"Perhaps the most-anticipated Wilmington restaurant opening of the year, Olivero represents chef Sunny Gerhart’s ode to his family’s culinary history and his love for the beach. With co-chef Lauren Krall Ivey in the kitchen with him, the pair are churning out incredible homemade pastas and a bevy of grilled items fired right on the wood-burning grill in the open kitchen. Menu highlights include the beignets with mortadella, a lasagna made with an octopus bolognese sauce, and the grilled North Carolina fish with flageolet beans, a charred pepper sofrito, coriander, and sesame. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, though the expansive bar might be the place to be for its take on a classic martini (with Spanish sherry) and a bowl of warm dates with nduja." - Matt Lardie
