Pam George August 16, 2022 Food, Headlines
Drift’s “dressed white stones” are oysters topped with yuzu mignonette, shiso oil and a pop of trout roe.
In the late 19th century, Methodists traveled to Rehoboth Beach to renew their spirit beside the sea.
These “campers” stayed in rudimentary wood houses known as tents. However, they spent most of their time listening to the Rev. Robert W. Todd’s sermons in the tabernacle.
Things have changed. Zealous foodies have replaced the faithful, and the modern getaway to Rehoboth has as much to do with the restaurants as it does the beach.
It’s fitting then that one of the town’s newest eateries is a renovated camp meeting cottage on Baltimore Avenue.
Drift opened on Aug. 10, and the establishment has quickly demonstrated that it will be a culinary anchor on Baltimore Avenue — which is saying something. The street has no shortage of well-known restaurants, including Blue Moon, Eden, The Pines and DiFebo’s.
The new eatery manages to pay tribute to the upscale cuisine that made Rehoboth a gem on the Culinary Coast. But it also has the relaxed sensibility that modern diners demand.
Drift is the first effort of the newly formed Second Block Hospitality Group. Up next is Square One Grill’s space on First Street.
The team includes David Gonce, Bob Suppies and Tyler Townsend — owners of The Pines and Aqua Bar & Grill down the street — and Lion Gardner, previously an owner of Blue Moon and an opening chef at Eden.
Gardner, however, is not in the kitchen.
That job belongs to Tom Wiswell, who has worked at Harbour and the Station on Kings in Lewes and the critically acclaimed Vernick Food & Drink in Philadelphia. Ad at well-known mixologist Alan Watterson is behind the bar.
The team has talent, but they also needed patience. The old cottage, the former home of the Seafood Shack, sat on the sand and required a block foundation. The infrastructure was in poor shape. Newspapers from the 1930s served as insulation, and there was a mishmash of additions.
Shipping issues kept Drift stuck in the dock for months, and there were permit-approval delays. But by August, it all came together.
The outline of the old tent cottage remains, but the structure has undoubtedly been updated.
There is now a breakfast bar-like opening in the front, allowing patrons to sit outside, backs to the sidewalk, and peer into the main bar. They can have a drink or select from the full menu.
There is also an outdoor dining area in the back.
Inside, a center aisle divides the dining room that is slender but still thoughtfully designed with the help of Rebecca Fluharty.
Wallpaper with a metallic sheen sports silvery whales and turtle-riding fish on one side, while the other sports built-in shelves that hold old books, lush plants, statues, an hourglass and other charity shop finds.
Although the white marble and wood tables have no tablecloths, there’s still a sense of warmth thanks to plump pillows, tufted-back booths, seat cushions and wainscoting.
Whimsical otters in top hats adorn white plates.
“The otters are kind of our spirit animal: Gardner explained. “Legend has it that humans first learned about oysters from watching otters crack them open and slurp them down while floating around on their backs. I supposed we might have figured it out anyway, but we thought it was a cool connection, so we made the otter our mascot.”
Like the décor, the menu blends the refined with the approachable. Indeed, Drift is no ordinary oyster house; the raw bar is an emphasis but not the sole focus.
Instead, the food is elegant with a discernable connection to classic techniques.
The black bass ($36), for instance, is served with a glistening sauce américaine poured tableside. You can taste the buttery richness of the lobster stock as it pools on your palate.
Instead of simple oysters on the half shell, try “dressed white stones” ($5 each) — Virginia oysters topped with yuzu mignonette, shiso oil and a salty pop of trout roe.
Shiso oil also created the decorative swirls around our tuna tartare ($22), made with Maine bluefin tuna, a scoop of avocado and a dusting of nori furikake rice seasoning.
RELATED STORY: 9 Delaware restaurant earn Wine Spectator recognition.
I’d like more vegetable options on the menu because the kitchen is so clearly devoted to using fresh ingredients.
For instance, an heirloom sun-gold tomato salad ($15) comes with local grilled corn, chopped cucumbers and pickled pink shallot with sherry vinaigrette. Whipped ricotta is a cool counterpoint to the tart, sweet elements.
