Pa.-based Penn Cinema Group for $2 million for construction of the movie theater. Penn Cinema is required to use Delaware contractors for 75 percent of the construction work and must be fully operating within two years.

But the Riverfront isn’t the only place in town looking after families. This year, as it is every year, the city was full of events aimed at children and their parents. The many ethnic festivals— Italian, Greek, Polish, Hispanic—make up just one set of examples. Market Street’s Downtown Fall Fest also returned this year, featuring the AZ Challenge, where children of all ages are challenged to complete five out 12 healthy activities for prizes. And the Wilmington Grand Prix, a pro-cycling event with a street festival that’s now in its third year, continued to grow. Riders from around the world came to our city for a big purses and a great day of racing. Like everyone else who visits, we expect they left with a lot more.

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IT HAPPENED IN WILMINGTON! Reliving the year's most memorable events 1. Trumpeter Kevin Louis (right) chats with legend Donald Byrd at the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in June. photo by Tim Hawk 2. A pack of cyclists passes through Market Street during the Wilmington Grand Prix in May. photo by Matt Urban 3. U-Melt's Kevin Griffin does Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" at the CityLife Block Party in July. photo by Tony Kukulich 4. (L-R) Janet Weaver, Carol Cole, and Leigh Brooks enjoy the St. Anthony's Italian Festival in June. photo by Dennis Dischler 5. Students from DCAD recreate da Vinci's The Last Supper in June. photo by Jessica Sturgis 6. George Clinton and P-Funk take over the Grand at a show in June. photo by Joe del Tufo

7. Lani and George Zlupko enjoy themselves during the Delaware Children's Museum benefit gala held in April. photo by Tim Hawk 8. Soba Washington and Jake Bauer dance the night away at Kelly's Logan House during September's Pink Loop. photo by Lori M. Nichols 9. Student chefs cook it up at September's Farmer & the Chef. photo by Bob Horton for Creative Image

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riverfrontmarketwilm.com | 3 South Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 10 . In This Together magazine

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In This Together

The Wilmington Green City Environmental Stewardship Self-Certification Workbook can be downloaded at wilmingtonde.gov/ greencity/resident.htm.

The

Green House Effect A new workbook helps residents reduce their—and the city’s—carbon footprint s part of the city’s ongoing efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020, Mayor Baker has introduced a new “green city” workbook, designed to help residents protect and improve the environment while saving money.

The Wilmington Green City Environmental Stewardship SelfCertification Workbook for Households’ self-assessment process allows residents to measure their household’s level of environmental sustainability to identify areas for improvement. Users work through a checklist made up of categories such as food, energy, and water conservation. Residents earn points for the greening actions they perform. At the end of the workbook, point values are added together to create a cumulative score. Households reaching green (75 points) or gold (150 points) levels receive a certificate from the mayor, as well as

A

recognition on the city’s website. More important, the steps they take will take a load off their wallets.

“We all recognize the need to build a more sustainable future for ourselves and future generations,” Mayor Baker says. “But in order for us to be successful, we must all think of ourselves as stewards of the environment and live the greenest lifestyle possible. Our workbook outlines many simple and practical ways we all can help reduce Wilmington’s carbon footprint. Best of all, many of these changes benefit our wallets as well as the environment.”

In August 2008, Mayor Baker issued an executive order outlining a strategy for city government to reduce its carbon footprint and help lessen the impact of global warming on Wilmington. The city was among the first in the country to join as a Founding Reporter of the Climate Registry, a nonprofit established to measure and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions in a common, accurate, and transparent manner.

In addition, the state’s first singlestream, curbside-recycling program

was introduced in Wilmington, in 2007. All city-owned traffic-signal lamps have been converted to LED lighting. HVAC upgrades to the Public Safety Building have reduced electric consumption. The Prices Run Pool Bathhouse received a LEED Silver designation. Solar panels were installed at the Porter Water Filtration Plant, which provides 75 percent of the city’s drinking water. (The panels alone will save Wilmington an estimated $60,000 a year in electricity costs and generate an estimated $120,000 a year in annual revenue through the sale of renewable energy credits.) Restrooms in the Redding City/County Building have been equipped with motion-detector lights, which turn themselves off when restrooms are vacant, as well as lowflush toilets. And the city continues to reduce its vehicle fleet; those vehicles needing to be replaced are being traded for hybrids or other fuel-efficient, lowemission vehicles.

