The cheerful chimes of steel drums will soon sound across southern Brunswick County as the newest Kona Ice mobile truck cruises through the community to sell its signature shaved ice.   The truck’s arrival is designed to provide a full sensory experience, from the calypso music to the flurry of lights and color adorning the tiki hut-themed truck down to the sc ...

Starting this Saturday, thousands will once again flock downtown to shop on brick streets lined with tents selling produce, eggs and dairy, meat, and much more from local vendors.   The inaugural market of the season opens at 8 a.m. on April 1, marking the 20th year of operations for the Riverfront Farmers' Market. Each week, the market gathers close to 50 vendo ...

The sun could soon be rising for a new breakfast and lunch spot in midtown Wilmington. Amanecer Cocina & Cafe, described as a Mexican restaurant on its Facebook page, will fill the space previously occupied by Krazy Pizza & Subs in Cornerstone Center, 1616 Shipyard Blvd. Amanecer is the Spanish word for "sunrise." The restaurant is a new concep ...

A prolific Triangle restaurateur has announced his plans to open a luxury steakhouse in Wilmington.   Giorgios Bakatsias, of Giorgios Hospitality Group, acquired the old Port City Chop House building at 1981 Eastwood Road in a $3.6 million transaction that closed on March 22. Expected to open this fall, the new restaurant will serve freshly butchered steaks alongsid ...

When CraftGrown Market closed earlier this month, it marked the end of one venture in the Castle Street retail space and the beginning of a new one.   The storefront at 603 Castle St. has been home to CraftGrown Farms, a hydroponic lettuce and microgreen operation helmed by Randy Rhyne, since 2020. Last fall, the addition of CraftGrown Market brought gourmet groceri ...

Cape Fear Craft Beer Week kicks off March 24, marking the beginning of a 10-day celebration of the region’s thriving craft beer scene.   Dating back to 2016, the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance’s annual event aims to attract craft beer tourists from beyond the Port City to enjoy the breweries, bottle shops and other beer-centric businesses that abound in t ...

A new burger is coming to Wilmington later this year: the Oklahoma onion burger.   Born out of lean times resulting from the Great Depression, the Oklahoma onion burger was allegedly invented as a way to stretch limited supplies of red meat by adding a pile of cheap, flavorful onions to each patty as it cooks. The result is a juicy, smashed-style burger laced with t ...

Customers at the Southport Smoke House are treated as if they have been invited to have a home-cooked meal.  “It is part of our core values and that is what we strive to do,” said general manager Eli Haws.  Open since April 2014, the restaurant has been introducing guests to owner Troy Knight’s home state of Texas brand of barbecue: beef b ...

After six months in business, manna provisions is finding its footing as a purveyor of gourmet experiences.   The storefront at 129 Princess St. opened in September as a brick-and-mortar offshoot of manna’s pandemic-era wine club, which began meeting virtually in the spring of 2020. The wine club still gathers online, with manna provisions serving as a headqua ...

The exterior of the newest Brunches at The Pointe may currently look unassuming, with no signs to indicate what’s inside. But the recently opened eatery is a prelude to plans to catapult the brand to a regional presence with as many as 50 locations.   Located at 2030 Stonecrop Drive, the spot is the third in the growing family of Brunches. In addition to the r ...