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redwhiteChelsea’s Lately?

By:  Paul E. D’Angelo / The Wilmington Wine Shoppe


What to do & Where to do it seem to be the proverbial questions asked … no, not every night after dinner … but definitely every February.  Valentine’s Day to be exact.  Every February 14th, like clockwork, the alpha of the relationship tries to make the plans that will out do not only last year’s night out, but even what the Jones’s are up to next store.  The Classic is always a wonderful dinner out for you & the loved one.  Normally, I would be against this … I like to shake things up a bit if you haven’t noticed.  Actually, I would probably be against the whole Holiday if it wasn’t for the damn lover in me … but I digress.  There is a reason we Classically pair things together like Dinner & Valentine’s … and my guess would be that everything is perceived better in 2’s … strawberries & Champagne … Chocolate & Peanut Butter … Brad & Angelina!  Solo, these are all just fine, but together … look out!  And like these classic pairings, you just can’t shake the perfect combo of Valentine’s Day & Dinner for 2!



So … what’s a single guy to do in the city?  Well, for starters, I won’t cry … There’s no crying on Valentine’s, even if you are single.  So I chose to celebrate Cupid a good week early … get it out of the way … plus, dinner for one looks a lot less conspicuous on any other date besides February 14th!  So on a recent Tuesday night, I decided to enjoy a favorite of mine downtown … Chelsea’s Wine Bar & Eatery … sounds like a good classic pairing to me … a place where I hope to enjoy some great food & wine!  Not only are they celebrating 2 years in the downtown restaurant and wine scene this month, but rumor be truthed, they are also under new ownership.  That’s right … gone are the days of Jessica & Douglas (a famous pairing that will be missed), but we are happy to welcome a new pair … Bob & Damon.  That’s man about Downtown Mr. Bob Glass (formerly of Jones & Glass Wine Company) & Mr. Damon Scarpelli (an old, but younger, boss of mine from the Reel Café).  I was happy to hear these 2 guys were getting together to try & breathe a little more life into a place that is very deserving.  With a great location in the heart of downtown, it is definitely Bob’s Hope (even the famous entertainer would agree!) to have Chelsea’s be the Food & Wine Hub of Downtown @ the classic pairing of Front & Market Street!

Food wise they’ve got this covered …they made one of the best choices in achieving this status already by continuing to work with Mr. Trevor Bridgewater, Head Chef & a former colleague at Prima back in the day … and dare I say Friend.  I just think Trevor is one of the most talented Chef’s around, if not the Most Talented Chef, in Wilmington.  This guy is learning & growing all the time.  And considering the smaller kitchen he has to work with, I am always more & more impressed by his creations.  There hasn’t been a time when I’ve had friends in town that I haven’t taken them to Chelsea’s!  So on my romantic night for one, why not go see some old friends & co-workers and have a spectacular meal & a great tasting of some wines.

So with the Food portion covered in the Classic pairing of Food & Wine, I’m naturally curious about the wines @ Chelsea’s.  And as many people know, well, great wines & great wine tastings are never a problem when Bob Glass is around.  He likes his wine, especially his red wine, and this affection for vino is certainly reflected in Chelsea’s updated & evolving Wine List.  Now Bob is also known for liking his high-end wines … Hollywood & Vine, anyone? … but I was immediately impressed with his bottle wine list suggestions.  Firstly, I look forward to the list when it will be bound, most likely, in a nice leather slip.  But more importantly, the List is impeccable in its pricing.  There is literally something for everyone.  We are talking 100 bottles total here, give or take.  And the prices are just perfect.  He has several choices in each price point … a couple bottles in the 20’s, a couple in the 30’s, all the way up to the 90’s.  Not to shy away from these possibly difficult economic times, he has 18 bottles over $100, including the hard to find Magnum of Lail Vineyards Proprietary Blend / Vintage 2000 … Talk about a party!  Sure … that can be a lot to splurge on for a bottle of wine, but again, this wine list fits just about anyone and any occasion, depending on your budget and / or splurge factor.

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