Our Washingtonian Recommends lists bring you the best places to eat, drink, and be entertained—all selected by Washingtonian editors.
Bluecoast
1111 Coastal Hwy., Bethany Beach; 302-539-7111
Chef Matt Haley, who died last year, was the mind behind this airy dining room, and it’s a testament to his strengths that this and his other places—which include Papa Grande’s and NorthEast Seafood Kitchen—are still such good bets. A stool at the long, roomy bar here is one of our favorite spots for a solo dinner. Some credit goes to the welcoming bartenders, but most goes to the kitchen, which turns out a straightforward but ambitious roster that succeeds with the simple things—tossed-to-order coleslaw, Old Bay-sprinkled crab claws—along with more labor-intensive plates such as al dente bucatini with fresh clams or bluefish pâté with toast points.
NorthEast Seafood Kitchen
29 Atlantic Ave., Ocean View; 302-537-1785
Crisp-fried Ipswich clams with tartar sauce. A silken seafood chowder. Baked Sweet Jesus oysters. Everything, in other words, that lying on the beach and tasting the salt air has primed you to want. Don’t miss finishing, in kid-like fashion, with the chocolate cake, drizzled at the table with a pitcher of warm chocolate sauce.
Rocky Road Fudge at Candy Kitchen
Multiple locations in Rehoboth, Bethany, Ocean City, and Virginia Beach
The chocolatiest, butteriest, and most decadent fudge we found, with a ripple of soft marshmallow and plenty of chopped walnuts.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
