Today – Saturday, April 2: Wilmington foodies have the calendar circled for their very own best week ever: It’s time yet again for City Restaurant Week, where restaurants around town offer prix fixe deals on lunch and dinner for low low prices.
In case you’re new, this is the deal: participating restaurants offer a two-course lunch for $15, and a three-course dinner for $35.
Participating restaurants include: Big Fish Grill, Cafe Mezzanotte, Chelsea Tavern, Deep Blue Bar & Grill, Domaine Hudson Wine Bar & Eatery, Firestone, The Green Room, Harry’s Seafood Grill, Public House Wilmington, Mikimotos, Orillas Tapas Bar, Presto, Washington Street Ale House, and Vinoteca 902.
A full rundown of lunch and dinner menus can be found here.
Now: Cafe Scalessa, the Greenhill Avenue restaurant famous for its home-style Italian cuisine and disco-fueled dance parties, will close its doors on Saturday, April 30.
Owner-chef Don Scalessa wrote the following in an email: “WOW! What a GREAT 10 years it has been! THANK YOU all for being a part of it! It is with regret that we announce that we have sold. We are developing plans for moving to a new location – until then let’s make the most of it and CELEBRATE!”
Opened in November, 2002, Scalessa won customer loyalty thanks to its homemade pastas, Sunday gravy and Don Scalessa’s considerable DJing skills, which he displayed many a Saturday night. The Cafe will celebrate its end appropriately enough with a two-day dance bash on the nights of April 29 and April 30. For more, call 656-0955.
Friday, April 1: At the beautiful Christiana Hilton Friday night, Red Cross Delmarva will present Vine, Dine & Deal, an evening of stellar wines and food.
Beginning at 7 p.m., a globally-influenced wine tasting, coordinated by Frank Pagliaro of Frank’s Union Wine Mart, will commence. Cuisine, prepared by the Hilton, will complement six distinct wine regions (see menu below). There will also be an open bar featuring beer donated by NKS Distributors, plus house wine and spirits donated by Southern Wine & Spirits.
Tickets, which also get you in the door for a silent auction and Monte Carlo games, cost $99 each. To reserve yours, and for more information, visit: www.redcrossdelmarva.org.
Here’s a look at the menu, which is broken up into wine-producing regions:
California:
Western Cheese & Tropical Fruits
California Sushi Rolls
Assorted Flat Bread Pizzas
Australia/New Zealand:
Grilled Macadamia Nut Crusted Shrimp Skewers
Coconut Basmati Rice
Carved Tomato, olive and Herbed Braised Leg of Lamb
Mustard Encrusted Strip Loin of Beef
Spain:
Gazpacho Shooters
Seafood Paella
South America:
Chipolte & Corn Stuffed Chicken Roulade
Grilled Fish Tacos
Peach, Mango Salsa
Sea Salted Corn Tortilla Chips
Italy:
Antipasto Display:
Pasta Station
Wild Mushroom Raviolis
Spinach Gnocchi
Rustic Breads
France:
Crepes made to Order
Fruit Toppings/Whip Cream
Mini Éclairs
Apple Strudel Shots
Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee
Friday, April 1: Pop quiz, hot shot: What is Rehoboth Beach’s best asset? Its restaurants or its shops?
Aha, trick question. This Friday, it’s both. Beginning at 6 p.m., Azura Clothing will present the first ever Get Down in Town–a town-wide shopping and dining extravaganza. Here’s how it works: More than 40 downtown shops, boutiques and salons will offer special deals and sales during Get Down. Once inside, customers will be privy to said sales, plus free food and drinks from area restaurants. A full rundown of participating businesses (and there are a lot) are here. And anyone seeking more info should call 381-6111.
Saturday, April 2: Rehoboth isn’t the only town celebrating its culinary heritage this weekend. Newark will kick off Wine & Dine Downtown on Saturday, when participating restaurants will pair off with a winery (or several wineries) to present customers with a dizzying array of wine and food.
Restaurants and their corresponding wineries (linked below) will also offer a 2-ounce taste of wine for just $2. Premium tastings and flights may also be available at varying prices.
The first 2,000 attendees will receive a complimentary commemorative wine tasting glass and wine pouch.
Here is a very complete list of restaurants, their winery dance partners, and oodles of more helpful info.
Saturday, April 2: Move over beef-and-beer, it’s pizza-and-wine’s turn in the spotlight.
On Saturday night, Wilmington’s City Theater Company will team up with Extreme Pizza for a fundraising event at OperaDelaware’s Poplar Street Studios.
Wine for Nine, with its gourmet pies and wine from nearby Veritas, gets going at 7 p.m.
Tickets, which run just $20 also gets you access to a silent auction, appearances from the cast of CTC’s upcoming production of “Nine” and the booty-shaking stylings of DJ Zip.
Purchase online at www.city-theater.org or by phone at 377-3156. Seating is limited, so get your ticket post-haste.
