Restaurants in Wilmington, Delaware
The authors of this list live in the city of Wilmington, Delaware, and enjoy good food. This seeming contradiction has inspired us to create a web page of our favorite restaurants in and around the city. We are often dismayed to see hour-long waits at some of the shopping center chain restaurants on Saturday nights, while some of the ethnic treasures listed below are half empty. This list represents our personal preference for the unusual and for the moderately-priced, although some all-American places did make the list. You will find no national chains here, nor will you find the obvious. (Yeah, sure, everybody in Wilmington knows the Green Room.)
* Update: * As of 2002, Alan has moved to Trolley Square, and now maintains a page of Wilmington travel and restaurant information at www.virtualtourist.com . Just look for the Destination: “Wilmington, Delaware”.
- Angela's -- At this take-out, Angela makes her own pasta, done perfectly al dente. And her own wonderful sauces. Save room for cannolis and/or the rum cake. There are a few tables for eating in, with absolutely no atmosphere.
- Bangkok House -- Yes, there is good Thai food in Wilmington. This venerable restaurant was around well before the recent renaissance of Union Street and nearby Little Italy. Start with the satay, or the soup that has coconut milk and chicken in it. Johane has a favorite dish that contains chicken, shrimp, and green beans, in a red curry sauce. We don't remember the name, but we can't wait to go back so we can order it again, and update the Web page.
- * NEW * Café Abyssinia – This unique café is hidden inside Sacred Heart Village, an apartment complex for seniors at 920 N. Monroe Street on the edge of the Trinity Vicinity neighborhood. Just tell the security guard at the door that you’re here for the coffee. And what coffee it is! The owner is Ethiopian, and they take their coffee seriously. They also offer some seriously delicious pastries, baked goods, soups, and sandwiches. Alan’s personal favorite isn’t on the menu: they have a stash of chai (spiced tea) from Madagascar that they serve with steamed milk.
- Cafe Verdi -- This is a friendly Italian restaurant and pizza parlor in Wilmington's Trolley Square neighborhood. They feature traditional pizzas plus "gourmet" pizzas such as spinach/ricotta/mozzarella. We would say that the gourmet pizza is to die for, but we refuse to use the phrase "to die for".
- Capriotti's -- A local chain of mostly take-out sub shops. We like the original one in Little Italy, but the suburban ones serve the same food. They feature an excellent vegetarian sub. For the meat eaters, the turkey is real breast meat, not synthetic slices. Try the "Bobbie": Thanksgiving on a roll, with turkey, cranberry sauce, and mayo.
- Charcoal Pit -- We're talking about the original on Concord Pike. If you were born here, you've been going to the Charcoal Pit since junior high and there is an ice cream sundae named after your high school. If you're new to Wilmington, this is where you go for grilled hamburgers with the kids.
- China Royal -- We think this is the place to go for Peking Duck for a special birthday or anniversary. Where else do the waiters wrap the moo-shu pancakes for you? This Chinese restaurant is a little fancier than average, but most entrees are still below $15.
- Culinaria -- The Italian name is deceptive--this place is hard to categorize. We've had some amazing appetizers, including a mushroom tart and a charcuterie plate of prosciutto, olives, and cheese. You'll find everything from lamb chops to penne with sausage to roast beef sandwiches. The desserts are very good. We haven't tried the Tiramisu, because it got bargained away in a complicated dessert-sharing negotiation the last time we had a family dinner there.
- Eclipse -- We're not sure what to say about this place. Johane took Alan there for his birthday, shortly before it received a four-star review in the News-Journal. Think of it as a early-1990's period piece, with small amounts of carefully-sliced vegetables artfully arranged on the plate, that sort of thing. (This is the only "expensive" restaurant on our list.)
- Gabby’s Hot Pot – Sniff…This wonderful Jamaican place on Lancaster Avenue is now…choke…gone!
- Genelle's -- An authentic Caribbean restaurant on the Market Street Mall. Possibly more good food for the money than anyplace else in the city. The downtown yuppie lunch crowd raves about the Jerk Chicken, but Johane's favorite is the "cook-up special" on Friday. Great for lunch or an early dinner--closes early. Alan saw the Mayor of Wilmington enjoying New Year's Eve dinner here during First Night festivities a couple of years ago.
