Eat in/Dine out: Get caramel apples on sticks at Govatos, pancakes at Drip Cafe

NOTE: Eat In/Dine Out is a new feature. Just want to stay in and nosh on some good food and drinks? We'll tell you where you can pick up dinner or dessert for takeout or we'll share a new cookbook or TV show offering great recipes to make at home.

Looking to hit the town? We'll share some recent great dishes and meals we've had at area restaurants.  

EAT IN:

Hot, humid, rainy weather is the enemy of caramel. 

And, so far this fall, it's put a damper on the annual caramel apple season at Govatos Chocolates, a tradition for the last 124 years.

The Wilmington candy company, in business since 1894, has devoted the month of October to dipping Red Delicious apples into big batches of hot, homemade caramel.

The treats-on-a-stick are sold at both the flagship 800 Market St. store in downtown Wilmington as well as the second Govatos location at 4105 Concord Pike in the Talleyville Shopping Center.

But this year, the caramel apple season has been delayed due to the temperatures that have been more like summer than autumn's sweater weather. 

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Nicholas and Richard Govatos Jr., the third generation brothers who run the candy business, have only made one batch of caramel apples this year.

And it didn't turn out so well. The caramel began slipping off the apples.

"It backfired on us," said Nicolas. "When it's humid or hot, the caramel won't stick, even in the air-conditioning." 

While the first batch of apples sold out quickly, the Govatos now are watching what the weatherman has to say before making any more caramel. 

"We've just been waiting for cooler temperatures," said Nicolas, who hopes to be offering the old-fashioned caramel apples in the stores by Oct. 18 or Oct. 19. 

A plain caramel apple is $4.95; an apple dipped in chopped Brazil nuts is $5.50. Visit www.govatoschocolates.com or call (888) 799- 5252.

DINE OUT:

Drip Café in Hockessin is known for its excellent breakfast offerings. And its Caramel Apple Pancakes recently captured the eye of People magazine.

The publication named the dish at the 5-year-old Lantana Square Shopping Center eatery as one of 50 best breakfasts in the United States.

People came up with its best breakfast list by working with Yelp editors and zeroing in on reviews that focused on breakfast. Restaurants were ranked according to a variety of factors, including total volume as well as user feedback and scores, according to the magazine.

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Drip Café's $11 breakfast dish, now on the menu, includes bacon-studded pancakes topped with roasted apples, smoked bacon and house-made salted caramel sauce.

The Hockessin eatery will be featured on the TV morning show FOX 29 Good Day Philadelphia on Oct. 25, beginning at 9 a.m. Bob Kelly, host of "Breakfast with Bob," will be airing live shots from the cafe.

It'll be a busy week for Drip Café owner Greg Vogeley. He's opening his second Drip Cafe on Oct. 22 at 60 N. College Ave. in Newark. 

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