April 8, 2015

encore

The Cape Fear’s Alternative Voice for 30 Years!

VOL. 31 / PUB 41 / FREE APRIL 8 – 14, 2015

On the cover: Nelly, Alan Jackson and Azalea Queen, Mallory Hagan.

www.encorepub.com

Spring is in Bloom

A preview of events occuring as part of the 68th annual Azalea Festival PGS. 42-43

Vol. 31/ Pub. 41 / april 8 – 14, 2015 www.encorepub.com

on the cover

EVENT

OF THE WEEK

Monday, April 13, 5:30 p.m.

Shift Happens!

Motivational speaker Syble Solomon inspires by giving 10 tips to take control of your life.

The event will take place at NHC Northeast Library (1241 Military Cutoff Rd.) Attending the event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Head over to www.nhclibrary.org or contact Business Justine Roach at 910-798-6306 or jroach@ nhcgov.com to solidify a spot.

iN fULL bLOOM The NC Azalea Festival gets underway this week with tons of concerts, parties, a street fair, the queen’s coronation, a coin show, art shows, including the children’s show featuring work by area students, including Max Brinker’s first place entry. The artwork is on display at the community gallery at the Community Arts Center in the Historic Hannah Block USO (120. S 2nd St.). All events: pages 20-21, 42-46

To enter events on encore’s new online calendar, generated by SpinGo, head to www.encorepub.com/ welcome/events-2. Events must be entered by every Thursday at noon, for consideration in print and on our new app, encore Go. E-mail shea@encorepub.com with questions.

BEST OF pgs. 4 - 15

EDITORIAL> Editor-in-Chief: Shea Carver // shea@encorepub.com

Our final list of Best Of winners is revealed, from homemade soups (Sweet n Savory, as shown by Janna on the right) to spa to environmental group and more!

Editorial Assistant: Christian Podgaysky // music@encorepub.com Art Director: Kyle Peeler // ads@encorepub.com Intern: Zachary Painter, Emily Truss, Kamerin Roth

>

Art

p. 28

J Coleman will showcase his artwork again at the reopening of Era Gallery on April 11. Read his interview.

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DINING

p. 39

Rosa moseys over to Grace Street in downtown Wilmington for a taste of Jamaica at Reggae Hut.

>

Chief Contributors: Gwenyfar Rohler, Anghus Houvouras, Jay Schiller, Tom Tomorrow, Chuck Shepherd, Mark Basquill, Rosa Bianca, Rob Brezsny, Christian Podgaysky, Linda Grattafiori, Tiffanie DiDonato, Shannon Gentry, Bethany Turner SALES> General Manager: John Hitt // john@encorepub.com Advertising: John Hitt // Downtown // Carolina Beach // john@encorepub.com Shea Carver // Midtown, Monkey Junction // shea@encorepub.com Willa Brown // Midtown, Monkey Junction // sales@devourilm.com Rose Thompson // Wrightsville Beach, N. Wilmington // rose@encorepub.com Office Manager: Susie Riddle // susie@adpakweekly.com

Distribution Manager: Boykin Wright Published weekly, on Wednesday, by HP Media.

Opinions of contributing writers are not necessarily the opinions of encore.

Inside This Week: Best of, pgs. 4-15 • Live Local, pgs. 16-17 • News of the Weird, p. 18

• Music, pgs. 20-26 • Art, pgs. 28-29 • Theatre, p. 30 • Film, p. 33 • Dining, pgs. 34-39 Extra, pgs. 42-48 • Summer Camps, pgs. 50-51 • Calendar, pgs. 52-70 • Corkboard, p. 71 2 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

P.O. Box 12430, Wilmington, N.C. 28405 email@encorepub.com • www.encorepub.com Phone: (910) 791-0688 • Fax: (910) 791-9534

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best of 2015

Simply the Best!

B

usinesses, artists, thespians, chefs, theatre companies, musicians, humanitarians, environmental groups, media: They’re all recognized as the town’s best hot shots in encore’s annual reader’s poll—a poll that has been taking place well over 25 years in Wilmington. To put it simply: We hold the official “Best Of” moniker.

In 2015, we culled over 20,000 voices to weigh in on their thoughts about the Best Of Wilmington. Nominations opened in midNovember and closed in mid-December 2014, before final voting opened mid-December and closed mid-January 2015. All voting was done by the community-at-large through our online voting system, featuring over 130 categories. We try to be as fair as possible, and while we encourage local businesses and groups to campaign so their patrons/fans vote for them, we do lay a few ground rules in campaigning practices: 1) No stuffing the ballot box! That means you can’t vote under multiple email addresses or encourage customers and employees to do so.

2) No voting on someone else’s behalf. If you have a list of email addresses that don’t belong to you, please, don’t fill out ballots in their names.

3) Do not entice patrons/fans into voting for you by offering specials, discounts or prizes in exchange for votes.

After voting closes, we throw our annual Best Of Party and fundraiser. This year’s event was held at Brooklyn Arts Center on February 28 and benefitted DREAMS of Wilmington—a local nonprofit and multidisciplinary arts program for at-risk youth (see our cover story from encore’s February 26 edition for full info on DREAMS; www.dreamsofwilmingon.org). Thanks to 550 tickets sold, numerous raffles, a Best Of Battle of the Bands, and a live text-to-donate program, DREAMS raised more than $11,000 and will take in $7,200 after expenses. This money allows

them to accept 45 students into their threeweek summer intensive arts program.

Our Best Of hosts, comedy troupe Pineapple-Shaped Lamps (this week’s dashing cover models), entertained with a plethora of sketches across every category of award-winners—all set to a “Back to the ‘80s” theme. Aside from nailing spoton impressions of “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures,” they ensured audiences were rolling in laughter during their “Flashdance” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart” interpretive dance numbers. And a bonus: Those funny Pineapple kids also got to know DREAMS’ students via videos they made for the show. More so, they will be volunteering with DREAMS this summer!

We laughed a ton and stuffed ourselves silly, thanks to food passed around throughout the evening—all provided from our numerous nominees in the food and beverage categories. We danced the night away with DJ KB spinning everything from “Under Pressure” to “Rich Girl,” and especially to the bands L Shape Lot and The Midatlantic, who were duking it out for final votes during the ceremony as Best Band. While L Shape Lot came out on top, it did not deter the camaraderie between these Americana/bluegrass acts.

They closed out the night in a finale together with “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” As well, DREAMS music teacher Laura McLean and her band the New Riders of Calamity took the stage and killed it, especially with a smokin’ rendition of “She Bop.” Blueberry Creative caught all the fun on film! (So be sure to check out the pictures in the next four editions of encore, wherein we announce all winners.) Folks were dressed to the nines in ‘80s gear, including our crowned king and queen—as picked by TJ Dunn, founder of Wilmington Fashion Week, and judged by audience applause. Christian Podgaysky as Boy George and Stacia Sylvester donned all the right classics from the era, acid-wash jeans and fanny pack included.

Welcome, Best Of Wilmington class of 2015!

Tipping our hats to the crème de la crème of Wilmington By: Shea Carver & Christian Podgaysky

Above: Hannah Lynne Milojevich and Theo Milojevich kill it at encore’s Back to the ‘80s Best Of Party. Photo by Blueberry Creative

4 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

Goods & Services FLORIST

Ask Dana Cook about how many flowers Julia’s Florist orders annually and she will answer: “I know we ordered 5,600 stems for Valentine’s Day alone.”

Ask the shop owner about her favorite flower and the answer is Gloriosa Lily (or Flame Lily). Hailing from Africa, its leaves’ juices have been used for poisoned arrows by some of the tribes.

