Pizza Palace, Milford

When we turn the television on nowadays and click through 100s of channels without finding anything we want to spend time with it’s amazing to think back to the televisual experience of a kid growing up in Glasgow in the late 70s. In contrast to the scene in many of my friends’ houses, it sat silent in the corner of the room unless there was something “worth watching”, a nebulous concept at best. We were further limited because ITV, the independent third channel was off-limits (no idea why). When something was actually considered “worth watching” it did at least become a proper family activity. An additional part of the experience was ensuring that the TV was turned on in plenty of time for it to warm up so you didn’t miss the beginning of what you wanted to see.

The reason for this trip to Delaware was a ground-breaking BBC series that was definitely “worth watching”, David Attenborough’s Life on Earth. Guaranteed to get the family together for each weekly episode. One chapter had David Attenborough on a Delaware beach to see the spawning of horseshoe crabs. The crabs produce so many eggs that migrating seabirds, particularly Red Knots, time their flight to coincide with the crabs coming onshore to feed on the excess in preparation for a flight to the Canadian Arctic, the last leg of a 9,000 mile migration. I was fascinated and vowed then that I would visit the area to witness this ancient annual occurrence.  35 years later I finally managed it. Peak time for the birds is mid-May to early June and there’s an additional gamble whether the crabs congregate on the Delaware or New Jersey shore.

Horseshoe crabs have been around for more than 400 million years and look like it. The placid exterior shell disguises the legs busy at work underneath and they trundle about the shore like mini prehistoric tanks. As they come on shore they’re at the mercy of the tides and incoming waves easily flip them over. They can right themselves using their long rigid tail as a lever? But it’s immensely satisfying to step in, put them back on their feet and watch them placidly motor back towards the tide. A bigger threat comes from jetties and marinas where it’s easy for them to get trapped in coastal defences and without help it can mean a long lingering death. I lost count of the number of horseshoe crabs I helped release or reorientate. Not that they cared. They were on shore with only one thing on their mind.

In contrast to David Attenborough’s day, it was only possible to see Red Knots at a distance. At Dupont Nature Center bird watchers galore had monoculars trained on a small group of them feeding frenziedly on eggs and that was as good as it got. But visiting beaches in the area turned up plenty of other birds who weren’t quite so dependent on filling themselves with food for a long journey. Turnstones, Willets, Dunlins, Sandpipers, Laughing Gulls, Plovers, Black Skimmers and Dowitchers were all there to feed but had a much more languid approach. 

This is the kind of thing to bring out my obsessive streak so visited various beaches over the course of the day. Food was only of secondary concern and as it started to get dark it seemed that maybe I should think about eating. I had done some research about possible places to eat in the area but when it came down to it I just wanted to find somewhere that looked reasonable. And so by chance that I found Pizza Palace in Milford, a single storey building just off Delaware Route 113. It ticked several necessary boxes. Likely to have filling comfort food – check, close to my hotel so I could crash out afterwards – check and best of all there was no  need to drive any further.

Stepping inside isn’t massively inviting. The bare-floored dining room to the right of the entrance is dominated by a semi-circular bar and the lighting is cranked up to the max. As a loner diner my choice of seating is at the bar or a small pedestal tables with high stools. The bare tables come dressed with the paper mats advertising local small businesses so beloved of rural American restaurants.

The menu is extensive but although it mostly features standards I’m looking for something that is a bit different. My crab quesadilla starter is just that. Being very cautious of menus substituting crab stick for it, I offend the waitress by asking if it’s made with real crab. I’m assured it’s from the local fishing fleet so I’m set. Apart from the salsa coming in small lidded plastic pots (grrr), the quesadilla is a good choice. Nice crispy shell that’s stuffed full of crab. 

To follow, there‘s a choice between sandwiches, pasta dishes and meat or seafood but I’m only interested in one thing – pizza. I go for the Philly Cheese Steak pizza. Built as a proper pie, the bread shell contains strips of steak, onions, peppers and mushrooms and comes topped with a thick layer of mozzarella cheese. I’m not sure how objective I can be about this after a full day taking in the marine air but this pizza is the perfect end to the day. Even better for a weekend like this, it passed the morning after pizza test with flying colours so I had a tasty Philly cheesesteak pizza brunch ahead of more beachcombing.

In the setting of a weekend spent taking photos of birds where food is more of a fuel than a destination, Pizza Palace is a decent find. The food I have is satisfying, service is friendly and I have no real complaints. Pizza Palace doesn’t merit any special trip but if, like me, you’re in the area to witness a natural phenomenon that has gone on for millennia then it’s a worthwhile option. I’m planning another trip for next year with my son and will be perfectly happy to return to Pizza Palace.  The same cannot be said for the place I go to the next night that shall remain nameless.

Overall Rating – 3/5


Date Visited - 16-May-14