Out & About Magazine March 2016

Also In This Issue Is Wilmington Now A Tech Mecca?

Our Town Series: Newark Area Bread Shops

t i r r i i p n p S S g f o

Events to cure the winter blues

g

MARCH 2016 CO M P L I M E N TA R Y VOL. 29 | NO. 1

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$250,000 BIG ONES

E X P E R I E N C E

2015-16 Single Tickets Now On Sale TheGrandWilmington.org

LIVE IS ALWAYS BETTER!

Band of the Royal Marines The Manhattan Transfer Musical arm of the royal navy perform popular classics in first US tour

WED | JAN 13 | 8PM | $36-$42

NYC jazz pop group with thrilling harmonies

Sponsored by

SAT | JAN 16 | 8PM | $37-$45

Southside Johnny Stop by your local Delaware Lotteryand Retailer theforAsbury Jukes your chance to win a quarter million dollars!

English Jersey shore

THE MUSICAL BOX:

The Exclusive, Authorized by Peter Gabriel, Re-creation of Genesis’ “Foxtrot”

rock group with outstanding artistry and musicianship

SUN | JAN 17 | 7PM | $32-$39

Champian Fulton

bar band evokes the sounds of summer

SAT | FEB 6 | 8PM | $33-$39

globalFEST

Valentine Jazz

On the Road: Creole Carnival

World class jazz pianist and vocalist in an evening of romantic melodies

SAT | FEB 13 | 8PM | $28

Groundbreaking international and cultural music festival on first U.S. tour

SAT | FEB 20 | 8PM | $30-$36

TheGrandWilmington.org | 302.652.5577 | 800.37.GRAND | 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

THEGRAND

All tickets subject to box office service charges.

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

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

Arden Concert Gild, The Green Willow, Brandywine Friends of Oldtime Music, African American Community Advisory Council, and the Latino Community Advisory Council are valued partners for many performances in the 2015-16 season.

BRAND NEW!

Delaware’s Gambling Helpline: 1-888-850-8888

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Download The Grand On The Go mobile app and buy tickets, watch videos, and more!

You must be 18 years of age to play.

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2016

April 4-9

Make Your Reservations Early

A Week of Prix-Fixe Dining at Wilmington’s Premier Restaurants Cantina di Napoli | Chelsea Tavern | Cocina Lolo | Columbus Inn Domaine Hudson | Ernest & Scott Taproom | The Green Room Harry’s Seafood Grill | La Fia | Mikimotos | Piccolina Toscana Tonic Bar and Grille | Ubon Thai Cuisine | Washington Street Ale House

LUNCH: 2 courses $15 | DINNER: 3 courses $35

CityRestaurantWeek.com CRW_Full2016.indd 1

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OVER 60 CRAFT

BEERS

LATE NIGHT - HAPPY HOUR - BRUNCH

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

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PHOTO BY LINDSEY BEST © 2015 BLUE MAN PRODUCTIONS, LLC.

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MARCH 18-20

2016

— Tickets start at $45 — Call 302.888.0200 or visit www.ThePlayhouseDE.org 4 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

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

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our staff Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Associate Editor Krista Connor • kconnor@tsnpub.com Director of Digital Media & Distribution Marie Graham Poot • mgraham@tsnpub.com Creative Director & Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. matt@catvis.biz Graphic Designer Tyler Mitchell, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. tyler@catvis.biz Contributing Designer Ryan Alexander, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Contributing Writers Mark Fields, Pam George, Paula Goulden, Rob Kalesse, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Robert Lhulier, Allan McKinley, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Scott Pruden, Eric Ruth, Matt Sullivan

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

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53 what’s inside START

EAT

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53 Our Daily Bread 59 Bites

From the Publisher The War on Words F.Y.I. By the Numbers Worth Trying Art Without Bounds

DRINK 61 The Rise of Hard Sodas 65 Sips

LEARN

LISTEN

10 Tinseltown Teacher

66 Tuned In 68 Shine a Light

FOCUS 20 Spring into Fun 28 Newark: All Grown Up 35 Wilmington: Tech Mecca?

WILMINGTON 43 Art on the Town 47 Theatre N 48 On the Riverfront

WATCH 71 Race and Deadpool

PLAY 75 Wilmington Film Mob 79 Spirit of Spring

FEATURES 20 Spring into Fun Thaw out with these entertaining seasonal options—lively parades, flower market finds, a fundraiser brunch and more.

28 Newark: All Grown Up Main Street is still important, but not for the reasons it used to be. Meanwhile, the university town has become a hub for the technology and health services industries.

By Larry Nagengast

35 Wilmington: A Tech Mecca?

On the cover: design and artwork by Terrance Vann.

Chemical companies are moving out or are already gone. Now investors and civic leaders hope the city can attract technology startups and related businesses to fill the economic void.

By Larry Nagengast

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

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ŠBrandywine River Museum of Art. Photography by susangrayart.com

Written by

David Rush Directed by

Michael Mastro Experience the story of

Jamie Wyeth & Rudolf Nureyev live on stage!

NOW PLAYING! SUN

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LIMITED SEATING

UP NEXT:

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Written by

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APRIL 27 - MAY 15

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

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From The Publisher

REELING IN THE YEARS O

K, Ready, set, go. Year 29 officially begins with this issue.

So while Out & About—like virtually every other publishing That’s right, for nearly three decades Out & About entity on the planet—continues to pursue a business model that Magazine has been popping up at your favorite coffee allows us to create, edit and distribute content through all of shop, restaurant, fitness club… perhaps under your pet parakeet. these platforms and still pay the bills, it’s important we don’t Point is, it's still popping up. Hey, we're nothing if not resilient. forget our core mission: To deliver content and activities you Such longevity is no small feat in the Digital Age. In fact, consider worthy of your attention. had I known the challenges of said Age, I might have gone into Like you, I want my content in the medium that’s most a different line of business. Say, computer science. convenient at the time. At the office, I’ll take it on my desktop.

Today, a digital replacement is in the works for virtually At the Y, I want the print version so I can read while on the everything, including this page if you are reading our print elliptical. Late night, I want it on my iPad. The Digital Age has version. The only constant is that nothing is constant. Evolve demanded that publishers offer room service, regardless of or expire. time of day or whether the customer is willing to pay for it. We So far, we’ve been able to evolve. Out & About the monthly have little choice but to deliver. Evolve or expire. magazine has evolved into Out & About the brand, an interactive Five years from now, I’m not sure the print version of Out medium that through a variety of channels presents an & About will still exist. We may be strictly a webzine, or a live upbeat look at local lifestyle. Today, you can interact with that stream, or a fond memory. But as an old-school journalist trying brand via the channel of to maintain relevancy, your choice: print, digital I’m encouraged by the Today, anyone with a laptop can be a or by attending one of life cycle of vinyl records. our events.

In the 1980s, digital publisher; anyone with a smartphone can be In the past year sound in the form of alone, that interaction has a photographer. Quality is the differentiator. CDs began making vinyl increased dramatically. yesterday’s news. Rumors Quality is the determining factor on whether of vinyl’s death, however, We continue to exhaust our monthly supply of were greatly exaggerated. an endeavor is a business or a hobby. print magazines. Visitors “We never expected to Out & About’s website the vinyl resurgence to have increased 87 percent. Our social media engagement has become as crazy as it is,” Josh Bizar, Music Direct’s director more than doubled, and our events and stories are liked, of sales and marketing, recently told The New York Times. shared and tweeted. It’s not so much that we’re telling better “It’s come full circle.” stories, or creating better events. It’s simply that we’re figuring Today, listening to your favorite music on vinyl is a coveted out how to take advantage of the new digital tools technology experience. For a growing number, it’s preferred over digital. has sprung upon the world, which has increased the number Kind of like curling up on the sofa on a Sunday morning of people we touch. with a cup of coffee and a good magazine. No pop-up ads, no But mastering the technology is only part of the battle. need to plug in. Just good content on paper – with perhaps a little Today, anyone with a laptop can be a publisher; anyone with a vinyl playing softly in the background to enhance the mood. smartphone can be a photographer. Quality is the differentiator.

Quality is the determining factor on whether an endeavor is a — Jerry duPhily business or a hobby.

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine

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

Storm Warnings The January snow storm provided War with these items, the first two courtesy of a reader. Corrections in parenthesis: • A CNN reporter: “New Yorkers have began (begun) to dig out and are showing that they haven't ran (run) out of that New York spirit.”

• Another CNN reporter, this one in D.C.: “The mayor has issued a warning. Her (she) and her team are preparing for the worse (worst).”

• And here’s a redundancy from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, speaking about his city’s storm readiness: “We are prepared for what’s coming up ahead.”

The Extraneous Of Note to all broadcasters (especially sports broadcasters): There is no need for “of” in such phrases as “not that big of a deal,” “not too smart of a player.” It makes you sound unsophisticated at best, uneducated at worst.

Also, a simple “off” is almost always better than the wordy “off of” in constructions like “he jumped off of the bridge.”

Just Asking . . .

And why do some sports broadcasters drop the g in recognize (pronouncing it “rec-a-nize”) and the c in ecstatic (“ess-tatic”)?

We’re talking to you, Mike Quick, Eagles radio color man.

We’re Starting Not to Care This is getting exhausting. Add golf announcer Johnny Miller to the long list of media people who don’t understand that the phrase is “couldn’t care less.” Commenting on a golfer’s attitude, Miller said, “He could care less.”

Are You Anxious? Eager? Irritated?

A reader explains that anxious is not interchangeable with eager. Anxious implies anxiety; eager implies a hopeful and happy anticipation.

Similarly, she points out that aggravated is not synonymous with irritated, so sentences such as “his condition was aggravated by the drugs prescribed” are incorrect. “People,” she explains, “are not aggravated but rather irritated. E.g., ‘He was irritated (not aggravated) with his employer.’”

Word of the Month

torpor Pronounced TOR-puhr, it’s a noun meaning a mental state marked by apathy, lethargy, and inaction.

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By Bob Yearick

Corporate Speak Speaking of irritating, here are a few corporate terms that should just disappear: • External thought leader, drill down, think outside the box, win-win, move the needle, metric, incent, deliverables, pre-meeting, preplanning, and “let’s sunset this and move on to the next project (issue, matter-at-hand, etc.).”

Any workplace terms that irritate you? Send ‘em in.

Media Watch • ESPN commentator: “My favorite antidote about John Gruden . . .”

That would be anecdote—a story or account of an incident. Antidote means cure or remedy, especially for an infection or disease.

• From The News Journal (about a death row ruling): “. . . to prevent he or she from testifying.” The verb, prevent, requires objective pronouns—him, her. Yet another example of a writer’s misguided attempt at sophistication.

• Today Show meteorologist Dylan Dreyer also chose the wrong pronoun, which in this case was the objective one: “We are all happy to hear that her and her baby are doing OK.” This calls for the subjective pronoun, she.

• A WDEL reporter, describing a house fire: “Smoke was bellowing out of the windows.” Smoke can’t yell. It was billowing.

• The News Journal again, reporting on the new UD president: “[Assanis] followed behind Patrick T. Harker . . .” How else, a reader asks, would someone follow?

• Reaching back to the Christmas holidays, we find a reader’s note about a double gaffe in The News Journal: “In today's story on outdoor holiday displays, we are treated to multiple references to Santa Clause (Is he an attorney? An English teacher?) and another to ‘chimney's on fire.’”

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION? Contact me for a fun power point presentation on grammar.

Seen a good (bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

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LEARN

TINSELTOWN TEACHER D

ean Deakyne brings serious Hollywood cred to the classes he teaches at Wilmington University. After spending several years as a nationally recognized tattoo artist, Deakyne moved to the West Coast. There, he created dazzling visual effects for shows such as “The Vampire Diaries” and “Charlie’s Angels.” While working for EntityFX, a small visual effects boutique with credits including “Riddick” and “Spider Man 2,” Deakyne worked on the television series “Smallville,” for which he was selected to design the final shot for the two-hour finale.

Deakyne, a native Delawarean, returned to the First State and joined the WilmU faculty in 2012. He shares his passion and skills as an instructor in the University’s Visual Effects program, a concentration of the BS in Video & Motion Graphics degree.

In this dynamic program, students are prepared to pursue careers in television, film, motion graphics, visual effects or related fields. Other concentrations within this major include Digital Film and Motion Graphics and 3D. In addition to teaching, Deakyne is developing educational DVDs for the tattoo and visual effects industries. Instructors like Deakyne offer the expertise and real-world experience that keep this and other WilmU programs on the cutting edge.

For more information about the 120+ degree programs WilmU offers, visit wilmu.edu.

Dean Deakyne

Upcoming Events—For more information go to wilmu.edu/Events

Open House May 4 April 30

April 30

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F.Y.I. Things worth knowing Compiled By Shawn Caparelli

DELAWARE LITERARY SERIES April 9 reading is in Lewes

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series of four literary readings featuring Delaware authors sharing poetry and prose at artistic and historic places throughout the state kicked off in February and will continue in April, June and October.

Writers from all three of the state’s counties will read works from CURRENTS: Selected Poetry & Prose from the 2014 Cape Henlopen Retreat Writers. The anthology includes work from authors who were selected to attend the Delaware Division of the Arts’ biennial writers retreat. Twenty working Delaware writers contributed to the anthology.

The reading series showcases places that inspire or encourage the art and culture of the First State. The readings began at the Newark Arts Alliance in February. On Saturday, April 9, the reading will be held at the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, from 1-3 p.m. The other readings will be on Friday, June 17, at the New Castle Court House Museum in New Castle from 7-9 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 9, at the John Dickinson Plantation in Dover, from 1-3 p.m.

Because April is National Poetry Month, the Zwaanendael reading will feature poets and will be held in conjunction with Lewes’ Tulip Festival.

In addition to the literary readings, tours will be offered to guests at the New Castle Court House Museum in June and the John Dickinson Plantation in October.

The events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact the venues and/or visit ramonadef.com. For information about the historical sites, visit the State of Delaware’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs at history.delaware.gov/museums.

SPRING REZOOVENATION Happens at the zoo on March 12

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he Brandywine Zoo is celebrating the start of spring with Spring Rezoovenation. Set for Saturday, March 12, and Sunday, March 13, from 10 a.m.-3:45 p.m., the event offers activities and learning stations centered on the returning animals that make spring time at the zoo so exciting. For more information visit brandywinezoo.org.

FREEDOM 5K March 20 race benefits non-profit

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aces2Run is hosting a 5k run/walk benefitting the Youth Overcoming Obstacles organization on Sunday, March 20, at 10 a.m. This USA Track & Fieldcertified course goes along the Wilmington Riverfront, starting and ending at Dravo Plaza. Tickets are $20 for students and $25 for adults. If you pre-register prior to March 17, you’ll receive a $5 discount. Prizes for top finishers will be awarded following the race and there will be food and drink available from various sponsors. For more information visit races2run.com.

JERSEY POET SET FOR SECOND SATURDAY Workshop will precede reading

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J Ward, a distinguished New Jersey poet, will be the featured reader at Second Saturday Poets on Saturday, March 12, at 5 p.m. at the Jackson Inn on Lancaster Pike. The monthly two-hour event also includes open mic readings.

The author of four books of poetry, Ward has published essays in The New York Times, Inside Jersey, The Worcester Review and Teaching Artist Journal. He has received a Pushcart Prize and two Distinguished Artist Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Prior to the reading, Ward will conduct a poetry workshop at the Claymont Library.

Limited to 20 participants. The workshop had sold out by press time.