“It is a beautiful upside down orange, red or pink lily, with delicate petals that look like the flames from a fire,” Cook explains. “The lilies are harvested for homemade medicinal potions in India and Africa. These flowers are dangerously toxic if ingested. Traditional healers understand its toxic nature and use the plant to heal. The ground roots provide a cure for snake bites and scorpion stings, but in the wrong hands this plant is very dangerous. Beautiful, healing properties, and used to make poison tipped arrows … what is there not to like?”

Cook and her flower artists work boldly and with careful attention to brighten people’s day.

They have been watching smiles and tears across the faces of their recipients for years.

In fact, one of the sweetest memories comes from their quite impressive degree of customer service; they delivered a roomful of Birds of Paradise to a Chapel Hill hospital.

“After his daughter survived a double lung transplant, a father asked us to fill her room with her favorite flower,” Cook explains. “We made several arrangements and drove them up. With the entire room full of Birds of Paradise, her smiles made every bit of the twoand-a-half hour trip worth our while. We refer to that order as ‘Operation Birds.’”

Their most popular arrangement—and perhaps their favorite to fulfill—comes from the “Bright and Cheery Designer’s Choice.”

Here, their flower designers can showcase their skills and express freedom in doing so.

“They’re artists, and each arrangement is painted by their fingertips,” Cook says. “Every stem in the vase is placed with care and intention. We make sure each arrangement is delivered with a ‘designed by’ signature, because these talented artists deserve recognition for their work.”

Yet, Julia’s also appeals to gift-giving beyond flowers. They focus on cards, bath products, as well as Rob Ryan wedding plates and garden mugs, and Bethan Lowe’s vintage ornament line.

Whether customers want their gifts acknowledged by the sender or not, Julia’s always promises to keep their secret safe.

“The ‘Guess Who’ signature [often has] recipients calling and asking for help,” Cook says. “Occasionally, the sender requests that we don’t release their name, so we don’t.

Just call it: ‘Flower Confidential.’”

FLORAL GREATNESS: Dana Cook and her hubby, Jess, cuddle up to their win for Julia’s Florist as Best Florist 2015. Photo by Blueberry Creative

Fiore Fine Flowers and Lou’s Flower World rank second and third.

GYM

Spinning onto our poll for the first time is the ever-expanding O2 Fitness, which serves Wilmington healthnuts with two loca-

tions, in Mayfaire Town Center and Hanover Center. The state-of-the-art gym comes with numerous amenities, like a sauna, cardio getaway theatre, pilates reformers, express workout area, and even an indoor functional turf area.

Their group classes are varied for all levels of working out, whether folks wish to enjoy a little Zumba, Lesmills Bodyflow, yoga, cycling, or total body conditioning. They also have personal trainers staffed, ready to help

encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 5

buildings—one dedicated to garden items, one to their warehouse and two others full of furniture and accessories. He does whatever it takes to remain top-of-mind on the local market.

“It feels great knowing locals voted us the best!” he says. “There is a lot of competition out there, and we strive to be the best.”

Runners-up include Home Again Fine Consignments and The Eclectic Etc. in the consignment home-decor category, with Cape Fear Jewelry and Antiques and Uptown Market taking second and third in antiques.

everyone meet their fitness goals.

And no excuse warrants skipping a workout here—not even the kids. In fact, O2 offers childcare for its members to make health a priority Their childcare hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (with additional hours at Hanover Center on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.).

Folks who wish to give it a go can do a trial membership to ensure the gym is exactly up to speed. Once joining, they’ll have access to 12 fitness centers throughout NC, along with two free sessions with a personal trainer, not to mention over 50 group exercise classes each week, full strength and cardio training, and a better outlook on life.

Other gyms pumping onto our poll are Gold’s Gym and Planet Fitness.

DOCTOR

Wilmington Family Physicians’ very own Dr. Jeremy Holdsworth is the winner of our debut category, Best Doctor, for 2015.

Board Certified by ABFM in Family Medicine, with his medical degree from the University of Virginia, Dr. Holdsworth specializes in prompt, courteous care as a primary-care physician for patients all across New Hanover County.

Practicing for 16 years, and as one of 55 doctors at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center, he treats diverse health needs of

ART GALLERY

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN: The gals at Head to Toe Day Spa spunk it up at encore’s Back to the ‘80s Best Of party and score a win for Best Spa on the 2015 poll. Photo by Blueberry Creative

children and adults. His private office at Wilmington Family Physicians is located at 4141 Shipyard Boulevard where he and a group of other doctors offer services in adolescent care, adult medicine, dermatology, gynecology, routine care, sports medicine, urgent

care, and more. They accept numerous insurance groups, as well as Medicaid and Medicare Advantage. Patients can request an appointment through their interactive website, and can keep up with news from the practice, such as new services they offer, like FRAX. The fracture risk assessment is a bone density test, which estimates the risk of fracture over the next 10 years, as developed by the World Health Organization.

Other doctors checking in on our poll are Dr. Richard Gutsi (Magnolia Family Medicine) and Dr. Jessica Burkett (Wilmington Health Associates).

CONSIGNMENT/RESALE (HOME DECOR)

Thank you Wilmington for voting us Best Italian and Best Deli!

W I NNE R

SANDWICHES • SALADS PASTAS • DESSERTS 1101 S College Rd. • (910) 392-7529 www.ncatasteofitaly.com 6 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

Around the 3000 block of Market Street, four buildings stand full of treasures and unique finds in furniture, stemware, china, plant and garden finds, and so much more.

For over a decade now The Ivy Cottage easily runs our Best Consignment for Home Decor and Best Antique Shop categories.

Andrew Keller took over the store in 2013 and carries forth previous owner Sam Dunn’s vision of being the largest furniture consignment store in the Southeast (especially since her passing in January 2014).

“We have the best employees and reputation in Wilmington and the East Coast,” Keller beams. By staying honest and passionate with customers, Keller ensures The Ivy Cottage reaps great rewards in loyalty and trustworthiness. Whether folks are constantly asking for reclaimed wood furniture (“We can’t get enough of it!”) or Davenport desks or age-old drop-leaf dining tables or milk glass, items move and sell daily.

In fact, The Ivy Cottage’s merchandise which isn’t sold from consignors gets marked down 15 percent at 45 and 90 days during the 120-day run period. Consignors can remove any items before markdown dates.

“We keep the classic styles while also consigned to newest styles,” Keller notes. “I attend trade shows to keep up with the trends.”

Keller is constantly remodeling the four

Last year Bottega Art Gallery moved because, after being in business for nine years off Front Street between Grace and Chestnut, the lease on their location expired.

Owner Sandy Perotto, who has operated the gallery since 2009, is celebrating 10 years in business with a larger space and great events continuously in rotation.

“At the beginning I was doing monthly arts shows, but it was just too much madness for my brain, so I now do six shows a year,” she says. “I’d guesstimate I have personally hung close to 40 exhibits at Bottega.”

Now at 122 Princess Street, across from Manna, the gallery not only stays bustling from busier street traffic, but their outdoor patio is a perfect beer garden for people to imbibe on numerous fine wines and craft brews.

“This truly has been the best move we could have made,” Perotto notes.

The gallery hosts Tuesday drum circles and belly dancing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with $3 starving artist wine all night. On Wednesdays they do wine tastings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with live performances, while every fourth Saturday is their poetry slam with open mic in poetry offered alternately.

“Weekends are scattered with varying creative events and always house a great drink special,” Perotto says. “Most nights some impromptu music or art activity seem to form.

