VOL. 24 NO. 12
FEBRUARY 2012
OutAndAboutNow.Com
COMPLIMENTARY
FEEL GOOD • • • Sure-fire mood boosters • • • Why we love comfort foods • • • Feel-good tunes, movies & more
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302.654.9780 UnionCityGrille.com
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2216 Pennsylvania Avenue • Wilmington, DE 19806-2444 • 302-571-1492 • ColumbusInn.com .--.
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Tobacco is a killer no matter how sweet they make it. There始s no such thing as safe tobacco. Cigar smoke contains cyanide, arsenic, DDT and benzene.
TheDirtyTruth.com DELAWARE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES Division of Public Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
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INSIDE
O&ACONTENTS Published each month by TSN Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing & business address: 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
Publisher Gerald duPhily
jduphily@tsnpub.com
Contributing Editor Bob Yearick
February 2012 | Vol. 24, No. 12| www.outandaboutnow.com
FEATURES 12-19 UP CLOSE: THE FEEL GOOD ISSUE
Fending off the February blahs. By Scott Pruden 10 cheery tips to beat the winter. By Shawna Sneath Reader suggestions. Comforting recipes.
byearick@tsnpub.com
Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller jmiller@tsnpub.com
Director of Sales Marie Graham Poot
20-25 OUT & ABOUT IN...NORTH WILMINGTON
History, shopping, dining and more within a few square miles. By Pam George
27-35 FOOD & DRINK
Our love affair with comfort foods explained. By Robert Luhlier Suds: Bier adventures in Belgium. By J. Burke Morrison
mgraham@tsnpub.com
Creative/Production Manager Matthew Loeb mloeb@tsnpub.com
Art Director Shawna Sneath
ssneath@tsnpub.com
Contributing Writers Matt Amis, Geno Bisconte, Mark Fields, Richard L. Gaw, Pam George, Robert Lhulier, J. Burke Morrison, Larry Nagengast, Scott Pruden, Margaret D. Berthiaume Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Dennis Dischler Tim Hawk, Les Kipp Tony Kukulich, Matt Urban Interns Krista Connor, Kelsey Kerrigan Special Projects John Holton, Kelly Loeb
For editorial & advertising information: (302) 655-6483 • Fax (302) 654-0569 Website: www.outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com
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40-41 MOVIES
To Lewes, With Love. Delaware musician-filmmaker Chris Malinowski pays homage to the town and his father. By Mark Fields
51-53 MUSIC
In tune with our tunes. By Matt Amis The Phillies’ favorite introduction songs. By Matt Amis
DEPARTMENTS 6
Out Front
37
Style
40
Movies
46
Gigs
51
Nightlife
59
The O&A Calendar
5
1/24/12 11:38 AM
Lewes Polar Bear
PLUNGE ww
What began more than 20 years ago as a crazy idea has evolved into one of the most successful fundraisers in Delaware. The annual Lewes Polar Bear Plunge, which takes place Sunday, Feb. 5 (1 p.m.), has raised more than $5 million for Special Olympics Delaware since 78 people took the plunge in 1992. Last year, a record 3094 Bears jumped into the Atlantic Ocean and raised a record $550,000. Interested? Visit info@sode.org or call 831-4653.
Bachetti’s Famous
Valentine’s Dinner You don’t need to go out to get a homemade meal! Try our famous, made from scratch Valentine’s Dinner
Wedding Soup • Kennett Mushrooms stuffed w/ lump crabmeat & boursin cheese • Steamed Asparagus Limone Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes • Chocolate Decadence topped with raspberry sauce
For the main course, choose from these two entrees: Petite Filet Mignon with a spicy honey mustard glaze, caramelized onions and fresh mushrooms.
Boneless chicken breast stuffed with our famous crab imperial and topped with our Maryland crab sauce.
Only $19.99 per person, reserve yours today! Please order ahead. Available for pick-up 2/12–2/14 www.Bachettis.com | www.ChocolateWaterfall.com | 302.994.4467 | 4723 Kirkwood Hwy. Midway Plaza
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OUTFRONT
The War
ON WORDS
WORD OF THE MONTH
By Bob Yearick
A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to correct some of the most common errors in English usage
Media Watch
Apparently the news media were particularly careless as 2011 came to an end. In cleaning out our MW file, we came across enough examples to (almost) fill a column. To wit: • Jody McDonald, an old WIP favorite of ours, noting that there were a lot of sports topics to discuss: “There’s plenty of food for fodder.” File this one under Department of Redundancies Dept. because food and fodder are essentially the same. He meant either “food for thought” or “fodder for conversation.” • An AP story noted that an overhead camera came loose during a bowl game and the guide wire wrapped around a player. That’s guy wire. For more on this rather odd term, see pg. 51 in your copy of ˜ e War on Words book. What’s that, you don’t have a copy? For shame. • CBS’s Norah O’Donnell reported that President Obama was “unwielding” on the subject of a tax cut for the middle class. Obviously, the president was unyielding on what could be described as an unwieldy subject. • USA Today: “One a° ect of a cancelled NBA season . . .” That’s the verb. Needed here, the noun – effect. • Scott Graham on Westwood One, talking about NFL end-of-season possibilities: “The number of permeations . . .” He meant permutations, which are complete changes, transformations. Permeation refers to infusion, saturation, infiltration. • From a Spark review of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: “Though much compressed from the much-beloved six-hour BBC miniseries . . .” Again, a candidate for Department of Redundancies Dept. Beloved means dearly or greatly loved, so this phrase translates to “much dearly loved.” It also unnecessarily repeats the word “much” that appears four words earlier.
This month, we’re taking two similar words, both pronounced the same and spelled almost the same, that have different meanings:
Discreet Pronounced dis-kreet, is an adjective meaning prudent, tactful, circumspect.
• From a News Journal obituary: “. . . an ever-abiding love of great music.” Another redundancy. Abiding means “enduring, long-lasting.” • Mike Barnicle on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”: “I felt badly about the way I talked about Michelle Bachman.” To feel badly actually means you are incompetent at touching and sensing. You feel bad, Mike. You don’t feel sadly, do you? • From a wire service report in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “Kevin Garnett is worried that the league’s shortened schedule will impede on his team’s ability to build chemistry.” If the writer did indeed mean “impede,” he should’ve dropped the “on.” We’re guessing he was thinking of “impinge on,” meaning affect or impact.
How long, oh Lord, how long?
(In which we chronicle the continuing abuse of that most maligned of punctuation marks, the apostrophe.) A reader reports that he saw a news photo of a motorcycle gang whose members were wearing jackets with the word “Pagan’s” on the back. It never ends.
Correction/Clarification
In last month’s column, our explanation of where quotes are placed in relation to commas and periods was fraught with problems. To start with, we misused the word “principal,” meaning main or primary, when we should have written “principle,” meaning belief or value. Then, our explanation was a bit confusing. To clarify: in the United States, quotation marks go outside periods and commas, even if only one word is quoted. In England, the quotes go inside the comma and period. Our point was that the latter practice seems to occur too often in the good ol’ U.S.
BONUS
WORD OF THE MONTH Discrete Also pronounced diskreet, also an adjective, means separate and distinct, as opposed to simply separate. For example (or e.g.), if a company has three separate divisions, the divisions may have little autonomy. If, however, they are discrete divisions, they have considerable autonomy.
Seen a good
(bad) one lately? Send your candidates to ryearick@ comcast.net
Buy The War on Words paperback from the O&A website, at Ninth Street Books in Wilmington, or Hockessin Book Shelf. Check out the website: thewaronwords.com.
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WINNER WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER Congratulations to Mike MacGuinness, who takes first place in our political cartoon contest
A
compulsive observer and caricature artist with an attitude, Mike MacGuinness was born and raised in Newark, a product of the Brookside, Todd Estates, and Chestnut Hills suburban triangle. He attended the University of Delaware for three years as a graphic arts major, then worked for Avon Products in Newark for the next 35 years. He managed to stay employed by refraining from drawing large murals on the insides of the trailers he was loading and instead channeled this deviant graffiti desire into craft shows, drawing caricatures, and doing calligraphy, body painting and promo material for local musicians. He has been married for 35 years and has four grown children and 2 1/2 grandchildren. Mike is currently retired or unemployed—he forgets which it is. His latest creative projects include making dragon heads for Cirque Oya and doing a CD illustration for local musician Hangnail Phillips. In March, he will be placing a few absurdist cartoons on the walls of Café Adria in the Newark Shopping Center. He is still working on his attitude. .OAAN.
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Wednesday nights 9-11pm, and Keep the Pint! 721 Ace Memorial Dr, Hockessin 302- 635-7459
NORA LEES CAFE Enjoy $3 Alpine Spring Pints during Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday 4-7pm 124 Delaware St, Old New Castle 302-322-7675
9
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That Is Not OK! By Marie Graham
I
love snow. I love the anticipation of it starting. I love how pretty it looks before it’s been touched. I love the sound of silence right after it stops falling and the way it reflects light, making the house so bright yet softly lit inside. I love the feeling of being snowed in, and, of course, I love playing in it. There are, however, certain annoyances that come with snow. My opinion is that most of these annoyances are manmade rather than nature’s fault. Exhibit A: The craze before the storm. The grocery store always turns into total chaos when snow is in the forecast. When was the last time you were snowed in for more than a day or two? I understand making sure you have a few staples on hand, but people act like they’re preparing for nuclear fallout. Fights start over loaves of bread and the last bunches of bananas. I suppose people who otherwise rarely eat bread and bananas are convinced that they are crucial to snow storm survival. I can’t figure out any other reason for the shortage in supply.
m
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Everyone, pull yourselves together. Hysterics over impending snow is simply unnecessary. And so it begins. The first flurry falls and suddenly the roads become mayhem. I’m not sure why many of us here have such a hard time with driving in the snow. We don’t live in Florida. It snows here every year. Masses of people leave work early to beat the storm; most are driving way too fast, and the accidents start happening. It’s not the snow. It’s the people driving in the snow. Your SUV isn’t going to prevent you from slipping on ice, so stop tailgating the panicking old lady in the Geo Prism who you think is moving too slowly. As for you lovers of the brake, when will you learn that slamming the brakes when you feel yourself slipping just makes matters worse? The bottom line is that it is OK to take your time and it is definitely OK to maintain a safe, no-need-to-slam-on-the-brakes, stopping distance. The aftermath. The storm has ended, and you are ready to go have some fun. Ask yourself a couple of questions before you grab the beer
and/or sleds and head out. 1. Have you shoveled your sidewalk yet? You know, the one that you share with all of your neighbors? If you haven’t, then do it now before it freezes and is impossible to fix. It really won’t take that long. 2. Do you really need to take your Corvette for a spin right now? Because the rest of us have no doubt that you are going to get stuck, inevitably on a one-way street, causing the rest of us to be stuck now too. 3. Have you adequately removed the snow from your car? Because, although you’ve removed enough that you feel comfortable driving, the rest of us don’t appreciate the ice chunks that are flying off your roof and hitting our windshields while we’re driving down I-95. While you’re at it, don’t forget about clearing off the headlights and brake lights. Equally frustrating as driving in snow is parking in it. If there is a substantial amount of snow on the ground, and your neighbor spends a good three hours shoveling a parking spot, chances are he didn’t do it so that you’d have a place to park. Taking that spot when you didn’t shovel your own is definitely not OK. On the other hand, there are the people who shovel their spots and save them with anything imaginable: chairs, trash cans, old doors, children...you name it. I understand why you do this, but eventually enough is enough. Not only are you making parking difficult on the rest of the block, you are preventing plows from cleaning up the rest of the street. Right now, we’ve only had a minor amount of snowfall in 2012 and aside from the aforementioned Corvette, I didn’t notice too many poor snowrelated behaviors. So let this be a warning for snow days yet to come: Slow down and shovel your own spots. What’s best for the rest of us will likely benefit you too.
Feedback Feedback is always OK. Write me at: mgraham@tsnpub.com
F | O&A
1/24/2012 11:21:03 AM
Sat, Feb 18th Baycenter, Dewey Beach Live music by
The Skip Castro Band, Jimi Smooth & HitTime and Comfort Zone Two Floors of Excitement, Open Bar and Chef prepared Hors d’oeuvres.
$85
per person
Benefits the Dewey Beach Police and Lifeguards.
WinterGalaDewey.com for tickets Must be 21 to enter. Formal attire is suggested.
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Fend O˜ The
FEBRUARY
BLAHS The cold and gray got you down? Try these sure-fire mood-boosters By Scott Pruden
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] ] I
f months were people, February would be the gloomy, sad-sack friend who casts a black cloud over every otherwise happy scene.
There we were, celebrating the promise of
a new year during January, when along comes
the second month, dreary and cold, basically arch-
ing its eyebrow at us and saying, “So, you thought you were going to accomplish so much. How’s that going for you now?”
Granted, for many of us things might not be going that well. Many folks would prefer to just tuck under the covers around about Groundhog Day and emerge again in March with the hope that the dismal gray of the season has somewhat dissipated. Unfortunately, unless you’re… well, a groundhog, that isn’t really an option. So in the absence of full-on hibernation, we here at Out & About have a few suggestions on how to feel good during a time when nature isn’t helping very much.
Get Lit
Though February days are short (late December are the shortest of the year), lack of sunlight often has less to do with the length of the days than with the diminished quality of light during those daylight hours. It’s also a function of the indoors existence most of us lead during the colder months. Researchers at places like the Mayo Clinic have traced the winter blahs, known clinically as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), to this reduction in exposure to bright light at this time of year and a subsequent drop in the body’s production of the hormone serotonin. SAD is marked by seasonal depression, in which sufferers experience a noticeable drop in energy and enthusiasm, changes in overall mood, an inclination to sleep more (but poorly), and a deterioration in eating habits (usually skewing toward higher-fat and carbohydrate foods).
To treat SAD, doctors will frequently recommend that patients simply increase their exposure to bright light, usually for about 30 minutes a day. Full-spectrum light bulbs designed to give the effect of natural sunlight or an electric lamp designed especially for that purpose are especially effective. If you simply find yourself feeling a little down during the winter, the Mayo Clinic suggests that it can’t hurt to just make your lifestyle a little brighter. Open interior doors, blinds and curtains at home to let in more of the available daylight. If you’re stuck at work, make a point to allow yourself some outside time during lunch. Remember that more severe SAD symptoms should probably be addressed by a doctor.
Get Fit
Listening to hard-core marathoners talk about “runner’s high” can get tedious for those of us not devoted to reaching superhuman levels of endurance, but there are reams of solid science behind the buzz that accompanies strenuous, long-term physical activity. Whether you hear it from researchers, your doctor or your personal trainer, it’s true that exercise helps elevate mood in much the same way as pharmacological antidepressants. “Aerobic exercise makes people feel better emotionally and it’s also a way of
getting out and being with other people,” says Wilmington psychologist Dr. Sandra W. Taub. “And there’s also the whole notion that you’re doing something good for yourself.” During exercise, your body releases hormones called endorphins. These naturally-occurring chemicals act on the brain in much the same way as a shot of an opiate drug like morphine, but without the pesky addiction and accompanying spiral of tragedy that artificial opiates can bring. In fact, all the things endorphins do are considered pretty helpful and will certainly brighten your mood during these bleak days. Higher endorphin levels mean reduced stress and pain, a sense of euphoria and modulation of appetite, as well as an accompanying spike in sex hormones (more on that later) and a boost to the body’s immune system.
Get Out
So, now that you’ve gotten your light therapy and are feeling better thanks to a healthy dose of endorphins, it’s time to take that improved attitude out among the rest of society. Sure, even if there’s not three feet of snow on the ground the cold temperatures still make venturing out of the house less appealing. The key is to set yourself up with plenty of incentives to do so. A 2003 study published in the British Journal of Psychology—one of many on the topic—determined a direct correlation between severity of seasonal depression and one’s social life, noting that those with stronger social ties usually do better in dealing with depression. “It’s important to get out because we’re social animals and it gives us a certain validation,” Taub says. “There’s pleasure interacting with other people, it adds structure being with other people and certain groups making plans, and it takes away that feeling of isolation.” With the holidays over and fewer social obligations on your calendar, now is a great time to explore all those things you’ve considered doing but never got around to—a community college or tech school night class, an indoor athletic league (See “Get Fit,” above), a community theater group or writing group. A quick Internet search or scan of the listings on MeetUp.org will give you an excontinued on page 15
www.OutAndAboutNow.com
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14 . UC
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Beat The February Blahs continued from page 13
cellent idea of who’s out there doing what, and if you’ve got friends doing something you find interesting—a book club, for instance—ask for an invitation to their next gathering; or start one of your own. Taub notes that winter is also perfect for volunteering with many of the area organizations that depend on non-paid help to keep going. “The people getting together might have a common goal—raising money for a certain cause or working to provide meals—where there’s the benefit of doing good for someone else but there’s also the benefit of doing a project with other people.” In addition, while many of these groups see a surge of volunteers leading up to the holidays, interest during the later winter months can often fall off, meaning they’ll be thrilled to see you and will be especially appreciative of your help.