Scott Morrison at Ernest & Scott Taproom.

Photo Joe del Tufo

MORRISON REMEMBERED Restaurateur brought energy to Downtown

T

he staff at Out & About expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of Scott Morrison. Morrison died at his home of natural causes on Feb. 14. He was 54.

Morrison teamed with veteran Wilmington restaurateur Joe Van Horn to bring Chelsea Tavern and Ernest & Scott Taproom to Downtown Wilmington. The two were also planning a third concept on the 800 block of Market Street, 3 Doors Brewing Company, a microbrewery with a BBQ food theme. Morrison also helped create a host of popular restaurants in Philadelphia’s Main Line area, including Nectar, Tango, Basil, Floret, and Maia.

“Scott was outspoken while being respectful,” said Jerry duPhily, publisher of Out & About. “And his observations were always insightful.

“The confidence he showed in Downtown Wilmington was energizing.

He left his mark on Market Street and the city is better because of his efforts. We are honored to have known him.”

Chelsea Tavern and Ernest & Scott will continue to operate, says Van Horn. "I don't think the restaurants are going anywhere, and I don't think this is going to stop what [Morrison] had going on,” Van Horn told The News Journal. “I'm going to do everything in my power to make it happen."

—Out & About MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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by the numbers A few film and box office figures worth nothing

EASTERbrunch

Sunday, March 27th 10am - 3pm $ 40/Adult $ 20/Child (Under 10)

Reservations Strongly Suggested

• Coffee, Hot Tea And Iced Tea Included

12

The number of minutes that Darth Vader was on screen in the first Star Wars film.

• Easter Egg Hunt For Kids • Easter Drink Specials

1910

The year the first film was made in Hollywood—D.W. Griffith’s In Old California. It was shot in two days.

100 MILLION The revenue, in dollars, that Jaws (1975) exceeded at the box office, becoming the first movie to gross more than this amount.

PAINT&sip Tuesday, March 21 , 6:30 st

$

pm

39/Person

To Register: kennett-design.com

• No experience necessary!

• All supplies and instruction included

2,787,965,087 The number, in dollars, of worldwide box office ticket sales for the highestgrossing film in history, Avatar (2009).

1 MILLION WINEdinner Tuesday, March 29 , 6:30 th

• $65/Person

pm

(gratuity not included)

• 5 courses & reception with paired wines

The number of dollars budgeted for make-up for actors in Planet of the Apes (1968)—the largest make-up budget in history.

1887 The year the town of Hollywood was founded.

Its original purpose was for it to be a prohibitionist religious community.

302.571.1492 ColumbusInn.net 2216 Penn. Ave, Wilmington

12 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Hello, Hockessin.

I deserve a beer...

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We’ll be open before March 1!

In the topsy-turvy world of the restaurant business, you have to learn to roll with the punches. By March 1st we should be ready to show the citizens of Hockessin what craft beer and fantastic food are all about. If we’re not open by then, stop by and prevent Stigz and Ben from jumping off the roof. Cheers!

Lantana Square, Hockessin DE 19707

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Worth Trying Suggestions from our staff and contributors

O’Neill’s Irish Flies This online business is dedicated to all aspects of fly fishing. It was founded two years ago by Tim O’Neill, of Hockessin, who began fly fishing at the age of 10 and managed Delaware’s only full-service fly shop from 2009 to 2014. “When you say ‘fly fishing,’” says O’Neill, “most people get a vision of a guy in a tweed jacket standing in the middle of a river catching trout. While Trout are certainly one of the fish we chase with fly gear, there are a multitude of other opportunities out there. The shad migration, or ‘shad run,’ is an example. The peak of the run is usually in early May. Fishing for shad is not very technical and catches can reach 100 fish per day.” oneillsirishflies.com/blog/shad-school.

Arena’s Sandwich Night Relatively new to Newark and originally from Rehoboth, Arena’s Deli and Bar on Main Street is one of my favorite laid-back sandwich shops. Sandwich night is a weekly promotion where sandwiches are half-price after 6 p.m. Growing up in Sussex County, I spent many Wednesday nights eating the “California Club Dude” sandwich.

—Allison Hageman, Intern

—Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

Kylie Lip Kit I received the Kylie Lip Kit as a gift last month and fell in love with it. At $29, it’s inexpensive compared to other cosmetics and it comes with a lip liner and a lipstick. Made by Kylie Jenner, it’s formulated to moisten your lips and create a color that’s guaranteed to last all day. The six colors have been selling out in record time.

For more information visit kyliecosmetics.com.

—Shawn Caparelli, Intern

Petal Pushers (Floral Designs

by Alexis) Although I've known Alexis since childhood, I just recently saw her talent first-hand. Like any other deadbeat husband, I needed to find some lastminute gifts for Valentine's Day. Remembering Alexis had opened a retail location in Trolley Square Shopping Center, I decided to swing by.

Absolutely beautiful arrangements, unique options and affordable prices! petalpushersdel.com.

—Matt Loeb, Creative Director & Production Manager

Have something you think is worth trying?

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

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2016

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF WILMINGTON HEART OF THE HOME® KITCHEN TOUR

Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor

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

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

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OUR AMERICA THE LATINO PRESENCE IN AMERICAN ART MARCH 5 – MAY 29, 2016 Discover the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-20th century.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Generous support for the exhibition has been provided by Altria Group, the Honorable Aida M. Alvarez; Judah Best, The James F. Dicke Family Endowment, Sheila Duignan and Mike Wilkins, Tania and Tom Evans, Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, The Michael A. and the Honorable Marilyn Logsdon Mennello Endowment, Henry R. Muñoz III, Wells Fargo and Zions Bank.

Additional significant support was provided by The Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.

Support for “Treasures to Go,” the museum’s traveling exhibition program, comes from The C.F. Foundation, Atlanta. | This exhibition is made possible in Delaware by the Johannes R. and Betty P. Krahmer American Art Exhibition Fund and M&T Bank. Additional support is provided by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. | Image: The Dominican York, from the series Island of Many Gods, 2006. Scherezade García. Acrylic, charcoal, ink and sequins on paper. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Museum purchase made possible by the R.P.Whitty Company and the Cooperating Committee on Architecture. © 2006, Scherezade García.

2301 Kentmere Parkway | Wilmington, DE 19806 302.571.9590 | delart.org

16 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Founders Jason Aviles and John Naughton help artists to divide and define work and living spaces.

Two local entrepreneurs create living, working and art space for area upstarts on Tatnall Street

By Krista Connor

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Photos by Sam Eli

estled among other buildings at 800 Tatnall St. is Artist Ave Station, its newly-painted white bricks and black-framed windows and doors a symbol of inspiration and imagination.

Created this past November by 28-year-old John Naughton and 31-year-old Jason Aviles, Artist Ave is an arts-based catalyst for creatives and entrepreneurs to balance living, working and art, all within the same space.

The two friends and local business owners spent a month gutting and remodeling the building—their shared artistic skill is interior design—and held a soft opening Dec. 31.

Although it’s reminiscent of local makerspace models CoIN Loft and 1313 Innovation, which encourage co-working and creativity, Artist Ave has its own personality. Just about anything goes here, according to Naughton and Aviles.

“One of the struggles of the artist is how to divide space,” says Aviles, also founder of Wilmington’s FLYOGI studio. “We’ve visited artists who have hundreds of canvases tossed about their

living rooms, and right next to that is a jumbled kitchen. We’ve seen that artists could become much more organized when they have accessibility to live and create and work in one place, if the space is divided and you can define areas.”

Aviles and Naughton hope to create a sense of order and productivity by meeting artists’ living needs. To that end, they’ve created two luxury lofts above a ground-level showcasing and community co-working space, with a small “raw zone” workshop and artist lockers in the basement, which also features art, says Aviles.

The rules here are loosely-defined, he says, so artists are apt to paint on the walls, the stairway, the floors, the ceiling, to display art wherever inspiration strikes. Smashed Label, an artist featured last month, utilized the stairway wall heading into the basement with graffiti-style lettering.

“That freedom in a space really draws people in because that’s the number one thing for an artist that conflicts with their ideas and creativity—the boundaries,” says Aviles. “So here, we have an openness about that.” ► MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START ART WITHOUT BOUNDS continued from previous page

Artist Ave Station features a ground-level co-working area that doubles as an art gallery.

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.

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Conveniently, Naughton, who owns Naughton Painting LLC, a West Fifth Street painting and dry wall repair firm, paints over the featured artist’s section of wall, floor or ceiling when the showcase is over, preparing the area for the next artist.

Artist Ave isn’t just open to painters.

Photographers, graffiti artists, and clothing and accessory designers, “pretty much any artist,” is welcome to display their product, Naughton says. A gold membership of Two lofts, with kitchen appliances, are conveniently $150 a month allows members to hold one located above the Artist Ave co-working space. event a month, have 24-hour access to the building, and more. A $250 membership allows these privileges plus storage spaces, wall and desk space, and more.

Aviles and Naughton want to keep Artist Ave small. In fact, they want it to function as a transitional space or middle ground for creators. It’s not for the artist whose works are already displayed in store fronts, exactly, but it’s a sure step up from selling products and art from one’s home or car, Aviles explains—ideal for someone establishing his or her brand.

“It’s not a big space, so you have to figure out if it works for you,” says Naughton.

Artist Ave Station couldn’t have come to the city at a better time.

With the “explosion” of the Creative District and creativity in general in Wilmington, says Aviles, he and Naughton are optimistic and ambitious about the space’s role on Tatnall and in the surrounding area. They’re encouraged by the fact that the lofts are already rented and artists have joined the space.

Eventually, Aviles and Naughton say, they want to take this small-scale model and replicate it in large cities. But for now, they’re happy to be where they are.

“I think this is a model that’s needed, a shift from all the red tape,” says Aviles. “I think it can be a huge asset to the community, by helping to develop the future entrepreneurs and small business owners who can then bring innovation and energy to this city.”

Artist Ave is hosting paint nights open to the public each month, at $25 per person, which covers all supplies and instruction. Aviles and Naughton also are bringing in established artists to host educational workshops, which may focus on understanding business, finances, taxes—the more practical side of being a successful artist. Artist Ave is also on the monthly Art on the Town, coming up next on Friday, March 4. For pop-up events and features, visit artistavestation.com.

The lofts were recently renovated by Aviles and Naughton, whose shared hobby is interior design.

18 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS

g n i Spr into

FU N

Thaw out with these entertaining seasonal options—lively parades, flower market finds, a fundraiser brunch and more

CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY DELAWARE’S RED BALLOON BRUNCH Sunday, March 6 Deerfield Country Club, Newark 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. cancersupportdelaware.org In its 11th year, this fundraising brunch, featuring gourmet food and an open bar with bloody marys, mimosas, wine and beer, will draw upwards of 150 guests. A silent auction will add to the funds raised, which will go toward programs at the Cancer Support Community Delaware—now celebrating its 20th year.

DOWNTOWN ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE Saturday, March 12 4th & King streets, Wilmington Noon irishde.org The 41st annual parade starts at 4th & King and heads north on King, continuing past Rodney Square. And back by popular demand is the St. Patrick's Day Post-Parade Hooley, which will be held at the end of the parade route under a large tent. The Irish Culture Club of Delaware—the parade and event host—will sell commemorative mugs, which come with unlimited beer refills.

20 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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ANNUAL SHAMROCK SHUTTLE Saturday, March 12 Various locations in downtown Wilmington 7-11 p.m. outandaboutnow.com On the heels of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Hooley is the largest St. Paddy’s Day party. Loop clubs include: 8th & Union Kitchen, Anejo, Catherine Rooney's, Chelsea Tavern, Dead Presidents, Ernest & Scott, FireStone, Gallucio's Café, Grotto Pizza, Kelly's Logan House, Lavish, Satsuma Asian Kitchen & Bar, Shenanigans, Timothy's on the Riverfront and The Wicked Vine. Purchase your shuttle wristband at the first Loop venue you visit.

WILMINGTON WINTER BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL March 18-20 Crowne Plaza Wilmington North, Claymont wilmingtonwintergrass.org The Wilmington Winter Bluegrass Festival features three days of jam sessions, bluegrass concerts, workshops and the festival's signature Gospel Sunday. Volume Five, Gold Heart Sisters, Blue Mafia, Feinberg Bros, Cold Chocolate and Cindy G. are some featured artists.

WILMFILM Thursday, March 31 Penn Cinema Riverfront, Wilmington 7 p.m. wilmfilm.com Three films will be previewed with a reception beforehand. The annual film showcase, which has reached its fourth year, is taking a new turn – typically a weekend-long festival, it is now a one-night-only event.

WINE & DINE DOWNTOWN Saturday, April 2 Various restaurants, downtown Newark 1-8 p.m. cityofnewarkde.us A culinary and wine extravaganza, featuring an array of tasty delights prepared by the chefs of downtown Newark's restaurants, will be complemented by fine wines from around the world. Fifteen to 20 downtown restaurants will take part in this celebration of food and drink, serving up gourmet foods to showcase local skills. ►

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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24 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2016

CITY RESTAURANT WEEK April 4-9 Various locations, Wilmington cityrestaurantweek.com Wilmington’s fine dining scene is dominated by owner-operators, without a chain restaurant in the bunch. The result? Fourteen restaurants to select from, offering varied menus, such as Thai, Chilean and, of course, Italian. Better yet, you get to sample the creative cuisine of these fine dining spots with prix-fixe prices of $15 for lunch and $35 for dinner. Chelsea Tavern, Mikimotos and Washington Street Ale House are just a few of the participating establishments. For more, visit the website.

HEART OF THE HOME KITCHEN TOUR Saturday, April 9 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Greater Wilmington area jlwilmington.org The Junior League of Wilmington presents its 11th annual event, which will showcase recently renovated dream kitchens while offering scrumptious food samples and demonstrations from some of the area’s top chefs and restaurants. The self-guided tour, which is the league’s major biannual fundraiser, will include 18 kitchens in the greater Wilmington area, including locations in Wilmington, Greenville, Hockessin, Newark and Southern Chester County. Individual tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door, or four for $100.

DELAWARE HUMANE ASSOCIATION’S MUTTINI MIXER Saturday, April 9 7-10 p.m.

World Cafe Live at The Queen, Wilmington dehumane.org DHA's Muttini Mixer is a dog-friendly cocktail party that supports Delaware Humane Association, and the event is a great opportunity for guests and their dogs to mingle with other supporters and animal lovers while enjoying heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer, silent auction items, music and more. No dog? No problem – guests with or without furry friends are welcome.

MUSIKARMAGEDDON SOLO Friday, April 15 live at the baby grand outandaboutnow.com Musikarmageddon Solo will feature 16 local singer/songwriters, who will compete in a head-to-head contest to determine the area's best talent. They’ll play their best original music, judges will score and fans will vote to see who will win the coveted title of Musikarmageddon champion. ►

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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24 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PARTY ANIMAL LOOP Friday, April 15 7-11 p.m.

Various Wilmington clubs outandaboutnow.com This annual loop and spring bar crawl concludes the season’s Loop Series with all proceeds going to support the cats and dogs at the Delaware Humane Association.

That means dress up like your favorite party animal and head out to support the cause. Loop clubs are 8th & Union Kitchen, Anejo, Catherine Rooney's, Chelsea Tavern, Dead Presidents, Ernest & Scott, FireStone, Gallucio's Café, Grotto Pizza, Kelly's Logan House, Lavish, Satsuma Asian Kitchen & Bar, Shenanigans, Timothy's Riverfront and The Wicked Vine.

DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER EVENTS DuPont Environmental Education Center, Wilmington delawarenaturesociety.org On Saturday, April 16, from 3:30-4:30 p.m., experience the transformative power of what happens when people, place and performance are connected with live dancing and music at the free National Water Dance Performance inspired by the Christina River, surrounding marshland, and the city of Wilmington. The performance, centered on water conservation and sustainability, is presented by an intergenerational group of professional dancers, arts educators, students, community members, and youth from Wilmington.

And on Saturday, April 23, from noon-4 p.m., young nature enthusiasts are encouraged to celebrate Earth Day by meeting various animals, taking guided nature walks, making a craft and trying their hand at netting minnows and little critters in the pond – all for free.

WILMINGTON FLOWER MARKET May 5-7 Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Rockford Park, Wilmington wilmingtonflowermarket.org Benefiting children's organizations throughout Delaware since 1921, this fun annual outdoor festival features rides, games, crafts, daily live music, delicious food, a variety of vendors—and stands filled with vegetables, plants and flowers for sale.

See website for more information.

DOVER DAYS FESTIVAL May 6-May 8 Downtown Dover doverdaysfestival.com Join in on one of the state's top annual history and heritage events. Historical reenactments, a parade, maypole dancing, walking tours, a pet parade, arts and crafts, carnival rides, music and more will be available at this weekend-long celebration.

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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POINT-TO-POINT AT WINTERTHUR Sunday, May 8 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Wilmington winterthur.org The 38th annual festive day of horse racing, family activities, and elegant tailgating will include pony rides, stick horse races, the Winterthur Hunt, face painting, and even canine-friendly activities for attendees’ dogs. Wristbands are on sale online or by phone, and tickets are available via advance sales only. This is a rain-or-shine event. Proceeds benefit the continued maintenance and preservation of the Winterthur gardens and estate.

WILMINGTON GRAND PRIX 2016 May 13-15 Downtown Wilmington wilmgrandprix.com Named among the Top 10 criterium bike races in the country by USA Cycling, the Wilmington Grand Prix is an international cycling event that includes a free sixblock street festival, a parade, a bucket-list recreational ride through a dozen worldclass cultural attractions, sidewalk cafes, and a variety of free family rides and attractions.

And you do not have to be a cycling fan to enjoy Downtown Wilmington's largest outdoor event. Visit the website for more information and the schedule.

A DAY IN OLD NEW CASTLE Saturday, May 21 Historic New Castle 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. dionc.immanuelepiscopal.com Now in its 92nd year, this event is the oldest continually operating house and garden tour in the U.S. This year’s theme is “Taverns, Taprooms and Tippling Houses,” which includes a beer garden from 12-4 p.m. Tour private homes, gardens and public buildings that witnessed the rebirth of America at the conclusion of the Civil War. Events and activities include re-enactors, encampments, periodspecific children’s games and activities, carriage rides, musical entertainment and more. Tickets and more information are available online.

26 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS

NEWARK:

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:

O U R

TO W N

S E R I E S

This is the first in a series of profiles about communities throughout Delaware.

ALL GROWN UP Main Street is still important, but not for the reasons it used to be. Meanwhile, the university town has become a hub for the technology and health services industries.

By Larry Nagengast

T

oday’s Newark is not the one Nic DeCaire remembers from his teenage years.

“In high school, downtown Newark was where we went. We drove our cars down Main Street to show off on Friday and Saturday nights, playing loud music and looking for girls,” the 1998 graduate of St. Mark’s High School recalls.

“You don’t see that anymore downtown on Friday and Saturday nights,” says DeCaire, now the owner of Fusion Fitness on East Main Street. “You don’t see the traffic and the horseplay. You see more families, going to the restaurants.”

Just as DeCaire has grown up, so has Newark. Yes, it still has the bustle and energy of a college town from late August through May, with more than 7,000 of the University of Delaware’s 21,000-plus students living on campus and thousands more in off-campus housing. But it has morphed into a regional dining destination and, thanks in no small part to the university, a growing hub for the technology and health services industries.

“It’s changed a lot—for the better,” says Bob Ashby, owner of the Deer Park Tavern on West Main Street, a city landmark and popular gathering place since 1851.

“It’s alive. It’s very energetic,” adds Carl Georigi, owner of the Platinum Dining Group, who says it was an easy decision to open his fifth restaurant, Taverna, on Main Street in November 2012.

Within its 9.3 square miles extending south to I-95 and nudging the Maryland state line on the west, Newark offers a mix of city and suburban housing, an extensive park system, and dining and retail options to suit most any taste. ►

◄Newark Food & Brew Fest 2013. Photo Danielle Quigley MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS

MAIN STREET STILL THE CITY’S HEART

But, make no mistake, Main Street continues to be both the city’s heart and its backbone.

“Main Street is an integral part of this community,” says Maureen Feeney Roser, the city’s planning director. “It’s not just where we go to shop and dine; it’s where we go to celebrate.”

The thriving downtown helped win Newark a Great American Main Street Award in 2011 from the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

And the city is not resting on its laurels.

“That’s one of the challenges, once you become successful,” Roser says. “You have to make sure you’re meeting the needs of the community.”

There aren’t many Main Streets left like the one in Newark, nearly a mile and a half of continuous activity between Library Avenue and the Deer Park, and close to two miles if you count the stretch of Elkton Road that three years ago was renamed South Main Street.

Keeping the street vibrant is one of the tasks of the Downtown Newark Partnership (DNP), an organization of more than 300 businesses (who pay a special assessment with their annual business licenses), the city government and the university.

Helping to maintain that vibrancy is a series of events that continue throughout the year: parades to celebrate Memorial Day and Halloween; Restaurant Week in January; Wine and Dine Downtown in April; outdoor concerts in the spring; A New Night Downtown in June; the Food and Brew Festival in July; the Taste of Newark festival in September, and a winter festival in December.

Nor is there any shortage of options on the retail front.

The occupancy rate for downtown commercial space tops 95 percent, rents range between $25 and $35 per square foot, and national brands are increasingly looking at Newark as a business location, says Ricky Nietubicz, city planner and DNP administrator.

NEWARK: ALL GROWN UP continued from previous page

A TOWN FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

But the situation isn’t perfect. “Some people say you can’t buy a pair of women’s shoes on Main Street,” Roser says.

“Newark has always been known as a small-business entrepreneur town,” DeCaire says, pointing to his business, the boutiques and locally owned restaurants like Home Grown Café and Caffé Gelato as examples.

But, he says, with national brands seeking a foothold downtown, landlords are capitalizing on Main Street’s popularity by raising rents, making it harder for local residents to open new businesses and for existing ones to stay.

“We do have to look at ways to incentivize the small retailer as we continue to work on the mix [of retail shops],” Roser says.

Even so, recent renovations have given the venerable Newark Shopping Center a fresh look and some new faces, including Newark Natural Foods, a downtown icon for 40 years.

A 200-unit apartment building is under construction on the former site of the Blue Hen Lanes on the east side of the shopping center and the operator of Westown Movies in Middletown is making plans to spend about $3 million to transform the vacant Newark Cinema Center into a five-screen complex to be called Main Street Movies 5. A Brazilian steakhouse is also slated for the shopping center.

To DeCaire, the camaraderie among business owners and residents is one of the best reasons to have a location in the city. “Newark people support Newark businesses,” he says. “I rarely eat outside of Newark. Anytime I can spend money downtown, I like to keep the money here.”

Newark people support Newark businesses. I rarely eat outside of Newark. Anytime I can spend money downtown, I like to keep the money here.

—Nic DeCaire

Photo Paul Pruitt Photography

UP …NEXT

34 OCTOBER 2015| |OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 30 MARCH 2016

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Photo Anthony Santoro

Great Seafood, Steaks, Prime Rib, Smoked Ribs, Fresh-Made Sausages, Craft Beers and Cocktails!

Taverna is a popular Main Street restaurant.

Not only is that relationship personal—“I can pretty much call any business owner here on their cell phone any time of day,” he says—but it extends into fundraising for community projects, like the police department’s K9 unit.

ADDRESSING THE PARKING PROBLEM

While businesses get along well with each other, they have long clashed with City Hall on a topic key to their prosperity – parking.

The city has 763 spaces in downtown lots and another 426 onstreet meters, but many business owners—and their customers— believe there aren’t enough spaces to go around. The city has expanded the number of spaces available in the past few years but may have reached its limit. “We’ve done almost all we can with the available inventory,” Roser says.

One-way traffic on Main Street and Delaware Avenue exacerbates the problem, especially when they’re jammed with pedestrians, DeCaire says.

“We all have frustrated customers who say they spent a considerable amount of time looking for a place to park, but people who really want to eat at Taverna will find a place,” Georigi says.

Photo Anthony Santoro

Carl Georigi, owner of Taverna, says it was an easy decision to open his fifth restaurant in Newark.

Bill Sullivan, managing director of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on the university’s Laird Campus, has a solution—a free shuttle service that delivers patrons to the restaurant of their choice and picks them up when they’re done. No drinking and driving problems here.

Those visiting downtown will benefit from changes: meters now accept credit cards, so shoppers and diners don’t have to worry about being ticketed for the lack of a quarter, and the city’s parking enforcement officers have been redubbed “ambassadors,” and coached to steer motorists to available parking areas before slapping a ticket on the windshield, Roser says.

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FOCUS NEWARK: ALL GROWN UP continued from previous page

Photo courtesy of the University of Delaware

Bradley White crosses finish line triumphantly in Men’s Pro Race.

10TH ANNUAL

The UD campus accommodates more than 7,000 of the 21,000-plus enrollment.

University of Delaware students are of course a significant influence on Main Street businesses for nine months of the year, and the university’s new STAR (Science, Technology and Advanced Research) Campus, built on the site of the former Chrysler assembly plant on South College Avenue, is already showing the potential to become a major economic engine for the city.

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The STAR Campus, in addition to housing the university’s Health Sciences Complex of clinics for UD employees and the general public, is home to Bloom Energy’s East Coast fuel cell manufacturing center, the SevOne digital infrastructure monitoring business, and a series of health-related entities, including Independence Prosthetics and a branch of the Glasgow Medical Aid Unit. Delle Donne & Associates, the site developer, is expected to begin construction this year of a 10-story tower that will host high-tech information technology, engineering and wellness businesses as well as a residential area for employees of companies located on the campus.

The Chrysler plant, before its demise, generated about $377,000 in property tax revenues for the city, according to Newark Communications Manager Kelly M. Bachman.

Taxable development at the STAR site plus the university’s margin on electric utility sales (which was not provided to Chrysler) now total about $175,000, with additional revenue anticipated as development of private-sector enterprise at the campus continues, she said.

“We’re staying engaged with the university,” says City Manager Carol Houck. “Their buildout time may be as long as 50 years,” and uses not now envisioned are possible in the future, she says. “Is it going to be more commercial? More educational? More leased space?

Will it be a cityscape or remain a campus?”

Houck notes that relationships with the university have generally been positive during her nearly four years as city manager. As an example, she points to the university making its Trabant Center parking garage available to city residents so they could get their cars off the streets during the January blizzard. “They’ve done that for the last three years,” she says.

The STAR campus, Nietubicz adds, is not the only hub for economic development in the city. “Our industrial space doesn’t get the credit it deserves,” he says, citing Dow Chemical’s electronic materials site, a GE Aviation plant that is developing composite turbine blades and a Solvay facility that manufactures a thin composite used in smart phones.

There is available space in Newark’s industrial parks, and all have good access to I-95 and rail freight lines, he says.

Newark’s business environment is definitely healthy, Sullivan says, noting that about half the Courtyard by Marriott’s trade is corporate-related, with many guests doing business with DuPont, AstraZeneca, Bloom Energy, SevOne, W.L. Gore, JPMorgan Chase and other banks in the area. ►

36 OCTOBER 2015| |OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 32 MARCH 2016

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SATURDAY, APRIL 2 Tastings begin at 1 p.m. www.enjoydowntownnewark.com/winedine

WINE! FOOD! FUN! #NewarkWineDine

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FOCUS NEWARK: ALL GROWN UP continued from page 32

33 PARKS, 15 MILES OF TRAILS

~ est. 2000 ~

Yeeaarrss C Ceelleebbrraattiinngg 1166 Y as Delaware’s Award-Winning Restaurant for Vegan, Vegetarian, Carnivorous & Gluten-Free Lifestyles

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Adding to Newark’s appeal is a comprehensive system of 33 parks (including two skate parks) and 15 miles of trails. “For a city of our size, it’s almost unheard of to have the park acreage that we’re maintaining,” Houck says.

“With our neighborhood park system, everyone is close to one, and they’re well connected through off-street trails,” Nietubicz says. “If one park is crowded, it’s just a 5- to 10-minute walk to get to the next one.”

A new venture offers the promise of broadening park access while demonstrating the cohesiveness of the community. DeCaire is working with the city to build an adaptive playground for special needs children at the Newark Reservoir. He hopes to raise $350,000 to $400,000 and have the playground open by the end of the year.

The facility, to be called Preston’s Playground, after Preston Buenaga, a 17-year-old who has mitochondrial disease, a condition that causes muscle weakness and developmental delays, will have a rubberized surface that makes it totally accessible to children who use wheelchairs or walkers. The play area will include equipment that permits specialneeds and typical children to easily play together, DeCaire says.

DeCaire has also been talking with the staff at GoBabyGo!, the University of Delaware program that modifies toy ride-on cars for children with disabilities, about developing special harnesses for use at the playground by children who have difficulty walking.

Restaurants and other businesses are partnering with DeCaire on the fundraising.

“If I was in Prices Corner, I’d just be Fusion Fitness at Prices Corner, and I wouldn’t have the same impact,” he says.

“Being in Newark, I’m able to tap into all these resources, and we can work together.”

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34 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo courtesy of Zip Code Wilmington

FOCUS

The education of coders like Rick Sparks is key to developing a technology-based economy.

WILMINGTON: A TECH MECCA? Chemical companies are moving out or are already gone. Now investors and civic leaders hope the city can attract technology startups and related businesses to fill the economic void.

By Larry Nagengast

I

t’s official: Wilmington is no longer the chemical capital of the world. And, truth be told, it probably hasn’t been for some time.

Hercules is long gone, and the DuPont Co. abandoned its downtown headquarters last year, leaving behind Chemours, a struggling stepchild spinoff that has not made a long-term commitment to the city. Meanwhile, DuPont, on the heels of announcing its planned merger with Dow Chemical, is shedding 1,700 Delaware jobs, 28 percent of its workforce in the state, by the end of March.

So the question is, what will drive the economy of the state’s largest city as we move deeper into a new year?

The answer might reside in the assertion of Ben du Pont, a venture capitalist and the son of former Gov. Pete du Pont:

“Software is kind of eating the world.” Every company, du Pont believes, is becoming a software company.

So he and other investors and civic leaders are hoping that Wilmington can become a mecca for tech-savvy software chefs and line cooks capable of creating and serving up the new apps and programs the business world is waiting to gobble up.

Those involved in downtown Wilmington’s growing tech community—a mix of small businesses, freelancers and coworking spaces stretching along Market Street—seem confident that it can happen—it's done right.

But the script for doing it right is still being written, and the techies’ crystal balls offer only a cloudy vision of what that future might look like. ► MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS WILMINGTON: A TECH MECCA? continued from previous page

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“I think Wilmington is at a tipping point, and it’s exciting to see,” says du Pont, who is a descendant of both E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Benjamin Franklin.

