January 2022 - Let's Do Brunch

The Domino Effect of the Vinyl Explosion

Drink Trends Coming in 2022

UrbanPromise Helps Young People Grow

Let's Do Brunch In 2022, this meal is more popular than ever

JANUARY 2022 COMPLIMENTARY

WHERE GOALS ARE CRUSHED

THE YMCA

It’s all at the YMCA! Certified trainers dedicated to your success, unlimited group exercise classes, child care while you work out, world-class pools, and so much more!

NO JOINER FEE NOW! PLUS, TWO FREE TRAINING SESSIONS! www.ymcade.org 2 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Financial assistance is available. Offer valid at YMCA of Delaware locations through January 31, 2022. Not to be combined with other offers.

Christiana Fashion Center | 302 731 2700 Wilmington - 5603 Concord Pike | 302 529 8888

waxcenter.com *First Wax Free offer: First-time guests only. Valid only for select services. Additional terms may apply. Participation may vary; please visit waxcenter.com for general terms and conditions.

European Wax Center locations are individually owned and operated. © 2021 EWC Franchise, LLC. All rights reserved. European Wax Center® is a registered trademark.

–– A not-for-profit arts organization ––

Drumline Live!

SUN | JAN 16 | 7PM | $40-$50

The Seldom Scene FRI | FEB 4 | 8PM | $39

Colin Quinn SAT | FEB 5 | 8PM | $33

The HBCU percussion band experience comes alive!

Popular bluegrass band for over four decades. A guaranteed sell-out!

SNL and Comedy Central favorite who calls them like he sees them

Whitney Cummings: Touch Me Tour SAT | FEB 5 | 8PM | $28-$40

Marielle Kraft

Gaelic Storm

Comedian, actress, filmmaker, and podcaster – she’ll have you LOL-ing

FRI | FEB 11 | 8PM | $18

UD graduate that’s taken the singer/songwriter scene by storm.

FRI | FEB 18 | 8PM | $32-$39

Red Hot Chilli Pipers

The Honey Dewdrops

Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy SUN | MAR 6 | 7PM | $29-$39

FRI | MAR 4 | 8PM | $34-$40 Bagpipes with attitude and drums with a scottish accent

SAT | MAR 5 | 8PM | $26

Duo brings harmony-soaked songs with guitar, banjo, and mandolin

Powerhouse group celebrates over 20 years of your favorite celtic rock

Canada’s reigning couple of Celtic music

Thursday, June 23, 2022 | Rock Manor Golf Club For information on sponsorship opportunities or 4somes please contact Kate at kbfrawley@grandopera.org or 302.658.7897 x. 3204

TheGrandWilmington.org 302.652.5577 | 302.888.0200

818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.

OPTIONS FOR ENTRY OR

PROOF OF VACCINE

NEGATIVE COVID-19 TEST

Masks Required Indoors Regardless of Vaccination Status

All tickets subject to box office service charges. Artists, dates, times and programs are subject to change.

JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

5

6 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

2 INSIDE 2

Out & About Magazine Vol. 34 | No. 11

START 9 From the Publisher 11 War on Words 15 FYI 18 Art Loop Wilmington 19 Worth Recognizing 21 Urban Artist Exchange 23 Urban Promise

23

FOCUS 26 The Evolution of Brunch 31 Area Brunch Directory

DRINK Published each month

by TSN Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact@TSNPub.com Wilmington, DE 19801 Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com Director of Publications Jim Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Creative Director & Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

26

37 Drink Trends 2022

LISTEN 41 Record Appeal 45 DSO’s J.C. Barker 48 Tuned In

PLAY 40 Fill in the Blanks 49 Pinball Collective

45

WILMINGTON 50 In the City 52 On the Riverfront

Digital Services Director Michael O’Brian Contributing Designer Blair Lindley, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

On the cover: A sample of offerings from popular Wilmington brunch spot Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon.

Photo by Justin Heyes/Moonloop Photography

Contributing Writers Jill Althouse-Wood, Danielle Bouchat-Friedman, Adriana Camacho-Church, JulieAnne Cross, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Lauren Golt, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Ken Mammarella, Matt Morrissette, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Kevin Noonan, Scott Pruden, Leeann Wallett

Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Butch Comegys, Lindsay duPhily, Matthew Loeb, Matt Urban Special Projects John Holton, Bev Zimmermann

49 EVENTS CALENDAR

All new inWilmDE.com coming this month.

All new inWilmDE.com coming this month.

Sign Up For Our FREE

Digital Subscription

Printed on recycled paper.

Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 outandaboutnow.com • contact@tsnpub.com JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

7

Come Visit, Dine and Shop with us!

Located just north of the city of Wilmington, shops are located in the heart of Bellefonte on Brandywine Blvd and on Philadelphia Pike. Throughout the year, the Shops of Bellefonte offer a wide variety of workshops, art classes, live music and special events including the popular Bellefonte Arts Festival which is always held the 3rd Saturday in May.

www.shopsofbellefonte.com

8 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

START

From The Publisher

ALMOST FAMOUS

R

ecently, a reader shared one of our articles on social media and commented on our proclivity for featuring “great homegrown stories.” Oh, if she only knew how much we appreciate that description.

In fact, the phrase “100% homegrown” is regularly a part of our marketing. That’s because everything about Out & About is locally sourced — from the stories we tell to the writers, photographers and designers who tell them.

It’s a decades-old recipe readers have found appetizing to this point. And as Out & About embarks on a new year with you for the 34th time, we hope you haven’t grown tired of the menu.

There are many more “great homegrown stories” to tell.

Those stories won’t always be about the hometown product who made the big time, like our recent profiles of Jamila Mustafa, Keith Powell, Donte DiVincenzo or Sudi Green. Or the local venture that is now a national sensation like Dogfish Head beer.

Such stories are always worth telling; however, they are often the stories most told. What about the local musician who didn’t earn a Grammy, but has been packing local venues for years? Or the area sub shop that didn’t spin into a franchise, but is the first stop for your out-of-town guests when they come to visit? Or the standout athlete who didn’t turn pro, but turned to youth coaching and now has mentored hundreds?

The line between stardom and very good is razor thin and luck is always part of the equation. Any highly successful person — if they answer honestly — will confess as much.

Timing is talent’s greatest ally.

FOCUS

G THE FIGHTIN HT IG F D GOO

cian r and musi plished singe , he teaches is an accom Today Darnell Miller rmed internationally.

by Alisha Jones who has perfo through music. Photo kids and inspires

Back in my sportswriting days, I once covered a swimmer who missed making the Olympic team by one one-hundredth of a second. The lane he was swimming in could have explained such a blink-of-the-eye difference — yet it was the determining factor in his staying home rather than competing for an Olympic medal.

Is his a story worth telling? You bet your Out & About.

Just this year, we had the privilege of telling a host of stories that give our community its distinctive personality.

Stories such as our profiles of veteran restaurateur Joe Van Horn, wine merchant Linda Collier, community activist Dave Tiberi, creative catalysts Asiata Beeks and Sara Crawford, music instructor Darnell Miller, meat market extraordinaire Bachetti Brothers, vinyl treasure Squeezebox Records, fried chicken hot spot Walt’s Flavor Crisp…

Then there were our spotlights on local treasures such as Reed’s Refuge, Delaware Art Museum, Arden Gild Hall, Historic New Castle, Yorklyn and The Playhouse on Rodney Square.

Individually, these people, places and things are each a great source of community pride. Collectively, they tell a compelling story — one unique to us.

If you do the math — approximately 10 stories per month x 12 months x 34 years — Out & About has told more than 4,080 homegrown stories during our three-decades-plus run.

And that is not including blurbs and briefs; I’m only counting full-length features.

Each one is a reason to be proud of the place we call home. If you, too, find these homegrown stories “great,” that’s even better.

— Jerry duPhily

FOCUS

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ir g love affa er’s lifelon ichard Fish specifically and more with music, tender age the at ted um, vinyl, star his first alb he purchased a record of 12 when Wings, at led s Get Your Aerosmith’ — the fab hometown his in store , Michigan. cca Detroit omobile musical me us the aut ing giv e us Beyond tor City gav er, the Mo per, Bob and Mr. Fish Alice Coo Records, s and the oge Motown Sto topunks The White of Seger, pro ntly, Jack more rece eurs.

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10 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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( 3 02 ) 5 61 - 05 6 9

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M a i n S T. N e w a r k

(302) 367-8682

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(302) 229-1 663

START

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

MEDIA WATCH We start with three from that old reliable, USA TODAY: • Bryan Alexander in a review of No Time to Die: “The appreciation only grew seeing the historically unchartered depths of the relationship between Bond and Madeline.” Uncharted — unexplored or unmapped — is the word needed here. Unchartered means “without a charter.”

• Frequent contributor Bob Nightengale came through with a subject/verb nonagreement: “Each of them have earned World Series rings, but only one played in MLB, and that was 50 years ago.” Each is the singular subject, so the verb should be has.

• Reader Rick Straitman gives us this almost unbelievable gaffe from Delawareonline: “. . . reports from the scene said at least one person needed to be extradited from a vehicle.” Extricated would be the appropriate word here. We assume the injured person was not a criminal who was to be transported to another jurisdiction (extradited).

• Oh, those old jocks. Former NFL quarterback Carson Palmer, on The Dan Patrick Show, called a current quarterback “laxadaisical.”

Later, according to son Steven, retired Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz repeated the same mispronunciation of lackadaisical while doing TV commentary on the World Series.

• Joe Juliano, writing in The Philadelphia Inquirer about overtime rules in college football: “Teams get only two possessions from the opponent’s 25-yard-line, and then the period becomes a dual of twopoint conversion attempts . . .” Joe meant duel, a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces.

• And finally, we exit the media with this gargoyle of a comment from Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney: “To say we’re not relieved by this verdict is a gross misunderstatement.”

ON THE PLUS SIDE Daughter Danielle commends Pep Boys for their slogan, “We go further to help you go farther,” wherein the auto parts store uses both those italicized words correctly. Further, of course, refers to figurative distances, while farther is used for physical distances. Clever.

HUMOROUS WORDS I’m a member of the Facebook group “The Punsters,” which allegedly is for those who enjoy puns — “the usually humorous use of

Word of the Month

aggrandize Pronounced uh-gran-dyz, it’s a verb meaning to increase the power, status, or wealth of.

