Tasty things worth knowing
Brandywine Valley Restaurant Week Returns Sept. 14-19
Second annual celebration of region’s culinary scene
The second annual Brandywine Valley Restaurant Week, presented by Out & About Magazine, is set for Sept. 14-19. The promotion provides an opportunity to experience upscale dining with prix-fixe menus at premier restaurants in Northern Delaware and Southern Chester County, Pa.
Two-course lunch menus are set at $15, with three-course dinner menus at $35. At press time, the following restaurants were lined up to participate: Brandywine Prime, Brasserie Grille, Buckley’s Tavern, BBC Tavern, Cantina Di Napoli, Columbus Inn, Domaine Hudson, Eclipse Bistro, The Gables at Chadds Ford, Harry’s Savoy Grill, Harry’s Seafood Grill, Piccolina Toscana, Pizza By Elizabeths, Redfire Grill & Steakhouse, Sullivan’s Steakhouse and Walter’s Steakhouse.
For recent additions and the prix-fixe menus, visit brandywinetaste.com.
Appetizing Afternoon Set for Trolley Square
Inaugural event invites guests to sip, shop, stroll
The inaugural Taste of Trolley Square, billed as a “celebration of all things Trolley,” will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 1-7 p.m.
The event is designed to showcase all aspects of Trolley Square, from dining to retail to cultural entities such as the Delaware Center for Horticulture. Taste will feature a roaming craft beer sampling with small plate food pairings, a sidewalk sale, street entertainers, live music, exhibits and demonstrations. Admission is free; this is a pay-as-you-go event.
For a list of participating venues, visit tasteoftrolley.com.
Cocina Lolo Debuts on King Street
Bryan Sikora opens new Mexican eatery
A new Mexican restaurant, Cocina Lolo, opened late last month on North King Street in Wilmington. It is fronted by the owners of the celebrated La Fia Bakery + Market + Bistro—Bryan and Andrea Sikora.
Cocina Lolo, located on the bottom floor of the Renaissance Centre, will offer breakfast Monday to Friday from 7:30-10:30 a.m., lunch Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner Monday to Saturday from 4-9 p.m. The restaurant is closed Sundays.
The menu provides a variety of upscale options, such as grilled snapper burritos and jumbo lump crab ceviche flavored with green chilies and shrimp mole. Also available are family-style feasts, such as chile marinated skirt steak
Prior to coming to Wilmington and piloting La Fia in 2013, Bryan Sikora was a celebrated chef in Philadelphia and Kennett Square, Pa.
For more information or reservations, visit opentable.com or call 384-6186.
Delaware Local Food Exchange Prospers in Trolley Square
Sales on the grow at new location
Trolley Square’s Delaware Local Food Exchange grocery store opened last month with excellent turnout and sales, says owner Karen Igou.
The store features bulk orders from area farms like Walnut Springs in Elkton, Md., which supply organic produce to the store. Igou says sales have picked up since the DLFE moved from Kirkwood Highway, and she has had to increase deliveries.
“We are truly grateful to be a part of such a vibrant community and to have received such an overwhelmingly warm welcome,” says Igou.
This month, DLFE will be bulk-selling Pennsylvania’s Three Springs Fruit Farm peaches for canning, certified organic tomato seconds for canning, and other options as they become available for bulk purchases. Classes on canning, fermenting, making kombucha, herbal medicine-making, and more also will be available.
Igou finds self-sustainment and local support vital. “With the drought in California affecting food supply and prices, I think it is more important than ever to work towards food security for our area,” she says. “I am so thankful that folks are becoming more savvy with their food choices and are realizing the importance of where they spend their food dollars.”
She says she’s excited about the prospect of expanding the shop’s relationship with other Trolley businesses. DLFE staffers use Fresh Thymes Café kitchen to prepare DLFE’s to-go foods, with ingredients directly from the store, so it’s all seasonal, local, chemical-free – “and made with love!” says Igou.
DLFE also provides local, certified organic tofu for El Diablo to offer a vegan burrito option, and Igou is talking with Kelly’s Logan House owners about featuring a locally-sourced salad on the menu. She is also working with Brew Ha Ha! to offer coffee tastings at DLFE paired with seasonal foods, and also with Moore Brothers about highlighting organic-only and biodynamically produced wines.
Additionally, DLFE features a kids area, which keeps children and babies busy so parents can focus on shopping. Igou says a changing table in the restroom is in the works and there is a space in the break room for nursing mothers.
“We have been inundated with questions from new customers as they are truly curious about how to source the best food they can that is grown in the most sustainable way,” says Igou. “We welcome these questions and are so happy to know that the local food movement is alive and well in Wilmington.”
To place orders, visit squareup.com/market/delocalfoodex.
