Restaurants

Cook is a four-letter word and a despicable task to be avoided if at all possible. OK, so maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it does sort of reflect the thinking of many of the retirees - especially the distaff variety - who have moved to Wilmington. After 30 or more years of kitchen drudgery (cooking), many of the ladies are ready to hang up their crock pots and partake of the finer side of life - eating out.

With probably more than 300 restaurants in town (who’s counting?), the ladies certainly don’t have a problem finding somewhere to talk the old man into taking them.

And it’s not just the retirees, it’s also the young singles and families who have moved here to enjoy a better quality of life, which, of course includes eating out a lot.

But, let’s not overlook the local, dyed in the wool, fried in the South residents who have lived here for generations. They eat out a lot, too, and the low-country, down-home, southeastern-seashore styles of cooking they bring to the restaurant scene adds an element of fare not often found very far north or west of Wilmington.

Seafood Galore    back to top

Combine all that with the vast numbers of visitors and tourists who grace our shores, plus about 12,000 University of North Carolina Wilmington college students, and you have a recipe for a multitude of eating establishments offering an unusually wide variety of cuisines for a town of Wilmington’s size.

That said, let’s put our food where our mouth is and tell you what we have to offer here. Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is seafood. Around Wilmington, most restaurants offer some form of seafood and many specialize in it. And when we say “fresh seafood” in these parts, that means it’s not long off the boats - those same boats you see offshore with the long booms and nets.

Being on the coast allows us to enjoy in our restaurants a marvelous variety of seafood that you normally don’t find inland, either because some fish don’t travel well or because they just don’t make it that far - grouper, dolphin, wahoo, triggerfish and soft shell crab, for example, plus a number of others. No matter your preference - broiled, blackened, grilled, Cajun, poached, steamed, fried or raw seafood - Wilmington restaurants will satisfy your culinary desires.

Somewhat peculiar to North Carolina’s southern coastal region is a style of cooking and serving fresh ocean seafood known as Calabash Style. Deriving its name from the tiny coastal fishing village south of Wilmington where it originated, Calabash Style simply means serving the lucky diner large quantities of very fresh seafood that has been lightly breaded and deliciously fried. Calabash Style became famous, and now can be found in a number of Wilmington restaurants.

A Variety of Cuisines    back to top

But dining out in Wilmington doesn’t mean just seafood. Probably due in part to the influx of residents and tourists from all over, we’re blessed with many ethnic restaurants offering fares beyond the usual Chinese, Italian, Mexican and Japanese foods found in most towns. Scattered about the city you’ll also find restaurants featuring Mongolian, Thai, Cuban, Korean, Indian, Greek, German, French, Cambodian, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Irish and probably a few others.

And then there’s the nectar of the gods - eastern Carolina style barbecue. No, this isn’t steaks cooked over charcoal in the Weber barbie, this is genuine pit-cooked pork - the whole hog slowly cooked and basted with a vinegar, salt and pepper mixture and pulled - none of that sliced Lexington style with catsup and sugar added for us, thank you. Although not many restaurants still use the pit out back for cooking the pig, the flavor can still be the same if properly done on more modern equipment.

In fact, many churches and schools raise money by staging a benefit barbecue, also called a Pig Pickin’. Go ahead, spend the five or six bucks and enjoy it. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

No barbecue meal would really be complete without our marvelous and addictive hush puppies - essentially deep-fried cornbread dollops, sometimes flavored with onion, sugar or other spices. If you’re fortunate, the restaurant will also offer Brunswick stew. Don’t ask what it is - just order it.

Sweet or Unsweet     back to top

And of course, you’ll want iced tea. Sweetened or unsweetened, iced tea isn’t just a drink down here, it’s a way of life. Should you see something on the menu labeled “greens,” be aware it may not relate to salads. In the South, greens include collards, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and turnip greens - all cooked. Some Yankees never do acquire a taste for them. Sweet potatoes are another staple here, and restaurants find more ways to cook them than you ever thought possible.

Still Affordable    back to top

Although Wilmington has quite a few fine restaurants, you’ll find most are relatively affordable, especially compared with those in larger cities. And even at the finest restaurants, you can feel relatively at ease in casual dress, including walking shorts and polo shirts. Wilmington is a relaxed town, and even most of the business people dress casually.