In general, expect the unexpected in this seafood restaurant.
For instance, Maine Lobster French toast ($24) — made with house brioche — is served with braised leeks and tarragon. Swordfish schnitzel ($36) gets a briny punch from preserved lemon and capers.
It all goes well with the cocktail list that patrons seem to favor. The percussive sound of cocktail shakers was steady at the bar.
Ask for rocks on the side, and the glass comes with tiny tongs.
This attention to detail — from the ingredients to the presentation to the ambiance — shows that Drift is managed by professionals who learned from innovators who turned Rehoboth into a culinary destination.
For those of us who miss those highly experimental days, Drift is a welcome port of call.
A new state website compares the average costs for different kinds of services at Delaware hospitals, based on actual medical claims. But don’t get too excited about the comparisons on CostAware. None of the information is tagged to a specific hospital, although in a few cases, it’s easy to guess which institution the information came from. Without any IDs, it’s hard for the average consumers to use the data to make decisions in their own lives. Molly Magarik, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, said in a press release she hopes that information will be included in future versions of the website. That’s not mentioned on the brand-new site unveiled Thursday. In a Frequently Asked Questions section, one question asks, “Why can’t I see the names of hospitals or providers?” The answer said the point of the initial version is to increase transparency in the performance of the state health care system. “It is anticipated that future versions of CostAware will include more detailed cost, utilization and quality information,” it says, but does not include revealing hospital names. The site also says it hopes to include hospitals in neighboring states. Created by the Department of Health and Social Services and Delaware Health Care Commission, CostAware compares costs for five kinds of care at six state hospital systems: cardiac procedures, C-section birth, emergency department visits, knee and hip replacement, and vaginal delivery. CostAware also shows info about the costs of a basic blood test, colonoscopy, doctor visits, hemoglobin A1c, head CT, lumbar spine MRI and screening mammography gleaned from five accountable care organizations. Those are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers who ban together, usually by institutional affiliation, to create right time, right place services that can earn them more Medicare bucks. The rates on the site are based on 2019 medical claims in the Delaware Health Care Claims Database and reflect the cost that consumers and their insurers actually paid for the care. The site includes readmission and utilization rates, as well as patient satisfaction scores, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Each episode of care and service can be filtered further by the type of insurance: commercial, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. “This kind of transparency and public awareness of health care spending is important for everyone in the system – consumers, health care providers, taxpayers, insurers and businesses,” Magarik said in the press release. “We all want good value for the health care dollars we do spend. CostAware offers a glimpse into the actual costs that Delawareans and their insurers are paying, and the quality measures associated with that care.” The site also breaks down the average monthly cost of care for each member of an accountable care organization and the top procedures for several age and gender groups based on overall volume and dollar volume. Work on comparing costs because in early 2020, when DHSS and the Delaware Health Care Commission began working with the Delaware Health Information Network to develop and implement various health care cost and quality analyses. CostAware is the result of goals from that partnership that include expanding the claims database analysis, measurement and reporting capabilities to increase transparency; highlighting variation in health care system performance; adding to consumers’ knowledge base; and identifying opportunities to improve quality and reduce costs for Delaware residents. Slowing the growth of health care spending was a goal for Gov. John Carney, whose Executive Order 25, established a controversial state health care spending benchmark. That is a percentage of previous expenses that the state wants to keep the next year’s costs under. The first spending benchmark went into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, and was set at 3.8% over the previous years expenditures. The target was expected to decrease gradually to 3% over the following three years. The first benchmark report measured the growth rate at 7.8% for 2019, or more than twice the 3.8% target.
