Delicious restaurants surround UNCW

Not being from Wilmington, I was extremely unfamiliar with the area as I began my college adventure at UNCW.  I didn't know how to find my way to the beach, let alone the closest Walmart.  My toughest adventure arose when I began my search for off-campus food.  I began asking others for recommendations and looking up restaurant reviews on the computer.  Over the time that I've been living here, I've come across some delicious restaurants!  Below, I've listed some of my favorites that you may want to check out.

Copper Penny-This pub/bar is located downtown on Chestnut.  Although easy to overlook and dimly lit inside, the food is outstanding!  I usually start off with homemade spinach artichoke dip no matter how hard I try to resist.  I've tried out the Greek Chicken Pita and Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.  Both were delicious and were accompanied by a mound of french fries.  It may have been a tad pricy, but I had a ton of leftovers.  They also have trivia depending on the day and a variety of beer specials.

Rafaellas-I passed this Italian restaurant numerous times on my way to Wrightsville Beach.  I had several friends work here and talk about all their favorite items on the menu, which made me want to stop in.  I went for dinner the first time and ordered the Tortelloni, which came in a cream sauce with peas and ham. I couldn't stop eating it! However, being a nicer restaurant, I didn't think I could afford to dine there regularly.  That's when I found out about their $5 appetizers!  From five to seven on weekdays and nine to eleven on weekends, delicious pizzas, mussels, bruscheta, calamari, and eggplant parm are offered for this reasonable price.  I've had the eggplant too many times!  Another reason I visit is for the endless, fresh bread and butter.

Tower 7-I like several Mexican restaurants in Wilmington, but this is the first one I came across. Visiting the beach on a regular basis, I tried out places close to the water when I needed a break from the sun. This restaurant is straight ahead after you cross the bridge to Wrightsville Beach.  It is a very laid-back, local place. It is somewhat small and surf videos are constantly playing on the TV's.  The food is always satisfying and I enjoy trying out the array of hot sauces that fill the restaurant.