“I love everything about this place,” says Monty, proud owner and captain of The Starboard and its Bar Crew. Starting out as a door guy in 1987 and working his way up through the ranks to become a bartender, his favorite Starboard memory happened 10 years ago, when he bought the place.
“Seeing how happy Chip Hearn was made me feel really great and a little nervous. We were so proud about how well we did in the first year, knowing we’d made the right decision.” Now Monty says his favorite thing is watching people have fun.
Off-season you might catch Monty golfing or cheering on his beloved Redskins while enjoying his favorite drink, a grapefruit crush, and noshing on a pepperoni pizza or some Bethany Blues’ pulled pork and brisket. His favorite movie is Eddie Murphy’s “Trading Places,” and best actor goes to “Harrison Ford – by a landslide.” Monty’s close personal friend and frequent Starboard guest Sandra Bullock gets his top actress spot and he gives “The Jetsons” a nod for favorite cartoon.
Returning to the realm of real people, Monty gives The Starboard’s patrons top billing. “They are the absolute most loyal and generous customers anyone could ever have. They love the staff and treat this place like their second home.”
Monty shares the patrons’ affection for the staff. “The bartenders, DJs and staff are the stars. I’m just the Keeper of The Keys!”
When Amy’s not behind the bar you can find this Dewey resident selling real estate as an agent for Ocean Atlantic Sothebys in Rehoboth, or playing her favorite sport – dodge ball – in a local league. When football season hits, this Elkton, Maryland native will be cheering for the Eagles while eating her top pick for food, plain cheese pizza from Mr. P’s in Lewes or Casa DiLeo in Rehoboth.
“Grandma’s Boy” ranks as Amy’s best movie and she gives Christopher Walken and Julia Roberts her nod for best actor and actress. For music, she picks The Outcasts, her Saturday morning cartoon favorite is “The Snorks” and her drink is root beer vodka.
Among Amy’s favorite Starboard moments are the initiations of new Bar Crew members, who were ceremoniously dunked in a Rolling Rock beer tub ice bucket. “That is, when it happened to everyone else but me!”
Blair’s favorite drink is her own creation, “The Georgia Jost.” “It’s my specialty drink and it’s awesome,” she says of the delectable combination of ingredients that includes Stoli Peach and pink lemonade. Her favorite sport is baseball and her team is the Yankees. For dining she’ll always opt for Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream.
Her favorite Starboard moment happened on the last day of Labor Day weekend several years ago as Laura Lee and Tripp Fabulous played Rage Against the Machine. “I was standing on the bench and almost everyone was there, singing the last song of summer.”
“The Princess Bride” tops her list of favorite movies and Johnny Depp and Sandra Bullock win in the actor/actress categories. But whether rocking to the Red Hot Chili Peppers or chilling in front of an episode of Scooby Doo, Blair says her bar patrons at The Starboard top her list of favorites. “They’re drunken messes and I love all of them!”
Football is Casey’s sport, the Redskins are his team and for extra laughs he opts for “Family Guy.” Casey likes his steak medium-rare and his Coors Lite cold. Rock -and-roll is his music and, with “way too many favorites to list,” the Rolling Stones still top his hit parade.
“The Godfather” grabs best movie honors, Al Pacino is his favorite actor and the beautiful Kate Beckinsale takes top billing as leading lady. Casey also gives top billing to his bar patrons. “They are one of a kind and dedicated to their liquor! Just when you think you have seen it all, something crazy happens. This place definitely makes life a little more interesting.”
Nicknamed after old-school professional rapper Doug E. Fresh, this Wilmington native who lives in Dewey has been at The Starboard for three years. “I love it! It’s great people, great times and great money!”
Fresh can’t stand a dull pencil, his favorite sport is soccer and his best-loved food is Rapa Scrapple. During football season you’ll find him supporting his alma mater and cheering for the St. Mark's High School Spartans.
In entertainment Fresh opts for best movie “Office Space” and picks one of its stars, Jennifer Aniston, as his leading lady “because she’s gorgeous.” Keifer Sutherland takes the top actor spot, “Family Guy” earns best cartoon and rock band Counting Crows gets number one billing on his hit parade.
Fresh’s drink of choice? “It’s never too early or too late for a shot of Grand Marnier!” You might find some of the Starboard’s bar regulars joining him. “They’re second to none – the reason we come back everyday. They’re like family.”
He’s equally confident about his favorite Starboard moment. “It was the day I was promoted from the Shark Shack to being the assistant TO the general manager.”
A transplant from D.C., DJ John Hardy has been at The Starboard for 27 years. “I got a prison sentence imposing community service,” he explains, but many give assurances that John’s long hours behind the DJ booth have never been subject to conditions of solitary confinement. Even so, he says his favorite Starboard moments come at closing time. “I can’t wait to get home to my baby!”
