What's new in Wilmington-area restaurants? Here are 5 recent openings and closings

It may be the shortest month of the year, but that doesn’t mean that nothing happened in terms of restaurants. A few new spots have opened in recent weeks, and at least one has closed. Here’s a look at the latest on the Wilmington food scene.

Openings

Brunch Thyme: The owners of On Thyme restaurant and food truck have added a new business. Corey and Phallin Scott held a grand opening for Brunch Thyme at 1124 Fourth St. in the Brooklyn Arts District on Feb. 9. The menu features brunch fare with a Southern sensibility. Options include a fried bologna sandwich, seafood and grits, breakfast egg rolls, and chicken and waffles that can come with a peach cobbler or strawberry champagne sauce.

Chingon Taqueria, Wilmington: The latest eatery in the restaurant family that also includes Si! Señor Modern Mex in Wilmington and Papi’s Chicken in Leland is now open. The Wilmington Chingon Taqueria location opened officially on Feb. 5 in the former Catawba Brewing Co. taproom at 4712 New Centre Drive. It joins the original in Leland with a menu that includes tacos, tortas, burritos, margaritas and micheladas.

Remini’s Carolina Beach: On Pleasure Island, this Italian restaurant opened Feb. 28. Owner James Ferrone already operates an Italian restaurant with this same name in Roanoke, Virginia. But after buying a home in Carolina Beach, he believed this community, too, would enjoy the homestyle favorites he serves there. You can find it in the former Fork N Cork space at 102 Cape Fear Blvd.

Café Ahora: This coffee shop opened a second location in February in Midway Commons at 2831 S.E. Midway Road in Bolivia. (The other is in the Supply area at 3369 Holden Beach Road.) There's a focus on bringing raw beans to the area to create unique tropical coffee blends. The house blends include the Masonboro (with white chocolate, vanilla, and amaretto) and Hatteras Beach (with English toffee and caramel). You can also find smoothies, teas, pastries and bagels.

Closings

Port City Java Arboretum West: This popular Wilmington-based coffee chain closed a location this month. The spot at 417 Arboretum Drive opened during the pandemic, but never really took off, said Steven Schnitzler, Port City Java’s CEO.

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Restaurant openings and closings in Wilmington, NC