By Pam George
Scott Zoccolillo isn’t a gambler. “I don’t play the lottery, and I don’t go crazy in the stock market,” says the hospitality veteran. “I put my money with people who know what they’re doing.”
So, while he long dreamed of owning a restaurant, the risk — especially with four children — gave him pause. But in late August, Zoccolillo and partner Alenrry Iñiguez opened La Fête, a French restaurant on Concord Pike in north Wilmington.
The dining room has Parisian flair. There is a welcoming entrance with La Fête inlaid in black and white tiles, half curtains covering the bottom of the front windows and towering trees with fairy lights over curved, velvety banquets. Yet through the window above the sleek bar, a McDonald’s sign glows in the night.
The location next to the Charcoal Pit may surprise some. The building, erected in 2014, has already seen three restaurants come and go. Greenville or downtown Wilmington might seem like safer bets. But Zoccolillo and Iñiguez insist Concord Pike is ideal.
“We wanted to be more in the suburbs,” explains Iñiguez, who worked with Zoccolillo at The Quoin on lower Market Street in downtown Wilmington. “We were for a stand-alone brick-and-mortar, where parking is not an issue.”
They’re not alone. Route 202 is drawing more creative concepts to a corridor long dominated by casual and quick-service eateries.
Brandywine Valley’s Main Drag
Concord Pike began in 1811 as a toll road and became U.S. Route 202 in 1934. Over the decades, it’s adapted to suburban growth, and the access from other roads — Route 141, Silverside Road and Foulk Road — has kept it attractive to retailers and restaurateurs.
“It’s the main drag to I-95,” says Bill Irvin, owner of Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar in Independence Mall, which opened in 2021.
Today, a mix of old and new buildings line either side of the pike. National trends are evident — boutiques and other retailers are giving way to offices, apartments, medical services and gyms. Then there are the restaurants, which have been well represented over the years. You may remember Bennigan’s, The Magic Wok, the Ranch House, H.A. Winston & Co., Romels Family Restaurant and Wing Wah. Quick-casual and casual restaurants long ruled the roost.
Gradually, independently-owned restaurants began disrupting the usual opening of chain restaurants and family-oriented eateries.
Corner Bistro opened in 2003 just off Concord Pike in Talleyville. Back then, owner Mickey Donatello and the original owners of nearby Culinaria, were breaking new ground with the American version of a café.
Corner Bistro is in a small strip mall, which isn’t unusual since there are so many on or near the pike. Consider that Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar in Independence Mall, the shopping center that resembles its Philadelphia namesake.
“I always said that I would love to be in Greenville,” says Irvin. But when he was looking for a location, his friend, a real estate agent, discouraged him. “He said the rents are higher, and people in Greenville will drive to Route 202. Plus, you get everyone who lives around there.” He also draws from Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
The advice was on the money. The 28-seat restaurant fills up with patrons willing to pay $74 for a rib-eye. It’s quite a departure from Hollywood Grill to the north, which closed the year Snuff Mill opened.
In With The New
When Snuff Mill opened, Irvin had to work with the available space. More recently, developers are also reshaping the dining landscape.
Buccini/Pollin Group’s Concord Plaza redevelopment — now The Concord — appealed to Platinum Dining Group, which opened Taverna Rustic Italian and El Camino Mexican Kitchen in 2019.
“We liked the idea of a mixed-use, planned community that The Concord has become — a place where people live, work and play.” says PDG’s founder, Carl Giorigi. “Of course, our locations’ proximity to a main artery like Concord Pike was very appealing. It also allowed us to expand PDG’s presence and reach much of New Castle County and Northern Delaware.”
Nearby, Delle Donne & Associates’ Avenue North has already drawn Brew HaHa!, and before the year’s end, it will welcome a 400-seat Blackwall Barn & Lodge, a 12,000-square-foot restaurant with a 400-seat dining room and private room for up to 150. Ernest Delle Donne, chairman of Delle Donne & Associates, said the meeting space is appealing to businesses, including JPMorgan Chase, Nemours Children’s Health, AstraZeneca, Solenis, and Christiana Care.
