The Basics

 

Located at 319 North Front Street in Downtown Wilmington, The Basics serves upscale Southern cuisine. It is open for breakfast (8-10:45 on weekdays), lunch (11:15-3 daily), dinner (5-9 Monday-Saturday), and weekend brunch (10-3 Saturday and Sunday). There is a full bar, and food specials change daily. Online reservations and ordering are available.

 

My wife and I were looking for a nice breakfast/brunch spot for our anniversary, and The Basics, a five-minute walk from where we were staying, seemed to fit the bill. It’s got exposed brick and vintage stools that exude retro charm. Add to that an amiable server and Led Zeppelin in the background, and The Basics provided a great atmosphere.

 

The menu offered plenty to choose from, and we ultimately went with migas (potato cake as the side) and the daily omelet (blueberry pancake on the side). Ultimately, the food rated as good, not great. The omelet (sausage, potato, vegetables) was hearty and satisfying. The pancake was tasty (good blueberry flavor) as well albeit dense and crisp rather than light and fluffy. The potato cake was more akin to a mashed potato puff, definitely not bad in its own right but perplexing for anyone expecting anything latke-esque. Accompanying biscuits were small and dry.

 

While we weren’t wowed by The Basics, we’re still glad that we gave the restaurant a try. The food doesn’t reach the level of the atmosphere and service (or its price point, for that matter), but it isn’t a liability, either.

YoSake

 

Located at 33 South Front Street in Downtown Wilmington, YoSake offers Asian Fusion cuisine. It is open from 5-10 Sunday-Thursday and 5-midnight Friday and Saturday. There is a full bar, weekly specials, and happy hour discounts. Online reservations are available.

 

YoSake boasts strong reviews, and on paper, that makes complete sense. The menu is deep and varied, the location is convenient, and the use of local ingredients is commendable. The actual experience of dining here, however, proved to be fairly disappointing.

 

YoSake is located on the second floor of a historic building, accessible by pausing halfway up a long staircase. Inside, the ambiance is half industrial (bricks n ducts), half imitation Japanese (red walls and anime art). While a “fun” atmosphere with space for groups, it’s also quite loud, making conversation difficult.

 

Billed as a sushi lounge, YoSake has classic and specialty rolls but also curries, noodle dishes, soups, salads, and more. There are Thai as well as Japanese influences and vegetarian options as well.

 

My wife and I ordered a coconut lemongrass soup, a farmhouse roll (cucumber, sweet potato, avocado, and asparagus with cream cheese), and a crispy salmon (salmon, forbidden rice, scallions, and avocado cream). Our server was friendly, and in light of what followed, very apologetic, but the meal was one mishap or letdown after another. YoSake makes no claim on authenticity, but even faux Asian fusion should be able to do better than a bag of Bigelow in the tea department. The soup (perhaps tellingly not billed as tom kha gai) was salty to the point of inedible (no hyperbole here) and filled with overcooked vegetables to boot. Somehow, my crispy salmon (listed that way on the menu) was interpreted as a crunchy roll with salmon, a mistake that was, thankfully, quickly remedied.

 

That said, the meal wasn’t a complete disaster. The farmhouse roll offered a healthy change-of-pace from the traditional Philly, the salmon was cooked well (crispy as advertised without being dry) if a bit understated in the flavor department, and both the rice and the accompanying side salad (with carrot-ginger dressing) were tasty.

 

It’s possible that we caught YoSake during an off-night, but the acoustics, miscues, and presence of more reliable options in the area make it unlikely we’ll be back during our next Wilmington trip.

Beat Street

 

Located in The Outpost at 348 Hutchison Lane in Wilmington’s Cargo District, Beat Street offers globally inspired street food for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11-8 Sunday-Thursday and 11-10 Friday-Saturday. Online ordering is available.

 

This eclectic offering from the True Blue group offers a killer menu but its logistics leave something to be desired. First, the good: Beat Street has an impressive array of handhelds from around the world. A half-dozen varieties of tacos share menu space with burgers, kabobs, tortas, and ssam. Choosing a side will be a hair-tearing endeavor as ramen, bacon cheddar mac, and truffle fries (with lemon and parmesan!) make for an extremely difficult decision.

 

Beat Street is co-located with Alcove Beer Garden, and there is plenty of seating inside and out. That capaciousness is a double-edged sword, however, as you may need to listen from a distance and over music for your number to be called out. You’ll also be in for a wait (30+ minutes in our case): perhaps due to understaffing, the kitchen here is slow.