Get Busy...
In the Bedroom—There’s a big reason those Poconos resorts make a mint from wintertime visits to their champagne towers and heart-shaped bathtub suites, and it sure ain’t the snow on the slopes. No, it’s good old-fashioned sex. With all that cuddling under the covers and staying indoors, it’s no wonder statistics show that people tend to have more sex in the colder months. So turn up the heat a bit and watch your mood improve. The uplifting effects of sex are manifold and combine several of the above recommendations. First, notes Wilmington sex therapist Dr. Debra Laino, sex is a cardiovascular workout that can release those afore-mentioned euphoria-inducing endorphins. Second, the act of having sex releases a tasty cocktail of other neurochemicals like oxytocin and dopamine to the brain. “Those chemicals often help a couple feel bonded and feeling good throughout the day and maybe a few days,” she says. Third, Laino says, sex is the ultimate no-cost, at-home entertainment—perfect for nights when leaving the house isn’t an alluring prospect; like, say, when it’s cold outside. “Turn the heat up a little higher and actually put something sexy on, because in the winter we don’t actually get to see each other’s bodies as much,” Laino says. “Put on lingerie and have maybe a lingerie picnic with a glass of wine.” And finally, if sex doesn’t work for you, you can look ahead to Feb. 19. That’s when Phillies pitchers and catchers report to spring training, with the full squad following five days later.
Get Comfy Chicken Noodle Soup with Chicken Salad
Courtesy of Tom Craft Chef/Co-Owner 2 FatGuys American Grill and Catering
What is more comforting than homemade chicken noodle soup and a chicken salad sandwich? This utilizes 1 chicken to make both. 1 4-5# roaster chicken Salt and pepper Stock Chicken carcass Hot water ½ cup chopped carrots ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped onions 1 bunch dill 1 bunch thyme Soup Dark meat ½ cup small diced carrots ½ cup small diced celery ½ cup small diced onions 1 # Broad egg noodles 1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tsp dry dill 1 tsp dry thyme Salt and white pepper
Chicken salad Breast meat chopped 1 cup mayo ¼ cup golden raisins chopped 1 stalk celery fine dice ½ tsp salt ½ tsp white pepper 3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp onion powder
Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Roast chicken at 350 until done (juices run clear), let cool. Once cooled remove skin and discard. Pull all meat off carcass, keep breast separate from other meat. Place carcass in stock pot and pour in enough water just to cover. Add chopped celery, carrots and onions, dill and thyme. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours. Strain stock and discard bones, veggies and herbs. In a new pot sauté diced carrots, onions and celery until tender. Pour in stock and bring to a boil, add in egg noodles and cook until aldente. Reduce to a simmer and add in dark chicken meat, dry dill, dry thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. Simmer for 3 min. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper . Pull apart breast meat by hand into dime sized pieces, mix chicken together with mayo, raisins, celery, salt, white pepper, sugar and onion powder. Serve on your favorite toasted bread.
www.OutAndAboutNow.com
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1/23/2012 4:23:16 PM
2.10.2012 8 PM - 11 PM $5 ENTRY FEE DJS FREE BEER & WINE TASTING $1 - $4 BEER, WINE & SPECIALTY RUM COCKTAIL
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RSVP ON 2301 Kentmere Parkway | Wilmington, DE 302.571.9590 | delart.org Beer and wine courtesy of Frank’s Union Wine Mart. Out & About Magazine is a marketing partner and Sodexo is a food and beverage partner. Image: The Buccaneer Was a Picturesque Fellow (detail), 1905. Howard Pyle (1853 – 1911). Oil on canvas, 30 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches. Museum Purchase, 1912.
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16 . Up Close
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OA020012
February 2012 | O&A
1/23/2012 4:35:38 PM
10 CHEERY TIPS Wear Bright Colors
Take yellow, for instance. A cheery yellow is associated with the sun, and also causes you to produce more serotonin in the brain, which in turn makes you more optimistic. Have some fun with color - there’s no rule saying you should blend in with the gray around you.
for Winter Blues By Shawna Sneath
Vitamin D
2
Vitamin D is one of those other great things we absorb from the sun. When it’s not shining, take a D supplement, or stock up on D-rich foods such as salmon or soymilk.
3
Take Time to Cook Something
Food is comforting, and the process of cooking or baking can be therapeutic as well. Spend some time in the kitchen making a dish you truly love. Maybe you’ll have an opportunity to create something complex that you wouldn’t normally have time for. There truly is satisfaction in spending time making something from scratch, both for yourself and the ones you love.
1
Paint Your Walls/ Home Improvement
Being stuck inside isn’t always a bad thing. Take the time to refresh your living space. You’ll feel productive, and spring cleaning will make you happy once it’s done.
4
Smell a Lemon
5
Aromatherapy has been used since ancient times to improve mood and health. The simple action of inhaling the fresh and invigorating smell of citrus fruits can instantly reduce stress and lift your spirits.
Omega-3s
Eat a Piece of Chocolate a Day
6
The smell of chocolate alone can significantly increase your brain waves and relax your body. That’s one of the reasons it’s widely used in spas. When you’re not out socializing or home-improving, curl up with a blanket, book, and box of chocolate (try not to eat the whole thing).
7
Omega-3 fatty acids are nutritional powerhouses that help boost your mood and keep your brain sharp, especially when you’re indoors and feeling blah. It’s probably a good idea to take these year ‘round, but they can be especially beneficial in the winter months.
Pick Up Some Fresh Flowers
8
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Earth laughs in flowers.” Bring some of that joy inside! It will make you smile, and remind you of new life in coming months. continued on page 19
.OAAN.
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1/23/2012 2:49:04 PM
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WILMINGTON 904 Concord Avenue Wilmington, DE 19802 Tel: (302) 652-3792 F | O&A
1/24/2012 1:49:38 PM
10 Cheery Tips continued from page 15
We Asked
YOU
Scenario: You are seriously craving some comfort food, but your fridge is empty and no one feels like cooking for you. What eatery do you head to, and what do you order? "Bowl of chili at Bethany Blues in Rehoboth." — Sean Hixon
Exercise with Winter Sports
9
Skiing, boarding, ice skating. If you’re new to them, try them out, and even if you’re not a pro, bust out the snow tube! You’ll get a workout just by walking back up the hill.
"The Bobbie from Capriotti's." — Kenny Vanella
Courtesy of Cromwell’s Tavern
"El Diablo. A burrito the size of your arm is always comforting." — Paula Warrington
Ingredients: 4 eggs 1 qt cream 1 tbls salt ½ tbls pepper ½ tbls dry mustard ½ tsp nutmeg 2 ½ c blue cheese crumbles 5 Idaho potatoes
"Beer cheese soup in a bread bowl, of course, from Washington Street Ale House." — Crystal Myers "The Grand East Buffet.
10
— Michael Coleman
"Tijuana Taco on Lancaster. Close to home, chunky guacamole, nice people, veggie options like tamales covered with mole sauce and also, somehow, magically, I always snag a parking spot right out front!" — Rob Pfeiffer "Lettie's Kitchen in Hockessin - get the broasted (fried) chicken and a slice of red velvet cake. Heaven!" — Kelley Barnes Grovola "Lettie's in Hockessin is a new fave; Henretty's; and George and Sons seafood market. All 3 are on Old Lancaster Pike in Hockessin. And of course there is always Janssen's Market (prepared foods section) in Greenville." — Nancy Horisk-Sherr
Indulge in a Facial or Massage
How can either of these things not put you in a good mood?
.OAAN.
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Blue Cheese Gratin Potatoes
"Firebirds for a nice, juicy steak!" — Melanie Adams "Guilday's in Glasgow. Belgian waffle with side of cream chip beef. I make half savory and half sweet." — Rebecca R Saville
Combine eggs, cream, salt, pepper, mustard, nutmeg, and 1 cup of blue cheese crumbles in a large bowl to make custard. Whip well. Wash the potatoes and slice very thin. Add to custard and make sure all potatoes are well coated. Pour into baking dish and distribute potatoes evenly. Cover with parchment, then foil. Bake at 350 for 45 min, rotating once. When potatoes are fully cooked, sprinkle the additional blue cheese on top. Bake another 5-8 minutes.
YUM! 19
1/23/2012 4:24:48 PM
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Catch all 20. Up Close of the NFL Games Here! 2_UpClose.indd 10
F | O&A
1/24/2012 11:24:05 AM
Out & About in
NORTH WILMINGTON Brandywine Hundred and environs offer history, shopping, fine dining and entertainment— in an area of a few square miles By Pam George
I
t’s a weeknight, but there’s a wait for a table at one of New Castle County’s newest restaurants. The polite customers don’t seem to mind. Apparently, the extensive craft beer selection, the mussels—prepared four different way—and the flatbread pizzas are worth the wait. The restaurant, Ulysses American Gastropub, isn’t along the Wilmington Riverfront. Nor is it in college-centric Newark. It’s tucked in the Shoppes of Graylyn, a North Wilmington strip center built to service the surrounding communities of split-level homes. North Wilmington in many ways defines post-World War II suburbia in Delaware. “My dad built in Brandywine Hundred in the ‘60s and ‘70s because it was the place to be—great neighborhoods, schools, shopping,” says Dan Martelli of Bestfield Homes,
who, like his father, became a homebuilder. And it’s close to Philadelphia, adds Martelli, who lives in North Wilmington. Residents also like being near numerous grocery stores—at least eight—as well as shops and entertainment. “Living in Fairfax, everything is within a mile or two,” says David Monzo. “My daughter loves that Panera Bread is in the Fairfax Shopping Center now. Lucky's is also a fav spot of the kids.” Easy to see why businesses eye the area for locations. “It has a critical mass with high-income demographics,” Martelli says. Mike Lucey, who with his brother, Stephen, owns Ulysses, would agree. “It’s so densely packed with families and little business centers,” says Lucey, who, had been scoping Brandywine Hundred for a site since the 1990s. continued on next page
www.OutAndAboutNow.com
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Bellevue Hall
Rockwood Park & Museum
A RICH HISTORY Curled like a comma against the Pennsylvania border—created when the powers-that-be drew a circle around the courthouse in New Castle to define the boundaries—Brandywine Hundred was once one of 11 “hundreds” in New Castle County, according to Henry Clay Conrad’s “History of the State of Delaware.” The use of the geographic term has fallen out of favor in most areas, but stuck in North Wilmington. Brandywine Hundred is Delaware’s highest and rockiest region. For proof, visit Alapocas State Park, where rock-climbers with state permits take to the craggy wall. destateparks.com In Alapocas, Blue Ball Barn, built in 1914 by Alfred I. duPont, is a remnant of the farmland that once dominated the area. It’s now an event venue. A few miles away, Highland Orchards is a rural oasis in suburbia. The farm has been in one family’s hands since Clark Webster purchased the property in 1832. Today, it’s known for its produce, apple donuts and active, community-supported agriculture program. highlandorchardsde.com
22 . Up Close
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North Wilmington was once dotted with estates, including Alfred I. duPont’s home, Nemours Mansion and Gardens. nemoursmansion.org Some owners sought to capture the river breezes. Take Archmere, John J. Raskob’s country estate. It’s now the home of Archmere Academy, a private Catholic high school. archmereacademy.com Bellevue Hall, located in Bellevue State Park, was built in the 1850s and purchased by William duPont Sr. in 1883. His son, who remodeled the mansion, erected indoor horse-training facilities and a tennis court. The Tennis Center and Wellspring Farm Equestrian Center now operate in the park, which is laced with picturesque trails. destateparks.com Rockwood Museum, a 150-year-old, Rural Gothic-style estate, is a public park with an English garden, an idyllic setting for the annual Delaware Shakespeare Festival. (Auditions are Feb. 11-12 for this year’s production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.) nccde. org/rockwood/default.aspx
February 2012 | O&A
1/23/2012 4:54:06 PM
In The Light at Arden Gild Hall, photo by Joe del Tufo
Alapocas Run State Park
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! Shakespeare has a presence all year long in Arden. The village, founded in 1900 as an artistic enclave, is named for the forest in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. A turnstile bears the inscription “You are Welcome Hither,” a quote from King Lear. On Sunday, Feb. 12, the Shakespeare Gild will feature a showcase of the Bard’s works, featuring actors ages 6 to 18 in the Arden Gild Hall. On Saturday, Feb. 18, the hall will host singer David Johansen, and you’re just as likely to hear folk, jazz and rock. ardenclub.org The “Ardens” also includes Ardentown, the residence of the New Candlelight Dinner Theatre, which presents Miss Saigon through March 11. nctstage.org For something edgier, travel down to Mojo 13, which follows the motto: “Live Original Music. Alcohol. Strange People.” Enough said. mojothirteen.com
For something elegant, The Blue Ballroom Dance Studio holds open dances with a cover charge. Attend as a couple or come alone. “You’re guaranteed to make new friends and pick up a few new moves,” promises director Ken Richards. And for something sophisticated, there’s Sullivan’s Steakhouse, which features live music in its lounge. Come early on Thursdays, when the lounge also offers $6 “Knockout Martinis,” $6 select wines by the glass and $6 bar menu items. It can be hard to secure a seat. “The place rocks,” says general manager Bill White. sullivansteakhouse.com Sullivan’s isn’t the only Brandywine Hundred hotspot offering sizzling steaks and cool tunes. Harry’s Savoy Grill on Friday, Feb. 3, hosts its “First Friday Happy Hour.” The monthly event, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., has drink specials, complimentary nibbles and live music. Featured this month: Simple Pleasure. harrys-savoy.com
what you want when you want it
Harry’s Grill Room
Great Menu featuring exciting share plates and sandwiches
visit the “HAPPENINGS” page on our website for updates on upcoming events 2020 NaamaNs Road • WilmiNgtoN, dE 19810 • 302.475.3000 • WWW.haRRys-savoy.com .OAAN.
