Historic Dining in Wilmington, DE
- Fig. 5: Buckley’s Tavern, Centerville, Del. Courtesy Buckley’s Tavern.
Delaware, called America’s first state because it was the first to ratify the Constitution of the United States, is within a three-hour drive for one-third of our nation’s population. Here you can enjoy the rolling hills of the Brandywine Valley along with the sandy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean—and tax-free shopping!
The Delaware Antiques Show, now in its second half-century, has a perfect home at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in downtown Wilmington (www.winterthur.org). The show is sponsored by Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Fig. 1), with proceeds benefiting educational programming at the museum. On select days, Winterthur, just ten miles from the show venue, is offering an Afternoon Tea Buffet inspired by the popular PBS TV series Downton Abbey (Fig. 2). Delightful treats include brandied crab salad, crumbled sausage and roast vegetable tartlets, and crème fraiche egg salad on poppy seed brioche. (Reservations required.) Before or after tea, don’t miss the Costumes of Downton Abbey (on view until January 4, 2015), an original exhibition featuring historically inspired costumes from the popular series, supplemented by photographs and vignettes inspired by the program and by real life at Winterthur.
- Fig. 2: Downton Abbey Tea, Winterthur Museum. Public domain; Courtesy Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Winterthur, Del.
Other dining options at Winterthur include the Visitor Center Garden Café, where you can enjoy views of the gardens and the rolling hills beyond while you dine. The Cottage Café, the newly redesigned space in what was Henry Francis du Pont’s cottage, is perfect for a light snack or lunch. This café features soups, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit, baked goods, smoothies, gourmet coffee, and wine.
When it comes to a truly regal dining experience, the historic Green Room at the luxurious Hotel du Pont in Wilmington stands alone (Fig. 3). Named not for the color of its decor but after a close friend of H. F. du Pont himself, this soaring two-and-a-half-story space is accented by fumed oak paneling and mosaic and terrazzo floors. Six handcrafted chandeliers and a musicians’ gallery overlook the opulence. The Green Room is revered for its impeccable French cuisine served on Versace china, and has won the Four-Diamond AAA Award for twenty-eight consecutive years. After dinner, guests can enjoy performances at the Hotel du Pont Theatre. Built in only 150 days in late 1913, its stage is larger than all but three New York theatres.
The Columbus Inn dates back to the era after the Revolutionary War. Opened in 1798 as Schamlz’s Bakery, it operated as a tollgate stop on the main stagecoach route from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Wilmington’s waterfront. Start your meal there by assembling your own antipasto platter of homemade salami, American prosciutto paired with Hudson Valley Camembert, Wisconsin blue cheese, and delicious deviled eggs with an avocado, bacon, and ranch crumble. They also feature a raw bar, local seafood, pizza, and burgers.
Jessop’s Tavern is located in the heart of the well-preserved Colonial-era village of New Castle, Delaware, a short drive from the Chase Center. Their menu recalls the food of the original English, Dutch, and Swedish settlers of this area. The staff, garbed in Colonial outfits, serve satisfying fare, including roast duck, Swedish meatloaf, and potpies. The Caesar Rodney salad is my favorite starter.
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Just five miles from the Chase Center, nestled in the heart of the Brandywine Valley, is the restored nineteenth-century hamlet of Montchanin and the Inn & Spa at Montchanin Village (Fig. 4). Its restaurant, Krazy Kat’s, is housed in a renovated blacksmith’s shop complete with an original forge. Known as much for its whimsical décor as its creative cuisine, Krazy Kat’s features feline-themed rooms with tiger-print chairs, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served, featuring fresh, seasonal Northeast cuisine. If they’re available, don’t pass up the smoked rabbit chowder or the suckling pig pierogi.
Longwood Gardens, with over a thousand acres of seasonally-changing gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is well worth the thirteen-mile drive from the Chase Center. (Nearby in Chadds Ford is the Brandywine River Museum, home to an incredible collection of Wyeth family art.) In Longwood’s fine-dining restaurant 1906, you can enjoy locally sourced vegetables, meats, and seafood, or stop in to The Café for lighter fare. Less than four miles away in historic Centerville, back in greater Wilmington, savor “casual American comfort cuisine” at Buckley’s Tavern, housed in an 1817 former residence (Fig. 5). On Sundays, have fun at their family-style brunch, with its $18.50 prix fixe menu; at cocktail time order up great hors d’oeuvres such as mini beef wellington, crab and cheese canapés, or smoked salmon on potato pancakes with sour cream and caviar. Their dinner menu ranges from sandwiches to Crab Imperial.
- Fig. 4: Inn & Spa at Montchanin Village. Courtesy Small Luxury Hotels (SLH.com).
To learn more about Wilmington visit VisitWilmingtonDE.com or call 800.489.6664. The visitor center is located at 100 West 10th Street in downtown Wilmington.
Buckley’s Tavern
5812 Kennett Pike, Centerville, DE
www.buckleystavern.com
Columbus Inn
2216 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington, DE
www.columbusinn.net
Inn at Montchanin Village & Spa
514 Montchanin Road, Montchanin, DE
www.montchanin.com
Jessop’s Tavern
114 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE
www.jessops-tavern.com
Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Sq., PA
www.longwoodgardens.org
Winterthur
5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE
www.winterthur.org
Steve Trombetti is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. For past issues of Antiques & Fine Art he has authored Fine Dining in Manhattan, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
This article was originally published in the Winter 2014 issue of Antiques & Fine Art magazine, a digitized version of which is available on afamag.com. InCollect.com is a division of Antiques & Fine Art, AFAnews, and AFA Publishing.
