As any Blue Hen who spent time in Newark knows, “food” is synonymous with “Main Street” in this college town. With the broad expanse of dining options—from nachos shared with friends to the gelato that caps off a delicious dinner—the iconic street is nearly inseparable from the UD experience—and the many memories and meals that it has offered to Blue Hens through the decades.
With Commencement and Alumni Weekend just around the corner, the Messenger presents a sampling of the latest crispy-cheesy, spicy-sweet, saucy-and-sassy dishes that you can find on Main Street today.
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and Evan Krape
View a selection from the guide below
NACHOS
Countless friendships have been fueled and countless T-shirts soiled by these marvelously messy concoctions, led in reputation at Klondike Kate’s (158 East Main St.) by three delightful options: Barbecue Ranch (chicken, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing); Buffalo Chicken (buffalo-sauced chicken drizzled with blue cheese dressing); and Trash Can (french fries, chicken tenders, onion straws, honey mustard, blue cheese). “That’s probably the most popular with the kids," notes manager Alisha Foore. Close competition persists in the nacho department from Deer Park Tavern (108 West Main St.; owned by Robert Ashby, BE77), Santa Fe Mexican Grill (190 East Main St.), Catherine Rooney’s (102 East Main St.) and others.
BREAKFAST
Post-revelry mornings can be a drag, leading many students to haul their weary selves to Hot Bagels (131 East Main St.) or Newark Deli and Bagels, a.k.a. “NDB,” (36 East Main St.) for a belly-settling moment with an egg-and-bacon bagel (with cheese, please). “NDB’s breakfast sandwiches were pretty fantastic,” enthuses Stephan Zacharkiw, BE99. “When I was at school, I would go at least twice a week. I'd walk by it, get a whiff of that smell, and go in and get one.” Even the native New Yorkers give these Mid Atlantic bagels a hat tip—“fresh, with a nice, chewy crust and a perfect crumb you expect from a real bagel,” one said. Beyond bagels, breakfast options abound at Panera Bread (140 East Main St.) and Sinclair’s Café (177 East Main St.) and numerous coffee shops.
PUB AND GRUB
Today, folks frequently expect their good food to be accompanied by good brews, and three Main Street destinations offer both reliably: Steadfast and stylish Iron Hill Brewery at 147 East Main St. is adored for its pot pies and cheesesteak egg rolls (and co-owned by Kevin Finn, BE02). Over at Stone Balloon Ale House at 115 East Main St., the shrimp scampi enjoys national renown. Grain Craft Bar+Kitchen at 270 East Main St., owned by Lee Mikles, EG90 and Jim O’Donoghue, AS91, gets raves for the crab cake and crab mac-n-cheese. “We didn’t have those luxuries when we were in school,” says Tia Truxon Bolden, AS93, who is a board member of the UD Alumni Association. “It’s very cheesy and it’s not overwhelming. And crab is my favorite food. If you try it, you will fall in love.”
PIZZA
In college, satisfaction is always as close as the nearest pizza pie, preferably besotted with cheese and ready to be eaten right out of the box during a Main Street jaunt. The thin-crust beauties at Margherita’s Pizza (134 East Main St.) hold a place in collective alumni memories, and a slice of Grotto's (45 East Main St.) has accompanied many frosty mugs. In the space previously held by Peace A Pizza a new upstart, Snap (44 East Main St.), is making gourmet inroads into pizza passions.
FOOD CARTS
The revered breakfast creations and cheesesteaks of Bennie Dollard’s Fantasy Cuisine still thrill the masses queuing just in front of the Five and Dime. A quick stroll off Main and up Amstel Avenue will result in masterful dumplings and Thai riffs at the Wandering Cart and the Mediterranean classics of the Gyro Cart.
DESSERT
Studied-out students crave the reviving rush of some sweet stuff, leading them in droves for gelato at (where else?) Caffé Gelato (90 East Main St.), owned by Ryan German, BE00. Others prefer a custom-crafted doughnut at Duck Donuts (145 East Main St.), or UD-themed cupcakes from Bing’s Bakery (253 East Main St.), or the top-selling chocolate chunk cookies at Insomnia (70 East Main St.)—where David Lasus, BE03, is chief operating officer of the 120-store chain. “For dessert, I love going to Caffé Gelato and getting their Peanut Butter Cup Gelato Sundae,” says Brittany N. Kahn, HS17. “It has peanut-butter chocolate chip and chocolate-hazelnut gelato with sesame roasted peanuts, warm chocolate sauce, Madagascar vanilla whipped cream and chocolate shavings.”