 

That said, the food here was as good as it sounded. We went with barbacoa tacos and pork belly steamed buns with the aforementioned truffle fries. The fries were addictive, and both handhelds were well-sauced (birria/avocado crema and hoisin/ginger scallion, respectively) and flavorful. The pork was a touch dry but not unpleasantly so, and it was satisfyingly crispy. Prices ($12 and $14) were reasonable.

Beat Street’s tantalizing menu will make you hungry, and your stomach will be happy by the end, but the in-between may try your patience.

Drift Coffee Shop + Kitchen

 

Located at 221 North Front Street in Downtown Wilmington (with additional locations in Wrightsville Beach, Ocean Isle, and Mayfaire), Drift Coffee Shop + Kitchen serves up coffee drinks, smoothies, breakfast foods, and lunch bowls. It is open 7-5 Sunday-Thursday and 7-6 on Friday and Saturday. Online ordering is available.

 

Housed next to Bijou Park, Drift is an appealing location inside and out. It’s a bright, inviting space with a solid array of breakfast options. You can go light with a yogurt or toast, but you can also dig into a hearty sandwich, burrito, or bowl. The coffees may not have a lot of flavor options, but they do make some syrups in-house.

 

My wife and I opted for a bodega sandwich and pistachio latte and a breakfast burrito and raspberry vanilla latte, respectively, as well as a sunrise smoothie (mango, banana, vanilla, coconut milk, and orange) to share. Most of the food came out promptly, but the smoothie got lost in the shuffle, a mistake quickly remedied when I pointed it out.

 

The food and drink quality left no room for complaint. The burrito held together well despite being stuffed with deliciousness (egg, cheese, chorizo, black bean, cilantro crema). The raspberry vanilla latte featured a vanilla-raspberry-coconut foam with bits of real fruit, and the smoothie was refreshing.

 

That said, Drift’s prices are definitely on the high side, and they also keep quite busy. The hard-working staff seemed up to the task during our visit, but this is definitely not a “sit and chill” coffee shop.

 

Overall, Drift makes for a good downtown breakfast option. It’s too expensive to be a regular stop for most, but the location and ingredient quality are compelling.

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. 

The Hive

 

Located at 505 North 2^nd Street in Downtown Wilmington, The Hive is a limited-service boutique hotel. Suites feature king-sized beds, walk-in showers, and curated custom artwork. Pets are welcome in select suites with prior approval.

Halfway between a hotel and an AirBNB, The Hive offers a unique lodging experience. There’s no staff on-site though Gillis is only a text away (and quite responsive). While some travelers may find themselves missing some of the typical hotel perks, The Hive was perfect for our purposes. Situated next to CFCC and two blocks from The Riverfront, The Hive’s location is hard to beat. We found plenty to eat, drink, and do within a ten-minute walk.

Our suite was spacious and full of thoughtful touches (such as complimentary snacks and drinks). Creepy bathroom sloth painting notwithstanding, fun artwork and eclectic design helped give the suite a welcome dose of character. The amenities were also great: the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was huge, and the shower boasted strong water pressure. While The Hive is, on average, cheaper than nearby hotels, paying $19 a day for its lot across the street felt like a reach.

 

Overall, we enjoyed our stay here. This Hive proved to be far from wretched and was, thankfully, scum and villainy free.

New Hanover Arboretum

 

Located at 6206 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, the New Hanover County Arboretum features specialty gardens, a cooperative extension/education program, and more. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and admission and parking are free. The grounds can be reserved for special events.

 

The New Hanover County Arboretum may not be terribly large, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in impressive design. Its gardens boast a variety of flora and are broken up into themed areas. Some (i.e. the koi pond) are decidedly kid-friendly while others (such as the Japanese garden) are serene. Well-maintained and inviting, this is a great place to walk around when the weather is cooperative.

Wrightsville Beach Brewery

 

Located at 6201 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach Brewery serves local seafood and brewpub fare. Outdoor seating is available, including a beer garden area. There is occasional live music, and food specials rotate regularly.

Capacious, comfortable, and convenient, Wrightsville Beach Brewery made for an ideal back-from-the-beach lunch destination. There was plenty of seating inside and out (we opted for the latter), and service was friendly and attentive. The biggest draw here, however, is the menu as both food and drink selections are strong. The former packs everything from burgers to seafood to some rather creative pizzas (a short rib, a crab cake, and a po boy were among the offerings) while the latter offers up a nice assortment of house taps and a few cocktails.