The Delaware Agriculture Museum in Dover showcases the state’s biggest industry. The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover is set to undergo major improvements after receiving a $1.6 million grant from the state’s bond bill. The museum plans to use the grant to complete much-needed infrastructural improvements, including electrical and energy-efficient lighting upgrades to the museum’s main building, all with the goal of enhancing the visitor experience, according to executive director Carolyn Claypoole. With the funds, the museum hopes to create a “model, multi-use facility with programs that promote Delaware agriculture.” The 2022 bond bill included $70 million for one-time allocations that legislators earmark for nonprofits, schools, and community agencies in their districts. The bond bill set a record with $1.3 billion in projects, in part propped up by a budget surplus of over $1 billion. The museum opened its doors in 1980. In its more than 40 years of operation, it has developed exhibits and programs aimed at educating visitors about Delaware’s largest industry. Claypoole said the facility may upgrade the lobby and gift shop area if it has money left after completing the essential projects. “We are elated at the news that we received $1.6 million in bond bill funding,” Claypoole said. “Our main building is now approximately 43 years old and has been in dire need of upgrades for many years.” Work is set to begin in September and, if all goes according to plan, should be complete by mid-winter 2022, she said. In order to maintain minimal disruption to visitors, most of the work will take place at night and on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, when the museum is not open to the public. The museum attracts about 9,000 visitors per year, including those who come for special events. Claypoole said the museum’s size allowed it to resume operation after the brunt of the COVID pandemic was over. “Because we have a 38,000-square-foot facility we were able to welcome people here safely for a series of our annual events as well as some new events that we have planned,” Claypoole said. Loockerman Landing is the unofficial name for the five-acre 1890s village located on the museum’s campus. The Delaware Agriculture Museum farmhouse The vintage train station at the Delaware Agriculture Museum. The Delaware Agriculture Museum church The Delaware Agriculture Museum General Store Inside the Delaware Agriculture Museum general store The Delaware Agriculture Museum’s smithy The Delaware Agriculture Museum mill The Delaware Agriculture Museum schoolhouse The entryway to the Delaware Agriculture Museum The village features historic buildings that were brought to the museum from across the state. The oldest building dates back to 1825 while the most recent building dates to 1900. Buildings include a general store (c. 1873), farmhouse (c. 1893), schoolhouse (c. 1850), train station (c. 1864), blacksmith shop (c. 1850), wheelwright shop (c. 1886) and a barbershop (c. 1900). The recently restored St. Thomas Episcopal Methodist Church (c. 1857) is even available for private wedding ceremonies. The historic buildings benefitted from renovations last year made possible by a $150,000 grant from the Crystal Trust, which allocates grants to nonprofits focused on education, social and family services, and programs for seniors, the disadvantaged and the homeless. The museum plans to launch a living history program at Loockerman Landing which will have re-enactors providing visitors with a first person look at life in rural Delaware in the 19th century. “We are working on many new ways to enhance the visitor experience at our museum,” said Claypoole. “The Agricultural Museum is beloved by all who come here and we’re just working on new ways to share the museum and to grow the museum to broaden our reach within the state and the region and now around the country through virtual field trips.” The museum’s grant was requested by Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Frederica. Bonini serves on the Capital Improvements Committee, which allocates the community redevelopment grants. “The Agricultural Museum is a true Delaware treasure and a significant educational and economic asset for Kent County,” Bonini said. “Thousands of Delaware school children visit the museum and it is a hub for Delaware’s important agricultural legacy.” The museum and village are located at 866 N Dupont Highway in Dover. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission costs $5 for visitors ages 18 and up, $3 for visitors between the ages of 6 and 17. Visitors 5 and under are free. For more, go here.
‘If there is doubt, we ask that schools remain in the remote setting for the safety of staff and students,’ DSEA president Stephanie Ingram said.
