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By: Kerin Magill
Sunny Day Guide
Cottage Cafe owners Brent Poffenberger and Tom Neville have found a successful niche in the competitive world of resort area restaurants.
The pair, who've been friends since their days as fraternity brothers at Shepherd College in West Virginia, started the Cottage Cafe in 1993 and have built a reputation for "high quality food at a fair price," at the Bethany Beach landmark.
What that translates to, according to Poffenberger, is a welcoming atmosphere where "guests" - the term they prefer over "customers" because it places more emphasis on hospitality - return again and again. They don't strive to be the"most gourmet" restaurant at the beach, Poffenberger says. What the Cottage Cafe does best is prepare favorites like pot roast, crab cakes and meat loaf that remain popular with locals and visitors alike. The Cottage Cafe's crab cakes, in fact, took first prize in the annual Coast Day Crab Cake Cook-Off in 2001.
And if you're in the mood for some great appetizers, head straight for the Cottage Cafe's famous "Seafood Dune Fries." These are a "Sandpile" of the Cottage Cafe's famous Dune Fries topped with crab, shrimp, scallops and fish then smothered with melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. It's seriously indulgent and a very popular snack in the restaurant's cozy, popular bar, which features 5 large-screen TVs and 4 smaller ones for the sports fans in the crowd. Delaware Today magazine named the Cottage Cafe the "Best Happy Hour" downstate last year.
"We strive for 100 percent guest satisfaction," says Poffenberger, who adds that each new employee is trained in the Cottage Cafe philosophy, which basically is a promise that each and every guest will receive "food prepared with care and served with pride."
"Everything we do here, we do it fresh," Poffenberger says. In addition to its popularity as a happy-hour gathering place and night spot, the Cottage Cafe is also a favorite for families with children as a lunch and dinner spot. "We try to appeal to everyone," Poffenberger says, adding that he is regularly complimented on the restaurant’s "great kids’ menu."
During the summer season, the Cottage Cafe features live entertainment three nights a week. In addition, the Cottage Cafe is a perfect spot for a summertime family reunion or party, and the helpful staff will make sure such events run smoothly.
The Cottage Cafe is located on Coastal Highway in Bethany Beach, across from the Sea Colony highrises and next to the Marketplace at Sea Colony shops. The restaurant is open 7 days a week, year-round, from 11am to 1am.
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