The new Dogfish Head restaurant, the third such establishment of the unique Delaware brewery and first in Virginia, had a "soft" opening tonight - thanks to S for the tip. I've been waiting for this all summer. And I'm blogging this from the restaurant as I enjoy the Chicory Stout and crab chowder. Free Wifi - how awesome is that? Hello, second home.

So here's a fuller narrative with the benefit of a full keyboard at home.

S texted me as I was walking into my small group that she heard the restaurant was quietly open. I think because of the heat, and because my small group leader apparently didn't mean leave your Bibles at home when he e-mailed "no reading to do this week," I was in a bad mood. So I was out the door and on the way to the restaurant with high hopes that it would pull me out of my mood.

It felt like home. There's an alehouse in Gaithersburg, Maryland, 45 minutes away from me, so the only establishment I've visited is in Dogfish Head's backyard of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The restaurant is brick, and not quite old looking, but not pretentious brick either. There were normal tables and a normal wraparound bar that was full when I stepped in. The drafts - maybe 10 - were chalked on the front board in neon chalk.

Is this seat open? I asked a guy at the bar who looked like staff. Yeah, I think you're fine, he said. He noticed I was wearing the Dogfish Head t-shirt with an elaborate crown-thing design - "Kickin it oldschool since the mid nineties" - and we talked about the opening. They poured about 700 glasses of beer in four hours, switching the kegs several times, he said. Sadly I missed the founder's appearance, about 4 hours earlier, he told me. "This is my first time at one of your restaurants outside Delaware," I said. "Oh, I don't work here," the dude said. My guardian angel of beer?

The bar staff looked a little harried, probably from pouring 700 glasses since the joint opened. My original 'tender apparently left after pouring my Chicory Stout, and another gave me a menu. "I'm sorry, sir," one said half-jokingly to a guy who was apparently a superior - both washing and stacking glasses. "Is this your Snapple?" "Huh? I can't hear you." (10 feet away.) "SNAP-PLE!" "Still can't hear you!" (Holds up Snapple like a model) (Indecipherable)

When I close out my tab, I asked how late they're open. It's about 11:30 now. Oh, we're closed. Oh yeah? Yeah, our plan is to close between 10 and 11. Well how nice of them - I ordered my crab chowder maybe 10 till 11. Um, this bill is a little low - just over $5. Didn't you just get the chowder? Nope, a Chicory Stout too. Who was your bartender? I don't think he's here anymore. (Cross-talk between 'tenders) Our mistake - don't worry about it.

They got a tip bigger than the bill. I'll surely be back, perhaps laptop in tow, if not small group.