The Restaurant Issue: 96 Favorites

In our tiny state, 96 restaurants may seem like a lot, so let’s put this in perspective: The Delaware Restaurant Association counts 1,900 members, everything from pizza joints to Zagat-listed classics. How do we choose 96? Editors considered the atmosphere, novelty, quality of cuisine, reputation, longevity, wine program, service and value at 200 top-tier restaurants (plus a few just over the state line), including past Best of Delaware winners. We didn’t include every neighborhood tavern—we’ll get to them in another issue—nor every neighborhood Italian place. (Find them at www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/February-2008/Dining-Guide-World-Class/.) Left standing: a diverse roster of places you simply must visit—if you haven’t already.

by the Editors Published January 13, 2010 at 12:27 PM

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The Pig + Fish Restaurant Company

The owners, Iron Hill disciples (and past employees), bring well-executed comfort food, good beers and a familiar upscale-log-cabin vibe to the beach. Michael Stiglitz’s signatures include Tabasco-smoked pork tenderloin, barbecue pork quesadilla and a Pig of the Day special. The Pig + Fish goes cow on Steakhouse Sundays, when $20 gets you prime rib au jus, a New York strip or dry-aged sirloin, plus a house salad and a glass of wine. Extra thirsty fish can head down the road to the Pig’s cousin, Pickled Pig Pub, which offers many microbrews on tap. 236 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, 227-7770

Pizza By Elizabeths

Pizza by Elizabeths reflects its Greenville clientele perfectly—somehow melding classic, elegant, funky and chic through cushy, vividly patterned booths, big, bold colors and giant murals of famous Elizabeths (Montgomery, Shue, etc.). It’s a concept unlike anything else around: pizzas with sauces like mushroom duxelles and olive pesto, a wide selection of cheeses, and toppings from Serrano ham to artichokes. (There is mozzarella and pepperoni, too.) PBE is consistently packed, so you will always see someone you know, and the crowded front lounge (complete with pianist) creates an air of fun. More than just pizza? Believe it. Creamy tomato soup, curry chicken salad and a seafood salad are some of the best items on the menu. Quiche-like breakfast pizzas, served for Sunday brunch, are out of this world. 3801 Kennett Pike, Greenville, 654-4478

Pomodoro Ristorante Italiano

Giuseppe Furio is making an impassioned effort to introduce Wilmington to real Italian food from inside his cozy stone-and-brick trattoria. Handmade pastas and mozzarella are divine, as are Pomodoro’s seafood dishes. Catch them together in dishes such as linguini with octopus and squid ink sauce, as well as tortellini filled with crab and mascarpone. Furio’s wine list is dotted with Brandywine Valley favorites such as bottles from Penns Woods, and the restaurant holds occasional wine dinner specials to highlight other great vintners. Furio’s daily specials, from braised rabbit to wild boar to lots of fresh seafood, are worth calling ahead for. 729 N. Union St., Wilmington, 574-9800

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