The Rebel Fail

We tried to check out the new Caribbean and Southern food restaurant, The Rebel, on Market St. in downtown Wilmington this past weekend, but were not too successful. This new restaurant has been open a little over one week, but clearly needs more time to get their act together.

We almost weren't even allowed in the door when the doorman with a metal detector wand told us t-shirts weren't allowed. Another man waved us in after a brief discussion with the fashion enforcer. This is no fancy joint, but a restaurant with a bar/club vibe, so knock off the trying-to-eliminate-undesirables dress code bullshit. And you'd think on opening week the owners would want to welcome people, not turn them away.

Once in the door and seated at the bar, we ordered a bourbon and coke which was served in a pint glass with the equivalent of two shots of bourbon. Thanks, bartender, for the liberal pour! The beer drinker had an expensive Leffe Blonde on draft ($7), while remarking about the odd beer list - a few Belgian beers and one summer special Sam Adams on draft, and the major US swill beers in bottles. Where were the local brews, or even just a regular beer like Yuengling (also local)?

The place was hopping at 8:30 when we arrived, and as we waited at the bar for a table, the bartender informed us that they only had nachos and wings left in the kitchen. Apparently the owners didn't count on people actually showing up. Well, they did! And then they left. In the time it took us to finish our drinks and have a most fabulous convo with our bar neighbors, the place pretty much cleared out because there was no food.

I'm gonna give The Rebel a bit longer before I attempt their Caribbean and Southern offerings, and you might best, too.

The Rebel
210 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801
302-658-2018

Genelle's

Update: as of Jan. 30, 2009, Genelle's has closed to the public after 14 years of business, and is only offering catering.

Until the other day, I have been missing out on the best curry I’ve had since moving to this region. It's at Genelle's.

I’ve actually passed Genelle’s, a Caribbean restaurant right on the main drag in downtown Wilmington, and looked at their menu taped to the front window, but always pass by on Sundays when most every store in downtown Wilmington, including Genelle's, is closed.

The interior of Genelle’s is divided in two - a small, dine-in area with a takeout counter up front; and larger back area with white linen-topped tables, and a bar with live jazz on Saturdays. The casual, front dining area did me just fine.

If dining in, just say so, and they’ll put your food on a plate. I just spaced it.

Jerk chicken, curry chicken, curry shrimp, curry goat, oxtail, chicken and okra, and jerk burgers are just a few of the Caribbean delights on Genelle's menu.

Vegetarians can order the curry vegetables, or two of the Chinese (?) dishes – vegetable lo mein or vegetable fried rice. If you're a vegetarian, don’t let the limited vegetarian choices stop you from trying Genelle’s.

The side orders read like a specials board at a Southern meat-and-three studded with Caribbean flavor – steamed cabbage, collards, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese (not available that day, or else I would have been all over it), fried plantains, rice and peas, dohl pourri, and Guyanese patties (owners are from Guyana).

More than enough for a big boy...or a small girl that just can't quit.

Standing at the counter, looking through the glass at the large pans of stewed curry on the steam table, I could just tell my meal was going to be good. And, oh, buddy, was it!

Genelle’s yummy vegetable curry plate ($5) consists of potatoes, corn, carrots, sweet peppers, peas, beans, and tomatoes, and is pilled atop a generous portion of rice and peas. The flavors mingled, with nothing overriding, and the spices and heat were perfectly piquant.

Steamed cabbage also comes with the vegetarian plate. I love all cabbage, even Genelle’s cabbage that was boiled to a translucent sweetness.

A bake.

Genelle’s also has baked goods – corn bread, carrot cake, pound cake, and occasional Caribbean specialties like cassava pone, coconut buns, and Guyanese rum cake.

I couldn’t resist the pastry unfamiliar to me – a bake ($1). A bake is a slightly sweet bread spiced with cinnamon. Stuffed from the curry, I brought the bake home for later. The grease-soaked, brown paper bag carrying the bake was evidence that a bake is not baked! If Genelle's bake were topped with powdered sugar, you could call it an elephant ear.

I like to visit my Wilmington lunch spots during lunch hour to get a feel of their popularity. Genelle’s had a steady flow of people coming in for take out, but not nearly the business they deserve. There should have been a line out the door and wrapping around the building!

My ignorance of Genelle's divine curry was a crime. I'm hoping this PSA counts towards community hours served.

Genelle's Bakery and Cafe, 730 Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801
302-654-5322
Mon.-Tues., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wed.-Thurs., 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sun., closed