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SoDel Concepts takes on Italian cuisine
 REHOBOTH
BEACH -- In the hustle and bustle of Rehoboth Avenue, SoDel
Concepts' newest creation, Lupo di Mare, offers a wide variety of
Italian dishes.
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With four other restaurants in the resort area, this is the first in
Rehoboth Beach and the first Italian-themed eatery for owner Matt
Haley, who said his many trips to New York City inspired his latest
venture.
"Matt has talked about opening up an Italian restaurant for four
years," said Bryony Zeigler, the restaurant's interior designer and
director of operations. "Pretty much every time we would go up to
New York City, our favorite restaurants would be the simple Italian
places."
So Haley decided to bring some of his favorite flavors to the
'Nation's Summer Capital." While the menu features some seafood,
Executive Chef Douglas Ruley said the restaurant will bring a change
of pace to an area known for fine dining.
The menu offers items such as sea bass, seared tuna and spaghetti
and clams, all for under $22. According to Haley, the seared tuna is
a very good representation of what he is trying to offer at Lupo di
Mare.
"It's a seared tuna, but it's set up on a citrus fennel salad, which
is slices of grapefruit, orange and then shaved raw fennel that
marinates in a little salt and lemon," he said. "It all gets tossed
together with a little red onion. Then, we set it up in the middle
of the plate and stack a medium rare tuna on top."
The spaghetti and clams is another dish Haley said follows him to
each new restaurant. Growing up cooking and eating the dish, Haley
said he loves the simplicity and popularity of the item.
Entrées range from $14 to $22, which Haley said makes his restaurant
affordable, and an extensive wine list is also available.
"You can come in and have an inexpensive glass or you can have a
nice bottle," he said.
Haley said he wanted the restaurant to have an upbeat, casual feel
that is inviting for the whole family. The kids menu, nightly
specials and atmosphere should be enough to draw a crowd, he said.
"It's just what we wanted to do," said Ziegler, who created all of
the art work displayed in Lupo di Mare. "It wasn't working from an
existing space or from someone else's restaurant. From working with
Matt in the past, I was really familiar with what he was going to do
with the menu and I wanted the design to reflect that."
The location is just what Haley was looking for. When he heard Hotel
Rehoboth was looking to fill the current unit with a restaurant, he
said it was a no-brainer.
"We just loved the type of restaurants you see in the East and West
Villages of New York City," he said. "We wanted to build a
boutique-style restaurant and there is no better place than in a
boutique hotel with a little Mediterranean flair to it."
nroth@dmg.gannett.com 302-537-1881, Ext. 206
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