Foodie Friday: La Fable
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – French cooking is known worldwide for turning comforting flavors and humble ingredients into some of the best food you can imagine. At La Fable, all of that is achieved in a cozy setting.
French Twist on a Familiar Favorite
The French bistro in Rehoboth Beach is truly la crème de la crème, that keeps customers coming back. “You’ll be glad you came today,” Chef Aileen Baldo Dilario remarked as she began the Foodie team’s visit with eggs mimosa.
They’re a French take on a familiar favorite: deviled eggs, topped with watermelon radish, capers and fried shallots, and a sherry vinaigrette. Chef Baldo Dilario says she has made literally thousands of them. “I have people sit at the bar, and they try to have a contest; see who can pick out the secret ingredient, and there isn’t any,” she said, explaining that sometimes simpler is better.
Rich and Tender
And on this Vendredi, or Friday, Chef Baldo Delario’s soup du jour is wild mushroom bisque, paired with a duck brioche sandwich.
“All kinds of wild mushrooms. We have a girl that forages mushrooms for us. She had some hen of the woods for us, so we got them,” said Chef Baldo Dilario. “There are shiitake, cremini, and oyster mushrooms all in here.”
Simmering away on the side is a boeuf bourguignon. This dish is so rich, so tender, that orders keep rolling in during warmer months.
“We use a beef chuck flat. We trim it up, sear it up to a nice brown crust, and we roast it for many hours. We have mushrooms, pearl onions, and these beautiful baby carrots. A lot of red wine. A couple of other secret seasonings that we don’t talk about,” Chef Baldo Dilario said with a laugh. “We simmer it until it is absolutely fork tender. And then, we serve it over the pommes puree. See, it’s just falling apart? You don’t need a fork for this dish.”
“Wonderful flavor,”
Foodie Friday Host Hannah Cechini and Photog Mike start in the dining room by revisiting those eggs mimosa.
“The flavor and the texture of the fillings in these eggs mimosa is just so creamy and beautiful. They’re really well seasoned, also,” Hannah remarked.
Next, is a completely new experience for both Mike and Hannah.
“Neither of us have ever had escargot. So, I’m really excited to try it. It’s one of those things where I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’ve never had the chance to,” said Hannah before plunging a fork into the morsels. “These really are just kind of like a vehicle for butter, and that’s why they are delicious.”
“It’s a tiny bit earthy, which I think is really nice,” Mike added. “I didn’t know what to expect, flavor-wise. Texturally, this is just delightful.”
Advancing through our ensemble, back to the bisque and its accoutrement.
“A really rich, wonderful flavor. And, the texture is very velvety and smooth. You’re putting a lot of indulgence onto your spoon when you’re eating this soup,” Hannah said. “The other half of the equation here, which would be the duck sandwich, is kind of another way to play on richness of flavor.”
Marvelous Mains, Delightful Dessert
Also on the menu: a beautiful cut of halibut, paired with thyme roasted zucchini and roasted grape tomatoes, and a chick pea panisse.
“Halibut has really big flakes in it because it is a more muscular fish,” Hannah explained. “Those flakes in this cut, have been kind of just beautifully cooked to perfection in the oven. The sear that they did on it before they put it in the oven has given it a nice little crust on the outside.”
Mike, meanwhile, marveling at the boeuf bourguignon. “This is kind of the real beauty of French cooking. It’s taking something that is very rustic, something a farmer might eat, and just really taking such care of it that it becomes the highest level of cuisine,” he said about the layers and layers of flavor.
And ending things on a sweet and sentimental note, with a homemade chocolate mousse.
“The first dessert I ever fell in love with,” Mike smiled. “This takes me back to my childhood, which is the greatest thing food can do, right? Is, elicit those great memories.”
La Fable
La Fable is located at 26 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Del. You can call them at 302-227-8510. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
