WILMINGTON — By fall 2021, local chef Bobby Zimmerman will have had quite a busy year. The owner of True Blue Butcher and Table announced last month the opening of a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant, Mariposa, in the old Love, Lydia location in the South Front District. Today, he and his team revealed the opening of True Blue Butcher and Barrel, a third restaurant, yet the second one to be located in the South Front District. It will be beside New Anthem Beer Project, near Satellite Bar and Lounge and Second Glass.
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Juggling one fully operational restaurant and two upcoming ones wouldn’t be possible without dedicated staff, according to the chef.
“The truth is, we have the talent on our team to get the job done,” he said in a release, “and I want to ensure that they have a bright future, so I want to present them with every opportunity that I can.”
Zimmerman added that Butcher and Barrel will be an extension of the True Blue brand. It, too, will be known for its onsite butcher shop that provides premier cuts of meats, much like its Forum predecessor. Its menu will center on burgers and steaks, served “in a more playful style,” according to the release.
The bar program will include a large curation of bourbon and whiskey. It will have over 300 brown spirits, including cognac, brandies and Scotch, yet will stock all spirits as well, to appeal to every palate.
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Zimmerman said he chose the South Front District to continue with his restaurant expansions because of a close working relationship with Mark Maynard of Tribute Companies, which, over the last decade, has built out the area — including South Front Apartments run by Tribute Properties.
Plus, Zimmerman added, being close to one of his favorite watering holes, Satellite Bar and Lounge, isn’t so bad.
“[T]he businesses in the South Front District are entrepreneurial, committed to quality, and intentional,” the release noted. “Who doesn’t want to be a part of that?”
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