We are also open Mondays now, and we will be having outdoor events this summer since we have the space for it out back.”

Currently hanging is “Suspended Dermis” by artists Andrew Etherigde and Michael Polomik. However, this weekend on April 12 they will hang a new show, “Revolver Dolls,” from visual artist and cinema director Juliana Rodriguez. An opening reception will be Friday, April 17, at 6 p.m.

The staff at the gallery and wine bar make it a welcoming spot for all to enjoy. Addie Wuench, a local artist and member of the band Loose Jets, along with Emily Jones—jewelry maker with her company Loon Jewelry—sell their art in house. Along with Sterling Morris and Nick Reeves, as well as occasional help from Perotto’s mom and Alexa Rea, all customers become a part of the Bottega family.

“I [have tried] to create a space that I personally would want to hang out in,” Perotto notes. Plus, she constantly keeps the gallery reaching out into the community. “We have

done an exhibit which benefited Adopt an Angel that help homeless pets find homes,” she says. “We often hang pieces from artists with disabilities. I am hoping to do a show in the near future with all pieces created by individuals with developmental disabilities, a population which I have enjoyed working with in the past.”

Other galleries taking a spot on our poll include Eclipse at Blue Moon and Spectrum Art Gallery. —Shea Carver

SPA

Head to Toe whisks customers to a world where troubles seem far away and skin feels rejuvenated and beautiful. Their complete packages permit relaxation-seekers anything from a facial to a mud wrap and everything in-between. They offer the best in “manis and pedis” and provide a perfect destination for a girls’ day outing. As well, the pampering purveyors give cuts and styles or even make-up consultations.

The spa’s expansive list of services also includes waxing, sunless airbrush tanning, teeth whitening, chemical peels, nail enhancements, and an infared spa. For frequenters hoping to take a taste of paradise home, Head to Toe even offers a product line. Items from blinc, Biofreeze, Bio Iconic, and Boresha line their shelves.

To set up an appointment, go to http:// headtotoedayspa.com and prepare to experience pure bliss.

Dolling out white robes and clay masks in second and third place are Ki Spa and Tanglez.

GOURMET STORE

In recent years, people have been paying closer attention to what they put in their bodies. As such, holistic remedies and natural, fresh foods have taken precedence in the food industry. Local business Taste The Olive, helmed by owners Kymberlei and Scott DiNapoli, has earned the title of Best Gourmet Store.

Growing up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Kymberlei has long been accustomed to transparency as to where foods come from. Likewise, Scott’s Italian heritage and travels to Mediterranean countries have guided their culinary offerings at Taste the Olive. For the DiNapolies it’s all about getting back to the basics, which they do at their shop and its attached eatery, The Olive Cafe and Wine Bar. Their shelves evidence their affinity toward healthy fare. Their balsamic vinegars come aged, white or flavor infused. One of their biggest crowd-pleasers is the Aged 18-Year Traditional Balsamic, sure to complement any meal. Very Vanilla Bean, Razzy Raspberry and Wild About Butterflies top their list of flavored Balsamic vinegars.

Likewise, they offer olive oils, with flavors like Bursting with Basil, Under the Tuscan

Herb, Caliente Chipotle, Boldly Butter, or Wild Mushroom and Sage. Their racks also are stocked full of salts and spices, and natural body essentials to keep skin silky smooth.

Visit Taste the Olive’s website for a full list of tasty, healthy recipes to make with their products. Creamy goat cheese pesto and juicy grapefruit balsamic jelly top their list of delicious dishes.

Plus, adventurous minds can indulge in their private oil tastings and education classes or a cheese and wine pairing event. Folks can schedule one by calling (910) 256-6457. Try Tate the Olive out by heading over on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for half-price appetizers, wine and cheese pairings, chocolate and bourbon parings, and drink specials ($3 beers and $7 craft cocktails, and half-price bottles of wine).

Other locals keeping things fresh in the Best Gourmet Store category are Pine Valley Market and Temptations.

a brand spankin’ new one. Likewise, they’re filled to the gills with surfing accessories, like wetsuits, too.

Are you a beginner with all things nautical and gnarly? Never fear: Sweetwater offers rental options. Folks can check out a board perfect for a novice, as well as boogie boards and stand-up paddle boards. Their rates cary from partial-day, 5-hour, daily, or weeklong rentals.

If water sports aren’t your thing, Sweetwater also carries skateboards, men’s, women’s, and kid’s apparel, and more. From Vans, to sunglasses, to bathing suits, to hot brands like Billabong and Nike, they cover all the bases. Don’t forget to grab some sunscreen while you’re there, either. Most recently, Sweetwater Surf Shop even showcased their beach wares in The Swim Suit Issue Live at Wilmington Fashion Week.

Riding the waves into second and third place are Hot Wax and Bert’s.

SURF SHOP

HOTEL

Surf’s up, dude! Located near the tubular shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Wrightsville Beach, Sweetwater Surf Shop has been chosen by encore’s readership as Best Surf Shop 2015.

Stocked with over 300 surfboards, their catalog runs the gamut between old and new, long and short, performance and retro.

Surfers also can trade in their old boards for

For tourists and locals alike, the ultimate in luxury digs is Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach, which opened in June 1999. Featuring amenities on amenities, it’s no surprise they once again have been dubbed top dog in the Best Hotel category.

Their oceanfront accommodations usher in a host of people from around the country each year. As well, its the perfect place for

1/2 Price Sushi & Appetizers 5-7PM Every Day This Week AND 10PM-Midnight Fridays & Saturdays!

WINNER OF BEST SUSHI & BEST JAPANESE FOOD! MONDAY: Small Plates Night - $25 6-Course Flight ($35 inc.

2 oz. wine pairing) - $5 single plates / $6 Specialty Mojitos TUESDAY: Locals Night - 20% off Entrees all night! / $5 Specialty Cocktails WEDNESDAY: 80's Night - 80's Prices on Select Menu Items / $2 PBR / $5 Glass Pour Wine THURSDAY: Build Your Perfect Curry starting at $12 / $1 Sake Shots / $5 Sapporos FRIDAY: $2 Off Any Sake Bottle / $3 Select Asian Imports SATURDAY: Sake Bomb Saturday - $5 Bombs SUNDAY: 1/2 Off Bottles of Wine / Buy One, Get One (up to $10) Entrees, Curries, and Specialty Rolls

33 South Front Street ~ 2nd Floor ~ Wilmington, NC 28401 ~ (910) 763-3172 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 7

MOVEMENT IN ACTION: The crew from Back in Motion Chiropractic sported colorful wares at the encore Best Of party and won for Best Chiropractor 2015. Photo

by Blueberry Creative

a “staycation” or to put up visiting relatives.

No matter what the case, Holiday Inn offers a magical experience. They even have consistently placed in the top 20 of all Holiday Inns.

Head over to their website (www.wrights-

ville.holidayinnresorts.com) to take a virtual tour. Their propensity for a lavish stay yields an indoor heated pool and an outdoor pool. They advertise an airport shuttle, onisland subtle, and an oceanfront fitness center. For kiddies they have a state-of-theart playground, a playroom and an arcade.

Youngsters can play while parents work with activities coordinators to set up fishing charters, massages, tee times, and more. WiFi, a business center, and conference facility, make Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach a perfect fit for visiting companies.

When the sun goes down, people can take advantage of Gabby’s Lounge, which plays home to live music every Friday and Saturday night year-round. Likewise, their Lazy Daze Bar, which is open seasonally, dishes out the best in sandwiches and tropical beverages.

Hilton Wilmington Riverside and The Blockade Runner also have impressed local and tourists in the Best Hotel category.