These and other efforts have set the stage for the city’s green transformation, which residents are now fully part of. in DECEMBER 2010 | 11

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Riverfront

D L R O W E H T D AROUN See the world—from your seat

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ow through Dec. 19, Jules Verne’s classic novel Around the World in 80 Days comes to life through Mark Brown’s adaptation on the Delaware Theatre Company stage, as five actors portray 39 characters in one man’s quest to travel the world with his assistant while beating the clock. What’s more, you can win tickets to the show by spotting protagonist Phileas Fogg on four pages in this issue. See the Out & About website, outandaboutnow.com, for details.

HOLIDAY CRAFT SHOW Give the gift of contemporary art

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kip the mass marketing and long lines this holiday season. We all know there’s nothing quite like a one-of-a-kind, handmade gift. You can find plenty of them, as well as meet the artisans behind them, at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts’ Alternatives Holiday Craft Show on Friday, Dec. 3 from 5 to 11 p.m. For more, go to thedcca.org.

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wilm.com

magazine

YMCA BLACK ACHIEVERS Celebrate the best in business and industry

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he annual YMCA Black Achievers Dinner offers a closer look at the accomplishments of African Americans in business and industry. But it also doubles as a fundraiser for the Y’s Black Achievers program, which aims to enhance the personal, career, and leadership development of youth and teens. The keynote speaker of this year’s ceremony (Thursday, Dec. 9 at the Chase Center) will have plenty to draw from in those areas. He’s LeVar Burton, whose television career has spanned several generations: Roots in 1977, Star Trek: The Next Generation in the ’80s and ’90s, and for more than 20 years, Reading Rainbow. For tickets and more info, contact program director Claire Lamar Carey at 472-9622.

WILDLIFE REFUGE Give mom and dad the night off

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t’s a family affair at the Russell W. Peterson Wildlife Refuge on Friday, Dec. 10. The kids hang out at the DuPont Environmental Education Center with games and a scavenger hunt while their parents can have a night to themselves over dinner on the Riverfront. Cost is $20 for members and $30 for non-members (that includes dinner for the kids). For more, go to duponteec.org.

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DELAWARE CENTER FOR THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS

Be unique this holiday season!

DCCA’s Alternatives Museum Shop Recipient of NICHE Magazine’s 2009 Best Museum Store award, Alternatives Museum Shop is an eclectic retail gallery featuring functional, handmade craft items for all your holiday needs.

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Friday, December 3, 5 - 11 pm One night only! A truly unique and exciting holiday shopping experience!

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www.thedcca.org 200 S. Madison St. Wilmington, DE 19801 302.656.6466 NOVEMBER 2010 | 15

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City Notes

Downtown offers discounts and lots of cheer for the holidays

New greening workbook available for residents

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ilmington Mayor James M. Baker recently introduced a “green city” workbook designed to help residents protect and improve the environment while saving money through green technologies and practices. The workbook’s self-assessment enables residents to measure their household’s level of environmental sustainability and identify areas for improvement. Users work through a comprehensive checklist under a variety of categories (such as food, energy, and water conservation). Residents earn points for the green actions they perform. At the end of the workbook, point values are added together to create a cumulative score. Households reaching the green (75 points) or gold (150 points) levels will receive a certificate from the mayor as well as recognition on the city’s website. The workbook can be downloaded at wilmingtonde.gov/greencity/resident.htm. For more on the initiative, see the In This Together page in this issue.

owntown Wilmington has some special offers to keep the holidays festive, the bills low and the spirits high.

