There’s more than one way to define a restaurant as “historic.” In selecting Wilmington’s best “historic” restaurants I limited the choices to 1) restaurants that serve lunch and dinner at least five days a week all year long, and 2) are located on sites recognized as “historic” in the National Register of Historic Places.

For starters Wilmington is home to one of the most elegant restaurants on the east coast. Picture yourself in a palace with thirty-foot ceilings and lush carpets, enjoying escargot and champagne with classical music cascading from the balcony. That’s the Green Room in the historic Hotel Dupont on Rodney Square in the Market Street National Historic District.

Krazy Kat’s is part of the Inn at Montchanin complex in the Montchanin National Historic District just north of Wilmington. The restaurant is housed in a renovated blacksmith's shop, complete with one of the original forges. But don’t be fooled, Krazy Kat’s is one of Wilmington’s most impressive, upscale food emporiums. It is known as much for its creative cuisine as its whimsical décor, which features tiger-print chairs and portraits of military-garbed cats and dogs.

Buckley’s Tavern in the Centreville National Historic District is a wonderfully eclectic eatery that caters to a diverse crowd. The pine-clad bar area is very informal and almost always full of hungry customers. The two dinning rooms behind the bar are more formal yet still comfortable. And, Buckley’s has two out-door venues – a roof-top grill, and a long front porch on Centreville's main thoroughfare, historic Kennett Pike. Centreville is a quaint village of about 50 shops and restaurants with 15 structures on the National Register. It's worth the trip even if you’re not hungry!

Jessop’s Tavern is fifteen minutes south of Wilmington on historic Delaware Street in the New Castle National Historic Landmark District. And, it’s within easy walking distance of all of New Castle’s world-class historic sites, including: the New Castle Court House, the Amstel and Dutch houses, and the Read House & Gardens, overlooking the majestic Delaware River. NOTE: The Arsenal on the Green restaurant and tavern built in 1801 in the center of New Castle is even more historic, but it didn’t make the cut because it isn’t generally open for lunch and dinner five days a week.

You’ll need to drive another 10 minutes south of New Castle to experience Crabby Dick's in the Delaware City National Historic District. Boaters mingle with bikers and young people gravitate to the funky outdoor deck in an eclectic setting that is more like a tavern than a restaurant. Crabby Dick's is located in and around the historic Delaware City Hotel at the confluence of the Delaware River and the original terminus for the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (the third busiest canal in the world). My favorite meal is anything from the “Steamers and Sammiches” menu! As an added bonus in the summer months, the state-operated ferry to historic Fort Delaware departs from a park right across the street. NOTE:  Kathy’s Crab House in Delaware City is a great place for crabs, but it’s only open from April to October, so it, too, didn’t fit the admittedly arbitrary and capricious criteria I set up.

So next time you eat out in Wilmington, make your meal “historic.”

A complete list of articles by the Wilmington Tourism Examiner can be found at
http://www.examiner.com/x-25324-Wilmington-Tourism-Examiner
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