The Little Dipper is a very quaint establishment two blocks from the intersection of Market and Front Streets and is just off of the Wilmington’s Riverwalk. Upon walking through the French door and entering the restaurant, you are first drawn to a huge tank of glowing jellyfish between the waiting area and the bar. The purple lighting of the tank makes the twenty or so jellyfish appear to be incandescent and immediately draws your attention. When you are lead to the dining room, you’ll be surprised by the setup. Every time we have been there, we are at a very romantic table for two. They separate the room perfectly so that it seems like we are in our own little alcove and are dining alone. Every time we have been to the Little Dipper the servers were spectacular. Considering the amount of time they will be with you during your dining experience, you want someone who is personable and really knows the food they are talking about. All of our waiters have been great. Your meal normally will start with a cheese fondue. They have a Cheddar Ale fondue, a classic Swiss fondue, a Havarti-Dill, a Baja Cheddar, & a Tuscan sun-dried tomato fondue (primarily Provlone, Mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano) to choose from, however ask about their seasonal choice. Typically we get the seasonal one, which last time was a combination of Gruyere, white wine, garlic, and Havarti. The combination was exquisite. The boldness of the Gruyere was tempered by the soft Havarti with the wine enhancing the flavors and making them blend perfectly. You are given fondue forks to spear a combination of pumpernickel and rye breads, carrots, apples, grapes, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, & broccoli and dip in the cheese mixture you choose.
Following that, you get your salad course. All of their dressings are homemade, so feel free to branch out and try something new, you might be pleasantly surprised. Megan typically orders the Romaine salad with their homemade Caesar dressing topped with garlic croutons and Parmesan. Their dressing has a perfect ratio of creaminess to boldness to anchovy taste. Typically I steal a few bites of her salad just to sample the dressing and pretending to “forget” what it tastes like. I tend to order the Chef salad with either their Lemon-basil vinaigrette or in the summer, they sometimes have a strawberry vinaigrette that bursts in your mouth with a strawberry flavor reminiscent of childhood summers where you bite into fresh strawberries on a hot day.
The third course is your main fondue course. You’ll need to choose a cooking style from among a Peanut Oil, a Chicken Broth, a White Merlot and vegetable broth, or our favorite, a Beef broth flavored with a Port wine reduction. While we have never tried the oil or plain broth, the other two add great flavor to whatever main course you choose. See what you are ordering, if you have more chicken or seafood, go with the Merlot, if you are a beef person, go for the Port, you won’t be disappointed. I’d love to say we tried all of their meat options, but when we go to Wilmington, we got to find fresh seafood. As such, we almost always order the Seafood Collection, which is a combination of fresh, raw scallops, sashimi tuna, and shrimp. Each comes with a side of raw vegetables like zucchini, squash, and potatoes. The waiter can explain the cooking times to you for each of the vegetables and meat types. Since we like our tuna virtually raw, we only cook it for abut 5 seconds, but if you like your steak well done, it could be 2-3 minutes per piece in your broth. Stab away and place in your broth, but don’t forget the homemade dipping sauces. They have a plethora or sauces to choose from, but our favorites are the Cognac Dijon, the Coconut Curry, and the Wasabi Aioli. Each adds depth to the seafood. The Cognac Dijon for instance adds a slightly spicy, yet tangy and smooth flavor to the scallops. Since you cook the food to your liking, you can’t go wrong. Plus the sharing of the broth and the crossing of your fondue forks while in your secluded table adds to the romance of the evening. Oh and don’t forget the “rule” that if your food falls off of the fondue fork, you have to kiss your partner before you can spoon it out. (the slotted spoon is a lifesaver for us).Lastly, you need to have their dessert. That’s right, chocolate fondue. You have a choice of small or large plate, but they you get mini éclairs, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows (with ground graham crackers), and other wonderful accompaniments. I would also suggest ordering a piece of their cheesecake to dip in the fondue as well. The Little Dipper offers a White Chocolate Fondue, Half & Half Fondue (dark chocolate & peanut butter), a Turtle Fondue, and an Amaretto & Mocha Fondue among others.
In case you haven’t guessed yet, all of our experiences at the Little Dipper have been delightful. It is the perfect place for a date with the one you love. While the food is not as creative as other types of cuisine, the food is fresh and cooked to your liking, since you are the cook. The ambiance of the dark, secluded tables is perfect for a night out and you will love our fondue dinner. Oh and keep the price in mind too, we’ve been to other fondue restaurants like the Melting Pot chain (in Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, and nationally) and the Little Dipper has better quality food, better service, and is almost half the price. We will definitely be coming back to the Little Dipper.
Category | Scale 1-5 stars |
Food Quality |  |
Food Creativity |  |
Service | |
Atmosphere | |
Value for the Price |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment