People throw the word “institution” around too casually, but Hieronymus is the epitome of one. The same way one thinks of the oyster Rockefeller and turtle soup au sherry at Galatoire’s in New Orleans is the same way one should think of hot crab dip and blackened catch of the day at Hieronymus, the anchor of classic Lower Cape Fear cuisine.

With the unfortunate closing of the legendary Parchie’s, Goody Goody doesn’t have to share the throne for breakfast in Wilmington anymore. Customers squeeze into this retro shoebox of a restaurant and enjoy the puffiest, fluffiest omelets —the secret is in blending the eggs. Remember to bring cash money, because that’s all the restaurant can accept.

Thelonious Monk posters hanging on exposed brick set the mood for the Basics, which as the name suggests, focuses on perfecting “the basics” of Southern cuisine. There are hunks of hummingbird cake, Brunswick stew, and what some call the best bowls of shrimp and grits north of Charleston, South Carolina.

Seekers of nostalgia should make this short trip across the Cape Fear River. Shirley’s is what a diner is supposed to be —unfussy and full of loyal customers who’ve been eating the “famous” shrimp burger and country fried steak for generations. Those not familiar with the area should use their navigation systems, because the diner is so tucked away, it’s almost hidden.

Not only did chef Thierry Moity start the trend of Wilmingtonians dipping their frites in mayonnaise instead of ketchup, he introduced coq au vin and escargot to a town filled to the brim with peel-n-eat shrimp and jumbo lump crab cakes with his snug little bistro, and where else in North Carolina will diners have the opportunity to eat waterzooi (a traditional Belgian chicken or fish soup)?

The hustle and bustle continues for Philly subs at J. Michael’s. The steak is always piping hot off the flat top griddle, and the cheese is goopy in the best way possible — all slapped on a fresh hoagie. It’s an undeniable classic.

Cured salami dangling from the ceiling, endless shelves of chianti, chicken parmesan, cans of anchovies, and cannolis galore make up the experience at A Taste of Italy. It’s like you’re in a piazza in Milan, but you’re actually in a converted Kentucky Fried Chicken on College Road.