By Bob Yearick

a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound.” (The classic example is “Denial is a river in Egypt.”)

Often, however, many of the entries are not puns at all. That led me to research other words that define humorous remarks, and I came up with these: • quip — A clever remark, made on the spur of the moment.

• gibe — A quip that is taunting.

• bon mot — An intellectual step up from a quip, it’s a witty remark, not necessarily made on the spur of the moment.

• rejoinder — A sharp or witty reply.

• riposte — A quick, clever reply to an insult or criticism.

• banter — The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks.

MISSING ON MISNOMER Speaking of words that are misused, I give you misnomer, as in this letter to The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Elizabeth Wellington’s Sept. 22 column about the Tiffany ad has several misnomers.” The letter went on to point out mistakes in the column. A misnomer, however, is a specific kind of mistake: an inappropriate name for something. Starfish and jellyfish, for instance, are not fish at all. And that “funny bone” on your elbow? It’s actually a nerve.

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT. • The sainted New Yorker, in an article by M. R. O’Connor, committed the classic “a harbinger of things to come.” Surely O'Connor knows a harbinger is a person or thing that signals the approach of another, a forerunner.

• David Murphy in The Inquirer: “The Knicks are an interesting test case for a number of different reasons.” Amazing how often different is used unnecessarily.

• In the Netflix show You, a TV reporter said that a man who had committed suicide left “a written letter.” Maybe the actor misread “hand-written letter” in the script.

• From a recent issue of Time magazine, in an essay by Nicole Young of U. S. News: “I hear many of my fears echoed back.”

• And I heard Gov. John Carney utter the term “co-partners.”

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION? Contact me for a fun presentation on grammar: ryearick@comcast.net.

Buy The War on Words book at the Hockessin Book Shelf (hockessinbookshelf.com) or on Amazon, or email me.

Wilmington Alliance is proud to support small businesses and is looking forward to many more great things in 2022!

WilmingtonMADE was designed for promoting small businesses, providing marketing services and encouraging Wilmington residents to shop local.

In the last quarter of 2021, services were expanded to include $500 worth of marketing services such as social media support, professional photos and website design and refresh.

To learn more or to register a business visit www.wilmingtonmade.com WWW.WILMINGTONALLIANCE.ORG

12 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

NOMADIC

|

24

JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

13

don’t waiT. power.

Enroll now.

14 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

START Things worth knowing HOCKESSIN BOOKSHELF CHANGES HANDS

T

he independent bookstore is alive and well, and Jennifer Blab of Kennett Square is betting a new chapter of her life on people buying real books in real stores. After reading on Facebook that Rebecca Dowling was closing Hockessin BookShelf to relocate to California, Blab called Dowling and made an offer. A few weeks later, the former Kennett Library staff person became the new owner of the store at 7179 Lancaster Pike.

Established in 2002, the Hockessin BookShelf carries both new and used books. The tiny (826 square feet) store is the center for many community events, hosting author and non-author events, books clubs, and workshops.

The store is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Visit hockessinbookshelf.com.

DUCKPIN BOWLING DEBUTS DOWNTOWN, NEXT UP IS SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB

W

ilmington-based developer The Buccini/Pollin Group has opened Wilma’s at 900 N. Market Street and later this year plans to open a shuffleboard club just around the corner. Shuffle Libre will feature full-size shuffleboard courts and a Cuban-themed menu and be located at The Residences at Mid-town Park Wilma's returns bowling to Downtown Wilmington.

(116 W. 9th St.).

Wilma’s is the city’s first duckpin and dining concept, featuring a four-lane duckpin bowling alley, retro arcade games along with a full-service bar and 60-seat restaurant specializing in New Orleans-inspired cuisine. Wilma’s is in the former Delaware Trust building, which was last home to Ernest & Scott Taproom.

CELEBRATING THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY

T

he Delaware Contemporary will host its annual fundraiser, Art pARTy, on Sat, Feb. 26 from 6-9 pm. The event will connect to the museum’s winter/spring exhibit, Narrative: Let the Stories, which explores how we define ourselves and understand the human experience through storytelling. Art pARTy will feature food, drink, music and the unveiling of new work by City Theater Company.

For tickets, visit DeContemporary.org.

GREAT DAMES REMARKABLE IDEAS WINNER ANNOUNCED

U

Rebecca Dowling turns over the books of the store to new Hockessin BookShelf owner Jen Blab.

LIST YOUR AREA EVENT... FREE!

InWilmDe.com

P Cycle Design founder Sierra RyanWallick won the 2021 Great Dames Remarkable Ideas Pitch Competition, a competitive contest narrowed down to five finalists who presented ideas to reimagine the future. Besides a $1,000 cash award, RyanWallick received a business mentor for an entire year and a portfolio of business services.

UP Cycle Design, RyanWallick’s green startup, is a zero-waste sustainable fashion brand that upcycles UP Cycle Design founder Sierra RyanWallick materials fated for landfills into new products, a concept designed to reutilize excessive amounts of clothing donated to thrift stores. The startup supports community causes by donating 15% of the proceeds from each unit sold. In partnership with The Warehouse, a project serving teenagers in Northeast Wilmington’s underserved Riverside area, RyanWallick also mentors teens about entrepreneurship, design and sustainability.

A University of Delaware entrepreneurship major, RyanWallick began her social entrepreneurial career at the age 10 by launching AutumnLeaf Fundraisers, which has raised over $100,000 for nonprofit causes. UP Cycle Design also shows promise, having expanded to a team with five interns and plans to develop additional partnerships.

For tickets, visit EventBrite.com/IRCxWilmington.

JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 15

Things worth knowing DEBUT OF DIRTY POPCORN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL SET FOR DEL. ART MUSEUM

W

ilmington’s first black film festival, presented by Jet Phynx Films, will take place throughout the month of February at the Delaware Art Museum. The mission of the Dirty Popcorn Black Film Festival is to provide a platform and venue to discover and celebrate filmmakers of color from Delaware and the surrounding region while also providing a means of preserving the work of local black filmmakers.

The festival is still accepting short film submissions (under 30 minutes) from Black or indigenous people of color through Jan. 17 in three categories: Narrative (drama/fiction), Documentary, Experimental (music videos, animation, etc). Selected films will be shown on each Sunday of February, with a redcarpet awards ceremony set for the final Sunday (Feb.27).

Filmmakers from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York are eligible with no entry fee required. You can submit your entry at filmfreeway.com/ TheDirtyPopcornBlackFilmFestival.

16 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

| InWilmDE.com

DAVE TIBERI TO ENTER A.C. BOXING HALL OF FAME

N

ew Castle native Dave Tiberi, whose memorable 1992 fight against James Toney launched a Senate investigation and major reforms in boxing, is one of 17 boxers entering the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame.

The organization’s sixth induction ceremony will take place this Oct. 7-9 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.

Joining Tiberi in this year’s 17-member class will be his 1992 opponent, James Toney, along with worldwide boxing stars Lennox Lewis and Julio César Chávez. Other inductees include Frank Fletcher, Chuck Mussachio, Kathy Collins-Globuschutz, Kathy Duva, Pat Lynch, Kevin Rooney Sr., Lynne Carter, Randy Neumann, Dr. Domenic Coletta, Tom Casino, and posthumously: James Broad, Eddie Aliano, and Harold Lederman. For more information, visit the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame at ACBHOF.com.

HIGHMARK ANNOUNCES $900,000 IN GRANTS

H

ighmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware is distributing $904,00 in community grants to six organizations in the fourth quarter, bringing its 2021 total to $5.5 million through its standard and small-grants program.

The recipients of the current grants are: • Amanecer will receive funding for their program focused on building the pipeline of bilingual and culturally responsive behavioral health professionals.

• Tomaro’s Change will receive support to provide free to low-cost therapeutic services to youth and their families who are uninsured or underinsured.

• Meet Me at the Well will receive a grant to support their Healthcare Ecosystem Professional Pathway to give survivors of human trafficking the opportunity to pursue health careers.

• Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity will receive a grant for their Health Homes initiative to address health hazards in the home.

• Delaware Division of Libraries will receive funding to support the scale-up of telehealth services to an additional 10 public libraries across the state in all three counties, following a BluePrints grant that assisted its pilot launch in Sussex County.

• Energize Delaware will receive a grant to improve home health for patients, families, seniors and the most vulnerable in communities, in partnership with health care providers.

Is Back!

Friday, Jan. 7 ArtLoopWilmington.org

Join the team at Two Stones Pub!

JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

17

Friday, Jan. 7 5pm Start A program of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

RIVERFRONT

WEST END & WEST SIDE

Christina Cultural Arts Center

The Delaware Contemporary

705 N. Market Street 652-0101 • ccacde.org

Blue Streak Gallery (offsite at Piccolina Toscana)

200 South Madison Street 656-6466 • decontemporary.org

Artist: Cony Madariaga

Closing Event for Presentation: Stop in for

Delaware College of Art & Design

one last look at our Fall/ Winter exhibition! Live music by The Seedlings.

Hours are 5-9pm.

600 N. Market Street 622-8000 • dcad.edu

Artist: Experimental Reality, Bronwen Hazlett

BEYOND THE CITY

Continuing Exhibitions: - Fields and Formations, Group exhibition - Veils, Catharine Fichtner - Ballad of Spread, Michal Gavish - Traces, Cheryl Goldsleger - The Platform Gallery, Meleko Mokgosi

The Grand Opera House

3829 Kennett Pike 218-4411

Hours are 5-9pm.

DOWNTOWN City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery 800 N. French Street 576-2100 • cityfestwilm. com/redding-gallery

Artist: Terron Mitchell

presented by

1412 N. Dupont Street 429-0506 (Blue Streak)

Artist: Oil and pastel paintings

by Kathleen Keane

COCA Pop-Up Gallery

818 N. Market Street 658-7897 thegrandwilmington.org

Grand Gallery: Best of Show: The Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography baby grand Gallery: Pacem in Terris Traveling Peace Youth Art Exhibit

Artists: Group Show featuring local artists

Next Art Loop Wilmington: Friday, Feb. 4, 2022

MKT Place Gallery 200 W. 9th Street 438-6545

Complimentary Shuttle

Most exhibitions listed here continue through January

Artist: Streetlights, Jaquanne Leroy (Show closes January 21st)

cityfest

ArtLoopWilmington.org

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WORTH RECOGNIZING

Community Members Who Go Above & Beyond

POETIC JUSTICE Four Delaware women counter ageism by creating Quartet, an online journal for 50-and-older female poets

By Adriana Camacho-Church Quartet founders (l-r): Jane C. Miller, Wendy Elizabeth Ingersoll, Linda Blaskey, Gail Braune Comorat.