Dining outdoors is especially popular. In Wilmington, it is possible to enjoy your meal alfresco many months of the year. A number of restaurants scattered throughout the area offer this option.

No matter whether you’re dining formally in a fine, upscale restaurant or that terrific little spot around the corner only the locals know about, Wilmington is a great place for that famous haute cuisine, “Good Eats.”

Try These Downtown    back to top

We can recommend the following restaurants for three good reasons. First, the food is reliably good. Second, the prices are very fair. Third, we can almost guarantee that you won’t be disappointed if you dine in any of them.

Let’s start with downtown Wilmington, since so many visitors do.

One of the older restaurants downtown is Deluxe, located on Market Street between Front and Second. Deluxe opens daily for dinner at 5 p.m., with a menu extensive enough for any craving. Whether you want seafood, pasta, steaks, pork, inventive vegetarian dishes or anything else you have a craving for, you’ll find it at Deluxe. They also have a very extensive selection of fine wines as well as a full bar. Deluxe serves a wonderful Sunday brunch as well.

If it’s lighter fare you want, try Chelsea’s, located at the corner of Market and Front Streets. Chelsea’s offers a number of hearty appetizers, paninis, and interesting tapas you won’t find elsewhere. Chelsea’s also has an extensive beer and wine selection and offers complimentary wine tastings every Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. And unlike many other restaurants downtown, Chelsea’s is open daily for lunch, affording a welcome choice for midday meals.

Caprice Bistro, owned by proprietors Patricia and Thierry Moity, has been designated Wilmington’s best French restaurant for the last several years. New Yorkers who are visiting Wilmington will feel right at home here; the restaurant feels like it belongs in Greenwich Village. That’s not an accident: the Moitys owned Café de Bruxelles, a highly regarded bistro in New York. In addition to many other choices, you’ll find the best mussels in Wilmington at Caprice. Caprice is open for dinner at 5:00 p.m. daily.

If just a pick-me-up is what you’re looking for, try Kilwins Chocolates and Ice Cream, located at 16 Market Street. A sweet treat may be just the nosh you need to complete your sightseeing, shopping or exploring trip.

Italian As It Should Be    back to top

If you’ve never eaten in a restaurant with a real Italian chef, you can’t know what Italian food should taste like. It’s like trying to explain the virtues of homemade biscuits to those who’ve only eaten them from the pop-open tubes found in a grocer’s refrigerator case. You’ll find authentic food at Luigi’s: Italian native Luigi Ospina prepares the meals. You’ll know you’re in for a treat as soon as the breadbasket, containing warm bruschetta, foccacia with a delicious pesto sauce, and real Italian bread arrives. The pasta dishes are delicious, the veal is always fork tender, and the sauces are always flavorful. The prices are Luigi’s are very moderate and there is a full bar. Luigi’s opens at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday for dinner.

If it’s a different type of Italian you crave, the best pizza in Wilmington is found at Brooklyn Pizza, located in the Ogden Commons shopping plaza at the corner of Market Street and Gordon Road. Yes, the owner is from Brooklyn, which is evident when you walk in and see photographs of the home of the real Dodgers. You can buy pizza by the slice or buy the whole pie. The restaurant also offers several pasta dishes, salads and calzones, all homemade. Brooklyn Pizza is open for lunch and dinner and delivers to a wide area, including to Wrightsville Beach.

Approaching Wrightsville    back to top

There are five superior restaurants on the way to Wrightsville Beach. First is Opus, located at Lumina Station on Eastwood Road. Opus specializes in continental cuisine with an emphasis on products found fresh locally. They are open daily for dinner and have a full bar, an extensive wine list and seating both indoors and in an enclosed patio. Opus also has a terrific Sunday brunch. Come hungry, however. The prix fixe brunch features crab benedict, omelettes made to order, delicious French toast, pancakes, eggs any way you’d like them and much more. You can have as many entrees as you want, then help yourself to juice, delicious muffins, applewood smoked bacon and breakfast potatoes.