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1/23/2012 4:55:31 PM
The Eagles Pep Band at Stanley’s Tavern
! LS Y L A I I DA SPEC NK
I DR
N. Wilmington’s Neighborhood Pub! Always Something Crafty on Tap! SUN: 1/2 PRICE BURGERS MON: $1.50 TACOS
Thursday:
TUES: 1/2 PRICE QUESADILLAS WED: 1/2 PRICE CHICKEN SANDWICHES THURS: 1/2 PRICE WINGS FRI: 1/2 PRICE LARGE NACHOS
KARAOKE Friday:
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SAT: 1/2 PRICE 7-LAYER DIP SUN: 1/2 PRICE BURGERS
302.478.8638 • 4729 Concord Pike, Wilmington, 19803
Visit Us at Our New Location for the Perfect Valentine’s Gift! 4107 Concord Pike, Wilmington ( Talleyville Shopping Center) | 302-658-2950
www.basiagifts.com 24 . Up Close
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DINE AROUND—AND AROUND AND AROUND There was a time when Harry’s was an anomaly. Creative cuisine was hard to find in Brandywine Hundred. No longer. Culinaria in Branmar Shopping Center livened up the scene when it opened in 1999. culinariarestaurant.com Corner Bistro, which joined the neighborhood in 2003, recently underwent a renovation that gives it French airs with modern flair. Menu highlights include the tarte flambee selection, a flatbread-like pizza-tart with a crunchier crust. The creamy brie in the cheese platter is sinful. (Don’t fear: The black bean soup and the Cuban sandwich are still on the lunch menu.) mybistro.com Co-owner Mickey Donatello, who can’t resist a good tweak, will next spruce up Lucky’s, his coffee house/diner, which occupies the old Ranch House location. luckysco˜ eeshop.com Into this friendly fray, enter brave Ulysses. The restaurant already has proved it has the chops. Chef Sean McNeice’s dishes include pork belly pierogies, a blackened catfish “Reuben,” and onion-crusted sea bass. McNeice, who grew up in North Wilmington, lives just a menu’s throw from the restaurant with his family. “I want my boys to have the same sense of security and community that my wife had growing up in South Graylyn and I had growing up in The Timbers,” says McNeice, referring to two established developments. “There’s something about a neighborhood with sidewalks that lets you know the people who live in the houses are part of a bigger picture. They make their homes where they want to be neighbors, not just homeowners.” Many residents have lived in the area since those developments were built. Lucey says seniors are the restaurant’s bread and butter from 2 to 4 p.m., when they enjoy a beer and sandwich or early dinner. You’ll also catch them dining early at Culinaria, especially on Tuesday when crispy potatocrusted catfish is available. Early birds beat the crowds, and that’s always been the case at The Charcoal Pit, which opened in 1956. Yes, the burgers with their signature relish are the star, but on Fridays crab cakes and clam chowder pack ‘em in. charcoalpit.net Tracing its roots to 1935, Stanley’s Tavern is another institution. The menu has kept pace with the times. Still, customers would complain if the restaurant ditched its soup and salad bar. stanleys-tavern.com You can’t talk about culinary must-dos without mentioning Claymont Steak Shop,
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F | O&A
1/23/2012 5:20:18 PM
a Philadelphia Pike fixture since 1966. Owner Demi Kollias, who bought the business from her uncle, says the secret to their success is fresh cut rib-eye steak. claymontsteakshop.com TAX-FREE SHOPPING ON THE LINE Claymont’s cheesesteaks attract even Philly residents to North Wilmington, but there’s another reason why Pennsylvania tags pepper the parking lots: taxfree shopping close to the border. Concord Mall, understandably, is a draw. Yet independent boutiques also boast a client base that crosses state lines. Lady’s Image, for instance, has been serving well-heeled fashionistas since 1979. “I blended my passion for fashion with a community mindset, and it’s worked well,” says Jane Strobel, who owns the women’s clothing and accessories business with sister Janice Venema. Mother-of-the-bride is big business here. ladysimagefashions.com Lady’s Image is close to Simply Home, which over the years has moved from specializing in shabby chic items to furniture and design services. visitsimplyhome.com Both are within easy driving distance of Basia Gifts, which recently moved from Foulk Road to Talleyville. The shop shares the shopping center space with Great Stuff, a resale shop that benefits the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, (greatstu˜ resale.com) and Bon Appetit, a gourmet food shop that’s anchored the center since 1986. (Try the baked brie.) Basia’s owner, Marie Swyka, never considered leaving Brandywine Hundred when she needed more space for her cards, candles, gifts, handbags, and whimsical items. “There was far more opportunity to move to other locations in Delaware, but it simply would not have been worth losing the relationships that we have here and the wonderful people we have been able to serve,” she says. basiagifts.com
HIS
HERS
ALSO WORTH TRYING: “I’m jumping the gun on this, but keep an eye out for El Diablo Burritos, second location set to open next to Culinaria. It’s always worth trying these bundles of deliciousness.” — Shawna Sneath, Art Director “Total Wine & More on Naamans Road, in addition to having a great selection of everything, let’s you build your own 6pk. It’s a great opportunity to try different craft beers without much commitment. I like to build like a meal—appetizer beer, entrée beer, dessert beer.” — Marie Graham, Sales Director "I'm not around this area often, but Big Sky Bread is reason enough to make the trip. Although stopping in for a lunch-time sandwich never disappoints, you'd be a fool not to bring a home some freshbaked goods." — Matt Loeb, Creative & Production Manager
VOTED BEST DATE PLACE EVER!* Quality Since 1966
PIZZA • SUBS STEAKS • SALADS
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! *Survey conducted by L.D. Ablo and Associates
DINE IN • TAKE-OUT • DELIVERY • CATERING 3526 Philadelphia Pike Claymont, DE 19703
302-798-0013
57 Elkton Road Newark, DE 19711
302-453-9500
ClaymontSteakShop.com .OAAN.
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1/23/2012 5:20:02 PM
LET US CATER TO YOU. From dinner parties to office get-togethers to weddings, let Janssen’s make your event special. We offer full-service catering, event planning, party rentals, floral arrangements, and more. Contact our catering director today at (302) 654-9941 x3.
WWW.JANSSENSMARKET.COM 3801 KENNETT PIKE, GREENVILLE, DE 302.654.9941
26 . Up Close
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1/23/12 5:08 PM
Soothing Thoughts By Robert Lhulier
Our love affair with comfort foods explained
M
eatloaf. Apple Pie. Chili. Chicken pot pie. By definition, these easy-to-cook, happy-to-eat dishes that evoke nostalgia and sentimentality exemplify what comfort foods have come to mean. Some people crave them when feeling blue; others after extended travel when eating habits are helter skelter. A reunion can be a buffet of things past, while everything from illness and funerals to national tragedy (9/11) can trigger a pang of hunger for the familiar. The first time the term “comfort food” gained dictionary status was in 1977, though certainly the concept was already ingrained in the consciousness of the home cook. It existed in American regional cuisine. When you consider ethnic background or geography, it just makes sense, for instance, that we crave crabs here in the Mid-Atlantic during summer. Just think of all the ethnic festivals throughout the country and their proximity to immigrant strongholds. Portuguese fish stews are to the Northeast what Cajun gumbo is to New Orleans. The same is true around the world. For every country that dots the Pacific Rim, for example, there is a cuisine that defines what it means to have grown up or lived there. Comfort foods also have a strong association with childhood. How many of us retain memories of mothers and grandmothers concocting one-pot wonders while we watch cartoons in the den from an island of throw pillows and crocheted afghans? For me, it was awaiting the first round of family and visitors on Christmas Eve while the aroma from an eighthour pot of spaghetti sauce with garlic and basil hung heavy in the air. Mood also can determine what we eat. Give me a blustery, cold winter day, and my thoughts turn to a desolate seaside town. I seek out a bowl of bacony chowder or a steaming pot of ebony-shelled mussels (extra bread, please) and a pint of frothy Guinness. If I’m feeling particularly overworked—like last holiday—I’ll slip out in the middle of it all to the nearest raw bar and double down with a bottle of bubbly and a dozen briny oysters on the half-shell. This past New Year’s Day, mom threw on the crockpot with pork shoulder, sauerkraut, apples and beer; it all but said, “Stay out of the kitchen! Sit back, relax, drink, nap, whatever. But dinner’s covered, and it’ll be every bit as good as it smells!” I pretty much find all food comforting. So even the stacked, infused, inverted and deconstructed have a place in making me feel good inside. Just sitting down to a restaurant table, I can feel layers of stress peel away as I sip a cocktail or a first glass of wine, pondering
er
continued on next page continued on next page
www.OutAndAboutNow.com
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Soothing Thoughts
continued from previous page
Special Valentine ’s Day
what I might eat. A well-conceived menu has a balance of what the restaurant is best known for and some edgy stuff for people who dine out more frequently and want something outside the box. As a consumer, that provides you with options, and in turn, the restaurant with your loyalty. So where do comfort foods fit in with the latest food trends? Competitors for your dining dollar have their crosshairs set on your memory and moods, too. Hard economic times send consumers back to what they know and love. Food trucks, street foods and ingredient- or dish-specific restaurants will continue to be all the rage in 2012. In the last few years more chefs have been putting variations of comfort foods on their menus while managing to keep things au courant. Who hasn’t spotted the ubiquitous lobster mac-n-cheese on menus? Or the meatloaf with foie gras and truffles? It can get a bit gimmicky, but it puts people in seats. We self-medicate when we seek out comfort foods, too, and that’s not always a bad thing. While a bad break-up can put us on the couch with box after box of bon-bons, it can also provide a kick in the pants to get out to our favorite restaurant or bakery. Men tend to crave meaty, stew-like, earthy comfort foods while women trend toward the sweet, gooey and decadent; children go for more snack-type foods. Every meal we take is an opportunity to learn more about food and flavors. But just like a great movie, novel or favorite TV show, sometimes repeats are just what the doctor ordered. And that’s comforting.
Something For Everyone.
WVUD.ORG
Robert Lhulier is the executive chef at the University and Whist Club and author of the food blog forkncork. blogspot.com.
28 . Food & Drink
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1/23/2012 3:18:40 PM
CHEF
NOW OFFERING GLUTEN FREE BREAD
SERIES
at Premier Wine
& Spirits
In addition to our great selection of gluten free, and vegan options
Premier Introduces Chef Tasting Series Proceeds go to chefs’ favorite charities
I
n partnership with chefs from Delaware’s favorite restaurants, Premier Wine & Spirits this month kicks off a Chef Tasting Series at its interactive tasting/sampling bar in Limestone Shopping Center, 2052 Limestone Road. To be held the first Wednesday of each month, the series will enable wine, beer and food enthusiasts to meet their favorite local chefs, sample their signature dishes, and enjoy hand-selected wines and beers from Premier. The $20 admission fee will go to the chef ’s charity of choice. The series will be hosted by Mike Whitwell, general manager and sommelier of Premier. Paul Egnor, head chef at Pizza by Elizabeth’s, will be the first chef featured in the series on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. To register, go to premierwinespirits. com. Attendance will be limited to 35. — Out & About
Come to home grown where the food choice that fits you best, really is the best. BEST CRAFT BEER SELECTION ON MAIN STREET! Follow us on Facebook for daily happenings and specials 126 EAST MAIN ST. • NEWARK | 302.266.6993 • WWW.HOMEGROWNCAFE.COM
All of Bob Yearick’s War on Words columns since the 2007 debut of this wildly popular feature — collected in one paperback book! A writer/editor’s slightly snarky and relentless crusade to eliminate grammatical gaffes from our everyday communications
Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine
Order your copies at outandaboutnow.com or go to Ninth Street Books in Wilmington $9.95 plus $3 shipping. VISA, MasterCard and American Express accepted. Checks, made out to TSN Publishing, should be sent to Out & About, 307 A St., Wilmington, DE 19801
For the e-book, go to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks or Sony.
Gird your grammar loins with this book, and help stem the tide of semi-literacy that is sweeping the country
.OAAN.
29 WaronWords_Feb12.indd 1
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SUDS:
NOW, WHERE WAS I? Wherein our bier expert picks up where he left off in December— namely, Belgium By J. Burke Morrison
T
he following is the “startling conclusion” of the article that ran in the December, 2011 issue of O&A and was rudely delayed by my three primary nemeses: time, space and dimension — a triumvirate that challenge me on a momentto-moment basis. But first, a recap: Winter Solstice—good, holy, really old tradition and, of course, bier has been there from the beginning. European Monks—good, holy, really old brewers of bier, especially in Germany and Belgium. Burke W. Griswold’s European Vacation—good, less than holy, traditionally inebriated tour of all the biery delights the continent has to offer. Munich Bier Hall—good place to drink a bier, bad place to try to undo your lederhosen in a hurry. Oktoberfest—great place to drink a bier (unless you can only have one; in which case you’re undoubtedly going to want to kill everyone around you). Oktoberfest (again)—Bad place for those who don’t like John Denver. Also, bad place to break a mug. OK, now that you’re caught up, here is the startling conclusion: Third Stop: Belgium—Brussels Airport. You know there’s something different going on when the first thing you see in a country is a Coca-Cola vending machine illuminating a (much) larger-than-life image of a cherubic, Cupid-esque knave taking a wiz into a bottle of, you guessed it, Coca-Cola! I’m not making this up. This cute little cherub was, presumably, pissing an explosion of psychedelic stars, trails and “soda-urine.” And I hadn’t had a drop of Delirium Tremens or Fin du Monde, or any other inebriant, for that matter! Questions really started to overwhelm me: Where the hell am I? Who thought this made sense? What are they trying to say about Coca-Cola? What are they saying about cute little angels? If they pee in soda bottles in Belgium, what goes into the bier? Why am I obsessing about a soda advertisement in the Bier Capital of the World?? Good questions, all. For the answers, I went to the first little cafe, right there in the airport, and had a bier. It was 8:23 a.m., but add the six-hour time difference and I rationalized it was after noon at home, so it was perfectly OK. Now, let’s keep in mind that I’m in Belgium. The worst bier here, I figured, had to be better than most of the bier available at home, right?
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Wrong—really wrong. Now I’m not going to tell it you it was the worst bier I ever had, ‘cause it wasn’t. That honor goes to a 90+ degree bottle of “Old German” that I was encouraged to drink while in college as part of a truly sadistic fraternity initiation. At a tepid 48 degrees, this distinctly uninspired Pilsner (Jupiler, if you ever find yourself in Belgium, looking for a bier to avoid) actually triggered a gag reflex. Perhaps it was because it was early in the morning, in an airport, but my first bier experience in Belgium was a combination of bewilderment and disappointment. And nausea. But then things began to take a turn for the better. While sitting at this little airport cafe, I picked up a brochure about Brussels, and, BAM! There it was, right on the cover of this brochure: The Manneken-Pis! As it turns out, my confusion over the Coca-Cola machine was really just due to my ignorance of Belgian art and culture. Turns out the little boy in the Coke ad is actually a commercialized adaptation of one of Belgium’s most treasured pieces of art. At 61cm (approximately 24 inches), the Manneken-Pis is a relatively small statue on display on a street just off the Grand Place in the center of Brussels. But what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in “exposure.” This little guy is everywhere in Belgium. He’s like the Belgian Statue of Liberty, adorning things as disparate as tax preparation services and, well, Coca-Cola machines. And here’s the best part: On several occasions (infuriatingly not identified in the brochure by date or occasion), the little guy is actually hooked up to a keg of bier so he can serve cups to delighted passersby. Alas, I wasn’t there on any of those occasions, but I did get a chance to see him, oddly enough, dressed like a South American futbol player. I’m telling you, these people are definitely a little “bent”; but then again, that’s probably why I like them! I didn’t visit it, but there actually is a museum dedicated to housing all of the costumes that have adorned “Squirt” (the affectionate moniker I have assigned him) over the centuries, the oldest of which dates back to the 17th century. Now you know. Next month: Fourth stop, Bruges
1/24/12 11:40 AM
The Deer Park Tavern
FEBRUARY
Entertainment Schedule
SATURDAYS
Make Your Reservations Today for Valentine’s Day!
NO COVER
EVER!
4 – MoFaux 11 – Modern Exile 18 – Hippocampus 25 – Cougar Crossing
Thurs, Feb 16: SWEETHEART BALL! With Next Generation DJs
Deer Park now offers catering to go for your next special event! EVERY MONDAY Showtime Trivia
EVERY TUESDAY JEFE
EVERY WEDNESDAY KARAOKE
Sunday Brunch from 9am–2pm
EVERY THURSDAY DJ Dance Party
EVERY FRIDAY DJ Dance Party w/ Next Generation DJs
Sunday Night CHORDUROY
Made exclusively for Deer Park and McGlynns Pub. Wednesdays only $2.50. Brewed by Twin Lakes Brewery
Be our friend on Facebook!