CHIROPRACTOR

Since 1998 Back in Motion has provided affordable chiropractic care, specific to every patient. Their personalized care and passion has allowed them to prevail as Best Chiropractor for the third year running.

"We are passionate about our field of chiropractic care, because we can help people decrease and/or eliminate the aches, pain and illnesses their bodies have naturally without medication or surgery," Gina Policari, chiropractor with Back in Motion, says. "It is very rewarding when our satisfied patients refer friends, coworkers, and family."

For each person that walks in their door, Back in Motion takes into account age and the source of the trouble. Chiropractic care is a relatively new practice that can aid in anything from back pain to those pesky headaches. For many, the pain may be physical, but the issue can stem from stress and other nonphysical sources. Back in Motion caters to neck pain, children (the first five years of 8 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

life has a significant influence on the spine) or specialty care during pregnancy.

Upon a first visit, folks can meet with Dr. Policari or Dr. Michael Rosen. The consultation will comprise an in-depth examination of one's personal health profile and a discussion on what one specifically hopes to get out of the experience. The next step is a spinal analysis and examination, complete with xrays. The expert doctors will then go over the findings with the patient before venturing into the person's first table examination. In order to save time during the first visit, potential clients can head over to www.bimchiropractic. com to download their new patient forms, so they'll be filled out by the scheduled visit.

Likewise, their website features an abundance of information for novices to the chiropractic field. Techniques and a history of the practice are just a couple of the wealth of knowledge to be discovered. Folks can also peruse the FAQ link, which addresses many patients' burning questions.

"Changes in 2015 for us will be to learn more about the changing insurance codes to ICD-10 and implementing electronic health records," Policari tells. "No matter what the insurance or business aspects have in store for us, we will always care for our patients as family because their health comes first."

Set up an appointment today by contacting their offices (located at 6303 Oleander Drive, ste. 102-A) at (910) 313-1322. "We have seen the area's population grow [since opening], but we still love the warm and friendly people who make Wilmington and the surrounding areas be the treasure [Dr. Rosen and I] moved here for," Policari enthuses.

Other practices relieving pain locally are Russ Chiropractic and Sito Chiropractic. — Christian Podgaysky

Food & Beverage HOMEMADE SOUPS

Sweet n Savory, located on Pavilion Place off Eastwood Road near Wrightsville Beach, has been a mainstay in Wilmington for quite some time. Personally, I’ve been eating there for 17 years now thanks to a slew of their delicious handcrafted, gourmet sandwiches, hand-cut chips and some of the tastiest homemade soups in town. While the cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, no matter when you go, be sure to take a peek at their specials board. It’s like a smorgasbord of decadence, adding to the already lengthy menu of mouth-watering items.

Daily, their soups change. I can personally attest to the kale-and-sausage, chicken-andrice and tomato-basil varieties. But I can’t guarantee that’s what they’ll be scooping out upon your arrival. Rest assured, though, something will catch your tastebuds, whether it’s fajita steak and rice, or seafood chowder, or creamy beef and mushroom, or roasted corn, leek and potato. Literally, they’ve served every variation of soup imaginable on the planet throughout the years, with up to four or

SLURP ON! Janna Levy happily accepted the award for Sweet n Savory, which won Best Homemade Soups on the 2015 poll. Photo by Blueberry Creative

five offered daily. Amazingly so, owner Rob Shapiro’s new culinary team—Andrew Stanley, Brent Williams and Layne Mack—continue to churn out savory concoctions that always pair superbly with one of their many half sandwiches or even a salad dressed in their tasteful homemade dressings. And each order of soup comes with little pockets of homemade bread, made right in their inhouse bakery.

While food is what draws in the crowd here, Shapiro is constantly adding to SnS’s appeal.

They host live music in the cafe throughout the week to make dinner an even more enjoyable romp. Plus, they do wine tastings every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. To keep up with the cafe, be sure to sign up for their newsletter at www.sweetnsavorycafe.com.

Our readers also spoon out bites of greatness from Pine Valley Market and Michael’s Seafood in the Best Soup category.

WINGS

Boasting 33 flavors, all made from scratch, in orders as small as six and up to 50, in boneless or bone-in varieties, Wild Wing Cafe has the name that says it all: Best Wings 2015. Whether a traditionalist who just wants straight Buffalo-style—which starts at onepepper spice (medium) to six-pepper spice (Bravehearts)—or an adventurist who prefers sweet, spicy, bold, fun, or barbecue flavors, the cafe will make sure wing enthusiasts leave happy.

Their wings are always large and meaty, fried to perfection without being dry. As far as the flavor profiles, well, the Jalapeño Cheddar marries piquant fire with a creamy sharp taste, while the Old Yeller manages to take the South Carolina mustard-barbecue flavor

to greater heights. Honey-lime sriracha, Thai, Asian barbecue, and more round out the list.

Paired with their homemade blue cheese or ranch dressings, along with celery and carrot sticks, it’s a meal on its own.

And every Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., they offer a wing buffet. It includes a house salad or cup of soup and all-you-can-eat wings. Pair with them numerous daily beer, wine and cocktail specials, and the endless TVs scattered throughout the place, and it makes for a one-stop-shop for all the big games.

The Landfall Center location also hosts live music every weekend. Check out their music listings on encore’s Soundboard.

Other noteworthy wing spots include Buffalo Wild Wings and Copper Penny.

FOOD TRUCK

Locals love to reel in the flavors honed by Chef Keith Rhodes, who runs and operates Catch Modern Seafood on Market Street.

Now, fans can “Catch the Food Truck,” too, as Rhodes and his crew have become mobile with fresh seafood and organic produce, all served in the form of tacos, sliders and lip-smacking side dishes.

From parking at elementary school PTA functions, to local business parking lots, to events and festivals across town, to kickball tournaments, and even partaking in food truck rodeos across the state, diners looking for a taste can follow the truck on Facebook, Twitter and their website (http://www.catchthefoodtruck.com).

The menu is simple but flavorful, whether indulging in a pork-belly taco or crab-cake BLT slider or Rhodes’ famed white truffle and parmesan Brussels sprouts. Coming up on April 25, Catch the Food Truck will be at the Earth Day celebration at Hugh MacRae Park, plus they’ll be at the annual Thalian Association fundraiser, Orange Street Festival, on May 23 and 24 downtown. encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 9

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A SLICE FOR LATE-NIGHT: Stephen Worrell, Slice of Life owner Ray Worrell’s brother, accepted the Best Late Night Eatery award for the pizza parlor’s numerous locations. Photo by Blueberry Creative

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But folks need not wait for these events to enjoy the eats. Anyone who wants the truck to be a part of their next function can call Rhodes, too. He happily caters private parties, weddings, corporate outings, and more, through a specialized catering menu.

Other trucks parking it on our poll include Vittles and Flaming Amy’s Sacred Burrito Bus.

LATE-NIGHT EATERY

When moseying about downtown Wilmington after a night of imbibing, Best Late Night Eatery Slice of Life has your hunger pangs covered. The folks at Slice have been slinging drinks and tossing pies for 16 years now. Current owner Ray Worrell took over the business over a decade ago.

“I love the restaurant business, it’s been my life,” he proclaims. Taking home Best Ofs since 2005, the restaurant has become a Wilmington fixture. It’s the perfect place to take out-of-towners and provides locals with a bookend for nights out on the town.

They boast locations all across town, from Military Cutoff to Wirghtsville Beach to Monkey Junction. “Location, location, location,” Worrell attributes to the pizzeria and pubs’ success. Quality ingredients and an awesome staff contribute to their fame. Known for their pizza—customizable with an array of toppings and served by the pie or by the slice—Slice’s menu diversifies with quesadillas, tacos, nachos, and a slew of wings.

