As usual, we researched a few options before driving down to Wilmington last Friday and the time spent was well worth the pleasant experiences at three Wilmington eateries.

Our first stop on the way into town was Banyan Asian Cafe. This unassuming (from the outside) place is situated inside a Ramada Inn on Market Street where signs are screaming at you from all sides; I probably would have driven right by had I not read about it. Good thing we didn’t because $5 martini fridays and tasty pad ki mao and red curry awaited us. The decor was simple but asian-inspired and the only hint that this restuarant was attached to a hotel was the small sign near the bathrooms pointing you to the lobby.

With full bellies we toured around the New Hanover Arboetum and Airlie Gardens (photos coming shortly), then after an informative visit with our friendly B&B host, we headed downtown to try some beer at the Front Street Brewery. Luck was on our side again as we just made the deadline for 1/2 priced appetizers. My milk stout was delicious and the food all around was much better than average for a typical brewery restaurant.

We had just enough room in our bellys for one more spot, so we strolled across the street to Circa 1922. We beat the evening rush by about 5 minutes and scored a table across from the bar. I ordered two sushi plates and was shocked at how much food showed up. The tapas portions here are defintely generous! The highlight for everyone else was dessert—chocolate coconut sushi and bananas foster—both worth making the two hour drive back to Wilmington.