-- Quote by Ernest Hemingway that is painted on the wall as you walk into Ciro Food and Wine
Mother's Day was coming and I was looking for ideas. Both my mom's love good food and good wine, so I settled on taking them to a new restaurant to celebrate the event. Our friends Larry and Steve had told us about a new restaurant down on the Wilmington Riverfront that they had loved. We decided to give it a try and see what happened.
The three of unanimously agreed that it is the best restaurant in Wilmington right now.
The evening didn't start perfectly. We arrived a few minutes late for our reservation and still had to wait while our table was prepared for us. When we were finally sat, we found ourselves back by the kitchen (I had a clear view of the dishwasher through my meal) at a hightop. It was a party, so I decided not to make a fuss and just sit down but I was, frankly, a bit put out.
We ordered drinks that, when they arrived, where delicious. The bartender was, hands down, the hardest working person of the night. He didn't stop moving the entire time we were there. Plus, he makes a mean cocktail.
While we sipped our drinks, we studied the menu. The restaurant serves its dishes one of two ways. The first is a tasting menu ranging from three courses to six. Paired wines are extra. The second is a list of small plates from which to choose a la carte. Our server recommended two dishes per person. After we decided to do the small plates, we then had to choose. Easier said than done. We decided on five plates instead of six as we agreed that we would have the cheese plate for dessert. Again, the service was not ideal as we had to call our server over to take our order. He then forgot to put in one of our dishes.
All was forgiven when the food arrived. The vegetable dishes were astonishing and packed with so much flavor we simply devoured them. We chose a Roasted Eggplant, prepared with pesto and tomatoes that was perfectly cooked. The eggplant was not chewy or mushy and it paired wonderfully with the other flavors. Another vegetable was the Asparagus Fried Rice. Topped with a fried egg and mixed with curry, it was out of this world. All of us kept eating this dish long after we should have stopped.
For a meat dish, we chose the Bone Marrow. Served in the bone and topped with wild mushrooms and sautéed onions, the flavor was earthy and meaty. And, to give Ciro massive credit, they gave us three bones instead of the usual two which we all greatly appreciated. For a fish dish, we chose the escargot. Delivered in a hot dish filled with garlic and herbs, I could have devoured the entire dish if I didn't have to share. I have had escargot all over the world. These are right up there with the best I have ever had.
The final dish was the Gnocchi Salad. Featherlight balls of pasta mixed with wild mushrooms, greens, parmesan, and touch of truffle oil. It was a perfect salad and all three of agreed that it was the dish of the night. I would go back just to have that salad.
In addition to the gorgeous food and wonderful cocktails, the wine list is excellent. The restaurant shares space with a wine shop, so I would expect the choices to be different and interesting. They are, but they are also reasonably priced. We shared a bottle of rosé out of France that was excellent and paired with the food beautifully.
As we came to the end of our meal, we all agreed that the cheese plate was not going to happen. As it was, we weren't able to finish the five dishes in front of us and I got to take some goodies home for lunch the next day.
I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. The only thing that kept it from being perfect was the spotty service and the table where we sat. But, the food and the drink are both so good that I will be going back. Soon.
Ciro Food and Drink
321 Justison Street
Wilmington, DE
302-543-6071
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