“August is one of the best times of the year to be a chef,” said Doug Ruley, vice president of culinary operations for SoDel Concepts. “On the Delmarva Peninsula, there is an abundance of fresh ingredients. That includes seafood, meats and poultry as well as produce. We are lucky that we can partner with local growers. It goes along with SoDel’s commitment to our communities to prepare simple, fresh, beautiful food.”
Read MoreTeam Ace of Bases held steady to win the fourth annual SoDel Summer Softball Showdown July 18 at Sports at the Beach in Georgetown.
The team was one of eight comprising SoDel Concepts employees. Each team of 15 to 20 people played two three-inning games. Then the teams sent two players to the plate for a home run derby.
Read MoreLocated in Frankford on Millers Creek, a tributary of Little Assawoman Bay, the camp is open to residents of Delaware between the ages of 10 and 13. It serves about 60 campers a week for six weeks from early June to August. “An important part of SoDel Cares’ mission is to honor SoDel Concepts founder Matt Haley’s commitment to at-risk youth,” said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, which owns 10 restaurants in coastal Sussex County. “Since 1947, Camp Barnes has given children a chance to experience nature at absolutely no cost to their families,” he said. “We’re more than willing to support their good work.”
Read MoreScott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, recently announced that Julie Hemp was named general manager of Catch 54 in Fenwick Island, one of SoDel Concepts' 10 restaurants along the Delaware coast.
Read MoreDoug Ruley, vice president of SoDel Concepts, recently attended an invitation-only summit on sustainable seafood sponsored by the James Beard Foundation.
At the June 5 event held in Washington, D.C., seafood experts, academics, chefs and purveyors discussed the issues in both domestic and international fisheries."Seven of our 10 concepts focus on seafood, and all of our restaurants showcase seafood dishes," said Ruley. "Sustainability is of critical importance to our business and the environment."
Read MoreScott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, announced that Maggie Cellitto is the executive chef of Matt's Fish Camp in Bethany Beach, one of SoDel Concepts' 10 restaurants along the Delaware coast. Cellitto is well known for her talent with both the savory and sweet side of the kitchen, as well as for her management skills.
Read MoreFour chefs with SoDel Concepts put their fried chicken dishes to the test in a friendly face-off May 17 at Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar in Rehoboth Beach. The contest – a finale to the hospitality group's fried chicken month – was sponsored by Allen Harim, a poultry grower and processor, which provided the chicken.
Read MoreRehoboth Beach-based SoDel Concepts, a hospitality group with 10 restaurants, recently received the Restaurant Neighbor Award for Delaware. The award was created by the National Restaurant Association and American Express to honor outstanding community service and involvement. According to the National Restaurant Association, 90 percent of restaurants are involved in community activities in some fashion.
Read MoreThe Delaware Small Business Chamber on April 12 honored Rehoboth Beach-based SoDel Concepts with the President’s Award for Excellence during the Seventh Annual Blue Ribbon Awards Brunch.
Read MoreScott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, recently announced the promotion of Charles Armstrong to the position of executive chef at Catch 54 in Fenwick Island, one of the hospitality group’s 10 restaurants.
Read MoreSoDel Concepts will celebrate Girl Scout Cookie month by featuring a different cookie in a series of special desserts. The proceeds will go to the Girls Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay.
Read MoreScott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, recently announced the promotion of Shannon Colburn to the position of director of operations.
In her new role, Colburn oversees Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar in Bethany Beach and Lupo Italian Kitchen in Rehoboth Beach.
Read MoreFor the fourth year in a row, Maurice Catlett, the executive chef at Matt's Fish Camp in Lewes, won the Best Wing on the Shore Contest in the Best Overall category. Organized by Ocean 98.1, the contest was held Jan. 28 in Lewes.
Read MoreThe Delaware Restaurant Association held its first-quarter board of directors meeting Jan. 24 and confirmed a new slate of executive officers who will also serve as ex officio members of the DRA's nonprofit Delaware Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
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Ten SoDel Concepts employees recently earned a two- or three-night stay at the Conti di San Bonifacio Wine Resort in Tuscany, Italy.
The winners participated in a contest to see who could rack up the most points by selling Conti di San Bonifacio wines by the bottle and glass, as well as Conti di San Bonifacio olive oil during a specified time period.
Read MoreSoDel Cares will hold its third annual fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 17 at Fish On, 17300 N. Village Main Blvd., Lewes. The event, which raises funds for the nonprofit foundation, pays tribute to the late Matt Haley, SoDel Concepts’ founder, who received the James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2014. The nonprofit has made contributions to organizations that help children, at-risk youth and adults and the elderly.
Read MoreThe deadly wildfires that consumed communities and property in northern California have left many wineries - and the resort areas that depend on them - in limbo. The devastating fires have affected homeowners, jobs and tourism. On Friday, Oct. 27, SoDel Concepts will donate a dollar for every glass or bottle of wine ordered that day to relief efforts. "The California wine country is near and dear to our hearts," said Mike Zygmonski, wine director for SoDel Concepts.
Read MoreSince Haley’s death, Kammerer, 43, has already earned the Delaware Restaurant Association’s 2016 Cornerstone Award and the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s Marvin S. Gilman Superstar in Business Award. He makes it look easy. It’s not. While he likes to have a plan, his path toward success was paved with big bumps and sharp detours.
Read MoreFresh off his success at the James Beard House in New York City, Chef Doug Ruley of SoDel Concepts headed off to Napa Valley, Calif., to participate in Bouchaine Vineyards' Chef Series Sept. 30. Bouchaine, the oldest continuously operating winery in the Carneros District, is owned by Gerret and Tatiana Copeland of Wilmington. Coastal residents and visitors who couldn't make the wine dinner shouldn't despair. On Thursday, Oct. 26, beginning at 6 p.m., Ruley and wine director Mike Zygmonski will recreate the Bouchaine dinner at Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar in Rehoboth Beach.
Read MoreIf you’ve had a meal that you never wanted to end, then you have some idea what last weekend’s Bouchaine Vineyards wine dinner was like. The last in this season’s Chef Series, the event was choreographed by Douglas Ruley, executive chef for the Delaware-based SoDel Concepts restaurant group. The theme was Coastal Harvest.
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