Melissa Tracy’s passion for service and dedication to ensuring success for younger generations is part of the reason she was one of 10 charter school teachers in America to win the 2022 Changemaker Award. The award, presented by The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, is given to individuals who positively influence their charter school, bring innovation and creativity to solve problems, and consistently lift voices around them. “It’s been very challenging teaching during COVID,” Tracy told Delaware LIVE News. “To be recognized, particularly at a national level, definitely helps uplift my spirits and makes me feel appreciated.” Tracy said the award is more a reflection of her students’ efforts than her own. “As educators, everything we do is not for any sort of recognition,” she said. “It’s all for serving our students.” A native of Orange County, California, Tracy began her career teaching history, but now focuses on STEM and social studies. She teaches six classes, including AP Human Geography, Human Geography and Civics, and a dual-enrollment U.S. history course in partnership with Delaware Technical Community College. Tracy also runs the food studies career pathway, where she teaches students about food through the lens of culture, environment, power and history. The program also provides students an opportunity to work in Odyssey’s Hydroponic Learning Lab. “Ms. Tracy is a changemaker because she single-handedly brought the hydroponics learning lab to Odyssey and helped develop an entire career pathway,” said Noelle Jackson, a senior in Tracy’s food studies pathway. “She’s a self-starter and really believes in lifelong learning and focuses on the journey of learning.” When Tracy isn’t gardening, cooking, and spending time with her family, she’s getting her students out and about in the community. During the pandemic, Tracy and her students identified a need in the community that their garden could help address: hunger. Since the pandemic began, the garden has produced more than 5,000 pounds of fresh vegetables for donation. On average, they were able to donate 3,500 leafy greens per month to community members in need. Tracy and her students also began packaging meal kits that included veggies and other ingredients. “If you are food insecure, one of the major hurdles that one might encounter is that it’s great if we give them bok choy, collards or lettuce, but if you don’t have other ingredients in your pantry to pair it, there’s limited value assigned to that original ingredient,” Tracy said. During the holidays, her students also donated about 100 goody bag kits for children living in motels. “Service-learning helps us learn better because we’re able to take the concepts from class and connect them to real-world problems, all while leaving a positive impact on the community around us,” Jackson said. Jackson said Tracy helped her realize she doesn’t have to spend a lot of money to help those who are less fortunate. “I just realized how much I can do myself,” she said. “I don’t have to go out and spend a lot of money. I can just simply donate my time to help out in her lab to create the meal kits for someone who’s in need.” She arrived at Odyssey in 2017 with no gardening experience, but that quickly changed. Upon her arrival, she campaigned for a local garden. Both students and community members would benefit from one, she believed. The community garden started with just eight beds but has since grown to 36. Once the garden expanded, Tracy realized there was no way the school’s students could consume all the produce. Food studies students spent about four months completing an action project studying food insecurity in the community and determining how to address the issue. Odyssey started partnering with a number of organizations, from local churches to the Food Bank of Delaware, to get their produce out into the community. As a first-generation college graduate, Tracy received a history degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. She then entered an alternative teacher certification program, with the option to stay in New Orleans or go abroad. She chose abroad and did her student teaching in a British school in New Delhi, India. Tracy has come to identify her teaching style as teaching with a sense of urgency and determination while keeping high expectations and standards for her students and valuing interdisciplinary and service-learning. She believes both interdisciplinary and service-learning can translate into higher test scores for students. “When you can get them out of the classroom doing hands-on activities and connecting different subject areas, students tend to perform well academically,” Tracy said. Jackson said Tracy shapes her teaching to any style of learning that her students need, especially when it comes to creating classroom discussions through hands-on and visual learning, something Jackson says is “admirable and inspiring.” Tracy will also be teaching the very first AP African American Studies course in Delaware during the next school year. Odyssey, along with 49 other schools across the nation, is piloting the course in 2023. “Ultimately, I want my students to have as many options available to them as possible,” Tracy said. “Whether that means they immediately enter university or they go to a trade school or join the military, I need to do whatever it takes to set them up for a successful life.”