Soups and salads round out their selection for waist-watching patrons.

“When you get in your car and go to work, you [should] enjoy going, otherwise find something else,” Worrell advises to his success. He keeps up to date on industry standards with an annual visit to the Pizza Show in Vegas. Slice also cultivates a presence in the

community, routinely giving to local charities.

Philanthropy becomes especially sweet given the validation Wilmington continues to give. “[It] makes me feel good that the locals enjoy Slice of Life,” Worrell humbly states.

Midnight diners can sink their cuspids into Jimbo’s and Cookout.

FRENCH RESTAURANT

For the second year running, Best French Restaurant goes to Brasserie du Soleil on our 2015 reader's poll. Situated in Lumina Station, off Eastwood Road, near Wrightsville Beach, the quaint and cozy spot makes for the perfect date night, a meetup with friends, or even a lunch gathering. In fact, Brasserie has been hailed for their “build your own” salads, which come with a multitude of toppings to choose from. Paired with their onion soup gratinée, it becomes a delightful midday feast.

Whether dining on their crab and shrimp crêpe or mussels marinière and frites or country pâté (made fresh daily and served with cornichons, mustard and baguette), the outcome always sates the appetite. The restaurant also offers a slew of side dishes not to pass on, from carrot confit to haricots verts to boulangère potatoes.

Their daily specials can bring comfort, too.

For instance, Monday nights serve up fish and chips. Saturday takes on pork lovers’ appetites with côte du porc, slow-roasted pork loin lathered in fennel, garlic and pommes purée.

The Brasserie’s raw bar will appeal to pescatarians galore. Oysters, clams, mussels, and shrimp beckon diners for a taste of the fresh sea. And their appetizers shant be passed up either. The escargot is rich in decadence, while their charcuterie and fromage plates will make every night feel especially grand. A part of Ash Aziz’s Circa Restaurant Group, which includes Circa 1922, Osteria Cicchett, Towne Tap and Grille and Boca Bay, Brasserie knows how to keep customers returning.

Other French restaurants ranking on our poll are Caprice Bistro and Our Crêpes and More! —Shea Carver

ICE CREAM

A scoop of homemade ice cream and a leisurely stroll along the riverfront during warmer months comes easy with Wilmington’s Best Ice Cream/Frozen Dessert winner, Kilwin’s. The aroma from their waffle cones dares passersby to enter their Market Street location, located downtown at the foot of Market and Water streets.

Established in 1947, the creamery has been dolling out scoops of their original-ice cream so folks can indulge in sugary bliss.

Their signature ice creams and toppings, like rich, smooth fudge or caramel, makes every spoonful an explosion in the mouth.

Heated in a copper kettle, sweet corns and brittles are made on site. As well, patrons can see the Mackinac Island fudge paddled on marble tables. Their flavors skyrocket back to simpler times as folks bite into familiar tastes of childhood.

Scooped into the second and third spot are Boombalati’s and Fuzzy Peach.

LUNCH, SUB/SANDWICH SHOP,

With locations in the heart of Wilmington’s historic downtown, at Monkey Junction, and now at Wrightsville Beach (previously home to Gloria’s Italian Restaurant), Wilmington’s Best Lunch and Best Sub/Sandwich goes to Chop’s Deli.

After meeting each other while working late-night shifts at The Dixie Grill, Chris Graham and Brad Corpening cultivated a mutual respect. The two quickly realized they shared a passion and flair for sandwich-making—exceeding the effort exhibited by most burger slingers. From there the dynamic duo embarked on a trial and error culinary venture of their own. Placing emphasis on pushing boundaries Graham and Corpening began experimenting with sandwiches and soups.

Their efforts culminate in one of Wilmington’s most innovative menus. First-time diners are well advised to disregard their expectations of the traditional delicatessen. Each sandwich fuses ingredients so immaculately that it’s a sin to forego a single component of the sandwich. Their Amsterdam boasts a generous serving of pot roast, melted cheddar and a hearty, thick mushroom gravy that one can pour between the sour dough Kaiser roll at their own discretion.

Another favorite comes in the form of the Plymouth. The signature sandwich combines smoked turkey breast with Havarti, Granny Smith apples, and homemade cranberry relish served on whole wheat. The flavors coalesce so profoundly, it’s impossible not to get hooked with the first bite.

The locally operated deli doesn’t just thrive in the sandwich arena, their mac ‘n’ cheese—which they routinely change up— holds its own. As well, their soups regularly alternate and range from New England clam chowder, to tomato-basil gazpacho, to chilli and more. They perfectly complement any sandwich, too.

Satisfying appetites in second and third

place for Best Lunch are Sweet n Savory Bake Shop and Café and Wayfarer Deli and Bistro. Up for second and third place for Best Sandwich/Sub are Jimmy John’s and Jersey Mike’s.

HOT DOG

New York, with their myriad street vendors, isn’t the only location reveling in delicious hot dogs. Wilmington has its own answer to hotdiggity-dog splendor. Wilmingtonians have voted and Trolly Stop is the go-to place for Best Hot Dog. Venture back to 1976 when the very first Trolly Stop opened in Wrightsville Beach.

Upstarted by B.C. Hedgepath, Trolly Stop has turned over ownership numerous time over the years. After selling the establishment to Ron and Winnie Krueger, they continued to build the business until 1996, when they sold to Rick and JoDeane Coombs. The Coombs expanded the hot-dog stop by franchising into Carolina Beach and Southport. They're currently closed on Front Street, downtown Wilmington, for renovations.

Mom-and-Pop charm, along with fresh ingredients, have made their signature dogs weather the test of time. Eaters can choose from the all-beef Sabrett dog, the beef-andpork original trolly dog, the Carolina smoked sausage, the vegetarian option, or the fatfree turkey dog. Folks then can load it up with toppings from their specialty options—which include the American (deli mustard, chili and onions), the Surfer hot dog (deli mustard, melted cheese and vegetarian back bits)—or build their own. Armed with a boat-load of ingredients, there are over 1,000 ways to personalize one’s hot dog.

Trolly Stop doesn’t just stop at hot dogs, they also offer burgers and baked beans.

Folks can fully indulge by adding a bag of chips, fries, a milkshake, or a fresh dill pickle to their order.

Other local eateries dogging their way into the category are Island Hots and Paul’s Place.

DOGGONE DELICIOUS: Steve Durant and Kathy Walsh once again top off the Best Hot Dog category for The Trolly Stop, which has been unstoppable on our poll for more than a decade strong. Photo by Blueberry Creative

Pushing their take-out business to the next level, their website (www.hibachibistro. com) boasts an online ordering option, so meals will be ready promptly when you arrive to pick it up or eat in. And what is dining convenience without affordable pricing? Check

out their website, as they routinely update it with coupons.

Rounding out the category are Chopstix and Uncle Lim’s Kitchen.

SOUL FOOD, FRIED CHICKEN, BUFFET

Navigating the food industry proves tough; however, finding a niche that people respond to separates the persevering from the bygone. Taking Wilmington’s Best Buffet, Best Fried Chicken and Best Soul Food is Casey’s Buffet, Barbecue and Home

TAKE-OUT

For diners who are hungry and in a hurry but want to avoid the unhealthy pits of fastfood, take-out is an essential option. For folks who love Japanese food but maybe not the prices of a steakhouse restaurant, Hibachi Bistro, winner of Best Take-Out on encore’s reader’s poll, has the perfect remedy. Patrons can stop in at their College Road or Monkey Junction location.

