Out & About Magazine February 2016 by outandabout

Also In This Issue Reduce Your Footprint International Flavor Shining A Light

S i y t r u i a a t i H o n A Ma

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FEBRUARY 2016 CO M P L I M E N TA R Y VOL. 28 | NO. 12

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1 LONG The

ESTRUNNING

AMERICAN

MUSICAL in Bro

adway History!

FEB 23-28

2016

— Tickets start at $40 — Call 302.888.0200 or visit www.ThePlayhouseDE.org FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2016

April 4-9 A Week of Prix-Fixe Dining at Wilmingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premier Restaurants LUNCH: 2 courses $15 | DINNER: 3 courses $35

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4 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2 INSIDE 2

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, Andréa Miller, 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

31 61 what’s inside START

DRINK

7 From the Publisher 9 The War on Words 11 F.Y.I. 12 By the Numbers 15 Worth Trying

49 Heads Up - 2016 Brews 53 Sips

LEARN

LISTEN

10 Hitting the High Notes

61 Shine a Light 63 Scantron: Controlled Chaos 66 Tuned In

FOCUS 16 A Hairy Situation 24 Reducing Our Footprint 27 The Power of Local

EAT

WATCH 57 Oscar Nominees

PLAY 69 Bacon & Beer Festival 71 1984 Skeebeer League

39 Art on the Town 42 Theatre N 44 On the Riverfront

Mani-pedi, Hydrafcial, CranioSacral Therapy—our intrepid reporter endures it all. By Matt Sullivan

24 Reducing Our Footprint The environment is in trouble, folks, despite what the deniers may say. It needs some help from the human race, and that includes you! Here are some simple suggestions from our staff.

27 Bookstores: the Power of Local

By Scott Pruden

On the cover: Model: Bob Warner Location: Spa at Montchanin Village. Photo Luigi Ciuffetelli

Interns Allison Hageman, Matt Moore Special Projects Sarah Green, John Holton, David Hallberg

16 A Man Embraces Spa Experience

Competing with big retailers requires creativity, keeping things personal, and developing alliances.

31 International Flavor 37 Bites

WILMINGTON

FEATURES

63 No Holds Barred: Scantron The local band has become known for intense, beer-soaked, but not unstructured performances. By Matt Moore

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

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Written by

David Rush Directed by

Michael Mastro

An inside story about two iconic artists – an American painter and a Russian ballet dancer – and how they created a now famous set of paintings. During the 70’s the American painter Jamie Wyeth (son of Andrew) did a series of studies and paintings of Rudolf Nureyev, the legendary ballet dancer who defected from Russia and revitalized western ballet. This brand new play imagines what their electric encounters may have been like, what secrets were revealed about the world of painting and international dance, and how their relationship evolved…changing each of them.

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

6 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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From The Publisher

PUTTING MY BEST FOOTPRINT FORWARD O

k, so Al Gore got a little caught up in hyperbole, but there are some inconvenient truths in An Inconvenient Truth. You remember Al Gore, right? You know, the guy many claim was denied the presidency in 2000 by a few hanging chads. The guy who created the Internet (he didn’t, and he didn’t actually claim that). The guy—in fact, one of the first politicians I can remember—who tried to make climate change a national discussion. Gore took a lot of heat (no pun intended) for his claims about the Internet, not to mention his sky-is-falling call for action on global warming chronicled in the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Truth is, Gore was a politician ahead of his time in recognizing the vast potential of the Internet. And today he is seen as more visionary than alarmist when it comes to climate change. Unfortunately, it takes cries that the sky is falling to get people to look up from their cell phones. But we’re finally looking up. And taking action, hopefully, before it’s too late. The herd of global warming deniers is thinning. With the exception of Mitch McConnell and the oil and coal barons, climate change is being accepted as a real and present threat. But it takes time to break old habits and, quite frankly, I’m as guilty as the next. Until recently, I hadn’t given much thought to my carbon footprint. Oh, I recycled and tried to be somewhat environmentally conscious. But was I letting concerns about the environment affect my personal energy consumption? Was I considering how I could reduce my footprint? No, I was among the consume-and-keep-walking crowd. It wasn't complete disregard for the environment. It was more...oh, you know…inconvenient to think deeply about. Fortunately, glaciers melt slowly, giving me and millions like me time to wake up and smell the urgency. On pages 24-25, you will find an infographic with suggestions from some of the O&A staff on simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint. The staff promise to practice what they preach. Furthermore, at right I’m announcing my 2016 resolution to reduce the duPhily family carbon footprint. Have I shared this resolution with my family? You mean, before this column? Like a good diet, I will start small, with practical, relatively easy behavior adjustments. Hey, one doesn’t begin a running regimen by going out and entering a marathon.

10 EASY THINGS THE DUPHILYS ARE DOING IN 2016 TO REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT

• Eat the leftovers. It saves money and reduces the food waste that ends up in the landfill. In the U.S., 40% of food is thrown out every year. (My wife is doubled over with laughter right now, as I am pretty weak when it comes to eating leftovers. But that was the old Jerry. So I’m good with chili for the fifth straight night. Call me “The Carbonator.”) • Quit warming up the cars in cold weather—it’s a waste of fuel. (Even when it’s 10 degrees out.) • Cut down on bottled water. (The number of containers our household recycles in a year is embarrassing. And those water bottles are convenient. This is a major concession.) • Use only compact fluorescent light bulbs. (If every home in the U.S. switched to these bulbs it would reduce the electricity spent on lighting by half. Enough said.) • Quit running water when brushing our teeth. (I’ll be watching … and looking in the mirror.) • Make sure all of our car tires are properly inflated for better gas mileage. (I’m pretty good about this for my car, but our household now has four cars and four drivers. Tire gauges would have been a good stocking stuffer.) • Unplug gadgets and chargers when not in use. (It’s remembering to unplug the chargers that will take some discipline.) • Buy produce only in season and make sure it’s locally grown. (I don’t actually do the grocery shopping, but I’ll diplomatically make this recommendation.) • Begin using rechargeable batteries. (Off my radar until it was suggested in our staff discussion. I’m on it.) • Eat a lot less beef. (After reading a recent Outside magazine article about the energy needed to raise cattle, not to mention the methane gas emitted by cows, we’ll be eating a lot more...PIZZA!) These steps might seem minimal and if I’m the only one doing them, they will be. But multiplied by thousands, even millions, they will add up to major change. They may be inconvenient, but let’s face it, sometimes the truth hurts.

— Jerry duPhily FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Made the way it should be Visit our shop at: 1006 North Union St., Wilmington, on the web at: sweetsomethingsdesserts.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

Department of Redundancies on Steroids In the January column we enumerated the 10 most misused words, and promised this month to list the 10 most common redundancies. We had to cram a few extra into 6 and 10, but here are our personal favorites: 1. The double is: “He’s in prison, and the reason is is that he stole a car.” Pervasive, used almost exclusively in conversation rather than in print. 2. Left (right) hand turn. Why not left foot turn? Or left arm turn? Why is a body part needed at all? 3. General consensus of opinion. “Consensus” means the majority of opinions. 4. Whole entire, as in, “He ate the whole entire thing.” They’re synonymous, folks, so choose one or the other. 5. Different, when used in such sentences as this: “Five different players from UD made the All-Conference team.” Really? They weren’t the same five players? This may be the most overlooked/ underrated redundancy of all. 6. ATM machine, PIN number, VIN number, MAC card. I will leave it to you to determine why the italicized words are redundant. 7. Revert back. Revert means to come or go back. 8. Very, truly, or especially unique. Unique means one of a kind. There are no degrees of it. 9. Déjà vu all over again. People think this old Yogi Berraism is correct, but it basically repeats “already seen” in two languages. The correct expression is simply “déjà vu.” 10. Advance planning, past history, added bonus, final outcome, end result, pre-planning, mutual cooperation, exact replica, 10 a.m. in the morning. We could go on, but space is limited. Media Watch • An Associated Press story about Bill Cubit, new Illinois football coach, quoted the athletic director thusly: “I think Bill is imminently qualified.” That’s eminently. • From The News Journal: “. . .bringing all available resources to bare to improve . . .” That’s bear. • MSNBC’s Chris Matthews: “There’s something about we Americans . . .” About is a preposition; it requires an objective pronoun: us.

By Bob Yearick

Niceties Some words are similar in appearance, but have entirely different meanings. Three recent examples from the media: • The News Journal reported that Hockessin photographer Peter B. Kaplan was “bemused by the recent rise of the selfie stick,” and quoted him thusly: “It cracked me up when I saw the ‘selfie stick.’ What, are they kidding? I had a selfie stick back in the ‘70s.” The writer obviously thinks bemused is a synonym for amused. It’s not. It means surprised, puzzled. • USA TODAY TV reviewer Robert Bianco is one more journalist who thinks “disinterested” means “uninterested.” He wrote that a character in Superstore is “continually solving problems caused by her inept or disinterested co-workers.” I doubt that they are unbiased, impartial or neutral—the meaning of disinterested. • A caller to WDEL referred to “dragonian decisions” by a city official. A logical mistake, I suppose, in that it sounds as if it’s derived from dragon—but there is no such word. She meant draconian, meaning severe or strict, and derived from the Athenian lawmaker Draco, known for making harsh laws. Jock Talk Former Phil Roy Halladay’s Tweet after Hall of Fame elections (corrections in parens): “When you use PEDs you admit your (you’re) not good enough to compete fairly! Our nations (nation’s) past time (pastime) should have higher standards!” Good pitcher, lousy grammarian. Literally of the Month Submitted by reader Larry Kerchner: Sen. Dan Coats of (R-Ind.), talking about the Paris terrorist still at large, told a reporter, “Literally everyone in Europe is looking for this guy.” Says Larry: “No wonder Kate Beckinsale hasn’t answered my calls.”

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

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

Word of the Month

litotes Pronounced li·to·tes, it’s a noun (both singular and plural), meaning understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in “not a bad singer” or “not unhappy”).

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Seen a good (bad) one lately? Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

1/22/16 11:11 AM

LEARN

LOCAL BLUES BAND HITS THE HIGH NOTES I

Photo courtesy of Wilmington University

t’s no surprise that Laura Cheadle started singing and playing piano at age 5. She came by her musicality naturally—she was born with it. Cheadle’s father owns a professional recording studio in South Jersey. Her older twin brothers are accomplished musicians. And together, the foursome performs as the Laura Cheadle Family Blues Band. They may sing the blues, but their collaboration is enjoying the happiness of success. Named “Best Blues Band of the Year” in 2014 by the Tri-State Indie Music Awards sponsored by WXPN, they’ve released two albums, “Bruised & Soothed” and “Where The Blues Hangs Out.” They’ve opened for The Jonas Brothers, Sister Hazel, and Average White Band, among many others. Besides handling lead vocals, playing guitar and “jumping on the drums” now and then, Laura also writes songs. “Every element in my music that I write and perform has a soulful groove underneath that I love to dance and sing to,” she says. While she enjoys writing music, live shows bring a special pleasure. “There is no high like a performance high. I live for it.” Now a resident of New York City, Laura says she enrolled in Wilmington University’s online undergraduate curriculum in marketing because it perfectly fits her lifestyle as a full-time performer who is constantly traveling. “I’ve been doing marketing for years with my own career,” she says, “and I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn even more. I’m enjoying the creative projects I’m given, and I’m learning new skills. It’s helping me improve the marketing of my music.” WilmU’s online options are key for for students like Laura who need to learn on-the-go. She notes, “I can literally work from anywhere in the world. The results have been amazing so far. I absolutely love it!” Performers aren’t the only ones who can benefit from WilmU’s digital marketing concentration. So can entrepreneurs, small business owners or anyone looking to develop and maintain a website, or make the most of social media marketing. All WilmU students enjoy flexible course formats, small class sizes, affordable tuition and the support of expert faculty. To learn more, go to wilmu.edu. Get the latest news about the Laura Cheadle Family Blues Band at lauracheadle.com.

Laura Cheadle

Experience the WilmU Difference B.S. in Marketing, Digital Marketing concentration Online options | Expert instruction | Small class sizes

Explore this and other WilmU business programs at: wilmu.edu/BusinessDegrees Wilmington University is a nonprofit institution.

10 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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F.Y.I. Things worth knowing Compiled by Allison Hageman

DISCOUNT CARDS Giving residents a sense of community

esideBPG, a residential management company in Wilmington, has launched the Play Where You Live Discount Card. The card allows residents to receive offers and discounts to local businesses like Shop Rite, the Central YMCA, and World Cafe Live at The Queen. Says Melinda Bosco, ResideBPG senior vice president of residential operations: “Our goal is to not simply provide our residents with extraordinary living spaces, but also give them a sense of community, and this card does just that.” ResideBPG also recently opened two properties at 608 and 627 Market St., both near businesses participating in the program. For details, visit bpgroup.net.

DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS Book sale funds scholarships for women

he 47th Annual Dollars for Scholars Used Book Sale will be held Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 25-28, at Concord Mall. Sponsored by the American Association of University Women, the sale helps fund college scholarships for Delaware women. This year’s featured book sections are royalty, vintage mysteries, and U. S. presidents. There will be more than 50 categories of items, including DVDs, CDs and puzzles. For more information, visit wilmington-de.aauq.net/booksale.

