Foodie Friday: Sunny Bay Cafe
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – Sunny Bay Cafe in Rehoboth Beach is sure to become a new favorite if you’ve never been before. You can start your day there with a tasty and hearty breakfast, or indulge in delicious dishes for lunch.
On this edition of Foodie Friday, host Hannah Cechini and Foodie Photog Mike got a taste of both. We start with a crepe, fresh from their authentic 16-inch crepe iron, straight from France.
Crepe Central
“In the summertime, we sell hundreds of these,” said cafe co-owner Laurie Orfanidis. “It actually is an art, making the crepe. He makes it look very easy, but it not really is that easy to do.”
On this visit, Antonio is whipping up a Nutty Monkey crepe; one of their more popular selections.
“The goal is to get it really nice and thin, and even all the way around,” Laurie explained as Antonio slowly and carefully dragged the batter to the edges of the iron in a circular motion. “It cooks very quickly.”
Add in fresh sliced bananas, a generous helping of Nutella, and give it a fold. And, of course, it’s got to look pretty.
“We decorate the outside of it. It also helps our servers identify which crepe is which, since everything is inside,” Laurie explained as the crepe was finished with whipped cream and freshly sliced bananas. “Gotta have the whipped cream, and gotta have the powdered sugar!”
“This is almost like a work of art. Like, I don’t want to cut into it because it’s too pretty,” Hannah quipped before making the first slice of the knife. “I mean, who doesn’t love banana and Nutella? [The crepe is] just really airy and light and thin, and just exactly what you’re looking for out of a crepe.”
Breakfast Blockbuster
Another breakfast blockbuster at Sunny Bay is the stuffed French toast, which starts with a thick slice of Texas toast, before getting a generous helping of homemade cheesecake batter.
“It’s inside and out,” Laurie said as the inside was pumped full of batter. Add on another slice, and top it with fresh berries and whipped cream.
“That is a great piece of French toast,” Mike marveled. “Moist, almost creamy interior. They have so many pieces of lovely, fresh fruit in here.”
Savory Serendipity
But, as mentioned before, it’s not all about the breakfast. Laurie says the cafe’s chicken souvlaki is another one of their best-selling dishes. Because of it, this eatery is also known for serving up a perfect lunch in a pita. It’s filled with fresh marinated chicken breast, tzatziki sauce, fresh chopped tomato and onion, and powdered with paprika.
“The chicken is really well-seasoned,” Mike said with enjoyment. “Let’s try the tzatziki. Very fresh, very bright.”
Also on the menu: more than one iteration of crabby goodness. The crab soup in its tomato base is heavenly.
“There’s huge chunks of crab meat all throughout this soup,” Hannah said. “There’s a lot of veggies in here, too, and they’re all really, really tender and flavorful.”
And of the crab cakes, some of the best Hannah’s ever had: “This is what Delmarva is all about. The crab has that subtle sweetness to it. It’s very fresh tasting. It’s just so, so good. I’m almost at a loss for words right now.”
Ending on a Sweet Note
“And finally, the beignets,” Mike said as we moved onto dessert.
We all know Foodie Photog Mike is the connoisseur of dipping. And, these desserts aren’t safe from him. “Nice little pockets to hide some flavor in, like our caramel,” said before taking a bite of the fluffy-on-the-inside-crispy-on-the-outside goodness. “That’s lovely.”
Sunny Bay Cafe
Sunny Bay Cafe is located at 236 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Del. You can call them at 302-567-2344. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