A

year ago, four Delaware women embarked on a challenging and rewarding journey based on their love of poetry.

Today they have mastered online publishing and created an outlet for women across the world to express their voices.

Launched in January 2021, Quartet is an online poetry journal created to expand publishing opportunities for women aged 50 and older. It provides women in this stage of life a place to share deep truths and universal emotions; it welcomes experienced and new women poets to express their creative voices.

“As editors, all over 50, we have felt the sting of ageism in the industry and want to give others like us an opportunity to publish their work,” says Jane C. Miller, Quartet co-founder and co-editor. “[Quartet] is less about level of experience and more about quality of work. We want to be a vehicle for excellent writing, regardless of what degree a person holds or how long they have been writing.”

Published quarterly, the journal receives 150 to 290 submissions per issue. Sixteen poems are selected for each issue. Contributors include scientists, equestrians, photographers, trauma survivors, trans women, farmers, teachers, and grandmothers. Although most submission are from the U.S., contributions are worldwide, including Finland, Canada, Japan, India, U.K. and Tasmania.

“As a poetry editor myself, I’m impressed by how quickly the Quartet founders have mastered submission systems, design programs, website technology, and publicity — not to mention the actual editing process,” says poet and Penn State Altoona professor Erin Murphy. “They deserve high praise for their exemplary service to the literary community.”

The other Quartet founders are Linda Blaskey, Gail Braune Comorat, and Wendy Elizabeth Ingersoll. In their decade of writing together, the group has collectively published seven books of poetry, received six fellowship grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, and earned multiple Pushcart and Best of the Net nominations.

The four became friends through poetry-writing gatherings. Eventually they formed a biannual writing retreat at Ingersoll’s family farm near Chestertown, Md. There, they combined hundreds of poems written by the four into books.

The definition of quartet is a group of four singers or musicians or a group of four similar things that belong together. So, Comorat’s suggestion of it for the journal’s name made sense.

Unlike some journals, Quartet does not charge for submissions. Run by retired women who volunteer their time and experience, Quartet also does not pay contributors either.

“We can only pay contributors by publishing them and selecting a few for prizes and online recognition,” says Miller.

To finance Quartet, the founders use money received from fellowship grants, contributions from their Go Fund Me campaign, and pay out-of-pocket for some expenses.

Blaskey says the idea for the journal arose when she suspected ageism was making it difficult to get her work published, receive residencies and grants, and secure important reading opportunities. “I asked several women friends if they were feeling, or sensing, the same thing. Turns out, they were,” she said.

The group spent 10 months scrambling to learn what they needed to know before they launched the first issue. “We knew nothing about technology,” says Blaskey. ► JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

19

RING

DABLE N

E THAN

S

Feeding Horses on a Clear New Year’s Day After Weeks of Steady Rain

By Linda Blaskey

I have divvied grain and supplements into feed tubs, tossed orchard grass to the Oldenburg, alfalfa to the aged Thoroughbred.

Annie, I am told, is still able to care for her horses, saviors for some of us; their needs.

Once, leaning over a glass counter, Annie and I misread know your worth engraved on a silver bracelet as know your north, gentle admonition to keep a constant bearing.

She has lost numbers and letters. This morning her husband dialed the phone so she could ask me if she had once been a writer.

Bucket half-filled with beet pulp forgotten in my hand, I listen as the earth sips away pools of standing water.

It sounds like vespers.

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POETIC JUSTICE So, they researched, found continued from previous page experts, and acquired new computer skills. Before long, their new knowledge enabled them to eliminate paying someone to help and they began publishing the journal themselves.

According to Google analytics, people in 68 countries read Quartet in its first year. In December, the number of people who visited the journal was higher than 83% of similar journals published elsewhere in the world.

“We don’t read and write poetry because it is cute,” said Robin Williams’ character, John Keating, in the movie Dead Poets Society. “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion.”

— Quartet’s next submission period opens January 8 and ends February 8. Visit quartetjournal.com

Where You’ll Find Me

By Gail Braune Comorat I’m no good at route numbers, never sure of east or south, but I know this road by seasons, by landmarks memorized the last time I traveled this way.

If you still want me, just head away from the city, keep an eye out for meadows of bold blue and yellow — bachelor buttons, wild mustard. Cross the rusted iron bridge that will lead you to a crossroad — turn left and keep going until you see a stand selling Tender Spring Peas and an orchard of peach trees beyond their bloom. Take your time as you roll through the old mill town where elderly men in suspenders and felt hats doze on planked benches. Wave as you drive by.

You’ll pass beneath a thick canopy of elms, and then there will be a Mennonite farm (yellow siding and pinegreen shutters) with a misspelled sign that offers Saw Sharpning. You might see some deer in the field.

After that, it’s straight on until the road dead-ends to a graveled lane. Drive as far as it takes you, park right beside the house.

I’ll be on the crooked swing, rocketing skyward and back, skyward and back, my eyes on the cove, watching bald eagles query the river.

I’ll be waiting for you.

START

A rendering of Urban Artist Exchange's outdoor amphitheater off Walnut Street.

Courtesy Architectural Alliance

PICTURE THIS Urban Artist Exchange reimagines a neglected city space

By Ken Mammarella

A

once-forlorn acre near downtown Wilmington is coming alive again with bicyclists, artists, community members and, this year, fans of live music — all in an environmentally friendly setting.

The $3.4 million Urban Artist Exchange East Side Neighborhood Revitalization Project covers the block bounded by North Walnut, East 16th and East 15th streets and Clifford Brown Walk.

The boldest component is an outdoor amphitheater with lawn seating for 700 to 800 people.

Leading the project are Cityfest, a nonprofit known since 1980 for events like the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and the Wilmington Art Loop, and the city of Wilmington itself.

When asked why, Tina Betz, director of the mayor’s office of cultural affairs and president of the Cityfest board of directors, responded “Why not?” She added: “For many, many years, it was closed off and not usable unless you were doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing. It was littered, abandoned, overgrown.”

No longer. ► JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

21

PICTURE THIS The first big move was the continued from previous page 2013 arrival of the Urban Bike Project, which promotes bicycling to Wilmington residents of all ages, with a special emphasis on underserved communities. In 2017, CityFest signed a lease for the stables, once used by the city police department mounted patrol.

In 2018, the Urban Bike Project committed to a 30-year for its building, once a repair shop. In 2019, the stables were converted into seven unheated and un-air-conditioned artists’ studios, plus offices and space for community events. In 2021, the first artists rented a space.

And in June, the city hopes to finish work on the amphitheater, with performances starting in July.

The project is following a green infrastructure that includes six rain gardens (with plantings providing multi-season interest) and porous paving that will help an area with a history of flooding. It’s a few hundred feet from the Brandywine. And Urban Bike Project has brought new the landscaping will “provide a energy to an abandoned city block. respite that’s not available in the Photo by Matthew Loeb neighborhood,” Betz said.

There are other forms of respite with the Urban Bike Project.

“If it can help people get riding bikes, we want to be involved,” said Laura Wilburn, the nonprofit’s executive director. That includes summer camps, school outreach and bike-repair classes.

The Urban Artist Exchange is funded by the city budget, a state loan, grants and donations.

The studio space were first used in 2019 for six-week summer youth program, said Traci Currie, the exchange’s program director. In the afternoons, youths were apprenticed to four visual artists to create works that could be exhibited. In the mornings, they attended a variety of workshops, including storytelling, yoga, financial literacy and business etiquette.

The programming has since expanded to after-school in the fall, and more topics have been added to workshops. Currie, for example, uses spoken-word performances to improve communication skills.

A family of artists rented one space last year, and they want to return, Currie said. So does Manny Chacon, a choreographer hired for the summer youth program, who wants his own space this year.

Betz said the city hopes Wilmington’s first big “creative placemaking” project builds on the area’s “very deep history of arts and culture,” especially the heritage of jazz great Clifford Brown (born five blocks away) and Howard High School of Technology, two blocks away. Creative placemaking aims to “spur economic development, promote enduring social change and improve the physical environment.”

Details for performances are still being worked out.

Restrooms in the old stables and the Urban Pike Project will be available, Betz said, and the project includes a concrete pad for porta potties and plans for more restrooms.

Food trucks are expected, and Wilburn said the Urban Pike Project has a concession window that could be used to sell refreshments. “We look forward to fun and creative ways to partner” during events,” she said. “It can only be a good thing.”

22 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Caption needed

Over a decade, UrbanPromise's Street Leaders program has expanded to include five summer camps and two schools. Photo courtesy UrbanPromise

UrbanPromise:

Building a Better Future The organization helps underserved Wilmington youth with academics and leadership

By Scott Pruden

I

t’s clear as soon as he begins to speak that James Russell didn’t grow up in Delaware — or anywhere in the U.S., for that matter. His British accent — born of the London neighborhoods where he first served the city’s underserved youth — is incongruous in Wilmington neighborhoods, where he works these days as director of UrbanPromise’s StreetLeaders program.

But for Russell, his mission in Wilmington is the same as it was back home in the U.K. — to help young people who have limited opportunities to grow, flourish and lead.

UrbanPromise was founded as a Christian-centric program designed to “equip children and young adults … with the skills necessary for academic achievement, live management, personal growth, and servant leadership,” according to the organization’s website.

It’s a mission that’s been ongoing since 1994, when Rob Prestowitz, now the executive director of Wilmington’s UrbanPromise, first volunteered with the flagship organization in Camden, New Jersey. It was there that Prestowitz saw the program in action in what was at the time one of the region’s most dangerous and underprivileged cities.

Prestowitz’s experience there inspired him to open a sister branch of UrbanPromise in Wilmington in 1998, beginning with Camp Victory, a summer camp on the East Side where StreetLeaders got its start. Over the subsequent decade, the program expanded to include five summer camps, an elementary school and a middle school.