My wife and I opted for an order of fish tacos (tuna was the catch du jour) and a shrimp po boy with a cup of seafood stew. What the fish tacos lacked in structural integrity, they made up for in fresh flavor with the rasta sauce delivering a bit of peppery kick. The seafood stew brought a welcome bit of heat as well. Tasty as it was though, it was less a seafood stew and more a kicked-up tomato vegetable soup with a bit of added seafood. The po boy, on the other hand, was immensely satisfying from first bite to last. Here, they didn’t skimp on the shrimp, which were breaded nicely, and the crisp baguette (improbably) held everything in place. Among the drinks, my wife gave high praise to a newly-arrived Smoked Honey Scotch Ale while the Orange Krush Kolsch tastes like the offspring of an orange creamsicle and a dry seltzer. The house ginger soda packs a (welcome) punch.

With a reasonable price point for local fish (each lunch entrée was $13), amicable service, and boldly flavored food, Wrightsville Beach Brewery impressed across the board. If I’m ever back here, I will be curious to see how the pizzas (or the shrimp and grits, for that matter) measure up.

Nikki's Fresh Gourmet and Sushi

Located at 16 S. Front St. in downtown Wilmington, Nikki’s Fresh Gourmet and Sushi serves primarily sushi and Japanese fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Food, drink, and dessert specials change regularly.

After wandering from one packed downtown eatery to another on a Saturday night, my wife and I stumbled across Nikki’s more out of desperation than deliberate intent. As accidental finds go, we could have done far worse.

First, a caveat: it was very busy at the time of our visit. As such, the restaurant was somewhat loud, and the servers, though not rude, definitely seemed a bit harried. Whether or not this is par for the course is something only a local/repeat offender would know.

Moving on, Nikki’s menu defies expectations. Sushi is the specialty here, and the offerings strike the right balance between traditional rolls and more eclectic house specialties. You’ll also find the requisite bento boxes and teriyaki dishes. However, Nikki’s offers poke bowls (Hawaiian), burgers and cheesesteaks (American), tacos and quesadillas (Tex-Mex), and gyros and falafel hummus wraps (Mediterranean) as well. Curious as this is, it makes for a multitude of options.

My wife and I went with a tofu teriyaki bento box and a rainbow poke bowl, respectively. The food came out more quickly than we would have expected given the volume, and while quality ranged from acceptable to outstanding, nothing was a real misfire. The poke bowl (salmon, tuna, white tuna, seaweed salad, cucumber, avocado, and dressing over rice) was bright, fresh, and bursting with flavor. For $13.95, I wished there was more of it, but what I got tasted great. The bento box, on the other hand, provided plenty of food for $11.95: teriyaki tofu, miso, a side salad with ginger dressing, gyoza, four pieces of California roll, and edamame. Few of the items were stellar, but the tofu was flavorful and the miso was comforting.

If Nikki’s sushi rolls are as good as the hype suggests and if the restaurant isn’t always packed, I could see rating it higher. As-is, the varied menu and competent execution make it a solid option.

7.75/10

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Located at 111 Grace St. in downtown Wilmington, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot serves beer, wine, and cocktails from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. There is occasional live music, a patio with a fire pit, and a private loft.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot pulls off the rare feat of making the superlative accessible. It’s a comfortable space with a great drinks selection and prices that aren’t as high as one would think.

First and foremost, the selection here is commendable. Wines include whites and reds as well as ports and dessert wines. There are also beer offerings to suit any preference: lagers, ciders, porters, stouts, IPAs, and more. The real stars, however, are the cocktails. They range from classics (a Negroni, a Manhattan, etc.) to house specialties to boilermakers to infusions (such as vodka with basil, lime, and peach) to deconstructions to dessert cocktails and seasonal specialties. My wife started with a Funfetti Chocolate Cake (cake vodka, Godiva chocolate, Frangelico, and cream with a funfetti and chocolate rim) while I went with an iced chai cocktail. Both were delicious, prepared with skill and care, and at $8 and $9 respectively, neither broke the bank.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot also offered adequate space and comfortable seating and attracted a non-obnoxious clientele. This is the kind of place that can do classy without being snooty, fun without being raucous, and the music wasn’t bad, either.

While downtown Wilmington has no shortage of bars, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’s combination of ambiance and excellence sets it apart.

9/10

Platypus and Gnome

Located at 9 Front St. in downtown Wilmington, Platypus and Gnome serves eclectic fare that emphasizes game. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. There is a full bar, sidewalk seating, and occasional live music.

At first glance, this delightfully oddly named eatery may seem like it is trying too hard to stand out. However, there is more than mere gimmickry afoot here. The intriguing menu is paired with great ambiance and an efficient kitchen that has a good command of flavors.