During the month of December, participating downtown merchants on Market Street and beyond will offer a discount to customers wearing the holiday “in” pin. (For a full list, go to downtownwilmington.com.) The pin is available at the participating merchants’ stores, the mayor’s office, at various events, and at the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation office at 233 King St. In addition to discounts, many of the merchants will have holidays scenes painted on their windows by students at the Delaware College of Art and Design. And Christmas wouldn’t be complete without Santa, who’ll be making an appearance at the Delaware History Museum (505 Market St.) on Saturdays in December (the 4th, the 11th, and the 18th) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Children & Families First receives grant to help city schools

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ith a $2.3 million grant award from the U.S. Dept. of Education, Children & Families First will implement community schools—using public schools as hubs, community schools bring together many partners to offer a range of supports and opportunities—at Bancroft, Stubbs, and Elbert-Palmer elementary schools. The neighborhoods in the school-feeder pattern face multiple challenges—such as poverty, unemployment, and low rates of homeownership and educational attainment—that negatively impact students’ chances of academic success.

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Delaware Theatre Company announces new executive director

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he Delaware Theatre Company has announced the appointment of Mary Ann Ehlshlager to executive director. In announcing the board of directors’ decision, chairman Michael Marquadt said, “Mary Ann has overseen a drive toward organizational stability that has resulted in DTC recently posting its strongest financial performance in five years.”

Ehlshlager previously served as the theater’s managing director since 2007. Prior to joining DTC, she worked for the

16 . City Notes magazine

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Pearl Theatre Company and Roundabout Theatre Company’s Studio 54 in New York, as well as for theaters in D.C. and Minneapolis. One of Ehlshlager’s first orders of business upon taking her new position was to make updates to DTC’s current season. Kevin Ramsey’s A Capella Humana will be put on hold until next season; in its place will be Ramsey’s Chasin’ Dem Blues. For more on DTC and this season’s lineup, go to delawaretheatre.org.

downtownwilmington.com

Wilmington Renaissance Corporation

WRC News

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DCCA appoints curator of contemporary art

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he Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts recently appointed Maiza Hixson as the new Gretchen Hupfel Curator of Contemporary Art. Hixson has been affiliated with the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia, the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, and the J.B. Speed Art Museum in Louisville, KY. Hixson will be responsible for the DCCA’s exhibition program.

he holidays are upon us, and downtown Wilmington has plenty to keep your spirits high with savings on shopping, a festive atmosphere and, of course, Santa Claus!

Many of the downtown merchants offer plenty of gift ideas, from stocking stuffers, watches, scarves, and sneakers to jewelry, restaurant gift cards, ties, and fur coats. During December, many merchants will give discounts to customers who simply wear a holiday “in” pin.

The pins are available at participating merchants, the mayor’s office, and Wilmington Renaissance Corporation’s office (233 King St.). The merchants offering discounts can be found on our website: downtownwilmington.com.

While you’re shopping, you can check out the holiday scenes painted on many storefronts by students from the Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD). The students painted the scenes on Dec. 1 and they can be enjoyed throughout the month. The stores with scenes can also be found on our website: downtownwilmington.com.

Christmas would not be the same without Santa, and downtown is your alternative to waiting in long lines at the mall. Santa Claus will be at the Delaware History Museum (505 Market St.) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, 11, and 18.

Worried about finding a place to park? Don’t be.

Parking in downtown is easy with free metered parking after 12 p.m. through December. If you choose to park in one of the many garages downtown, make sure to ask the merchants you visit if they participate in the Merchant Validated Parking (MVP) program—you could get up to two hours free in the parking facility!

For more information, call 425-5500.

WRC’s Favorites

DCH plants record-breaking number of trees

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y the time the fall planting season ended in November, the Delaware Center for Horticulture had planted 1,500 trees in New Castle and Kent counties. Six hundred and fifty of those—a record—were planted in Wilmington. The majority of these trees are large trees (7’ to 12’ tall) along streets and in urban areas. Two major tree-planting events in Wilmington, one along the Riverwalk and one in Little Italy, created a strong finish. The tree-plantings were part of an ambitious campaign the DCH launched to improve Wilmington’s urban forest by planting 20,000 trees by 2020. For more, visit thedch.org.

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very month, we feature a few of the staff ’s favorite things happening in the city. Our favorites for December include (in no particular order!): • Downtown merchants have plenty of gift options for the holidays.

• Shenanigans at 125 Market St. has a DJ on Friday nights.

•LoMa Coffee is now open at 3rd and Market streets • Ninth Street Book Shop has a huge selection of books and magazines.

DowntownWilmington.com

in

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