“This is Delaware’s opportunity to make a change, to make the ground fertile for new initiatives,” says Scott Shaw, chair of the Game Design and Development and Video and Motion Graphics programs at Wilmington University.

In the broadest sense, Shaw says, “We’re on the cusp of emerging into something new. We have all the magical parts of technology accessible to a lot more people in many different ways.”

He points to 3-D printing, a technology developed in the 1980s that has approached maturity in the past 10 years. 3-D printers, and the software to use them, are now available at public libraries, and you can buy one for home use for about $350, he says.

“The new technology is emerging right in front of us,” Shaw says. “People are able to make products on their own.” In fact, a 10-year-old boy from Claymont recently created a prosthetic hand for himself at the Wilmington Library.

While there’s a highly visible magic to the creation of prosthetics, jewelry and replacement appliance parts on 3-D printers, a key portion of the magic formula to develop a new workforce for Wilmington is education—the education of coders, the people who design, write, develop and maintain the software programs and applications that keep modern businesses humming.

CODING BOOT CAMP

“I look at coding as the manufacturing of the 21st century,” says Ryan Harrington, education coordinator at 1313 Innovation, housed in Hercules Plaza at 1313 N. Market St., once the headquarters of Hercules Inc. “You have smartphones, you have smart cars, you have smart refrigerators, you have smart everything—and it takes a fleet of people to maintain that.”

36 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo courtesy of Zip Code Wilmington

Celebrating 83 Years Est. 1933

Sam Kraft delves into Zip Code Wilmington’s 12-week coding boot camp while instructor Tariq Hook offers advice.

Stepping in to fill that void is Zip Code Wilmington, a nonprofit coding boot camp founded by du Pont, investment advisor Porter Schutt and Jim Stewart, the founder of Juniper Bank (now Barclaycard) and current CEO of Epic Research.

In researching the viability of a boot camp, the partners surveyed area businesses and found that “600 jobs were available immediately,” du Pont says.

Armed with funding from foundations and sponsoring businesses, which had input into the curriculum and made commitments to hire graduates, Zip Code Wilmington launched last fall. The first 17 students to complete the 12-week program have secured jobs paying an average of $55,000; a second class of 32 students started in January and a third is planned for April.

Coding academies are too new to enable comparisons of career prospects for their graduates with those who have fouryear degrees in computer science, but the boot camps offer a more intensive curriculum at a considerably lower cost than a degree program.

“Today’s students like the idea of an intensive 90-day boot camp where you come out with real skills,” du Pont says.

A BURGEONING TECH SCENE

Zip Code Wilmington adds a layer to the burgeoning tech scene, whose start can be traced back a decade or so to the arrival of Trellist, digital marketing consultants, and the Archer Group, a digital marketing firm, in the LOMA district.

The latest surge began with the opening of the coIN Loft coworking space, which has morphed into Start It Up Delaware and moved into the second floor at 605 N. Market three years ago. That was followed by the opening of 1313 Innovation in the Hercules Building. Both offer solo entrepreneurs and startups short-term use of desk and office space, with access to printers, WiFi and other services. They also sponsor a wide array of events for techies and anyone interested in learning more. A third coworking space, The Mill, is about to open in the Nemours Building.

“I’ve been working in the city since 1995, with MBNA and with the city, and I’ve never seen anything like this before—so many startups and these little clusters and groupings of startups,” says Jeff Flynn, Wilmington’s director of economic development.

The changes parallel changes in business operations and technology, he says. ►

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“In the ’90s, all the technology was wrapped up in the banks and DuPont— mainframes and distributive systems. Here we are 20 years later, in the mobile age, with big data, more access, broadband and the corporate community changing a bit,” he says.

MBNA is gone, taken over by Bank of America, and many people who used to work for MBNA or the other big banks have started their own businesses, he adds.

For example, Digital Vikings, an innovation, ideation, prototyping and design operation based in 1313 Innovation, is led by former tech experts from ING Direct, which was bought out by Capital One. While many of the new entrepreneurs are still trying to develop a big idea that will accelerate their development, a few have made connections with larger organizations to propel their growth.

Carvertise, which launched itself from the coIN Loft, then moved into 1313 Innovation and now has a separate office in Hercules Plaza, has secured contracts with the state Tourism Office, Shop-Rite supermarkets, Discover Card and the United Way of Delaware. All of them have bought into Carvertise’s unique marketing concept—paying drivers to have their cars wrapped with their clients’ advertising messages and regularly driving their cars through the geographic areas the clients want to target.

One model for the tech entrepreneurs to follow is the Archer Group, whose early successes included some relatively small projects with local credit-card banks before it secured a digital marketing contract with Wawa convenience stores.

LOMA’S SUCCESS, DESPITE NAYSAYERS

Todd Miller, Archer’s chief experience officer, was with the firm at its start in 1999, in small offices near the Amtrak station.

When Archer decided to move into LOMA, he recalls, “there were so many people who were naysayers,” who thought the development of Lower Market Street would fail.

The success of LOMA is reason to believe that all of downtown Market Street from LOMA to Hercules Plaza could blossom into a vibrant tech district. “It’s getting there, but it’s delicate. It could backfire,” Miller says.

38 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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HEAT & EAT Ryan Harrington, education coordinator, and Megan Anthony, community manager of 1313 Innovation, in the Digital Vikings co-working space.

One danger seen by Miller and others is the tendency of new businesses to “work in silos,” to go it alone when they could benefit by more collaboration.

“I worry that we might get too decoupled from each other,” says Tim Savery, a tech executive at Chatham Financial, a Kennett Square-based firm that sponsors and supports many tech-related activities in Wilmington. “We have enough coworking spaces, but do we have enough people in those spaces in the right industries to fuel growth?”

Start It Up Delaware and 1313 Innovation are striving to keep the entrepreneurs from retreating into silos.

Last year Start It Up invited 1313 Innovation to partner with it as a sponsor of the monthly Delaware Tech Meetup gatherings, and there are plans to invite The Mill in as another copartner, according to Start It Up Managing Director Mona Parikh.

1313 Innovation last year hosted more than 100 events, ranging from meetups to cocktail hours, “all designed around building a community, with different faces and different viewpoints,” Harrington says.

Girl Develop It, a meetup for women interested in learning about coding and technology, meets there regularly. So does Open Data Delaware, a group for civic-minded hackers who promote open government and are interested in mining government data to identify trends and solve problems. Barrel of Makers, whose members integrate technology into their passion for arts and crafts, also uses 1313 Innovation as a meeting space. On top of that, 1313 Innovation is developing a partnership with the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts that will help the museum better focus on its newly defined mission—“to explore the intersection of art, design and technology,” Delaware Contemporary Executive Director John Shipman says.

1313 Innovation is also the lead sponsor and prime organizer of Tech2gether, a daylong collection of meetups, workshops and entertainment held in November.

The opening this summer of a Wilmington annex to Philadelphia’s NextFab makerspace will add another dimension to the dynamic of the city’s tech community, Flynn says.

While these developments are positives, the impact of the firstquarter layoffs at DuPont threatens not only the livelihood of 1,700 families but also the economic vitality of the region.

“It’s a very scary notion that DuPont is leaving,” Savery says.

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FOCUS WILMINGTON: A TECH MECCA? continued from previous page

REACHING OUT TO DISPLACED DUPONTERS

Wilmington’s tech community is eager to reach out to the displaced DuPonters.

“Those 1,700 extremely bright, extremely well-educated people would really be a loss,” Harrington says. “We could help them build their own businesses. We don’t have much experience with the chemical world, but we do have experience with small business.”

Some of those DuPonters might be interested in the Zip Code Wilmington boot camp as a way of starting a new career, du Pont says.

“Right now, they might not think of this as an opportunity,” he says, “but sometimes the things you think are devastating initially can turn out to be the best things that ever happened.”

Flynn recalls layoffs in the late 1990s not only at DuPont but also at MBNA. “We’ve already seen it,” he says, referring to laid-off scientists and financial experts rebounding by starting their own businesses.

While tech businesses have the potential to become a major force in Wilmington’s business structure and its economy, those close to the situation remain uncertain as to how those businesses might evolve.

Might it be dominated by freelancers, or businesses with a handful of employees, or firms that grow to employ 50 or more, as Archer did in digital marketing? Will they work in storefronts, in larger office buildings, in coworking spaces, or in their homes?

And what sort of products will they create? Will it be new mobile apps for banks, a breakthrough in storing legal documents, or something we can’t even imagine today?

“It’s all of the above,” says Greg Shelton, marketing director for McConnell Johnson Real Estate, property manager of Hercules Plaza, and for Digital Vikings. “For me, it’s the agency model that’s sexy—where I could be working on a banking platform on Monday and a couple days later for a packaging store that’s working to change its business model.”

“I see more mixed-use buildings filling up with these small firms,” Flynn says. “Instead of a law office, we’ll see a building with two or three startups.”

“I think it looks like 50 startups five years from now, some of them going on to be great companies, a lot of them going out of business, and another 50 coming in to replace them,” du Pont says.

“I think it looks like a robust startup community.”

One reason the future looks promising, the tech professionals agree, is that the increased housing opportunities downtown, coupled with improving dining and entertainment options and plans for developing a Creative District west of Market Street, are making Wilmington a more attractive place for Millennials to settle.

“Culture is a driver for investment in technology,” Archer’s Miller says. “And when there are more young people sticking around, they become part of an ecosystem that’s growing.”

In addition, du Pont says, the costs of starting a business—in terms of personnel and office space—are lower in Wilmington than in tech hubs like Silicon Valley, and there’s the added advantage of easy access to big cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington.

Moving forward successfully, Shaw says, will require a collaborative effort, with tech leaders from education, government and all sectors of business working hand in hand.

“It’s not something one organization can achieve by itself,” he says.

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CITY OF WILMINGTON

On the Town

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Downtown Loop

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THE WILMINGTON ART LOOP FRIDAY, MARCH 4 5 - 9 p.m.

On the Town

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

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

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

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

STEP 5: Repeat the first Friday of every month!

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

HOW DO I APPLY TO EXHIBIT ON THE ART

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

Opening reception for Delaware Contemporary studio artists Caroline Chen & Brad Vanneman, last weekend of MFA Biennial, WilmFilm Red Carpet Preview Party, open artists’ studios, food truck fare, and cash bar. Also showing “Confirmations, Declarations, Doubts” and work by William Lamson, Leslie Friedman, Amy Stevens, and Lynda Schmid. Art Loop reception 5-9 PM. On view Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat - 10 am-5 PM; Wed, Sun - 12 - 5 PM through March 31st.

LaFate Gallery 227 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE arteun@aol.com www.lafategallery.com This Art Show will feature the Works of Eunice LaFate, Hazel Bradshaw-Beaumont, Connie Clay, Valencia Tabron, and Jo Worme, with paintings in acrylic, oils, and mixed media. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm. On view Tue - Thurs. 11am – 5 pm, Fri-Sat 10 am – 6 pm through March 31st.

2nd & LOMA 211 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.655.0124 2ndandloma.com Moments: Color Echoes, Liz and Iris flit + fly through mediums from watercolor to unaltered photography often residing in multiple at once. A lighthearted, yet extremely truthful, collection of multiple mediums and moods. Art Loop Reception 5 – 8pm. On view Mon – Fri from 9am – 5pm through March 25th.

LOOP? Participating galleries book and curate the exhi-

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

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

44 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Studio on Market 219 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.studioonmarket.com The beautiful photography of Andrew Bale and Jon Cox takes you deep into the Peruvian rainforest with one of the world’s last remaining hunting and gathering indigenous tribes.

These images explore a culture that hangs in the balance after being removed from their ancestral lands. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 pm.

On view by appointment after Art Loop.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

2/22/16 1:03 PM

Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org Cherne’ Altovise 316 N Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.565.7710 chernealtovise.com The Impromptu Exhibit Terrance Vann, Alim Smith, Isabel Jean-Louis, The Color Brothers (Alim Smith and Terrance Vann) present an impromptu exhibit where they and Isabel Jean-Louis will be painting on the spot around a centralized theme. Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Saturday 10 A – 6PM through March 6th.

The Creative Vision Factory 617 N. Shipley Street Wilmington, DE www.thecreativevisionfactoy.org The Creative Vision Factory presents the new works on paper of Ken Segal and the techincolor public transit drawings of Gerald Gonzalez. Art Loop reception 6-9pm. Monday through Friday 10 AM – 5 PM through March 25th.

Chris White Gallery 701 N. Shipley Street Wilmington, DE www.chriswhitecdc.org Milton Downing, Jux-T Autograph Exhibit.

The Art of Jux-T featuring signature portraits of pro athletes, photos, and mixed media.

Art Loop reception 6 – 9PM. On view by appointment only through March 26th.

Jerry’s Artarama 704 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.268.1238 wilmingtonde-jerrys.com Marvelous Marbles: Alicia Ferrara This exhibit features oil paintings and marbled art by Alicia Ferrara. Marbled art is created by floating paint on thickened water to create melty psychedelic designs. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:00 PM. On view 9 AM – 6PM through March 31st.

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

An exploration of a broad range of lived themes from a woman’s perspective featuring artist Shannon Woodloe, Susan Thomas -Holder and Marlene Lacy. Subjects may include nature, selfdevelopment, feminism, motherhood, health & wellness, spirituality, friendship, community, social justice and/or any area of interest captured in your respective body of work. Art Loop reception 5:30 - 8 pm. On view Monday through Saturday 9 AM – 6pm through April 29.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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Gallery 801 801 West Street Wilmington, DE www.connectionscsp.org Broken Heart to Self-Love, A collection of artwork from the Connections CSP community. Works created through the process of loss, grief, and bereavement. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 pm. On view Monday through Thursday 8 AM – 4 PM thru March 4, 2016.

Artist Ave Station 800 North Tatnall Street Wilmington, DE www.artistavestation.com Abstract, New Collection of Art Work from James Wyatt. Art Loop reception 6 – 10 PM. On view 8 AM to 6 PM through March 31st.

The Grand Opera House Mainstage Gallery 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.thegrandwilmington.org/grand-galleries

Netted, Heidi Nam. Heidi’s recent work focuses on multi-faceted urban environment through the repetitive patterns. Printmaking and weaving collage techniques are uniquely specific to my intent to demonstrate the interplay between the reality and illusion of perception. Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Friday, 10 AM – 5PM, weekends subject to staff availability through March 29th.

The Grand Opera House Baby Grand Gallery 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.thegrandwilmington.org/galleries

Philadelphia-based painter Erica Harney will be making her Wilmington debut in an exhibition entitled Mostly True Stories. This exhibition will include recent paintings loosely based in reality and embellished with abstraction, experimental materials, and more than a hint of subjective bias. Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Friday, 10 AM – 5PM, weekends subject to staff availability through March 29th.

Levitea 228 W. 9th Street Wilmington, DE 302.565.9802 leviteawilmington.com Smashed Label, xUnderwater. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 PM. On view 10 – 6 PM Tuesday through Saturday through March 31st.

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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West End Loop

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

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

Rhythmic Chaos, Susan Benarcik. The Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to present the work of sculptor and printmaker, Susan Benarcik. Art Loop reception 5 – 7 pm. On view Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm through March 24th.

Louise Clearfield, Sherrill Cooper, Laura Hickman. A Group Show featuring loosely constructed landscapes in oil by Louise Clearfield; plein air figure paintings by Sherrill Cooper; and Laura Hickman’s pastel drawings depicting the environment from her hometown of Bethany Beach. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm. On view Mon – Fri 9 am – 5 pm, Sat 10 am – 3 pm through March 24th.