FIRST COLLEGE GRAD

By 2009, James Whitely became the first StreetLeaders program participant to graduate from college. Since then, the program has added a high school — Urban Promise Academy — a sports ministry program, and a sixth summer camp. ► JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

23

URBAN PROMISE The StreetLeaders program continued from previous page that Russell heads is designed to give jobs as counselors, teachers and role models to youth ages 14-18 from the neighborhoods UrbanPromise serves. The teens work at UrbanPromise summer camps and in its after-school programs. The focus on StreetLeader participants is building leadership skills and providing job training and employment, college preparation, mentoring and tutoring.

The program works to not just keep the StreetLeaders in school and headed in a positive direction, but to offer positive role models to the other students and participants in UrbanPromise schools and camps, Russell says.

“We don’t want each other to fail, we’re all in this together — that’s the biggest factor,” he says. “They’re their own leaders and they’re pulling each other along.”

Within the hierarchy of the StreetLeader program are team leaders who are responsible for larger groups of participants.

“So, it’s their job to take an interest, to care,” Russell says.

“And they’re teenagers, so they get things right and wrong. At their best they literally go knocking on doors saying, ‘Hey, why weren’t you at work today?’ They care. And we try to give them the resources to go and do that job.”

Secondary to providing work and a sense of belonging is the opportunity to provide the tutoring and other academic support to help students and the UrbanPromise schools succeed. But that’s just the start, Russell says. Parents understand when they enroll their children in UrbanPromise schools that they differ significantly from public schools.

IN-HOUSE TESTING

“We track grades, attendance and disciplinary infractions,” Russell says. “We track our own in-house testing that lets us know if students are on grade level, regardless of what their grades say. And then we tell all that to the parents and we work alongside the parents with the tutors and student to make individual plans to help them do better.”

The results speak for themselves. Though not every teen who enters the StreetLeader program continues until graduation, of those who do, 100% graduate from high school and 85% will go to college based on numbers over the lifetime of the program, Russell says. Of the remaining 15%, many either enter the workforce directly after high school or enlist in the military.

“Because we have a high school now and it’s a very small environment, we can identify students [who need help] and that’s a real resource for parents if they want to take advantage of it so their kids can get a really excellent education with lots of one-on-one attention and a ‘you cannot fail’ attitude,” he says.

That attitude is especially important in the face of what the program’s participants deal with every day. On the day we speak, Russell is preparing to help counsel StreetLeaders and other students dealing with a shooting outside an UrbanPromise program just a few days earlier.

Coming from London, Russell was familiar with the myriad challenges of underserved urban youth, but he admits his experiences in the United Kingdom differ significantly from those he encountered when he first interned with UrbanPromise 24 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

| InWilmDE.com

in 2002. First, London tends to be segregated by economic status rather than race or ethnicity, he says.

“In England, especially in London, everyone’s kind of in there together. If you don’t like your neighbor, you have to figure it out. I had a neighbor who was Jamaican, someone else from Nigeria, a guy from Russia … it was very, very mixed,” he says. “When I moved to [Wilmington’s] East Side, I wasn’t used to such a mono-race situation.”

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Another shock was the level of gun violence. Because of England’s strict gun laws, “typically if you have a fight, you often get up to fight again another day,” Russell says. “In my work in London, I used to break up fights, but people here would stop me going to do that.”

Since being in the U.S., he says he’s tried to immerse himself in the history of Wilmington to understand the economic disparity, systemic racism and daily violence his students face. As a result, he’s built empathy for teens whose parents, grandparents and other community leaders are often absent.

“Because of the continued disadvantage, everyone’s stretched thin,” he says. “And if you’re stretched thin, you’re either trying to make ends meet or you’ve got different chaos in your life. So those resources and the time available is all stretched a little thinner than in more affluent communities that don’t have to struggle with some of the things we struggle with in the city.”

Much of that disparity is related to 400 years of slavery, segregation and discrimination, he emphasizes. “It’s like a gift James Russell (center) on an UrbanPromise recruiting trip to London. Photo UrbanPromise that’s been not wanted [but] handed to a neighborhood over centuries,” he says. “Busing and all kinds of historical things have really put our neighborhoods on the back foot. I think the more we offer resources and make changes, that’s great. And then each individual is responsible for their own choices.”

It all takes a hefty dose of faith, in both the secular and religious context. And if Russell sometimes sounds like a missionary to a foreign land when he discusses his work, that’s because it’s exactly how he sees it. UrbanPromise is funded in large part by local church congregations and individuals at those churches, and Russell and the others who run UrbanPromise reach out to encourage others to financially support their salaries. The hustle for funding, combined with what are often 55- or 60-hour weeks, means it takes a special kind of person highly focused on servant leadership to do the work.

But in the end, Russell is emphatic about giving the credit for the program’s success to his kids.

“They’re amazing young people who every day come to work with students after school, after they’ve already been in school all day. And they do it with grace, humility and power, and the world should see them working,” he says. “The kids are the heroes.”

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Eggs Chesapeake with a mimosa is a house speciality at Kid Shelleen's Charcoal House & Saloon.

Photo by Justin Heyes

26 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

The

FOCUS

Evolution of Brunch In 2022, this meal is more popular than ever

By Pam George

W

hen Xavier Teixido and his partners purchased Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal Saloon, he distributed questionnaires to the patrons of the Trolley Squarearea restaurant. “It had only three questions,” he recalls. “Why do you come here? What’s the best thing on the menu? And what do I need to know?”

Of the 650 customers who returned the cards, about a third wrote: “Don’t get rid of the sticky buns.” In effect, they also told Teixido, “Don’t get rid of brunch.” Indeed, the casual eatery is well known for the Saturday and Sunday mealtime.

“Kid Shelleen’s is a favorite for brunch and a classic,” says customer Sean O’Sullivan. “They offer all the brunch basics — food and drink — and great service.”

The guests need not have worried. Teixido’s appreciation for brunch began when he worked at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, which is famous for its Jazz Brunch. “When I started out in the industry, it was so long ago that brunch was a big thing,” says the hospitality veteran, who also owns Harry’s Savoy Grill. “Then brunch died. Now brunch in our market has really grown.”

I second his opinion. As a food writer, I’m often asked for brunch recommendations, which got me thinking: What makes a good brunch? And why is brunch so popular right now? ► JANUARY 2022

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 27

THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNCH continued from previous page

Creative cocktails are a signature brunch offering at Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen.

A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

Although a trendy meal, the clever union of the words breakfast and lunch has a long history. In an 1895 article for Hunter’s Weekly, British writer Guy Beringer stated the case for it, noting that Saturday night revelers could sleep late on Sunday and still have a meal.

In the 1930s, well-bred travelers enjoyed brunch while changing trains in Chicago. Indeed, the repast has long been linked to an upper-crust lifestyle. For decades, the legendary Green Room brunch in the Hotel du Pont was considered the epitome of gracious living. In a 1980 issue of The Morning News, the discerning critic Otto Dekom called the hotel’s offering “the oldest and most impressive Sunday brunch … in Wilmington. The atmosphere and the service are elegant, food very good, pastries excellent. Eggs and pancakes are prepared to order. It’s a good show and enjoyable meal.”

The hotel was also one of the only games in town. While diners and greasy spoons served stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts, it was hard to find a leisurely brunch. In the mid-century, most of the restaurants that offered it were in hotels — partly because other establishments were closed on Sundays. Or brunch was an Easter or Mother’s Day promotion.

The meal acquired an urban sensibility in the 1990s when Carrie and her Sex and the City pals gossiped over waffles. Once limited to special occasions, brunch became a low-key social affair. Just ask Lee Mikles, who owns Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen with friend Jim O’Donoghue. The beach bum learned the value of brunch long before 2015 when the partners opened their first location in Newark.

A beach brunch was the time to slow down, recover and catch up on the weekend, Mikles says. “It is often the final meal of a weekend with friends before ‘getting back to reality.’ I wanted to make that final meal last as long as possible.”

The new approach is perhaps best exemplified by Le Cavalier, which now occupies the Green Room’s opulent space in the Hotel du Pont. The stiff atmosphere is gone, and a cosmopolitan brunch menu includes eggs Benedict with Parisian ham, and Aleppo-spiced choron sauce (a version of the classic bearnaise).

BEYOND SUNDAY

In the 21st century, restaurants have seen brunch’s advantages.

When Home Grown Café opened in 2000, the restaurant closed on Sundays. Then owner Sasha Aber added Sunday brunch. A visit to the Big Apple revealed that hip customers brunched on Saturday and Sunday. Home Grown was among the first Main Street restaurants to offer a Saturday brunch.

28 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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“Now it seems like everyone does it,” Aber says. And no wonder. wait for a table at 3:30 p.m. Weekend sports extend the mealtime at pubs like Six Paupers Tavern in Hockessin or Ulysses Gastropub in Brunch is the Newark restaurant’s most popular meal.

“It is crazy busy,” she says. Home Grown began opening at 9:30 North Wilmington, where the post-college crowd gathers.

“They come for the football and catch a.m. instead of 10 a.m. to accommodate the crowd the tail end of brunch,” says owner Steven that regularly formed outside the door.

Lucey. “They get to sleep in and also get a nice For some, two days is not enough. Brunch has breakfast.” become so big that several Delaware restaurants built a concept around it. Take, for instance, The Peach Blossom Eatery, which opened late last year FOCUSING ON FOOD in downtown Newark. Owners Olivia Brinton, who Sports and socializing are not enough to also co-founded Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co., fuel a brunch business. From eggs to burgers, and chef Sam Ross serve breakfast and lunch all day. the menu must impress, and a proper brunch has something for everyone. Kids and Ulysses, The café follows the early morning footsteps for instance, have extensive salad and sandwich of Ciro 40 Acres near Trolley Square, which is sections “for people who aren’t into brunch open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., Tuesday through dishes,” Lucey says.

Sunday. “Brunch-lunch is our thing,” says coBreakfast, admittedly, is the star. About owner Venu Gaddamidi 80% of the customers at Ciro 40 Acres come That’s also the case at Drip Café, which for breakfast items, says co-owner Venu has locations in Hockessin and Newark.