BURGERS
Spurred to ever-higher levels by fierce competition, Main Street’s taverns rightfully pride themselves on serving burgers that are typically fat, inventively topped and frequently available half-price. Standouts include the Deer Park, Klondike Kate’s, Catherine Rooney’s, Cheeburger Cheeburger (137 East Main St.) and Iron Hill. “Iron Hill has an amazing turkey burger called the Santa Fe Burger topped with guac. What's better than guac? Nothing,” says Allison Gan, BE17.
DEATH FRIES
In an informal student/alumni poll, perhaps no single food concept on Main Street inspires more reverence (mingled with some justifiable caution) than the “Hot Tots” (tater tots with bacon, cheese, jalapenos and Sriracha ranch) and “Death Fries” (bacon, cheese, ranch, barbecue sauce) at Arena’s Deli (168 East Main St.).
UPSCALE TREATS
When it’s time for something more savvy and sophisticated, Main Street wanderers, including many faculty members and administrators, head for Taverna (121 East Main St.), where fans rave about the chicken coal-fired pizza with spinach, roasted tomato and goat cheese, and the crisp-fried calamari with pickled chilies, tomato jam and lemony garlic mayo. Is Taverna full? Just head across the street to Home Grown (126 East Main St.) , or slightly west, to Caffé Gelato (90 East Main St.).
TEX MEX
At last count, four burrito joints stood within a quarter-mile span (California Tortilla, 55 East Main St.; Qdoba Mexican Eats, 58 East Main St.; Chipotle Mexican Grill, 136 East Main St.; and El Diablo, 127 East Main St.). The quest for more-inspired execution leads many to Santa Fe Mexican Grill (190 East Main St.; try the chipotle wings with cilantro blue cheese) and Del Pez Mexican Gastropub (76 East Main St.)
TASTES OF ASIA
Main Street is now home to at least four restaurants that specialize in recreating the true tastes of China—Red Bowl (153 East Main St.), Colorful Yun Nan (59 East Main St.), Chef Tan (108 East Main St.) and Kung Pao Palace (259 South Main St.). Bahn Mi Boy (209 East Main St.) continues to champion the light, bright delights and robust sub-style sandwiches of Vietnam.
SOUTH MAIN STREET
Venture beyond West Main Street to its adjacent neighbor (newly named South Main Street, though some alumni will remember it as Elkton Road), and you’ll find many more dining options, including: Pat’s Pizza and Pasta (160 South Main St.), Greene Turtle (220 South Main St. #101), Claymont Steak Shop (57 South Main St., #102), Buffalo Wild Wings (100 South Main St.); and Little Teriyaki (136 South Main St.)
NEW AND NOTABLE
Honeygrow (58 East Main St.): Light and bright noodle dishes and salads boast an Asian edge and fresh appeal.
Chef Tan (108 East Main St.): A cozy setting for truly authentic (and occasionally mystifying) Chinese food.
Roots Natural Kitchen (129 East Main St.): Stay-fit fare stays lively with these inventive salad combinations.
Ramen Kumamoto (165 East Main St.): College students find ramen revelation in these bowls of brothy goodness.
Tavva Indian Café (215 East Main St.): Fulfilling and fairly priced classics from throughout India.
Churrascaria Saudades (230 East Main St., #203): Authentic, tableside-carved Brazilian beefiness galore.
Biz Z Pizza (230 East Main St., #628): A solid choice for such crowd-pleasers as subs, cheesesteaks and pizza.
The Perfect Blend (249 East Main St.): Real Belgian waffles, dressed in luxurious style.
Buddy's Burgers (170 East Main St.): Open wide for these double-stacked monsters.
D.P. Dough (forthcoming; South Main St.): Rumor has it that the hot calzones are making their long-awaited return this fall.
Dear reader,
Which dishes did we miss? Email us at themessenger@udel.edu to share your favorites!