302.369.9414 | 108 West Main Street, Newark www.deerparktavern.com
Celebrate ST. PATRICK’S DAY all week with
CHARCOAL HOUSE & SALOON Thursday, March 8th Join us for our March Beer Madness Dinner Saturday, March 10th Make us your first stop on the Shamrock Shuttle Loop Saturday, March 17th Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Sunday, March 18th Wrap up St. Patty’s Day with our Hair-of-the-Dog Brunch Check our website for a listing of all our St. Patrick’s Day events from March 8th –18th 1801 West 14th Street • Wilmington, DE • 302.658.4600 • www.kidshelleens.com
34 . F D
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1/23/2012 3:30:42 PM
BEER
WORTH TRYING
25TH ANNIVERSARY DOUBLE DOG 750ML (Abita) - 7% This is a dark robust ale! It is brewed with generous amounts of pale, caramel, and chocolate malts and Willamette hops. Whole natural vanilla beans are added during the aging process. This combination provides a rich body and color with chocolate, vanilla and toffeelike flavor. Wow! — Chip Owens, Hockessin Liquors
BLACK CHOCOLATE STOUT - 10% (Brooklyn Brewing Co.) I remember viv-
idly the very fi rst time I tried Brooklyn Chocolate Stout. It was Christmas of ‘94 and I had just made my first legal trip into State Line Liquors. Seeing as how it was all on the up and up, I took about an hour combing through the beers looking for the perfect brew to bring up to my parents’ Wilmington home for the holidays. I eventually decided on the fancy yet understated black bottle from Brooklyn. What we found in those bottles was just incredible. Still to this day, the balance between the coffee and the chocolate is spot-on. It’s a chocolate stout that drinks perfectly all the way through, from the toffee-like aroma to the coffee-like finish. — Sean McNeice, Ulysses Gastro Pub
DIESEL ALE - 6.3% (Sixpoint Brewing Co.) I’ve been trying a lot of canned beers recently. Diesel Ale is the tasty lovechild of a stout, and black IPA — two of my favorites. Score! — Marie Graham, Director of Sales & Distribution
BERNABELEVA’S CAMINO DE NAVAHERREROS Hand-harvested Spanish Garnacha that shows purity of fruit and finesse. Bright cherry and hints of wild herbs brought to elegance by the granitic sand the vines grow in. Great pairing partner for roast chicken or a chorizo-filled paella. — Joe Buchter State Line Liquors .OAAN. photo by Shawna Sneath
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1/23/2012 3:31:14 PM
25 Beers on Tap and 100+ Bottles
Valentine’s 3-Course Menu with Champagne Toast $29.95 per person
Available February 11-14 Reservations Recommended Wilmington: 302-654-9700 Newark: 302-369-7330
$4
SUPER
BOWL
Bacardi Drinks
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 WEAR THE RIGHT COLOR TO FIND YOUR PERFECT MATCH!
GREEN
SINGLE & READY TO MINGLE
YELLOW
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
RED TAKEN
PARTY STARTS AT 10 PM - no cover!
TWO LOCATIONS!
1616 Delaware Ave | Trolley Square | 302-654-9700 102 East Main St | Newark | 302-369-7330
$3 22oz MUGS OF BEER DURING THE GAME $5 “PIZZA vs PIZZA” SPECIALS $5 SMOKEHOUSE THREE-MEAT SANDWICHES $10 PLATE OF WINGS
(located above Catherine Rooney’s Wilmington)
PLUS: CHEF-DESIGNED SLIDERS & MINI CORNDOGS
Open Tuesday, February 14
Featuring:Live Jazz music with Bruce Anthony Champagne & Gourmet Chocolates Reservations: 302-654-9700
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2 chesmar plaza, rt 4, newark, de 302 - 294 - 1890 | www.twostonespub.com
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1/24/12 12:22 PM
STYLE
Be the Hostess with the Mostest By Margaret D. Berthiame
D
on’t let your social life fall victim to hibernation this winter. Throwing an intimate dinner party for friends can be a great way to beat the winter blues. Here are a few simple ways to make your gathering an event: • Set the mood. Make your home inviting on a winter’s night with fresh cut flowers and candles. • Encourage interesting conversations. Arrange three smaller centerpieces instead of one large conversationstopping arrangement. This will keep the table feeling open and allow your guests to mingle. Warm cocktails will help too (See sidebar). • Enhance the ambience with dinner music. Plan a jazz playlist that includes artists old and new (See sidebar). It will create a wonderfully intimate atmosphere in your home. • Serve a seasonal favorite — fondue. What’s more com forting than warm cheese and chocolate on a cold evening? • WWEPD? (What would Emily Post do?) She would get out her grandmother’s china and set place cards. So should you. These special touches will add glamour to your tablescape. • Take this opportunity to channel your inner June Cleaver. Get out your LBD (Little Black Dress) and throw on your apron and pearls. Make sure to tell your guests to leave the sweatshirts at home. Need some inspiration? Take a trip to Petals Flowers & Fine Gifts in Greenville. The atmosphere alone is enough to inspire any hostess. From festive napkins and place cards by Caspari, to aromatic Voluspa candles, they have everything you need to plan the perfect winter gathering.
Dinner Party Playlist
1. “The Lady is a Tramp” Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga 2. “Someone to Watch Over Me” Amy Winehouse 3. “Cheek to Cheek” Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong 4. “Beyond the Sea” Bobby Darin 5. “I’ll Be Seeing You” Billie Holiday 6. “Makin’ Whoopee” Frank Sinatra 7. “Miles Davis” All Blues 8. “Sway” Dean Martin 9. “My Funny Valentine” Miles Davis 10. “It Had to Be You” Ray Charles 11. “Monicas Val“ Bill Evans
Warm Cocktail Recipe
“Dreamy Winter Night” via drinksmixer.com Ingredients: 6-ozs. hot chocolate amaretto almond liqueur Pour hot chocolate into a heatproof cup. Add amaretto to taste. Stir and serve. Margaret D. Berthiame is a stylist and blogger. See her blog at thefancypants.com
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1/23/2012 3:35:09 PM
$2
16oz.Bud Light Cans
EVERY TUESDAY!
at Mojo Main
MARDI GRAS at MOJO! Mojo 13 1706 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington Mojo Main 270 E Main St, Newark
Feb. 21 • Entertainment Starts at 6pm Real Talk DJs • DJ H Mazz Bands • Beads Galore Cajun food specials
$2
16oz Bud Light Cans
for Mardi Gras! Centerspread_feb11.indd 2
1/23/2012 3:36:50 PM
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1/23/2012 3:37:45 PM
MOVIES
L to R: Bob Stuart (Cinematographer), Chicago’s Ted LeBlang (actor), Chris Malinowski (writer, director, actor), and Greg Tigani (actor).
TO LEWES, WITH LOVE A Delaware musician-filmmaker pays homage to the town and his father
By Mark Fields
S
ome Lewes beachhouses, bars, and even the nearby seaside at Cape Henlopen were a little more active than usual last month. No, there wasn’t a sudden influx of beachgoers due to the unseasonably warm weather. Instead, Lewes was playing temporary home to a film production crew headed by Delaware musician and independent director Chris Malinowski. Malinowski was shooting his latest film, a feature-length drama with the deliberately arcane title of Yes, Your Tide Is Cold and Dark, Sir (a bit more on that curious title later). Malinowski, who is guitarist and front man for the local band The Collingwood, penned the original story, composed the score, and took one of the lead roles in the film. Yes, Your Tide, as Malinowski refers to the film, is, on the surface, a mystery story about a charismatic guitar teacher and three of his teenage musical disciples who disappear without a trace into the surf at Cape Henlopen. Months later, the teacher’s estranged son comes to Lewes in part to search for his father
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and the teens but also to come to terms with his hometown, his parents, and his disconnection from his own history. Malinowski sees the film as both a love letter to his favorite Delaware town but also as a meditation on loss, isolation, and the absence of familial relationships. “Lewes has this warm austerity,” says Malinowski. “There’s a charming, churning hum to the place that appeals to me.” The character of the brash, magnetic teacher is inspired by Malinowski’s own father, who died several years ago. But the mystery narrative is really just a framework to serve Malinowski’s deeper intent as a filmmaker. “I feel like it’s my job to elicit an emotional response from the viewer, to lead people to a state of mind where they can confront challenges and questions in their own lives through the film.” Malinowski studied cinema and photography at Ithaca College in New York and later paid his dues doing post-production work in Los Angeles. Although he worked on several films
L to R: Ian Mosely-Duffy (assistant camera), Justin Valls (sound) and Chris Malinowski. Photo by Bob Stuart
Night shooting at Lewes beaches. Photo by Christine Barone
1/23/12 3:23 PM
MOVIES and TV shows, he found the commercial focus of the business unsatisfying. “I couldn’t see myself working there long term. I like making films about common folks just living in their environment.” He returned to Delaware in the early 2000s in hopes of creating his own cinematic paths. After a few years of working to pay the rent, he used a separation package from Wachovia to finance his first non-student film, Alms You Say, which he screened mostly for friends and film enthusiasts throughout the region. Malinowski has greater ambitions for Yes, Your Tide… After another several months of editing and other post-production work, he plans to promote the film to the film festival circuit and perhaps find an overseas distributor. His fervent hope is to find a Hollywood studio to pick it up and release it commercially. In the meantime, he will continue with The Collingwood, his band (“Music is equally cinematic as filmmaking”), and also with his own thriving guitar teaching studio (Yes, he assumed that mantle after his father’s death). He will also continue to enjoy in retrospect the experience of Yes, Your Tide… He speaks fondly of the people assembled to make his cinematic vision a reality. Many of the actors in the
Comfort Films
cast spent months leading up to the shoot in unpaid rehearsal (They were paid for the actual shooting days). He also praises the efforts of cinematographer Bob Stewart and editor Ben Whitten. And he is especially grateful to his executive producer and financier, Alan Burkhard, a Delaware entrepreneur who wholly underwrote the production. “I couldn’t have made the film without him,” says Malinowski, with a smile. “He’s smart, honest, and blunt, and he kicks my ass when I need it.” Malinowski reserves his greatest praise for the leaders and citizens of Lewes, who opened their businesses and streets to him and his crew. “I was honored, amazed by their trust.” And that cryptic title? Malinowski declines to fully explain it. “I’ve taken plenty of flak for it,” he says. The crew pressured him to opt for something simpler, especially for the production t-shirt, but he was, and is, adamant. “It is a line that occurs in the film, but I think explaining it would take something away. In my music and in my films, I don’t like to provide all the answers. I want to keep the listeners and the viewers guessing…so the film or the music continues to have a life outside the theater.”
By Mark Fields
Enjoy this varied menu of cinematic equivalents to meat loaf and mashed potatoes: familiar but oh, so tasty. Wall-E (2008). Perhaps not as clever as Toy Story or as thrilling as The Incredibles, this nevertheless is one of the most endearing films from Pixar. The story of a lonely robot left to endlessly clean a trash-filled future Earth, Wall-E finds deep humanity in a machine’s quest for connection and, yes, love. Remember The Titans (2000). Emotionally satisfying in a completely different way, this film about a high school football team’s struggle to overcome racial tension still hums with excitement after multiple viewings. Denzel Washington and Will Patton lead a talented cast in a true-life story of competition and, eventually, bonding. Apollo 13 (1995). Maybe not an obvious choice for this list, but the movie’s triumphant conclusion, based on historical events, brings a jolt to the heart and a smile, as do the sincere performances of Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise and Kevin Bacon. Babe (1995). This delightfully quirky animal tale follows its porcine hero through a series of farmyard adventures as he aspires to become a champion if unconventional sheep-herder. James Cromwell is a deadpan delight as Farmer Hoggett. The Princess Bride (1987). Funny, rousing, and thoroughly memorable, there isn’t a false note (or less-than-stellar performance) to be found in this romantic adventure. Filled with quotable lines and set to a beautiful score by Mark Knopfler, this Rob Reiner classic is a great personal favorite. Say it with me… “As You Wish!” 43
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1/23/12 3:21 PM
MUSIC
IN TUNE
WITH OUR
TUNES Whether we want to feel happy, inspired, creative—even smarter—music can have a profound effect on us By Matt Amis
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few notes of a melody, a few kicks of a drum beat, and synapses instantly begin firing, triggering an emotional response deep in our subconscious. There are songs tied to moments in our memory banks. There is music that inspires us, pumps us up, or gets our creative juices flowing. But perhaps most important, music has the profound power to make us feel good. “Music is the world’s greatest antidepressant,” says music therapist Joe Reilly, whose practice—Tune-Up Network Enterprises— is in Landenberg, Pa. “There is absolutely a science to it. Certain rhythms will increase physiological function. Major scales and keys have a positive, well-resolved sound that can bring joy and positive vibes. And even my four-year-old daughter can pick up on the anger of an AC/DC track.” Music can affect, and often reflect, the way we feel. It’s all relative, Reilly says, and a lot depends on personal preference. Naturally, we respond more positively to the music we like. During his sessions at Wilmington’s Gilpin Hall Nursing Home, Reilly gets strong positive reactions to swing and big band music from older patients, and reserves Motown for the younger residents. In a broader sense, we might play a snappy pop tune to improve our mood on a bad day. Up-tempo songs might help us exercise, just like a Barry White record might seem appropriate when we’re feeling amorous. “I find that I’m usually playing stuff that fits my mood,” says Chris Avino, who owns Rainbow Records in Newark. “Sure, sometimes you want to hear something upbeat to get your adrenaline pumping, but sometimes it’s just a rainy, crappy day and I want to listen to something twangy.” There’s no doubting music’s power to reflect, enhance or dictate how we feel. But the link between music and the mind runs even deeper. At the Music School of Delaware, an 88-year-old institution with campuses in Wilmington and Milford, early-childhood classes seek to develop a joy for music in kids as young as six weeks. Simply being around and participating in music helps to foster creative and emotional growth in developing minds. “What we see is growth of fine motors skills, aural skills, listening, hearing and matching pitch, and developing a steady beat in your body,” says Cheri Astolfi, the school’s executive director. That pattern—music’s ability to affect the mind—continues in adults. Studies show that pre- and post-surgery patients are more relaxed when music is played. Assigning a melody to a pneumonic device can aid with memory. And it’s been suggested that listening to certain types of classical music—especially Mozart—can actually make you smarter. “I think we spend so much of our day dealing with the concrete,” says maestro David Amado of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. “So when we have an opportunity to explore the abstract, a place that has no everyday labels, I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.” But why? What is it about music that flips switches in our brains and ignites our emotions? “Personally I love Beethoven’s
7th Symphony,” Astolfi says. “It just touches me. It speaks to me in a way that a lot of symphonies don’t. I can’t tell you why that is—it just does. I think a lot of people struggle to articulate that. They can tell you that it’s wonderful and meaningful, but I don’t think they can tell you what it is.” It turns out it isn’t just the cognitive mind that’s affected by music. Our brains also respond to music on a chemical level. University psychology studies show that when we anticipate and experience a pleasurable response while listening to music, our brain reacts in distinct and specific ways to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter that makes us feel good. “Music can be a tool to affect emotional change,” Reilly says. “Where some traditional medicines shut down synaptic connections, music can reopen them. The thing about music is it affects your heart as much as it’ll affect your brain waves.” For the average person, our brains allow music to enrich, relax or stimulate. For people like Amado, Astolfi, and Grand Opera House executive director Steve Bailey, music is an inextricable thread in their daily lives. Bailey says he consumes so much music that he occasionally switches to talk radio, “just for a breath of air.” Though he holds near and dear a variety of records and artists (“I’ve been playing Pink Floyd for 40 years,” he says. “I’m almost afraid now that I’ll break it”), he says he gravitates toward more avant-garde offerings—like punk icons Mink DeVille—to stimulate his creative mind. “Nowadays I listen to the more obscure stuff, where the creativity and the soul are really dripping from the notes.”
On a visceral level, Bailey says, music is just plain good for the soul. Avino says the Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street,” Ryan Adams’ “Heartbreaker,” and the Black Keys’ “The Big Come Up” are albums he can never exhaust. “Every song just hits home,” he says. Our brains and our bodies reward us for listening to our favorite music. And on a visceral level, Bailey says, music is just plain good for the soul. “And I don’t say that because I work in the music business,” he says. “I work in the music business because of that. I tried doing something else for a few years and I couldn’t stand it.” Music can be whatever we need it to be: a stimulus or a stimulant; an action or a reaction. Either way, it’s wondrous to think about how a few simple sound waves can stir such deep, meaningful reactions within us. Says Amado: “It’s these vibrations in the air, and with those vibrations, you are able to put very direct and pointed emotions on people. It’s an amazing trick, when you think about it. “It’s like magic. There’s no text to guide you—nothing but sound waves, textures and pacing, [yet] it evokes feeling, and that’s amazing.”
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1/23/2012 4:02:05 PM
Wilmington’s First Retro-Arcade Donkey Kong • Ms. Pac-Man • Centipede Missile Command • Spy Hunter • Cloak & Dagger Punch-Out!! • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tron • The Machine: Bride of PinBot • BurgerTime Joust • Sinistar • Gauntlet II • Pheonix • Frogger Asteroids Deluxe • Black Hole • Hurricane Galaga • Street Fighter II • NFL Blitz • And More
‘80s Era Video Games • Classic Pinball • 11 Beers on Tap • Area Craft Brews
JOIN US FRIDAY, FEB 10, 9PM
grand opening party Join Us After Art Is Social at the DE Art Museum!
