Here’s some shocking news: The best new restaurant at the beach is not in Rehoboth or Bethany, it’s in Ocean City. The home of pit beef, cotton candy and hot dogs on a stick is now home to Niman Ranch beef, Kurobuta pork and Arctic char. Nebula, which opened quietly last summer, lies buried in a ubiquitous Ocean City strip mall, but once inside its dark, urbane interior, the tacky gift shop a few doors down seems worlds away. Chef Bob Rothfus, a 23-year-old wunderkind from the Culinary Institute of America, offers three prix fixe menus ranging in price from $60 to $100 per person. Start with the dayboat scallop and fingerling truffled potato salad, then move onto the foie gras imaginatively served on brioche with hazelnut butter and fresh strawberry jam (PB&J never tasted so good). For course three, try that Niman Ranch fillet served with lobster ravioli in a black truffle consomme, and then dive into the molten chocolate cake, served with white chocolate truffle, caramel curl and a mocha caramel glace. Dumser’s Dairyland, it’s not. >>9211 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 410-524-8090.

If it’s lighter fare you’re hankering for, try Liquid Assets Wine and Martini Bar, Nebula’s sister wine bar/liquor store next door. Liquid Assets is a full-service wine and liquor store with more than 1,600 bottles for sale, plus a handsome rectangular bar and seating area in the middle of the store for wine tastings, lunch and late-night snacks. (Chef Rothfus does the cooking for Liquid Assets, too.) Stop by for a pound of mussels in stewed broth and garlic bread and wash it down with a glass of sauvignon blanc all for $9. Liquid Assets also offers a full carryout menu of upmarket salads, antipasto, burgers and barbecue. >>9301 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 410-524-7037.

Gals in search of mod gear have been blessed with The Angel Shack, opened in March by Tucson native Tia Diamontopoulos. From suits to weekend wear, you’ll find names you know: Von Dutch, Wayne Rodgers, Hankey Pankey and Sue Wong. Sun goddesses can find Brazilian bathing suits, with mix-and-match bottoms and tops, by BellaBrazil. Accessory lovers will dig handmade, patent leather and raw silk purses by Mandonia. Now that you look like an angel, smell like one, too, with bath products and perfume by Kai, a California company that has found a way to bottle the scents of exotic Hawaiian tropical flowers. >>170 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del., 302-226-8630, theangelshack.com.

Big Fish Market is the newest addition to the Big Fish Grill, one of the beach’s most celebrated seafood restaurants. This is more than a place to buy gorgeous tuna, salmon, rockfish and beef steaks, it’s also a gourmet shop with homemade salad dressings and sauces as well as cheeses and individually wrapped slices of chocolate cake, Key lime pie and apple cobbler- all in ready-to-go containers. The lunch hour brings field greens topped with chilled shrimp, scallops or honey-whiskey smoked salmon; seared rare tuna with teriyaki noodles; and homemade tuna salad. There’s even meatloaf for those who won’t let summer’s heat come between them and their beloved comfort food. >>4117 Highway One, Rehoboth Beach, Del., 302-227-3665, bigfishgrill.com.

The ever-hip women’s shop, Sole, has opened an equally chic store right next door for young fashion plates. Sole Kids, owned by Dan Russell, a former Merrill Lynch broker- and husband of Sole owner Shera Russell- stocks top-notch kids’ clothing labels like Tea, Juicy, Robeez, Icky Baby and Munki Munki in sizes from infant to 12. Accessories include preppy grosgrain belts and headbands, Kaloo stuffed animals and Oopsy Daisy Fine Art for Kids, wall prints in brightly colored animal and carnival themes. After the little one is fully outfitted, mom can stop next door and get a little something- or two- for herself. >>110 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del., 302-227-6622.

Located in a sliver of a store measuring 61/2 feet wide by 35 feet long, Piccolino is the spot for those who have a sweet tooth for hip- and affordable- accessories. The boudoir-like decor- soft pink walls and a canopy-like ceiling draped in white cotton muslin- sets the mood for this honest-to-goodness girlie-girl shop. Browse the Chanel-like flower pins, purses from bucket bags to wee evening bags in the shape of a bustier, wide-banded watches, beaded jewelry and scarves. For the bottom half, there are fishnet stockings, flip-flops, heeled thongs and polka-dot ballet slippers. >>130 Second St., Lewes, Del., 302-644-7611.

While driving along Route 26 East, keep your eyes peeled for La Dolce Vita. Located just after Lord’s Landscaping in a darling three-room brick building, the store is owned by sisters Nancy Rhodes, Jane Tribbitt and artist Laura Hickman, whose pastel and oil scenes of Bethany and Italy are for sale throughout the store. The shop is chock-full of Mediterranean-inspired items for home, like woven cotton rugs, candle-holding chandeliers, Romanian hand-painted furniture, Italian pottery and hand-blown glass, pendulum clocks and floral linens. Lotions and bath products from L’Erbolario make ideal hostess gifts, as do beaded jewelry and picture frames. >>337 Atlantic Ave., Millville, Del., 302-541-4135.

