As restaurants along Delaware’s beaches open back up again for the tourist season, one restaurant is working hard to cut the distance between farm to table -- by feeding its customers produce from the owners’ farm.
Married couple Scott and Carlie Carey opened up the One Coastal restaurant in Fenwick Island last fourth of July. Then, they didn’t have the time or energy to hatch their grand plan -- making meals from produce grown from a garden their 26-acre farm near Frankfurt, six miles from the restaurant.
Carlie Carey says that changes this summer when the menu will include produce from their farm.
“In the summer, we’ll be using our mint for our One Coastal mojito. We do a really nice caprese salad, so we will have our local tomatoes, local basil. We make our own balsamic glaze," said Carlie Carey.
Their new layout this season will also feature wildflowers from their farm. Eventually they hope to sell any surplus from their garden at the restaurant as well.
Scott Carey, co-owner of One Coastal, studied plant science at University of Delaware. To him, it made sense to use his degree to provide his customers the opportunity to enjoy locally grown produce.
“I’ve always had a garden growing up. After going to the University of Delaware and studying plant science, and just having a real interest in it, just seemed obvious if we had that land to try and put it to use. And let our menu work around what’s coming out of the garden," said Scott Carey.