John Hardy claims line dancing as his favorite sport, the American Legion as his favorite team and puts gumdrops on the pinnacle of his food pyramid. “Harold and Maude” gets top movie billing, while he awards the best actor and actress slots to Popeye and Marilyn Chambers. On Saturday mornings you might catch him watching Road Runner cartoons over a glass of grape juice, which he says is his favorite drink.
Known for traveling the country and bringing the hottest new music to The Starboard for decades, John Hardy’s all-time musical favorite is “Off to See the Wizard.” But his personal music selection doesn’t impede his ability to entertain The Starboard’s patrons. “They’re the most wonderful people in the whole wide world,” he says.
There are a few things Lincoln is certain about. Saturday mornings belong to Scooby Doo or Tom and Jerry, his music is definitely rock and roll, good fried chicken tops his food pyramid and when it’s time for a drink he’ll opt for whatever beer is cold. Though “This is Spinal Tap” is his top-ranked film and Charles Rocket his pick actor, he decides to leave the favorite actress category open to “any hot chicks who know how to act.”
Lincoln doesn’t hesitate when picking his favorite Starboard moment. “It was when Stan and Marcus got into a fight on a holiday weekend. That’s how I got this bar!” Since then, he said he thanks his regulars for making him a better bartender. “I’ve whipped them into shape over the years,” he laughs. “I know what they want and they know what they’re getting!”
This Wilmington native transplanted to Rehoboth likes all sports – especially golf, and his favorite team is the “Cubbies” (Chicago Cubs). Wine wins in the drink category, but Matty says he has too many favorite foods to even try to pick one type over the others. The same holds true for music. “I like it all – classical as much as rap as much as rock. I’m a big fan of music.”
“The Shawshank Redemption” is his top-ranked film and, despite explanations from Bar Crew members about differences between film and animation, Bugs Bunny is his favorite actor and his cartoon pick is anything from Looney Tunes. Facing a dilemma in picking a favorite actress, he opted for looks over talent and awarded the number one slot to Jessica Alba. “She wins on the looks!”
Matty’s favorite Starboard moment happened years ago, while he was a bar back for Monty. “We drank Long Island Iced Teas all night until people thought we actually ‘believed’ we were at the Summer House!”
After eight years in Dewey, Mayo claims Tang as his favorite drink. He ranks The Transformers as his top cartoon, making an opportune segue to his favorite actress Megan Fox. “She was the chick in ‘Transformers,’ and she was hot!”
Though Mayo prefers lacrosse to other sports, when football season starts up you’ll find him rooting for the Eagles. His favorite meal is a rare steak, preferably from the Kingston Grille in Bethany Beach. “Remember the Titans” is his personal selection for best film and Bruce Willis for best actor. In the realm of music he opts for works by pianist John Tesh.
Mayo says there have been too many unique Starboard moments to choose a favorite from, but finally settles on “waking RYRY up closing weekend after the ‘Infamous Night’ of 2008.” His Bar Crew friends opt for the day a photo of Mayo’s rear appeared amid a series of other photos depicting the bikini-clad derrières of beautiful Dewey Beach women.
But there are some things Megan is sure of. This Wilmington native chooses football as her sport and the Eagles as her team because she likes Philadelphia. Her top-ranked film is “The Goonies,” “Family Guy” beats out other cartoons and she says New Kids On The Block takes the number-one group spot on her hit parade. “I love Joey McIntyre!”
Another thing that’s certain is Megan’s commitment to The Starboard. After 10 seasons and living in Dewey for five years, she attributes her ongoing love of the place to having fun and her bar regulars. “They’re the best, most loyal people I’ve ever met.”
What’s Megan’s favorite Starboard moment? “I have a new one every day!”
Living in Dewey with his golden retriever Kid Handsome, Rex says dog ownership is his favorite sport. But during college football you’ll find him supporting his grad school alma mater, cheering for the University of Miami Hurricanes.
Regular doses of laughter while watching “Family Guy” balance the seriousness of Rex’s favorite film, the crime thriller “Layer Cake.” He gives the number one actor spot to Christian Bale and Kate Winslet takes the lead as actress. His favorite food is whatever type of soup he makes and the rock music of Radiohead tops his hit parade. Having just returned from Europe where he spent 30 days in Prague, Rex has crowned Czechoslovakian beer the best in the world.
There’s no doubt in Rex’s mind about his favorite Starboard moment. “It was when Monty told me I didn’t have to work in the kitchen anymore!”
Former guest bartender for Monty and Chip, Ruthie found a permanent home at The Starboard in 2003. “I love the job and they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” says this Ocean View resident and Triathlon athlete who danced with the Rockettes. “Everyone I work with is wonderful and our patrons are the most wonderful people. They make you happy to come in here. We’re all a big family.”
You can’t pin her down to a favorite sport because she loves them all, or a team because she decided to stay middle of the road to protect her marriage. “I was an Eagles fan and he was for Dallas!” A performer, Ruthie picks the Vince Papale story, “Invincible,” as her favorite movie, Paul Newman as top actor and Reese Witherspoon as leading actress. Bugs Bunny is her cartoon favorite, she loves all kinds of music and on a good night you might catch Ruthie singing Smokey Robinson’s “Would I Love You.”
