Mexican Post is across from the Brandywine Town Center and near the state line. Both Culinaria and Corner Bistro have withstood the test of time, as has Mexican Post, which opened in a shopping center on Naamans Road in 2001. There was nothing quite like it-until 2003, when Corner Bistro entered the scene in a Talleyville shopping center featuring entrees under $20 and a unique atmosphere that co-owner Mickey Donatello tweaked until it did, indeed, resemble a European bistro. Consider soft-shell crab on a Thai salad, escargot and salmon with a mound of buttery mashed potatoes and dill-cucumber salad. The urban décor was contemporary yet approachable, and the food was upscale yet affordable. But with few exceptions, interest in North Wilmington was primarily limited to the chains, which in the 1990s started popping up along Concord Pike (Route 202).Ĭulinaria broke new ground when Pam Grabowski and Ezio Reynaud opened it in 1999 in Branmar Plaza. The city-style dining coincided with the birth of the Food Network, the popularity of celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse, and the ability to search for recipes on the web.
Harry’s Savoy Grill brought the trends du jour to Brandywine Hundred, including the return of prime rib, good wines by the glass and icy martinis. For cutting-edge cuisine, foodies had to go to Wilmington or, if they were willing to travel, Philadelphia. In 1988, when Harry’s Savoy Grill opened, there were independently owned restaurants in North Wilmington -there just weren’t many of them. Smart restaurant operators build a base with residents in surrounding communities. North Wilmington isn’t one cohesive area. For one, there is limited real estate available. A brewery and bakery are in the works for this summer in other centers. Already this year, Wilmington-based Platinum Dining Group opened El Camino Mexican Kitchen and Taverna in The Concord, a new mixed-use development on Silverside Road. When the new Kid’s opens in early 2020, it will be in good company. He is also the owner of Harry’s Savoy Grill, which is located on Naamans He used to live within walking distance of Branmar Plaza, the site of Kid Shelleen’s second location. The suburban setting might seem unusual for Kid Shelleen’s, but the area’s demographics “marry up well for who we are,” says Xavier Teixido, who owns the restaurant with Kelly O’Hanlon. Not only was “Kid’s” gaining a sibling after all this time, but it would occupy the former WSFS Bank site in a North Wilmington shopping center. When Harry’s Hospitality Group announced plans earlier this year for a second Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon, Facebook lit up with “likes.” The original restaurant, which opened in 1984, is a landmark in Wilmington’s Trolley Square. Independent restaurateurs are settling in increasing numbers in North Wilmington