SAILING AND SCIENCE

PUPPY THERAPY

Kalmar Nyckel Foundation sponsors lecture series

PAWS to hold conference

he Kalmar Nyckel Foundation will open its 2016 lecture series, “Sailing and Science,” on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Copeland Maritime Center at the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard in Wilmington. The first talk, “An Excellent Sea-Boat: Darwin’s Expedition Aboard HMS Beagle,” will describe Charles Darwin’s voyage around the world from 1831 to 1836. Narrated by Kalmar Nyckel Captain Lauren Morgens and scientist Matthew Sarver, it will provide insights into Darwin’s work and the significance of his voyage. For more information, visit kalmarnyckel.org.

egistration is open for the PAWS Conference and Annual Meeting, set for Saturday, Feb. 20, from 8:303:30 p.m. at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital. The conference welcomes pet lovers, enthusiasts, and those interested in pet therapy. There will be 16 workshops on topics that include pet therapy and pet wellness. Dr. James A. Serpell will give a keynote address on "Human-Animal Bonds: Mutually Beneficial Relationships in a Changing Society.” For more information, visit pawsforpeople.org.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS RMH sets events throughout 2016

he Ronald McDonald House is celebrating 25 years of providing an affordable place for families with chronically ill children to stay. Over the course of the year, RMH will have a family birthday party, a brick pathway campaign, and a gala to celebrate the anniversary. Says Pam Comforth, CEO of Ronald McDonald House of Delaware: “RMHDE is truly grateful to the thousands of friends and partners, including hundreds of volunteers, who have made our first 25 years such a tremendous success." For more information, visit rmhde.org.

CIRCUS FOR A CAUSE AIDS Delaware holds benefit

ue to the success of last year’s “Imagine-Freak Show,” AIDS Delaware will hold a fundraiser, "Imagine-Dark Circus," to support HIV/ AIDS prevention, on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 7-10 p.m. at the Sheraton Wilmington South, 365 Airport Rd. The event includes a strongman, henna body art, tarot readings, other performances, and a silent auction. Tickets are $65. Attire is “side show chic.” For more information, visit aidsdelaware.org. FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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by the numbers

Be my

V Inn AL

COLUMBUS INN

A few environmentally-related figures worth noting

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4 The number of pounds of trash the average person generates every day.

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The number of years that glass takes to fully degrade in a landfill.

120,000 The number of aluminum cans recycled every minute nationwide.

The increase in the percentage of recycled paper between 1990 and 2010.

30 The minimum number of days it can take for a glass container to go from a recycling bin to a store shelf.

75 The percent of American waste that the EPA estimates is recyclable. Only about 30 percent of it is actually recycled.

12 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Phonetically Announced

1) NEW-ark 2) WIL-ming-tun 3) Ken-it SKWARE 4) HOE-kessin Lantana Square, Hockessin DE 19707 OPENING FEBRUARY 2016!

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OVER 60 CRAFT

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Worth Trying Suggestions from our staff and contributors

The Michael Castle Trail

pureSOL Konjac Sponge

Winding, flat, hilly—this paved trail with varied terrain along the C&D Canal is ideal for cycling, running and walking. Currently under construction in Delaware City and Chesapeake City, Md., the 10-plus-mile trail will eventually connect both waterside towns. Three phases of the trail are complete, and within the next year a bridge crossing wetlands will be the final link to the two towns. I biked this trail a lot during the summer and fall, and it was definitely an outdoor highlight of the season.

I received the pureSOL Konjac Sponge as a stocking stuffer this Christmas and have been pleasantly surprised by its cleaning powers. It’s a natural sponge made from the konjac root that gently rubs away dead skin cells and leaves your face feeling fresh. The best way to describe it is as more sanitary than washing your face with your hands but gentler than using an electric face brush. For more information visitpuresol.co.

—Krista Connor, Associate Editor

—Allison Hageman, Intern

Jessica Jones, Netflix / Marvel Original Series I have not finished season one, so don’t worry about spoilers. This 13-episode series is distinct and divergent from most Marvel productions. First thing you notice is the diversity of the cast and characters. Despite the Marvel label, it’s not exactly advisable for all children. There are major themes involving control, abuse, and some sexual content. Choosing this role was a great career move for Krysten Ritter, who previously starred in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (not worth trying). The show also stars David Tennant in a role so different from his famed rendition of The Doctor it will break Whovian hearts. Jessica Jones is a testament to Netflix’s ability to produce high-quality cinematography in tandem with great writing.

Vinyl Records What a hipster thing to say: “vinyl records.” But not really. Actually, real hipsters have moved on to the more obscure territories of collecting 8-track tapes and cassettes, the resurgence of vinyl becoming too popular for their tastes. Yet, regardless of fad or fashion, what the vinyl renaissance means to me is a reawakening to the artistry of music. A record encourages actual listening sessions. It asks that you sit back, relax, and hear the artist for more than just a few minutes. Beyond just the imagery on the album cover, it creates a conversation, starting with: “What is the artist trying to say? Or make me feel?” The stark, ADD-inducing alternative of iTunes and MP3s has pushed on us forgettable, cookie-cutter confections that lack substance. Vinyl offers a deeper physical experience: the magic that occurs when the needle hits the groove, and physical vibrations transmit signals through your speakers. It’s not lasers, or ones and zeroes, or mega-compressed computer files. Rather, it’s something you can feel.

—Ryan Alexander, Contributing Designer

—Jim Miller, Director of Publications

Have something you think is worth trying? Send an email to Jim with your suggestion to jmiller@tsnpub.com

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FOCUS

n a M

s e c a r b Em

rapy e h T l a r c Sa o i n a r all ,C l t i a s i e r c u f d dra r en e y t r H o p i, e r d e d i p e i-p r t n n a M ur i o —

By Matt Sullivan Photos by Luigi Ciuffetelli

enus don’t usually intimidate me, but this time I felt lost. Sure, I recognized a few familiar ingredients and flavor combinations— kiwi and pomegranate, bergamot and lemongrass, coffeelemon-olive rubs—but some of the preparations and technique items seemed as if they were written in a foreign language. Phytopower sea wrap? Back-ial? Vita Flex? Mu-Xing? Bikini with optional full leg? “I’ll let you order,” I told Rebecca Enrico, my guide. She agreed. “I’m just going to put you through what I would do for any woman who sent her husband to me and said he was stressed out,” she said. And that’s how it was when I walked through the doors of the Spa at Montchanin Village, located in the rolling hills of Chateau Country, one unseasonably balmy Friday in early January. I was tired, stressed out. More than a little not wanting to be there. And definitely unclear as to whether men sent here by their wives usually come home with a bikini wax—full leg or no. ►

16 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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the

Spa Expe rie nce

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS

LOOKING FOR A SUPERIOR DOG DAYCARE?

A MAN EMBRACES THE SPA EXPERIENCE continued from previous page

SO ARE THEY! CALL US TODAY!

Matt, in his "teddy bear robe," enjoys the mani part of the mani-pedi.

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Whe tting the appetite

After a bit of mandatory paperwork in which I disclosed that I was allergic to cats, definitely not pregnant, and might have rosacea (a mild skin condition on my face that causes redness but little other irritation, except when people ask me if I’m drunk in the middle of the afternoon), Enrico gave me a tour. Cards on the table here: I’m no stranger to massage therapy. A semi-regular visit to a therapist is what it takes to keep my shoulders from stiffening harder than Frankenstein’s monster. But I can count the number of facials and manicures I’ve gotten on one poorly maintained finger, and I’ve never signed up for any spa treatment with the word “ritual” in it. That would change today. But first, time to get changed. Enrico led me into a very well appointed (and private) men’s changing room, showed me to a locker that contained my bathrobe-for-the-day and slippers, and said I could dress underneath said robe to my level of comfort, but I would be taking a shower later. Emboldened by this, I decided to go commando under the large and beautifully plush brown robe. I felt as though I’d hacked my way into the center of a particularly cuddly teddy bear and curled up inside it. Robed and slippered, I wandered out into the “relaxation room,” where I found a bowl of fruit, herbal tea and seriously delicious coconut water (sweet and refreshing with no added sugar – who knew about coconut water?). Four women were already there, clearly together for a spa day, chatting it up before they were called. I sat quietly and relaxed—as the room seemed to suggest— and waited for the call.

First course : The mani-pedi

For at least the past 10 years, spas have quoted a stat from the International Spa Association that says 30 percent of all manicure/ pedicure clients are men. “We get a bunch of guys who are all football coaches who come together to have it done,” Enrico told me. Translation: Not just men. The manliest of men. Tough men who hold clipboards with perfectly maintained fingernails. I sat in the chair, put my feet up on the footrest, and Nikki sat at my feet. I was instantly regretful that I hadn’t kept the boxers on for this portion of the day. Thankfully, the teddy bear robe had enough to cover me up.

34 FEBRUARY OCTOBER 2015 18 2016 || OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The pedi: Nikki works on Matt's foot, including his "quirky toe."

“Your feet don’t look too bad,” she said. “What would bad feet look like?” I asked. “Really callousy.” This is true. I’m a shoe person. My wife is the barefoot contessa, but I wear shoes just about everywhere I go until bedtime, making me a tenderfoot of the first order. Emboldened by Nikki’s compliment, I pressed on to see if she could settle a long-standing disagreement between my wife and me. “So what do you think of the middle toe there? That’s normal, right?” “Well, you had some kind of trauma to that toe?” “Ahhh, no.” “Ohh.” Pause. “Well, I think everyone has at least one quirky toe going point.” Point to my wife. The pedicure itself had only about 25 percent to do with my toenails. For most of the time, my feet soaked in warm water, nails were cut and buffed, and calves rubbed with exfoliating scrubs, which I don’t care if they worked or not because it was the best thing ever. I felt genuinely relaxed as someone handed me another glass of coconut water and we moved toward the manicure station. “What do you usually do with your nails?” Nikki asked. “I peel them off after a shower when they get long.” This, apparently, is not proper technique. The manicure station had six tools laid out for the work ahead—officially five more tools that I ever had used on my own nails, and one of which looked intimidatingly like needle nose pliers. One hand soaked while she worked on the other and we chatted—pleasant, unforced conversation, the kind of small talk you might make at a cocktail party when no one is scraping away at your cuticles. We talked about her husband in the service, her house in rural Maryland, and the gentle reminders I use to convince my son to use his medicated hand lotion (“It rubs the lotion on its skin! It does this whenever it is told!”) ►

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FOCUS A MAN EMBRACES THE SPA EXPERIENCE continued from previous page

Another perquisite: Krazy Kat's serves as the kitchen for the Spa at Montchanin Village.

All in all, it was quite fun. I could easily imaging doing this with my wife, sitting in the side-by-side pedicure chairs, talking about things adults get to talk about when they’re relaxed and someone else is watching the kids. Perhaps that’s why couples spa days are soaring in popularity. The spa press says that more couples are going to the spa together, and that’s something I can anecdotally confirm based on an uptick of Facebook check-ins I’ve seen from couples the past few years. Enrico will have to add extra beds to handle the volume on Valentine’s Day. (“Book now,” she said.)

Inte rmezzo 1 : lunch

Back to the relaxation room, and lunch. It’s an added benefit to have Krazy Kat’s serving as the kitchen at the Spa at Montchanin Village, and the abbreviated spa menu had a nice selection—cheese plates, marsala marinated chicken sandwiches and duck confit salad. (Groups take their lunch by the fireplace in the comfortable lobby of the inn.) I was tempted by the smoked pork grinder, but in the spirit of the spa, I went with hearts of Romaine and grilled chicken, with parmesan crisps and anchovy. It was a really nice salad, but even as I enjoyed it, the thought did cross my mind that I was scarfing down anchovies and garlic right before someone was going to be up close and personal with my face pores. To counter that, I drank some coconut water.

Second course : bodywork

Kim and Sally arrived to take me back to a treatment room of low lights, warm tables and a luxurious shower in the corner. Kim in particular was very excited to introduce me to a new technique she recently learned at the Upledger Institute in West Palm Beach: CranioSacral Therapy. (Enrico told me that one of the things she looks for in the hiring process is whether therapists have sought to expand their education by learning directly from institutes like Upledger. One thing I confirmed from Kim is that continuing education is very important to her. Plus, hey, West Palm Beach.) I’m certainly open to anything, but suspicious about whether anything described as a “light-touch approach” could do me any good, as I usually opt for deep tissue massage that beats my muscles into some degree of submission. I lay on the bed and Kim placed her hands on opposing sides of by body—legs, torso, head—and held them, gently. As to what she was doing, I’ll defer directly to the Upledger Institute: “CranioSacral Therapy releases these tensions to allow the entire body to relax and self-correct. Using a gentle touch—starting with about the weight of a nickel— practitioners evaluate your internal environment. Then they use distinctive light-touch techniques to release any restrictions they find.” I had carried some additional emotional weight into this therapy, some facts they hadn’t asked me to disclose on the medical form. The night before, I had lost a close relative—my grandfather—and as the half-hour session continued, my thoughts turned to him. It was a moment of peace in a chaotic week, a quiet time to reflect on what he had meant to me. And in those moments, as Kim gently put pressure on my spine and limbs and head, I felt my emotions rising to the surface but my body staying relaxed and at peace.

