Savorez

Located at 402 Chestnut Street in Downtown Wilmington, Savorez offers Latin-inspired cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11:30-10 Monday through Friday, noon-10 on Saturday, and from 10-2 for brunch on Sunday. There is a full bar and food specials that change regularly.

 

Savorez takes a Latin-meets-local concept and executes it to perfection. It’s a smallish space and tables may be hard to come by, but there will likely be room at the bar. Red walls and vivid artwork give Savorez a lively aesthetic. The menu here holds lots of appeal, offering everything from salsas and dips to empanadas and tapas to full-sized entrees. The fusionist tendencies come across clearly in dishes like shrimp n grits (a Southern classic accented with chorizo and jalapeno lime) and arroz con pollo (dressed up with jerk chicken, coconut rice, and pickled shallots).

 

My wife and I started with a sweet potato and black bean empanada, followed that up with a vegan rellenos and scallop-tastic (one of the daily specials), and ended with a chocolate chile flan. Everything was fantastic. We were looking forward to the empanada’s pineapple salsa, and it didn’t disappoint, but the accompanying chimichurri sauce was better than it had any right to be. The entrees were artfully plated and well-balanced. The scallop-tastic boasted perfectly cooked scallops and a strawberry salsa that, on its own, would have been too sweet. However, it paired nicely with charred tomatoes and greens. The flan likewise offered a raspberry gastrique to temper the heat.

 

Service was attentive, and prices here were reasonable for the quality of the food. Expect to pay in the $20s for most entrees.

 

Thanks to its bold flavors and excellent execution, Savorez made for a delicious dinner. Try it the next time you are out Wilmington way.