I'm not sure on my own if I would have stumbled upon Scalessa's Old School Italian Kitchen, a newish Italian eatery deep in the heart of Wilmington's Forty Acres neighborhood. It's parked on a mostly residential area at the corner of Shallcross Avenue and North Lincoln Street in a brick building, painted gray, that dates back to the 1920s.

Some may remember it was once was the home of Mary's, a city neighborhood eatery serving breakfast and lunch. It closed in 2015. But a friend, who owns a home nearby and has visited Scalessa's several times, told my book club we had to go to this charming Italian-American eatery at 1836 N. Lincoln St. that opened in 2016.