OUR TEAM
Photo by Mallory Cash
Dean Neff & Lydia Clopton
Dean & Lydia honed their skills in some of the South’s most celebrated kitchens before arriving in Wilmington, North Carolina. The duo met while working at famed Chef Hugh Acheson’s award-winning Five & Ten in Athens, GA, then moved to Asheville, NC where Neff served as Chef de Cuisine for John Fleer’s new Rhubarb and Lydia at Chai Pani and on renowned Chef Katie Button’s opening Nightbell team, while also beginning her own wedding cake business. In 2015, the salt water beckoned them to North Carolina’s coast where Neff opened PinPoint Restaurant in Wilmington in 2015 as co-owner and chef, and Lydia wow’d guests as pastry chef. During their tenure, Southern Living named PinPoint among the “Best New Restaurants in the South.” In 2018, Lydia opened her own café and bakery – Love, Lydia – to rave reviews, before closing amid the pandemic in early 2021 to focus on their newborn child and forthcoming restaurant, Seabird. In 2019, Neff earned a James Beard Foundation semifinalist nomination and announced plans for Seabird – where together, they honor the seasons and the seaside food culture so unique to Wilmington.
We are grateful to have such a strong team!
James Jones - Chef de Cuisine
Colby Perkins - Wine Director
Spencer Vaughan - Bar Manager