Their offerings include items like chicken, shrimp, salmon, scallops, and steak served hibachi or teriyaki style. Entrées come with fried or steamed rice, onion and zucchini or sweet carrots.

Hibachi dishes also come in bowl form, served with fried or steamed rice, or diners can chow down on their hibachi noodle dishes. From their spicy Volcano Roll to their vegetable heavy California Roll, sushi tops their list of specialties, too. More so, all their delicious meals come in under $13. encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 11

Cookin’, which has prevailed on our local scene since opening June 4th, 2005.

Working in the restaurant industry for 20 plus years, owner Larry Casey has been living the American dream and learning a lot of lessons along the way. But he’s always stayed true to his motto for serving soul food “just like mom used to make.”

“Casey’s goes the extra mile,” he states.

“The customer is king at Casey’s—every customer is treated equally. We are grateful for each and every [diner].”

Exceeding the conventional buffet archetype, Casey’s accommodates the desires of all patrons. If one makes a special request, it’s likely they’ll receive it. As well, dishes that date back to the 1800s pervade their bountiful spread. Frequenters can pile their plates with pulled-pork, chitterlings (chitlins), chicken gizzards, pot roast, meatloaf, and every conceivable Southern cuisine inbetwixt. Plus, their golden-brown fried chicken completes any meal.

“We are the only restaurant in Wilmington who serves whole, on the bone, farm raised catfish,” Larry says.

Cooked vegetables and hearty mac n’ cheese are also supplied in heaping portions.

A Casey’s meal simply requires second stomach or a second visit—no menu fixin’ should go un-sampled.“It’s always an amazing feeling to be recognized by our customers,” Casey admits. No matter how long a restaurateur remains in business, diners’ appreciation al-

ways validates.

Never settling, Casey’s will expand this year with a banquet room, more catering, and a food truck.

Cooking up a smorgasbord in second and third place for Best Buffet are Golden Corral and Boca Bay. The Basics and The Sawmill satisfy appetites for second and third in Best Soul Food, while Smithfield’s and Bojangles sizzled into the Best Fried Chicken category.

VEGETARIAN

Vegetarians long have struggled finding restaurants that cater to their needs. Their love for animals and devotion toward monitoring the health effects of what they put into their bodies are often ignored by restaurants.

However, in Wilmington, vegetarians can rejoice in the deluge of vegetarian-minded eateries around town, including 2015’s Best Vegetarian Food winner, Epic Food Co. Diners can begin the day with a breakfast burrito or egg bowl. They can choose from egg whites or whole eggs, and load up on toppings. Epic Food Co. offers the Epic Pico, which consists of spinach, jack or cilantro yogurt, or the veggie option, comprising spinach, chopped tomato and basil.

For dinner, pescetarians can enjoy the fresh salmon special. As well, customers can sink their cuspids into sides, like sticky brown rice, sauteed seasonal veggies, quinoa salad, kale salad, a roasted sweet potato, and

more. Dishes can be washed down with a beverage, like their naturally flavored waters, or from their beer—including several brewed in NC—or their wine lists. As well, they offer daily specials.

Kids, who eat free on Monday and Friday nights, can enjoy a natural peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Take-out options and catering also line their list of services, or locals can munch on their fresh, to-go casseroles, offered in a baja, curry or veggie stir-fry options.

Just call 10 minutes in advance and order, take the casserole home, and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes on 350 degrees. They will last for two months if frozen.

Also sating herbivorous palates in the Best Vegetarian Food category are Lovey’s and Sealevel City Gourmet.

CATERER

Serving Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, Middle of the Island Catering has been serving delicious spreads since 1959.

Their seafood and Southern fare, as well as their expert staff, have earned them bragging rights in encore’s Best Catering Service category, which they’ve taken home since 2013.

“We have many great customers, but also some great competitors, which keeps us always focused on providing the best possible experience,” C.M. Rogers tells.

The caterers provide for over 200 weddings per year, an effort that has landed

them mentions in WeddingWire’s Couples’ Choice Awards and Bride’s Choice Awards, as well as several nods in The Knot’s Best of Weddings picks.

Since their humble beginnings, they’ve evolved to be able to manage almost any caliber event in a 400-mile radius. They serve thousands of people at fundraisers, business events and everything in-between.

Their full-service menus include everything from The Presidential Buffet—which encompasses beef tenderloin, jumbo lump crab cakes, a baked potato bar, four-cheese, tricolored tortellini in pesto, and more—to The Southern Buffet—which doles out pulled-barbecue pork, barbecue chicken, fried chicken, roast beef, roast pork, and choice of six side items, like green beans, yellow corn, mashed potatoes, among others.

Likewise, their drop-off menu, best-suited for smaller events, invites customers to choose two of their mouth-watering entrées, three sides, and one dessert. Rates vary from $9.49 per person to 8.99 per person, depending on crowd size. There also is a $20 delivery charge, and Middle of the Island provides plates, cups, silverware, serving spoons, bagged ice, and sweet and unsweetened tea.

As well, they offer a backyard burger shack option for cookouts. Folks can choose from the backyard cookout, pulled pork and chicken feast, jerk shack/island style, and family gathering options. One staff member is required per 25 diners, with a $100 rate per

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to make a great project,” Hamilton humbly says. “Not to pat us on the back, but you can criticize whatever about the film, but you can’t deny that it was funny as woah!”

Hamilton’s latest project with his and Jay James’ production company, Liv Life Entertainment, will be entitled “Beautifully Insecure.” The film will tell the story of a young woman living with alopecia, who struggles with telling the love of her life. Folks impressed by “The Greatest Sex I’ve Ever Had” who would like to help “Beautifully Insecure” can check out www.aplopeciamovie.com.

Runners up in the Best Local Independent Film category were Joseph A. Covas’ “TwoEleven” and Best Local Filmmaker Brannigan Carter’s “Get Up.”

THESPIAN

CATERING TO THE BEST: Lisa Laverick, Theresa Wicker and Elizabeth Lee accept Middle of the Island’s win for Best Catering for the second year in a row. Photo by Blueberry Creative

staff member needed.

For a full list of rates people can look over their website (www.middleoftheisland. com). “It feels absolutely wonderful to be recognized for all of our staff’s hard work,” Rogers tells.

Rounding out the category are Pine Valley Market and A Thyme Savor. —Christian Podgaysky

Arts, Media, and Entertainment INDEPENDENT FILM

“Honestly, I pray to God for great ideas, and this was one of them,” Nakia Hamilton, director of local feature film “The Greatest Sex I’ve Ever Had,” details.

“I was displeased with the way virgins, relationships and sex are portrayed in films,” Hamilton says of the film’s inspiration. “I wanted a film that told a biblical side about sex, but [that] was also super funny!”

“The Greatest Sex I’ve Ever Had” addresses these issues by focusing on three couples with relationship issues that try to handle matters themselves. They strive to achieve sexual liberation in their committed relationships, but their attempts are marred by fear, selfishness and comical mistakes.

With an eye-catching title and a cast and crew full of heart, the comedic film earned enough of a following to secure the “e” for Best Local Independent Film. Though it was an official selection for the NC Black Film Festival, which was held in Wilmington two weeks ago, and the Charlotte Black Film Festival, Hamilton, who began as a musician before dedicating his live to God, notes love wasn’t always the emotion shown toward the

film. Before a single scene had been captured on film, he was assailed by online critics who were outraged merely by the title. “They assumed,” Hamilton says. “And you know what happens when you do that!”