To begin, Platypus and Gnome is deceptively spacious. There are upstairs and downstairs dining areas as well as a bar. My wife and I scored an upstairs table, which gave us a nice view of everything down below – the bartender seemed to be on top of his game. The walls are lined with paintings for sale by local artists, and a jazz band was playing at the time of our visit. Put these elements together, and you’re left with a cool and comfortable atmosphere.

Platypus and Gnome’s inventive menu makes abundant use of boar, duck, and squash in interesting ways. Appetizers include game poutine, candied bacon, and duck l’orange flatbread, sandwiches include everything from an elk burger to duck confit to a squash cake, and entrees range from the requisite New York strip to bacon-wrapped boar to braised venison.

Though this variety made for a difficult decision, I couldn’t resist crossing off a bucket list item: a house-made Turducken. My wife settled on the mesquite tuna, and we split a cup of wild boar soup beforehand. Flavors across the board were excellent. The soup (a squash/red pepper/smoked gouda base) was wonderfully smoky. The tuna was cooked to the desired medium doneness, and the sweet corn risotto that accompanied it was addictively creamy. Meanwhile, the Turducken was like eating Thanksgiving. Not only were the Cajun-rubbed turkey, chicken, and duck quite tasty, but the accompanying green beans were perfectly cooked with just enough bite and the mashed sweet potatoes were among the best I’ve had.

For all that went right, there were still a few inconsistencies. The broccoli that came with the tuna was a bit undercooked while the edges of the turkey were somewhat dry. These issues are ordinarily easily forgivable, but with entrees priced (not outrageously) in the mid-$20s, they tend to command more attention.

Overall, Platypus and Gnome made for a great meal, and I would not hesitate to return should I find myself back in Wilmington again.

8.5/10

Museum of the Bizarre

Located at 201 S. Water St. in downtown Wilmington, the Museum of the Bizarre features oddities and curiosities. Admission is $3, and the museum is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Though it bills itself as a science museum, the Museum of the Bizarre is pure roadshow kitsch. The small building hosts an assortment of horror movie props, fake things in jars, unconvincing urban legend displays (ghost deer, anyone?), trick mirrors, and more. Admission is certainly cheap enough, and there are worse ways to kill 15 minutes (especially on a hot day), but beyond that, don’t bother.

5/10

Copper Penny

Located at 109 Chestnut Street in downtown Wilmington, the Copper Penny serves pub food for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Food and drink specials change daily.

Much like Hillsborough’s similarly named but completely unaffiliated Wooden Nickel, Wilmington’s Copper Penny is small, loud, somewhat basic, and insanely popular. The appeal isn’t hard to fathom – it’s a casual spot to grab a drink, watch a game, or meet a friend – but the food doesn’t merit the inevitable lunchtime wait.

First, the good: Copper Penny’s menu is respectably large and goes beyond basic bar food. You can definitely roll with the staples here – nachos and burgers and wings are all up for grabs – but you can also try your luck with a crab cake sandwich, a po boy, a portabella sandwich, or shrimp tacos. There are enough options to satisfy vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Some of the offerings are quite tasty, too. My wife and I split a spinach and artichoke dip starter and had a burger apiece. Both the dip and the accompanying chips were served hot, and the dip was satisfactorily creamy. The half-pound burgers were quality, too. Copper Penny uses a half Angus, half short rib blend, which made for a flavorful burger that was none too dry. I went with the BBQ Burger (sauce, cheddar, bacon, fried onions, lettuce, and tomato) while my wife went with the Southwest Burger (jalapenos, bacon, pepper jack, chipotle mayo, fried onions, lettuce, and tomato), and neither of us was disappointed. Both burgers came with a small portion of Asian slaw, which had a nice peanut flavor. But while my wife’s sweet potato fries were nicely crisped, my hand cut fries were greasy and limp.

While Copper Penny’s portion sizes are respectable, prices are a bit high by bar standards. Our burgers were $12 and $12.29 respectably while our dip ran $9. The servers here are hard-working and constantly hustling and bustling to and fro. However, they are thwarted by a somewhat convoluted seating system. A lot of Copper Penny’s tables are six-tops, and to seat more patrons, two sets of couples may end up sharing a table, but not a server. This seems like a recipe for miscommunication though we were lucky to avoid any such problems.

Overall, Copper Penny is a solid lunch spot if you don’t mind the (considerable) noise, but if you’re tasked with a long wait time, turn elsewhere.

7.5/10