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OK, first, I've never done a food review before. I love to eat and love good food though. I'm not a writer, but felt so strongly about how good the food was at Sunflower's that I HAD to write this review. :-) You would never guess that the food at this place would be as great as it is. The location used to be a Hardee's, so it doesn't look impressive from the outside, but the inside is cozy and casual, but nice enough for a date. They have a nice menu with good deserts and a modest selection of various wines. It's on the corner of Peace St. and Wilmington downtown. My wife had been here at lunch and it's always packed, but they've only been serving dinner for about six months. So folks, get out there and keep dinner open for everyone!! If you like GREAT food, you won't regret stopping here.
We took our family here and got a varied selection. I can say honestly say that we haven't had a better meal out as a big family in... I can't remember how long. It was great!!!
Our selections:
Starters
Portobello Quesadillas - This was one of the specials. Quesadillas stuffed with portobello mushrooms and cheese, served with just a bit of sour cream and a side of salsa with avocado slices.
Corn Chowder Soup - This was one of the specials. A mild corn chowder, not cream-based per se, with chunks of tomatoes.
Salads (Small $5 Large $8)
Dried Cherry Salad - Add succulent dried cherries, blue cheese crumbles and caramelized onions to a garden salad. Served with blue cheese dressing.
Pear and Pecan Salad - Add pears, pecans and blue cheese crumbles to the garden salad. Served with a raspberry vinaigrette.
Entrees
Grilled Snapper - This was the special for the evening so it is not on their regular menu. It was served on a bed of orzo with pine nuts and roasted eggplant. There were beans in some type of viniger sause and slices of squash and zuchhini.
South of the Border Burger ($9)
Topped with Pepper Jack cheese, house salsa, and avocado.
The Backyard Burger ($9)
Topped with our barbecue sauce and bacon.
We started with the Portobello Quesadillas. A very complex and pleasing taste, but the topper was the great salsa and avocado side. The toppings, salsa included, with every item we had, perfectly complimented the food in a way that told you the chef is one of those that prides him/herself on complimentary tastes and textures. The mixture of it all left the taste buds in the state of nirvana. I knew at this point that the rest of the meal may be VERY memorable.
Then came the entrees and salads. We all shared so that we could get a good sense of the offerings and everyone had their favorite. The grouper was my choice. It was perfectly prepared, moist and falling apart. Served on a bed of orzo, toppped with a mixture of vegetables including eggplant and capers. It was the best fish dish I've had in a long time.
One 13 year-old son had the Backyard Burger. He loves a good hamburger. It was topped with BBQ sause and bacon. Our 11 year-old son opted for the South of the Border Burger. He's just loves salsa. Once again, the topping addition of the salsa and avocado made this burger delectable. Both our boys' burgers were VERY well prepared. They like them well done, but they were not overcooked and had a wonderful smoky flavor. Not overpowering, but very subtle, as everything they seem to do here. Our 13 year-old son says this is his new favorite burger!
My wife had the Dried Cherry Salad. The addition of the caramelized onions made this salad great. It has a very hardy and tasty blue cheese, so be prepared if you're not a blue cheese fan. Our friend had the Pear and Pecan Salad which was a wonderful combination of taste and texture. The raspberry vinaigrette on both was delicious and did not overpower the rest of the flavors.
The service was stellar! Friendly and efficient. Our waitress had a real love for the food and steered us toward our selections knowledgeably. You can find more information on their selections on their website. I regret that I did not have time for desert this round, but we'll be sure to return soon.
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