Outside voices weren’t the only ones showing concern, Hamilton felt displeased with the film’s first cut. He just didn’t see the onscreen chemistry happening, which led him to briefly kill the project. Eventually, He recommitted to the project and shot with some new cast members, but, unfortunately, little to no budget.

“The lead cast (RayShawn Smith, Nikkita Johnson, Crystal Nicole, Justin Brugos, Carla Stanley) set the tempo and just really inspired me,” Hamilton tells. “[It] was a great experience.”

However, as production continued and the pressure of time and money began to truly sink in, a hilarious adventure that wasn’t part of the script occurred. Hamilton’s devotion to see the project through led him to begin shooting in a hotel without permission. As would be expected, the hotel staff was less than pleased to see two men with cameras and mics following around a man in his PJs and a woman in romantic nightwear.

“They just knew we were filming a porn,” Hamilton recalls with a laugh. “I was going to explain, but once I realized we hadn’t told them the name of the film yet, I knew we never had a chance. So we just left.”

All mishaps and successes aside, “The Greatest Sex I’ve Ever Had” managed to wrap, and the finished product clearly is nothing to scoff at. It premiered at TheatreNOW in October 2014. Since it’s been shown at UNCW, and it’s currently available on Amazon, Roku, Reelhouse, and the film’s website (www.greatestsexmovie.com). “We are going to continue to sell it and show it until we die,” Hamilton quips.

What’s more, though Hamilton has made four other films, “The Greatest Sex I’ve Ever Had” marks his first feature-length project.

“I think it was local people coming together

Local theatre productions are blessed with a vast, worthy pool of talent. Each year hundreds of Port City residents give Broadway a run for their money. In 2015 Mary Beth Redman, who also is a massage therapist, takes home the gold in encore's reader's poll as Best Local Thespian.

"I have always had a true love and motivation toward theatre and performance in general," Redman tells. "It was ingrained in me at a very young age. As a child my brothers, sisters, cousin and I would all put on full out plays, musicals and various singing performances."

She began singing in church around age 5 and continued to perform throughout high school. Redman burst onto the scene in 2012 in the musical "9 to 5." She was nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Actress (Musical) in the 2012 Wilmington Theater Awards.

"I will always and forever be thankful to Tom Briggs, Mike Thompson and Amanda Equality Hunter (stage and music directors) for giving me my first role in almost 10 years in 2012 as Dora Lee Rhodes in Thalian Hall's musical, '9 to 5,'" Redman proclaims. "I had the time if my life in that show and am forever thankful that they believed in me and helped inspire me to follow my dreams!"

She was nominated for Best Thespian in encore's poll in 2014, but this year has proven to be her year. She was featured in Thalian Association's "Of Mice and Men," directed by Tom Briggs, in March 2014.

"Playing the role of Curley's wife was definitely a growing experience for me as an actress, Redman tells. "Tom really helped me get to know the rawness of the character. I started to empathize so much with her and all the undeserved ridicule she had to undergo (I was also the only woman in the cast which was a different but cool experience too). The play was set in the 1930s, before the height of women's rights movement, so getting to know this character was also a solid reminder of how very far we have come in respect to women's rights."

encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 13

Though she continues to perform in fundraisers for The Carousel Center, a nonprofit for abused children in Wilmington, she's taken a break from theatre auditions in order to advance her music career.

"Receiving recognition for something you sincerely love to do is a really amazing feeling," Redman admonishes. "I have been so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people in the theater/film/music community here in Wilmington. It's hard not to get inspired! It has felt beyond amazing to feel the love and support of my peers, and I am beyond thankful for the recognition I have received."

Other thespians getting votes are Chase Harrison and Heather Setzler.

DANCE CLUB

Wilmington is known for its residents’ flair for fancy footwork. When the weekend rolls around and the groove enters the soul, there’s no better place to get down than 2015’s Best Dance Club, Goodfellas.

With a fully stocked bar and plenty of room to let those feet do the talking, folks can head over to 106 Market Street to enjoy a night out at Goodfellas. Live DJs will keep the beats pulsing throughout the night, and many note the affordable drinks purveyed at the bar.

Spanning two floors, Goodfellas offers a quaint sport’s bar on the third floor and a dance lounge on the second floor. Their

dance area features loads of entertainment, with dancers and a VIP section.

Dim lighting and lavish decorations add to Goodfellas’ ambiance. Strobe lights, a festively lit bar and pool tables also usher in plenty of fun, too. The establishment makes for the perfect place to let off steam, as friendly staff members and barkeeps ensure things run smoothly.

Dancing up a storm in second and third place are Pravda/Sputnik and Ibiza.

LOCAL WRITER

Raised in the community of Bethesda, just outside Durham, Clyde Edgerton’s North Carolina roots run deep. To his name, he is credited with the Guggenheim Fellowship, Lyndhurst Prize, honorary doctorates from UNC-Asheville and St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, the North Carolina Award for Literature, and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. With accolades like these, it’s no surprise he won Best Local Writer in encore’s 2015 reader’s poll.

A creative writing professor at UNCW, Edgerton lives here with his wife and their children. He’s written 10 novels, an advice book, a memoir, and an endless list of essays and short stories. Hisfive books “Walking Across Egypt,” “Killer Diller,” and “Raney,” even have made their way to the big screen as they were adapted into films.

Several of his writings also have made

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their way to the stage; in fact, “Raney" will make its debut at TheatreNOW this summer.

Plus Edgerton is distinguished as having of his novels breach the list of New York Times notable books. Likewise, his short stories have been published in New York Time Magazine, Best American Short Stories, Southern Review, Oxford American, Garden & Gun, among other publications.

Never short on talent, Edgerton is a well-received painter (he’s this year’s Azalea Festival featured artist) and he dabbles in musicianship. He’s performed with other notable musicians like Jim Watson, Mike Craver, Jack King, and Matt Kendrick.

Other local wordsmiths churning out great reads are encore’s own Gwenyfar Rohler and April Vickery.

MUSIC VENUE

Referred to as the cradle of music for the Carolinas, Ziggy’s has been operational in Winston-Salem, NC, for 25 plus years. In 2013 the music haven officially opened its doors in Wilmington, ushering in a host of head boppin' concerts. Nominated as the best thing to happen to the Port City in last year’s reader’s poll and winning Best Live Music Venue, Ziggy’s by the Sea once again earned favor with locals in 2015.

“Personally, I’ve been in the live shows/ venue [business] for 10 years, and it just clicks for myself and for the owners of the business [Jay Stephens],” Aaron Flahardy, regional marketing manager for Ziggy’s, tells.

Whether it’s rock, reggae, country, or EDM, Ziggy’s brings the best and brightest acts locally. Diversity is the name of the game. Folks routinely can see tour busses and a line outside the door, as they bring the who’s who of the music industry locally. Their centralized downtown location makes it easy to enjoy a show and indulge in Wilmington nightlife all in one trip. With an expansive downstairs floor space and a large balcony overlooking the stage, the venue revels in great acoustics and plenty of breathing room.

Last year alone, Ziggy’s hosted the likes of Charleston-based Americana sensation Shovels and Rope, Plain White T’s, Steep Canyon Rangers, Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, and more. With so many not-tobe-missed performers gracing their stage, the win comes as no surprise.

“Acknowledgement period is appreciated,” Flahardy says. “The kindest words have the simplest, ‘you guys deserve it’ [or] ‘great job’ creates that sense of appreciation that motivates us [as] the staff to strive harder to win again!”

Turning toward 2015, Ziggy’s has a plethora of new features. They’ve kicked off their Hoops and Hops program, which takes place Sundays and Mondays. The event beckons hula hoop and craft-beer lovers to party the night away.

