Port City Foodies Newsletter: What to eat this weekend and what's new with restaurants

Allison Ballard, Wilmington StarNews
Updated ·3 min read
My first langos, from the Langos Needz Lemonade food truck in Wilmington, N.C.
My first langos, from the Langos Needz Lemonade food truck in Wilmington, N.C.

Welcome to the weekly Port City Foodies newsletter brought to you by me, StarNews reporter Allison Ballard. Some weeks, for sure, are busier than others. And this one in particular was full of not-so-great news about the future of some of our favorite restaurants. Check it out below, along with some of the other topics we’ve been covering this week.

Closing soon

You still have time to enjoy a couple of local restaurants before they close, even if it’s only temporarily. First, after the death of founder James Smith, his brother said the family has made the difficult decision to close the Carolina Beach location of Fork-N-Cork so they can concentrate on the other two eateries. You have until Sunday to go there again, and those who do can get a deal.

There’s more time to grab a meal at Platypus & Gnome in downtown Wilmington. Owner Matt Danylec said they’ll be closing in their current location after Labor Day. They have a new spot in the works but want to enjoy the unofficial rest of summer/ end of the tourist season where they are. So go grab an elk burger, or one of their other unique dishes.

More: After death of founder, owners to close one of three restaurants

Or gone already

Unfortunately, there’s no time left to check out Catawba Brewing Co.’s Wilmington taproom. The restaurant closed abruptly this week – with no explanation (so far) from the company.

One local brewery that’s still going strong, though, is Broomtail. They recently celebrated their ninth anniversary with an expansion of their production facility and their pub space. We have the details, and some photos.

More: Wilmington taproom closes abruptly in aftermath of NC brewery sale

Chef Ryan Duffy, of The Boat Landing Restaurant in Sunset Beach, prepared this lionfish dish for the 2023 Chef Showdown competition hosted by the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association.
Chef Ryan Duffy, of The Boat Landing Restaurant in Sunset Beach, prepared this lionfish dish for the 2023 Chef Showdown competition hosted by the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association.

Eat more Lionfish

Local chefs and seafood markets say the word is out about the need to eat the invasive (and delicious!) lionfish. We talked to a few of them about the many ways to prepare the fish, and where you can find them. By the way, this great looking photo is from chef Ryan Duffy and was from the statewide Chef Showdown competition. While he didn’t make it through to the finals, two other local chefs did. Let’s wish Mauricio Huarcaya and Nick Chavez well as they compete again on Monday.

If you’re looking for more interesting dishes to try this weekend, check out these unique food trucks out and about in our area. I, for one, really enjoyed eating the Hungarian flatbread known as langos. It’s topped with sour cream and cheese and was delicious with a local beer.

More: What you need to know about 4 unique food trucks in the Wilmington area

Let’s get social

Follow Port City Foodies on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/portcityfoodies and on Instagram at @port_city_foodies.

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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Port City Foodies newsletter