From Boarding House to Culinary Landmark: The History of the Back Porch Café

The Marvel Boarding House (c. 1890 – 1973)

Long before Rehoboth Beach was a year-round culinary destination, 21 Rehoboth Avenue welcomed summer guests as the Marvel Boarding House—also called Hotel Marvel—a rambling, shingle-style lodge built in the late 1890s. In the railroad era it offered modest rooms, family-style meals, and easy access to the Boardwalk. Early photographs and dioramas preserved by local historians show the building’s broad porches and breezy façade, identifying it as a social hub for beachgoers at the turn of the 20th century.

By the early 1970s, the grand old boarding house needed new life—and Rehoboth’s food scene needed a shake-up.

Sepia-toned photograph of a large, two-story house with a front porch and multiple windows, with two people standing on the porch. A car is parked on the street to the right of the house, and a smaller house is visible to the left with a tree in front.

1974 – A Fresh Start: The Back Porch Café Opens

A colorful illustration of a two-story beach restaurant with green siding, white lattice details, and red stairs, surrounded by trees and a clear blue sky.

In the summer of 1974, servers-turned-entrepreneurs Victor Pisapia, Libby York, and Ted Fisher transformed the aging hotel into Rehoboth Beach’s first fine-dining restaurant. Armed with York’s $5,000 inheritance and a Key West-inspired courtyard, they launched the Back Porch Café—a farm-to-table concept decades ahead of its time. Fresh local produce, house-baked bread, and recipes like the Sunshine Special granola offered a vibrant alternative to fried boardwalk fare.

Opening night was equal parts excitement and chaos: three entrées on the menu, hand-built tables, and a fridge nicknamed “The Shocker” that literally sparked when opened. Yet word spread quickly, and the Back Porch became the place “where the locals ate.” (Early guests still reminisce about coming straight from the beach for a dirty happy hour before a disco nap.)

Pioneering Flavors & Key Players (1980s – 1990s)

Black and white photo of early staff members sitting at a table on the back porch of the Cafe served and Llibby Fisher, now New York. They are wearing old-fashioned hats and clothes, posing for a group photo.

  • 1980: Pisapia departs to open Blue Moon; Keith Fitzgerald and future partner Marilyn Spitz take the helm.

  • Chef Leo Medisch expands the menu with shad roe, rabbit bolognese, and French-Asian fusion; diners reserve plates in advance.

  • Thai royal Mom Luang Sirichalerm “Siri” Svasti joins as co-executive chef, layering bold Southeast-Asian notes onto classic French technique.

  • The café earns accolades as “the most consistent restaurant on the Delaware seashore,” cementing its reputation for creative global cuisine in Rehoboth Beach.

Resilience, Community & Culinary Education (2000s – 2010s)

A white plate with a colorful salad featuring greens, tomatoes, and sliced vegetables on a rustic wooden table. Nearby, a pink cocktail garnished with lemon, and a glass of water. A bouquet of yellow and purple flowers is also present.

Through recessions, hurricanes, and evolving food trends, the Back Porch remained a seasonal fine-dining institution. Chef Medisch mentored a generation—including future executive chef Tim McNitt—before passing in 2013. Current chefs Chino and Vladimir both trained under Medisch and McNitt before eventually taking over culinary duties after Tim departed from the restaurant.

Regulars recall the restaurant as a second family where life lessons were shared over perfectly shaken cocktails.

A New Generation, Same Soul (2020 – Present)

A multi-generational family stands on a staircase, smiling at the camera, with a green leafy plant overhead and a tan wall behind them.

In 2020, Fitzgerald and Spitz sold the restaurant to longtime team members Dimitri Shubich and Aksana Voranova, ensuring the legacy stayed in-house. Even amid COVID shutdowns, the new owners never missed a payment and kept the core kitchen crew—many with 25+ years of service—intact.

Today, the Back Porch celebrates 51 years of historic fine dining in coastal Delaware, still championing local farms, global flavors, and that magical light on the garden patio as summer turns to fall. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or the fourth generation of your family to dine with us, welcome home.

Milestone Timeline

  • 1890s: Marvel Boarding House (Hotel Marvel) built at 21 Rehoboth Avenue

  • 1974: Back Porch Café opens; founders Victor Pisapia, Libby York, Ted Fisher

  • 1980: Pisapia departs; Fitzgerald becomes partner

  • 1984: Marilyn Spitz joins partnership

  • 1993: Chef “Siri” Svasti returns to Thailand (later known as Chef McDang)

  • 1994: Pisapia relocates to Australia

  • 2008 – 09: Café weathers Great Recession

  • 2013: Chef Leo Medisch passes; Tim McNitt becomes executive chef

  • 2020: Ownership passes to Dimitri Shubich & Aksana Varanova; pandemic resilience

  • 2024: Back Porch Café marks its 50th anniversary, continuing a legacy of award-winning, globally inspired, farm-fresh cuisine in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware