A Delmarva New Year's Day bucket list
The fun doesn't have to stop New Year's Eve. Here are a few events happening on Delmarva to help usher in a fun-filled 2017.
Brunch
You lived it up at the New Year’s Eve party, took in the beautiful fireworks and now have the ultimate New Year’s Day hangover— what better way to ring in 2017 than with a brunch fit for a king.
Delmarva is home to several destinations, ideal for soaking up the champagne.
The latest eatery to open on Delmarva dedicated to the brunch movement is Egg, located in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Owner Missi Moore wanted to offer the area something, "completely unique," she said, commenting on the stiff competition along Rehoboth Avenue.
Egg's menu offers everything a brunch lover would crave, like homemade biscuits, eggs Benedict, acai bowls, crepes, buttermilk pancakes and lobster waffles. It also features some old family recipes like sauteed chicken liver and scrambled eggs, sausage gravy and Siracha bacon.
READ MORE: Gourmet brunch and lunch spot opens in Rehoboth Beach
Bethany Blues in Lewes has an all you can eat brunch buffet, available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring more than 100 items, including a waffle and omelet station, fruit, muffins, grits, seafood, a fresh carving station and pastries made by executive chef Rebecca Williams.
At Barn 34 in Ocean City, choose to dine downstairs in the dining room, and at the rum bar, or hang out upstairs in the loft dining room or bar. The restaurant, rustic with contemporary coastal style, will offer its breakfast menu from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Chose from bagels and lox, Captain Crunch French toast, fruit bowls and gluten free yogurt.
"There is nothing better than starting the New Year with a beautiful brunch," said Chef Rebecca Williams.
Bloody marys
If you are into brunching, you probably know there is one drink heralded above the rest: the bloody mary. It's the perfect beverage to enjoy with eggs and toast, and in certain establishments, the drink could very well stand alone as a meal in itself.
Several local eateries give the spicy cocktail it's due, although some might do it better than others.
Crabcake Factory USA in Ocean City has an entire section of the menu devoted to the drink, including USA Today's top choice with nearly a half pound of crab meat, three slices of bacon, five shrimp and green beans.
Starboard in Dewey Beach offers a build-your-own bloody mary bar. You choose the vodka, then create a picture-worthy concoction garnished with anything from homemade hot sauces, celery and carrots to lime, lemon or asparagus.
Penguin Swim
Celebrate New Year's Day by getting wet for a good cause.
A New Years tradition for many, the annual, chilly dip benefits Atlantic General Hospital.
Thousands of people take part, and even more watch.
WATCH: Ocean City Penguin Swim 2016: A 1st person view
"When you're looking at it from an outside perspective, a lot of people think you're crazy and (wonder) who would do this in the midst of winter," said Steven Weisenberg, a manager at Bull on the Beach who has done the Penguin Swim in Ocean City for nine years. "But when you look at it from your own perspective, all your friends are doing it and it's a good cause. It's a good day to celebrate."
Registration and check-in begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 1 p.m. swim. Registration is $25 per swimmer. Pre-registration and advance check-in is from 2-4 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Arrive early or stay late and enjoy carnival games and other exciting fanfare in the atrium at the Princess Royale Oceanfront Hotel at 91st Street & the Ocean.
For more information, visit www.aghpenguinswim.org or email penguinswim@atlanticgeneral.org.
5th Annual Hair of the Dog 5K/10K
The annual event, organized by the Quiet Resorts Charity Foundation, starts on Parkwood and Atlantic Avenues in downtown Bethany Beach and ends at the Bandstand on the Bethany Beach Boardwalk. The 10k starts at 8:45 a.m. and the 5k starts at 10 a.m.
The event features overall and age group awards, a 5k walk/run with a leashed-dog division, and a post-race party at Mango’s on the Boardwalk and Garfield Parkway in Bethany Beach with chili tastings from one of the 10 local restaurants participating in a chili cook-off.
For more information, visit qrcf.org.
Dewey Dunk
There are two other official ocean plunges in Delaware on New Year's Day – the Fenwick Freeze and Bethany Beach's Exercise Like the Eskimos. But Dewey's event is the newest of the Delaware coastal plunges.
The event started five years ago and drew about 50 people. The following year, there were about 100 dunkers. Last year, there were three times as many and so many children that organizers ran out of small T-shirts.
The event, which begins at noon New Year's Day at Dagsworthy Street, raises money to support events that are sponsored by the Dewey Beach Business Partnership throughout the year. For more information, call 302-228-3701.
Thrasher's
After getting out of the water, make sure to grab a bucket of the most revered fries in the town.
Since the first sliced potato in 1929, Thrasher's French Fries has become an Ocean City Boardwalk sensation.
The fries have been featured on The Food Network and Good Morning America, in countless publications like USA Today and The Washington Post, and are regarded as perhaps the best in the country.
READ MORE: Thrasher's French Fries: A timeless Ocean City tradition
But what makes them so irresistible?
"It's a secret," said Les Morris, operating manager of the Ocean City Boardwalk location.
For years, Thrasher's has used four simple ingredients: Idaho potatoes, peanut oil, apple cider vinegar and salt, a combination paying homage to the old English ways of dressing potatoes. And don't expect to find any ketchup nearby.
"Trust me," said Rich Aversa, lifelong French fry fan from Baltimore. "You don't need it."
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