36 OCTOBER 20 FEBRUARY2015 2016 | | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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I’m not giving up my deep tissue massages, but in that moment, CranioSacral Therapy was what I needed. And I was grateful. And then Sally arrived with a smorgasbord of goodies to begin the Hammam Body Ritual. Coffee-lemon-olive oil stone scrub. Cardamom oil. Moroccan mint tea silt purifier. Tangerine fig body butter. I’m pretty sure I’ve used these exact ingredients before while cooking a chicken, but Sally worked with gentle care and in sequence, always stroking in the direction of my heart in keeping with the proper care of the lymphatic system she was trying to stimulate. She then wrapped me in warming blankets while providing a bit of a scalp rub that I did not mind at all. At the end of the process, she stepped out while I used the shower to take off salts and scrubs, and stepped back into the bathrobe, smelling like all those things.

Intermezzo 2 : quick break

Back in the relaxation room, I found myself enrobed and sitting next to a fully clothed young woman in her late teens who was with her mother. If you’re a young woman, you do not want to be sitting next to a 40-year-old stranger who’s wearing a bathrobe and smelling of tangerine fig body butter. Neither of us was very comfortable in this moment. To calm my nerves, I drank some coconut water while fearing they might cut me off soon.

Third course : the facial

The last time I had a facial, I recall the therapist poking at my dirty, dirty pores with a metal rod, pulling crap out of my face that I had not previously known could live in my face. I was not eager to return. Good news from the facial world: No more metal rods. Hydrafacials have taken over, and now tiny, powerful vacuums suck all that crap out of your face. This is an improvement. Before we started the facial, there was a form warning me not to go forward if I have melanoma, autoimmune deficiencies or “unrealistic expectations,” but after getting a clean bill of health there, Macy began. It’s a four-step process, which my notes describe as “1. Hydration. 2. Throwing acid at my face. 3. Sucking the crap out. 4. Profit.” (That last one was apparently shorthand for “delivery of antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and peptides.”) The applicator tool never felt much different from a close shave, and the acid peel tingled a bit, but that’s the worst of it. (I later learned that I was given a 7 percent solution, and they go up to 30 percent. I think they correctly sized me up as a wuss.) ►

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FOCUS A MAN EMBRACES THE SPA EXPERIENCE continued from previous page

Halfway through the facial, I was so relaxed that I fell asleep. That does not happen when people are poking your face with metal rods. Afterward, Macy pulled a canister from the back of the Hydrafacial machine to show me what she had pulled out of my face. I do not recommend this step.

The bill

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And that was it. There would be no bikini wax, much to the chagrin of you readers, no doubt. (“There are men who do it,” Enrico said. “But it’s not very relaxing.”) The prices for individual treatments at the Spa at Montchanin Village are listed on the menu, but there’s distinct value in grouping procedures into spa days. My day would have cost about $300. Enrico clearly hires good people— therapists with impressive knowledge and experience, many of whom are boardcertified in addition to required state experience—and she says she looks for people who love the business and want to pamper people. Plus, no one checks to see how much coconut water you’ve consumed in one day, which clearly benefitted me. But at the end of the day, I thought back to a moment with Nikki, in the pedicure chair, as I made some joke about the process. “You’re not really enjoying this, are you?” she asked. That stung a bit. Nikki was doing a great job. And the honest truth was, despite the front I was putting up, I was enjoying it, just about all of it. Maybe there’s an automatic defense that some guys, including me, put up when it comes to the spa thing. We’re quick to deflect, quick to rationalize, quick to come up with some reason we’re there. Our wife dragged us. I’m writing a story. Old badminton injury. Some reason—any reason—other than the fact that it’s OK to enjoy putting on a plush bathrobe and letting your foot soak in a tiny Jacuzzi and having someone rub that foot with salts and oils just because it feels damn good. Or maybe we can just own that. Try it sometime. And if you do, ask for Nikki. She’s aces in my book. Oh, and drink the coconut water. Drink all the coconut water.

22 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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REDUCING OUR FOOTPRINT The environment is in trouble, folks, despite what the deniers may say. It needs some help from the human race, and that includes you! Some suggestions from our staff:

Try Best Buy’s electronic recycling I don't frequent Best Buy often, but after stopping at one over the holidays, I was pleasantly surprised to notice the recycling area in the entrance lobby. If you're like us, you have a graveyard of broken computers, monitors and other electronics in a corner, unsure what the best way to dispose of them would be. Well, now that I know that Best Buy offers an electronics, appliance and rechargeable battery recycling program at most locations, I will be loading up the car very soon. Another great online resource is www.recyclenation.com. It can tell you exactly where to find local recycling options for anything from Christmas trees to batteries. —Matt Loeb, Creative Director & Production Manager

Use reusable grocery/shopping bags Plastic bags, or urban tumbleweeds as I call them, are really terrible for our environment. Animals get tangled in them or ingest them, and their toxins leach into the ground and air as they decompose slowly in landfills. It amazes me that we still use them so heavily in the year 2016. Since the cost to recycle plastic bags outweighs their value, most recycling facilities will not take them and as a result only about 2 percent of plastic bags are recycled in the United States. Just switching to reusable bags for your shopping will remove roughly 22,000 plastic bags from our environment over a typical lifetime. And reusable bags are usually bigger than the plastic ones, so you can fit more items in them, making it a lot easier to carry multiple bags into the house. The only challenge is remembering to bring them with you. —Tyler Mitchell, Graphic Designer

Stop wasting food According to the USDA, the average American family of four trashes 2 million calories per year, worth nearly $1,500. Much of that ends up in America’s landfills (an estimated 80 billion pounds), and the emissions from that food waste are equivalent to the greenhouse-gas output of 33 million cars. So purchase only what you’re definitely going to eat. You’ll save money and help the planet. —Jerry duPhily, Publisher 24 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Kick the K-Cups While these single-use coffee pods are convenient, only 5 percent of Keurig’s Green Mountain pods are recyclable. Upwards of 9 billion K-Cups are used in a single year—enough to wrap around the equator more than 10 times—and they go straight to the landfill. That’s not even including knock-off brands. Keurig promises to make all of its beverage pods recyclable by 2020, but in the meantime for a more environmentally-conscious option, try reusable filters, or alternative brands such as organic, fair trade Canterbury Coffee, which uses 90 percent biodegradable pods. Or better yet, brew with a French press, which requires no paper products at all, and produces a better quality cup of coffee. —Krista Connor, Associate Editor

Think outside the bottle Each year, more than 4 billion pounds of PET plastic bottles end up in landfills or as roadside litter. Less than 20 percent of those bottles are recycled. What’s more, up to 40 percent of bottled water comes from already treated municipal water systems, paid for at taxpayer expense. Water bottlers then sell this water back to the public at thousands of times the price, virtually unchanged. And in Tap Water Challenges across the country, people can’t tell a difference between bottled and tap water. —Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

Reuse ink cartridges Ink cartridges, according to EarthShare, can sit in a landfill for 450-1,000 years. Rather than throwing away your 97-percent-recyclable cartridges, take them to your local Staples, where they will be sent to be remanufactured. Plus, if you buy recycled ink cartridges, they cost 80 percent less than new ones and can be refilled up to 15 times. —Allison Hageman, Intern

Get a dual flush toilet Have you ever seen a toilet with one of those funky buttons instead of a lever? It’s called a dual flush toilet and it could save you from wasting tons of water. In the ‘70s, Australian designers developed a flushing system that operates with two distinct volumes of liquid, used for flushing liquids and solids, respectively. The initial installation may cost more than the standard toilet, but think about its cumulative effect on your water bill. Used properly and consistently, it would reduce your toilet water usage by 30 percent or more.

Check your tires

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In addition to ensuring a safer, smoother ride, properly inflated tires can save you money at the gas pump (anywhere from $200 to $400 a year) while reducing the amount of greenhouse gases your car emits by as much as 1.4 tons annually. Based on Department of Transportation figures, if all drivers checked their tires regularly, it could result in an annual reduction of nearly 300 million tons of greenhouse gases in the U.S. alone. That’s a considerable amount of CO2 that we certainly could do without. —Jim Miller, Director of Publications

Check out the Delaware Recycling Center We recently decided to sell our house, which required a major cleanup of our basement. We had tons of old paint, dead batteries, and broken electronics that we didn't know what to do with. A little research got us to the Delaware Recycling Center. Each Wednesday, electronic goods and household hazardous waste are collected from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Household hazardous waste can include items such as cleaners, garden pesticides, oil-based paint, nail polish, fluorescent bulbs and antifreeze – all things that should never be dumped down the drain or thrown in the trash. The drop-off process was super quick and easy. You don't even have to get out of your car. —Marie Graham, Director of Digital Media FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Ninth Street Books has been a downtown Wilmington presence since 1977.

Bookstores Leverage the Power of Local Competing with big retailers requires creativity, keeping things personal, and developing alliances By Scott Pruden

hat does it take to be successful as an independent bookseller in the second decade of the 21st century? According to Rebecca Dowling, owner of Hockessin Book Shelf, it takes persistence, creativity—including alliances with local businesses—and loyalty to a devoted customer base. And an auto parts store next door doesn’t hurt. She shares this piece of information while noting that her store has no coffee shop, which many shoppers have come to expect from bigbox book retailers (or at least those that are left—more on that later).

“I’d rather be next to a food service than have the headache of having one in the store,” she says. “I think the draw is the books.” While she doesn’t have any food service stores in the strip mall where her store is located, she does have the Hockessin NAPA auto parts shop. Though it doesn’t offer fancy Italian coffees, it has its benefits. “We have lots of male suspense and adventure fiction customers, who I’m sure walk into our front door when they mean to walk into NAPA,” she says. ► FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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And walk in they do. In its 15 years of BOOKSTORES LEVERAGE existence, the tiny shop THE POWER OF LOCAL on Route 41 has become a continued from previous page center for new and used books in the Hockessin area, as well as the launching point for local authors, both those published traditionally and independently. And to the surprise of nearly everyone—not least of all the book store owners themselves—independent bookstores like Hockessin Book Shelf are surviving in a world where many believed they would die a quick death from being undercut on price, shown up by fancy in-store cafes and rendered obsolete by technology. Rebecca Dowling opened Hockessin Instead, indie bookstore owners around Delaware Book Shelf 15 years ago. saw the big bookstore business contract and one of their main competitors disappear entirely, leaving room for them to ply their trade with the skills that none of the big boys seem able to match.

Kindle (nearly) killed indie bookstores

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Not long ago, one sure way to get a derisive laugh from people at a cocktail party would have been to say, “Hey, wouldn’t this be a great time to go into the bookstore business?” That’s because those people, presumably having a moderate grasp of A) modern economics, B) online ordering, and C) how the Kindle and its e-reader brethren were going to kill the printed page, would have assumed you were an idiot. The high-water mark for Kindle seems to have been 2011. That Christmas, it was as if Santa Claus carpet-bombed North America with rectangular e-readers, prompting an explosion in the market for all manner of electronic literary content. The Kindle had been out since 2007, but the incarnations of the device that debuted in time for Christmas of 2010 were a step above their clunky and inelegant predecessors. Bigger screens, better resolution and more intuitive navigation made them the gift of the season. EBook sales skyrocketed, and traditional booksellers felt the impact. Barnes & Noble, with its own version—the Nook—was in the fray, too. But as a big brick-and-mortar business that depended mostly on sales of hard-copy books, it too felt the contraction in the traditional book market. Meanwhile, the market’s other major retailer, Borders, simply gave up. Unable to compete with Amazon on price and being squeezed between the online retailer and Barnes & Noble, the company chose to close its stores. So imagine a classroom representation of the dinosaurs’ extinction. The scrappy little indie bookstores would be the tiny, warm-blooded mammals, hunkered down in their burrows and maintaining their habitats while the lumbering giant lizards fought and died around them. Naturally, some of the tiny competitors were lost in the melee, but among those who survived, many have become stronger than ever. Key to the evolution was the independent bookstores coming to understand what they were not—mainly Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Gemma and Jack Buckley emphasize "handselling" at Ninth Street Books.

Recent sales statistics show that not only have eBook sales declined, but sales of hard copies have ticked upward. That’s good news for those still in the business of selling books—particularly books that readers can actually touch. “We choose not to compete” with Amazon, says Jack Buckley of Ninth Street Books, which has been in downtown Wilmington since 1977. “We do our thing the way we do it. If you compete with Amazon, you basically compete on price. But if we compete on price, we lose. There’s no way we can stay open and do that.”