Colourworks Photo/Art Space 1902 Superfine Lane Wilmington, DE www.coulourworks.com

The 3rd Place 1139 W. 7th Street (entrance on Harrison St.) Wilmington, DE 717.578.3478 3rdplacewilm.com Emote, Paintings by Dillon Samuelson and photographs by Shelly Silva continue with new work arriving for March Art Loop. Art Loop Reception 5 - 9 PM. On view Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8-12 noon, Saturday 10-2 PM through March 18, 2016.

North Wilmington Loop

Recommission of a Battleship, #5 by Hiro Sakaguchi

Cecil College Faculty show featuring Kit Abedlt, Mary Haynes Johnson, Laura Marziano, & Mary Targonski. This group show will present the unique vision of each artist while highlighting their shared creative sensibilities.

Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:30 PM. On view Monday through Friday 8:30 – 5:30 PM.

Westminster Presbyterian Church 1502 W. 13th Street Wilmington, DE www.wpc.org

Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery 3625 Silverside Road Wilmington, DE www.talleyvillefsg.com

Artist, Constance M. Simon Gouache’s paintings inspired by a heightened response to color, color relationships, light, and patterns in the world around us. Concert at 8pm: Westminster Choir and soloists present Winter Musical Gala 2016. Art Loop reception 6:30 – 7:45 PM. On view Monday through Friday 9 AM – 4PM through March 31st.

Wicked Winter, Dead of Winter Art Show Eclectic group art show sure to distract from those winter blues. Dark, weird, eerie, scary, and humorous works. Art Loop reception 6 – 9PM. On view through March, M, W, F 10-5, Tu 10-7, Th 10-6, Sat 10-4.

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

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

Go Figure, A display from Anna Bellenger and Betsey Greer. Art Loop reception: 5:30-8pm. On view by appointment only through April 1st, 2016.

Mostly Paper, an exhibit of collages using paper and paint by Trina Gardner, Trustee of the National Collage Society Inc. Art Loop Reception 6-9PM. On view by appointment only through March 31.

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue Wilmington, DE 302.529.0506 Paintings, Kristen L. Bell. Bell paints dreamlike and otherworldly figures and landscapes, and luminous still lives, using oil glazes with watercolor like effects. Art Loop reception 5–8 pm On view Tue – Fri 10 am – 5 pm, Sat 10 am – 4 pm through March 29th.

46 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

2/22/16 1:04 PM

Theatre N at Nemours

theatren.org

PRICES: $8 | general admission $6 | seniors and children

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

302.576.2565 Monday - Friday 1007 N. Orange Street Wilmington, DE 19801

302.571.4075 Nights & Weekends theatren.org A WAR (KRIGEN)

R | 1 hr 33 mins | March 4-10 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm | Sun. 12pm Tues. 4pm | Wed. 7pm | Thurs. 4pm Danish with English subtitles Company commander Claus M. Pedersen and his men are stationed in an Afghan province. Meanwhile back in Denmark Claus’ wife Maria is trying to hold everyday life together with a husband at war and three children missing their father. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy crossfire and in order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that has grave consequences for him – and his family back home.

KING GEORGES

NR | 1 hr 18 mins | March 4-10 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 7pm Tues. 7pm | Wed. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm Philadelphia, circa 2010, is about to lose its culinary treasure: Le Bec-Fin, one of the finest French restaurants in the country. The 67-year-old owner, Georges Perrier, nearly as iconic as his landmark eatery, is preparing to sell the restaurant after more than four decades in business. Filmmaker Erika Frankel, a native of the Philly suburbs, asks if she could film Perrier as an eraending tribute. Perrier, however, has other plans.

REQUIEM FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM

PG | 1 hr 13 mins | March 11-17 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm | Sun. 12pm Tues. 4pm | Wed. 7pm | Thurs. 4pm REQUIEM FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM is the definitive discourse with Noam Chomsky, widely regarded as the most important intellectual alive, on the defining characteristic of our time – the deliberate concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a select few. Through interviews filmed over four years, Chomsky unpacks the principles that have brought us to the crossroads of historically unprecedented inequality.

THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON NR | 1 hr 35 mins | March 11-17 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 7pm Tues. 7pm | Wed. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm

When Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan stepped off the moon in December 1972 he left his footprints and his daughter’s initials in the lunar dust. Only now is he ready to share his epic but deeply personal story of fulfillment, love, and loss.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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45 YEARS

R | 1 hr 35 mins | March 18-24 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm | Sun. 12pm Tues. 4pm | Wed. 7pm | Thurs. 4pm There is just one week until Kate Mercer’s forty-fifth wedding anniversary and the planning for the party is going well. But then a letter arrives for her husband. The body of his first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps. By the time the party is upon them, five days later, there may not be a marriage left to celebrate.

BURNING BOHDI

NR | 1 hr 33 mins | March 18-24 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 7pm Tues. 7pm | Wed. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm Lifelong friends stumble back home after high school when word goes out on Facebook that the most popular among them has died. Old girlfriends, boyfriends, new lovers, parents… The reunion stirs up feelings of love, longing and regret, intertwined with the novelty of forgiveness, mortality and gratitude. A “Big Chill” for a new generation.

SON OF SAUL

R | 1 hr 7 mins | March 25-31 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm | Sun. 4pm Tues. 7pm | Thurs. 4pm German with English subtitles October 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Saul Ausländer is a Hungarian member of the Sonderkommando, the group of Jewish prisoners isolated from the camp and forced to assist the Nazis in the machinery of large-scale extermination. While working in one of the crematoriums, Saul discovers the body of a boy he takes for his son. As the Sonderkommando plans a rebellion, Saul decides to carry out an impossible task: save the child’s body from the flames, find a rabbi to recite the mourner’s Kaddish and offer the boy a proper burial.

BOY AND THE WORLD

PG | 1 hr 20 mins | March 25-31 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 1pm, 7pm Tues. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm Cuca’s cozy rural life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity as his small world expands.

Entering civilization, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animalmachines, with barrios of decoupage streets and shop windows, and flashing neon advertisements that illuminate the night.

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

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

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

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

2/22/16 1:23 PM

TAKE TIME FOR

LUNCH 11 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

Bring your appetite.

BURGERS

SUBS SANDWICHES

MEX SALADS

SUSHI

THAI PIZZA

FRESH

FRUIT

E AT OR WE ALL

S TA R V E

EASY IN & OUT

FREE

WIFI & PARKING

3 SOUTH MARKET STREET - RIVERFRONTMARKETWILM.COM

50 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WHAT’S #INWILM THIS MONTH

Mamma Mia! Fri, March 4 - Sun, March 6

A Taste for Art ...

Saturday, March 5

Our America: The Latino...

Sat, March 5 - Sun, May 29

Jesus Christ Superstar Fri, March 25 - Sun, April 10

DAVID NORBUT PHOTOGRAPHER

Get full details for these events, plus hundreds more at: inWilmingtonDE.com

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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GALLUCIO’S DAILY SPECIALS Fridays

Mondays

½ Price Bottle of Wine (5-10pm) With purchase of 2 Dinner Entrees Open Mic w/ Anthony Gallucio Acoustic 6-9pm

3 Course Meal $25 includes App, Soup or Salad, and Entrée (5-9pm) Anthony Gallucio & The Retreads 10-1am

Tuesdays

Family Night Kids under 10 eat FREE (Kids Menu) ”Q’s” Day Open Mic w/ Shawn Qaissaunee. 8-11pm

Saturdays

All-Star Karaoke 9-1am

Wednesdays

Sundays

½ Price Pizza (5-10pm) Quizzo w/Keith 8-11pm

Thursdays

½ Price Burgers All Day! Live Jazz Series 8-11pm

Happy Hour M-F 2-6pm Check out our craft selection! Just $4 during Happy Hour.

Take-Out Party Trays Available

23oz. Yuenglings and Miller Lite Drafts *ALL NIGHTLY SPECIALS IN-HOUSE ONLY

Serving traditional Irish Fare on Loop Day and St.Patrick’s Day! Corned Beef & Cabbage, Guinness Stew, & more!

Watch March Madness Here!

Game Day Draft & food Specials

1709 Lovering Ave • Wilmington • (302) 655-3689 • Gallucios-de.com

GET YOUR IRISH ON! Irish Food Menu Starts March 1st

BEST RIBS!

25 BEERS ON TAP!

MARCH MADNESS

Bike Give Away!

2038 FOULK ROAD, WILMINGTON DE • 302 475-1887 www.stanleys-tavern.com 52 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT

y l i b a r d e r a u d o

Baking bread is a painstaking labor of love, say those in the business.

It’s one of life’s simple joys and part of most dining experiences, yet bread shops are hard to find

By Pam George Photos by Matt Urban

A

rrive at V&M Bistro in Brandywine Hundred just before noon, and you might stop in your tracks as soon as you step through the door. A heady aroma subtly greets you before you spot the row of golden artisanal bread, glistening tomato pie, and garlic “knots.”

Ah, bread: the comfort food of comfort foods. There’s something about the fragrance, texture, and taste that turn a French baguette, a boule (a ball-shaped bread), focaccia or sourdough into a thing of beauty. But despite its broad appeal —and the ability to survive the market’s gluten-free frenzy— really good bread is, well, really hard to find.

It doesn’t help that Black Lab Breads in Wilmington’s Little Italy closed last October, or that Serpe and Sons Bakery in

Elsmere on Christmas Eve suffered a fire that forced its closure.

On Feb. 2, Serpe’s Facebook page announced that the bakery would undergo renovations in addition to a restoration, but no opening date has been announced.

The loss, even temporary, of these establishments hit loaf-lovers where it hurts, because standalone bakeries are becoming scarcer as consumers turn to the one-stop shopping that supermarkets can provide.

The good news? Bryan and Andrea Sikora in January opened Market Street Bread + Bagel in downtown Wilmington, and Big Sky Bread in North Wilmington is still going strong, as is DiFonzo Bakery in Wilmington, which dates back to 1945. ►

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

EAT OUR DAILY BREAD continued from previous page

A Family

Sunday Favorite!

$

20 per person

(kids under 10 $5)

featuring our COMPLIMENTARY MIMOSA BAR!

every sunday 11 to 2:30

delicious buffet favorites and our kitchen menu cooked to order

$

20 per person

(kids under 10 $10) sundays 5 to 9 a la carte menu available

54 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Dominique Pettrucelli at Bread + Bagel, where baking starts at midnight.

A labor of love

One reason bread shops aren’t as popular as in Europe could be Americans’ penchant for low-carb diets. But it’s also because baking is hard and often solitary work. At Market Street Bread + Bagel, one baker starts work at midnight and finishes at 9 or 10 a.m. “Rolls are short-term risers,” Bryan Sikora explains. “You come in at midnight and make the dough, and in four hours, they’re in the oven. The rustic breads have to be made before noon, with the intention of baking them at 7 or 8 the next morning. And the baguettes get made at 5 p.m. and get shaped around 1 or 2 in the morning.”

The night owl hours are required since good bread is fresh bread—which is one reason Sikora decided to make a bakery part of La Fia, his restaurant at 421 Market St., which opened in 2013. “I always felt a well-rounded restaurant should make its own bread,” he says. He did just that at Django, the popular restaurant he coowned in Philadelphia. “I want control of the product.”

That’s also true at Bella Vista Trattoria & Pizzeria in Pike Creek, which makes and sells artisan loaves for $6, and V&M Bistro. (The full name is Vincenza & Margherita Italian Bistro, which incorporates the names of owners and sisters Vincenza and Margherita Carrieri-Russo.) At V&M, on Marsh Road, the garlic knots, which are delivered to the table as well as sold at a retail counter, are from their father’s own recipe. In addition to being used in the restaurant, loaves are sold for $5.

Strength in numbers

For the Sikoras, the new bakery feeds the machine, which includes Cocino Lolo on King Street, which serves certain items on flatbreads, and The Merchant Bar on Market Street, which needs hot dog buns and other rolls for its casual menu. Combined with the popularity of La Fia’s retail section, the new restaurants prompted the bakery’s move from La Fia up to the 800 block of Market Street. It also helped that the Sikoras had an enthusiastic baker, Dom Petrucelli, now a partner at Market Street Bread + Bagel. (La Fia will drop the “bakery” in its original branding.)

The new bakery has become a morning stop for the office workers milling about during the week, Sikora says. Patrons pop in for breakfast sandwiches on bagels and English muffins, both made on site.

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Check Out Our New Menu!

Bread: the comfort food of all comfort food.

But the shop’s wares have a wholesale appeal, and not just for the Sikoras’ other restaurants. Christopher Baittinger, the chef at Locale BBQ, located across town in Little Italy, began using La Fia’s products when he was working at Ernest & Scott Taproom, also on Market Street. “I didn't have to go outside the area because Dom hit it out of the park on the first try,” says Baittinger. “When I came over to the BBQ shop, I mentioned it to Danny [Sheridan, a partner]. He already knew what they were about because he had worked at La Fia. Fairly easy decision.”

Market Street Bread + Bagel presently has about eight to 10 wholesale clients, including Harvest Market in Hockessin and Janssen’s Market in Greenville, which also sells bread by Le Bus Bakery, which dates back to 1978, when David Braverman set up shop in a school bus-turned-food truck. The headquarters for the bakery is now in King of Prussia.

Built on the sale of a lot of loaves, Le Bus has long been a popular choice for Delaware-area chefs, storeowners, and restaurateurs that do not make their own bread. “Briefly, we made our own breads for a while, but selling on the level that we were, I couldn’t justify the expense and effort of in-house baking,” says Dan Butler, who at Toscana To Go in Trolley Square sells Le Bus baguettes (plain and multigrain), sourdough loaves, ciabatta (a broad, flatter Italian bread), and specialty breads such as sundried tomato and black olive loaves. “I’m not married to Le Bus, but they make an excellent, reliable product.”

(Toscana does make its own breadsticks. “At one point, several years ago, we tried to figure out how many breadsticks we’d made in house, but I’m sure I can’t count that high anymore,” Butler says.)

Le Bus brioche rolls are served at Bon Appétit and Corner Bistro, says co-owner Mickey Donatello. Bon Appétit is famous for its baguettes, which it sells at the counter. Vie de France makes them, and the staff at Bon Appétit proof and bake them each morning. The approach is often used at places like Panera and some supermarkets, which often get the dough from a vendor and take it from there. The bread is not made from scratch onsite, despite the heavenly smell. ►

Come Enjoy Our Weekly Specials!

MON:

$5 Off Entrees, Happy Hour 4pm-Close

TUES:

Oyster Day! - 4pm-close Special Oyster Menu with $1.25 Raw Oysters, Brick Oven Baked Oysters and $5 Oyster Shooters, $2 Pints of Bud Light 4pm-close

WED:

$5 Chefs Tapas Menu, $1 Off All Craft Drafts $16 Pitchers of House Sangria 4pm-close

THURS: FRI: SUN:

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

302.376.0600 109 Main Street, Odessa, DE 19730 Mon: 11:30am-9pm • Tues - Thurs: 11:30am-10pm Fri-Sat:11:30am-11pm • Sun: 10am-9pm

www.cantwells-tavern.com MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Spicy garlic stir fry with chicken is a popular Honeygrow dish.

ww

EAT

Bachetti’s Famous

St. Paddy’s Dinner

OUR DAILY BREAD continued from previous page

Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner with Potatoes and Soda Bread.

