Representatives from Rolled & Baked say they are just days away from opening their doors in the Castle Street Arts & Antiques District.
 
Chef Micah Edelstein, a Top Chef Season 3 contestant, said she is putting the final touches on the menu, making sure that she’s using the very best ingredients she can while keeping menu prices reasonable.
 
“When it comes to things like cheese, there are so many wonderful cheeses out there, but some are very, very expensive,” Edelstein said, citing an example. “So it’s important that I take the time to taste a variety of options and find the very best flavor for the best price point.”
 
Edelstein was hired by owners Bill and Anna Ward as culinary and creative director as well as executive chef for the restaurant. She relocated to Wilmington from Portland, Oregon, where she most recently owned The Feisty Lamb, and will be assisted in the kitchen by her biscuit sensei, Randy Rose.
 
Having lived and worked around the world, Edelstein is bringing global flavors to the Port City, but admits she has struggled to find some of the high-quality ingredients she is accustomed to. Thanks to the help of Feast Down East, she has connected with local producers for not only seasonal produce, but also fresh eggs and responsibly raised meats.
 
Much of the menu will be centered around biscuit sandwiches, where Edelstein will mix “the familiar with the unfamiliar.”
 
She aims to present combinations that are new and interesting, yet contain an element of familiarity.
 
“I like to think of it as a new spin on regional favorites,” Edelstein said.
 
Edelstein said she enjoys experimenting with lots of different textures in her dishes.
 
“Texture and temperature really add to the experience of eating,” Edelstein said. “Crunchy, smooth, hot, cold, spicy, sweet…I like to send as many signals to the brain as possible. Easting something with just one texture is like a musical beat that repeats over and over. But with different textures, flavors and temperatures, it’s like an orchestra for the brain.”
 
One multi-textural component Edelstein and Rose have created is the “friscuit,” a biscuit that is fried like a donut. The outside gets super crispy while the inside stays fluffy and light.
 
“In my opinion, it’s better than a biscuit,” Edelstein said. “It’s really fun in the mouth.”
 
And fun is clearly a concept at the center of Rolled & Baked. The flooring, walls and tables are covered in colorful vintage-inspired geometrics, and the rear of the restaurant contains a game lounge, complete with a foosball table, board games and a Twister mat painted on the floor, with biscuits for dots and a rolling pin for a spinner.

Rolled & Baked, 509 Castle St., will serve breakfast, brunch and lunch all day, as well as wine, beer, mimosas and “snowmosas,” which are champagne mixed with unfiltered sake that has been fermented with fruit. There will also be a self-serve coffee and iced tea bar with homemade syrups in flavors such as hibiscus ginger and lemongrass.
 
Visit the restaurant's Facebook page for updates on opening day.
 
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