Whoopie pies in Rehoboth, new eats in Bear, coconut beer

Give a big whoopie if you like whoopie pies.

A new Rehoboth Beach shop specializing in the Pennsylvania baked treat opened on June 16.

Makin' Whoopie Pies at 25 Rehoboth Ave., near the boardwalk and the Rehoboth Bandstand, is owned by Josh Mellinger, who already owns two food stands at Hersheypark, the amusement park in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Mellinger said he chose Rehoboth as the site for his third shop because he liked the bustling atmosphere of the resort town.

The new shop, a former pizza parlor, is part of a wave of wild dessert options being served in Rehoboth. 

The Mug & Spoon, a new coffeehouse across the street, is now serving "cake shakes," or monster milkshakes topped with whole slices of three-layer cakes and other treats like brownies, cookies and cotton candy. Kaisy's Delights, also on Rehoboth Avenue, serves kaiserschmarrn, a kind of chopped-up pancake.

The roots of whoopie pies can be traced back to Amish farm wives in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, area, who made the desserts for their husbands using leftover cake batter. Supposedly, the men would shout "Whoopie!" when finding the treats in their lunch.

Mellinger said customers can create their own whoopie pies by requesting various cake flavors like red velvet and orange, along with cookie flavors such as chocolate chip and sugar.

There are 16 different fillings ranging from the original vanilla to "after-dark" flavors such Fireball, Bailey's Irish Cream, butterscotch rum and mojito. Customers also can have their whoopie pie made with Turkey Hill ice cream.

The whoopie pies, 4 inches in diameter with 4 ounces of cream or ice cream, are between $3.99 to $4.99 each. 

Grain in, Aqua Sol out in Bear

The new Grain H2O has opened at the Summit North Marina, on an inlet along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, in the Bear area.

It's the third new American restaurant for owners Lee Mikles and Jim O'Donoghue, who opened the flagship Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen in Newark in 2015 as well as the new Grain KSQ in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania eatery at 108 W. State St. had formerly been Half Moon Saloon & Restaurant. It opened in May.

Grain H2O moves into the spot that was Aqua Sol eatery. The former restaurant and bar at 3006 Summit Harbour Place served Miami/Latin fusion cuisine from 2009 until its 2016 closing.

The interior has been renovated and bar area reconfigured to look out over the marina. The outdoor seating area has new bars and fire pits. The restaurant has seating, indoor and outside, for about 280 people. 

Grain offers a variety of craft beers along with Cuban sandwiches, lobster rolls, burgers, nachos, fried pickles, crab mac and cheese and fish tacos.

O'Donoghue told The News Journal he and Mikles were attracted to the site because of the water views, the marina is 7 miles from both the Chesapeake and Delaware bays, and work the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment Control is doing to improve the marina, including dredging.

Mikles agreed. "When we started out, we had a goal to open one [restaurant] a year. This [site] seemed to check all the boxes," he said. "The marina itself is pretty impressive. The quality is first rate." He said it has about 300 slips.

The restaurant also is located along the Michael N. Castle Trail, a 12.1-mile paved path that links the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River and is named for the longtime Delaware politician who served the state for nearly 40 years as a state legislator, lieutenant governor, governor and U.S. congressman.

More than 100,000 hikers, runners, cyclists and equestrian enthusiasts annually have used the trail since it was partially opened in 2013, according to state officials.

Grain is open daily from 11:30 to 1 a.m. Call (302) 365-5795 or visit meetatgrain.com.

Aloha to new Dogfish Head coconut beer

In the summer, some people lighten up and change their drink choices as often as their wardrobe.

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach is getting into the warm weather season with the unveiling of Lupu-Luau, a new coconut flavored IPA. The ale is brewed with toasted coconut, experimental hops and dehydrated coconut water.

The coconut beer will be launched at 4:30 p.m. July 7 at the Rehoboth Avenue brewpub with entertainment beginning at 10 p.m. by Mo Lowda & The Humble, a Philadelphia-based trio.

Chefs will be serving Hawaiian-themed pizzas and desserts.

The coconut beer also will be served July 7 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the tasting room at Dogfish Head's Milton brewery. 

Lupu-Luau will be on tap and infused with toasted coconut and key limes. Special dishes available at the food truck include Hawaiian-style Pulled Pork and a Hawaiian fruit salad. Entertainment includes live ukulele tunes.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico