Italian Eateries

Fat Tony’s Italian Pub has two locations in Wilmington, one downtown on Front Street and another on Racine Drive near UNCW and Wrightsville Beach. The huge menu offers everything you would expect and more: pizza by the slice or whole pies with the choice of a host of toppings, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, numerous pasta dishes, and calzones, among many others. What you might not expect is that Fat Tony’s offers the largest selection of draft beers in Wilmington. At last count, there were 25 beers on tap, available by the pint or pitcher. Numerous wines are offered too. Both locations are open daily from 11 to 2 a.m.; on Sunday they closed at midnight.

If you love veal that’s so tender you don’t need a knife to cut it and if you appreciate great, creamy risotto that’s cooked to order, you have to make your way to Rafaella, located at 6722 Wrightsville Avenue just off Oleander Drive. The building is beautiful, the wine list is comprehensive, the service is professional, the prices affordable and the food is delicious. The owners of Rafaella had a successful place of the same name in Greenwich Village and know the importance of using the freshest ingredients to prepare flavorful dishes. Be sure to try the Baked Oysters Rafaella appetizer or any of the delicious soups. You can have dessert without feeling guilty also – the fresh sorbet is outstanding. If it’s chocolate you crave, you’ll have a choice of several fine confections. Rafaella is open for lunch Monday through Friday and is open nightly for dinner at 5 p.m. Sunday brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. with $3.50 Bloody Mary’s or Mimosas offered after noon.

Osteria Cicchetti opened in December 2007 at the Forum Shops on Military Cutoff Road. A stylish Italian dining establishment with an ambitious menu, the restaurant is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and dinner daily from 5 p.m. Their brick oven pizzas, antipasto bar, sandwiches and salads are perfect for lunch with friends or a casual family dinner. But to get the full benefit of Osteria Cicchetti’s dining experience, you’ve got to try their specialties: sumptuous Northern Italian pasta dishes and outstanding antipasto bar. If you enjoy a glass of wine with your meal, choose from more than 100 types. The restaurant’s warm atmosphere and comfortable furnishings are conducive to eating and eating and eating.