28 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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While Ninth Street maintains a website through the American Booksellers Association’s IndieBound program, Buckley knows that his store’s primary customer is someone who visits the store in person rather than ordering online. His customer, he says, is someone interested in receiving recommendations and wisdom from an actual human being—not an automated computer algorithm. Buckley calls it “handselling”—booksellers making recommendations to customers based on their own preferences and knowledge of customer buying patterns. “It’s the key to our success,” he says. “We have a staff of three, and there are areas that each of us will take as expertise based on our likes and dislikes. Our average time in bookselling is 35 years, so we’ve been around for a long time.” On its website, Ninth Street also appeals to the bottom line economics of shopping locally: “More of the money you spend here stays here. For every $100 that you spend in our store, $68 goes back into the local economy, as opposed to only $43 from national chains.” Unlike Ninth Street, Thomas Macaluso of Thomas Macaluso Used and Rare Books in Kennett Square, Pa., considers himself in direct competition with Amazon, dealing with far-flung online customers through ABEBooks.com. “In addition to books, we sell antique maps,” he says. “When we started selling online I went out and bought a new map of the world and put it on the wall of the store. I’d put a red pin in for every country and state to which we’d send a book. And we’re talking thousands of books over the years.” To help battle competition from Amazon, he goes as far as to suggest his customers avoid the online retailer altogether. “I try to discourage them in the interest of the public and the retail booksellers,” he says. “I remind them that they have forced some authors’ royalties down and they have forced publishers to reduce their prices for Amazon, which otherwise threatens to not carry their book. It’s changed the industry.” Those changes, he said, don’t bode well. “The purchaser might be content to save a couple of dollars, but I don’t think it’s good for the country and its culture.” Newark’s Rainbow Records, located on Main Street, also keeps its customers in mind when stocking an inventory of primarily used books. “It’s a college town, so you already have seeking minds and people who want to learn,” says owner Miranda Brewer. As a result, works by cultural icons like Kurt Vonnegut, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Charles Bukowski remain consistently popular. “Literally, I’ll put it on the shelf and within the hour it’s gone.” Brewer also takes into account the economic constraints her customers face. “Being located where we are, we mostly get college students who want books but are on a budget, and our prices reflect what the students want to spend.” ►

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FOCUS BOOKSTORES LEVERAGE THE POWER OF LOCAL continued from previous page

Like Ninth Street and Hockessin Book Shelf, she is at something of a disadvantage because of the buying power and organizational infrastructure of Amazon and Barnes & Noble. “With the big box retailers, their cost is way lower because their volume is much higher, so I really have to watch every penny,” she says. “I’m just one person overseeing everything, where they have one person overseeing every micro element of their business.”

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Hockessin Book Shelf’s Dowling says providing a high level of service to her loyal customers includes reaching them by partnering with other local businesses to offer a wider range of reader experiences. “We live and die by our customer base. We’re really ground zero for the local economy,” she says. In the store, she hosts author events and book launches for locally based and national authors. She welcomed 110 people for the recent launch of local author Sharon Roat’s novel, Between the Notes. In addition, she hosts a contemporary fiction book group, whose meetings are held in the store, complete with a meal catered to reflect the theme of that meeting’s book. Then there is a mystery readers group that meets at Hockessin’s Drip Café. During the summer, Hockessin Book Shelf features children’s story times at Woodside Farm Creamery and a cookbook club that meets at Coverdale Farms. “That’s really fabulous because they just have this bucolic setting, a restaurant-grade kitchen and all the food comes straight off the farm,” says Dowling. It’s this ability to form business alliances, make nimble decisions and meet customers where they live that really sets the independent bookstores apart from their larger competitors, Dowling says. “If we want to create something or try something as a store or a community, we just do. We don’t have to apply to anyone for approval,” she says. “People like to come in and chat and we’re on a first-name basis with a ton of our customers. And I think that’s something you can’t do at a certain size store that you can do at a very local and small size store. No algorithm can do it.”

30 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT

At Ubon, Tham Hong Tran (far right), of Vietnam, has joined (from left): Nikki Sritham, Tina Deakyne and Kamphon Jeenwong Milburn—all natives of Thailand.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR Area eateries offer opportunities for immigrants By Rob Kalesse Photos by Joe del Tufo

n Internet search of the term “immigration” currently generates more results—224 million—than many of the presidential candidates debating the issue (Donald Trump is closest at 215 million). As the 2016 run for the White House really heats up in the coming months, odds are that number will rise. But no matter on what side of this hot button issue you fall, there is no debating that immigrants are a major part of the restaurant industry. Even Wilmington has its own feel-good stories of those who have come to the United States looking for opportunity, and found it in the hospitality industry.

Three that stand out include a 25-year-old Vietnamese graduate student who is part of a cultural exchange program, a Slovakian chef whose recipes dominate the menu of a popular diner, and a sushi chef whose name is synonymous with the First State’s varied culinary landscape. Be it through work visa, green card, or international exchange, each one is making the most of his or her time in a Delaware restaurant, and the hungry masses patronizing these restaurants are reaping the culinary benefits. ►

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT

An International Exchange

Tham Hong Tran is only 25 years old, but the Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology graduate student has already done more traveling than many of her classmates. Currently, thanks to an international exchange program, she is spending one year learning all aspects of restaurant management at Ubon Thai Cuisine on the Wilmington Riverfront. “I’m getting a chance to learn how a restaurant works in America, but at the same time seeing it through Asian cuisines, which I’m familiar with,” Tran says. “I came here in December, and Ubon has helped me feel at home. They set me up with a place to stay, my English is getting better, and I’m really enjoying my time in America.” Chai Milburn, creative director at Ubon, says the exchange program is coordinated through two companies: RMC & Associates, a hospitality and culinary consulting firm, and CCI Greenheart, a nonprofit that handles visa programs, short-term and long-term family hosting, and travel between the U. S. and 30 countries around the world. “The program really is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved,” Milburn says. “We get a committed employee interested in learning every aspect of how our restaurant is managed, and the intern gains the knowledge they can take back to their home country to help them find full-time employment when they graduate.” Milburn says this is the second year Ubon has participated in the program. This spring, they are expecting students from Nepal and the Philippines. The program is intended to bring on both front-of-house and back-of-house staff, so they are looking forward to hosting some potential Asian chefs this year. “The Asian population is somewhat small in Delaware, and the Thai population even more so,” Milburn says. “Because most of our family is still in Thailand, we wanted an opportunity to bring in more variety and more Asian influence to our menu. This program gives us that opportunity, which is something I wish I had in college.” Through December of 2016, Tran will continue to learn how to make the popular Asianinfluenced cocktails served at Ubon, and will become completely immersed in the menu and the day-to-day business operations. By September, her final “project” will require her to plan an event at Ubon—from soup to nuts (so to speak). “I’ll be working hard all year to understand what the clientele wants and to put together an event or dinner before returning home,” Tran says. “I’m very much looking forward to creating a menu with food and drinks, and seeing everything through to the end of my internship. It’s exciting.” INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR continued from previous page

WORLD CAFE LIVE AT THE QUEEN

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UPCOMING DATES FEBRUARY 6 MARCH 12 APRIL 9 APRIL 23 500 N MARKET ST. WILMINGTON, DE 302.994.1400 32 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A lucky landing spot Chef Rudy Tallo has also been able to create new dishes and lend his own recipes to the menu at Lucky’s Diner on Concord Pike. Since arriving from Slovakia in 2011, Tallo has won over guests with his pierogies and blintzes, and the popular diner now features a special Slovak menu seven days a week. “When I came here from Slovakia, after five years in England, I didn’t know very much English, and worked 40 hours at Lucky’s and 40 hours at Grotto Pizza,” Tallo says. “I never really worked on the kitchen line before, but I worked as a baker in Slovakia for years, so they had me start making pastries here.” Manager Matt Tyrawski says that Tallo’s pastries, croissants and other baked goods became very popular, and baking became his first step up the ladder. After he was promoted to head chef and kitchen manager, Tyrawski and Tallo began working on the Slovak menu. “I do beef goulash and roasted game hen with stuffing, but I think the most popular item is the potato pancakes stuffed with sautéed chicken,” Tallo says. “I do them on Fridays and Saturdays, and start with 12 each day. But by 4 p.m., I’m making 12 more, and then it got up to 35 or 40 each day. People seem to like it.” Tyrawski agrees, saying the potato pancakes “absolutely fly out of here,” and sales of Chef Rudy’s dishes and customer feedback have been through the roof. Tyrawski isn’t sure if Tallo would have had the same opportunity at a place like Grotto’s, but he’s pleased how things have worked out at Lucky’s. “Maybe if Rudy had worked somewhere more corporate, they wouldn’t have handed the keys to the kitchen to someone with just a green card,” Tyrawski says. “I don’t know, maybe a privately owned company like ours offers more opportunity. All I know is that Rudy has made the most out of his chances here.” OCTOBER 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

1/25/16 9:35 AM

february 12th , 13th , 14th special 4 course menu $48 /person for menu & reservations visit PiccolinaToscana.com

for lovers to go special 4 course valentine’s menu $ 80/couple take out only

302.654.8001 | 1412 north dupont st. | wilmington, de 19806

A native of Slovakia, Chef Rudy Tallo has found a home at Lucky's.

After five years of working under green card status, Tallo can apply to become a United States citizen in May. Until then, he is studying to take his citizenship test while holding down his fulltime gig, and is living a dream. “When I first came to the United States, I wanted to see my mom, who married an American soldier and had been here for 20 years,” Tallo says. His stepfather, Fred Abel, has a son from a previous marriage, who played soccer with Tyrawski in high school, hence their connection. “It’s turned into a new life for me,” Tallo says. “I’m so happy when people tell me my goulash is authentic, or the pierogies are the best they’ve ever tasted.” He hopes to become a U.S. citizen later this year, and then work on bringing his girlfriend, Barbara, from Slovakia, so that she too can one day become an American citizen.

Rolling with The Changes Foodies, critics, sushi fans, festival organizers, you name it: almost everyone knows Chef Al Chu, who has been a staple behind the sushi bar at Mikimoto’s for 15 years. A Chinese immigrant, Chu arrived in the U. S. in 1978, grew up on Long Island, attended college in Buffalo, and learned the art of sushi in 1997. “I started working in a bank after college, but got tired of it and went to work in a Chinese restaurant in New York with my sister in the 1980s,” Chu says. “So I had opportunities other than working in a restaurant, but I know that a lot of first-generation Chinese immigrants could always find work in restaurants or the garment industry.” When Chu’s other sister invited him to work in her West Palm Beach restaurant in Florida, he began to learn the art of making and rolling sushi under Master Sushi Chef Paul Shitaki. Four years later, a friend suggested work in Delaware, where the sushi landscape was filled with opportunity. ►

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love ! On February 12th, 13th & 14th bring in a food donation

to benefit the Emmanuel Dining Room and receive a sweet treat as a token of our love.

ToscanaToGo.com | 302.655.8600 | 1412 N. Dupont St. Wilmington

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

Make Your Reservations for Valentine’s Day!

EAT INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR continued from previous page

Introducing

HALF-PRICE HAPPY HOUR

Reservations

302-654-9790

Mon- Fri 4-7pm

GASTROPUB

M O N D AY S

T H U R S D AY S

$ 6 B u rg e r 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

Anthony Gallucio Live

T U E S D AY S

F R I D AY S

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

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

Bachetti’s Famous

Valentine’s Dinner You don’t need to go out to get a homemade meal! Try our famous, made from scratch Valentine’s Dinner

Lobster Bisque • Two large Boursin & Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps • Steamed Asparagus Limone Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes • Chocolate Decadence topped with raspberry sauce

For the main course, choose from these two entrees: Petite Filet Mignon (5oz) stuffed with our famous crab imperial and served with Hollandaise sauce.

Boneless chicken breast (8oz) with Prosciutto and smoked provolone with tomato concasse.

Only $21.99 per person, reserve yours today! Order by Wed. 2/10. Available for pick-up 2/12 through 2/14

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

Chef Al Chu

“I arrived at Mikimoto’s one year after they opened, and two years later, I took over as executive chef,” Chu says. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve tried to offer similar opportunities to immigrants from China, either through friends of mine back home, or through job placement agencies in New York, where I still have connections.” Chu says that over his 15 years of employment at Mikimoto’s, he’s hired cooks and chefs that have lasted as little as six months to a year, and as long as 10 years, like one of his counterparts, Chef Lee, hired in 2004. “The best thing about working in a restaurant, especially if you are coming in from another country, is that you can work without having to speak fluent English,” Chu says. “That’s especially true in the kitchen, where you really only have to communicate with your co-workers, most of whom speak your native language.” Chu goes on to say, however, that rolling sushi is a different back-of-house animal, in that chefs are on display and are encouraged to put on a show for guests. Learning the basics of the English language is something Chu stresses for new sushi employees, so they can interact with guests. “Every night here, we put on a show for the guests, and you have to be part of that show,” Chu says. Chu also says he gives his employees an opportunity to work a basic 40-hour week at Mikimoto’s, and pays them for overtime when the hours are available. A lot of restaurants in China, and even in New York, won’t do that, he says. Across the spectrum of Delaware restaurants with international employees, it proves true that opportunities for fair working conditions and wages exist. Immigrants who take advantage of those chances are the ones who benefit most.

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FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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1/22/16 3:47 PM

Valentine’s Day 3-Course Special

$45/couple Your Choice of Appetizer, Entrée, & Dessert Available February 12, 13, 14

Watch the Super Bowl with Us! $8 Miller Lite Pitchers • $3 Drinks ½ Price Wings & Nachos

Delaware’s Friendliest Staff! 302.478.3939 | 3100 Naaman’s Road | Wilmington, DE MexicanPost.com | facebook.com/Mex.Post

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

Valentine’s Day

S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 14 T H — C A L L TO M A K E YO U R R E S E R VAT I O N S TO D AY ! 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

SATURDAYS

$1.00 Off Craft Bottles All Day

SUNDAYS

Beef and Beer $8.99, Steak Night $12.99

Be our friend on Facebook!

www.mcglynnspub.com

36 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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1/22/16 1:29 PM

EAT SMRYNA'S FINE DINING SCENE GETS A BOOST

BITES Tasty things worth knowing

Compiled by Allison Hageman

BIG FISH GROUP COMES TO TROLLEY

rolley Square's dining scene will get a boost this spring when the Big Fish Restaurant Group opens the Trolley Square Oyster House. The restaurant will operate in the former site of Satsuma (1707 Delaware Ave., Wilm.). According to BFRG managing partner Eric Sugrue, The Oyster House will have a "fun vibe in keeping with the traditionof Trolley Square" and offer a robust raw bar as well as high-quality salads, sandwiches, appetizers and entrees. Look for a late March or early April opening.