‘80s Costume Contest – Prizes – Giveaways – Challenges
DJ ShadyLady Spinning 80s New Wave 2511 W. 4th Street, Wilmington • 302-384-6479 • 1984wilmington.com
Sports:
A Special Case
M
usic plays a particularly important role in sports. Athletes at all levels are rarely seen without their headphones, from the time they emerge from the team bus all the way through warm-ups. Even non-athletes wear them during gym workouts. Locker rooms are another constant source of music. HBO audiences who watched the recent series 24/7 saw the Philadelphia Flyers celebrate each victory by jamming in the locker room to “Knock Knock” by rapper Mac Miller. Meanwhile, the Phillies, as with most MLB teams, blare snippets of songs, selected by each player, before every at-bat. Even relief pitchers have their own entrance music. Take the 2011 Phillies, for instance. They were an eclectic bunch, musically speaking, strutting to the plate to Metallica, Kanye West and “Hillbilly Deluxe,” to name just a few. Here’s a list of the Phils’ favorite at-bat songs:
Ben Francisco: “A Star Is Born” by Jay-Z, “Moment 4 Life” by Nicki Minaj Ross Gload: “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” by Metallica Ryan Howard: “Otis” by Jay-Z & Kanye West, “I’m On One” by DJ Khaled Raul Ibanez: “Times Like These” by the Foo Fighters Roy Oswalt: “Whistling Dixie” by Randy Houser Placido Polanco: “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” by Pitbull Jimmy Rollins: “Bright Lights Bigger City” by Cee Lo Green, “Play Your Part” by Wale, “The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco
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Carlos Ruiz: “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins Brian Schneider: “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon Chase Utley: “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin Wilson Valdez: “Bulto” by “Doble t y Crow” and “Ponte en Vibrador” by Piddy Pablo Shane Victorino: “Buffalo Soldier” by Bob Marley Vance Worley: “It’s Goin’ Down Tonight” by Celly Cell
PITCHER WARM-UP SONGS: Joe Blanton: “Hillbilly Deluxe” by Brooks & Dunn Jose Contreras: “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” by Jay-Z
Family Owned & Operated
Cole Hamels: “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC
Since 1937
Roy Halladay: “Moby Dick/Good Times Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin Kyle Kendrick: “Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction Cliff Lee: “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent Ryan Madson: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey Roy Oswalt: “My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean Vance Worley: “Alors on Danse” by Stromae — Matt Amis 45
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1/23/2012 4:04:50 PM
Support your local music scene
MUSIC
Coming this month
The Joe Trainor Trio Sat, Feb 25 Show 8pm
ML_Lo
go_4C
P
GIGS
FEB
Upstairs Live at World Cafe Live at the Queen
Angela Sheik
T
he Joe Trainor Trio is a piano-based rock trio known for its enigmatic original material and energetic live shows. Focusing on original material, JT3 creates intense and engaging live performances designed to defy the expectations of the listener. JT3 is anchored by Joe Trainor, whose vocals and piano ebb between enticing and heartfelt to soaring and aggressive. Kevin Niemi (bass) and Jeff Dement (drums) round out the Trio and provide the foundation with a precision and focus that help create the band’s singular sound.
ALSO AT WORLD CAFE LIVE THIS MONTH Every Monday Night: Groove Night Every Tuesday Night: Acoustic/Electric Open Mic Every Wednesday Night: 4W5 Blues Jam Thu 2 – Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade Fri 3 – Gable Music Presents Tatnall Student & Faculty Showcase
Sat 11 – Caravan of Thieves Sun 12 – Beer My Valentine (4pm) Thu 16 – SuiteFranchon Presents: Peace, Love & Poetry
Sat 4 – Paul Lewis Sun 5 – Serafin String Quartet Thu 9 – Chris Bruni, Nathan Johnson & Rod Kim Get Inspired
Fri 17 – Gregory Alan Isakov Sat 18 – Bronze Radio Return Thu 23 – Gable Music Presents Jessica Latshaw
Fri 10 – Occidental Gypsy
Fri 24 – Animus
World Cafe Live at the Queen • 500 N Market St, Wilmington, DE 302-994-1400 • WorldCafeLive.com 46 . M
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Angelee February 10- @McKenzies Rubber Skunk Brewhouse, Malvern, PA February 11: @Half Moon Restaurant, Kennet Sq, PA February 16: @BBC, Greenville February 17: @McKenzies Brewhouse, Chadds Ford, PA February 24: @Roccos Italian Sports Bar, Wilmington, DE February 29: @The Attic Lounge, Sadsburyville, PA Electric Blue Concept (blues/rock) February 3: @The SandBar Tavern, Millsboro, DE February 18: @Ye Olde Ale House, Mechanisburg, PA Angela Sheik Feb 11: @Kennett FLASH opening for Sharon Little - Kennett Sq, PA Feb 16-19: @Millenium Music Conference - Harrisburg, PA Feb 18: @Indie Music Night - Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton, NJ Feb 24: @ Goodwill Industries Fashion Show - Details tba Carla and Mike P. Acoustic February 7: @Del Rose February 14: @Del Rose Café Wilmington, DE Chorduroy Band Every Sunday @ Deer Park Newark, DE, 302-369-9414 Every Wednesday @ Kelly’s Logan House Open Mic, 10pm, $1 Beers Home Grown Café Feb 1: Bruce Anthony Feb 3: Alfred James Band Feb 4: Rubber Skunk Feb 8: Rockabilly Wednesday with Hot Toddy Feb 10: Boomslang Feb 11: Mad Sweet Pangs
Feb 15: Bruce Anthony Feb 17: Modern Exile & Home Grown Cafe Presents Sweet Leda Feb 18: Quimby Mountain Band Feb 22: Rockabilly Wednesday with Hot Toddy Feb 25: Unity Reggae Band Feb 29: Bruce Anthony Mad Sweet Pangs Feb 11: @Homegrown Cafe Modern Exile Feb 11: @Deer Park Feb 24: @The Wedge New Sweden Feb 10: @The Note - West Chester, PA Playing 1/21/12 @ Mojo Main w/ Battleshy Youths Revolution, I Love you Feb 6, 4:30 PM: @The Real Radio Show WRCN 103.9FM West Babylon, NY Feb 16-19: @Millenium Music Conference Harrisburg, PA Feb 25: @The Station Bar and Grille Philadelphia, PA Feb 26: @Tri State Indie Music Awards Philadelphia, PA Rubber Skunk Feb 4: @Homegrown Cafe, Newark, DE Feb 10: @Bitter End, NYC Spokey Speaky Fri, Feb 24: @ World Café Live at the Queen Villains Like You March 31: Landenburg, PA What Momma Said Feb 03: @The Final Score Feb 04: @Bubba’s Rock Shak Feb 10: @JB McGinnes Pub Feb 18: @Kildare’s Newark
57 O | O&A
1/24/2012 11:47:34 AM
Let’s Spend the Night Together Local musicians come together to Shine a Light for The Queen
T
he Light Up The Queen Foundation, which benefits the ongoing reconstruction of the Queen Theatre, is set to host a fundraiser focused on the 50th anniversary of the debut of the Rolling Stones. Set for Saturday, March 3, at World Café Live, and sponsored by Accent Music, the concert will feature local musicians performing covers of Stones songs. The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $20. All proceeds will go to the non-profit Light Up The Queen Foundation. What makes this fundraiser different is that the concept came from outside the foundations’s board room. When local musicians heard about the fundraiser, they showered the foundation with offers to assist the Queen Theater. Under the direction of foundation members Rob Grant and Ben LeRoy, the fundraiser has two goals: reconstruction of the Queen Theater and an on-going commitment to the community. “Being stewards of this fantastic building,” LeRoy says, “is a great responsibility.” And being a foundation member since the .OAAN.
2_Music.indd 7
2008 beginning, LeRoy understands that the Light Up The Queen Foundation has been given the opportunity to become an entity for the local community. The concert will take on a format similar to that of a previous Queen concert, “Deadfest,” with individual band members being divided into groups. As songs change, so will the performers. LeRoy says the up-beat tempo will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Planning an event of Rolling Stones magnitude proved to be time-consuming, says Grant, who was in charge of finding musicians, planning the set-list, and deciding who was going to play what. He also handled advertising. “This current format is unique and challenging,” he says. “Around every turn, a train wreck could potentially occur.” Grant says he is excited about bringing in musicians not regularly seen at the World Cafe Live at the Queen. He’s hoping that the ground-swell of local musicians will not only bring new faces to the concert, but to future events as well. — Kelsey Kerrigan 47
1/23/2012 5:00:05 PM
“Mother Nature
comforts like no other.”
HARVEST MARKET
Not a chain, but a link in the community. Bring in this coupon and receive $5 off your next purchase of $25 or more.
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Out & About • Limit One Per Customer Not Redeemable For Cash • Not valid on special orders expires 3/31/2012
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FAT TUESDAY February 21st
DOORS OPEN AT 10am!
BLUE PARROT BAR & GRILL
“Simply The Best Cajun Food Around!”
6-9pm WHISKEYHICKON BOYS
9pm-1am BLUE CAT BLUES
DELAWARE’S BIGGEST MARDI GRAS PARTY! ALL DAY!, ALL NIGHT!
HURRICANES! DRINK SPECIALS! GIVEAWAYS! BEADS, BEADS AND MORE BEADS!
6th & Union Streets • Wilmington, DE • 302.655.8990 • BLUEPARROTGRILLE.COM 48 . M
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F | O&A
1/24/2012 11:50:16 AM
Family owned since 1898 • at the Heart of Trolley Square
Photo by David Norbut
IDEA
10 bands slated for Accent Music benefit for Sunday Breakfast Mission
A
Sat, Feb 18
Gina Degnars of Little Invisibles Chris Malinowski of The Collingwood
BIG
RUBBER SKUNK
fter decades of neglect, The Queen Theatre was restored to the Wilmington community last March and has become a key component in the city’s revitalization efforts. So for Steve Harkey, owner of Accent Music, The Queen was the perfect venue to host his fundraising concept for the Sunday Breakfast Mission. The AccentLive Big Show is set for Friday, March 2 (8 p.m.), at The Queen’s downstairs theater. The event will feature 10 bands and each will have at least one member with a connection to Accent Music, either as an associate, instructor or student. Mark Rogers, host of WSTW’s Hometown Heroes, will serve as master of ceremonies. “As The Queen lay derelict for over 50 years and has been restored to the Wilmington community, the Sunday Breakfast Mission works to restore the homeless and addicted men and families to our community,” said Harkey. “[We hope that] the combination of this restoration image and the work of Wilmington’s local music community and students through Accent Music will provide a lasting contribution.” The headliners include: IVA, an international opera singer and pop artist who is also a vocal teacher at Accent; The Collingwood (2011 Musikarmageddon finalist); Little Invisibles (2011 Musikarmageddon Judge’s Choice); My New Dream Sequencer (rising star in area original music circles), and PT199, a contemporary Christian rock group that features Harkey and his daughters Paige and Caitlin. Performing between the five headliners will be five bands from Accent’s Rock School: Black Powder, Last Glimpse of Day, Wicked Wayz, My Own Mind and Moment of Truth. The Rock School musicians range in age from 11 to 17. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at accentmusic.com or at either Accent Music location (5810-A Kirkwood Hwy., Wilm.; 4120 Concord Pike, Wilm.) — Out & About .OAAN.
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Upstairs @
kellys
2
No Outlet, Paper Jets, Keep For Yourself
9
Devolver, Modern Suits, The Last Valorians
16
The Ne’er-Do-Wells The Terribles, Awake At Last
23 Honah Lee, Rivers Monroe I am Lightning
3
Hippocampus
10
Find Vienna
17
Mallory Square Buffalo Chip & The Plainsmen
24
Fat Daddy Has Been
4
Dream Killers w/ Special Guest: Phil Young
11
Electric Blue Concept
18
Direct from NYC…Rubber Skunk
25 New Sweden 1701 Del. Ave. Wilmington
Logan House.com 49
1/24/2012 11:35:14 AM
coming
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over 100 bottle & draft
BREWS
(302) 482-3333 821 N. Market St. Wilmington, DE
(Across From The Grand!)
50 . M
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LUNCH
M–F: 11:30am–4pm
BRUNCH am pm Su: 10 –2
DINNER pm
M–W: 4 –Close Th–Sa: 4pm–1am Su: 4pm–9pm
F | O&A
1/23/2012 4:09:35 PM
Brian Raughley, owner of Dead Presidents in Wilmington. Photo by Tim Hawk
dead presidents: very much ALIVE A welcoming atmosphere enhanced by creative fun prevails at this Union Street watering hole
f
By Kelsey Kerrigan or 15 years, Dead Presidents Pub and Restaurant in the center of Wilmington’s Union Street has been providing a Cheers-like atmosphere for its customers. You know—the kind of place where you can get a good, hardy meal and where your beer is already on the bar by the time you sit down. It’s that kind of atmosphere and service that earned “Dead Prez” a spot on Esquire’s list of best bars in America back in 2007 and again last year. When he bought Dead Prez a little over two years ago, Brian Raughley was determined to enhance this already wel-
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coming atmosphere. He knew the place well, having spent 10 years bartending there and at Catherine Rooney’s in Trolley Square. Ownership gave him the opportunity to put into practice some of the creative ideas he had been champing at the bit to try over that decade. One of his innovations is the annual Presidents Day Celebration. For last year’s event, he hired a retired Barnum and Bailey high-stilt walker dressed like Uncle Sam who also juggled. The performer was supposed to walk up and down Union Street, but a major snow storm made that impossible, so he took his act inside the bar. It was a huge success.
NIGHTLIFE Raughley also initiated other President’s Day celebrations, such as the best costume contest, with major prizes like a flat screen television and concert tickets. “This is just a fun way to claim something as our own,” Raughley says. “Our signature day is getting bigger every year.” The bar’s creative atmosphere prompted one regular to add a unique touch with a now infamous “picture swap.” The patron—a graphic artist—went to A.C. Moore, bought an antique photo frame and inserted his self-portrait, which he added to the portraits of presidents that decorate the bar’s walls. Nearly a month went by while the bogus photo went unnoticed, Finally, Raughley and the patron revealed the hoax to the regulars, who got a big charge out of it. Perhaps the bar’s most loyal customer is Rob Bowen, who lives on the Riverfront. He extols every aspect of Dead Prez: its off-street parking, its beer selection, its three varieties of seating, and its menu. Bowen especially enjoys the Sunday Brunch. “All I have to say is, ‘I’ll have the usual.’ Val, the little lady in the kitchen, has the meanest corn chowder that goes great with my usual meatloaf wrap.” He adds that the brunch Bloody Marys are a great complement to the food. “The bartenders have a special recipe they make days in advance to get ready for Sunday,” says Bowen. Owning a business that opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 1 a.m. seven days a week has its challenges, but Raughley gets plenty of support from his staff and his family. On weekends, his children even help him count quarters and open the bar. Like the Cheers bar, there is never a karaoke night or a DJ at Dead Prez. Its formula for success is simple: friendly service and beer, wine, mixed drinks and good food—served until 1 a.m. “Dead Presidents is not the type of bar you would wander into, or find due to overflow from local Trolley Square bars,” Raughley says. “No one ends up here by accident.”
1/23/2012 5:33:46 PM
52 . Nightlife
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February 2012 |
O&A
1/23/12 3:39 PM
VODKA WITH WHITE GRAPE, DRAGON FRUIT & PAPAYA FLAVOR
2011 Dewey Beach Winter Gala
DYNAMIC DUO Starboard, Lighthouse team for 5th Annual Dewey Beach Winter Gala
T
he 5th annual Winter Gala, which benefi ts Dewey Beach Police and life guard stations, this year will feature four local bands and more than fi ve minibars. Th e gala, which kicks off at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, is a team eff ort by Steve Montgomery, owner of the Starboard, and his friend and owner of the Lighthouse, Jim Baeurle. “We know how to throw a party,” Montgomery says. “We have all the right facilities at the Baycenter, plus there is no better way to fundraise than actually making it fun.” Proceeds from the fundraiser have increased each year, with the 2011 event bringing in $20,000. According to Montgomery, profi ts from the gala will be used to purchase a Chevy Tahoe for the K9 Police Unit, along with jackets, radios, paddle and rescue boards as well as funding for the lifeguard training program. Dewey Beach does not assess property taxes, and the gala provides muchneeded funds for these critical departments. “Th e time and stress that is spent worrying if we will cover our own expenses is well worth it,” Montgomery says, “when a single police oÿ cer comes up, shakes my hand and thanks our group for aiding the core of Dewey Beach.” Tickets, priced at $85, cover open bar and banquet food. Th ey can be purchased in three ways: on the gala’s website, wintergaladewey.com; at the Lighthouse during regular Th ursday through Sunday business hours; at the door on the night of the gala. Montgomery encourages anyone interested to act soon, because tickets are going fast. ˜˜˜.
