It's important to take time out for yourself.

And that's exactly what I did one weekend in Wilmington.

[gentle upbeat music] For a weekend wind-down, you can't go wrong in Downtown Wilmington.

I found the perfect wake-me-up at Bespoke Coffee on Princess Street.

- [Employee] Welcome.

What can I get for you?

- I think I'm gonna have a cappuccino.

Can you tell me about your pastries?

Are they made in-house?

- Yeah.

So we have some things from Savorez next door, and those were baked freshly today.

And then we have some other baked goods from Sunrise Bakery.

- [Deborah] Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods is just a quiet space to enjoy delicious coffee drinks and freshly baked breakfast foods from the local Sunrise Bakery, like this amazing strawberry empanada.

In the morning, it's bright and airy inside, and the servers are both knowledgeable and super friendly.

Next, I headed just a few blocks away to a street called Orange for my big treat of the day.

[upbeat music] As I am elevated to the second floor to meet owner JC Richards, I am also welcomed by bursts of orange and white decor.

- This is 20 Orange Spa.

We're located in Downtown Wilmington.

It's a beautiful location right along Cape Fear River.

I've been a massage educator for years.

I love massage, and I could talk about it all day.

And I've been a massage therapist for 12 years.

So most of the therapists I taught and trained myself.

So we just started with this new Glo2 Facial.

So it's a three-step process.

The first is this oxygenating, bubbling exfoliation process.

They call it oxfoliation.

And then the next treatment is the ultrasound treatment, which is just warming and smoothing.

And then the third is this lymphatic massage.

And when you leave, your skin is amazing.

- [Deborah] At 20 Orange Spa, you will find some very unique services and features.

Their hot contrast room is one of them.

- The contrast room is set up for really a person or two to enjoy the therapy of hot and cold applications used together.

So we have the infrared sauna in the same room as the cold plunge.

So you can choose to use one or the other, or the ultimate version of contrast, using both.

We're proud to say we're the only ones offering that in town.

- [Deborah] They may also be the only spa in Wilmington offering this.

- The rooftop terrace.

We are so excited.

It's private.

We open up the cabanas so you have the wind whipping through.

You can hear the river.

It's a really lovely, serene view of Downtown Wilmington.

So it's like, let's be real about the nature of Wilmington.

We have 10 months of perfect weather.

Some rain.

- [Deborah] Refreshed after a treatment, it's definitely nice to spend the afternoon on the Riverwalk, or cuddled up inside with the comfort of your surroundings.

[comforting upbeat music] When it's time to reemerge in the evening, I chose the quiet elegance of casual dining at Floriana's.

- First of all, we're an Italian restaurant.

We make all our pastas in-house.

We have nine balconies on the second floor.

And that's right on the river as well.

So you open the door, we sit you down there, and then you're dining on the river.

- And do not skip the bread here, served nice and warm with their house-made pesto.

Oh, fresh.

Oh, that's amazing.

For my salad, I went a little non-traditional with their beet salad.

This is a terrific salad.

You've got the peppery arugula with crisp apples, the wonderful vinaigrette on there, as well as the nice surprise with the gorgonzola cheese.

And the crushed pistachios really bring out all of the flavors.

I love them all mixed together.

I just love filled pasta.

So I went with the tortilloni, not to be mistaken with tortellini.

- The tortilloni mignon, called the mignon because we braise down filet mignons.

And then we make a handmade tortilloni pasta, which is like a fatter version of a ravioli.

And then we finish it in a nice creamy red sauce.

We make our own desserts here as well.

We've got two mains that are always gonna be on the menu.

One is the tiramisu, and the other is the chocolate mousse, which is very nice, very rich.

We make that every day, and then we do a nice fresh whipped cream right on top of it.

- I'm not even a big chocolate fan, but this is so creamy and chocolatey and delicious.

Order the mousse.

I'd also call it a required self-care indulgence and a fine way to end your wind-down weekend.

[graceful piano music] Bespoke Coffee & Dry Goods is at 202 Princess Street in Wilmington, and they're open daily.

Visit them online at bespokecoffeenc.com 20 Orange Spa is on the second floor at 20 Orange Street.

To make your reservation, visit them online at 20orangespa.com.

Floriana is at 21 Market Street, and they're open for dinner nightly and Sunday brunch.

For more information, you can give them a call at 910-504-0160, or go online to wilmington.

florianarestaurant.com