VEGAN COOKING CLASS

rop Squad Kitchen, which shares space with Molly’s Old-fashioned Ice Cream Shop on the Riverfront, holds vegan cooking classes on select Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 6-8 p.m. Classes feature topics such as Classic Comforts, VBQ (vegan barbeque), Soul Food Saturdays and Holiday Essentials. All recipes are made without meat, gluten or soy. Classes cost $100 per person.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY EVENT

rnest and Scott Taproom, at 902 N. Market St., will hold "the Ultimate Super Bowl combo" on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7, from 3 - 11 p.m. The event includes a buffet with pretzels, tacos, chili dogs, wings and more. Tickets are $50.

n December, The Inn at Duck Creek opened at what was Vance’s Barber Shop on Smyrna’s Four Corners. The décor, featuring vintage Smyrna photos, antique furniture, and fireplaces, creates an atmosphere that is sophisticated but warm. Guests can eat formally in the restaurant or enjoy a casual meal in the tavern. The Inn at Duck Creek also is a farm-to-table restaurant that supports local farmers, breweries, and wineries. For more information, visit theinnatduckcreek.com.

NEW CHEF AT FEAST

oveable Feast, a Wilmington catering company and restaurant since 1988, rang in the New Year with new Executive Chef Lisa Scolaro, who previously performed similar duties at Swarthmore College, Mirage and Tiffan. She is expected to enhance Moveable Feast's food and serving style and add a seasonal approach to the plant-based menu. Located at 2510 West 5th St., Moveable Feast will hold a hot-chocolatethemed dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Visit movablefeastde.com.

2016

SAVE THE DATES April 4-9

MERCHANT BAR DEBUTS

wners of Wilmington restaurant La Fia Bakery + Market Bistro will open their new venture, Merchant Bar, at 426 N. Market St., this month. Andrea Sikora says she hopes to open by Valentine's Day weekend. Sikora, who owns La Fia with her husband, Chef Bryan Sikora, says Merchant will be a sophisticated bar with loungestyle seating and later hours than their other restaurants. The new eatery will serve a diverse menu, along with cocktails, beer and wine. "The food at Merchant Bar will range from simple bar snacks such as spiced nuts, marinated olives, cheese and charcuterie," says Sikora, "to small plates with a global focus, such as smoked short rib egg rolls, curried potato samosas, and crispy pork belly. We will also have a signature French onion soup." For more, visit lafiawilmington.com.

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

For More Info, Visit: CityRestaurantWeek.com FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Stanley Clarke Wednesday, February 3

SANA BELL ARTS LOVER

Delaware Fun-A-Day Show Folk Music of African Americans Friday, Feb 5 & Saturday, Feb 6 Tuesday, February 9

Crafts & Cocktails Series Wed, Feb 10 & Wed, March 2

Valentine’s Speakeasy Thursday, February 11

Battle of the Sexes: Comedy Thursday, February 11

Celebrating Women Composers Wednesday, February 17

Freud’s Last Session Fri, Feb 19 - Sun, Feb 28

Diane Monroe Ensemble Saturday, February 20

FSBT Presents: Cinderella Sat, Feb 20 & Sun, Feb 21

DSO presents: Fantastic Guitars Fri, Feb 26 & Sun, Feb 28

Sisterbugs Saturday, February 27

Full details for the events above, plus hundreds more at:

◄ Brian Ashby is hoping to open 8th & Union Kitchen this month in Little Italy. Photo David Norbut

inWilmingtonDE.com

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Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org

THE WILMINGTON ART LOOP FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 5 - 9 p.m. On the Town

cityfestwilm.com/artloopwilmington cityfest

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE REFRESHMENTS

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

DOWNTOWN LOOP

WEST END LOOP

NORTH WILMINGTON LOOP

NEW CASTLE LOOP

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.

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

E”xhibition openings for Lynda Schmid, Amy Stevens, and studio artists Dan Jackson and Ken Mabrey; Delaware Fun-A-Day exhibition of work by 100+ artists; new work by February/ March featured store artist Pamella BoundsSeemans; and the grand opening of Plum Bistro!” Art Loop reception 5-9 PM. On view Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat - 10 am-5 PM; Wed, Sun - 12 - 5 PM through April 24th.

Zaikka Indian Grill 209 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.893.2000 www.zaikka.com Metal and Blues, Local painter John Brake offers a vibrant collection of splattered color on canvas throughout February. Join him and classical guitarist Joshua Hendrix until 8 pm. Art Loop Reception 5 – 8PM. On view Monday – Friday 11A – 8 P through February 28.

LaFate Gallery 227 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE arteun@aol.com www.lafategallery.com City Limits : A Visual Mixtape, Artist Terrance Vann presents a new collection of paintings and illustrations inspired by both uplifting and sobering realities of living in the Inner City. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm. On view Tue - Thurs. 11am – 5 pm, Fri-Sat 10 am – 6 pm through February 28th.

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! A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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2nd & LOMA 211 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.655.0124 2ndandloma.com Matt Biddle’s artwork is a tribute to the 70’s Height Ashbury era and everything that was involved with it. He uses vibrant color filled pencils to illustrate the abstract and make it come to life with kaleidoscopic movements and swirls. Art Loop Reception 5 – 8pm. On view Mon – Fri from 9am – 5pm through February 28th. FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

1/25/16 9:54 AM

Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org Studio on Market 219 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.studioonmarket.com The True People, Ese’Eja. The photography of Andrew Bale and Jon Cox takes you deep into the Peruvian rainforest with one of the worlds 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 receptioin 5 – 8 pm. On view by appointment only.

Kevin Niemi, “I work in a state of flow. From the moment of brush to canvas, my only guide is the painting which tell me when it is finished. The completed piece expresses the evolution of the initial inspiration.”Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Friday, 10 AM – 5PM, weekends subject to staff availability through March 1.

LOMA Coffee 239 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.893.2000 lomacoffee.com Zooplankton Sunprints by artist and designer Betsy Molina Mortenson. The Zooplankton Sunprint series is a whimsical exploration of wee beasties. Portraiture of the minute world of phytoplankton and zooplankton with a twist. Framed giclees available. Art Loop Reception 5:30 – 8:30 AM. On view Monday – Friday 6AM – 5PM; Saturday 7AM – 2PM through February 29.

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

Cherne’ Altovise 316 N Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.565.7710 chernealtovise.com

Artist Ave Station 800 North Tatnall Street Wilmington, DE artistavestation.com

Group Show, Young, Black and Gifted : JaQuanne LeRoy, Rising Phoenix, Isabel Jean-Louis. Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Saturday 10 A – 6PM through end of February.

Terron Mitchell, Mitchell’s Unique Creations. Three-dimensional works called sculptural paintings. Carved from pine wood and stained with beautiful colors. These creations are designed to take you on a unforgettable journey of shapes and colors. Art Loop Reception 5-8 PM. On view Monday thru Friday, 10 AM – 5PM, weekends subject to staff availability through March 1.

Indescribable, Smashed Label. Art Loop Reception 5 – 10 PM. On view from 8 AM – 10 PM through February 29.

Delaware College of Art & Design 600 N. Market St Wilmington, DE 302.622.8867 www.dcad.edu

Redding Gallery 800 N. French Street Wilmington, DE 302.576.2135

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

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

Nineteenth Annual Student Exhibition, Enjoy DCAD’s biggest exhibition of the year, featuring the best work by students in the Associate of Fine Arts Degree Program. All six majors and a variety of media assignments will be on display from the past year. Art Loop Reception 5 – 8 PM. On view Monday – Friday 9 AM – 9PM, Saturday and Sunday 10 AM – 4PM through February 26.

Gat-Lang, Marie Gatling, Brianna & Josh Lang. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm. On view Monday through Saturday 9 AM – 6pm through February 29.

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

Recent works by Carl Bailey and Ken Carley of the Creative Vision Factory. Art Loop reception 5:30 - 8 pm On view Mon - Fri 8 am - 5 pm through February 26.

Psychic Future: Aaron Keith Hoffer, The Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to present the paintings of Aaron Keith Hoffer for the month of February. Art Loop reception 5 – 7 pm On view Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm through February.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

1/25/16 9:54 AM

West End Loop

artloopwilm.org

North Wilmington Loop & New Castle Loop Cab Calloway School of the Arts 100 N. DuPont Road Wilmington, DE www.caballowayschool.org

Gallery 919 Market 919 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE carspeckencsott.com Animal drawings on wood showing homage to nature. Art Loop Reception 5:30 - 7:30 PM. On View Monday thru Friday 9AM – 5PM through March 31.

Hidden in the Trees, Myra Roberts Artworks in this exhibition were inspired by the Bielski Partisan, and celebrate the human spirit. Art Loop reception 5pm – 7pm. On view Monday thru Friday 9 am – 3pm through February 28, 2016.

Tower Hill School 2813 West 17th Street Wilmington, DE 302.657.8358 www.towerhill.org

The 3rd Place 1139 W. 7th Street (entrance on Harrison St.) Wilmington, DE 717.578.3478 3rdplacewilm.com Emote, the narrative paintings of Dillon Samuelson and abstract photographs by Shelly Silva bring two different ways of expressing emotion through process and abstraction. Art Loop Reception 5 - 9 PM. On view Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8-12 noon, Saturday 10-2 PM through March 11, 2016.

Tilton Cool Café 1139A W 7th Street Wilmington, DE 302.425.4900 www.facebook.com/TiltonCool

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

Collaborative Show. Recent photos and paintings of Kevin Melloy, collages by Annie Gould, and a book reading and signing by Wilmington author Devon Jones of his recent book “Traumatized.” Art Loop Reception 5-9 PM. On view Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 A – Noon and Saturay 10 A – 2pm through February 29, 2016.

Winter Group Show; Rosemary Castiglioni, Jim Gears, Mary Ann Weselyk. Oil paintings with rich surfaces and vibrant colors are featured in our Winter Group Show. Art Loop reception 5-8 pm. On view Mon – Fri 9 am – 5 pm, Sat 10 am – 3 pm through February 27.

The Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street Wilmington, DE 610.644.5440 www.howardpylestudio.org

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

Group Show, Valentine’s Group Show by all members interpreting Valentine’s Day in many ways. Art Loop reception: 5:308pm. On view by appointment only through February 2016.

A Children’s Concerto - Ken Schuler. Photography depicting a moment in time in the Children’s Ward of Norwich State Hospital. Art Loop Reception 6-9PM. On view by appointment only through February 13.

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue Wilmington, DE 302.529.0506

Blue Heron Gallery 208 B Street New Castle, DE 302.276.0845 www.blueherongalleryde.com

Landscapes, Kerstin Tyreus. Oil on Canvas Recent Work, Bjorn Tyreus. Photographs Kerstin and Bjorn will have a joint show of their oil paintings and photographs at the gallery. Art Loop reception 5–8 pm On view Tue – Fri 10 am – 5 pm, Sat 10 am – 4 pm through March 4th. A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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Recommission of a Battleship, #5 by Hiro Sakaguchi

On Paper, Jane Chesson. An exhibition featuring recent mixed media drawings depicting knotted and intertwined fabric. These renderings act as both formal studies and conceptual depictions of relationship and experience. Art Loop Reception 6-8 PM. On view Monday thru Friday 8 AM – 4PM through February 26, 2016.

Oil painter, Jacalyn Beam is the gallery’s last featured artist. Blue Heron Gallery is to close the end of February.

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

1/25/16 9:55 AM

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 FLOWERS

NR | 1 hr 39 mins | February 5-11 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sun. 2pm, 8pm Tues. 7pm | Thurs. 4pm Spanish with English subtitles Ane lives a quiet unfulfilled life, trapped in a seemingly loveless marriage, until she suddenly starts to receive bouquets of flowers anonymously, once a week. Meanwhile, Tere wants nothing more than a grandchild, but her only son Beñat and his wife Lourdes have other plans. A sudden, tragic event jolts all of their lives into a new reality, and flowers start to appear anonymously once again, but this time, instead of passion, they represent an emotional memory.

CARTEL LAND

R | 1 hr 38 mins | February 5-11 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 1pm Tues. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm Spanish with English subtitles With unprecedented access, CARTEL LAND is a riveting, on-the-ground look at the journeys of two modern-day vigilante groups and their shared enemy – the murderous Mexican drug cartels.

ANESTHESIA

R | 1 hr 30 mins | February 12-18 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm Sun. 4pm | Tues. 7pm | Thurs. 4pm A snowy New York City night, a beloved teacher, a shocking crime: this provocative drama pieces together the puzzle of a man’s life just before it changes forever. While on his way home one evening, Walter Zarrow (Sam Waterston), a popular Columbia University philosophy professor, is violently attacked on the street. Flash back one week, as actor-director Tim Blake Nelson traces the domino effect of events that led up to this seemingly senseless assault.