- India Palace -- Wilmington now has a several Indian restaurants, and we find this to be the most enjoyable Indian food in the city. They have a traditional Tandoor oven for breads and Tandoori Chicken. Alan's favorite is the Saag Paneer, but we've been pleased with everything we've tried there. As an alternative to India Palace, we can recommend the chaat at the Sunday evening buffet at Taste of India, as well as the Tuesday evening vegetarian buffet.
- Kahl-Bee -- This place has about six tables, at which they serve fiery Korean food. The "soups", which are main dishes, are excellent. Meals come with six small bowls of appetizers such as kimchee, pickled vegetables, and bean sprouts. [Three years after Kahl-Bee appeared here, it finally expanded and got a nice review in the News Journal.—AMH]
- Minato -- A hidden downtown Wilmington lunch spot. Absolutely no atmosphere, but great Japanese food cooked individually by the owner. The fried rice is wonderful, as are the crab rolls. The iced tea has a secret ingredient. Try it.
- Olive Tree -- Sorry to say, Wilmington's only authentic Middle Eastern restaurant (without belly-dancers) is no longer with us. This restaurant was a real asset to downtown Wilmington, and we miss the nice people who ran it as well as the food.
- * NEW * Papa's Bakery & Pastry – Papa’s Food Market at 1910 W 6th Street has been a fixture in Little Italy for decades. Walk into the place, and the wooden floors and smell of cheese will take you back to an era before sterile, fluorescent-lit supermarkets took over. There’s no place like it for freshly-made sausages, or for Italian cheeses. But we digress… The next generation of Papa’s family has recently opened a bakery around the corner. Everything we’ve had there has been decadent and fabulous. The hard part is trying to choose from the appealing spread off cookies, cakes, tarts, pastries…
- Rosauri's -- Pike Creek Valley has a friendly neighborhood Italian restaurant of its own. This family-run restaurant offers a warm atmosphere, and large portions of delicious food that distinguish it from the crowd.
- Saigon Vietnam -- This place has grown from a hole in the wall to a spacious restaurant in the Newark Shopping Center. They deserve their success for their simple, delicious, reasonably-priced meals.
- *You saw it here first!* Taqueria El Toluca -- 3804 Lancaster Pike, Wilmington, DE 19805, Tel. 302-993-0464. We're proud to note that, long after we featured the local taquerias on our Web page, the Wilmington News Journal featured local restaurants which serve the growing local Mexican community. We've made two visits to El Toluca, for a total of four delicious dishes, including chicken enchiladas (roja and verde), tortas (sandwich on a soft roll), and "special of the day" chalupas. After reading the menu from hand-lettered signs and the board above the counter, ask the very helpful chef/server for recommendations and specials. Combination platters come with some of the best refried beans we've had. It is impossible to overstate the lack of atmosphere provided by bright fluorescent lights and green plastic tablecloths, but, hey, did we mention that dinner for two is under $15? We wish this new establishment mucho éxito [Note: This restaurant has changed names, and possibly changed ownership since this review was written. We plan to visit again soon, and also to check out some of the other taquerias that have been sprouting in the area around 4th Street. Tijuana Taco Shop on Lancaster Avenue is an early favorite.]
- Taqueria Moroleon -- Located about 10 miles from Wilmington in Kennett Square, PA. Their menu says they are committed to offering the "finest, freshest, most authentic Mexican food this side of the border"--and we believe it. This restaurant caters to both Kennett Square's large Mexican community, and to Americanos who know that Mexican food doesn't mean Chi-Chi's. BYOB for fun.
- Utage -- If you're from out of town wondering, "Where can I get sushi in this burg," Utage is our answer. Utage is the reliable granddaddy of Wilmington Japanese restaurants. For something more trendy, hip, and loud, experience Mikimotos.
How to reach us with questions & comments:
Electronic mail address
NicestAlan@aol.com
Web address
http://members.aol.com/Nicestalan/index.htm