These are the Delaware restaurants that opened and closed in 2019

As usual, 2019 was a year of comings and goings. Here's a look at restaurants that have opened and closed this year:

New restaurants/food businesses

Bing's Bake & Brew. A spinoff coffee and pastry shop from Newark's landmark Bing's Bakery opened in early December. The shop at South Main Street and Amstel Avenue, next to Claymont Steak Shop, is less than a mile away from the bakery.

Milk and Honey Coffeehouse & Gallery. The coffeehouse, gallery and event space opened in December at 807 N. Union St. in Wilmington. It's owned and operated by The Neighborhood Church.

Crow Bar. The new Trolley Square bar/restaurant at 1711 Delaware Ave. took over the spot formerly occupied by OldBanks Craft Bistro in early October. It's owned by Andrea and Bryan Sikora, who also own La Fia and Merchant Bar in downtown Wilmington, and Hearth Kitchen in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

V-Trap Kitchen & Lounge. In March, Kristin and Milton Bowen brought their vegan restaurant to 607 N Lincoln St. in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood. They wanted to fill a need for patrons looking for healthy foods options that exclude meat, dairy products and eggs. 

DE.CO FOOD HALL. The 13,000-square-foot space in the newly renovated bottom-floor space in the historic DuPont Building at 10th and Orange streets began welcoming customers in April. It has eight chef-led kitchens and a large bar. 

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Ciro Food & Drink. Venu Gaddamidi and Wilmington chef Michael DiBianca in February created the bistro inside Gaddamidi's Veritas Wine & Craft Beer shop at 321 Justison St. at the Wilmington Riverfront.

Sonora at the David Finney Inn. Melissa Ferraro, owner of the Outlandish Food Truck based out of Newark, began operating the Old New Castle restaurant at 222 Delaware St. in February.

Margherita's Pizza & Pasta. The nearly 40-year-old business moved from its longtime 134 E. Main St. home to a new location at the Park N Shop Plaza at 265 S. Main St. When it reopened in September, it had an expanded menu.

El Diablo Burritos. The popular local chain has branched into breakfast at its new downtown Wilmington location. The counter-service restaurant at 837 N. Market St. features build-your-own breakfast tacos, burritos, hash bowls and quesadillas.

La Banca. It's been more than four years in the making, but the Italian restaurant set in a historic bank on Middletown's West Main and North Broad streets is now serving customers. La Banca (the bank) is the latest culinary venture from RM Hospitality Group, which also runs Metro Pub & Grill at nearby Peachtree Station.

The Chicken Spot. The same owners of Ciro Food & Drink went casual with this poultry-centric takeout shop at  204 W. 10th St. in Wilmington. It took over the former Benjamin's On 10th.

Torbert Street Social. The speakeasy-style cocktail lounge and bar is housed in a 132-year-old former horse stable at 305 Torbert St., the tiny side street off Washington Street separating Washington Street Ale House and Mikimotos Asian Grill and Sushi Bar.

Crooked Hammock Brewery. The spinoff of the popular Lewes-area company began pulling drafts in November at Middletown's first brewpub. Like the Sussex site, the restaurant at 316 Auto Park Drive off Del. 299 has a backyard vibe with an expansive 15,000-square-foot outdoor area including a playground, spaces for cornhole, shuffleboard, bocce ball and a fire pit.

Thompson Island Brewery. In November, beach-based SoDel Concepts restaurant group opened its first brewery with the help of Tröegs Independent Brewing co-founder John Trogner. The 30133 Veterans Way site in Rehoboth Beach is next door to SoDel's Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar.

Raas. The purple Victoria house at 210 Savannah Road in Lewes became the blue house in mid-August. Raas is now one of only two Indian restaurants in Sussex County, 

Bogle Cove Oyster House. Pike Creek's The Shops of Limestone Hills added a new seafood restaurant in August. Bogle Cove is the name of a bay in Kent County, Maryland. It's off the Chester River near the Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge.

La Pizzeria Metro. The pizzeria, from the owners of Cafe Riviera at the Concord Mall, quietly opened its doors in June. It's in the Miller Road Station complex at 3101 Miller Road in Wilmington, right by Wilmington Brew Works. 

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Chaps Pit Beef. Baltimore's “World Famous” barbecue pit beef sandwich made its way to Delaware in March. The Maryland favorite since 1987 opened a Rehoboth Beach location in Coastal Station off Del. 1, next to the Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant.

Rise Up Coffee Roasters. The Maryland-based independent small-batch coffee roaster and retailer popped open a Delaware location next to the traffic circle in downtown Rehoboth Beach. It took over a former 7-Eleven location.

Eggspectation. The Canadian chain came to the Stanton area in late June compliments of High 5 Hospitality, the group behind all of Delaware's Buffalo Wild Wings, the Stone Balloon Ale House in Newark and Limestone BBQ & Bourbon. It's in a shopping center that includes a Buffalo Wild Wings and it's next to the Border Cafe, also known as the "Eat" place.

Makers Alley. The indoor-outdoor restaurant at 804 N. Orange St. in downtown Wilmington offers 24 beers on tap and food is made in a 1964 converted Airstream. 

Turning Point. The New Jersey-based chain in June began serving breakfast, brunch and lunch in a dining room at the Christiana Fashion Center, 3204 Fashion Center Boulevard in Newark. 

