An Instant Classic
If you enter through the front door, you’ll immediately notice the beautiful stone bar and sleek flat-screen TVs—the first and most obvious clues that you’re not in Pala’s. But you’ll hear no complaint. Rocco Italian Grill & Sports Bar in Wilmington’s Little Italy is in every way a worthy successor. The dining room keeps its cozy, homey feeling, though with a cool new vibe: vintage sports photos on the walls, a cool gray palette, and contemporary bar stools and chairs of black steel. On the menu, you’ll find plenty of Italian specialties, like chicken Marsala and spaghetti with meatballs, as well as New York-style pizzas and sandwiches such as porketta with broccoli rabe. If you’re going there for the game, you’ll find plenty of delicious pub grub. Dive into a pile of 60 hot chicken wings for $32. Rocco puts a new spin on the idea of a great neighborhood place. It should become a classic.
384-6052, roccoitaliangrill.com —M.N.
