The third branch of McGlynns Pub, opened in 2006, sits along the shoreline of Silver Lake, just north of the Victorian Dover Historic District, home to my wonderful accommodations, State Street Inn. The appealing surroundings prompted me to take a seat outside on the lawn cut by a brick path leading to a gazebo. No one else was dining al fresco, and the only person other than my waitress who appeared was the casual fisherman casting his line into the water beside the gazebo. As I studied the menu, I wondered what he was hoping to reel in. But an unexpected dining companion soon diverted my attention. A lame Canada goose whose injured wing had permanently grounded him approached me and started nibbling on the grass around me. When a flock of his friends flew by, in a perfect V formation and honking loudly, he immediately looked up from his snacking and honked once, dolorously, to his friends. He watched them until they were well past us, then returned to his munching. I started to empathize with his sad situation, until a couple of waiters came out and started tossing him treats, which he seemed to enjoy immensely. Who knew that a Canada goose could have an appetite for popcorn? Feeling better, I turned my attention to my menu to decide on what I would enjoy just as much.

Try This: Nurse a locally manufactured, cold Dominion root beer while you’re considering the options. You can start with a wide variety of pub grub appetizers, but a simple and crispy house salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots with ranch dressing is a lighter choice. But then, for the main course, go for pure comfort food: beef tenderloin seasoned with blackening spices and smothered in melted blue cheese, along with some garlic smashed potatoes, zucchini slices, and a chunk of cornbread. Your inner gourmand will appreciate dessert—an obscenely large sundae with Delaware-produced vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, and whipped cream, sitting on a thick brownie and with a stemmed maraschino cherry on top.

 

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