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Category Archives: Restaurants

Late Summer Festivals & Fairs in Wilmington, Delaware

    
The filet on a rice pillow surrounded by tasty grilled shrimp and scallops "gave me a "buzz." It was "Oh, so good!" Barb and our table mates also fared very nicely with fish, chicken and a N.Y.strip steak.
The filet on a rice pillow surrounded by tasty grilled shrimp and scallops “gave me a “buzz.” It was “Oh, so good!” Barb and our table mates also fared very nicely with fish, chicken and a N.Y.strip steak.

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Great shopping!
 

Talk about Greek salad!
Talk about Greek salad!
 
APtravelnews–Wilmington, Del (May 14, 2015)…Wilmington welcomes more than 100 festivals each year and the fun continues through Spring and doesn’t end as the summer draws to its conclusion.  Here’s a round-up of some of the hottest events—both old and new:
Annual Peoples’ Festival 4PEACE &Tribute to Bob Marley (July 25) This ever-popular, one-day festival is a tribute to former Wilmington resident and reggae legend, Bob Marley.  The festival is held in Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, which is conveniently located across the street from the Wilmington Amtrak Train Station.  From noon until 10PM, enjoy live reggae music on two stages.  Other highlights include the Children’s Village, International Food Court, Bamboo Rain Hut, Red Stripe Beer Garden and the International Market Place with arts and crafts from around the world.  www.peoplesfestival.comPennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Fine Craft Fair (July 25 & 26) The Brandywine Valley’s largest premier fine craft fair returns to the Chase Center on the Riverfront. Described as an indoor shopping experience, the show features an unparalleled collection of beautiful items all of which are handmade in America.  Find one-of-a-kind clothing,  jewelry, ceramics, glass, sculpture and fine furniture and meet the artisans who craft them.  www.pacrafts.orgAmerica On Tap Craft Beer Festival (August 15) Fifty of the country’s finest craft breweries will showcase their new releases in Wilmington’s Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park on Saturday from 2:30 until 6PM.  Sample more than 100 exceptional beers in an atmosphere filled with live music, food and an assortment of great vendors.  Tickets to this open air event can be purchased online at a discounted price or at the gate on the day of the event for $35.00.  www.americaontap.com/delaware-on-tapAugust Quarterly (August 23-30) The August Quarterly—or Big Quarterly—has the distinction of being the country’s  longest-running African American heritage festival.  The festival has evolved from a one-day meeting into a week-long celebration of religious freedom commemorating the founding of the Union Church of African Members by Peter Spencer in 1813.  This year’s celebration climaxes on August 30 with a 9AM Sunday service at the Chase Center on the Riverfront and afternoon festivities in Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park from 2 until 9PM.  www.augustquarterly.orgArden Fair (September 5; Rain date is September 6) The Arden Fair is a time honored tradition in the Brandywine Valley.  Held on the Saturday before Labor Day on the Arden Gild Hall property in North Wilmington, it draws over one hundred twenty vendors offering hand-made crafts and jewelry and fifty antique and flea market dealers.  The day-long event runs from 10 until 6PM and features music in the grove, food, drink, amusement rides and children’s games.   www.ardenclub.org/about/arden-fair/Riverfront Blues Festival (July 31-August 2) This three-day event in Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park features a stellar team of top blues artists.  This year’s exciting lineup includes Brandon Santini, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Mississippi Heat and Low Rider band.  The fun kicks off on Friday afternoon at 4PM and continues through Sunday.  www.riverfrontbluesfestde.com

Brandywine Festival of the Arts(September 12 & 13) The Brandywine Festival of the Arts has been a perennial favorite for over fifty years.  Typically listed among the top one hundred national shows, this annual event in Josephine Gardens in Wilmington’s Brandywine Park attracts hundreds of visiting artists and craftspeople from the East Coast and beyond.  Although the show is juried for quality, it is not pretentious.  Remarkable, one-of-a-kind pieces in a wide variety of media are available at an equally broad range of price points. In fact, the festival is considered to be one of the foremost places in Delaware to purchase original pieces of art that are sure to satisfy both the casual consumer and the avid collector.  Live music, a food court and free admission to the Brandywine Zoo are added bonuses.  Admission is $5.00 and children under 12 are free.  www.brandywinearts.com

The Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization founded in 1978, chartered by the Governor of Delaware, the New Castle County Executive and the Mayor of Wilmington. Its mission is to serve as the community’s customer-focused destination marketing organization, generating economic growth through leisure travel and meetings development by aggressively marketing attractions, facilities, amenities and services for visitors.

Lyn Lewis LynLewis@VisitWilmingtonDE.com 100 West 10th Street, Suite 20 Wilmington, DE 19801 P: 302-295-2212 F: 302-652-4726 VisitWilmingtonDE.com

The Door County, Wisconsin Wine Trail will host its third annual Wine Trail Weekend

 

Barb and a vineyard owner. A recent image, isn't she beautiful?
Barb and a vineyard owner. A recent image, isn’t she beautiful?

APtravelnews-DOOR COUNTY, Wis. May 13th – On May 15-17th  Indulge in a fun-filled weekend at all eight local wineries featuring orchard and vineyard tours, cheese and chocolate pairings, live music, private tastings, and much more. The Wine Trail Weekend will include the following:

  • Door 44 Winery: Try our Blind Tasting Challenge: sample 3 wines poured blind for $4, correctly identify all 3 wines and you will receive $5 off your purchase.
    Door Peninsula Winery: Enjoy a truffle chocolate plate with wine tasting for $5 and free guided tours all weekend.
    Harbor Ridge Winery: Live music on Saturday from 1- 4 pm.
    Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery: Enjoy free tours, complimentary wine tasting, and live music from 1-4 pm on Saturday. Relax with a glass of wine; buy one get one free all weekend.
  • Red Oak Winery & Vineyard: Sample Port wines with chocolate.
  • Simon Creek Vineyard & Winery: Live music 1-5 pm on Sunday.
  • Stone’s Throw Winery: Vino! Vino! Original recipe meatballs included with your tasting of ultra-premium grape wines.
  • von Stiehl Winery: Stop in for a free tour plus a wine and cheese pairing at 9:30 am or 10:30 am.

