Kindle is part of the diSabatino family's trinity of Lewes eateries (along with Striper Bites and Half Full, all within waddling distance of one another). Joining them at Kindle (and Half Full) are co-owners Ian Crandall and Joanna Goode. All three restaurants can be depended upon to give you a great meal, though Kindle seems to still suffer from occasional long waits between courses–even when the restaurant is not crowded. Continuing emails and comments about off-handed service also seem to plague this restaurant. As you read the updates below, this problem seems to be less frequent as Kindle has settled into its downtown Lewes digs.
Gotta start with the Fire Fries: Seasoned fries served in a clever little spiral cone (I did the same thing in my restaurant back in the '90s, thank you). The dip goes nicely with the crisp potatoes. There are two starters that are the stars of the show. My favorite is the Kindle House Salad (radish quarters, baby greens, cranberries, and lightly toasted almonds in a tart champagne vinaigrette dressing). I could order three and call it a night.
The other salad that I've had many times is the Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad. Unfortunately, they no longer include the lightly coated and toasted goat cheese medallion. Instead, the cheese is crumbled onto the salad. I miss the little warm medallion, but the tang of the chevre is a nice counter to the sherry vinaigrette. I still miss the “flatbread” appetizers (little rectangular pizzas) that they had at the original location at Paynter's Mill, but maybe they'll reappear in the future. (Of course, you could always stroll across the bank parking lot to Half Full to get a nice pizza from this successful and savvy restaurant group).
One of my favorite entrees is the Spiced Roast Chicken. As of this writing, it's still happily on the menu. Yes, it's just chicken, but before you click away in a huff, give it a try. The paprika-spiked honey glaze on the crispy, dark brown skin is not to be missed. The chicken quarter is moist and accompanied by their gruyere Mac & Cheese and baby greens. Dining companions enjoyed the Braised Lamb Shank (I had it last week, too). It's honest-to-goodness fallin' off the bone, and a nice big one at that. (Would've hated to meet up with that lamb in a dark alley.) Glazed with a red wine/sage mixture, it sits perkily atop a bed of Barley Risotto paired with roasted garlic and still-firm root vegetables. If you like lamb, you'll not be disappointed.
Kindle1/12 
Kindle2/12 
Kindle3/12 
Just hope the beet salad is on the menu.4/12 
Kindle5/12 
The burger and the good roll!6/12 
Dine al fresco in Lewes. It's fun.7/12 
The wedge, but chopped.8/12 
Gnocchi dish with greens9/12 
That mac & cheese.10/12 
Princess cut filet. Do you measure up?11/12 
Kindle12/12
It's time for my standard disclaimer: Menus change like the wind here at the beach. Sussex County is rich with farms, ranches and lots of water, so there is always something different out there for chefs to play with. So don't send me a nasty email if some of this stuff isn't on the menu. I can promise you, at least where Kindle is concerned, that any replacements will not disappoint.
OK, back to the subject at hand. Others at the table ordered the Pan Roasted Filet Mignon with a mushroom demi-glace and a medley of veggies including arugula, red potatoes and asparagus. It was as tender and meaty as the lamb shank. (They offer a smaller “Princess Cut” for those who see themselves as Princesses.) As of this writing, the crab cake has been replaced with a tasty scallop dish, but Kindle has taken to rotating things on and off of the menu, so always check.
Order the Gruyere Mac & Cheese as a side. It comes in a fairly small ramekin, but, trust me, it's quite satisfying. Stab anyone with your fork who tries to steal any. No court in the land will convict you. Speaking of courts and convictions, those of you who peruse the visitor comments below will see that I got my hand summarily slapped a couple of years ago by none other than Ian Crandall, the exec. chef and one of the owners of Kindle. I usually delete old comments, but I am proud of this one. He zero'd in on my early complaints (long since removed) about his choice of hamburger roll. Though certainly fresh and tasty, I maintained that it was just too darn firm and big to allow for proper eating. I'm honored that Mr. Crandall shared his feelings with me, but I stuck to my guns. (I have the same problem with the brioche burger roll at Nage, though Josh hasn't yelled at me yet.) Long story short, the burger roll at Kindle is now softer and more burger & topping-friendly, like the rolls at Big Fish Grill, Summerhouse, Woody's in Dewey, Jakes Wayback Burgers (the original roll, not their new one), GoBrit!/Go Fish! and even Five Guys. Did my comments convince him? It doesn't matter: Chef Ian and I are now buddies. The guy is a hoot and lots of fun.