“This is our first Titan Hospitality concept in Delaware, and we are excited to join Avenue North and bring an upscale dining restaurant and private event space to Wilmington’s growing and thriving community,” says James King, founder and CEO of the hospitality company, headquartered in Gambrills, Maryland. There are Blackwall Barn locations in that city and in Columbia, Maryland. The new restaurant has no connection to Blackwall at the Beach in Rehoboth.
The Wilmington site’s menu has categories for soups, salads, artisan pizzas, handhelds, entrees, vegan and gluten-free options and a kids’ menu. Crab cakes, Maryland crab soup, cheesy grits and crab dip flambeed tableside bring a Chesapeake Bay flavor to the offerings.
Wonder, a novel concept, should open before The Blackwall Barn, says Liam McGivney, who handles property management for Delle Donne. The concept, which is already open in The Grove in Newark, pools together the cuisine of celebrity chefs, including Bobby Flay, Jose Andres and Marcus Samuelsson. The twist: The format is designed for delivery and takeout. Consider it a food hall on wheels.
Delle Donne & Associates also signed a lease for the 3,000-square-foot Sardella Mediterranean Cantina on the other side of the building. Well-known chef Robert Lhulier is behind the project.
“Right now, our retail building is nearly completely leased, so at this point, we don’t have an immediate room for more restaurants,” McGivney says. “But we definitely want to have more restaurants on site in our future retail development.”
Curb Appeal
Three newcomers are in freestanding buildings visible from the road.
Working from north to south, Taste & Sea is in Pescatore’s old location. However, most remember it as Mr. T’s, a lively 1980s hangout for singles. At 6,500 square feet and 146 seats, it’s an expansive space with a bar area and private dining room.
The owners are Christina Villare-Talbot and John Talbot. John, a graduate of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, had worked at Creed’s Seafood & Steaks in King of Prussia since 2000, when he was hired as a sous chef. He later became executive chef and a partner. However, the executive chef at Taste & Sea is Charlie Moronski, who was previously with SoDel Concepts.
Not surprisingly, there’s a category for steaks, which run from $43 to $49. Seafood, however, is plentiful. (Tip: Get the Venison Diane.)
Sangram, an Indian restaurant, moved into The Greene Turtle’s old digs. Like Taste & Sea, the dining room is large, and there’s a generously sized bar area with separate seating. (The purple curry leaf cocktail is eye-catching.) The menu includes dosa and idlis, which aren’t commonly found in this area. An idli is a soft, steamed rice cake, while a dosa is a crispy, crepe-like pancake served with sauces.
The third newcomer brings us back to La Fête, whose ambiance makes you forget that a busy thoroughfare is just behind the restaurant’s café-style curtains.
Chef Max Kaklins, formerly of Fiorella in Philadelphia, offers well-prepared and elegantly presented meals. The escargot in puff pastry and a careful arrangement of mussels are tasty examples. Thanks to Zoccolillo, a sommelier, the wine list is on point. Happily, menu prices won’t give you sticker shock.
Like Snuff Mill and Corner Bistro, La Fête is poised to have a happening bar scene, even if the customers just want a quick burger and a beer in a comfortable yet unique atmosphere.
La Fête has a third silent partner, which helped ease Zoccolillo’s nerves. That said, the managing partners — who have worked in major markets — are confident they have what it takes to succeed.
“We basically have a restaurant that was built by restaurant people for restaurant people,” Iñiguez says. “Scott and I are dialed into every operating part of this restaurant. Chef has great people, doing their part in the kitchen.”
And the location? It’s a springboard for more concepts, Iñiguez says. “We’re very, very confident.”
Above: An interior look at La Fête, a dynamic addition to the North Wilmington dining scene. Photo by Andrea Smith.
Pam George has been writing about Delaware’s dining scene for two decades, and in 2023 received a Community Impact Award from the Delaware Restaurant Association. She is also the author of Shipwrecks of the Delaware Coast: Tales of Pirates, Squalls and Treasure, Landmarks & Legacies: Exploring Historic Delaware, and First State Plates: Iconic Delaware Restaurants and Recipes. She lives in Wilmington and Lewes.