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.
—Kelsey Kerrigan
LAUNCH PARTY TUES, FEB 7, 8-10:30PM WORLD CAFE LIVE AT THE QUEEN THEATRE
FEATURING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY
KRISTIN AND THE NOISE! WIN A POINT-TO-POINT TAILGATE SPOT (COMPLIMENTS OF OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE)
53
1/23/12 3:42 PM
Come try our 24 Draft Beers at McGlynns in Polly Drummond! Cantwell’s Tavern NOW OPEN in Odessa, DE! 302-376-0600
Make your reservations for Valentine’s Day Today!
Tues. Night Karaoke at Dover Location • Wed. and Fri. Night DJ Dance Party at all 3 locations • Thurs. Live Acoustic music at Peoples Plaza location Come try our NEW 32 DRAFT BEERS at McGlynns in Peoples Plaza! Featuring over 20 craft beers! $5 Absolut Mixed drinks All Day Everyday!
Wednesday: Craft Draft Night $1.00 off all craft drafts – 6pm-close
108 Peoples Plaza (Corner of Rtes. 40 & 896) | Newark, DE | 302-834-6661 8 Polly Drummond Shopping Center | Newark, DE | 302-738-7814 800 North State Street | Dover, DE | 302-674-0144
Be our friend on Facebook!
Saturday: Craft Bottle Night $1.00 off all craft bottles – All Day
www.mcglynnspub.com
O N E O F T H E B E S T C R A F T B E E R S E C T I O N S I N T H E S TAT E
IF YOU THIRST FOR VARIETY, YOU’LL FIND IT AT PREMIER! Featuring More Than 400 Different Craft Beers… Including Large-Format Bottles! Amazing & Diverse Selection of Craft Beers – Value Pricing – Convenient Parking – Award-Winning Service
WINE FANS: We Feature the Area’s Only Interactive Sampling Bar ! Visit Us Online for the Virtual Tour at PremierWineSpirits.com Premier Limestone 2052 Limestone Rd | Wilmington, DE 19808 | P. 302.996.WINE 54 . N˜°˛˝˙˜ˆˇ
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Premier Newport 2 West Market St | Newport, DE 19804 | P. 302.998.6903 F | O&A
1/23/12 3:43 PM
NoW OpEn On THe RIVerFrOnT
3 Decades of Authentic & Traditional Family Recipes Upcoming Interactive Tastings!
CAPS, CORKS, & CURRY Wed, Feb 8 4 Beers and 4 Tasting Courses Call Today for Details and Reservations!
Book your Valentine’s Day With Us! Visit the website for specials.
SUPPER CLUB SUNDAYS February Only
A SPIRITED EVENT Absolut Grapevine launch party features Kristin and The Noise
G
rapes are big business and Absolut, the Swedish vodka giant, is jumping in with both feet. Absolut Grapevine is a new vodka that off ers the true taste of white grape, balanced with notes of dragon fruit and papaya. It’s made from all-natural ingredients and contains no sugar. Th e nationwide launch of the product began last month. Locally, you can taste it for yourself at a launch party on Tuesday, Feb. 7 (8-10:30pm) at World Café Live at Th e Queen co-sponsored by Out & About Magazine. Kristin and Th e Noise will be performing and those in attendance will have a chance to win a Winterthur Point-to-Point tailgate spot (value $250-$400) courtesy of Out & About.
˜˜˜.
O°˛A˝˙Aˆˇ°˛Nˇ˜
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.
Noon-9pm, Dine-In Only 2 Meals + 2 Pints of Dra Beer or 2 Glasses of Wine
ONLY $35 Happy Hour 4p-7p with $5 Drinks Specials & $2 OFF Select Apps Signature Desserts by Chef Dana from Desserts by Dana
Tues–Thurs 11am–10pm | Fri 11am–11pm Sat 12pm–11pm | Sun 12pm–9pm
www.ubonthaicusine.com | 302-656-1706 936 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
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1/23/2012 5:13:56 PM
Chef Inspired
Farm to Table Menu Featuring a wide variety of local beers and wine
Sunday Brunch 10-2pm $4 Bloody Mary Bar Make Your Reservation today for Valentine’s Day!
NOW OPEN! Weddings, Special Events, Private Parties & Banquets Available
302.376.0600 109 Main Street, Odessa, DE 19730 Mon: Closed • Tues - Thurs: 11:30am-10pm Fri-Sat:11:30am-11pm • Sun: 10am-9pm 56 . N
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F | O&A
1/24/2012 11:33:26 AM
CHEF
Be our
VALENTINE!
SERIES
at Premier Wine
& Spirits
Your favorite local chefs,
Gift certificates available
their favorite
We are proud to welcome our new stylist, Lindsay Peters
dishes,
Schedule now and enjoy 30% off her services
paired with our favorite wines
1240 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE 19707 | 302.234.9144 | essenciasalon.com
Hair • Skin • Nails • Massage • Makeup • Waxing • Boutique
& beers…
All for a good cause.
Indulge Yourself and Your Sweetie without the calories! Our luxuriously chocolate-themed manicures, pedicures, massages, and facials celebrate the romance of Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate Mint Pedicure Enjoy a rose petal & salt crystal-filled foot bath, a Chocolate Mint scrub & masque, a Chocolate paraffin foot dip followed by a heavenly chocolate scented moisturizing massage. For this service and more visit our website.
Stay tuned for more details! 1604 W. 16th Street | Wilmington, DE 19806 | fabriziosalonspa.com | 302.656.8660
˜˜˜.
°˛˝ -˙ˆˇ -˙˘°˛˝
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.
visit premierwinespirits.com
57
1/23/2012 4:15:36 PM
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE: Feb 3 – The Dallas Band Feb 4 – TBA Feb 10 – Latitude 39, plus Facedown, and Core Feb 11 – Solecraft Feb 15 – Little Walter Tribute night with Gable Music Ventures Feb 17 – Texas Heat Feb 18 – Stage 3 Feb 24 –What Mama Said Feb 25 – Skeleton Crew (Van Halen Tribute) and Kick it Out (Heart Tribute) March 3 – Diamond State Blues Society 3 to 11
$2 BUD & BUD LIGHT BOTTLES ON FRIDAY NIGHTS 58 . N
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F | O&A
1/23/2012 4:16:55 PM
12
5
2_FlipPageCalendar.indd 1
Johnny Cash's Birthday
26
Dead Presidents Day Party
19
Abraham Lincoln's Birthday
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!
SUNDAY
Jan FEB
6
27
20
President's Day
13
Bob Marley's Birthday
Monday
7
28
Fat Tuesday @ Blue Parrot!
21
Grilled Cheese & Craft Beer Tasting @ World Cafe Live
Valentine's Day
14
Absolut Grapevine Launch Party
Tuesday 1
LEAP DAY
29
22
15
Caps, Corks, & Curry @ Ubon Thai Cuisine
8
Chef Tasting Series Every First Wednesday @ Premier Wine & Spirits
Wednesday 2
23 Mid-Atlantic Food & Wine Feast @ DDTC
Barbara H. Conway Memorial Benefit @ BBC Tavern & Grill
16
9
Graham Nash's Birthday
Thursday 3
National Tortilla Chip Day
24
Random Acts of Kindness Day
17
artissocial
10
Beer Tastings Every Friday @ Peco's Liquors
Friday
11
4
1/23/12 4:34 PM
25
18
Valentine's Stop Light Party @ Catherine Rooney's
Saturday
Our event picks for the month
MAGAZINE
IT TAKES A
NEIGHBORHOOD
this issue
2_Wilmington_Cover.indd 2
• Plenty of Reasons to Love City Arts Scene • DCAD Continues Market Street Expansion • The Unstoppable Mary Wilson Thompson
FEBRUARY, 2012 Vol. 3 ISSUE 8
1/24/12 11:51 AM
2_Wilmington_Inside.indd 6
1/24/12 11:32 AM
DELAWARE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
CONTINUING EDUCATION Enhance your artistic abilities and advance your career at DCAD. Courses in Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, Interior Design, Jewelry Design and Photography. Register at dcad.edu or call 302.622.8867 x110.
The 12-week Spring semester begins Monday, February 13.
2_Wilmington_Inside.indd 1
DELAWARE
A C R E AT I V E
600 N MARKET ST
W W W. D C A D. E D U
COLLEGE OF ART
PA RT N E RS H I P O F P R AT T
WILMINGTON DELAWARE
INFO@DCAD.EDU
AND DESIGN
AND THE CORCORAN
19 8 01 3 0 0 7
302
622
8000
1/23/12 2:34 PM
T
Taste over 40 incredible wines paired with cuisine from around the world!
Friday, March 30, 2012 | 7-11pm
Christiana Hilton
Indulge in an evening of fine wines paired with decadent food. The night will include Monte Carlo games, silent auction, & the sounds from Philly’s own Mama Gold. The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. (Must be 21 or older)
For more information, please visit: http://american.redcross.org/winedineanddeal
2012
April 23-28
For ed
LUNCH 2 courses $15 |DINNER 3 courses $35
for more information visit cityrestaurantweek.com
2_Wilmington_Inside.indd 2
1/24/12 11:48 AM
Produced by
all rights reserved
TSN Publishing, Inc. President Gerald DuPhily
February 2012 volume 3, issue 9
6 Cover Story
It Takes a Neighborhood
Contributing Editor Bob Yearick
Art Director Shawna Sneath
Production Manager Matt Loeb
Advertising Sales Jim Hunter Miller Marie Graham
Throughout the city, multi-tasking associations fill social, safety, civic needs. By Larry Nagengast
10 The Arts A Month to Love Music, theater and free flicks. There are plenty of reasons to show some love to the city’s art scene. By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald
13 People The Unstoppable Mary Wilson Thompson
Project Manager Christine Serio
Contributing Writers Josephine Eccel, Carol Kipp, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Larry Nagengast, Scott Pruden Christine Serio,
A force of nature, she took up myriad causes.
4
“in” Calendar
10
On the Riverfront
16
City Notes
17
Wilmington Renaissance News
By Josephine Eccel
Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Tim Hawk Les Kipp, Matt Urban
On the cover l-r (top row fi rst): Bayard Square duplex; Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build!; sign of hope in Southbridge; getting neighborly in Union Park Gardens; Little Italy Farmers Market; tranquility in Cool Spring. O&A staff photos
ABOUT THE “IN” CAMPAIGN For editorial and advertising information: p (302) 655-6483 f (302) 654-0569
TSN Media, Inc. 307 A Street Wilmington, DE 19801
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. 3
2_Wilmington_Inside.indd 3
1/23/12 6:00 PM
NOW - SUN, MARCH 11
THURS, FEB 2, 6PM
FRI, FEB 3 - WED, FEB 29
FRI, FEB 3 - FRI, FEB 24
Miss Saigon
Pages of Time: Mother & Daughter Book & Craft Club
Annual Student Exhibition
Ellen Durkan Exhibition
Winterthur • 5105 Kennett Pike 800.448.3883 • bit.ly/vObFHp
Delaware College of Art and Design 600 N. Market St. • 302.622.8000 bit.ly/tVDkhT
Mezzanine Gallery 820 N. French St. • 302.577.8278 bit.ly/rFMry9
TUES, FEB 7, 8PM
FRI, FEB 10, 8PM
SAT, FEB 11 - 11:30AM
SUN, FEB 12, 7PM
Harlem String Quartet
Art is Social Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Pkwy • 302.571.9590 bit.ly/jSzRlZ
Peanut Butter & Jams welcomes Cris & Lou
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Gold Ballroom at the Hotel du Pont 42 West 11th St • 800.37.GRAND bit.ly/vXDfa5
WED, FEB 15, 8PM
New Candlelight Theatre 2208 Millers Rd • 302.475.2313 bit.ly/tADSbi
500 N. Market Street • bit.ly/s2XK2P
The Grand 818 N. Market Street • 800.37.GRAND bit.ly/sq2KfR
SAT, FEB 18, 9PM
FRI, FEB 24 - SAT, MARCH 3
FRI, FEB 24 - SAT, FEB 25
Late Night Catechism
Bronze Radio Return
The Grand 818 N. Market Street • 800.37.GRAND bit.ly/uednsC
World Cafe Live at The Queen 500 N. Market Street • 302.994.1400 bit.ly/usdxGg
CTC Community Series: “Cruel, Calm & Neglected”
Delaware Symphony Orchestra: Sax & Romance
OperaDelaware Studios 4 S. Poplar St. • bit.ly/uDh69v
The Grand • 818 N. Market St. 800.37.GRAND • bit.ly/rOiMx3
World Cafe Live at The Queen • 302.994.1400
g
SAT, FEB 25
SAT, FEB 25, 8AM
SUN, FEB 26, 12:30PM
MON, FEB 27, 8PM
Hagley’s Dollar Days
Monthly Birdwalks
Sunday Studio Series
Buckwheat Zydeco
200 Hagley Rd • 302.658.2400 bit.ly/vG87n9
Brandywine Creek State Park 41 Adams Dam Rd. • 302.655.5740 bit.ly/vwPE3e
Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Pkwy • 302.571.9590 bit.ly/tmUGCK
World Cafe Live at The Queen 500 N. Market Street • 302.994.1400 bit.ly/shA6aU
S
DCCA • 302.656.6466
find more at { inWilmingtonDE.com }
2_Wilmington_Inside.indd 4
MUSIC
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
FIND MORE TO DO #INWILM
WHAT’S ‘IN’ FOR FEBRUARY 2012 Youth Class: Edible Art
FOOD & DRINK
1/23/12 2:47 PM
ART IS IN - EXHIBITS OPENING ART IS IN THIS - EXHIBITS OPENING & CLOSING MONTH & CLOSING THIS MONTH Delaware Art Museum • Perception/Deception: Illusion in Delaware Art Museum Contemporary Art thru • Beyond Words: TheSeptember Symbolic25th Language • Pre-Raphaelites in4th Print: The7th Age of Plants February thru April of Photomechanical • Tales of Folk and Reproduction Fairies: The Life and thru September Work of 17th Katharine Pyle • The Storyteller’s Art: Reimagining February 18th thru September 9 302.571.9590 • 2301 Kentmere Parkway America through Illustration September 7th thru December 2012 302.571.9590 • 2301 Kentmere Parkway
Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts • Contraption: Delaware CenterDevices fot thein Art February 17 thruArts June 24th Contemporary
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH Rhett Miller w/ The Spring Peanut ButterStandards & Jams welcomes World Livedo Cafe at the Queen Bubble Beatles
Hockessin Flyer Train Ride & September Market24th Street Music presents Wilmington SerafinWestern String Railroad Quartet
302.994.1400 • 500 Street World Cafe Live at Market The Queen 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
302.998.1930 • 2201 Newport-Gap First & Central Church • 1101 N. Pike Market St.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH
Paul Lewis
Slaying the Dragon OperaDelaware Studios Celebration Monarch Migration 302.658.8063 Open House• 4 S. Poplar Street
World Cafe Live at The Queen Rod Kim & Mean Lady: Get Inspired 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
by The Beatles
World Live Cafe at the Queen 302.994.1400 • 500 North Market Street Peanut Butter & Jams welcomes
DuPont Enviornmental Education Center 302.656.1490 • 1400 Delmarva Lane
WXPN welcomes Citizen Cope
Alex + Kaleidoscope
• Five StumpsFrontiers thru February 19th • The Elliptical • New Work thru September 18th by the Dufala Brothers February 10th thru May 13th • Gust • Under Construction: Part I thru September 23rd February 4th thruSouth June 3rd 302.656.6466 • 200 Madison Street • Under Construction Part II February 17th thru June 10th • Walkshed thru February 16th Mezzanie Gallery • Young Country February • Rise of The Jou Jouthru Mama by 26th Joy 302.656.6466 • 200 South Madison Street Robinson
September 6th thru September 30th 302.577.8278 • 820 North French Street WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH
1ST
Blast! thru SEPTEMBER Feb 5 THURSDAY, 1ST DuPont Theatre • 302.656.4401
Grease: Rockin’ Rydell Sing-a-Long Time Stands Still thru Feb 5
World Live Cafe at the Queen Delaware Theatre Company 302.994.1400 • 500 North Market Street 302.594.1100 • 200 Water Street
THURSDAY, The ONEworshipFEBRUARY Summit 2011 2ND Doubletree Hotel 700 King Street
Alternative 90’s Night feat. Sponge
World Cafe Live at The Queen 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 ND
Shape RobotsArtworks presents Bootless Delaware Children’s Dead Man’s Museum Cell Phone thru Feb 5
302.654.2340 • 550 Justison Street Shipyard Shops • 900 South Madison Street
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD
Green Willow presents Annalivia Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church
Auburn Heights Steamin DayRoad 302.456.3242 • 101 Old Kennett
Trains, Trains, Trains! thru September 4th Marshall Steam Vincent Museum and The Rage Rhonda 302.239.2385 • 300 Creek Rd. The Grand • 800.37.GRAND
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3 RD Lilie Anel w/ Fusionhouse
World Live Cafe at the Queen Art is Tasty: DanteMarket Gabriel Rossetti 302.994.1400 • 500 North Street Delaware Art Museum 302.571.9590 • 2301 Kentmere Parkway
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER Twin Lakes Brewery TH AND&4Tastings 3RD Tours LaVette everyBetty Wednesday and Saturday Grand • 800.37.GRAND TwinThe Lakes Brewery 302.658.1826 • 4210 Kennett Pike
Tatnall Student & Faculty Showcase World Cafe Live Annual at The Queen Woodside Farm • 500 N. Market Street Arts302.994.1400 and Crafts Show 302.239.9847 • 1310 Little Baltimore Road
Parade
SATURDAY, 4TH Wilmington SEPTEMBER Drama League 302.764.1172 • 10 W. Lea Blvd.
