TRYING
E AT
PHO BAMI If you’ve never experienced the simple yet exotic pleasure of the Vietnamese hoagie called a báhn mí, then get yourself to this unassuming storefront restaurant in Fairfax. There are plenty of delightful dishes on the menu including pho (beef noodle soup) and bún (meat and vegetable served over rice vermicelli noodles and lettuce), but I rarely get past #181 on their extensive menu, báhn mí with wonderfully tender and flavorful grilled pork. The hoagie features meat plus several toppings (pickled daikon radish, cucumber, carrot, jalapenos, and cilantro), served on a soft Vietnames wheat baguette. — Mark Fields, Contributing Writer
SWEET LUCY’S For a true double dip in desserts, try this twofer under one roof on Concord Pike — a cone or a sundae at Sweet Lucy’s Ice Cream & Treats, topped with a Cajun-Sno New Orleans-style sno ball. Meg Hurst and her husband Dan own both businesses. They started Cajun-Sno with a single truck in 2013. They’ve got two trucks now and they also sell their shaved-ice specialties alongside more than two dozen varieties of ice cream from Woodside Farms, Hy-Point Dairy, Frozen Farmer and Hershey’s at Sweet Lucy’s, which they purchased two years ago. With juices made from scratch drizzled over ice, it’s easy to mix multiple flavors and create a rainbow of colors in a single snocone. (Sugar-free varieties are available too.) The selection of ice cream flavors may well be the best in the region. And don’t forget to check out the ice cream cakes — made from scratch and made to order. — Larry Nagengast, Contributing Writer
BURGERS BY WILDWICH While you were slogging your way through the pandemic, the “Best Burger in Town” debate was quietly settled by Mike Stanley’s Burgers by Wildwich food truck. After a run of bad luck (one failed downtown Wilmington location, another location decimated by the pandemic, and the theft and damaging of his prior food truck), Stanley purchased the wellknown I Don’t Give a Fork truck and returned to his food truck roots. Located at the corner of Concord Pike and Sharpley Road, the truck delivers perfect burgers cooked flattop-style, fries that are devastating, loaded or not, and perfectly balanced scratch sauces. The totality of these modest elements is nothing short of transcendent. You can find Burgers by Wildwich at their usual location Tuesday through Friday from 11:30am to 7:30pm, and on the road at breweries, community pools, and food truck events all over the state on the weekends. — Matt Morrissette, Contributing Writer
STU & SAMMY’S CHICKEN CUTLET SANDWICH
CURRY & COCKTAILS Indian restaurants are often mom-and-pop shops with lunchtime buffets. Curry & Cocktails, however, is shaking things up. The Middletown eatery touts fine cuisine and an upscale ambiance. While some selections are over $20, the bulk is less than $19. — Pam George, Contributing Writer
The wonderful thing about Wilmington’s food hall, DE.CO, is that the variety of high-end options can satisfy almost anyone’s tastes, even on a modest budget. The brainchild of Makers Alley chef James Sparks, Stu & Sammy’s is one of the more recent additions to the group of eight culinary vendors. And what a wonderful addition it is. Boasting delicious slow-baked wings and an array of deli sandwiches, Stu & Sammy’s is also home to their champ of a chicken cutlet. Simply put, it’s a masterful combination of lightly fried chicken breast, prosciutto, sharp and mild provolone, broccoli rabe, and roasted reds — all on a soft but hearty roll coated with marinara. They describe their fare as “comfort food,” so get ready to settle in and enjoy the best chicken cutlet sandwich in town. Visit DecoWilmington.com. — Jim Miller, Director of Publications JULY 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM
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