Gaddamidi. Vogeley sells two-egg breakfasts “When I first opened, I wanted to open a all day, and Sunday omelets are the top seller at coffee shop with a really great food program,” Home Grown Cafe was one of the first Newark restaurants to offer Saturday brunch.

Buckley’s Tavern, says chef and co-owner Tom says owner Greg Vogeley. “What I ended up O&A file photos/Moonloop Photography Hannum. with, over time, was a really great breakfast restaurant with a good coffee program.”

Restaurants with a concept can work regular ingredients into Initially, Vogeley stopped serving breakfast at 11 a.m. brunch. Trolley Square Oyster House packs a fluffy omelet with Customers rebelled. crab, lobster, asparagus and gooey cheddar cheese. El Camino in “What do you mean you don’t have breakfast all day?” they Brandywine Hundred features huevos rancheros, as well as churro cried. Those last three words — “breakfast all day” — became French toast and a ham, cheese and egg torta. Meanwhile, Pizza By his mantra.

Elizabeth in Greenville boasts an impressive selection of brunch On weekends, action at Drip Café is nonstop. You may need to pizzas, including quiche Lorraine.

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JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 29

THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNCH

KRESTON WINE & SPIRITS

Celebrating 89 Years We wish you a

Happy & Healthy New Year!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

A brunch spot — versus a diner continued from previous page or breakfast restaurant — shows creativity. Grain features a scrapple cheesesteak. (Order a side of scrapple fries.) Skipjack in Newark serves its scrapple sandwich with cheddar eggs, and The Peach Blossom piles scrapple, two over-easy eggs, fresh greens and hot pepper jam on rye. Kid Shelleen’s salutes its community with Union Street Benedict: scrapple, poached eggs and chipotle-cheese sauce on an English muffin.

For many diners, brunch is not the time to count calories.

Ciro 40 Acres customers throw Weight Watchers points to the wind by ordering “My Usual”: bacon, scrapple, sausage, pork roll, French toast, waffle, fingerling hash and “cheezy” scrambled eggs.

But if you’re looking for a buffet, a hallmark of brunch gluttony, you might be disappointed. During the pandemic, many eateries halted that practice. For one, there are hygiene issues.

For another, few restaurants can afford to waste food. Indeed, Buckley’s halted its half-priced pajama brunch due to food costs.

What about special diets? Home Grown takes it to the next level. “We’re always aware of what can be vegan or vegetarian,” Aber says. “Our chef makes vegan sausage links.

For many, no brunch is complete without Avocado toast is one of the more popular brunch libations. Home Grown items at Kid Shelleen's. Photo by Justin Heyes has a mimosa bar; Kids is famous for its Bloody Mary bar. And no one will bat an eye if you have more than one before noon.

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Brunch’s popularity has led to more options. “I’ve been in the business 30 years now, and the only difference I see with brunch is more competition due to the number of new restaurants,” says Donny Merrill, owner of Skipjack.

However, it’s not an easy meal for many restaurants to pull off.

“Brunch requires a major reorganization of the kitchen,” Mikles agrees. “You have to make space for items like eggs and pancake batter, which are only used during those times. And brunch starts earlier than regular weekdays, so that means the staff must come in even earlier. This can be tough on a staff who may have worked late the night before.”

Aber agrees. Home Grown’s brunch relies on up to 30 employees, who hustle to get the dishes out fast, hot and consistently good.

Early food prep is essential. Kid Shelleen’s added a Saturday brunch in part to extend the prep over two days, Teixido says.

It’s working. When Kids opens the doors, families and empty nesters come in for their morning coffee and eggs. They’re followed by groups of friends and families celebrating birthdays.

“Brunch is an easy way to get together,” Teixido says. “You can drink or not drink. You can order what you want because brunch is breakfast and lunch, right? It’s not an expensive meal.”

It’s not just a meal, Mikles maintains. “It is an experience meant to be savored over a long time with friends.”

Few would argue that those occasions have taken on greater importance over the past two years. Long live brunch!

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Live music during brunch Reservations strongly suggested $13-$19 Sundays, 12-3pm 804 Brandywine Blvd, 19809 thebellefontecafe.com

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Brunch special for $14.95 includes eggs, breakfast meats. Limited selection from regular menu is available. Different omelettes each week.

Sundays, 11:30am-2pm 5812 Kennett Pike, 19807 buckleystavern.com

Made-to-order omelettes, eggs Benedict, Bloody and a burger for $17 $10-$16 Saturday 11:30am-3pm; Sunday 11am-3pm 4019 Kennett Pike, 19807 bbctavernandgrill.com

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Pastries, breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, coffees & teas $2-$7.25 7 days a week; 6:30am-3pm M-F; 7am4pm S&S Multiple locations in Wilmington, Greenville, Newark, Pike Creek, Concord Pike brewhaha.com Pictured above, pancakes with a creative twist from Drip Cafe.

Out & About file photo.

$3.99-$11.99 Omlettes, sandwiches, eggs Benedict Saturday and Sunday, 7-11am 4500 Linden Hill Rd Ste 11, 19808 cafeamericana.net $6-$22 Crepes, bananas foster French toast, pastrami hash Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2pm 821 N. Market Street, 19801 chelseatavern.com

CIRO FORTY ACRES

Mexican hash browns, frittatas, quiche $12-$16 Saturday & Sunday 8am-3pm 1826 Lovering Avenue, 19806 cirofoodanddrink.com

COLUMBUS INN

Award-winning brunch returning in 2022 Sunday (hours TBA) 2216 Pennsylvania Avenue, 19806 columbusinn.net

CORNER BISTRO

Huevos Cubano, lobster & shrimp roll, crepes $12-$18 Saturday and Sunday, 11am-3pm 3604 Silverside Road, 19810 mybistro.com

DEER PARK TAVERN

Bloody Mary bar, many types of eggs Benedict, omelettes $9-$23 Saturday 10am-2pm & Sunday 9am-2pm 108 W. Main Street, 19711 deerparktavern.com

DEL PEZ MEXICAN GASTROPUB

Breakfast tacos, carnitas fries skillet, omelettes $11-$14 Saturday and Sunday, 11:30am-2:30pm 400 Justison Street, 19801 delpezmexicanpub.com ► OCTOBER 2021

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 31

From l-r: Assortment of brunch offerings at Le Cavalier; French toast at Brew Ha Ha, pancakes at Corner Bistro.

DRIP CAFÉ

Caramel apple pancakes, tostada stack, sweet potato tacos $7-$13 7 days a week, 7am-4pm; Brunch all day 60 North College Avenue, 19711 dripcafede.com

EL CAMINO

Breakfast nachos, huevos racheros, churro French toast Sunday 11am-3pm 3559 Silverside Road, 19810 elcaminokitchen.com

GOOBER'S DINER

Belgian waffles, steak & eggs, chicken & waffles; local cage-free eggs $4.95-$15.95 Breakfast available all day 7 days a week; Tue-Sat: 6am-9pm, Sun 6am-7pm, Mon 6am-3pm 1203 N. Lincoln Street, 19805 goobersdiner.com

GRAIN CRAFT BAR & KITCHEN Scrapple fries, apple crumble pancakes, smores French toast, mimosa pitchers $10.25-$14 Saturday & Sunday 10am-2pm 270 E. Main Street, 19711 meetatgrain.com

HOME GROWN CAFÉ

Justin’s bloody Mary, build-your-own mimosa, bellinis, Benedicts, omelettes, brunch plates $5-$18 Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am-3pm; limited brunch M-F 11am-3pm 126 E Main Street, 19711 homegrowncafe.com

KID SHELLEEN’S CHARCOAL HOUSE & SALOON

Gunslinger breakfast, build-your-own omelette, nachos, jumbo wings, bloody Marys $7.95-$18.95 Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2:30pm 14th & Scott Streets, 19806 harryshospitalitygroup.com/kid-shelleens/

KLONDIKE KATE’S

LUCKY’S COFFEE SHOP & RESTAURANT

Snarky menu, wide selection of breakfast favorites from yogurt to sticky buns to huevos rancheros $8-$14 Open daily 7am-2:30pm 4003 Concord Pike, 19803 luckyscoffeeshop.com

METRO DINER

Fried chicken & waffle, scrambled egg bowls, biscuits & gravy $6-$16 Saturday & Sunday until 4pm 5600 Concord Pike, 19803 and 4601 Ogletown-Stanton Road, 19713 metrodiner.com

MILK & HONEY COFFEEHOUSES

Omlettes, “Hangover Helpers,” breakfast favs $10-$22, $5 mimosas & $4 bloody Marys Saturday & Sunday, 10am-2pm 158 E. Main Street, 19711 klondikekates.com

French toast, pancakes, avocado toast, coffee & tea selections $5-$11 Saturday 8am-2pm 239 N. Market Street, 19801 & 807 N. Union Street, 19805 milkandhoneycoffeehouses.com

LE CAVALIER

THE PEACH BLOSSOM EATERY

Lobster beurre blanc omelette, eggs Benedict, crab cakes $9-$35 Sundays, 9am-2pm Hotel du Pont, 42 W. 11th Street, 19801 lecavalierde.com

Papa Tony’s French toast, quiche, crème caramel pancakes $7-$15 Saturday & Sunday 8am-3pm 76 E. Main Street, 19711 peachblossomeatery.com ►

JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 33

THE BRUNCH BUNCH continued from previous page

PIZZA BY ELIZABETHS

Jazz brunch, quiche Lorraine pizza, seafood quiche pizza, create your own quiche pizza $11-$19.25 Sunday 11:30am-2:30pm 3801 Kennett Pike, 19807 pizzabyelizabeths.com

RIVERFRONT BAKERY

Crepes, quiches, freshly baked pastries, coffees $3-$10 Saturday and Sunday, 8am-3pm 313 S Justison Street, 19801 riverfrontbakery.com SIX PAUPERS Denver steak, breakfast quesadilla, classic Bennys $10.95-$15.95 Saturday & Sunday 11am-2pm 7465 Lancaster Pike, 19707 sixpaupers.com SLEEPING BIRD COFFEE Pastries, sandwiches, salads, coffees $3-$13 Saturday and Sunday, 8am-3pm 3111 Miller Rd, 19802 sleepingbirdcoffee.com TROLLEY SQUARE OYSTER HOUSE $6 Crushes all day, brunch bowl, omlettes, crab grilled cheese, fried chicken club $8-$28 Saturday and Sunday, 11am-3pm 1707 Delaware Avenue, 19806 trolleysquareoysterhouse.com ULYSSES GASTRO PUB Brioche French toast, steak & eggs, scrapple hash, white chocolate cranberry pancakes $13-$18 Sunday 11am1716 Marsh Road, 19810 ulyssesgastropub.com 34 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

| InWilmDE.com

2022

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DRINK

What Will You Be Drinking?

