Former 1776 Steakhouse employees attract their own carnivorous customers at Rare Steak & Seafood

The Vibe Check: Rare Steak & Seafood
Concept: Classic steaks and seafood in an intimate setting with a neighborhood feel.
Average entrée price: $49, ranging from $23 to $78
Kids’ Menu? No, but servers will offer options, including chicken tenders and burgers.
Alcohol? Yes
Vegetarian-Friendly: One entrée (rigatoni) and some starters, soups and salads
Gluten-Friendly? Yes
Live music? No
Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 4-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4-10 p.m.
Address: 17252 North Village Main Blvd., Lewes, DE, 19958
Website: https://raredining.com/

When you think of a restaurant where “everybody knows your name,” you probably picture a neighborhood bar or longtime family eatery. A steakhouse likely wouldn’t top the list.

But at Rare Steak & Seafood in Lewes, the welcome is as much a part of dinner as the beef.

On a recent Friday evening, at least five tables had six or more customers, including one table with two small children, their parents and a grandparent.

Owners Tamara Tattersall and Alex Piatrou often greeted customers by name, and Tattersall, who is originally from Chile, chatted with the grandmother in Spanish.

Similarly, servers seemed to know many guests. They stopped to chat even with guests seated outside their sections.

The welcoming atmosphere extends to the pineapple — a traditional symbol of hospitality in American décor — in the logo, on the wine glasses and artwork on the walls. There’s even a large, wooden pineapple on the host stand. The carved piece is a relic from 1776 Steakhouse, where Tattersall and Piatrou worked before starting their own business.

Tattersall spent nearly 20 years at 1776; Piatrou put in more than 10 years. But when longtime owner Tom Holmes decided to sell the Midway Shopping Center restaurant to Regan Derrickson, founder of Nalu Hospitality Group, the co-workers decided to go it alone.

Rare is in a strip mall in the Villages of Five Points, close to downtown Lewes and Coastal Highway. Given the business partners’ combined years in the industry, along with Rare’s proximity to 1776, it’s not surprising that there are familiar faces in the dining room.

“During our first month, we could call 90 percent of our guests by name. They were part of our original 1776 family, and their support gave us the courage to make this dream a reality,” Tattersall said.

While tourists also make up the customer base, the majority are year-round residents, she added. 

“One couple has dined with us over 30 times; several couples over 20 times; and more than a dozen parties have visited over 10 times,” she said.

The décor by Lily Gosnear of Bee and Butterfly Design adds to the sense of ease. Gosnear worked closely with Tattersall and Piatrou before turning the old Ocean Grill Diner into Rare. Deep green walls, wood trim and groupings of artwork give the dining room an approachable yet elegant feel.

“We wanted to create a space that felt sophisticated yet approachable — comfortable and welcoming to everyone, but still elevated,” Gosnear said.

To the right of the entrance is an intimate lounge with a 10-seat L-shaped bar and high-top tables. To the left is the narrow dining room, which splits toward the back to accommodate a private room for overflow or events.

“We designed intimate private dining spaces where you feel as though you’re at home with your favorite people,” said Gosnear. 

She and her husband, Jeff, the president of Grotto Pizza, are investors. The Gosnears knew Tattersall and Piatrou from years of dining at 1776. 

Tattersall calls the couple “a secret weapon.” Lily provided the design; Jeff offers business guidance.

For Piatrou and Tattersall, ownership follows years of working their way up the hospitality ladder.

Piatrou came from Belarus on a J-1 exchange visitor visa. When his first job with a cleaning service offered too few hours, he went door to door looking for work and landed at a pizza restaurant.

Other restaurant jobs followed, including serving breakfast at Crystal Restaurant. Eventually, he joined 1776.

Tattersall arrived from Chile with her mother, a traveling nurse. At Victoria’s Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, she cleared tables, ran food and learned kitchen work.

She later met Tom Holmes at Rehoboth Beach Country Club. When Holmes and Bob Mitchell took over 1776 in 2007, Holmes recruited her to help assemble the kitchen staff. She worked in the kitchen before moving into dining room service. 

At Rare, Tattersall again helps oversee what leaves the kitchen.

That includes meat, of course, which is supplied by George L. Wells Meat Co., the Philadelphia company that once delivered to 1776.

Rare has some creative takes on the menu. 

For instance, the Rare Velvet is an 8-ounce center-cut filet mignon stuffed with brie, wrapped in bacon and finished with raspberry demi-glace, served over mashed potatoes with asparagus. The inclusion of a starch and vegetable is a welcome change from many steakhouses, which serve sides à la carte.

The Founder Trio, a bestseller, features three 3-ounce filets, each with a different finish: crab-and-cream reduction, a blue cheese crust, and raspberry demi-glace. 

Crab cakes, a beach town staple, receive high praise, said Piatrou.

The seafood offerings go beyond the expected crab cakes and lobster tail. A new dish, Chef’s Scallops, features three blackened scallops served over a creamy sweet corn sauce with sautéed red bell peppers and onions.

Starters and salads include escargot and an iceberg wedge with blue cheese, both steakhouse stalwarts. However, you’ll also find the Rare Oyster Duo — three baked oysters Rockefeller and three oysters casino — and ceviche.

Comparisons to 1776 are inevitable. Since Derrickson bought that restaurant, he changed the décor and enhanced the menu. Although steak is the star at both establishments, they take different approaches.

“What distinguishes Rare Steak and Seafood is that we took the foundation and wisdom built with Tom Holmes and paired it with our own vision and personal touches,” Tattersall said.

In fact, you may spot Holmes sitting at Rare’s bar.

For years, Tattersall and Piatrou helped make someone else’s restaurant a place where people felt at home. Now, when familiar customers walk through the door, they’re welcoming them into their own.