Lobster’s her dining favorite and her own creation the “Ruthiegizzer” is her favorite drink. Her favorite Starboard moment? “Every moment I’m at The Starboard is a favorite moment.”
Spending her winters in Severna Park, Maryland and summers in Rehoboth, Shelley is a boxer. With boxing as her favorite sport it’s no surprise that her top-ranked actress is “Million Dollar Baby” Hilary Swank. Her leading actor, Edward Norton, also plays serious roles – yet it’s an adventure-comedy film, “The Goonies,” that Shelley chooses for her movie pick and Scooby Doo is tops for cartoons.
When football season starts you can find Shelley munching on her favorite plain cheese pizza, drinking Coors Lite and cheering for the Miami Dolphins. Pink Floyd and classic rock will set the stage for the party when the game is over.
Shelley says her favorite Starboard moment is when the guy comes in wearing nothing but his American flag Speedo. “He comes in at least once or twice each summer!”
Watch out women! After 11 seasons, DJ Smoky is finally spinning tunes at The Starboard without a steady girlfriend, and he looks good! Why is this Northern Virginia resident and last year’s Running of the Bull matador still a Bar Crew member? “They pay me and Monty has blackmail evidence on me,” Reggie says. But the evidence can’t be enough to sway football fan Smoky from his favorite team, “the six-time Super Bowl championship winning Pittsburgh Steelers.”
For fun, “Blues Brothers” tops his movie picks, while Denzel Washington takes the favorite actor spot and he names Sandra Bullock as his leading actress. The Flintstones win in the cartoon category and this DJ’s favorite music is from the 1980s. Easy to please, all Italian foods beat out other choices and his favorite drink is whatever people buy him.
With so many favorite Starboard moments to pick from, Smoky finally settles on the fist day he was DJ. The Starboard’s customers are what make the difference, he says. “They are fun and they are what makes it fun to come to work – but thank God I drink!”
Claiming to be the oldest DJ in the Western Hemisphere who starts work at 10 in the morning, Steve has been a member of the Bar Crew for 25 years. The weekend daytime DJ known for announcing “15 hours to last call,” this Lewes resident says his first day being a DJ at the Starboard is his favorite Starboard moment.
Though he claims women’s mud wrestling as his favorite sport, you’ll probably find him drinking a Stoli and club soda, munching on Bethany Blues’ barbequed baby back ribs and cheering for the Redskins during football season. Sean Connery is Steve’s favorite actor and he gives the top movie slot to the film he starred in, “The Wind and the Lion.” Katharine Hepburn gets Steve’s nod as best actress and his favorite cartoon is Bugs Bunny.
The Rolling Stones tops Steve’s hit parade and he’s happy to share their music with people at The Starboard. “They’re the most loyal customers anywhere,” Steve says and adds that the regulars treat all staff members with respect. “Opening weekend is always great. It’s when everybody comes back – like a homecoming.”
From Delaware City, Toastie made Dewey his year-round home three years ago. Water and board sports, especially surfing and snowboarding, are his favorites and he’s been cheering for the Redskins since the early 1990s when he remembers watching his first Super Bowl and they won.
Toastie gives top movie ranking to “Live and Let Die” and claims Roger Moore is the best Bond. He names Jane Seymour best actress for her role as Solitaire and equally favors Christian Bale and Nicholas Cage as his favorite actors.
He has an affinity for all music and you might catch him watching Family Guy while eating BBQ chicken and washing it down with Peach Mango V8 Fusion. “It’s the most delicious juice ever made!”
His favorite Starboard moments have been Toastie’s Tuesday Night Dance Parties, but he says this year things are bigger and better than ever. “Our 50th Anniversary Party is not going to be an event – it’s going to be a production!”
Residing in Rehoboth, Tracy has lived in several states but picks Pittsburgh as her early home. It’s no wonder that she also selects football as her favorite sport and the Stealers as the team to cheer for. She likes all music and doesn’t have a favorite cartoon, but her favorite food is watermelon and her drink of choice is red wine.
Tracy’s sense of humor shows in her movie pick, where “National Lampoon’s Vacation” takes the best movie slot. She chooses Robin Williams as top actor and gives Sandra Bullock the role of top actress.
When asked about her favorite Starboard moment, Tracy was stymied. “There have been too many. How am I supposed to pick one?”
“How about when Mayo became your bar back?” Mike Mayo said as he brought in a load of fresh ice. “That was it,” she said with a big smile and a sigh of relief. “It was the moment Mike Mayo became my bar back!”
Hailing from Smyrna and now living in Rehoboth, football is Travers’ sport and the Eagles are his favorite team. He likes steak, medium, and also prefers any kind of breakfast food (even though he often doesn’t get around to eating breakfast until the afternoon). When it’s time for fun you can find him having margaritas with friends and rocking to the sounds of Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon.
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2009 Highway One
Dewey Beach, DE 19971
302-227-4600
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