It's been 10 years of fresh and tropical fun at this Wrightsville Beach restaurant
Hunter and Laura Tiblier didn’t have restaurant experience before opening Ceviche’s at 7120 Wrightsville Ave. near Wrightsville Beach in 2014. But after a career in the military, he wanted to do something new and was inspired by his childhood in Panama. The couple thought if they were to go into the hospitality industry, it should bring Hunter Tiblier’s ceviche to Wilmington, and they would do it their own way.
This year, they celebrate 10 years doing just that. They’ve become well known for their fresh and fun contributions to the local dining scene. People love their indoor and outdoor dining areas that seem to spill out of the restaurant. They love the ceviche (of course) and the coconut shrimp. As far as cocktails, the margaritas, which come in flavors like pineapple, mango and watermelon are the No. 1 seller.
New chef, new menu
The Tibliers have added chef Dwayne Hickman to their staff in December. And while the menu has been honed to include those dishes that consistently work, they do tweak it seasonally and for specials. In April, they introduced some new and returning dishes for the busy season. The fan-favorite Watermelon Salad, with pickled red onion, cucumber, cashews, queso fresco and basil vinaigrette, is back. And there’s a new version of the popular El Quatro ceviche sampler. The La Niña has smaller, two-ounce portions of them.
Accolades galore
The most recent bit of national recognition came when Ceviche’s was named one of the 20 best restaurants in Wilmington by Southern Living magazine and was featured in the accompanying article about this area being “The South's Best City On The Rise.”
Before that, Guy Fieri visited Ceviche’s in 2018 for the "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" Food Network show. They prepared the ropa vieja (or braised flank steak in a peppery tomato broth) and sancocho, which is also known as Panama's national dish for Fieri. The latter is a soup of chicken, sweet potato, yucca, plantains, and corn mixed with a spicy cilantro broth and served with a side of coconut rice.
A celebration ahead
The Tibliers and their team are still planning how they will honor their 10th anniversary in September. It will likely include lots of specials, and perhaps an appearance from their favorite Panamanian band. Look for more details in the coming months.
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her ataballard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Ceviche's restaurant celebrates 10 years near Wrightsville Beach, NC
