New space brings new menu to this Wilmington restaurant but wild-game favorites remain

A reshuffling of restaurants in August saw the closing of one pizza restaurant near Wrightsville Beach and a popular downtown eatery moving into the space. Platypus & Gnome reopened at 7205 Wrightsville Ave. at the end of September.

“So many people have pulled me out of the kitchen just to tell me they’re so excited that we’ve moved to their neighborhood,” said owner Matt Danylec.

New space: While the restaurant is a bit smaller than his former downtown eatery, Danylec said he likes the layout. The larger kitchen offers more room for creativity and opens to the bar and dining area for more connection to the guests, he said.

Classic favorites: Longtime fans can still find some of their popular dishes that often incorporate exotic meats. The burgers, salads and appetizers, including the elk burger and wild boar soup, are still on the menu. Their sandwiches and entrees aren’t regular features, and instead occasional specials. The new restaurant also still carries the Italian gelato from the former eatery.

New additions: The benefits of having a pizza oven onsite means there’s a menu with seven different options. An early favorite is the Game Changer. It’s a version of a meat-lovers pizza with bison chorizo, lamb salami, braised elk and mozzarella on a marinara base. The New Sensation is a pineapple-beet-bacon pizza with seared kangaroo tenderloin.

Brunch and lunch: Earlier hours mean an expanded brunch service on Saturdays and Sundays. Look for Duck N’ Waffles, a braised elk omelet, and breakfast pizza, where a bison chorizo mushroom gravy base is topped with bacon, wild boar, sunny-side up eggs and a gouda-cheddar blend.

Seasonal drinks and upcoming events: A specialty cocktail menu includes winter-time favorites through March – including the Bourbon Beer Trap with ginger and orange. Danylec also plans to partner with local distillers and brewers for pairing events in 2024.

More: 3 things to know about Southport’s new dim sum / Asian restaurant

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Platypus & Gnome offers exotic meats in new space near Wrightsville Beach