-
Kindle1/12 -
Kindle2/12 -
Kindle3/12 -
Just hope the beet salad is on the menu.4/12 -
Kindle5/12 -
The burger and the good roll!6/12 -
Dine al fresco in Lewes. It's fun.7/12 -
The wedge, but chopped.8/12 -
Gnocchi dish with greens9/12 -
That mac & cheese.10/12 -
Princess cut filet. Do you measure up?11/12 -
Kindle12/12
Recent visits have revealed some new dishes you might enjoy. The Vegetarian Potato Gnocchi entree is not the marinara-slathered dish you'd expect. Tomatoes, mushrooms, greens and asparagus share a light butter/chardonnay broth with the house-made dumplings, and our eating companion cleaned her plate. The BLT Salad is as good as ever. Think Wedge, but chopped. The Roasted Beet & Blue Cheese Salad also survives and it's just as good as ever. We also ordered the Lemon Crusted Cod. I felt it could have been a bit more “crusted,” but the person who ordered it loved it, along with the accompanying rice, crab and asparagus.
The Princess Cut Filet Mignon (snidely referred to above) rested in a delightful wine-based demi with a medley of mushrooms and herbed potatoes. Of course, I will remind you again that you can't go to Kindle without getting the Mac ‘n' Cheese side. I have people. And they will tell me.
Kindle is in the middle of it all at 111 Bank Street. Parking can be a challenge, but everyone parks in the bank lot across the street (after hours) and there doesn't seem to be any problem. In the summer you can dine al fresco on a little bar arrangement on the front porch while sipping, nibbling and quietly passing judgment on the passersby. Kindle suggests you “Eat, Drink, Glow.” You can do all three, inside and out (weather permitting). Though the food has been consistently good over our repeated visits, I don't suggest going if you're in a hurry, as service sometimes inexplicably comes to a halt between courses. Just sometimes. So order another drink and glow a little more.
For reservations, give 'em a call at 302-645-7887. Click here to see Kindle's dinner menu. They also serve lunch in-season, so take a look at the lunch menu here. (L. in season only, D., Bar) Price range: Expensive -.
We have gone to Kindle since their opening and always satisfied. Evening of 10/12 we went for dinner and asked for a table and was told had to wait 15 minutes per their policy. There were two open tables inside, many tables outside and no one was waiting. I wanted to sit at one of the open tables and the hostesss refused seating us indoors or outdoors before a 15 minute wait. Again I questioned her rationale and she said it is their policy. Given the available tables and a very sore knee I refused to wait and had nice dinner elsewhere. I called later and spoke to the manager who was apolegetic and said she would discuss this with the hostess and offered me a free drink.
After reading your review, my husband and I ate at Kindle last Thursday around 7 or so. It was one of the worst restaurant experiences of our life because of our waitress “Megan.” She was just plain rude. I asked her about reservations and she told me “to wait in line like everybody else.” Every piece of bread in our basket was an end or broken – while everyone else’s looked fine. My husband and I are considering moving to Lewes, and the entire experience with her just turned us off. foodie you need to go back there. Its not what you portray it to be.
We have been to kindle over the years, summer, winter and fall. We fell in love- the atmosphere, the service, the quality of the food and everything that goes along with it is 4 stars. We are foodies ourselves and love rehoboth and lewes for such great restaurants but we have found kindle to be consistent with all aspects of making a wonderful lunch or dinner out. We have never had a negative thing to say and I just wanted to write this note since they need to know what a great job they are doing- Im a top advisor on trip-advisor and I wrote a review as well. I dont know the owner or anyone involved in the restaurant but know quality throughout the US and have to call it as I see it- Kindle- hands down has it all- Continue and we will be back and back- Cheers, Matt Gelber
Bob,
Ian from Kindle here. I totally disagree with your critique of the brioche bun on the burger. It sounds like you like a bun to turn into some pink slimy mess while eating your burger. It is bread, not some kind of quick sauce. A bun for a serious burger needs to be sturdy enough to hold all the good stuff in one manageable mass (not mess) while you chip away at it. The brioche is tender, flavorful and yielding. Sure, brioche only has a few ingredients, unlike the bizarre list that you get for a “soft white bun.” Don’t hate it because it’s simple or because it’s not a “potato roll”, which has really no potato in it. It is not chemically leavened, it has good old yeast doing the lifting. It is real food. As far as your “beef” with the patty to bread ratio goes, I think a 4 ounce roll to an eight ounce patty (plus the four to six ounces of other stuff piled on) is a good ratio.
We stopped in w/guests for a drink at the bar.
Linda our ‘bar wench’ was friendly, knowledgable and eager to share her knowledge of wines. She was a great mixologist also!
She mentioned the ‘8 oz. filet and glass of wine’ special on Monday nights and after seeing one served to another patron at the bar, the four of us also enjoyed this awesome meal.
Toppings were optional, i.e,. crab, blue cheese, etc and a glass of fine wine to boot, what a deal for $25!
Steaks were cooked to perfection and we will def be back. We were already fans of the $7 burger nite. WTG Kindle!
Pat and Mike
Rehoboth