Only $9.49 per person, We ran out last year...please order early!

Order by Mon 3/14. Pickup Tues 3/15 to Thurs 3/17.

y to Read Eat! n - Heat

Bachetti’s Famous

EASTER Dinner

Hom ea Delic de & ious!

Thinly Sliced Honey-Glazed Ham, Deviled Eggs, Au Gratin Potatoes, Homemade Coleslaw, Fresh Steamed Vegetables and Homemade Banana Bread

Only $14.99 per person, Order by Thurs 3/24. Pickup Sat 3/26 & Sun 3/27.

www.Bachettis.com | www.ChocolateWaterfall.com 302.994.4467 | 4723 Kirkwood Hwy. Midway Plaza

3 Classic Irish Whiskeys from Teeling

20% OFF

in the Month of March While supplies last - can't be combined with any other offer or coupon Single Malt Small Batch Single Grain

Stock Up For March Madness!

LIMESTONE | P. 302.996.WINE 2052 Limestone Rd | Wilmington, DE 19808 ( Limestone Shopping Center next to Buffalo Wild Wings)

PremierWineSpirits.com

Baguettes from Market Street Bread + Bagel.

More than bread alone

Of course, Toscana To Go and Bon Appétit aren’t banking on bread for their income. Even shops specializing in bread have augmented menus. Le Bus, for instance, has bricks-and-mortar cafes in Philadelphia. Market Street Bread + Bagel sells sandwiches. So does Big Sky Bread in North Wilmington, which is known for its soups—up to five a day. Big Sky also takes its show on the road. Its breads are available at Harvest Market and Newark Natural Foods, as well as farmers markets in Centreville, West Chester and Philadelphia.

It also helps to have a niche. Big Sky’s specialty breads include challah, made on Fridays; cracked oat made with unbleached flour, made on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and kamut (a brand of khorasan wheat). Meanwhile, DiFonzo Bakery is known for Italian-American staples: steak rolls, sub rolls, Italian bread, tomato pie, and pizza bread.

Don’t expect many entrepreneurs to follow in these folks’ footsteps. The labor, the hours, and the profit margin don’t necessarily give rise to a budding business. “If I was just in the bakery trying to make a living for my family, it would be a challenge,” Sikora says. “It’s a lot of work.”

Market Street Bread + Bagel, he says, is more of an extension of the restaurant. If he’d had more room at La Fia, the bakery would have gone in the back of that space.

“It’s nice we can share the strength of the whole business,” he says. And those who’ve grown fond of his bagels, donuts and baguettes would happily agree.

56 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Ask us about

H C R a m dness ma Catering to order catering call: (302) 439-4541

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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it’s a party - a st. paddy’s party

MARCH 10tH - 17tH

CHARCOAL HOUSE & SALOON

LOts OF irisH

food, MUSIC and danCIng it’s tHE ONLy tiME yOu dON’t need a plane tICket to be In Ireland

and don’t forget

tHE BrEWs

302.658.4600 • www.kidshelleens.com • #HHgrOupiE

◄ Brian Ashby is hoping to open 8th & Union Kitchen this month in Little Italy. Photo David Norbut 58 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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APRIL 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT ART IS TASTY

Best of DE Winner reaDErs ChoiCe 2015

n the first Friday of every month the Delaware Art Museum hosts Art is Tasty, a noontime event focusing on a work of art. Guests discuss the artwork while enjoying a meal prepared by the Thronson Café. The artwork showcased on March 4 will be “The Council Chamber,”

by Edward Burne-Jones. Tickets are $12 for museum members and $14 for non-museum members. A lunch voucher is included. For more information visit delart.org.

3 Decades of Authentic & Traditional Family Recipes

BITES O Tasty things worth knowing

Compiled by Shawn Caparelli

CELEBRITY CHEFS' BRUNCH

W

ilmington’s Hercules Plaza will be the site of the 19th annual Meals on Wheels Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch on Sunday, April 17, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. There will be 27 renowned chefs from around the world prepared to support the Meals on Wheels mission to end senior hunger. Not only will there be delicious food made by accredited chefs, there also will be signature cocktails and live entertainment, as well as a silent auction, all combined to create a fun experience to support and raise money for seniors in the Delaware area. Tickets are $125 per person, or for guests ages 21-40 the “Young Professionals Ticket” will cost $75 (ID required). For more information visit mealsonwheelsde.org.

BUCKLEY’S BRUNCH

B

uckley’s Tavern in Centreville is famous for its family-style pajama brunch every Sunday from 10 a.m.2 p.m. The menu ranges from delicious Belgian waffles to the famous Buckley Burger. The price is $18.50, but if you wear pajamas you will receive a 50 percent discount. For more information visit buckleystavern.com.

Weekday Lunch Specials Starting at

$10

NEW REHOBOTH EATERY

A

NEWARK WING BOWL

N

ewark's Aetna Hose Hooks and Ladder Company and Newark's FOP Lodge 4 will compete in the first annual Newark First Responders Wing Bowl Championship. Two representatives from each team will compete to see who can eat the most wings. All proceeds will benefit Preston’s Playground. Mayor Polly Sierer will emcee and there will be celebrity bartenders and prizes given out throughout the event, scheduled for 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, at Grain Craft Bar and Kitchen in Newark. Admission is free.

new eatery, Chesapeake & Maine, is coming to Rehoboth Beach on Monday, March 7. Led by Dogfish Head founder and President Sam Calagione, the restaurant is inspired by Calagione’s summers spent in Maine and Dogfish’s ties to the Chesapeake region. It will offer fresh seafood sourced exclusively from Maine and the Chesapeake area.

The restaurant will include Dogfish’s ales throughout the menu with items like a Beernaise, a Dogfish twist on a classic béarnaise, and Namaste Steamed Ebenecooke Mussels, procured from the Dogfish Head peninsula in Maine and delivered fresh.

“We’re excited to combine our love for our two favorite maritime regions in the world into one restaurant concept,” Calagione says.

Chesapeake & Maine is at 316 Rehoboth Ave., next door to Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats.

Thai Cuisine Encompassing All 4 Regions Fresh Whole Fish & Seafood

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

Live Music Wed & Sun Nights

Tue-Thu 11am-10pm Fri 11am-11pm Sat 12pm-11pm Sun 4pm-9pm www.ubonthaicusine.com

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

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Stop In And Stock Up For March Madness!

it st s

LIVE HARD-ISH

60 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

the rise of hard sodas They’re expanding beer-drinkers’ tastes while expanding the market

By Allison Hageman

f

irst it was hard lemonade, then hard cider, and now there is yet another player on the burgeoning craft product scene: hard soda.

The rise of this new entry was kick-started when Small Town Brewery's Not Your Father's Root Beer (originally released in 2012) was re-released by Pabst last March. Now, riding the wave with Pabst and adding their own spin on hard sodas are beer leaders MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch. The three brewers are tapping into the adult beverage market by creating a product whose sweet taste makes it easier and more fun to drink than beer.

Says Kate Tigani, assistant marketing manager and advertising coordinator of Standard Distributing Co., "It's exciting. It's opening up a whole new category and a whole new consumer base by introducing beer to people who were turned off by beer."

According to USA TODAY, IRI, a market research company, predicts that hard soda sales will double in 2016. Imagine this when considering that Not Your Father's Root Beer sold $7.2 million in the first six months of 2015, according to Beer Marketer's Insights.

Mellissa Riggs, field marketing manager for MillerCoors, says this trend has to do not only with the growth of the craft

beer segment, but with people wanting more choices. Riggs says most consumers, particularly millennials, have grown up with a lot of different flavors and like to have options. At the same time, Brian Ferschinger, senior director of MillerCoors Innovations, says MillerCoors Henry's Hard Soda, introduced in January, targets Gen X because they grew up with soda and are drawn to its familiar flavor.

Beyond offering more flavor options, hard sodas are capturing the attention of those who don't like the taste of beer and wouldn't normally drink it, says Tim Kovac, founder of Not Your Father's Root Beer.

"Recently I had a 75-year-old woman come up and thank me for NYF," says Kovac. "We find that we have introduced many non-beer drinkers to the beer category and love that we helped expand someone’s tastes."

Which is not to say that beer lovers are not drinking hard sodas. According to Riggs, craft beer drinkers are becoming more sophisticated. Kovac adds that there is a beer renaissance happening in the U.S. that is introducing beer lovers and novices to all styles of beer. People want as much variety in their beers as they do with foods, says Kovac. ►

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK 4019 KENNETT PIKE

THE RISE OF HARD SODAS continued from previous page

MARCH MADNESS SPECIALS

Join us Thursdays for

LADIES NIGHT FROM 4PM-1AM!

During All the Games:

$3.50 Pints of Yuengling & $4.50 Pints of Lagunitas IPA

PLUS! 1/2-price Nachos & 50¢ Wings

• $6.00 Pinot Grigio • $6.00 Tall Skinny Vodka Drinks • $6.50 Cosmos

ST. PATRICK’S DAY SPECIALS

$4 Guinness Draught & $3 Miller Lite Pints All Day Long PLUS! Traditional Irish Beef or Lamb Stew, the best in town!

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

www.statelineliquors.com

Stocking over 3000 different beers • Singles, packs & cases Special Events and Tastings Visit us on the web for details

Gourmet Food & Cheeses

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Offering the areas largest variety of seasonal beers.

GROWLER BAR 35 TAPS! 1610 ELKTON RD, Route 279 . ELKTON, MD OUTSIDE MD. (800) 446-WINE, IN MARYLAND (410) 398-3838

Open 7 days a week

’throw back a throwback’

Best Damn Brewing Co.'s Brand Director Kathy Sattler says the root beer, which is aged with real vanilla beans during the brewing process and contains 5.5 percent alcohol, is meant to be approachable and not too serious. She says the Best Damn brand wants consumers to "throw back a throwback," and drink a fresh take on a timeless classic.

Henry's, which differentiates itself from the pack with its orange flavor, launched its Hard Ginger with fresh ginger flavor and lime notes, as well as Hard Orange soda with Valencia orange (4.2 percent alcohol). This is another brand created with fun in mind. It was inspired by a quirky, fun-loving Pacific Northwest soda and beer maker named Henry Weinhard, says Ferschinger.

As for the hard soda pioneer, Kovac says Small Brewery's Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9 percent alcohol) is a gruit brew that contains Madagascar vanilla, sarsaparilla and other flavors. These ingredients were chosen to capture the essence of a classic American drink.

"People tell us it tastes just like ‘real root beer,'" says Kovac. "We’ve been told that Not Your Father’s Root Beer was the first to capture the taste of nostalgia that people craved." In fact, he says, the hard sodas of today have a long history, since ginger ale and root beer were brewed with small amounts of alcohol during Colonial times.

62 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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malt and gruit

In the hard soda category, there are two distinct types: flavored malt beverages and gruit ales. Henry's and Best Damn are flavored malt beverages, while Not Your Father's is a gruit ale, says Tigani.

A flavored malt beverage is crafted like a beer—with fermentation—but has flavors added in. For example, Henry's adds real cane sugar to the product, which allows it to fall into the craft beer category, according to Riggs.

A gruit ale, on the other hand, is beer that is brewed with botanicals and spices instead of hops, says Tigani. NYF's gruit ale is brewed with botanical ingredients like ginger, citrus, herbs and spices, Kovac says.

Hard sodas like gruit ales and flavored malt beverages are not a new concept. Henry's Hard Soda was inspired by a craft soda created

by Henry Weinhard, who made the rather unusual offer to pump beer though a fountain in Portland in the 1800s, says Ferschinger.

Not Your Father's Root Beer's products were inspired by the brewing traditions of Kovac's ancestors, including his grandfather, who also brewed beer.

Daily Specials (dine in only, no substitutions please)

Monday

Slide into lunch… $10 – 2 Sliders, Fries and a soft drink

turf & free Surf! with steak purchase

Thur sday

1/2 Priced BurgerS!

cooked to perfection in the lounge

the local scene

As for the trend in Delaware, Tigani says it really is not a trend but a category—which took off when it was first introduced with Not Your Father's Root Beer.

“Not Your Father’s Root Beer set the bar high right out of the gate and the brands that followed gladly accepted the challenge, which has led to the growth of an exciting new category with many fantastic products to choose from," says Tigani.

Standard distributes NYF's and Henry's throughout Delaware while Best Damn is handled by NKS Distributors. All three hard sodas are now available in stores all over the state. In fact, Tigani says many liquor stores are beginning to create an entire hard soda section while local restaurants like Kid Shelleen's are offering Not Your Father's Root Beer Floats as a dessert option.

"Even for those who love beer, sometimes you’re just in the mood for a soda and nothing else will hit the spot,” she says. “Now you don’t have to choose between a beer and a soft drink, you can have both and still be drinking a true ale.”

the future

The future of hard sodas appears to be bright and bubbly in 2016. NYF released its Ginger Ale in November, followed by Henry's in January. In February, Applebee's added an NYF Root Beer Float to its menu, and Best Damn is planning to release Best Damn Cherry Cola this month. Despite having different packaging and adaptations, these brewers are all saying the same thing—step aside, hard cider and hard lemonade.

Says Small Town’s Kovac: "We really don’t see Small Town products as a trend, specifically because these are products rooted in ancient traditions with authentic stories. We are here to stay.”

Fr iday

fra difridayS!

Lobster Fra Diavolo $ 24.95 During Lent

turf & free Surf! with steak purchase

saTur day

19.95 filet Mignon!

$

tender 8oz filets in the dining room

sunday

get “Well” Sunday $

22.95 Beef Wellington!

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

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

Grainiac

Enter our Bracket Challenge to WIN

FREE PIZZA FOR A YEAR!

Beer Craft beer reviews from Grain’s Jim O’Donoghue

THIS MONTH:

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

F

irestone Walkers Union Jack IPA is a double dry hopped west coast IPA that gives you all the great crisp citrus flavors you could hope for. They did a great job with hop-malt balance which makes this a nice, clean tasting IPA. With back to back wins at the Great American Beer Festival Union Jack has quickly made a name for itself.

If you like Dogfish 60 or Bells Two Hearted, you should definitely give Union Jack a try.

– Jim O’Donoghue

Submit your bracket in store by noon, March 17, 2016 *52 FREE Large Cheese Pizzas.

Certain restrictions may apply. See official rules at GrottoPizza.com for details.

» $350 Coors Light 22oz Big Beers » 2 Cuts for $3* *Available at the bar/bar area only. March 17 – April 4.

Celebrate

St. Patty’s Day! Saturday, March 12th

Green Beer, Drink Specials & Prizes Pennsylvania Avenue

Join us after the Parade!

Get Your Loop Bracelet Here | Open at 10am

Newark, Main Street

Open at 10am

Prizes for first 20 people

nia Ave

For a full location listing visit

ter the March 16

64 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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GrottoPizza.com

2/22/16 5:37 PM

DRINK

SIPS

Here's what's pouring

‘80s Era Video Games Classic Pinball • Skeeball 15 Beers on Tap • Area Craft Brews

Compiled by Shawn Caparelli

ALES AND WHATNOT

D

ogfish Head will host the 2016 Weekend of Compelling Ales and Whatnot at its Milton Brewery on Saturday, March 19, from 3-7 p.m.

There will be ale and beer tastings, beerinspired foods, and brewery and distillery tours. Buy a VIP ticket and you’ll have access to the Beer Geekery Salon classes on tasting, IPAs, food pairings and more.

For more information visit dogfish.com.