Area beverage-industry experts predict what we’ll be sipping — and what we’ll be skipping — in the year ahead

By Jim Miller

T

hroughout the world for centuries, human beings have toiled to find a legitimate and cost-effective means of looking into the future.

Irish mystics consulted the weather for omens; Chinese monks brushed up on their tasseography by reading tea leaves; Egyptians spoke to their ancestral stone idols — all attempting to find signs of what lie ahead.

When it came time for us to offer our 2022 cocktail predictions, we simply asked our friends in the industry. Let them take the heat if it doesn’t come true. Seriously, for most of us, it’s difficult to know what an afternoon coffee will bring, let alone what the next 12 months have in store.

On the other hand, forecasting a coming trend can be an entertaining exercise.

Particularly if the subject of scrying is something fun — like alcoholic beverages.

So, join us as we consult our wise guides (in alphabetical order by last name) and peek into the crystal ball. What will you be drinking in the year ahead?

Let’s take a taste of the future together… ► JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

37

Celebrating

85 Years!

Kimberly Derbyshire

WHAT WILL YOU BE DRINKING? continued from previous page

CEO, Top Shelf Promotions The sweeter the better!

Sweet sparkling wines are hot. Flavored whiskeys are hot. Peanutbutter flavored whiskey started this new interest. Whiskey, in general, is still a growing spirits segment.

Pre-mixed cocktails in cans are convenient and very popular for on-the-go consumers.

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Managing Partner, Universal Beverage Importers “I think the biggest trend in the industry will be the return to the bars and restaurants in 2022. Our bars and restaurants are juggling a minimized labor pool, supply-chain complications, and inflation at an all-time high. People’s comfort levels are getting better, and our restaurants have increased their safety measures to make everyone feel comfortable.

What will we drink this year? The industry has identified three key categories. We expect consumers will: (1) indulge in their drinking and want more bold and robust flavors; (2) look for simple ingredients; (3) seek out local and regional influences.

The biggest trends in 2022? Tequila may outsell vodka.

Whiskey will continue to accelerate and be a leader in the spirits growth. But the biggest growth potential may be with cannabis-and-CBD-infused beverages.

Hard seltzers are here to stay. And, yes, we absolutely will have more ready-to-drink canned cocktails."

John Holton

Bartender, Tonic Seafood & Steak If we have learned anything from the past two years, is that no one can predict anything, and nothing lasts forever. Cocktail trends are as whimsical as stardust and stardom; today an enamored elixir, tomorrow a forgotten fad.

Ultimately, bartenders, not mixologists, are the foundation of the craft. For the craft isn’t infusing this or creating that, it is the person that greets you after you’ve had a hard day with a smile, an ear, a joke, a menu, and ultimately — regardless of how terrible their day has been — hospitality.

Regardless of what is on the drink list, people gravitate to places that offer an atmosphere of familiarity, safety, of comfort and community. As a bartender, this is what we serve. This is what endures. Drink it in. Cheers!

Chris Julian

Bartender, Iron Hill Brewery Riverfront “2022 will see more small and large companies expanding into the realm of seltzer. Also, expect TV/movie-themed, premade cocktails for sale at liquor stores.

Restaurants will ramp up their own variations of classic cocktails (mules, martinis, old- fashioneds, and margaritas) to compete with aforementioned pre-made cocktails for consumption at home.”

John Leyh

Craft and Specialty Brand Manager, NKS Distributors “We’ll see the further blurring of lines between beer and spirit-based products — think seltzers, hard iced teas and canned cocktails Speaking of canned cocktails, these numbers are huge. Consumers are definitely gravitating towards the convenience aspect of these. Brewers know how to make things and put them into convenient portable packaging.

We’ll see more high-ABV IPA — this is more of a decade-long continuation of a trend.

Unfortunately, supply chain issues in the beverage space are going to continue to be a problem. Packaging (cardboard, bottles and cans) and trucking will be issues.

‘Better for you’ is definitely still a thing. Bud Light Next will launch (80 calories and zero carbs). That 110-calories-and-fewer category is a real sweet spot.”

Victor Mattia

Craft Beer Manager, Breakthru Beverage Group “Hard seltzer sales have declined the last half of 2021 and will level off in 2022.

They have been on a three-year run of double-and-triple-digit growth. Some of the smaller brands with disappear from the market.

RTD (ready-to-drink) canned cocktails will continue to grow. It’s a relatively small category so there’s a lot of room to grow that segment.

As far as beer goes, new entries to the non-alcoholic craft market performed well in 2021 and will continue to in 2022.

The 'better-for-you' segment in beer and wine will continue to grow. There’s a market for low-carb full-flavor wine and beers.”

Joe Mujica

General Manager, Kelly’s Logan House “I think the whole canned-cocktail portfolio is going to continue to grow. They aren’t just for pools and golf courses anymore. The Dewey Crush became really big for us over this past summer.”

Erin Noonan

Owner, Magnolia Lounge The #1 trend I am seeing from my clients are coffee cocktails. Espresso martinis are all the rave!

Another trend I’m seeing is canned cocktails. Some clients aren’t wanting to spend the extra buck on signature cocktails — now you can get margaritas and orange crushes in a can. Easy peasy!

And the last trend I am seeing is Cannabis cocktails. I have yet to have a request for them, but I’m seeing more restaurants offering them.

Ted Stewart

Craft Manager, Standard Distributing “2021 appeared to be the ‘Year of Seltzer’ and felt like every brewery had their own spin on the category. However, we’ve already seen some breweries shift focus from the seltzer game since the OG seltzers appear to have staying power.

It looks like more breweries will be focusing their efforts on the non-alcoholic and low-ABV beer offerings as well as more ready-to-drink canned cocktails that we’ll see from both beer and liquor companies.”

Dave Wamsley

Mixologist, Ubon Thai Kitchen & Bar “The espresso martini is not a new cocktail but recently it has been experiencing a resurgence. The elegance of a martini, the rich coffee flavor, and the high content of alcohol and caffeine, combine to make this cocktail delicious and versatile.

As an after-dinner treat, or a stiff pick-me-up, the espresso martini was a popular choice in 2021 and it will surely have a strong presence through the New Year as well.”

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JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

39

CONGRATULATIONS TO K. WEBER — LAST MONTH’S WINNER!

WIN A $50 GIFT CARD TO PIZZA BY ELIZABETHS!

Fill in the You know the drill: (1) Ask your friends to help “fill in the blanks” for the missing words needed below.

(2) Once completed, read aloud and watch hilarity ensue.

(3) Got a funny one? Take a photo and send it to us at Contact@OutAndAboutNow.com. Best one wins a $50 Gift Card to Pizza By Elizabeths (One entry per person; must be 21 or older to enter). Have fun!

RESOLUTION

Good morning! Welcome to our New Year’s Day edition of your favorite morning program: “(

)(

greeting

)”!

U.S. city

Today, we’re talking about a New Year resolution that is getting a lot of attention nationwide… Are you (

)? You should be!

adjective

As you may have heard, yesterday (

) made the big announcement about her cause

famous actress

for 2022 saying: “Everyone knows how much time I’ve devoted to the wild (

animal plural

This year, I’m going to ensure that every single one of them is able to ( give up eating expensive ( When Senator (

) for the next (

food

) of (

last name of friend

politician was overcome with (

U.S. state

emotion noun

“Isn’t it time we stopped sitting on our ( pledge to ( (

) and (

verb

verb

) of (

).

foreign country

). Even if it means I have to

) days!”

number > 1

) heard the superstar’s plea, the (

adjective

)

), saying: body part plural

) and did something about this crisis? This year, I ) as much as I possibly can until we fully resolve this

verb

) problem!”

adjective

Even in the smallest towns of America, people are responding.

Says ( “( (

first name of friend nonsense word

occupation

) from (

nearby town

)! I never knew this was such an issue. I may be a (

), but I think it’s time we all tried to (

40 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

):

verb

). Don’t you?”

adjective

)

LISTEN

Record Appeal The continuing resurgence of vinyl listening is creating a nice domino effect

Vince Barreras operates the press at Studio 4 Vinyl, which is creating albums for indie bands and major studios alike.

Photo courtesy of Phil Nicolo

By Matt Morrissette

T

o music aficionados of a certain age, there’s no less likely story than the return and continued ascension of records as a viable music format.

The tumultuous journey has been from compact discs unceremoniously usurping records and cassettes in the late 80’s and 90’s; to Napster and other illegal downloading services flatlining CD sales in the early 2000s with folks filling their iPods with endless pirated hits; to streaming audio on cell phones via the ubiquitous Spotify and similar applications over the last decade.

However, unexpectedly and delightfully, the wonder wheel of physical music media has come full circle with vinyl steadily rising as a soulful alternative to streaming. Over the past few years (and during the pandemic especially), vinyl has exploded in popularity, with record sales up 94% in the first half of 2021 versus 2020, according to the Record Industry Association of America.

“In my opinion, the continued increase in vinyl sales over the last year has a lot to do with younger first-time collectors making up more and more of the overall sales, and this is getting the attention of younger popular artists,” said Todd Brewer, owner of Rainbow Records. “These artists are getting more creative with how they are presenting their music in the vinyl format, and it has changed everything from Record Store Day lists to how vinyl records are released on Friday new release dates. ► JANUARY 2022

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

41

RECORD APPEAL Though the vinyl explosion has continued from previous page been an obvious boon for bands and record stores (Delaware has seen a dramatic increase in both the number and popularity of its independent record shops), the ripple effect into other business sectors has been steadily growing. Milton’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was an early sponsor of the massively popular Record Store Day. Other beer producers did collaborations with legendary indie bands such as Flaming Lips and Guided by Voices and partnered on the release of compilation records. Indeed, the cross-section between craft beer fandom and record collecting has become a fruitful business driver for microbreweries both locally and nationally.