Here’s a new concept: A nightspot for the over-40 crowd in Dewey Beach. Venus on the Half Shell captures the “mature” Dewey visitor with a fantastic beach-on-the-bay setting and a very funky Morocco-meets-the-Far East theme. Picture hundreds of colorful pillows, candles and muslin curtains throughout. The Asian-influenced menu appeals to polished palates as well: Thai-style sea bass with toasted coconut, tandori-roasted chicken and lobster tail with shrimp-truffle risotto. All this courtesy of the folks who run funky beach favorite Planet X. Venus will undoubtedly be one of the brightest spots at the shore this summer. >>Dagsworthy Street at the Bay, Dewey Beach, Del., 302-227-9292.

It may be a small place, but the Kool Bean Cafe & Espresso has a big future ahead of itself with its Starbucks-like offerings of cafe mocha, caramel macchiato, cafe au lait, frozen coffee drinks, chai, bags of beans- even fruit smoothies. Breakfast is not what you’d call diet-conscious, with dishes such as creamed chipped beef, homemade pancakes and sides of sausage and home fries. Pastries, from scones to coffee cake to its signature cinnamon rolls, are all made in-house. For lunch, choose from soups, salads, panini sandwiches, wraps and quesadillas (try the crab). Seating inside is limited, with just five tables. Opt instead for one of the 10 tables on the screened-in porch where white tablecloths and fresh flowers add a touch of charm. >>111 Atlantic Ave., Millville, Del., 302-541-5377.

Tucked directly behind The Figurehead (Lewes’ most fab she-boutique) is the recently relocated and expanded Books by the Bay Cafe, where you can grab a good bite- and a good book. Browsers can peruse newspapers and books in comfy chairs in the reading nook, or move to a table in the indoor cafe or outdoor patio area where the focus is food. Choose from quiche, salads, burgers, sandwiches and myriad breakfast dishes like the signature Traditional Irish, with two eggs any style, imported Irish bacon and sausage, sauteed mushrooms and grilled tomatoes. All baked goods, from pies and cakes to muffins and scones, are made in-house. And they love kids here- little one’s meals are served on Frisbees (that they can keep), giving tots a fresh incentive to clean their plates! >>111 Bank St., Lewes, Del., cafe: 302-644-6571; bookstore: 302-645-2304.

Beach Cottage offers hand-crafted furniture for every room of your beach house. The goods come from furniture makers in Pennsylvania, New England and Canada in materials from pine to mahogany to walnut. All pieces can be custom-finished to match whatever decorating theme you’ve got. The furniture looks smart, but our favorite item is the wall-mounted set of shell measuring cups for $37, perfect for any beach kitchen. >>83 Atlantic Ave., Ocean View, Del., 302-537-4777.

You come off the beach in the mood for a huge fruit salad. Or maybe it’s a Mediterranean salad with feta, olives and fresh tomatoes. Or maybe a scoop of shrimp salad fits the bill. At Village Rotisserie Cafe, you don’t have to decide. The eat-in cafe/carryout offers twenty fresh salads that can be mixed and matched for $6.95 a pound. If it’s comfort food you’re seeking, the rotisserie chicken comes with hearty side dishes like mac and cheese, creamed spinach and corn bread. Village Rotisserie also serves freshly made sandwiches and bagels, muffins and coffee drinks for breakfast. >>29 Atlantic Ave. (Route 26), Ocean View, Del., 302-537-6157.

“It’s called Divine Finds because we feel that everything we sell is a divine find,” says Kelly Pascoe of the new eclectic gift shop/furniture store tucked off Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Mews. The shop does boast a divine mix of items from feathered boas to hand-crafted jewelry to Indonesian teak furniture. Nine out of 10 items are imports, according to Kelly. Check out Andrea Jennings’ photo velum lamps; the shades are moody black and white photographs of everyday locales- dunes, Brooklyn brownstones, the Coney Island promenade. Soon to come: Rehoboth Beach. >>127D Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del., 302-226-3600.

Bethany Blues takes its barbecue seriously. Chefs cook meats up to 16 hours in a smoker over hickory and Jack Daniels barrel wood. They serve pulled pork, beef brisket, fresh Delaware chicken and ribs two ways: baby back and St. Louis cut, a thicker and meatier style with a dry rub. All the pig pickings come with a choice of red beans and rice, mac and cheese, braised greens or slaw. The atmosphere- with its dark woods and handsome oval bar- is decidedly more downtown Chicago than Deep South, but the proof is in the ‘cue. >>6 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Bethany Beach, Del., 302-537-1500, bethanyblues.com.