May 17, 2013

It’s NOT All Greek to Me! It’s American-Greek Deliciousness!

The Corner Grille, at 11 South First Street, overlooks the busy corner of First Street and Wilmington Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Despite its visible corner, this breakfast and lunch spot has been kind of a sweet secret. 

“Once people come in they keep coming back,” says co-owner Irene Vrentzos, whose father George is the chef. “We just have to find a way to get them in!”

Well, maybe this article can be one of the ways. People, you gotta try their fabulous Greek cuisine! And when I say it’s not all Greek, I mean that the Greek specialties are fabulous, but they also have a knack for breakfast (served all day), burgers, subs, and more.

 I’ve been a fan of the Corner Grille since the place first opened in 2009, and now they are expanding into an adjacent empty storefront, so there will be more of the Corner Grille to love.

The gyros, Greek salads, souvlaki, hummus and delicious spanakopita (spinach pie in Phyllo dough) are authentic and heavenly. The falafel with Tzatziki sauce tastes like it was shipped directly from the isles, and that can mean either Greece or Manhattan, because it rivals the best in the Big Apple too. Never had falafel? It’s a deep fried patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. So basically, it’s a Greek fritter or hush puppy—and it is amazingly tasty. The vegetarian dolmades—grape leaves stuffed with a yummy rice mixture are just as authentic as well.

Of course, lunchtime at a Greek eatery most often means gyros (“yee-rohs.”)—a sandwich containing ground lamb and beef (think crispy slices of a meat loaf). The meat is cooked on a rotating spit and the name gyro comes from the motion of the rotation. The meat, along with tomatoes, onions, feta and yogurt sauce is wrapped in pita bread. For me, the best lunch is a Greek Salad with gyro meat sliced atop. The salad is bursting with scrumptious olives, feta, tomatoes, and onions, well-dressed, but not overdressed, topped with the sliced gyro meat. If I give in to temptation, toasted pita is a great go-with!

By way of a little history, most food historians generally agree the name “gyro” and the current sandwich are both recent inventions originating in New York during the early 1970s. Gyros, as we know them today, are thought to have evolved from the traditional “doner kebab” of turkey. Whatever the history, it’s not Greek to me why it’s so popular.

The Corner Grille is also known for their homemade hummus and frankly, the best rice pudding I have ever tasted. With a light cinnamon sprinkle and cream on top, this dessert is both sinful and mandatory. 

So okay, that covers the Mediterranean! As for hometown American, the Corner Grille does a great job with classic burgers, shrimp, tuna, and chicken salads, a club sandwich sub, and even a fried flounder sub.

Traditional beach fare like chicken finger, fried shrimp, and fried flounder baskets, teeming with fries are classic, too. And while I haven’t tried it, I saw a fat grilled cheese sandwich come off the grill and wanted to stay for a second lunch. For youngsters under 10, there’s a $5 kids menu for lunch and choices for much less for silver dollars and eggs for breakfast.

And how about that Corner Grille breakfast menu, served all day? From pancakes and waffles to three-egg omelets (yes, of course there is a Greek omelet!) and egg sandwiches, you can certainly have breakfast any way you want at the Grille. And while this all sounds wonderfully caloric and decadent, you can also choose from turkey bacon, chicken bacon (new!), fruit cup, and egg white breakfasts, too.

The super clean and comfortable Corner Grille is open from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. every day, take-out or dine in and breakfast anytime. They’ve made quite a stir with customer reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp, and are becoming more well known by the hour. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You’ll get a friendly welcome, really excellent food and great value, too. Besides, I just looked at the Corner Grille web site and saw the photo of the baklava a la mode. One day soon I’m going to splurge.