The Delaware Department of Justice on Monday responded to State Auditor Kathy McGuiness’ claims that her trial was unfair. McGuiness asked the judge last week to overrule the jury and acquit her on each of the charges on which she was found guilty — or grant a new trial on those charges. In prosecutors’ response to McGuiness’ motions, they said her trial was fair and pushed back against claims that the state committed Brady violations by withholding evidence that could have affected the jury’s decision. McGuiness was found guilty on three misdemeanor charges, including official misconduct, structuring and conflict of interest. She was acquitted on felony charges of theft and intimidation after a three-week trial that ended the day before the Fourth of July weekend. “The Defendant claims, as she has throughout the case, that the State ‘with[held] material exculpatory and impeachment evidence’ in violation of its obligations as outlined in Brady v. Maryland and its progeny,” wrote lead prosecutor Mark Denney. “She is wrong.” Denney said prosecutors “diligently searched” for evidence favorable to the defendant and provided its findings to McGuiness’ legal team. “Nonsensically, the defense insists no search ever occurred,” he wrote. RELATED: McGuiness asks judge to overrule guilty verdict or grant new trial In defense attorney Steve Wood’s motions to the court, he argued that by (allegedly) withholding evidence, the state “adversely affected the Defendant’s ability to prepare and present her case, including her ability to conduct necessary investigations.” As a result, Wood said, “there is no question that the guilty verdicts in this case are not worthy of confidence.” Denney said prosecutors provided materials to McGuiness’ team “in a functional and searchable format” in Dec. 2021 and March 2022 — more than two months before the start of her trial. “Finally, virtually every piece of evidence offered by the State was public Record,” he wrote. McGuiness “is not entitled to a CliffsNotes version of the discovery – especially when so much of it is the Defendant’s own communications.” McGuiness’ defense argued that the judge erroneously admitted inadmissible character evidence, allowed the prosecution to shift their theory on the structuring charge, and made inappropriate comments on state’s witnesses that may have influenced the jury. But Denney said the judge actually excluded much of the evidence that would have been in the state’s favor to present to the jury. Included in that list of evidence the judge did not allow: State’s evidence that the Defendant, in the summer of 2020, engaged in a second no-bid contract, with a company called Belfint, where the Defendant orchestrated a re-submission of an old invoice under a new purchase order to avoid compliance with the Procurement Code. This conduct was in the same time period as the My Campaign Group Contract and was identical to the charged conduct. State’s evidence regarding the Defendant’s political and campaign work on the job, including creating political ads at the office, creating spreadsheets with campaign contacts, and rewarding employees who marched in political events and parades with office “comp time.” State’s evidence of a former employee’s EEC Complaint and Demand Letter detailing her settlement with the OAOA. The exclusion of this evidence allowed the defense to suggest the Defendant was somehow “surprised by that employee’s exit and no one could pick up that employee’s work, thereby advancing the theory that the Defendant did not intentionally structure the My Campaign Group payments. State’s evidence of numerous e-record requests that would have allowed, and in some cases did allow, the Defendant to read the emails of her employees and others, even outside the State enterprise. State’s evidence of one former employee’s testimony in its entirety which would have covered her political work at the office, and her mistreatment upon trying to leave the office. State’s evidence consisting of portions of the testimony of several whistleblowers, related to office spending. State’s evidence from the Defendant’s and her daughter’s computers. “The Court has wide discretion to decide evidentiary matters,” Denney wrote. “Any claim of unfair trial based on the cumulative effect of the Court’s rulings overlooks those many decisions…” Denney concluded his response by asking that McGuiness’ motions be denied. State’s response to McGuiness’ motions: ICYMI: House Speaker refuses to consider McGuiness removal Also Monday, the Delaware Senate passed a resolution to begin a process Democratic leadership hoped would result in the removal of one of their own: State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness. Every Republican voted against the measure, putting them in line with House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth, who said he has “no intention of calling the House into session to consider this resolution at this time.” “This isn’t taking decisive action: it’s political theater,” Schwartzkopf said. “The Senate’s resolution would simply start a lengthy process to ultimately ask the governor to remove the state auditor from office – a request he’s not required to fulfill, and a request he’s indicated that he wouldn’t carry out at this time anyway.” As noted above, the judge in the McGuiness trial has not yet entered the guilty verdict and has yet to rule on motions by McGuiness’ attorney to acquit her, something Republicans — and Schwartzkopf — said the Senate should have waited for before acting. Days after the jury’s verdict, Carney said he wouldn’t use his Constitutional authority to independently remove McGuiness from office until the judge enters a conviction. “The Auditor of Accounts has been found guilty by a jury of three misdemeanors,” Carney said in a press release. “The Delaware Supreme Court has made it clear that … the Governor has no power to act until after the entry of a judgment of conviction by the Superior Court.” The press release went on to explain that while the governor believes McGuiness cannot do her job effectively under the circumstances, and while he understands that some in the General Assembly have called for her immediate removal from office, “it is the Governor’s responsibility under the law to await the final determination of the court and then to determine his constitutional […]
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