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WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE

PG | 1 hr 43 mins | February 12-18 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 1pm, 7pm Tues. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm Nominated for Best Animated Feature, Oscars 2016 The newest feature from Japan’s famed Studio Ghibli is a sweeping story of friendship, mystery and discovery that delivers stirring emotions and breathtaking animation as only Ghibli can.

PERFECT DAY

February 19-25 Fri. 4pm, 10pm | Sat. 2pm, 8pm | Sun. 4pm Tues. 7pm | Thurs. 4pm More information can be found on the our website at www.theatren.net

THEEB

NR | 1 hr 40 mins | February 19-25 Fri. 1pm, 7pm | Sat. 5pm | Sun. 1pm, 7pm Tues. 4pm | Thurs. 7pm Arabic with English subtitles Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, Oscars 2016 1916. While war rages in the Ottoman Empire, Hussein raises his younger brother Theeb (“Wolf”) in a traditional Bedouin community that is isolated by the vast, unforgiving desert. The brothers’ quiet existence is suddenly interrupted when a British Army officer and his guide ask Hussein to escort them to a water well located along the old pilgrimage route to Mecca.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

1/22/16 1:47 PM

T H E

C I T Y

O F

W I L M I N G T O N

P R E S E N T S

26th - 28th theatre N

1007 n. Orange Street, Wilmington, DE

GReat FILMS | shorts | PANELS DISCUSSIONS | PRODUCERS | ACTORS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

The Delaware Contemporary 200 S Madison St, Wilmington, DE 19801 Ticketed Event | RSVP Required

Theatre N

5:30PM - Opening Reception

8:00PM - Skinned | 1h28min Theatre N

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

1:00PM - Black Panthers : Vanguards of the Revolution | 1h55min 3:30PM - Tangerine | 1h28min Theatre N

**For more information, film and event ticket purchases please visit Film Festival

11:00AM - Panel Discussion

Is Hollywood Missing Something? A Conversation on Why Mainstream Awards Matter to Black Film Makers. & Actors Theatre N | Free | RSVP Required

1:00PM - 20 Minutes | 24min

Theatre N | Gregory Morris, Producer & Director

2:00PM - Black Girl in Paris | 20min Theatre N | Kiandra Parks Producer & Director

3:30PM - Panel Discussion

Is Hollywood Missing Something? (Part 2) A Conversation on Why Mainstream Awards Matter to Black Film Makers & Actors

4:00PM - Fresh Dressed - 1h30min Theatre N

6:00PM Subject Matter: Discussion with Sacha Jenkins Director of Freshed Dressed Free, RSVP Required | Theatre N

8:00PM - DOPE | 1hr43min Theatre N

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1 4 6 7

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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

1/22/16 1:52 PM

CLOSING FEB. 28th

22 17

23 21

31 29

Visit RiverfrontWilm.com for info on events happening at the Riverfront! 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

1/22/16 1:53 PM

LO C AT I O N

JUSTISON LANDING | 308 JUSTISON STREET | WILMINGTON HOURS

MONDAY - THURSDAY 4PM - 9PM | FRIDAY 4PM - 10PM | SATURDAY 11AM - 10PM | SUNDAY 11AM - 9PM HOLIDAY HOURS PRESIDENT’S DAY- MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 12PM-9PM hours subject to change based on weather | check daily at www.riverfrontrink.com or on facebook at riverfront rink

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1/7/16 8:57 AM 1/22/16 1:53 PM

FEBRUARY 2016

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| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

1/22/16 1:56 PM

(302) 475 1220

present

Spring Break Trip Giveaway! 2 The

Pick Up A Growler of

For es! & Other Priz

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The delaware growler « 48 E. Main St, newark 302-454-7695 « www.thedelawaregrowler.com 02_Drink.indd 15

JULY 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

1/22/16 2:13 PM

s d U a e

DRINK

These Beers Are Coming in 2016

This year is bringing us quite a few tasty brews. Here’s a list of some of the most anticipated craft options spanning 2016. New Belgium Brewing Fort Collins, COLo. Glütiny Golden Ale ABV: 5.2 percent IBU: 20 Hoist your pints to the mutiny against gluten with this new, uncompromised gluten-removed beer designed for the discerning craft drinker. For this year-round release available now, New Belgium dosed the beer with colorful Nugget, Goldings and Cascade hops, then dry-hopped it again with Cascade, lending bright grapefruit and subtle herbal notes. Glütiny Pale Ale ABV: 6 percent IBU: 30 Also available now, this gluten-reduced pale ale is fit for the most adventurous hopheads. A year-round release, it's armed with a hefty dose of exotic Equinox hops, blending breezy guava, papaya and stone fruits with a wash of sweet, slightly herbal malt flavors.

Side Trip Belgian Style Pale Ale ABV: 6 percent IBU: 22 This spring seasonal Belgian ale includes Belgian Chateau Abbey and Cara Ruby malt, along with some Belgian Magnum, Saphir and Target hops to build a bready, caramel-sweet wash with traces of stone fruit for a dry finish. Citradelic IPA ABV: 6 percent IBU: 50 Turn on, tune in and hop out with this new IPA, which has a mind-bending blend of Citra hops and tangerine. This tropical bliss is grounded by just a touch of malty sweetness. ►

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK HEADS UP: THESE BEERS ARE COMING IN 2016 continued from previous page

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

Monday

Industry Appreciation Night

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!

Sunday, February 14 sponsored by

Samuel Adams Boston

Rebel Grapefruit IPA ABV: 6.3 percent IBU: 52 Brewed with real grapefruit for an added punch of citrusy goodness that amplifies the hops’ tropical fruit notes, this draft beer offers a hint of juciness that rounds out the bitteness and gives a refreshing, bold, bright, thirst-quenching finish. Look for this year-round brew early this year.

Bell’s Brewery Comstock, MiCH. Hopslam Ale ABV: 10 percent IBU:60-65 Starting with six hop varietals added to the brew kettle and culminating with a Simcoe dryhop, this ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule of Bell’s repetoire. This winter brew’s aromatic qualities—grapefruit, stone fruit and floral notes – offer generous malt and dollops of honey that provide enough body to keep balance.

Heavy Seas Beer Baltimore Partner Ships Series This series embraces community with three other breweries. Maine Brewing Co. will team up with Heavy Seas with a Red IPA, available February-March, and Troegs Independent Brewing will pair with Heavy Seas for a TBD style available May-June. Stone Brewing Co.’s TBD style pairing will be available November-December. Year round Calling all hopheads: Double Cannon is now available year round. Originally a seasonal release in 2015, this double IPA will be available in all 18 states where Heavy Seas beer is distributed, including Delaware. Massively dry-hopped, but with a balanced malt sweetness, this brew captures the balanced flavors of Heavy Seas’ Loose Cannon, but with double the firepower. Additionally, these year-round options—the Pounder, a German Pilsner style brew, and the Boatload IPA Sampler— will be available TBA. Seasonal TropiCannon Citrus IPA will be available AprilJune, and Treasure Fest Oktoberfest Lager can be found July-Sept. Plank IV, a Belgian-style Quad aged on four wood varieties, will be available March-April, and Below Decks Red Wine Barrelaged English-style Barley Wine can be caught November-December. Meanwhile, the Uncharted Waters Series will soon welcome the 2016 edition of Siren Noire, a velvety rich chocolate stout. This limited release will be available through the end of this month. With almost three pounds of Belgian coco nibs used per barrel and aged for five weeks in bourbon barrels with vanilla beans added, this brew boasts a well-rounded body perfect for a cold winter day.

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

50 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Magic Hat Brewing Company South Burlington, Vt.

BBC

TAVERN & GRILL

Winterland: Winter Variety Pak A collection of wonders from the brewers at Magic Hat, these selections have been chosen for their qualities that go wonderfully with the colder weather of the season. In particular, Vinyl, an amber lager, returns as a special addition to the “pak.”

4019 KENNETT PIKE 4019 KENNETT PIKE GREENVILLE, DE 19807 302.655.3785 BBCTAVERNANDGRILL.COM

Great Menu Casual Atmosphere Gift Certificates Available

MillerCoors Gibbsboro, N.J. Henry's Hard Soda Available now, this hard soda at 4.2 percent ABV comes in ginger ale and orange flavors, sweetened with pure cane sugar. The beverages will be available in six packs, 12-oz. bottles and 16-oz. cans.

2SP Brewing Company Aston, Pa. Canning! The biggest news of the year for this brewery that joined the local scene last summer is the addition of canning, starting with the brewery’s Delco Lager in mid-spring. 2SP will then roll out more cans throughout the year at area liquor stores. “We are very excited because this will allow our loyalists to grab it in the can for any event— sitting on the couch, mowing the lawn or attending that baby shower you are forced to go to,” says founder Mike Stiglitz. 750 milliliter bottles Large-style reserve bottles will also be available over the next year. Head Brewer Bob Barrar's popular Russian imperial stout is one brew that will be available, along with the bourbon barrel-aged Belgian-style triple ale, a barley wine, spiced brown ale, and imperial porter S.I.P. Seasonals This spring, look for new releases in the form of saisons and a sour red wine barrel Brett beer (aging since last June). Summer will bring new IPAs as well as very sessionable brews synonymous with beach trips. —O&A

LADIES NIGHT EVERY THURSDAY, 3PM- CLOSE

VALENTINE’S DAY 3 Course Meal Complimentary Glass of Champagne

• $6 Fattoria Capolsaldo Pinot Grigio’s • $6 Tall Skinny Girl Vodka Drinks • $6.50 Svedka Cosmos

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SUPER BOWL SPECIALS • $6 Tall Svedka Drinks • Beer Specials Prizes & Giveaways! • 1/2-price Nachos • 74¢ Wings 8 HD TVs!!! HAPPY HOUR every weekday from 4-7pm featuring $1 off all craft beer draughts as well as 75¢ wings & half price BBC Nachos.

Introducing… Rough Rider Small Batch Bourbon Whisky Enjoy in honor of Presidents Day Weekend Inspired by The United States First Volunteer Calvary –“Rough Riders” Led by Mr. Teddy Roosevelt Farm to bottle • Long Island based Reg: $35.99 O&A Readers Pay: $29.99 must present this ad at checkout

Visit Premier for a taste of History! LIMESTONE | P. 302.996.WINE 2052 Limestone Rd | Wilmington, DE 19808 ( Limestone Shopping Center next to Buffalo Wild Wings)

PremierWineSpirits.com FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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ther is Warm Drinks are Cold - Come Enjoy Our 2 tory Deck! w

The Deer Park Tavern

FEBRUARY

Entertainment Schedule EVERY TUESDAY

Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh

EVERY THURSDAY & FRIDAY:

DJ Willoughby

SATURDAYS:

Valentine’s Day Sunday, February 14th

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!

MONDAYS ½ Price Appetizers (5pm-Close)

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6th...................Delirious Rush 13th.........................Red Hots 20th........................Vigilantes 27th....................Brixton Saint

SUNDAY NIGHT: Chorduroy

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

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52 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

BUILD A BETTER YOU

SIPS

Here's what's pouring Compiled by Allison Hageman

n honor of Beebe Healthcareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 years of service, 16 Mile Brewing Company unveiled its CentenniAle at a release party on Jan. 9 in Georgetown. Chad Campbell, owner/operator of the brewery, says the main ingredients, honey and cherry, were inspired by cherry trees in front of the original hospital and honey bees on the Beebe family crest. Check 16milebrewery.com for availability.

eshaminy Creek Brewing Co., based in Croydon, Pa., has signed on with Standard Distributing of New Castle. That means Delawareans will be able to drink Neshaminy's yearround beers, such as County Line IPA, J.A.W.N. Pale Ale, and Churchville Lager, this winter. The official launch date will be announced soon. For more information, visit neshaminycreekbrewing.com.

2 5 1 8 We s t 4 t h S t . Wilmington, DE

(302) 658-5077

VINTAGE AND VINYL

Something For Everyone.

ogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton will introduce a Vintage and Vinyl night on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 4:30 p.m. This will be a monthly happy hour with vintage beer and vinyl records instead of mixed drinks and appetizers. For more information, visit dogfish.com.

BEER, BOURBON, BBQ

GET YOUR MEAD ON

he Wine & Spirit Co. of Greenville will hold its first collaboration dinner, "Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Dinner," at 8th and Union Kitchen in Wilmington on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. The dinner features Chef Daniel Sheridan from Locale BBQ Post and beer and bourbon from the Wine & Spirit Co. Tickets are $55 and reservations are recommended.

WVUD.ORG

HEALTHY BREW

NESHAMINY ARRIVES IN DELAWARE

wo meaderies are scheduled to open in New Castle and Sussex counties this year. The Liquid Alchemy will open this winter in Wilmington, and Brimming Horn will open in late summer in Harbeson. Both facilities will include museums to educate the public on the ancient drink, which is made by fermenting honey.