Studio 4 Vinyl partner Phil Nicolo says the precision and potential of the technology is much more advanced than anything previous. Photo courtesy of Phil Nicolo

Wilmington Brew Works, one of the many craft breweries to open in the Wilmington area over the past five years, instituted Turntable Tuesdays in March 2021. The concept was the brainchild of local DJ/musician Chris Haug and WBW partner Derek Berkeley.

On those nights, the two play music from their own record collections and from vinyl brought in by patrons with nary a laptop in sight. As the event grew, it expanded to include a monthly record bazaar on the last Tuesday of each month featuring folks from local record shops such as SqueezeBox Records, Rainbow Records, Jupiter Records, Wonderland Records, Goodboy Vinyl, and others.

“We tried the event in the taproom one Tuesday and everyone loved it,” says Berkeley. “The next vinyl pop-up had Chris and Todd Brewer from Rainbow Records. It was so big they had to set up in The Alamo Room, where we have larger events at the brewery.

“It just grew from there as more local record shops were invited to join. Music and beer have been bringing people together and helping build communities for a long, long time. Music is great, but know what makes it even better? Amazing craft beer,” Unsurprisingly, as record sales have soared, the need for viable equipment to play records on has grown in parallel. Sales of new turntables were up 4% in 2020, and several more percentage points in the first half of 2021. The sales and repair of used and vintage stereo equipment is harder to gauge, but according to local record stores, SqueezeBox Records in Wilmington and Grooves and Tubes in Centreville, it’s booming.

42 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

“We’ve seen continuous growth in the component part of the shop,” says Richard Fisher, owner of SqueezeBox Records. “We decided to try and carry a few new turntables and budget-friendly systems because of the uptick in our vinyl sales. As we moved towards offering some new turntables, we noticed that our customers that are new to the world of vinyl were more apt to purchase a plugand-play type of system while customers that wanted to upgrade their current setup had no problem mixing new and old components together, thus creating unique systems that they love.”

Gerald Young, owner of the go-to location in the area for vintage stereo equipment and repair, Grooves and Tubes, reports unprecedented levels of activity at his shop.

“Turntable sales, record sales, and demand for vintage ‘old school’ 1970’s receivers are through the roof. Requests for turntable and amplifier repairs are also at a record level for us since the pandemic. We have a two-month backlog,” Young says.

Unfortunately, as record sales have boomed dramatically, the record pressing plants have struggled to keep up with demand, with independent bands experiencing wait times as much as one to two years to have their records pressed.

Into that void stepped Phil Nicolo, a Grammy Awardwinning producer and owner of the world-class Studio 4 Recording (Conshohocken, Pa.). Last summer, Nicolo launched a state-of-the-art record pressing plant, Studio 4 Vinyl in Nottingham, Pa. Nicolo has a storied past in the music business. As half of the legendary music production team The Butcher Bros., he and his brother, Joe, worked with acts such as John Lennon, Urge Overkill, and Nine Inch Nails. The Studio 4 venture sees Nicolo partnering with another big name: Obie O’brien, a producer, songwriter, and engineer best known for his association with Bon Jovi.

After overcoming delays in pressing equipment delivery and sorting out pandemic-related logistics, the plant is open and thriving with exciting things on the horizon — releases from Disney and Tommy Boy Records as well as reissues from Frank Sinatra and The Fugees.

“It’s a logical progression from the studio,” says Nicolo.

“Our primary mission has been to help independent bands with all of the services we offer from recording to mastering.

Personally, it’s exciting to be involved in a new aspect of the music industry after a lifetime in the business.”

As the adage goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. So, in this era of over-connectedness and technology overload, it’s no surprise that the simplicity and purity of listening to music on vinyl has regained traction.

It’s only fitting that the boom in the vinyl industry, which comprises many independently owned businesses (from record stores to record labels to the bands themselves) should filter down into a host of other independent enterprises.

As a great man once said, “Rock is dead. Long live rock.”

J A

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JANUARY 28

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FIND YOUR

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Photo by Joe del Tufo

FLAVOR STAGE SOUND DANCE

FIND IT ALL HERE:

inWilmDE.com

New Delaware Symphony Orchesta Executive Director J.C. Barker at The Grand.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

FRESH LOOK Orchestras need a strategic restart and J.C. Barker has some ideas

By Ken Mammarella

T

he Delaware Symphony Orchestra’s Classics Series that begins Jan. 21 includes works by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Holst, Brahms and Bach, but the repertoire for the 2022-23 season will look far beyond the dead white European males who make up the Western orchestral canon.

The DSO this month is starting to rethink its mission, said J.C. Barker, its new executive director.

“We need to shift the way of what we do and where we do it,” Barker said. “Orchestras have become very siloed.”

Among other issues, he hopes the process uncovers orchestral works “by composers of color and women and of all different genres.”

Barker, who worked in various roles for the Mobile Symphony in Alabama for 13 years, replaces Alan Jordan, DSO’s executive director from 2015 to 2019.

At the DSO, he is reconnecting with music director David Amado, classmates 30 years ago at the Juilliard School with Amado’s wife, Meredith.

When asked what he told Barker to encourage him to come here, Amado said: “I made an effort to present to him a clear, honest picture of what we are, where we are and what we do. Like with so many jobs, it is as much about skills as it is about fit. I tried (thankfully successfully) to lay out what we were, are and want to be, and tried to give J.C. the space to evaluate the potential fit.” ► JANUARY 2022 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM XX 45 JANUARY

Barker was hired in February of 2020 and moved to Delaware in May of 2020, picking an apartment at the Residences at Mid-town Park. He not only wanted to be close to work, he wanted easy access to the restaurants and everything else that downtown offers. He also wanted to be part of the geographic “cradle” that created the DSO, which dates back to the Tankopanikum Orchestra, founded more than a century ago by Alfred I. du Pont.

He moved north with Snapper, his 23-year-old cat, who passed on a few weeks later. This summer he adopted Bird, a cat from Faithful Friends.

Barker, who is 59, was 13 when he started studying music. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 1986 from the University of Southern Mississippi, with his Juilliard certificate in 1992.

His career began by running a National Endowment for the Arts rural residency program, followed by work as personnel director for the Symphony of the West Valley in Arizona, lecturer at the University of South Alabama, and consultant for the Atlantic Classical Orchestra in Florida.

He has also served as principal clarinetist for three orchestras, recorded classical and contemporary music for multiple record labels, and performed across North America and Europe.

Since moving to Delaware, he has returned to the South for several performances as a clarinetist. “I like to keep my fingers in the world of music,” he said. “That background

46 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

FRESH LOOK is a big part of me, and I think it continued from previous page helps understanding musicians’ positions.”

“Professionally, J.C. has a gift for reading a situation, understanding the different perspectives and bringing consensus. He really respects differences, and people appreciate that,” said Karen Outlaw, a board member of the Mobile Symphony.

“Personally, he has a great sense of humor, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously. It makes him fun to be with. He can talk to anybody!”

Barker’s first big responsibility in Delaware was ensuring that the DSO survived the pandemic, and he credits the state’s leaders and the orchestra’s donors and musicians for working together.

The next was what he called a “cultural reckoning” following the death of George Floyd and other cases that highlighted the Black Lives Matter movement. That means seeking compositions that have not received the attention they deserve, he said, “whatever the reason, prejudice or lack of exposure.”

Then there’s a need to make the DSO more accessible, which he said includes performances “that cross all socioeconomic lives,” events downstate and family-friendly outdoor concerts.

“We’re not abandoning a column of concerts at The Grand,” he added.

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He inherited a 2016 plan for outdoor concerts in Yorklyn, and just after he started work he toured land that the state park system is considering for an amphitheater. “It’s a terrific idea,” he told Greenville & Hockessin Life. “That falls in line with our strategic planning for outdoor concerts. It’s an exciting project, and we’re still interested in discussing and planning it.”

Barker is offering plenty of notice that things will change, including an address at the DSO’s annual meeting last June.

“The Delaware Symphony must find a way to work with all facets of the community through increased outreach, education, and collaboration, and we must start now,” he said. “We must bring new voices to the table. And listen. And change.”

He made the pitch to a wider audience in his News Journal guest column in October: “While we certainly will continue to serve our loyal classical music lovers, we must find ways to take our musicians out of the concert hall and into the community.”

“Yes, it’s important what we play, but we must also give people ‘the chills,’ ” he said in an interview, quoting Wilmington percussionist and arts leader Jonathan Whitney on that “visceral reaction to art. All music is an intimate experience with the audience. We will take this big acoustic machine out of the same four walls and into the world.”

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LISTEN

TUNEDIN AREA MUSIC NOTES

DRUMLINE LIVE PARADES INTO WILMINGTON

A

fter performing more than 300 shows worldwide since 2009, DRUMLine Live comes to The Grand with a brand-new show with updated music and choreography.

As it was with its previous incarnation, DRUMLine Live brings the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) band experience to life in a theater setting. The show was created by the musical team behind 20th Century Fox’s hit movies Drumline and Drumline: A New Beat.

Showtime is 7pm on Sunday, Jan. 16 at The Grand. For tickets and more info go to TheGrandWilmington.org.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR SHINE A LIGHT

T

ickets are now on sale for the annual Shine A Light concert, which celebrates its 10th year on Saturday, March 5.

In 2019, Delaware Today honored Shine A Light with a “Best of Delaware” designation in the fundraising category.

This year, more than 60 Delaware musicians will rock The Queen Theater for a fitting cause. Proceeds from this year’s show will support musical programs in Wilmington’s most challenged communities Tickets go on sale online January 1. For more information about the Shine A Concert series, go to LightUpTheQueen.com.

48 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

DELCO BREAD OVERCOMES THE DISTANCE WITH OCTOBER SKY

A

lthough it’s not every day that two friends decide to start a band together after being pals for 38 years, that’s exactly what Delco Bread did in 2016 when they released a six-song EP. But that’s not even the most interesting part of the story.

What puts a unique spin on Delco Bread is the fact that the band’s two Longtime friends Dan McGowan (l) and Mike Waltman didn't let 2,300 miles get in the way of making Delco members live more than 2,300 miles Bread's first full-length album, October Sky. away from each other.

Dan McGowan (Wrecking Ball) of Delaware and his high-school friend of 43 years, Mike Waltman, of Phoenix, Az., released their follow-up full-length album, October Sky, last month. The album took two years to produce, and the two musicians were never in the same room — or same side of the country for that matter — during the recording process.

But, the casual listener would be hard pressed to tell.

“We have been playing and writing together for years,” says McGowan, “and when recording went digital with [recording software] like Logic and Pro Tools, it made it easy for us to write transcontinental style.”

Bouncing tracks back and forth over the Internet, the two split duties with Waltman playing all the guitars and bass, and McGowan providing lead vocals, harmonica, live percussion, and drum programming. The two divided keyboards and backing vocals, with Waltman doing the majority of the former and McGowan most of the latter.

Most of the songs start as Waltman’s ideas: “Mike writes great nuggets,” McGowan says.

“I always tell him he writes great hooks. He’s got more hooks than a Carolina bait shop.”

Perhaps fittingly considering the distance between the two musicians, October Sky plays like a road-trip soundtrack, reminiscent of many of the artists and bands that McGowan lists as influences — Tom Petty, Neil Young, Drive-By Truckers, Wilco, and The Replacements — and, to a certain extent, others not mentioned like World Party and The War On Drugs.

McGowan says he and Waltman are considering doing their first live gig in the spring here in Wilmington. In the meantime, the 12 songs on October Sky can be heard on all major digital platforms including Spotify, iTunes, Pandora and Amazon.

WORLD PREMIERE OF OTHER WORLD

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high-tech musical will be born in Wilmington next month with the world premiere of Other World at Delaware Theatre Company.

The video game-themed adventure boasts art direction from Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop, who also helped create the wild fantastic worlds found in Avatar and The Lord of the Rings.

Other World debuts on Wednesday, Feb 23 and runs through Sunday, March 20. For tickets and more information, visit DelawareTheatre.org.

LESTER’S PEARL TO MAKE DEBUT AT JACKSON INN

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he rock trio known as Lester’s Pearl debuts at Jackson Inn on Friday, Jan. 7, opening for the area popular jam-rock quintet MEGA. Lester’s Pearl is composed of Chris Julian (Villains Like You) on vocals and guitar, John Dickinson (Spokey Speaky, UFO) on drums, and Nick Mazzuca (Midnight Singers) on bass.

Caption

Replay!

Area pinball enthusiasts now have a new place to call home.

Delaware Pinball Collective debuts this month

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By Matt Morrissette

or those still reeling from the closure of the beloved Wilmington arcade bar, 1984, during the early days of the pandemic, the new year brings hope, flippers, and bumpers.

Delaware Pinball Collective debuts this month and brings nearly 50 classic pinball machines (including Attack from Mars, Jurassic Park, Monster Bash, Iron Maiden, and Twilight Zone) to their 3,000-square-foot space located at 1100 First State Boulevard in Wilmington.

The business model for the venture is like that of a VFW or Moose Lodge, in which one must be a member to gain access to the private club. Memberships can be purchased monthly or yearly at a discount. Membership grants you access to the establishment during normal operating hours and unlimited play of the machines — all are set to free play. Leave your quarters at home.

There will be snacks, beverages, and alcohol available for purchase and to help expand the membership base, members can bring guests up to three times a year. For the more competitive, weekly leagues will let you test your mettle against other local pinball wizards.

The idea for the collective has been around since 2018, with the venue almost becoming a reality in March of 2020 at a different location. The Collective’s board of directors (Chad Hastings, Joe Fox, Paul Pratzner, Mike Keith, and Rodney Comegys) chose to hit the pause button at that time, then found

the current spot after a long search for a location that met their needs in terms of location, square footage and parking.

Ninety percent of the club’s pinball machines come from the personal collections of members of the board, all obsessive veterans of the pinball machine subculture. Collectively, the board members own nearly 100 machines, so members can expect the game rotation at the club to stay fresh and funky.

The remaining 10% of the machines come from people who are already members of the Collective.

Together with the opening of Wilma’s (a duckpin bowling alley with an arcade) on Wilmington’s Market Street, the arrival of Delaware Pinball Collective marks the return of adult arcade fun to the city.

— For more information on membership, open houses, tournaments and a complete listing of pinball machines, visit DelawarePinballCollective.com

JANUARY 2022

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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THE CITY A NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM MAYOR MIKE

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e enter the New Year under a cloud of uncertainty as the coronavirus pandemic remains everpresent and cities across the country — Wilmington included — confront a rising tide of gun violence on our streets. Still, there is much cause for optimism as we look ahead to 2022.

In the coming months, we will continue to welcome scores of new residents and businesses who will make Wilmington their new home. And as businesses both large and small are drawn to our City, they will bring with them hundreds of new, well-paying jobs. We’ve seen it already with Investor Cash Management and Citi, among others.

New B&M Meats, along with Light Action’s multimilliondollar sound stage and the new CP Furniture factory, is poised to revitalize the Seventh Street Peninsula, while the Riverfront East development project will begin in earnest.

Also, before the end of the year we will open the longawaited South Wilmington Wetlands Park. We are excited to host the Atlantic 10 Women’s Conference Championship Tournament at the Chase Fieldhouse, March 2-6, 2022, and then the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club in August.

More importantly, federal ARPA funds will not only help to solidify the City’s financial situation as we emerge from the pandemic, we will initiate an unprecedented investment of $22M in historically underserved neighborhoods while also supporting workforce development and nonprofit community programming.

50 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

It is our expectation that by making our people and our neighborhoods stronger and more prosperous, coupled with the incorporation of proven violence-reduction models, we anticipate a more peaceful, more just City in the coming year.

This year is already shaping up as a transformational one for Wilmington. And as we welcome back many of the events that bring us together as a City — from the popular Wilmington Art Loop to concerts and theater shows to sporting events and festivals — I continue to urge all residents to take all necessary steps to slow the spread of COVID-19. That means getting vaccinated and boosted and tested for the virus, as well as following CDC guidelines regarding mask wearing, social distancing, and other preventative measures so we can finally put this scourge behind us. And when that day finally arrives, I have no doubt that our wonderful City will bounce back and thrive like never before.

A City is nothing without its people, and we have some of the best. With everyone working together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. And I will continue to work with you to see that Wilmington’s has a brighter future ahead – one that is healthier, safer, cleaner, more efficient and more prosperous than ever. Have a Happy New Year!

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

MAYOR PURZYCKI’S ANNUAL TOY DRIVE BRIGHTENS THE HOLIDAYS

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ayor Mike Purzycki and Director of Constituent Services Jennifer Prado are pleased to report that the 2021 Mayor’s Annual Toy Drive collected scores of gifts and was able to assist 65 families and 15 agencies across the City over the Christmas Holiday.

The Mayor’s Annual Toy Drive each year aims to brighten the holidays for hundreds of children in Wilmington by distributing new toys to families around Wilmington in partnership with nonprofit agencies.

“Unfortunately, due to the continuing pandemic, holiday traditions still haven’t returned to where they were before

COVID hit,” said Mayor Purzycki. “All the same, we were determined that Wilmington’s children would have a happy and festive holiday season. I thank Jen and her Constituents Services team for organizing this popular event, as well as our dedicated nonprofit partner agencies and Store Manager Andrew Rosko and his staff at Walmart Store No. 2555 for making the 2021 Toy Drive possible.”

MAYOR WELCOMES TWO NEW DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES

Mayor Purzycki and Council Member Michelle Harlee (4th District) welcome Town & Shore to LOMA on December 9.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

Mayor Purzycki joins in opening Wilma’s at 9th and Market streets on December 10.

JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY! AUTUMN ON THE RIVERFRONT!

Get out, enjoy nature, and dine from some of your favorite restaurants!

The Riverfront is a perfect venue to enjoy the outdoors and walk our 1.75 mile Riverwalk along the beautiful Christina River! Additionally, the DuPont Environmental Education Center is now open to the public. DEEC’s nature trails, including the eight-mile Jack A. Markell Trail continues to be fully operational! Get out and enjoy some quality time in nature!

DCM is open on the Riverfront Tuesday-Thursday: 10am-3pm Friday: 10am-8pm ($5 admission from 5-8pm) Saturday-Sunday: 10am-5pm Admission: $12

Membership for the entire family is just $119 for the year

More Info:

DelawareChildrensMuseum.org

(302) 654-2340 52 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

25th Anniversary In 1995, the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware was created to oversee the growth and restoration of the public and private land surrounding the Christina River. Formally home to shipbuilding and industrial centers, the land had become deserted and largely unusable. Thus, RDC began the process of rehabbing the landscape and working with local and regional developers to revitalize the area.

Now, celebrating our 25th anniversary, Riverfront Wilmington has become one of the area’s most vibrant and exciting destinations to live, play, and work. Once a largely abandoned shipyard, the riverfront is now teeming with residences, hotels, restaurants and indoor and outdoor attractions.

As we enter our 26th year — and look beyond — the Riverfront Development Corporation is thrilled to continue the expansion of the Riverfront area as we move to the east side of the river. We can’t wait to celebrate everything Riverfront Wilmington has to offer with you all year long!

OPEN

MON-FRI: 9AM-6PM SAT: 9AM-4PM Stop in and enjoy fresh produce, salads, sandwiches, coffee, pizza, sushi, Mexican,Thai cuisine and much more!

The Riverfront Market

RIVERFRONT RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN

for in-house indoor and outdoor dining

Banks’ Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar Big Fish Grill

Riverfront Bakery

Ciro Food & Drink

River Rock Kitchen

Cosi

Starbucks

Del Pez

Taco Grande - NEW!

at the Riverfront Market!

Docklands

The Juice Joint

Pachamama Peruvian Rotisserie Serena’s Soulfood

Drop Squad Kitchen

Timothy’s on the Riverfront

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Ubon Thai

Dine-in or carry out NOW OPEN

JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

53

Now Open!

Visit our website for Winter hours, pricing, and safety protocols!

DelawareChildrensMuseum.org /Delawarechildrensmuseum

54 JANUARY 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

/DEchildrensmuseum

We're Back.

Get Your Tickets Now LightUptheQueen.org/shinealight

Top Songs from Past 9 Shows 1968, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980 & ROLLING STONES

M a rc h 5 , 2 0 2 2 @ 8 p m THE QUEEN WILMINGTON, DE Proceeds Support Local Music Education Programs