Competition is stiff among restaurants boasting the best crab dip. Okra, sweet potatoes, grits, turnip greens, mustard greens and kale are also regional favorites. Hush puppies, those delicious deep-fried dollops of sweet cornmeal dough, take the place of bread on many coastal tables. Hoppin' John, based on black-eyed peas and rice, is a hearty dish seen in many variations. Shrimp and grits is another popular dish appearing in various incarnations from restaurant to restaurant.
Iced tea flows freely, in most places by the pitcher-full, and locals prefer it very sweet.
Wilmington has made its mark in the world of the master brewers of beer. The Wilmington Brewing Company's Dergy Porter and amber ale both won silver medals in the World Beer Championships in 1996. You'll find Dergy's served at many local restaurants. And if fresh microbrewed beer is your idea of heaven, also look into Wilmington's Front Street Brewery, listed below.