Faire Market & Cafe at 216 W. Ninth St. in downtown Wilmington is a new operation from Stitch House Brewery owners Dan Sheridan and Robert Snowberger. The market serves breakfast sandwiches named for city neighborhoods.

The Legend is a new American restaurant and bakery near the New Castle County Airport that had been the home of the former Arner's restaurant. The site at 201 N. Dupont Highway in New Castle opened in late April.

Newark Deli and Bagels, which operates its flagship operation at 36 E. Main St. in downtown Newark, moved into the Wilmington Riverfront Market in December formerly occupied by Eeffoc's coffee.

Steamin' Blues Crabhouse. The former Jake's Seafood at 29 N. First St. in Rehoboth Beach became a crabhouse. It's owned by Donald Vechery, who also operates The Surfing Crab on Del. 1 in Lewes.

The former Sandy Pony Donuts food truck, owned by Brea and Ben Wang, morphed into a brick-and-mortar location at 115 Garfield Parkway in downtown Bethany Beach. The Wangs stopped operating the Sandy Pony food truck and their Wang's World food truck. 

Ristorante Zebra, the seasonal Italian eatery at 32 Lake Ave., Rehoboth, known for its safari-themed decor, became a coastal Italian seafood restaurant called Sazio. It's run by Big Fish Restaurant Group. 

Futuristic sci-fi meets rustic seafood at Robot Captain Crabs Cajun Seafood & Bar. The restaurant opened in June at 1130 Capitol Trail, near Red Mill Road, in Newark. Robots deliver fried and boiled seafood to patrons at the former Soffritto Italian Grill.

Two Claws is another Cajun-style seafood restaurant that opened this past summer. It took over the former Kenny's Pan Asian Cuisine location in the Governor's Square Shopping Center in Bear.

Tasty Crab House at 705 N. Dupont Highway in Dover also has Cajun-style low-country seafood boils. 

In mid October, Jerry Longo’s Meatballs & Martinis opened at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. The Italian eatery has a flagship location in Providence, Rhode Island. It replaced Frankie’s Italian Restaurant, which closed in September.

El Camino Mexican Kitchen. In March, the Platinum Dining Group opened this stylish modern Mexican concept in The Concord, 3559 Silverside Road, Talleyville. It got a new chef and a menu overhaul about seven months later. 

Taverna Rustic Italian. Taverna, also owned by the Platinum Group, is another new eatery in The Concord. It has been serving diners since in early June. The Italian eatery, directly across from El Camino Mexican Kitchen, is a replica of the Taverna restaurant on Newark's Main Street. 

QualiTea opened this year in the Newark Shopping Center next to Capriotti's. It serves homemade tea, desserts and dim sum.

Frutta Bowls opened in March at East Main Street and Academy Street in Newark in the space previously occupied by Grassroots.

Saap Lao Thai is a new Thai and Lao restaurant that Jerry Khoutsavanh and his family opened at 287 Christiana Road in New Castle, Delaware. The eatery in the Community Plaza Shopping Center takes over the former Tasti Thai site.

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Two Meatballs. The deli-style Italian eatery on Del. 24 in Long Neck has brick-oven pizza, homemade gelato and quality prosciutto. It's owned by Artie Ercolino and Vinnie Ercolino.

Chuck Lager America's Tavern. The highly anticipated Pike Creek restaurant that counts "Top Chef" star Fabio Vivani as one of its collaborators opened its doors in May. It's in the newly constructed Linden Hill Station off New Linden Hill and Limestone roads.

Wilmington Green Box started as a Wilmington mobile push cart in Eastside and Southbridge, then grew into a kiosk on Market Street. In November, it opened its first brick-and-mortar store at Fourth and Market streets in downtown Wilmington.

Restaurant closings

This past January, Margaux, a French restaurant located in the bottom floor of the former Delaware Trust building, in downtown Wilmington, was shuttered after an eight-month run. 

Green Room at Hotel du Pont in Wilmington is losing its century-old name amid other big changes. The restaurant will close after service Jan. 1 while it undergoes a four-month makeover. It is expected to become a French brasserie. The new name is not yet known. In the meantime, dining will move to the Brandywine Room at the historic 11th and Market streets hotel.

Fuddruckers in Stanton was shut down in early November for owing $123,000 in back rent.

The Perfect Cup in Hockessin closed in late October. It reopened in December with a new owner.

The Glass Kitchen, a Glasgow institution for 67 years, closed its doors in March.

California Tortilla, one of Newark's first fast-casual Mexican restaurants, closed its doors in June.

Goat Kitchen & Bar closed 'due to extremely unfortunate circumstances' in September.

In August, Wilmington's WiLDWiCH closed its King Street shop after about five months.

8th & Union Kitchen in Wilmington closed its doors in July after four years in business.

Banks' Burgers and BBQ, a stand at the Wilmington Riverfront Market for the last 10 years, closed in the fall. Owner David Banks said the reason was "simple math." 

Where Pigs Fly, a Dover landmark barbecue restaurant for 26 years, closed Nov. 16.

Chef/owner Hari Cameron announced in December he had sold his a(MUSE.) restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. The last day of service is Dec. 31.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico.