Bardea will open an Italian eatery in the downtown Wilmington DE.CO food hall.
Restaurateur Scott Stein of Bardea fame has frequently maintained that he is fully committed to downtown Wilmington.
He recently proved his point.
This week, Stein and partners Pino and Antimo DiMeo announced plans to open their sixth restaurant in the business district.
The yet-unnamed eatery will be within walking distance of the award-winning Bardea Food & Drink , Bardea Steak and Bardea Garden , a lush outdoor oasis between the two—all front Market Street.
But the newcomer will only be steps from the group’s Pizzeria Bardea and Taqueria El Chingon , located in DE.CO , the food hall in the DuPont Building.
That’s because the trattoria will also be in DE.CO.
Instead of a food stall, it will be a full-service concept with about 70 dedicated seats and a full bar. Lunch and dinner will be available seven days a week.
Spotting a need
The Buccini Pollin Group (BPG) opened DE.CO (short for Delaware Collective) in 2019 with a full bar and food stalls.
Pino DiMeo, who manages the two Bardea establishments in the hall, recently noticed an uptick in the number of customers craving d a full-service dining experience—they didn’t want to wait at a counter.
Moreover, he also felt that space near the pizzeria was underutilized.
“We started talking with the Buccini Pollin Group about putting a sit-down restaurant in the food hall—something casual,” Stein said. “People want to sit down and have a conversation.”
It’s not such a stretch. Similar projects in other cities have restaurants within a hall, said Stein, who researched the idea. Moreover, many indoor farmers markets—including Booths Corner Farmers Market—have full-service restaurants surrounded by stalls.
Approachable, affordable
Once BPG greenlighted the idea, the team worked on creating a warm, comfortable space within the large area.
Philadelphia-based Stokes Architecture + Design, which worked on Bardea Steak and The Quoin, is handling the build-out.
The bar will be part of the new concept. “At Bardea and Bardea Steak, people want to dine at the bar,” Stein explained. “To not use it would be a missed opportunity. So, you’ll be able to get the full menu at the bar.”
Designers will expand the kitchen between the two existing stalls, and Antimo DiMeo is working on the menu.
“It will be Italian-American Cuisine—spins on classic dishes that people would have had in mom-and-pop shops in Philly or Brooklyn,” said Antimo, a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.
Consider chicken parmesan, lasagna and arancini.
“There’s still the same level of quality,” the chef continued. “But it’s a more approachable price point. They can come two or three times a week.”
Bardea empironi
The new project won’t stop the team from pursuing a seventh restaurant across from Bardea and Bardea Steak. Antimo is considering a menu with more rustic and authentic Italian dishes.
They aren’t worried about cannibalizing their existing eateries. The two areas of Market Street are close but distinct, drawing different audiences, Stein says.
Taking the Italian theme to other locations will allow Antimo to experiment at Bardea Food & Drink, which some have pegged as an Italian restaurant.
“One hundred percent. Yes,” he said of his intention to break boundaries.
WEEKEND FUN: Winterthur’s popular Artisan Market returns with an extra day
The partners hope to open the DE.CO restaurant in October and continue working on details for the Market Street addition and, perhaps, an oyster bar and bar.
“It’s a lot,” Stein acknowledged. “These things take time.”
But based on their history, they’re up for the task.
“We always were—and are—super high on Wilmington,” Stein concludes.
Most Popular
Comments / 0