Alan Nelson, director of food and beverage for the Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront, will soon unveil the Port City’s newest riverfront restaurant, Steam Restaurant & Bar.
 
The 160-seat restaurant, located on the second floor of the hotel, offers sweeping views of the river, as well as a 50-seat indoor/outdoor terrace with floor-to-ceiling windows.
 
The dining room offers a variety of seating, from two- and four-top tables to communal tables and large round booths seating six to eight. A private dining room for up to 14 is available, and the terrace can also be reserved for private parties.
 
“This is not your typical hotel restaurant,” said Nelson. “We have designed this with locals in mind, not just our guests. We definitely want this to be a dining destination for the local community.”
 
The culinary team will be led by chef Tyler Powell, a Memphis native who has worked in Louisville, Kentucky, and most recently as chef de cuisine of Kimball’s Kitchen at Sanderling Resort in the Outer Banks.
 
Powell’s menus will focus on seafood, including a low country boil, diver scallops and crab cakes, as well as Duroc pork, free-range chicken and steaks. Daily specials will feature a fresh catch as well as a daily butcher’s selection of hand-cut meats.
 
Lunch customers will find a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches, such as a pimento grilled cheese and Steam’s version of a fried oyster po-boy, and more substantial plates, including steak frites and seared salmon.
 
While Powell’s kitchen will serve breakfast each day to Embassy Suites guests, the restaurant is not expected to begin its public brunch service until next spring. A rooftop bar is also expected to open in March 2018.
 
Nicole Boudreau, formerly of Aubriana’s, will serve as Steam’s general manager. Prior to her arrival in Wilmington, Boudreau worked for several well-respected restaurant groups including Morton’s the Steakhouse and Clyde’s Restaurant Group. Boudreau is a Level II Executive Sommelier with certification from the International Wine Guild.
 
The hotel is expected to open Dec. 20, and Steam Restaurant & Bar will open the same day. Tickets are now available for a New Year’s Eve Grand Opening celebration. The package, priced at $349 per couple, includes an overnight stay in a king suite, dinner and an open bar, music by Port City Shakedown and a New Year’s Day breakfast. Tickets are available online.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront is located at 9 Estelle Lee Place next to the Wilmington Convention Center.
 
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