Wilmington Restaurant Week: Take two

Some readers seem to have gotten the idea that Eric and I were dogging Hotel du Pont chef Pat D'Amico in our posts after a Monday Restaurant Week lunch . Couldn't be further from the truth. I wrote in an April 23 Second Helpings post that D'Amico is one of the state's most talented chefs. I still believe that. And, if you read our posts again, you'll see we said the Restaurant Week dishes at the Hotel du Pont were really good.

The service at the Hotel, however, left a lot to be desired. I'll gladly be the head cheerleader for Delaware restaurants - no problem - but, sorry, I still don't understand why our server didn't seem to know it was Restaurant Week when there are billboards all over the city, flyers, radio ads, a big press conference, etc. And having to practically plead for Restaurant Week menus not only left us feeling embarrassed, it was certainly a major turn-off. Falling down on basic customer service is a big reason why people get turned off by certain restaurants.

But I'm happy to say we had a wonderful experience today at 821 Market Street Bistro. Eric will post his thoughts on Thursday.

821's $15 Restaurant Week lunch menu - which we were given as soon as we were seated - has four entrees: pork Bolognese, steak Caesar salad, gnocchi and Spinach salad and the 821 hamburger. The four dessert options include Grit Pound Cake with pecan butter, maple molasses ice cream; lemon & mascarpone cheesecake; two free-form chocolate soufflés and Peppermint ice cream; and apple sorbet poached lady apples with Cider caramel & candied walnuts.

Executive chef and 821 co-owner Nate Garyantes stepped up to the plate with his entrees and desserts. The 821 burger was outstanding as was the steak Caesar salad. (Everyone wanted second, perhaps even third, bites of this juicy hamburger, but after one pass around the table, its owner wasn't giving it up.) I thought the portion size on the gnocchi and spinach salad could have been a little larger, but it certainly wasn't lacking in flavor. And I'll pay full price any day for the "grit pound cake." (Psssst, Nate. Can you email me that recipe? )

Two other dining companions - who paid for their own meal- had nothing but high praise for this satisfying lunch and talked about returning very soon for dinner.

To me, this is what Restaurant Week is all about. If I were you, I'd call 821 now, 652-8821, and make a reservation.