Restaurant Roundup

Hot wheels: Flaming Amy’s gets food truck
Flaming Amy’s burritos are hitting the road. The popular Mexican restaurant at 4002 Oleander Drive will introduce a food truck this fall, said Amy Muxworthy, who owns Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn with her husband, Jay Muxworthy.

Plans are to serve a selection of burritos from Flaming Amy’s list. The truck’s size prevents the couple from serving the full menu, Amy Muxworthy said. Where the truck will roll remains under consideration.

“At this point, we’re still kind of trying to figure out the best way to do it in terms of whether it will be a regular route or catering,” Amy Muxworthy said.

Nikki’s opens in Carolina Beach
Nikki’s Gourmet & Sushi Bar opened its Carolina Beach location at the end of August in the former Mama Mia’s location. Nikki’s owner, Johnny Chen, purchased and revamped the 6 S. Lake Park Blvd. spot.

Inside the 50-seat dining room, sleek, black Parsons-style chairs now play against the red ceiling and sleek sushi bar. Another 45 seats are available on the patio.

Nikki’s menu will be similar to lists at Chen’s downtown, Independence Mall and Racine Center locations, but Chen said that at Carolina Beach, he’ll emphasize vegetarian options and sandwiches, including cheeseburgers and black bean burgers.

Carolina Beach’s Nikki’s is Chen’s sixth store. Four others are in Wilmington; one is in Surf City. Chen said he is eyeing the Waterford/Leland area for his next unit, but plans must wait until the Carolina Beach store takes off.

Taste of Coney Island to land downtown
A spot that will bring the Port City a taste of famous Northeast shoreline boardwalks is slated to open downtown.

Jack McCann and Todd King are developing The Boardwalk on Front in the former Marrz nightclub, 15 S. Front St., between Market and Dock streets.

The business will feature authentic memorabilia and boardwalk planks from some famous boardwalks, including Coney Island, according to information at The Boardwalk’s Facebook page. Traditional boardwalk food, including cotton candy and saltwater taffy, will join sandwiches and healthy selections in the bar and dining room. A mezzanine will host a full arcade including pool, skee ball, Hoops Fever and classic boardwalk games.

True Mexican on Carolina Beach Road
Los Primos, 3530 Carolina Beach Road, between Independence and Parkway boulevards in what was El Vaquero Mexican Restaurante, will feature the cooking of central Mexico’s Puebla area, said Wilmington entrepreneur Brian Edwards, who is opening the restaurant.

From-scratch tortillas, sauces, rice and refried beans will be made fresh daily when the restaurant opens in about three weeks, Edwards said. Soups include hominy-rich pozole and Siete Mar loaded with seafood.

Pop-up restaurant returns
Wilmington chef Matthew Gould is preparing for his third installment of pop-up shop Canapé. Canapé’s 5-10 p.m. Sept. 16 appearance at midtown Wilmington’s San Juan Café comes on the heels of recent news reports that show a favorable climate for pop-ups.
Canapé was Wilmington’s first pop-up and seems to be the city’s most successful.

Gould’s opening act showed in 2011 at downtown’s Manna. Canapé materialized again months later at San Juan Café, 3314 Wrightsville Ave.

Gould sticks to simple but luxurious dishes. His upcoming menu provides various choices under three courses. Diners may purchase any number of dishes individually or choose a three-item prix-fixe menu.

First-course selections, including crispy pork belly with collards, cost $10 each. Second-course, $16 each, list smoked barbecue eel with kimchi, vegetables and soba noodles as one option. Green melon vodka sorbet over lemon cake with candied cilantro is among third course offerings, $8 each.

To reserve a Canapé seat, call 274-2012 or email ilmpop@yahoo.com.

NFL kickoff at new deli/diner/sports bar
A new “deli” that looks more like a diner outside and feels more like a sports bar inside opened just in time for the NFL season kickoff Sept. 5.

Jax Deli & Ale House fills a quintessential, stainless steel, diner building resembling those common in New Jersey, but the bar-centric, open dining room features 25 televisions and nightly drink specials.

Veteran restaurateur Jack Thompson opened Jax at the former Carol’s Silver Diner, 5046 New Centre Drive. Thompson said he based the business on the Jax 5th Avenue Deli and Ale House units he introduced in 1986 in Destin, Fla. From there, Thompson moved on to Orlando, ending up with six locations in the state. He moved to Wilmington this year.