Barb and I visited this wonderful area. We experienced both a summer and winter visit. Loved the cherries, the ice fishing and ah; the wines too!

For a complete listing of all the wineries and events, please visit doorcountywinetrail.com.

The Door County Wine Trail is composed of eight wineries in Door County. The County has more wineries than any other Wisconsin county and is quickly becoming one of the premier wine regions and destinations in the Midwest.News Release from  timlawrie55@hotmail.com

Spiro Taverna Prides Itself Rightly in Capturing The Warm Tradition of Great Greek Cuisine

Flaming brandy on cheese! Delicious once the fire was out! Loved this appetizer!
Flaming brandy on cheese! Delicious once the fire was out! Loved this appetizer!

APtravelnews-April 11th– Port St Lucie West, FL.Barb and I have once again put on our cuisine hats and visited Spiro’s Taverna Greek Restaurant.  If there is one dish I enjoy its shish kabob. I’ve had this skewered, either chicken, or marinated pork dish braised for me all over the world! Recently, we have kept our hunger under control in the good old USA. There are so many fabulous places all over the US, and it would take many lifetimes to visit all of these thousands of food emporiums, so why bother traveling anywhere else? Every country in the world’s cuisine is represented healthfully in this country-no more going to Mexico for me, hate spending my nights with stomach miseries!

OK! So we first dove into a flaming  Saganaki of cooked golden brown Greek Kasseri cheese doused with brandy and set aflame at the table (see image) coupled with fresh bakes pita bread. Quite delicious and really revved up our appetite (helps not to eat lunch, the day you go for dinner at a Greek Restaurant). A quick lip-wipe and then our shish kabob showed up in the hands of our able and smiling server; Tara. With rice, a dish of tzatziki a creamy delicious condiment that is so Greek and we absolutely face-slapped this marinated, burnt on the edges, grilled meat with a comma of tasty green pepper between each piece on the skewer. Barb and I share everything as we comment on each and every aspect of our review meals for American Press Travel News. So it was with the next dish; a Greek sampler platter replete with Moussaka, pastitsio, & spinach pie.  These are authentic and we might as well have been in Athens at a Taverna there, but without the plane, transfers and Russian Roulette accommodations we had it our way in Spiro’s. The owners also have two other Greek food emporiums: Olympic Taverna in Jensen Beach and the Olympic Diner in Palm City. We plan on visiting them when we come back from our farm.

Spiro’s “Live Long Eat Greek”; their motto, is located at 1738 SW Saint LucieWest Blvd. Port St Lucie, FL 772-879-4083  www.spirostaverna.comIMG_5154

Talk about Greek salad! Best in PSL.
Talk about Greek salad! Best in PSL.
Tara brings our kabob and Greek platter.
Tara brings our kabob and Greek platter.

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I Love Puerto Rico (Rich Port) Especially Their Foods. Rustico Restaurant Fills The Bill Here!

5 Generations of this family have been in the coffee business with Lareno Coffee.
5 -Generations of this family have been in the coffee business with Cafe Lareno coffee. We made sure to take some home too!
Just served Puerto Rican style beef stew and a pork specialty platter. Rice beans, plantains-a hearty delicious set of dishes!
Just served Puerto Rican style beef stew and a pork specialty platter. Rice beans, plantains-a hearty delicious set of dishes!

 

APtravelnews-April 8th, Rustico in Port St. Lucie, West, FL.–Cuisine, authentic cuisine of every country is definitely a treat to me and Barb! Flavors (sabors) of often unique spices, seafood’s, fish and preparations of “everything island” is what we just found at Rustico.

This is a nice and airy, restaurant with lots of smiling wait staff and dishes you most definitely would have to boat or fly to Puerto Rico to experience.  WOW! what a great luncheon meal! a pork platter, a platter of beef stew, both with perfect rice, sweet plantains, red beans with potatoes, and both dishes enough for an extra meal tomorrow! We also had a real Puerto Rican Flan dessert made with Guava flavor and very interestingly different from our regular Cuban Flan-we loved it too! We found out that the family of Umberto Torres, his wife and mom are from a 5th generation family in the coffee business called Cafe Lareno. We took some home too! Rustico Chef Steve Beerly did a fine job of laying out our lunch feast that everyone that visits Rustico will enjoy. They are open for Breakfast and Lunch from 7 am to 3 pm every day. Rustico is located next door to Berry Fresh on Port St. Lucie West Blvd. at 1724 SW St. Lucie, West Port St. Lucie. Phone them at 772- 333-0776

Recommended by Bob and Barb, food-o-philes, yet still able to fit in our clothes!

Supremely excellent  coffee and a Pina Colada that was quite delicious!
Supremely excellent coffee and a Pina Colada that was quite delicious!
Rustico Barrista presents us with a Cappuccino and a Pina Colada-umm, umm, good!
Rustico Barrista presents us with a Cappuccino and a Pina Colada-umm, umm, good!
These two local women love this place, "great meals, great coffees, and terrific desserts" they said!
These two lovely local women love this place, “great meals, great coffees, and terrific desserts” they said!