On Thursday, I returned to another favorite of mine. PinPoint is located in the heart of Wilmington and is known for using seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients to craft refined Southern cuisine. The dimly lit historic building offers a charming ambiance. With a focus on sustainability and quality, PinPoint embraces the flavors of North Carolina.
The farm-to-table ethos cannot be overstated. My waiter mentioned the quality of life of the meat on the menu more than once and you may notice certain seasonal ingredients repurposed in multiple dishes in new and creative ways.
I began with Assorted Pickles from the snack menu. Rutabaga, turnip, cauliflower, fennel, and brussels were arranged in that order and they appeared to fall on a spectrum as far as how pickled they were. Rutabaga seemed the least pickled, while the brussels seemed the most. This could be attributed to the amount of time they were left to marinate or how easily the vegetables absorb the flavor. I was partial to the vegetables in the middle of the dish. Neither over or under pickled, the cauliflower and fennel was crisp and delicious. The fennel in particular was bursting with flavor.
Raw Oysters will always be served with a traditional cocktail sauce. I believe that this sauce is for the diner who does not like oysters because it actually masks the flavor. Instead, I prefer the cherry sour mignonette that PinPoint serves. This mignonette and some lemon juice is the best way to truly appreciate oysters. The flavors in the Sweet Potato Hummus took me back to the holiday season and paired perfectly with the sourdough bread made fresh every day.
Entrées at PinPoint are piled high with local produce. It almost feels like the chief picked each plate from the garden themselves. The Local Grouper was atop a feast of lima beans, kale, sweet potatoes, fennel, and grapefruit. Grapefruit was the only outlier on the plate, likely coming from Florida, but it was a very creative addition. Their Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak is marinated and charred, giving it a strong meaty aroma. It was supported by a bed of turnips, fingerling potatoes, and a quarter slice of a smoked red cabbage.
If you’re looking for advice on where to get the best local produce, talk to the staff. They were able to point me to the source of their lion’s mane— finding a mushroom big enough to make a steak is no easy feat.
Their delicious cheesecake was the perfect way to finish the night. Drizzled with raspberry sauce and covered with sliced almonds and pomegranate seeds, this dessert had a delightful combination of textures and flavors— smooth, crunchy, tangy, and sweet all in one bite.
