My writing, or at least my ability to review, is improving. I've been keeping up a running thread over at eGullet.com on our RB discoveries, foodwise. This is what I added tonight:One of the signatures of Rehoboth Beach is the use of color everywhere. This is natural for the town, befitting the summer resort business. Bright paint is splashed everywhere. Mattel's Barbie would approve of a store called "Tickled Pink." Fences are painted in rainbow shades.
Cloud 9
http://cloud9restaurant.com/ is almost discreetly yellow in comparison; much of it's color comes from the lighting on the roof. That's as far as the outside goes. Inside, the walls are burnished gold, with a sky blue skylight over the dining room, and cartoon-ballooned paintings in bold graphic style by Matt Adler on the walls.
We went because we wanted a change of pace, and had heard that they have a pasta special running on Monday nights. Indeed, there is a special menu of pasta dishes and individual pizzas, and the pastas on the regular menu are at half price. (There is also currently a second-entree-free special on Thursday nights.)
Der Brucer started with the baked oysters, which are served with andouille sausage, spinach, and aioli. He thought the bite of the andouille complemented the oysters very well. For my appetizer, I thought the sweet chili-garlic sauce that was paired with the coconut crusted shrimp also a good match, with the light heat of the sauce cutting the coconut's own sweetness.
For the entree, he went for the duck confit pizza, which was paired with scallions, tomatoes, asparagus tips, and cheddar. I tried the lobster ravioli from the regular menu, which was served with a sherry cream sauce. No, I told our waiter, I didn't care for fresh Parmesan. What I did find myself wishing for was some contrast on the plate. The ravioli was very good, tender and striped orange and white, and filled with flavorful lobster. The sherry cream sauce was a good pairing with the ravioli. But...
White and orange raviolis, with a white sauce, and served in a deep white dish somehow lacked a certain visual something. There was too much white, which went well with the late 70s soft rock playing in the background but wasn't as appealing to look at. The whole combination needed something green, like a glazed decoration to the plate itself, and maybe just a small sprinkling of seaweed salad on the raviolis to give a flavor contrast.
The service was as pale as my entree. Tasty, but lacking something.
As we were driving home, der Brucer commented that they're sure to rake in the bucks during the season. I'm sure he's right.
I do wonder how it looks, however, to be sitting at the table with a small notepad near my water glass, while I'm taking notes. I know there are others at eGullet who do the exact same thing; some of them even take pictures! But are waiters astute enough to know that the notes will be used later? And do they say anything to the back of the house?