A PARTNER SHIP SERIES

W

ith the spirit of American craft beer in mind, Heavy Seas Beer of Baltimore has announced its 2016 Partner Ships Series. It features beer collaborations with Maine Beer Co., Troegs Independent Brewing, Terrapin Beer Co. and Stone Brewing Co. The first beer in the series, a red IPA with American hops, citrus, and pine flavors, was created with Maine Brewing, of Freeport, Maine, and was released in late February. For more information visit hsbeer.com.

Monday

BEER AND CURLING

T

he Centre Ice Rink at the Delaware State Fairgrounds will be the site of the first ever “Beer on Ice – Craft Beer Tasting” on Saturday, March 19. There will be food and music and Fordham and Dominion Breweries will provide the brews for the 2 to 6 p. event. You’ll also have a chance to experience the Winter Olympics sport curling, as well as broom ball and shots on goal (that's hockey shots against a live goalie). Tickets are $15-$50. For more information go to delawarestatefair.com and click on Centre Ice Rink.

Tuesday

She Blinded Me with Internet Porn (Multi-decade trivia)

Wednesday

Bonus Stage: Comedy Melee and Open Mic with Brandon Jackson

Thursday

Karoake! with DJ Drew’s SuperAwesome Traveling Roadshow

Friday and Saturday Local and National Original Live Music!

Sunday 1984 Skee-Beer League Returns!

Saturday, March 5th

FOOD AND BEER PAIRINGS

ARTISANAL BUYS VICTORY, SOUTHERN TIER

S

V

tone Balloon Ale House in Newark will hold Chef-Inspired Dinners on Thursday, March 24, Saturday, April 2, and Thursday, May 26, each from 6:30-9 p.m. The dinners are partnered with Heavy Seas, Brooklyn, and Lagunitas breweries and are created by Executive Chef Robbie Jester, who appeared on Guy's Grocery Games on the Food Network. Along with the beer, there is a reception with hors d'oeuvres, two courses, and dessert. The dinners will cost around $45 plus gratuity. For more information visit stoneballoon.com.

Industry Appreciation Night

ictory Brewing Co. and Southern Tier Brewing Co. have been purchased by Artisanal Brewing Ventures, but they will continue to operate as independent breweries. With the alliance, Victory and Southern Tier have the potential of 800,000 barrels of annual production, and both labels will be available to loyal and new customers across their combined markets. This partnership is expected to close within the next 60 days. For more information visit beeradvocate.com.

2511 W. 4th Street, Wilmington 302-384-6479 • 1984wilmington.com

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN

TUNED IN Not-to-be-missed music news MUSIKARMAGEDDON SOLO

Deadline for submissions is March 11 Sixteen local singer/songwriters will compete in a headto-head contest to determine the area’s best talent during the second annual Musikarmageddon Solo. The deadline for artists to sign up is Friday, March 11. On Friday, April 15, at the baby grand in Wilmington, the competing musicians will play their best original music, judges will score, and fans will vote to determine the next Musikarmageddon champion. Sign up at outandaboutnow.com/musikarmageddon.

JEWEL AT THE PLAYHOUSE

Wilmington welcomes iconic singer-songwriter On Friday, April 29, music icon Jewel—who has sold millions of albums and established herself as a storyteller, poet and troubadour —will perform at the Playhouse on Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington. The 8 p.m. show will feature the artist’s wide-ranging catalogue of songs, many of which have been performed in concert but never recorded.

Wilmington is part of her Picking Up the Pieces Tour, titled after her 2015 album. Described by Jewel (full name Jewel Kilcher) as a singer-songwriter’s record focusing on the emotional turmoil of her life, the album is charged with emotion and intensity—and expect no less from the live show.

Tickets start at $43. Visit tickets.thegrandwilmington.org for more information.

10TH ANNUAL HOMEY AWARDS

WSTW’s local music ceremony is March 4 93.7 WSTW’s Hometown Heroes, a radio program hosted by Mark Rogers on Sundays from 8-10 p.m., spotlights the best local, original music from the Delaware valley. The program has spawned the Homey Awards, and Rogers will be on hand to m.c. the 10th annual ceremony at World Cafe Live at The Queen on Friday, March 4.

The ceremony celebrates outstanding achievements in original local music in the past year. Categories include Artist of the Year, Best Album, Best Live Act and more. There also will be live performances throughout the evening from some of last year’s Homey winners, and each of the nominees for Song of the Year will perform their nominated song live. Featured artists include Glim Dropper, No Good Sister, Cliff Hillis, Nik Everett Band and Andrea Nardello.

There are dozens of new nominees this year, including The Rose Project, a five-piece alternative folk band from Kennett Square. For a list of all nominees and more information, visit wstw. com/heroes. Tickets are $7, doors open at 6:30 and the ceremony starts at 7 p.m.

66 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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COMING SOON TO

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

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 7PM

Photo Jack McIntyre Photography

3/4 THE BIG JANGLE 3/5 JEREMIAH TALL 3/11 NICOLE PICARA “MY OWN FRANKENSTEIN” VINYL RELEASE (7PM) 3/12 MARCH SINGER SONGWRITER SHOWCASE

ADÉE, FRANK VIELE, JAHITI, GRACE OTLEY (7:30PM)

Beru Revue members - back, from left: EJ Simpson, Nita Slater, Jerry Getz, Mark Teague, Tommy Pinto, and front, Greg Davis and Bob Beru - gear up for a theatrical performance.

BERU REVUE IS BACK

3/17 BUMPER JACKSONS AND MISS TESS 3/18 CREEM CIRCUS FREE (10:30PM)

Celebrated ‘80s band hits The Queen for one of its select 2016 performances In the 1980s, Philadelphia-based rock band Beru Revue rode roughshod through the tristate area, reveling in the fun of countless weekends playing at the Stone Balloon and Bottle and Cork, among other nightlife destinations and venues. New wave rock was on the rise, and Beru Revue, together with fellow rockers like the Hooters and Robert Hazard, ruled the Philly rock scene.

The original six-man lineup debuted at Grendel’s Lair in Philadelphia in 1981. They had a strong and loyal local following, with one notable radio hit, “Hoods A Go-Go.” The band disbanded in 1988, but luckily for band members and their cult following, in the early 2000s the group began reuniting for a handful of shows each year. In keeping with tradition, they will perform at World Cafe Live at The Queen on Saturday, April 23.

After 10 years of reunion shows in Philadelphia at World Cafe Live, the Electric Factory and The Ardmore Music Hall, lead singer Bob Beru says the band is thrilled to head to Wilmington and The Queen.

“It comes at a time in our evolutionary process when we are embracing more and more of our theatrical tendencies,” Beru says. “For us in many ways the future is a visit to our newly flowering roots.”

Beru Revue currently performs approximately three shows a year: one during the fall, a Christmas benefit show and a spring show. All are filled with seasonal content as well as a solid dose of core vignettes, Beru says. “The music is original but we have been known to take fun standards and bend them to our will.”

The April 23 show is titled The Miracle of Spring, from the band’s album and title song of the same name.

Besides Beru himself, the band features guitarists Greg Davis and Mark Julian Teague, bassist Jerry Getz, drummer Tommy Pinto, keyboardist EJ Simpson and the support vocals of Nita Slater.

Beru says the group is excited to tap into the band’s theatrical roots and perform old and new songs in “true Beruvian form.”

Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets are $20-$25. For more information visit berurevue.us.

3/19 GFA WINNER’S TOUR FEATURING EKACHAI JEARAKUL, CLASSICAL GUITAR w/ HAO YANG (12PM) 3/19 MARY FAHL (FORMERLY OF THE OCTOBER PROJECT)

3/25 STACKABONES 3/26 PHILIP JOSEPH AND

MARK VODERY PRESENT “SOUL CONVERSATIONS IN ROOM 302”

3/31 BOB SCHNEIDER 4/9 THE SERAFIN STRING QUARTET (7PM) 4/15 LA SANTA CECILIA 4/16 RUST – NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE 4/21 THE ROOMSOUNDS 4/22 TURBO SUIT PEANUT BUTTER & JAMS (FAMILY CONCERT SERIES - 11AM)

3/5 THE CAT’S PAJAMAS 4/2 WE KIDS ROCK BAND 500 N MARKET ST W I L M I N G TO N , D E (302)994.1400 WORLDCAFELIVE.COM

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN

SHINE A LIGHT ON ‘76 2.

1.

4.

3.

5.

6.

7.

8.

WORLD CAFE LIVE AT THE QUEEN, SATURDAY, FEB. 20

1. The Sin City Band performs upstairs in the Olympia Room for VIP guests.

Photos by Joe del Tufo

2. On stage, host John Rago interviews Reginald Payne, 2015 Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency Graduate.

Celebrating its 5th Anniversary show, the annual Shine A Light concert saw more than 65 area musicians perform nearly 40 songs from 1976 on the downstairs stage of The Queen Theater. The sold-out show treated audiences to close to four hours of nostalgic fun in a massive effort that raised $100,000 and counting for the Light Up The Queen Foundation, a non-profit that utilizes the theater for community outreach programs focused around arts and music education.

3. Dan White rocks out during the Genesis prog-rock tune “Squonk.”

4. A champion in their eyes, Nick Bucci delivers a lively rendition of Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemange.”

5. During the night’s journey back to the “Golden Years,” Stephen Bailey fills in for David Bowie.

6. Pete Cogan (left) and Davey Dickens Jr. rile up some country with Waylon Jennings’ “Good Hearted Woman.”

68 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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12.

9.

10.

11.

12.

JOE RUNYIRI MUSICIAN & MC

13.

WHAT’S #INTUNE THIS MONTH

Patty Griffin, Sarah Watkins &... 10th Annual Homey Awards

Wednesday, March 2

Friday, March 4

Noelle Picara Vinyl Release Friday, March 11

Red Hot Chilli Pipers Sunday, March 13

7. Kat Pigliacampi casts a spell during the disco magic of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”

8. Shine A Light co-founder Rob Grant offers a look of smiling appreciation during the show.

9. The Queen Theater looks her very best: a packed house painted in dazzling lights.

10. Ritchie Rubini holds down the beat during “The Pretender” by Jackson Browne.

11. Bob Marley’s “Positive Vibration” being revived by an enthusiastic Ras Mustafaa.

12. In true Frampton fashion, Brad Newsom (left) and Aaron Goldstein beg the question: “Do You Feel Like We Do?”

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

13. Nearly the entire cast of musicians flood the stage during “House Party” with Dr. Harmonica on leads.

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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MARCH MARCH JOIN US AFTER THE ST. PADDY’S PARADE!

Saturday, March 12th – Come on in!

Official

POST-PARADE & SHAMROCK SHUTTLE

MADNESS! MADNESS!

Hot Spot!

Sunday, March 6th: Traditional Irish Music & Dinner @ 5pm Reservations Recommended

7 HDTVs!

7 DRAFT BEERS!

Thursday, March 17th:

The High Holy Day... St. Patrick’s Day! DP is The ONLY Place to be!

OUR BAR AWAITS YOU FOR...

HAPPY HOUR! 7 DAYS A WEEK 4-7PM

FOOD SPECIALS 25% OFF DRAFTS $1 OFF WINE BY THE GLASS & MIXED DRINKS $4 CAPTAIN MORGAN, SMIRNOFF, AND BACARDI DRINKS!

6 1 8 N . U N I O N S T. • W I L M I N G T O N

DEADPRESIDENTSPUB.COM

FREE PARKING! Monday-Friday After 5pm, and All Day Saturday & Sunday At Corner of 2nd & Market!

302-384-8012 • 201 North Market Street, Wilmington

Wilmington.ExtremePizza.com

70 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Race

2

STARS µµµµµ Stephan James (center) plays Jesse Owens in Race. Photo © 2016 Focus Features

RACE TO THE FINISH Unimaginative effort nearly disqualifies Jesse Owens biopic

By Mark Fields

J

esse Owens’ four-Gold-Medal performance at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin struck a historic blow for both American opposition to the rising tide of Nazism and also for the scores of African-American athletes denied opportunities back home. It’s stunning (and yet it’s not) that Owens’ accomplishments have never been depicted in a feature film.

(There was an unremarkable TV version in the 1980s.)

It’s unfortunate then that the new cookie cutter biopic, Race, has been offered as a vehicle to tell such a compelling

story of athletic prowess and perseverance amid conflicting world politics. It’s fortunate, on the other hand, that the core narrative eventually transcends the staggeringly unimaginative filmmaking.

Virtually every plot step and dialogue exchange in the screenplay feels as worn out as a pair of old track shoes.

Anyone who has seen a few biographical films could predict each moment before it occurs. One could also easily mouth the hackneyed dialogue in unison with the actors.►

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Opening at 10am on St.Patrick’s Day!

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

Come Celebrate

St. Patrick’s Day With Us!

$2.25 Green Bud Light Beer, $5 Irish Car Bombs, Irish Stew and Corned Beef and Cabbage MONDAYS

½ Price Appetizers All Day

TUESDAYS

½ Price Burgers All Day $1.50 Domestic Drafts after 7pm

WEDNESDAYS

All You Can Eat Wings $11.99 after 5pm

THURSDAYS

All You Can Eat Shrimp $12.99 after 5pm, Prime Rib $18.99

FRIDAYS

Prime Rib $22.99, $2.50 Taylor’s Grog 7pm-close

Commemorative St. Patrick’s Day Shirts Available!

Enjoy Live Irish Bag Pipers Polly Drummond 6:30pm Peoples Plaza 8:30pm Dover 7:15pm

SATURDAYS

$1.00 Off Craft Bottles All Day

SUNDAYS

Beef and Beer $8.99, Steak Night $12.99

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

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St. Patrick’s Day Free Stuff!

Tradition Continues!

Featuring Your Favorite Irish Pub Fare All Weekend Long!

SUNDAY BRUNCH 10AM-2PM • LIVE MUSIC 3/12 & 3/17 STOUTS, WHISKEYS & CUSTOM CAR BOMBS! TRADITIONAL IRISH FARE: SHEPHERD’S PIE, BANGERS & MASH AND CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE ON 3/11, 3/12 AND 3/17.

219 Governor’s Place | Bear, DE 19701 302.836.BREW | StewartsBrewingCompany.com

WEEKLY OutAndAboutNow.com

72 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

At least the actors gave it the ol’ college try. Newcomer Stephan James, who also shone as a young John Lewis in RACE TO THE FINISH last year’s Selma, commands the screen as Owens. James continued from page 55 captures both the grace and grit of Owens as he leaves his Cleveland family roots to study and compete at Ohio State University. Of course, in the early 1930s, a black athlete—even an undisputed champion such as Owens—is destined to face jeering hostility and socially sanctioned mistreatment.

Race trots out those incidents in such workmanlike fashion that the injustices, hobbled by cliché, lose their dramatic impact.

Jason Sudeikis surprises in a rare serious role as Owens’ OSU coach, Larry Snyder.

A comic actor known for his stint on Saturday Night Live and movie comedies We’re The Millers and Horrible Bosses, Sudeikis does his earnest best as a character who may accurately reflect the real Snyder but still feels like a tired Hollywood convention. There are solid performances in supporting roles by Shanice Banton as Owens’ fiancé and late wife Ruth, Jeremy Irons as Avery Brundage, who was head of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Game of Thrones’ Carice van Houten as an unconvincingly sympathetic Leni Riefenstahl, who, under Hitler’s imprimatur, filmed the ’36 Olympics.