World Cafe Live at The Queen 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
World Cafe Live at The Queen TH FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
Musikarmaggedon: The Final Battle The Grand
Band Together for Kid’s Music
800.37.GRAND • 818 North Market SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH Street
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH
Benefit for the Light up the Queen Foundation featuring Allgood, Angel Band & New Sweden Adventures World Live Cafe atin theSong Queen OperaDelaware 302.994.1400 • 500Studios Market Street 302.658.8063 • 4 S. Poplar Street
Brandywine Baroque Zumbathon Fundrasier Barn at Flintwoods
benifiting Opera Delaware 302.594.4544 • 205 Center Meeting Rd. Opera Studios 302.442.7809 • 4 S. Poplar St.
Art on the Town THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH
Construction Junction
Various Locations Buses leave at 5:45 PM from the DCCA Art Salad•Talks every Madison Thursday Street at noon 302.576.2135 200 South DCCA • 302.656.6466
DCCA • 302.656.6466 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH
re:Fresh
Original Slaying theTribute Dragontobythe Michael Ching Blues Brothers Music Read-through
When you’re done browsing, join us for live music at theRod Riverfront Festival, this month’s official KimBlues & Friends after-party spotLive for Art on the Town! World Cafe at The Queen ADD ADDRESS• HERE! 302.994.1400 500 N. Market Street
The Grand • 800.37.GRAND Opera Studios 302.442.7809 • 4 S. Poplar Sreet
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 RD Victorian Lecture Series Jessica Latshaw Rockwood Museum
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 TH 10 TH
World Cafe Live atShipley The Queen 302.762.2075 • 610 Road 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
Alo Brasil Bob Marley Birthday Celebration World Cafe atSpeaky the Queen w/ Live Spokey
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 ND
World Cafe• Live at The Queen 302.994.1400 500 Market Street 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
MidAtlantic Food + Wine Feast
thru Feb 26th: benefits Delaware Theatre Company
Various Locations • 302.367.6929 Candlelight Comedy Club
Garden Architecture and David Lanz Water Features
302.475.2313 • 2208 Millers Road
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD
The Grand • 800.37.GRAND Winterthur 800.448.3883 • 5105 Kennett Pike
Occidental Gypsy
Art is Date Night Delaware Museum • 302.571.9590 One StepArt Away Kickoff/Fundraiser
302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
Film Brothers Movie Co-Op 205 North Market Street
TH MONDAY, World CafeSEPTEMBER Live at The Queen 12
2011 Polish Festival
61 North - Record Release
thru Sept 17 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH
World Cafe Live at The Queen
TH SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 302.994.1400 • 500 Market Street 24 Arts in RecoveryN. Month Rally
Riverfront Wilmington 302.594.1400
Caravan of Thieves
World Cafe Live at The Queen WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
14
TH
Studio 1 (baby grand) • 818 N. Market St.
Hagley Museum and Library
302.658.2400 •FEBRUARY 200 Hagley Road 25TH SATURDAY,
302.761.6965 • Bellevue State Park The Grand • 800.37.GRAND
An Evening with Patrizio Buanne SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH
TH SUNDAY, Reel Talk FEBRUARY 12
World Cafe Live at The Queen 302.994.1400 • 500 N. Market Street
documentary on Gov. Jack Markell benefitting the Jewish Family Services of DE Call of the Coyote World Live CafeCreek at theState Queen Brandywine Park 302.944.1400 • 500 302.655.5740 • 41Market AdamsStreet Dam Rd.
Harry’s Fall Bridal Fair
Harry’s Savoy Grill and Ballroom 302.475.3000 • 2020 Naaman’s Road
Champian Fulton
The Grand • 800.37.GRAND
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH
TH
410.908.0059 • Valentine’s 1100 W. 10th Street Victorine’s Day
Echo Mission Fall Family Extreme Pizza Cruise • 201 N. Market St.
Hagley Museum & Library
An302.658.2400 Intimate Evening • 200 Hagley Road with Erin Mckeown
DuPont Enviornmental Education Center 302.656.1490 • 1400 Delmarva Lane
World Live Cafe at the Queen FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH 302.994.1400• 500 Market Street
Victorian Costume Ball Rockwood Carriage House
2011 Taiwan Film Festival various dates thru Sept 25 Weekend Dance Party w/ H Mazz Delaware Art Museum every Friday & Saturday 302.571.9590 • 2301 Kentmere Parkway Catherine Rooney’s 302.652.2255 • 1616 Delaware Avenue
2_Wilmington_Inside.indd 5
TH FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 302.762.2075 • 610 Shipley Rd 30
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet The Life & Marcia Ball
David Wilcox and Susan Werner YouthLive Class: Edible Art World Cafe at The Queen
thru OctGrand 1 The • 800.37.GRAND Wilmington Drama Leauge 302.764.1172 • 10 W Lea Blvd
find more { inWilmingtonDE.com} } find more atat { inwilmingtonde.com
Up Front with FSBT
302.658.7897 x 3851 Golden Pheasants Fall Blast
Bruce Anthony “Tschaikovsky” St. Petersburg Bellevue Noontime Concert Series State Orchestra
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Rodney Square 11th & North Market Street
DCCA • 302.656.6466 302.994.1400 • 500 Market Street
MUSIC MUSIC
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD & DRINK FOOD & DRINK
1/23/12 2:47 PM
It Takes a Neighborhood Throughout the city, multi-tasking associations fill social, safety, civic needs By Larry Nagengast
2_Wilmington_CoverPackage.indd 2
1/23/2012 6:01:33 PM
[
[
Whether it’s patrolling the streets, planting gardens, throwing a party or helping residents find jobs, Wilmington’s neighborhood associations have found plenty of ways to build better communities.
I
ncluding groups organized in apartment complexes and high rises, the city has more than 60 neighborhood associations, each carving its own niche but all demonstrating a similar sense of purpose. “Neighborhood associations are a way to bring people together, getting to know each other and maintaining the properties,” says Clara Zahradnik, president of the Cool Spring/Tilton Neighborhood Association. “It’s a way to nurture civic spirit and civic pride, the cohesion that makes city living attractive.” Social activities bring neighbors together, says Dan Walsh, president of the Midtown Brandywine Neighborhood Asso-
ciation, serving about 215 homes between 12th Street and the Brandywine, bordered on the east and west by Hercules Plaza and Wilmington Hospital. The community’s first big event of the year is set for Saturday, Feb. 4. It’s the “Great Midtown Brandywine Chili Cheeks Cookoff,” a festive taste test held in the pocket park at the corner of 14th and West streets. The event always draws a big crowd—“no more than 99 because that’s the maximum listed on our permit,” Walsh says with a laugh. The association continues activities throughout the year—a progressive dinner, a spring cleanup, outdoor movies in the summer and a block party in the fall.
Midtown Brandywine (photo by Les Kipp)
In the southwest corner of the city, residents of Union Park Gardens are finding there’s a social aspect to making their community safer. Concerned with a rise in break-ins and groups congregating after dark in a small park behind the Fraim Boys & Girls Club, the neighborhood association worked with city police to create a community watch program, association Vice President John DiEleuterio says. Between 30 and 40 residents take turns walking in pairs throughout the community in the evening. “You walk around for a couple of hours. It’s good conversation and great exercise,” says DiEleuterio. “One night I did about five miles.” Extra eyes on the street can pay off. DiEleuterio says he once spotted someone who had apparently stolen a moped, followed him from a safe distance and watched as the suspect, aware he was being followed, ditched the moped before leaving the neighborhood. Public safety is an issue in Southbridge too. After a shooting incident last summer, Marvin Thomas, president of the South Wilmington Civic Association, worked with police and community leaders to create a small task force that canvassed the neighborhood and demonstrated to residents a shared concern for their safety.
Union Park Gardens (photo by Don Blake)
(Opposite page) Julian Willauer Chung waters his family’s community garden, located in Wilmington. Photo by Tim Hawk
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Thomas also works with the South Wilmington Planning Network, an alliance of more than 40 agencies that provide services to neighborhood residents. In the last four years, he says, the neighborhood association created several “community benefit agreements,” contracts that require businesses that locate in the community to hire Southbridge residents for designated percentages of their job open ings. Agreements have already been reached with Habitat for Humanity, Port Contractors and Wilmington Organic Recycling, and talks are under way with the Delaware Humane Association, which is expanding its shelter on A Street. The association, Thomas says, is also working with city and state agencies “to make Southbridge more walkable,” by adding streetlights and pedestrian crossings, slowing traffic, and mapping out the safest routes for children to walk to Elbert Palmer Elementary School. Like the other associations, the Cool Spring/Tilton group takes safety seriously, Zahradnik says. The group works closely
with its assigned community police officer, recently formed a public safety committee and last year gave its dues-paying members motion-activated photovoltaic sensors for their porch lights, she says. The organization also collaborates with the West End Neighborhood House and St. Francis Hospital, landmarks in the adjoining Little Italy community. For example, when West End received a grant for community gardens, the association arranged to have plots atop the Rodney Reservoir reserved for Cool Spring residents. “We had 15 to20 plots, a pretty good start for the first year, and we want to expand,” Zahradnik says. Cool Spring/Tilton residents also find time to socialize. One of their big annual events is community Christmas caroling, which starts with a neighborhood soup supper and ends with coffee and dessert and features stops at Regency Health Care and the Ingleside high rise. In addition to their community activities, many neighborhood associations use flyers, newsletters, email and social media
Cool Spring Resevoir Park (photo by Les Kipp)
to keep in touch with their constituencies and to pass on information about city government. Good communication improves community involvement, Walsh says, noting that he recently had a dozen Midtown Brandywine residents ready to testify at a vacant property hearing concerning an owner who was using the property only as a mail drop for businesses located elsewhere. “People feel accountable here,” he says. “Accountability is everything. Everything matters.” Mayor James M. Baker appreciates the effort neighborhood associations are making to improve the city. Their leaders “give of their time and energy to help their communities grow and prosper,” Baker says. “We rely on neighborhood associations to help us communicate with other citizens and in the process receive feedback representing the community’s views. The benefits to citizens from this type of participation are innumerable.”
Southbridge (Out & About File Photo) FEBRUARY 2012
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In the Month for Love,
LOVE THE ARTS! By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald
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ebruary’s chilly weather is usually tempered by the heated anticipation of St. Valentine’s Day. May I suggest warming up your holiday with the Arts. From intimate concerts to hilariously demented one-acts, you can find the perfect gift for any level of V-day merriment. Plus, you’ll seem very smart and hip, ‘cause you’re into the Arts. Brandywine Baroque performs in an exquisitely restored barn just off Route 52. The Barn at Flintwoods seats an intimate group of only 100. “Oh, no! Baroque music?!” you say. Yes, you really must try this. The ensemble melds voice, violins, harpsichord and cello in works of classic composers — like Bach — but in a more informal style. Members interact with the audience, describing elements of pieces and why they enjoy playing them. You gain an appreciation for the “old” in a whole “new” way, in one of Wilmington’s most distinctive concert spaces. Join them Sunday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m. for “Just Us,” featuring sonatas and cantatas (meaning both instruments and vocals) of Bach, Handel and more. Visit www.brandywinebaroque.org for tickets and more info. Or, stick closer to Downtown Wilmo’s footprint and you’ll still find amazing music! Market Street Music heralds the return of the renowned Serafin String Quartet for an evening of chamber music. Because of its intimate nature (often played in parlors and smaller rooms), chamber music has been described as “the music of friends,” and how better to spend this month? The Serafins — Kate Ransom and Timothy Schwarz, violins; Molly Carr, viola; and Lawrence Stomberg, cello — also encourage the interactive arts experience, playing up close and personal in the sanctuary of First & Central Presbyterian Church on Rodney Square. Their concert is Saturday, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m. Get tickets at www.market streetmusicde.org. Maybe you enjoy a “non-traditional” Valentine. Head over to City Theater Company for “Cruel, Calm & Neglected,” a collection of short plays by Delaware native David Robson, as part of CTC’s Community Series. Robson’s dark comedies cover public speaking, celebrity arrests, sexual satisfaction, job-seeking, and revenge in ways dear to the company’s disturbed little hearts -- and maybe your own as well. The series begins Feb. 24 and 25 and finishes March 2 and 3. All plays are performed at The Black Box at OperaDelaware. See www.city-theater.org for full deets and tickets. Need to Valentine on the thrifty side? Visit the DCCA (admission is always free but it’s closed Mondays) or Silver Screen Sunday in the Delaware Art Museum’s DuPont Auditorium. Silver Screen Sunday brings you free films of adventure and intrigue, with an introduction by O&A’s very own film critic, Mark Fields. This month, Treasure Island (1934) shows Feb. 19 at 1p. m. Snacks are available for purchase (or sneak in a box of Sno-Caps).
Enjoy, my arty Valentines!
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1. Amtrak Station 2. Opera Delaware Studios/City Theater Co. 3. Wilmington Youth Rowing Assn., WYRA.ORG 4. Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park 5. Residences at Christina Landing 6. Asnan Sushi Bar & Asian Cuisine, ASNANRESTAURANTS.COM 7. Harry’s Seafood Grill / Riverfront Market, HARRYS-SAVOY.COM 8. Delaware Theatre Co., DELAWARETHEATRE.ORG 9. FireStone Roasting House, FIRESTONERIVERFRONT.COM 10. Cosi at the Barclays Crescent Building, GETCOSI.COM
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11. Hare Pavilion/Riverwalk 12. AAA Mid-Atlantic Travel Center, AAAMIDATLANTIC.COM 13. Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, THEDCCA.ORG 14. Justison Landing, Currie Hair, Skin & Nails, CURRIEDAYSPA.COM Veritas Wine & Spirits, VERITASWINESHOP.COM 15. Kooma, KOOMASUSHI.COM CrossFit Riverfront, CFRIVERFRONT.COM 16. Delaware Children’s Museum, DELAWARECHILDRENSMUSEUM.ORG
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17. Joe’s Crab Shack, JOESCRABSHACK.COM 18. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, IRONHILLBREWERY.COM 19. Public Docks 20. Big Fish Grill, BIGFISHRIVERFRONT.COM 21. Frawley Stadium, BLUEROCKS.COM Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame 22. Chase Center on the Riverfront, CENTERONTHERIVERFRONT.COM 23. Dravo Plaza & Dock 24. Shipyard Center Planet Fitness, PLANETFITNESS.COM
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DELAWARE FAMILY EXPO February 25 • 10am–4pm Chase Center
25. Timothy’s Restaurant, TIMOTHYSONTHERIVERFRONT.COM Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, MOLLYSICECREAM.COM Ubon Thai Restaurant 26. Wilmington Rowing Center, WILMINGTONROWING.ORG 27. Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge/ DuPont Environmental Education Center, DUPONTEEC.ORG 28. DART Park-n-Ride Lot
Photo by Dick Dubroff of Final Focus Photography
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he Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware (RDC) invites you to submit your images to the 2012 Riverfront Wilmington Photo Contest. A panel of judges will select four top finalists and a public voting process will determine a grand prize winner.
