Foodie Friday: Lupo
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – The team was in for an Italian treat at Lupo in Rehoboth Beach. We’re talking fresh pasta and homemade bacon in this red, white, and green edition of Foodie Friday.
A Menu Staple for 15 Years
If you’re looking for perfectly al dente pasta to sink your teeth into, or a surf and turf with a twist, look no further than Lupo’s lobster bucatini. “It’s been a staple on our menu since about 2008. It hasn’t really altered too much since then. But, we did kind of switch it up just recently. Just trying to enhance some of those flavors and build a good dish there,” said Executive Chef, Jeff Hunter.
The pasta is made in house, fresh, every single day.
“Bucatini is similar in length to a spaghetti. It’s a little bit of a thicker cut. There’s actually a hole that goes all the way through the entire length of the pasta. It does tend to have a little bit more of a bite to it. So, if you like al dente pasta, it’s definitely a good cut or shape for you,” Chef Hunter said. “Most of our pastas take about four minutes to cook. This one takes closer to eight or nine minutes. Anything less than that, and it won’t quite be cooked. It’ll be a little too chewy.”
Forkfuls of Flavor
And while those beauties are bubbling away, Chef Hunter heats some oil in the pan, to cook up house made bacon. Yes, you read that right: house made.
“We get this in, we cure it for ten days, and then we smoke it. It’s definitely a really nice flavor,” Chef Hunter explained. “That’s kind of what brings a lot of the flavor to the carbonara.”
Next comes an aromatic duo: shallots and garlic. The chopped up bulbs are sweated out in the pan with bacon fat, and then Chef Hunter deglazes with white wine. Then come the peas, and a generous helping of lobster meat.
“We’re going to add a little bit of Grana Padano. That is an aged parmesan,” said Chef Hunter. “Taking it off the heat, again. We’re going to add a little egg yolk. And that is kind of what helps make the sauce. You want to be quick, though, and do it off the heat so the egg doesn’t scramble.”
“Beautifully balanced”
With the delicious serving plated up, both Foodie Photog Mike and host Hannah Cechini had to appreciate the eye popping dish before digging in.
“As I gaze upon Mount Bucatini, and its array of toppings, I know that richness is incoming,” smiled Mike.
“The colors are so beautiful. You can see each and every ingredient that’s in there. It’s just a really pretty dish to look at. And, they say that you eat with your eyes. So, always a welcome addition to something that’s going to be delicious,” Hannah added.
To Hannah, it was pretty obvious that the pasta was home made, between its wonderful chew and fresh taste. “If you manage to get a bite with a little bit of everything in it, it is so beautifully balanced,” they said. “The peas bring a nice, bright, fresh vegetable note. Then, the lobster is just really tender and delicious.”
And this dish wouldn’t be complete without its bacon-y notes. “Oh man, that’s smoky,” Mike remarked. “When I cook bacon, it’s one note. I enjoy the note, but it’s one note. It takes a lot of skill to have something that’s already rich, like kind of reveal itself to you as you’re eating it. It’s just such an indulgence.”
Lupo
Lupo is located at 247 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Del. You can call them at 302-226-2240. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