Just before you cross the bridge to Wrightsville you’ll see Jerry’s restaurant on the right in one of Wilmington’s ubiquitous small shopping plazas. To get there, turn right at the light at Wrightsville Avenue and Eastwood then left to get into the strip mall. Jerry’s has steaks, pasta dishes, seafood, very crisp salads and the best lamb chops in Wilmington, according to our resident lamb expert. With a full bar and an extensive wine list, Jerry’s is open daily at 6 p.m.

Finds At The Forum    back to top

There are two restaurants at The Forum Shops on Military Cutoff Road that should be on any visitor’s must-try list. First is Zooi Euro Bistro, the second restaurant in Wilmington owned by Thierry and Patricia Moity; Caprice Bistro downtown also is theirs. The Moitys, born in France, have owned highly regarded restaurants in New York City and Charlotte before settling here. Steaks, seafood and pasta are on the menu and small plates are offered too, for those with smaller appetites. The soups and desserts at Zooi are outstanding as well, so it’s best to come hungry. An inventive wine list and full bar are available and patrons can eat in three distinct areas. There is the main dining room, a sofa bar and, weather permitting, a romantic patio. Zooi is open daily at 5 p.m.; the sofa bar opens at 4.

If you crave a totally different kind of food, go to The Bento Box, a sushi restaurant that is a recent addition to the Wilmington area. A master sushi chef is in charge of the spotless restaurant and serves the best sushi you’ll find in Wilmington, period. Chef Lee also accommodates those who aren’t sure they’re ready for sushi yet: delicious crispy shrimp, steaming miso soup and salads with homemade ginger dressing are always available. You’ll need to plan your trip to Bento Box carefully; they are not open weekends. The restaurant is open Monday through Wednesday from 11:30 to 6:30 and on Thursday and Friday until 9.

To Please A Crowd    back to top

An even newer restaurant is found across the street from the Forum, in the Mayfaire Shopping Plaza. Next door to the movie theater you’ll find City Tavern, which offers a very extensive menu for both lunch and dinner. If you’re in a group where no one can decide what kind of food they want, City Tavern is the place to go. Feel like a buffalo burger? They’ve got it. How about pasta with sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and capers? They’ve got it. They also serve steaks, pork, a variety of salads, seafood, and just about anything else you might have a hankering for. The bar at City Tavern is open daily until 2 a.m. Food is served from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 11 to 11 on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday brunch is served from 11:30 to 3 and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 with regular food service until 10. City Tavern has a large wine list, a full bar and offers daily drink specials.

Simple Food    back to top

Sometimes all we want to eat is a hamburger and a beer. If that’s what you want, go to Hamburger Joe’s, located at 7032 Market Street. The locals have flocked to this new restaurant where barbecue, hot dogs, onion rings, salads, fries and other sides are on the menu too. Two can have burgers, a couple of cups of beer each and an order of fries for about $15.00. No wonder it’s been discovered. Hamburger Joe’s in open daily for lunch and dinner, and has a full bar too.

Heading To Topsail    back to top

Little known at the moment is King's Table, the new restaurant at Castle Bay Country Club, located on Hoover Road off Highway 17. King’s Table is by far Hampstead’s best restaurant and serves steaks, carefully char-grilled as ordered, as well as seafood and pasta at very moderate prices. Chef David Longo, a graduate of Johnson and Wales culinary school, adds elegant flourishes to many of the dishes served. For example, the compound cinnamon butter for baked sweet potatoes gives a gourmet touch to an otherwise simple, healthy vegetable. Bottles of wine are a bargain at King’s Table where there is a full bar and a patio overlooking the golf course. Hours change depending on the season, so call ahead.

On Topsail Island at Surf City, you should visit Mainsail Restaurant, located at 404 Roland Avenue. Here the owners, brothers Michael and Stephen Pasquantonio, present pasta as it should be done, fresh seafood with delicious sauces such as chipotle and creamy dill, steaks cooked to order and daily specials. They offer a kids menu, have a full bar, and are open daily year round from 5 p.m. Upstairs at Mainsail is a room that’s perfect for wedding receptions, special birthday dinners or family reunions. Mainsail offers catering services too.

With all these wonderful restaurants in the Wilmington area, is there really a reason to slave over a stove? Some of us think not.