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

Grainiac

Lunch Deals

$ 99

11am to 3pm Dine-in only Monday – Friday

each

Craft beer reviews from Grain’s Jim O’Donoghue

THIS MONTH:

Grotto’s Junior Pizza

Cheese or Pepperoni with a Fresh Garden Salad

Beer

Schlafly TIPA

s Schlafly (pronounced Schlaf Lee) puts it "the Tasmanian hop, Galaxy, is a strong, aromatic variety that is different from traditional strains of the Pacific Northwest.” The Australian hop gives this beer a nice citrus aroma that is mixed with a great malt balance. Definitely one of my favorite IPAs of the season. If you like Ballast Point Sculpin or Victory’s Hop Devil you should give Schlafly’s TIPA a try. – Jim O’Donoghue

Lunch Sized Grotto Calzone

Grotto’s unique blend of cheeses, fresh basil and sliced meatballs in our own Grotto sauce, served with a Fresh Garden Salad

Lunch Sub

with Beach Fries

Lunch Salad

w/ Grilled Chicken Breast or Tuna Salad

Unlimited Soup & Salad

Unlimited Soup of the Day and Fresh Garden Salad with Breadsticks

Add a Salad or Soup of the Day $1.99 Unlimited Soda $1.99 Grotto Gelato $1.99

Certain restrictions may apply. Valid for dine-in at participating locations only. Not valid with any other offers or discounts.

For a full location listing visit

GrottoPizza.com

54 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE… Our critic’s take on Oscar’s Best Picture nominees By Mark Fields

here has been a lot of justified controversy about the lily-white nominee list for this year’s Academy Awards. No African Americans were nominated in any of the acting categories, or for director. Straight Outta Compton, a black-focused biopic, received only a screenplay nomination, though ironically, its writers were white. Increasingly, the Academy shows itself to be out of step with the movie-going public.

Nevertheless, in the Best Picture category, the eight nominated movies represent a diverse range of cinematic approaches directed and performed by skilled filmmakers working at the top of their craft. Nearly all of them are memorable, even noteworthy films. But several of them stand out as works that both resonate and break new ground in either style or content. From among the nominees, here are my personal favorites (not predictions) in ascending order:

8. BRIDGE OF SPIES

7. THE REVENANT

Steven Spielberg’s Cold War diplomacy saga is handsome and solid, with two affecting performances at its center by Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. Bridge of Spies captures the tension of the period and has a compelling momentum, but suffers in the end from the director’s familiar predilection for historical symbolism over flesh-and-bone human drama.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays an intrepid fur-trapper who struggles to survive against the cruelties of his fellow man while seeking revenge amidst the harsh realities of a frontier winter. The film is gripping and authentic in its depiction of the West of the 1820s, yet there is something ponderous, almost self-important, about this latest from director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman). ►

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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HARRY’S SAVOY GRILL LunCH $15 2-COuRSe M O n d ay- F r I d ay

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56 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH THE ENVELOPE PLEASE... continued from page 55

6. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Immensely entertaining and chock full of daring stunts and explosive effects, this still feels a little out of place in this category. It represents an escapist genre on which the Academy usually throws much shade. Regardless, George Miller reboots his own Mad Max franchise in a surprising, emotional way by giving the narrative focus (and screen time) to Charlize Theron’s Furiosa rather than to Tom Hardy’s Max.

5. SPOTLIGHT A taut journalism thriller about the Boston Globe’s coverage of the Catholic pedophilia scandal, Spotlight plays like this generation’s All The President’s Men, making unlikely heroes out of workaday reporters and editors. Director Tom McCarthy’s movie doesn’t break any new ground in terms of cinematic storytelling, though it is extremely well-paced and wellperformed. The talented cast includes Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Liev Schreiber.

4. BROOKLYN Young Eilis Lacey (delicately portrayed by Saoirse Ronan) leaves her hard but familiar life in Ireland and immigrates to 1950s New York in this lovely romance from director John Crowley. Beautifully photographed and unabashedly sentimental, the movie could be dismissed as mere Oscar bait if it were not for its earnest heart and Ronan’s clear-eyed performance.

3. THE MARTIAN Another exceptionally wellcrafted genre picture, The Martian showcases the assured directing skill of Ridley Scott and wryly winning persona of lead actor Matt Damon. Drew Goddard’s screenplay brings Andy Weir’s novel to life, making science edge-of-your-seat exhilarating. The bones of the narrative may seem familiar but the filmmaking takes us to new heights (pun intended). ►

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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KRESTON

WATCH THE ENVELOPE PLEASE... continued from previous page

WINE & SPIRITS

Celebrating 83 Years

Brooklyn StonE Dominion

Fordham

BLUES

HEAVY SEAS

Victory

Allagash Dogfish

Head

lagunitas

2. ROOM Five-year-old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and his protective Ma (Brie Larson) have been kept prisoner in a small shed for all of Jack’s life. Within this 10-foot-square universe, Ma has created an entire world for Jack, though not without peril, hardship, and pain. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, the film’s first half makes magic of the quotidian as we watch these two support and love each other. The second half of the film, outside the room, is strangely more confined and slightly less interesting.

Yards

BELLS Blue Earl

Mispillion River

OSKAR

Sierra Nevada

OTTER CREEK

1. THE BIG SHORT

GET CRAFTY! A Delaware Tradition Since 1933 MIDDLETOWN 448 E. Main Street Middletown, DE 19709 Tel: (302) 376-6123

WILMINGTON 904 Concord Avenue Wilmington, DE 19802 Tel: (302) 652-3792

Although this comedic analysis of the recent economic meltdown has little chance of winning Best Picture (it’s too clever and self-aware for Oscar’s tastes), it is the most distinctive film of 2015 for its snarky, goofball approach to storytelling. A remarkable, albeit all-male cast (Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, etc.) and rule-breaking direction from Adam McKay actually make sense out of arcane financial dealings. Who would have believed that the director of Anchorman would create one of the most provocatively thoughtful films of the year? The Oscars will be presented Sunday night, Feb. 28, and will be worth watching if for no other reason than Chris Rock’s take on the monochromatic aspect of the nominees. Should be catnip for a skilled comedian like Rock.

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58 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LOOK!

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12/22/15 1:11 PM

Ernest & Scott will Open at 4pm for Super Bowl Party !

The ULTIMATe

Super Bowl ComBo!

Sunday, February 7th, 4pm – Close $ 50 includes: OPEN BAR from 6-10pm ALL-U-CAN EAT FOOTBALL BUFFET: featuring pretzels, tacos, chili dogs, wings and MORE! Bring Your Sunday Brunch Receipt From Chelsea Tavern to receive 10% OFF THE BIGGEST SUPER BOWL PARTY on Market Street!

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60 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN

Last year’s event, which had a 1975 theme, was embraced by fans. Photo Joe del Tufo

LIGHT UP 1976 Annual sell-out concert Shine A Light is back on Feb. 20 to raise funds for community outreach programs By Krista Connor

he same year Steve Jobs created Apple Computer and the United States celebrated its 200th birthday, the international music scene was awash in punk rock, disco and early glimmers of new wave. The year was 1976, and 50 local musicians are banding together to commemorate it with Shine A Light 2016—A Tribute to 1976 at Wilmington’s World Cafe Live at The Queen on Saturday, Feb. 20. The performance will be the fifth consecutive sell-out show that has become a lucrative fundraiser for Light Up the Queen Foundation, which focuses on keeping the venue revived, and for

community and arts outreaches. The annual show is considered one of the biggest and best concerts in Wilmington. Each song in this year’s show will feature a different lineup of the area’s most talented, influential and prominent musicians, representing multiple generations of Wilmington’s music scene. For the first three years, the event focused on Rolling Stones covers, but at last year’s event organizers switched to a 1975 theme. It was embraced by fans, says event co-founder Rob Grant. Now the concert will roll on to the next great year in music. ► FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN 302.658.6626 :: FireStoneRiverfront.com 110 West St., Wilmington, DE 19801

LIGHT UP 1976 continued from previous page

Photo Joe del Tufo

VALENTINE’Sweekend romance on the riverfront Enjoy a very

SPECIAL CHEF’S MENU: ♥ Thursday 2/11 ♥ ♥ Friday 2/12 ♥ with Flip Like Wilson ♥

Saturday 2/13 ♥

with Laura Lea and Tripp Fabulous ♥

Sunday 2/14 ♥ Open 2pm – 9pm

RESERVATIONS Suggested! (online reservations not available)

Please email: sarah@firestoneriverfront.com or call: 302.658.6626 facebook.com/FireStoneWilmington Instagram/FirestoneKitchen

Laura Moss performed “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvin Bishop last year.

“I’m optimistic that we will continue to put the biggest crowds ever into the World Cafe Live and that the energy will continue to ramp up,” says Grant. The ’70s focus stems from the decade being “a crazy time” in the music world, according to Grant. Sounds from the ‘60s had evolved with full force, while punk and disco were just starting to gain traction. The diversity is perfect for a concert of such large proportions—musicians can jump from Zeppelin to Abba to Freddie Fender in a single segment, Grant says. Shine A Light originated from an idea from Grant and his friend, Chip Porter, the event co-founder and guitarist/vocalist in area band Montana Wildaxe. With one smash annual event under their belts—Jam on the Brandywine since 2007—Porter had the idea for a winter show, and after a few meetings that included others area musicians, Shine A Light was born. As far as a 1977 theme for next year, Grant isn’t making a commitment yet. “We need to get through this year first, then we will figure out what, if anything, is next,” he says. The fun evening’s fundraising aspect is a huge component, helping not only to defray Light Up The Queen’s operating expenses and also funding arts enrichment programs offered at no cost to schools located primarily in Wilmington’s underserved communities. The event has raised $233,800 since its founding in 2012. Last year’s concert brought in approximately $75,800, and LUQ Executive Director Tina Betz hopes for $85,000 this year. “Shine A Light has allowed Light Up the Queen to vigorously pursue an important aspect of its mission: engaging the community, with a focus on underserved young people, in music and arts education programming,” says Betz. The fundraiser has been a significant contributor to LUQ’s growth and is the only annual fundraiser for the organization, Betz says. The consistently sold out event, with about 1,000 attendees a year, also gives LUQ the opportunity to “shine a light” on the nonprofit’s accomplishments and enduring community support. And for that, Betz is grateful. “In addition to the dollars raised to support Light Up The Queen’s operations and programs, hundreds of hours are donated by some of this area’s extremely talented musicians, graphic designers, production personnel, social media professionals, small businesses, professional event coordinators and many others,” Betz says. “The commitment of these volunteers is what keeps Shine A Light and Light Up The Queen going and growing.” Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8:30, and tickets start at $60. Tickets are expected to sell out quickly.

62 FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN

Scantron members—(l-r) James Everhart, Will Donnelly, George Murphy and, not pictured, Lucas Rinz—are focusing on recording and releasing strong, catchy songs “you can whistle.” Photo David Norbut

N O HO LDS BARRE D: THE CONTROLLED CHAOS OF SCANTRON The local band has become known for intense, beer-soaked, but not unstructured performances By Matt Moore

n a cold night in January, James Everhart is in the main room of Planet 10 Media, a multimedia production company tucked in the back of a Bear industrial park. The lead singer and guitarist for Scantron, Everhart and his three bandmates have just finished a rehearsal. He tears into a 12-pack of Yuengling, grabs an armful of the green bottles, and walks into the neighboring boardroom and sets them on the dark wooden table where Will Donnelly, George Murphy and Lucas Rinz are sitting. Everhart takes a seat, twists the cap off his bottle, takes a swig, and sighs.

“Oh, man, I haven’t had a beer in like, four days. This is awesome,” he says, as Donnelly, Murphy and Rinz break into laughter. Drinking hard and working harder has proven to be a winning formula for a band that, over the past three years, has become known for its energetic, unrestrained live show, featuring a blistering set of garage, punk rock songs played with great intensity at full volume. At any point, its members may be jumping, kicking or downing bottles while maintaining full control and condensing the noise into a single tight, melodic arrangement peppered with harmonies and tasteful guitar lines, lasting no more than the duration of a pop song. ►

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You might say that Scantron is loose but not unstructured. NO HOLDS BARRED: Everhart, a Wilmington THE CONTROLLED CHAOS native, and Donnelly, who’s from OF SCANTRON continued from previous page Washington, have spent the last eight years playing music together in various projects, performing in basement shows, dive bars and concert halls on first a local, then national and international scale. The two first met in late 2008 through a mutual friend while Everhart was attending the University of Delaware. They soon joined a couple of other students to start a rock group called Shakedown. Sticking primarily to the Newark-Wilmington music scene, they played almost exclusively at basement parties packed with ripped jeans, hemp necklaces and “Hot For Hillary” [Clinton, who was running for President even then] t-shirts.