Though the evocative period settings and cinematography delight the eye, Stephen Hopkins’ direction is plodding. And Rachel Portman’s uninspired score lacks any subtlety whatsoever. Every scene involving Nazi characters is accompanied by jangling dissonance and thunderous chords that virtually scream “villain theme music.”

Ultimately, the inherent drama of Owens’ amazing accomplishments in Berlin overpowers the pedestrian efforts of the filmmakers, but one can’t help but wonder how much more effective and entertaining Race might have been in more original hands.

via Chef Rudy

Lucky’s Coffee Shop presents...

Chef Rudy’s Slovakian Menu it’s rich, hearty, and delicious! hey, if the Greeks can do it, why can’t he?!!

‘s

3

STARS µµµµµ

WVUD.ORG

Deadpool

Something For Everyone.

Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

and the good ole US of A, too... of course!

Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) pauses from a life-and-death battle to break the fourth wall, much to the dismay of his comrades, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic).

DEADPOOL The latest entry in the seemingly endless stream of superhero films from the Marvel movie factory breaks no filmmaking ground either, but it is salvaged by the snarky rhythms of its protagonist. Deadpool breaks the fourth wall as it cheekily comments about itself.

One could take issue with the movie trying to have it both ways: slavishly re-creating every predictable plot step and trope of superhero movies while also mocking them. But the blood-drenched mayhem just rolls on, the violence and gore somewhat leavened by the humor. Ryan Reynolds charms as the roguish super-antihero (or is that anti-superhero?).

No great art here, but it is great fun!

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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w

MARCH

The Deer Park Tavern

Entertainment Schedule EVERY TUESDAY:

Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh

EVERY THURSDAY & FRIDAY:

DJ Willoughby

Join Us for St. Patrick’s Day!

SATURDAYS:

5th-Super Human 12th-Red HottZ 19th-As If 26th-Fat Daddy Has Been

SUNDAY NIGHT: Chorduroy

Opening at 10am on St. Patrick’s Day! Live Irish Bagpipers at 10:30pm $2 Green Bud Light, $5 Irish Car Bombs • Corned Beef and Cabbage!

MONDAYS ½ Price Appetizers (5pm-Close)

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

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

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

Be our friend on Facebook!

302.369.9414 | 108 West Main Street, Newark | www.deerparktavern.com

Hilarious Amateur Comedians…

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BUILD A BETTER YOU

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NEXT great COMEDIAN! live @ the baby grand

Friday, March 18 • 8PM Tickets are on sale now!

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For more information visit TheGrandWilmington.org/LOL

THEGRAND

818 N. Market Street | Wilmington, DE 19801 302.652.5577 | TicketsAtTheGrand.org THEGRAND THEGRAND | 818 | 818 N. Market N. Market Street Street | Wilmington, | Wilmington, DE 19801 DE 19801 | 302.652.5577 | 302.652.5577

74 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY

Wilmington Film Mob, including Nate Farrar (on camera) and Stan Bachmura (center), shoot a scene with Bethany Bullington for their feature, Cutter Baby. Photo Kristin Iacobucci Photography

THERE’S A (FILM) MOB TAKEOVER IN WILMINGTON Working from Bellefonte Café, a cadre of cinephiles develops, supports and celebrates small-budget movies projects

By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald

S

itting at a small table upstairs in Bellefonte Café in North Wilmington with Nate Farrar, Kevin Francis, and J. Winfield “Win” Heckert, I feel as though something secretive and fun is brewing. That’s because I’ve been invited into the Wilmington Film Mob’s inner circle.

About 15 months ago, this trio, along with other local cinephiles, formalized a loose-knit community—actors, creatives, people interested in and passionate about film—to develop, support and celebrate small-budget movie projects.

The Wilmington Film Mob was born—part production, part appreciation, all about the love of film.

Farrar, 32, Francis, 50, and Heckert, 36, are the Mob’s defacto leaders, in that they (in Farrar’s words) “…maybe organize stuff.” In truth, the three have been the driving forces behind the Mob. They assure me this isn’t a vanity project. Francis, clearly the group’s spokesman, says the goal was to attract people who were interested—whether in acting, makeup or crew—but who may not have the connections to get involved in filmmaking. “We’re all about appreciation of film: the creation and enjoyment of it,” he says. “The people here are really ‘throwing in,’ dedicated to helping each filmmaker realize his vision.” ► MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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JOIN US AFTER THE ST. PADDY’S DAY PARADE!

PLAY THERE’S A (FILM) MOB TAKOVER IN WILMINGTON continued from previous page

Introducing

HALF-PRICE HAPPY HOUR Mon- Fri 4-7pm

M O N D AY S $ 6 B u rg e r s

Reservations

302-654-9790

GASTROPUB T H U R S D AY S

$1.25 Oysters $7 Craft Cocktails

$1.25 Oysters $4 Titos Mixes Half-Price Wines OPEN MIC NIGHT with Joe Daphne

W E D N E S D AY S

Live Acoustic Music

T U E S D AY S

1/2-Price Appetizers one per customer $ 1 O ff C r a f t B e e r s

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S U N D AY S

8thandUnion.com

E V E RY D AY:

$2.50 Yuenling $2.50 Bud Lights $3 Green Tea $3.50 Vodka $3.50 Captain $4 Fireball $4 Spicy Tequila $5 Bourbon $5 City Wide Can Beer

Brunch • 10am-2pm

801 N. Union St, Wilm • 302-654-9780 • 8thandUnion.com

And while they all have day jobs— Francis with The Bancorp; Heckert owns a video production company, HI Visuals; and Farrar manages Bellefonte Café—their common passion is filmmaking.

“Win had been doing films here long before Wilmington Film Mob existed,” Farrar says. His solo work included the high school spoof Rockabilly High School, which he wrote and produced. It was shown at both the 2015 Fringe Wilmington Festival and WilmFilm Festival. He and Farrar connected while he was filming Rockabilly and was in need of a musician to provide some songs.

He turned to Farrar, who was playing with the band Big Skull. “Nate wrote three songs in like four hours,” Heckert recalls.

Most of the Mob’s film ideas evolve from this trio, and they definitely play off each other’s strengths. Both Heckert and Farrar have helped Francis with scripts, and he, in turn, has assisted with lighting and cinematography. They’re all working in some capacity on the Mob’s next feature, In the House of Madness. The plot finds art student Alice returning to her family’s country estate, where she learns her uncle may have unleashed a demonic curse on the home and family.

Written by Farrar, the project begins principal shooting this month. Additional features and shorts from each of the guys are in the works following Madness.

“Nate’s a very prolific writer,” Francis says. “He has an unbelievable imagination and ability to connect things.”

Farrar grins. “I usually just think of something that makes me laugh, and I’ll write around that.” He notes that initially most acting was just improvisation. In fact, their first two shorts (i. e., films 7-20 minutes in length) and the majority of their feature-length Dead and Waiting involved a great deal of improv.

Farrar also notes that their productions don’t really have set budgets. “Mostly, it’s the cost of how much beer I have to buy to get actors to be in it,” he writes.

All told, as the Wilmington Film Mob, they’ve produced three shorts—Did you Hear How Kevin Died, The Staff Meeting and The Book of Eve—plus Dead and Waiting, which was filmed entirely at Bellefonte Café. It tells the story of a demon awakened below a café, which leads to the café staff having to save the world. It debuted at Theatre N last November.

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Photo Kristin Iacobucci Photography

BORN & BRED IN WILMINGTON’S LITTLE ITALY!

Farrar and Win Heckert hard at work on another Film Mob project.

WELCOMING OTHERS

That said, they do welcome participation from other filmmakers and writers. “The thing about Wilmington Film Mob is that projects don’t necessary need to go through the channels [of the main participants],” Francis says. People can come with an idea and connect with someone outside the “regular” circle.

“The Mob is really meant as a central contact point for people to tap into,” he says.

Adds Farrar: “Yeah, we’re like the local ‘matchmakers’ of nobudget movies.”

Francis finishes: “You know, we’re not in competition with anyone; we just want to collectively build up the film scene in Wilmington.”

Oya Alatur is a local musician who has appeared in several of the Mob’s projects, including Dead and Waiting. “Wilmington Film Mob is a much-needed film, acting and music outlet for the creative energy here,” says Alatur. “The films they produce are thought-provoking, funny and push the envelope—something you don’t get much of around here. It’s refreshing.”

Local actor Emma Orr agrees. She has appeared in a number of Mob productions and will star in In the House of Madness.

“Their approach is very unique. Their humor is off-base, for sure,” she says.

Everyone involved—Orr included—seems to have a penchant for dark humor, abstract thought, silliness and irony. Orr describes the Mob’s style as drawing inspiration from cult classics, B-movies, art films, grindhouse, sci-fi and experimental indie films. “I cannot say what they’re trying to accomplish, but whatever it is, they’ll do it with a style all their own.”

Another offshoot of this collective is Tuesday Movie Nights at Bellefonte Café. Francis describes the informal events as an eclectic selection, nothing too over the top: no Michael Bay films, nothing too highbrow. Think 12 Angry Men, Harold & Maude, Wild at Heart.

Bellefonte Café has long been a “haven” for creative people of every stripe. It supports the local live music and poetry scenes, hosting a robust monthly performance calendar, and it’s a cozy, welcoming meet-up for artists and fans alike.

The Café also serves as a venue for many Mob location shoots, although they also shoot in and around Wilmington. “Bellefonte Café is so integral to what we do,” says Francis. “It really it is a hub of creativity—of like-minded people, creative types—all very supportive of each other, wanting to see each other succeed.” ►

510 N. Union St. Wilmington (302) 571-8929 708 W. Basin Rd. Wilmington (302) 322-6797

www.capriottis.com 1st Place Best Cheese Steak 1st Place Best Deli 1st Place Best Hoagie

MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2 0 1 6 MUSIKARMAGEDDON

ATTENTION

SINGER / SONGWRITERS Friday, April 15 live @ the baby grand 16 Local Singer/Songwriters will compete in a head-to-head contest to determine the area’s best talent SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 11

Prizes – Prestige Booking Opportunities!

To enter or for more information go to

Musikarmageddon.com

THERE’S A (FILM) MOB TAKOVER IN WILMINGTON continued from previous page

Sometimes, their schedule involves a bit of “guerrilla filming” in other locations.

“I shot a few scenes under the radar at a grocery store,” Farrar discloses. Do they obtain permits for shoots outside of the Café, I ask. “Welllll…” Farrar answers sheepishly.

“We have a good time,” Francis assures me. “But without [the support of] Bellefonte Café, we wouldn’t have any of this.”

“So this really is your ‘clubhouse,’ then?” I ask.

“It’s more like a house party every night; you never know who’s going to show up,” he says.

Recruiting for the Mob

So what’s the overall goal of Wilmington Film Mob? “I think if you asked each of us, you might get three different answers,” Francis says. “For me, I think we just want to keep on creating, keep doing new things, finding new horizons.”

Farrar chimes in. “I think it would be cool to have a relationship with a small distribution ‘system,’ just to be able to get stuff out there.” He notes that they had about 100 people at the premiere of Dead & Waiting.

“It’d be cool to do a yearly film premiere [at Theatre N]…maybe that’s a goal,” Farrar muses. He also envisions launching something like an open mic night—an “open screen night” if you will—where any film enthusiast can show his or her work.

Heckert joins in. “I’d like to have a feature to submit to festivals, since there’s more distribution options for a feature.”

So do they want this Mob to become a full-time gig? “That would be nice, but I think that’s not too terribly likely at this point,” says Heckert.

“I was thinking about this earlier,” says Farrar. “I think I’d like to find a niche audience for what we’re doing—even if it’s just 100 people who get excited every time we release something.”

“I feel like we’re just getting our legs,” Francis sums up. “We have a lot of talented people, and I think we just need to coalesce that. Personally, I just like being in movies and helping Nate, Win and everyone else get to their goal.”

To join the Wilmington Film Mob or to find out more about them, check out their Facebook Group. Or, you can head to Bellefonte Café…odds are good that you’ll find at least one of the guys there.

78 MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY TIMOTHY’S Photo Matt Urban

ON THE RIVERFRONT

Loop-goers at last year’s Shamrock Shuttle.

SPIRIT OF SPRING Parade and St. Paddy’s Loop a dynamic double-header

N

othing says spring has arrived in Wilmington—psychologically if not meteorologically—like the one-two punch of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade followed by the Shamrock Shuttle.

The Irish Culture Club of Delaware’s 41st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, set for Saturday, March 12, gets things rolling early with a noon start on King Street in Downtown Wilmington. You can expect traditional Irish favorites such as Kelly’s Logan House and Catherine Rooney’s to be packed within minutes of the parade’s end. Also this year, a foursome of Union Street venues (Dead Presidents, 8th & Union, Rocco and North Quarter) are joining to host a post-parade party to help showcase the progress the area is making with new restaurants and more than $100 million recently invested in the area.

Later that day, the Shamrock Shuttle/St. Paddy’s Loop continues the celebration, with cover charges at many of the venues beginning early afternoon. Complimentary Loop shuttle service begins at 7 p.m. and runs until 1 a.m.

This year’s Shuttle includes 13 city nightspots representing Trolley Square, Downtown, West End and the Riverfront.

A one-time cover charge of $10 gains entry into all 13. For a list of participating venues or questions on the Loop, visit outandaboutnow.com.

PHELAN LUCKY

By the way, if you happen to see a number of St. Patrick’s revelers sporting “Phelan Lucky” shirts, they are the proud supporters of a campaign organized by Wilmington’s Randolph family. Jack Randolph, 12, suffers from Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, a very rare chromosomal abnormality (less than 1,000 have been diagnosed with PMS worldwide). Those with PMS often suffer from intellectual disabilities, sleep disorders and seizures.

Several years ago, the Randolph family sought to bring attention and financial support to the PMS Foundation by selling Phelan Lucky T-shirts. Their efforts have been a smashing success. At least one person in all 50 states has purchased the shirt and this year the campaign sold 2,742 shirts to raise more than $46,000. For more, visit the Phelan Lucky Facebook page.

—O&A

SATURDAY PARADE MARCH 12th AFTER PARTY!

IRISH DANCERS | ALL-DAY SPECIALS

OFFICIAL LOOP STOP BUY YOUR WRISTBANDS HERE! TONS OF FREE PARKING $5 Car Bombs | $5 Guinness Pints $4 Pickleback Shots | $4 Bushmill Shots PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS

THURSDAY & FRIDAY Enjoy Our Delicious March 17th & 18th:

Celtic Specials!

HAPPY HOUR: 4:30-6:30PM

Irish Dancers & Bag Piper -- Thurs., March 17th

NCAA

MARCH MADNESS! Specials During All Games

TOO MANY TVs TO COUNT!

302.429.7427 • 930 Justison Street • Wilmington, DE TimothysOnTheRiverfont.com MARCH 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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13244-PTP Out & About Ad.QXP_Layout 1 2/16/16 2:20 PM Page 1

Sunday, May 8

E Photos by Jim Graham

njoy a glorious day of steeplechase racing and celebrate this year’s 37th Annual Winterthur Point-to-Point. Pack a picnic lunch or festive tailgate spread and get ready to enjoy one of the Brandywine Valley’s most stylish sporting events!

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

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

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

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

800.448.3883 • 302.888.4600 • winterthur.org

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COMING MARCH 25

Penn Cinema +

Escape to the movies | www.penncinema.com

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

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

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2/22/16 10:09 AM

Get full details for hundreds of events going on around town!

inWilmingtonDE.com

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