RIVERFRONT WILMINGTON
PHOTO CONTEST For Rules or Terms and Conditions visit:
www.riverfrontwilm.com/photocontest
Adventures in song February 5 2pm Join bass Martin Hargrove, soprano Helen Huse Ralston, violist Gregg Ralston and pianist Jeffrey Miller in an afternoon of music by Ralph VaughanWilliams and H.T. Burleigh. The Song of Travel, Four Hymns for Soprano and Viola, and a selection of Spirituals will make up the hour-long program. OperaDelaware g oing g reen on A dime – Adults & t een s February 7 6-7:30pm Delaware Nature Society Member:$10 Non-Member: $15 From window cleaner to unclogging pipes, learn cheap and environmentally safe methods to put that sparkle back into your house abound. delawarenaturesociety.org DuPont Environmental Education Center PArents n ight o ut – Kids o nly! February 10 6:30-8:30pm Delaware Nature Society Member:$10 Non-Member: $15 Set mom and dad loose to have dinner along Wilmington’s Riverfront while you stay at DEEC and have all the fun. Dinner provided. Parents receive a coupon for Timothy’s Riverfront Grill. delawarenaturesociety.org DuPont Environmental Education Center
The RDC is looking for both scenic photos and photos that include people enjoying activities and places along the Christina Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. Entries may be submitted from January 9, 2012 through April 16, 2012. The four finalists will have their photos printed in the June issue of Out & About Magazine. The grand prize winner will be announced during the last week of June 2012 and will have his/her photo, along with a brief article, printed in the July 2012 issue of Out & About Magazine.
deeC FAmily nAtur Alist single session – Winter Photogr APhy February 18 10am-12pm Delaware Nature Society Member:$8 Non-Member: $14 Explore the marsh as a family focusing on Winter Photography. Ages 6+ delawarenaturesociety.org DuPont Environmental Education Center environment Al Boo K Clu B February 23 6-7:30pm Free, No pre-registration required Join us for a lively discussion of selected books relating to our natural world. For more information contact Brenna Gog gin at brenna@delawarenaturesociety. org or 302-239-2334. delawarenaturesociety.org DuPont Environmental Education Center del AWAre F Amily ex Po February 25 10am-4pm From clothing and room décor, to schools, summer camps and educational opportunities, from healthcare to family safety and everything in between and on the fringes, you can find it all at the Delaware Family Expo. mountainexpos.com Chase Center
t he KAlm Ar n yCKel Found Ation 2012 l eCture series Presents: uss monitor At 150 February 28 “Iron Coffin: War, Technology, and Experience Aboard USS Monitor,” by Dr. David A. Mindell Reception: 6:00-7:00 pm Lecture: 7:00-8:30 pm Tickets: $12.00 pre-registration, $8.00 members, $15.00 at the door More info: jsearles@kalmarnyckel.org or call 302-429-7447. Chase Center WAl Kshed Through February 16 By Amanda Burnham Burnham creates installations based on American urban landscapes. Starting with observational sketches made on site, she compiles, manipulates, and then pieces together fragments to arrive at a more subjective represen tation of place. In Walkshed, impres sions of quotidian details from rou tine daily encounters trace the terrain of community and home. DCCA
Please visit TheDCCA.org, for a full list of upcoming exhibits.
12 . Life on the RiveRfRont
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The Uns Toppable
Mary Wilson
Tho Mpson A force of nature, she took up myriad causes By Josephine Eccel
M
ary Wilson Thompson was one of Wilmington’s most effective activists long before that term was coined. She was indefatigable when she took up a cause, and none was too small or too hopeless if she believed in it. Thompson’s 1947 obituary described her as a “civic leader” and “one of Delaware’s best known club women.” But that hardly describes the power she wielded in the public arena as both friend and foe to politicians. Yet, surprisingly, in the struggle for voting rights she stood firmly opposed to women gaining power at the ballot box. Voting, she said, would be a “burden.” Thompson’s interests were wideranging, and her ability to tap a network of wealthy friends made her a formidable fundraiser. She headed the Wilmington Babies Hospital and spearheaded the establishment of a comparable hospital for African Americans. For years she led the state’s fundraising campaign for the National Foundation for the Prevention of Infantile Paralysis, forerunner of the March of Dimes. An avid gardener and head of the state’s Highway Beautification Committee, Thompson campaigned for attractive plantings along major roads and the abolition of billboards. She raised awareness of the state’s historic landmarks and founded the Delaware Society for the Preservation of Antiquities. Her efforts saved New Castle’s Amstel House and Wilmington’s Old Town Hall. When the First Bank of Delaware building at 6th and Market streets in Wilmington was continued on next page
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The Unstoppable Mary Wilson Thompson continued from previous page
to be torn down, she raised $42,000 and hired an architect to dismantle and move it to a site on Lovering Avenue, where it served until recently as the home of the Delaware Academy of Medicine. In the early 1900s, the beaches at Rehoboth, where the Thompson family spent summers, were home to hundreds of squatters, a dumping ground for refuse and a paradise for mosquitoes. Thompson organized a public cleanup and planted gardens. Local folks called her crazy when she tried to eliminate mosquitoes, but, as she noted in her 1937 memoir, “Opposition has always fanned my desire to succeed.” She consulted an expert on mosquito control in Panama, then raised money to dig ditches and eliminate stagnant water, and distributed cans of kerosene near breeding spots. She spoke to groups throughout the state, urging the hiring of the unemployed to work on the “mosquito problem.” She organized the Delaware State-Wide Mosquito Control with representatives from all three counties and took her eradication campaign to Washington, which responded by assigning Delaware two contingents of Civilian Conservation Corps workers to continue the job she had started. An early conservationist, she proposed better regional planning and railed against dumping pollutants in waterways and cutting down trees. Thompson came by her fighting spirit naturally. The daughter of Union Army General James H. Wilson, she was born on her maternal grandparents’ farm south of Wilmington the year after the Civil War ended. She recalled that her father’s friends, their conversations, and even the first songs she learned were related to the war. Married to Henry B. Thompson, a textile executive, and the mother of five, she could have been a model for the modern superwoman, but a feminist she was not. She thought women shouldn’t vote, and, as the head of the Delaware Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, she was determined to see that they wouldn’t.
In the spring of 1920, the nation watched as Delaware was poised to consider the amendment that would give women the vote. By the end of March, it was just one state shy of becoming law. Suffragists and “antis” rallied in Dover, the former hoping to delay bringing the bill up for a vote until it was certain to pass. On the day of the scheduled vote, the group still had not garnered the necessary support and resorted to “kidnapping” the legislator responsible for bringing the bill to the floor (He was driven home to his farm). Upon learning this, Thompson commandeered a car and driver to take her to the legislator’s house and had him sign a statement authorizing her to present the bill the next day if he failed to appear in Legislative Hall. Suffrage supporters returned in the evening with plans to take the beleaguered official away and ensure his continued absence from the House floor, but by then, it was too late. The next day, Delaware, which could have cast the swing vote, instead became the only Republican state to reject the 19th Amendment. “On the whole,” Thompson wrote in her memoir, “this suffrage fight was one of the most interesting and amusing affairs I ever participated in.” It’s safe to say that there probably will never be another like Mary Wilson Thompson in Wilmington, or perhaps even in Delaware.
Looking For More To Do?
Check out: inWilmingtonDE.com
Beethoven in Blue Jeans Saturday, March 10 • 7pm Greenville Country Club Continuous live music “Top-shelf” auction prizes Bourbon tasting Tix: 302.762.1132
Market Street Music
Serafin String Quartet Saturday, Feb. 4 •7:30pm Chamber works by Mozart, Ravel & Mendelssohn at First & Central Church Tix: marketstreetmusicde.org
City Theater Company “Cruel, Calm &Neglected” Feb. 24 & 25 • March 2 &3 The Black Box @ OperaDE Hilariously demented one-acts on celebrity arrests, revenge & S-E-X Tix: city-theater.org
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CITY NOTES DCAD Expands in Downtown Downtown Wilmington is soon to be home to even more residents as the Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) expands on Market Street. The college recently announced the acquisition of the Brandywine Suites Hotel at 707 N. King St., as part of a $4.2 million expansion of student housing and campus services. DCAD has experienced significant growth in the past few years and needs to continue to grow in order to meet student and curriculum demands. Last fall, 198 of DCAD’s 254 students requested on-campus housing, resulting in the largest residential student population the City of Wilmington and DCAD have seen to date. While first-year DCAD students live in The Saville on Market Street, which the college owns, it has leased other living space from downtown property owners for second-year students. Once renovations of the Brandywine Suites are complete, DCAD will be able to offer second-year students housing in one building. “This expansion is perfect for our needs,” says DCAD President Stuart Baron. “We’ll be able to bring our students into one location and provide additional services to our students.” The former Brandywine Suites will be converted to a campus residential facility with 49 rooms accommodating 95 students. The expansion plan also includes new office and meeting space as well as a dining area so DCAD can offer a student meal plan. In addition, Baron says, the project includes commercial retail space on the first floor of the
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facility, which opens onto Market Street. Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker thanked Baron and the DCAD Board of Directors for their continuing commitment to Wilmington and hailed the project as another boost for the City’s future. “DCAD’s staff, students and their families provide a lot of energy and excitement that have added to our City’s overall arts, cultural and entertainment scene in recent years,” says Baker. “We’ve been supportive of DCAD since its inception. Our City’s other financial investments in this wonderful institution have paid off handsomely and have helped to bring us to the expansion announcement.” The Mayor’s chief of staff, William S. Montgomery, says the City will provide a $500,000 loan from the City’s capital budget to support the expansion. Montgomery says this type of funding can only be used for capital improvements to support the City’s economic development goals. If DCAD meets pre-determined deadlines for completion of the project, he says, the loan will convert to a grant, eliminating the need for DCAD to repay the loan. The Buccini/Pollin Group will renovate the building and the school is completing discussions with ING DIRECT regarding funding for the project. “This project is helping us fulfill our mission to our students and to our community,” Baron says. “It is a community investment.” For more information: dcad.edu.
DART Kicks Off Poster Contest Safety, art and community involvement are the focus of DART’s 2012 poster contest. “Don’t Text and Drive! Commute Smart, Ride DART” is the theme for the 12th Annual Transit Poster Contest. Open to children in grades 6 through 12, the contest is designed to encourage students to learn more about public transportation and its benefits. It also gives them the chance to see their artwork featured by DART First State in various advertisements, promotions, and displays. With statewide efforts and local communities continuing to educate the public about the dangers of texting and using the phone while driving, DART wants to use the opportunity to inform and promote the advantages of using public transit. Increased awareness of Delaware’s Public Transit system informs new and current commuters that riding DART can be a wise choice. Posters must be submitted by March 16 to: DART First State Poster Contest Marketing Dept. 119 Lower Beech St., Wilmington, DE 19805. Prizes and certificates will be provided by DART First State and its business partners. Interested schools are being asked to conduct the contest within the appropriate grade levels at the school and forward entries to DART First State for judging. Students wanting to enter apart from their schools may do so as long as they are in grades 6 through 12. For details, call (302) 576-6016, or visit DART’s website: DartFirstState.com. New Heritage Center to Honor Community History Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker recently announced that a more than 15-year delay in establishing an African-American Heritage Center in Wilmington is over. The mayor said the City has accepted a proposal from the Delaware Historical Society to establish a heritage center for African-American history on Market Street in Downtown Wilmington. In 1996, when Mayor Baker was president of City Council, he joined former council member Stephanie T. Bolden in proposing that a heritage center be established to present and preserve the cultural heritage of African Americans. The Delaware Historical Society (DHS) plans to open the center at DHS headquarters at 504 Market St. and in the Old Town Hall, which is next door. To fund the projected $3.5 million project, the DHS will receive $1 million from a 2004 City bond earmarked for the center, and the remainder will come from a DHS fundraising campaign. “I want the children and families of today and future generations to have a place where they can learn about the wisdom, accomplishments, sacrifice and legacy of thousands of African Americans who lived through both good and bad times in our City,” said Mayor Baker. The mayor, who is a collector of AfricanAmerican historical materials, many of which he has donated to the DHS, said he is looking forward to the day when he can walk into the heritage center with his grandchildren and help them
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understand their history and the sometimes untold history of the City of Wilmington. For more information: www.hsd.org. P3 Wilmington Coalition to be Led by WENH West End Neighborhood House (WENH) has taken the lead in a collaborative effort with Connections Community Service Programs, Inc. and the William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center to offer juvenile offenders a second chance WENH announced that funding has been awarded for the newly created P3 Wilmington Coalition. The Mid-Atlantic Network of Youth and Family Services (MANY) has awarded the P3 Wilmington Coalition a two-year grant of $1,005,076 to improve the long-term labor market prospects of youth, ages 16 to 24, that have a history with the juvenile justice system, and to facilitate local collaboration to find a sustainable and community-rooted solution to reducing crime and enhancing opportunities for youth. “The high rates of crime in Wilmington result in large-scale, complex community problems,” says Paul F. Calistro, Jr., West End’s executive director. “To truly tackle crime in Wilmington, we must attack it from every angle. West End is proud to take the lead on this new partnership, which will address juvenile crime and ultimately reduce the rates of repeat offending. “Incarcerated youth return to their communities more disenfranchised, with few employment or education opportunities. We believe if you offer these youth skills and a job, we can work toward reducing the rates of recidivism. West End is ready to meet the challenges of the target population and will offer youth the positive pathways of GED attainment, job training, and restorative justice.” The Positive Pathways Program, known as P3, is a multi-level strategy to reduce community violence. Built on a foundation of researchdriven, evidence-based practices, the P3 model is an asset-based approach that leads to increased job skills, academic achievement and sustainable employment for youth currently or formerly involved in the juvenile justice system. In the P3 model, youth are viewed as active partners rather than passive clients, and the partnering agencies were selected to best meet the demands of the P3 model and needs of Wilmington’s youth. “Connections is thrilled to offer our job training and intensive case management programming to adjudicated youth who so desperately need our services,” says Catherine Devaney McKay, president and CEO of Connections Community Support Programs. “Our expertise rests in working with Wilmington’s most challenging populations, and as always, our doors are open to offer these youth the skills they need for positive mobility.” Over the course of 24 months, the coalition will work with more than 180 youth in the areas of education and employment training, restorative justice, mentoring, recreation, and case management. For more information: www.westendnh.org.
Wilmington Renaissance Corporation •
WRC News
W
ilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) has hit the ground running in 2012. We have big plans for the New Year as we continue to tackle important issues and create successful programs in the revitalization of Downtown Wilmington. Our current strategic plan comes to an end at the close of 2012, so we have begun the process of cultivating the projects for our next four-year plan. We have working group members, business owners, board members, community leaders and other partners who contribute to the process. If you have anything you’d like to share, we encourage you to view our current plan on our website, www.downtownwilmington.com. Then give us your comments at info@downtownwilmington.com. We are already planning the dates for our major events that will help stimulate the economy, showcase the city and bring more folks to Wilmington. Our State of the Downtown will be held on April 19; City Restaurant Week is slated for April 23-28; the Wilmington Grand Prix will be May 18-19; the CityLife Awards will be in November, and the Downtown Fall Fest will be the first Saturday in November. As details become solidified, you can check our website for all of the info. Also this year, we are working with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs to enhance the Art on the Town Art Loop with a Make it a Night program, launching in March. WRC continues to work with a number of partners on an artist live/work project, solutions to taxi service challenges in the city, bus hub conversations, and much more. We look forward to working toward a unified goal of helping Wilmington become an even greater city! For more information, visit www.downtownwilmington.com.
Every month we feature a few of the staff’s favorite things that are happening in the city. Our favorites for February include: 1. Ernest & Scott’s Taproom is now open at 900 Market St. 2. Special additions are in store for the March Art on the Town and beyond. 3. NOSO Boutique now offers a men’s line. 4. City Restaurant Week is scheduled for April 23 to 28.
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