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“I guess I sort of became a Delaware transplant,” Donnelly says. “I was working in a studio down in Maryland and would go up every weekend to play house parties—the chitlin’ circuit of Newark, Delaware.” “Yeah, we earned those fraternity dollars, man,” Everhart chimes in. By 2010, Shakedown had disbanded and Everhart and Donnelly started another band, Villains Like You, shifting their focus to a more blues and classic rock sound. The result was a three-year period of exhaustive jam sessions, shirtless guitar solos and an opening stint for Blues Traveler at The Grand Opera House in 2012. In the process, Everhart and Donnelly began to sharpen their performance chops and extend their reach beyond the local music scene, networking and playing in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York City. In April 2013, Villains Like You opened for Philadelphiabased rock and roll band Low Cut Connie at the now defunct Mojo on Main. There, Everhart hit it off with lead singer Adam Weiner and multi-instrumentalist Dan Finnemore. By the time creative differences brought Villains Like You to an end later that month, Everhart had joined Low Cut Connie on a national tour as their new guitarist and backing vocalist. Throughout the summer, he would return from tour and pick up shifts at Home Grown Café in Newark while Donnelly ran sound at Mojo Main and bartended at Oddity Bar in Wilmington. Whenever a band would cancel a performance at Home Grown, Everhart and Donnelly would take their place, milking the bar tab while playing covers and working on original songs that they would eventually record in Donnelly’s apartment above Rainbow Records over the course of three days.

Origin of the name

As for the band name, its origin is as simple as the name itself. “Honestly, we just got drunk and decided to call it Scantron,” Everhart says with a grin. By August 2013, Everhart and Donnelly released their debut EP—a scorching collection of four garage rock songs that sounds like Fats Domino got into a brutal bar fight with The Sonics and won. The record was released independently, and the band posted it online and burned discs, with handmade artwork, that they gave out at shows. It wasn’t long before boutique label Grimtale Records pressed the EP on vinyl and distributed it.

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Soon after that first release, George Murphy, from Bear, contacted Everhart and Donnelly. A prominent figure in the area music scene, Murphy has become known for his time with local acts like The Keefs and Travel Songs, in addition to the film and design work he has done as the co-founder of Planet 10 Media. “When I first heard the four-song EP, I was totally floored,” Murphy says. “This was so much more of what I wanted to be doing musically—I was so thrilled that they were doing it.” Murphy soon began playing with Everhart and Donnelly, solidifying the lineup and using his Planet 10 Media office as home base for the band to write and practice. It was also during this time—late September, 2013—that Low Cut Connie shuffled their lineup and Donnelly hopped onboard, along with Everhart and fellow Delawarean Larry Scotton, of Arden. From there, they spent the duration of the year and most of 2014 touring heavily and recording with Low Cut Connie, working on that band’s third release with Thomas Brenneck, a former member of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Brenneck also has worked with artists such as Charles Bradley, Amy Winehouse and Alabama Shakes. Despite leaving, returning and leaving again to play with another band, Everhart and Donnelly continued to view Scantron as their primary creative outlet, looking to take their road-tested musicianship and newfound inspirations back to Delaware to flesh out new material whenever possible. “I’m just like the war bride back here at home while these guys are out on the road, trying to get everybody together to come down to Bear,” Murphy says, cracking a smile. In early February 2014, Everhart bought a Tascam 38 reel-toreel tape machine, and he, Donnelly and Murphy set up in a back room at Planet 10 Media and got to work on a new record.

Teaming with Universal Funk Order

Throughout the rest of that year, they spent any free time allowed by Everhart and Donnelley’s demanding tour schedule holed up in Murphy’s office recording their next EP. The lack of a time constraint gave them the advantage of experimenting with new sounds and ideas, without consequences. This freedom brought about a collaboration with Delaware-based horn group Universal Funk Order. The result of these sessions is Scantron’s second EP, Palamino Blackwing, released in August 2014 through Lazy Boy Records. Like their debut, this record contains four songs, but takes that original garage-rock formula and translates it into a more funk and soul sound. The first pressings sold out within months. Since then, Everhart, Donnelly and Murphy have grown accustomed to the band’s sporadic nature and have embraced it, spending most of last year playing and recording whenever they had a moment. Last month, they recruited Rinz, of the Philadelphia-based band Satellite Hearts, to play bass. “We just finished our first practice with Luke and he killed it,” Everhart says, high-fiving Rinz enthusiastically. “This is actually, in fact, the first time we’ve hung out with Luke for more than two hours.” As of now, Everhart and Donnelly, both 27, and Murphy and Rinz, both 26, have no plans to record a full-length record. Instead, they’re looking to continue recording and releasing the strongest batch of songs they can come up with. “We want to treat every song like it’s a single,” Everhart says. “[We want to] write a song you can whistle.” Finishing his drink and adding it to the collection of empty bottles on the table, Everhart looks around the room at his bandmates, and nods. “This is the epitome of doing it,” he says.

DAVID NORBUT PHOTOGRAPHER

WHAT’S #INWILM THIS MONTH

Driving Desire Now - Sunday, October 2

DCAD’s Student Exhibition Friday, Feb 1 - Friday, Feb 26

DTC Acting Classes Sat, Feb 6 - Sun, March 13

TAO: Seventeen Samurai Saturday, February 20

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

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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TUNED IN Not-to-be-missed music news CHUNKY LIFE WINTER TOUR Eclectic area group Tweed on national circuit while finishing new EP The Newark-Philadelphia-based band Tweed is on a twomonth tour across the U.S. while putting the finishing touches on their debut EP, The Chunky Life. The band is known for high-energy performances and improv, weaving a psychedelic web of funk, rock and electronica. Tweed, made up of AJ DiBiase, Joe Vela, Jon Tomczak and Dan McDonald, formed at the University of Delaware in 2010. Members now call Philadelphia home. The band will hit Newark’s Home Grown Café on Saturday, Feb. 13, before continuing the tour for the rest of the month, finishing up in Dayton, Ohio. For updates on the new EP, visit tweedmusic.com.

BIRTHDAY BASH

Spokey Speaky plays fifth annual Bob Marley celebration Wilmington reggae trio Spokey Speaky is throwing another birthday bash honoring the late Bob Marley—who would be 71 years old—on Saturday, Feb. 6, at World Cafe Live at The Queen. The band, with assistance from other area artists, will perform Marley’s songs downstairs at 8 p.m. for the fifth year in a row, celebrating the legendary artist’s work and life. With sets featuring classic hits, deep cuts and Marley-inspired music, this show is for everyone from Marley novices to aficionados. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the day of the show.

JJ APPLETON & JASON RICCI IN ARDEN Blues masters bring new album hits

Award-winning blues harp master Jason Ricci and singersongwriter-guitarist JJ Appleton came together in 2015 for a joint album, Dirty Memory. Now they are touring the East Coast, and they will stop at Arden Gild Hall on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. With original songs that give a nod to Delta blues and roots history, Dirty Memory enhances modern Americana authenticity with raw emotions and musicianship with acoustic sounds. Ricci’s harp performances blend with Appleton’s wry, truthful songs and guitar skills. Tickets are $14 for Arden Concert Gild members and $16 for non-members.

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skribe AT GRAIN

Annapolis folk band comes to Newark Three-piece garage folk band skribe, from Annapolis, Md., will play a set at Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen on Main Street, Newark, on Thursday, Feb. 11. Since 2009, skribe—vocalist and guitarist Aaron Yealdhall, upright bassist “Uncle Ben” Gilbert and drummer Justin “JK” Kruger—have been building momentum in the Maryland folk scene, starting musical collaborations and generating a following. Fans and fellow artists helped crowdfund the band’s recent 12″ LP, Less Is More, which showcases the artists’ growth and raw dynamic. The performance, at the eatery’s Dogfish Head Stage, will begin at 9 p.m.

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ARTISTIC MUSICIAN

Kevin Niemi combines art forms to create a meditative process Kevin Niemi wears several hats: professional, bassist, visual artist. He has a knack for connecting his two passions: abstract, expressionist action-painting with music, as bassist for local group The Joe Trainor Trio. For both art forms, it’s all about the process, not the outcome, says Niemi. “It’s meditative. I get lost in it,” he says. “For both, there’s no track of time, it just kind of happens.” Niemi, a musician for well over a decade—and by day, currently an IT specialist for a local financial company—was already playing bass in theater performances when he met local musician Joe Trainor at rehearsals for Jesus Christ Superstar with the Wilmington Drama League in 2003. A few months later, Trainor asked Niemi to play in a City Theater Company performance, and after a few more musical collaborations, a rock trio was born in 2007. They’ve been playing ever since. Meanwhile, for nine years Niemi has been painting as a means of self expression, inspired by artists like van Gogh, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. He was always interested in art but didn’t begin to pursue it until a friend told him to buy materials, and “just do something. It doesn’t matter what it is, just go do it, make something,” he recalls. He followed the advice, and one day began sliding paint around a canvas. Before he knew it, hours had passed. Niemi says he tried another painting, and another, and as the brushwork improved, he began to identify and differentiate favorite tools and experiment with various styles and paints, letting himself be guided by his inspiration—both as a painter and musician, always focusing on the artistic journey. “It’s just me, the canvas and paint. Or me, the music and audience,” Niemi says. Since then, his work has been exhibited at The Philadelphia Book Company and as part of the Wilmington Fringe Festival. He’ll also be a part of the Wilmington Art Loop on Friday, Feb. 5, at the Grand Opera House. His pieces will be on view at the main stage gallery showing from 5-8 p.m. And for his band’s upcoming performances, see joetrainortrio.com.

SISTERBUGS

Ladybug Festival presents new concert Feb. 27 On Saturday, Feb. 27, the Ladybug Festival presents Sisterbugs, a musical evening featuring local sister duos, at World Cafe Live at The Queen. Artists Nalani & Sarina, Joy & Peace Ike, and Danielle & Jennifer will take the stage, along with newcomers Lullanas, twin sisters who are excited to get involved with the Ladybug Festival—an annual, outdoor summer female-fronted music festival in downtown Wilmington (Save the date: this year it will be on Thursday, July 21). Sisterbugs starts at 7 p.m. and is $15. Prior to the show, an inaugural small forum, Music 101, will be launched by Ladybug founders as a discussion with industry experts providing firsthand knowledge of the music industry through a series of panels. This will take place from 3-6 p.m. in the Olympia Room at The Queen. Afterward, attendees can go downstairs to a cash bar and networking mixer, providing interaction and connections with professionals who are in marketing, image consulting, and other fields in the music industry. Sisterbugs will start immediately following the mixer.

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FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND THURS 2/11: 2SP TAP TAKEOVER... GREAT BEER, TONS OF GIVE-A-WAYS!

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rain Craft Bar + Kitchen, the Main Street, Newark, gastropub that opened last summer to rave reviews, will host an inaugural Beer & Bacon Festival on Saturday, Feb. 20. From 1-5 p.m., guests are invited to indulge in six of Executive Chef Bill Wallen’s bacon creations paired with six TBA beers. “Chef is always coming up with dishes with bacon,” says Grain co-owner Lee Mikles. “One day we were talking about fun winter events in our weekly team meeting, and this event sprouted out of that.” Mikles says he hopes to make the festival an annual happening. He says he’s most looking forward to the “bacon craziness” of Wallen, whose resume includes working alongside celebrity Chef Bobby Flay, helping him open his Burger Palaces in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. The $40 tickets, which include a souvenir pint glass, are selling quickly. As of press time, only 49 of the 100 tickets were available. In addition to the B&B festival, Mikles says he plans to schedule themed events throughout the year, now that the restaurant has established itself as a local music purveyor and dining destination. “I think having the festival right after Valentine’s Day is perfect,” he says. “It’s kind of an alternative to the wine and roses.” Supplementing the menus will be live music by garage folk artist skribe, who will kick off his Northeast tour that day.

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—O&A FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

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

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

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

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

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2 0 1 6 MUSIKARMAGEDDON

ATTENTION

SINGER / SONGWRITERS Friday, April 15 live @ the baby grand

ry your hand at skeeball this winter at 1984 for the Wilmington barcade’s third annual Skeebeer League. It’s free, and it starts Sunday, Feb. 14, at 4 p.m., and runs one round each succeeding Sunday at the same time (and occasionally Mondays at 7 p.m.) for the following 10 weeks. Teams should have between three and five participants, who are responsible for forming their own groups. The events are sponsored by PBR, which will provide weekly prizes and discounts, along with trophies and a “big prize” at the end, says 1984 owner Matt Morrissette. The skeeball leagues are inspired by some bigger cities, like Austin, Texas, where the game is popular, Morrissette says. He offers some words of wisdom to the timid beginner: “No one is any good. It’s more for kicks than the glory of victory.” If interested, sign up at 1984wilmington@gmail.com or through a 1984 bartender any time before the deadline on Sunday, Feb. 7. —O&A

Prizes – Prestige Booking Opportunities! To enter or for more information go to

Musikarmageddon.com 13202 - Out&About dogfishead ad.QXP_Layout 1 1/13/16 11:46 AM Page 1

Dogfish Head Loves Point-to-Point Party Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats Thursday, February 11 • 6:00–9:00 pm • Music by Bruce Anthony

Brush aside those winter blues and think spring with us at our pre-race

party at Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats in Rehoboth Beach! With live music and beer and drink specials, including moscow mules and mint juleps, to put you in the horse racing mood. Guest bartenders from our friends at EAGLE 97.7 FM will team up with Race Director Jill Abbott behind the bar. A special raffle drawing will send lucky winners home with great gifts and two pairs of tickets to the Dogfish Head Hospitality Tent at this year’s Winterthur Point-to-Point (value $200 each).

Photos by Jim Graham

1984 SKEEBEER LEAGUE

16 Local Singer/Songwriters will compete in a head-to-head contest to determine the area’s best talent

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats • 320 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 • 302.226.2739

FEBRUARY 2016 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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presents

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SHUTTLE 26th Annual