For cooks and foodies alike, spring’s arrival inspires delicious anticipation of fresh tastes and new experiences. Soon, mountainous piles of succulent steamed crabs will begin reappearing on tabletops and menus throughout Delaware. In fields surrounding picked-fresh farm stands, the state’s top-tier produce is beginning to blossom, promising future bounties of crisp asparagus, juicy tomatoes and sweet, tender corn.
Happily, a fresh crop of restaurants has also sprouted in winter’s vanishing shadow, bringing a perfect moment to explore the season’s culinary creativity. It’s also a time when food-focused events begin to fill the calendar, and hungry visitors find themselves scouting for a place to refill and refuel after a jaunt to one of Greater Wilmington & the Brandywine Valley’s attractions, from Winterthur Museum to the Wilmington Riverfront to the Delaware Art Museum.
There are always plenty of fresh tastes to choose from all year round, but why not celebrate spring with something new?
Off the beaten path, down the narrow lane, and mere minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Brandywine Valley prides itself on…
Delaware Art Museum
WILMINGTON
City Restaurant Week 2024 (April 15-20). Serious prix-fixe deals fill the menus at an amazing lineup of Wilmington’s top restaurants, where meals are so very tastefully priced: Lunch for $15 per person; dinner for $35.
Tornado Gyro & Grill, 414 N. Union St., Wilmington. You’ll always find fun and affordable Italian-American satisfaction in Wilmington’s Little Italy, but the locals know there is so much more, including the fresh-carved gyros, subs and quesadillas now available at this new kid on the block..
Al Forno, at Chancery Market, Wilmington. There’s a tantalizing menu of creative pizzas at this newcomer to the city’s latest “food hall.” So hard to choose, but perhaps we’ll try the Tartuffo, elevated by truffle oil, mushrooms and asiago cheese.
Bellefonte Cafe, 804 Brandywine Blvd., Wilmington. This has long been a go-spot for laid-back evenings full of food and live music, but now it’s even better: The new owners have refreshed the menu and started offering lunch Tuesday through Saturday. And there’s a yummy Sunday brunch too (10 a.m.-3 p.m.).
Friendship BBQ, 230 E Main St., Suite 205, Newark. Here’s one for the people who are soooo tired of typical take-out Chinese-American food. It also just might be the final proof that meat always tastes better when it’s skewered and grilled.
Lulu’s Tacos, 245 Newark Shopping Center, Newark. This ever-charming college town has never been short on affordable food, but finding a spot that makes authentic tacos, tortas and birria has been tricky. Until now.
Long Bao & Noodles Express, 626 Newark Shopping Center, Newark. The search for soup dumplings is unrelenting for many fans of Chinese food, so maybe it’s time to check out this modest, friendly shop, which also has an amazing lineup of noodle dishes. (NOTE: Newark is also set to get a second soup-dumpling specialist sometimes this year: Ugly Dumpling has announced plans to open a location at 140 E. Main Street.)
ELSEWHERE IN NEW CASTLE COUNTY
Moon Star Turkish Bakery, 1213 Churchmans Road, Stanton. The “soft opening” was in March, but people are already raving about the creative pastries and Turkish treats “with an American twist.”
Singas Famous Pizza, 1901 Lake Seymour Drive, Middletown. The “build your own pie” concept has been pretty successful so far at places like Snap! Pizza, so Middletown is probably more than ready for the arrival of this East Coast chain.
Sunny's Mediterranean Grill/Pizza, Shoppes of Hockessin, 7288 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin. Word is that this fairly standard menu of pizzas and pastas will be supplemented by some Turkish tastes, giving us all the chance to try the delectable “lahmacun,” a meat-topped flatbread, and “pide,” a Turkish take on pizza.
Corner Cove, 410 Hockessin Corner, Hockessin. They seem to have a little bit of something for everything at this newcomer, from local seafood to flam-cooked pizza to pasta (and even tacos and wings).
NEARBY PENNSYLVANIA
Taste & Sea, 1810 Wilmington Pike, Suite 1, Glen Mills. Early reports are ecstatic about this more refined addition to the nearby Pennsylvania suburbs.There’s a solid raw bar menu, some decidedly elevated meat-and-seafood entrees, and a vibe that seems suited to sophisticated evenings.
9 Prime, 9 N. High St., West Chester. 9primewestchester.com. This is the latest hotspot for indulging in those lavish, luxurious steakhouse vibes, and this 19th century bank building seems the perfect spot. Conceived by "Top Chef" alum Fabio Viviani, 9 Prime clearly is all about “Big Beef,” but also check out the refined seafood menu, the short-but-solid pasta selections, and be sure to save some of that Lobster Mac and Cheese for me.
So, when you come out of your winter hibernation, a new slew of restaurants await. Try one, try two, or try them all but whatever you do, share your tasty orders with us using #VisitWilmDE. We want to know what your eating in and around Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley.
When I’m not eating, I’m almost certainly thinking about what to eat next. I’ve been a journalist and writer for 46 years, a cook for 50, and a hopeless food fanatic for each and every one. For 12 years, I served as fine-dining columnist at the statewide newspaper, DelawareOnline.com, and have written for the Food Network and Delaware Today.