As well, Reggae Sundays have recently become a staple for the local haunt. With only a $3 cover, the venue brings in Caribbe-

an-inspired acts and offers up $2 Red Stripe and $3 whiskey. Flahardy implores folks to stay up to date via their website (www.ziggysbythesea.com), teasing that there are a number of hot shows slated for summer and winter 2015.

Likewise, a number of charities and fundraising events once again will benefit from the venue’s generosity. Ziggy’s donates tickets to events and also works with the Downtown Business Alliance and Wilmington Police Department Recreations Association to hone in on what the community needs and wants.

“We serve our customers with quality entertainment, so we strive to bring the best for all,” Flahardy professes.

Bringing tunes locally in the number two and three spot for Best Live Music Venue are Greenfield Lake Amphitheater and Brooklyn Arts Center. —Christian Podgaysky

COMEDY TROUPE

Five to eight members make up Wilmington’s Best Comedy Troupe, Nutt House Improv, who have taken the coveted “e” for quite a few years now. Made up of Dave Dimmurro, Colton Demonte, Steve Marcinowski, Mike Henniger, Jon Ripley, Tyler Wood, and Timmy Booth, the group takes over Dead Crow Comedy Room every Wednesday at 9 p.m.

“We started performing at the [former] Nutt Street Comedy Room [in the basement of the now-defunct Soapbox] in December 2009,” Jon Ripley says. “We have been performing every Wednesday since.”

Their show features various sketches, made up on the fly and with audience participation. The audience is often asked to provide ideas on people, places and things to get the troupe going. The comedians then embark on long- and short-form interactive improv games. The best part: The laughter comes for only $3.

Though Dead Crow is the troupe’s homebase, they’ve participated in events at the NC Comedy Arts Festival, as well as in various local events, like Port City Comedy Festival and even the Wilmington Wine and Food Festival.

Other comedy troupes laughing onto the poll include Pineapple-Shaped Lamps and The Comically Impaired.

MUSEUM

Stimulating a child’s imagination and providing an educational, fun experience for the family, the Children’s Museum of Wilmington takes Best Museum for the first time on our reader’s poll. Their playful, hands-on, interactive exhibitions and ongoing events can turn any ordinary day in the Port City into something magical!

Located at 116 Orange Street, the museum opens daily at 9 a.m. (closed Mondays; Sundays, 1 p.m.) for folks to explore exhibits like “Ahoy, Wilmington,” which welcomes all scallywags onto the pirate ship, or visit “Secret Cove Under the Sea” for language workshops, reading circles and book clubs.

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a HEALTHY RIVER WINS! Michael Ussery, Cape Fear Riverkeeper Kemp Burdette and Suzi Walter accept the award for Best Environmental Group. Photo by Blueberry Creative.

Special events rotate daily, such as StoryCOOKS, held every Thursday. Here, kids learn about food through story time (they also can join the museum’s Kids Cooking Club, held on Tuesdays). From Toddler Time to Adventures in the Arts on Fridays, to sports training and games through Thursdays BodyRock to STEM’s Wednesday explorations, there is always something to learn and enjoy.

Memberships are up for grabs annually, too, and range from $100 to $250. Members are admitted free always, and normal admission prices are $8.75 to $9.75 daily. To keep up with the museum’s calendar, visit them online at www.playwilmington.org.

Cameron Art Museum and Cape Fear Museum are second and third on the poll.

Humanitarian & Environmental ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP

Kemp Burdette is quick to say he has the best job in the world. At his hands is the upkeep of our treasured Cape Fear River. The Riverkeeper leads encore’s Best Environmental Group, Cape Fear River Watch, for the third year running. And, boy, are Burdette’s hands busier than ever these days.

“Recently, there has been a lot of public attention on coal ash, but we’ve been working on this issue for years,” Burdette informs.

The organization has pressured Duke Energy to clean the ponds, and even sued them last year for contaminating groundwater and Sutton Lake. “We will continue to push for clean-up of these hazardous waste-filled pits that sit right on the Cape Fear River,” Burdette notes.

In fact, up and down the river, industrialscale factory-farms continue polluting with

animal waste regularly released into our waterways. Burdette works closely with the county’s zoning ordinance. “We will be working to make sure [it] stays strong and allows the public to have a voice in decisions to bring heavy, and highly polluting, industry to our densely populated county.”

Likewise, the Cape Fear River Watch fights for restoring migratory fishing populations. “In fact our economy depends on the river and the environment,” Burdette says. “If we don’t do a better job of protecting and improving the river, we will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Shortterm economic gains at the expense of clean water will lead to long-term and permanent economic ruin for our community.”

The river watch leads programs galore throughout the community annually. They host an educational seminar and breakfast at their headquarters at 617 Surry Street every first Saturday of the month. They even cook a free pancake breakfast for attendees. On the second Saturday, they do an open cleanup, wherein community members gather to help collect trash at a set destination. On the third Saturday through November they host paddles on a local waterway.

“Each one is different and each one explores a unique part of the river,” Burdette says. “We rely on our community in many ways. Much of the work we do is only possible because of volunteers.’

Memberships are $25 annually. CFRW also depends on eyes of the public to help spot problematic areas throughout the year. “Most of the incidents that we respond to are first reported by citizens who see something that just doesn’t look right—and they call to report it,” Burdette says. “We stopped a sewer spill not long ago this way.”

Other environmental groups marching onto our poll include the Stop Titan Action Network and the Surfrider Foundation.—Shea Carver

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SPECIALTY SHOWS:

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www.983thepenguin.com encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 15

news > live local

Live Local Live Small:

“I

was coming back from the [Full Belly Project] shop and there was a group of teenagers on bicycles, grouped around the old A&P store. Immediately, I thought Oh, no … it’s after dark.

They’re up to no good. Then, I realized they were looking at the art and taking pictures of it,” Jock said with a chuckle, as he walked toward the kitchen for a beer.

Unwittingly he had just demonstrated the power of the art installation starting to wrap around the old A&P building at the corner of 11th and Princess Street.

Approximately 3-feet tall black-and-white photos of residents of the neighborhood are displayed on the side of the building.

To say it is eye-catching is the understatement of the year. One could point to its excitement beginning when the flyers went up last month announcing that CFCC photography students were going to take portraits of neighborhood residents. Like most things in life, there has been a lot of planning and effort to get it intsalled.

If you have had breakfast at the Princess Street Folks Café in the last two and half years, there is a chance you have heard Bill Farris discuss his dreamed-of community photography project. Farris is quick to give credit to Alan Swart for turning him on to the a TED Talk by French graffiti artist JR—who espouses a very similar project. Farris points to help received from Rhonda Bellamy at the Arts Council and Frankie Roberts of LINC, as well as Jennifer Mace’s class at Cape Fear Community College. For Farris, this has been a passion project.

“For this neighborhood, it would be a great idea to change focus to the human infraustrue and start some conversations we talked about,” Ferris explained. “We just never could get

A new art installation insights conversations about community betterment By: Gwenyfar rohler

together because the price tag was pretty big (the printing was $5,000). Then, Jennifer Mace at the community college got a small grant.”

Ferris grinned and explained that Rhonda Bellamy suggested this project as a way to spend the grant. Farris already knew Jennifer from auditing her black-andwhite photography class, and it just came together at the perfect time. We were standing across the street and looking at the art installation when he told me this.

“Good morning!” Melvina, proprietress of the Azalea Laundry (which we were standing in front of), greeted us.

“Good morning, Melvina,” I responded.

“We’re talking about the art installation.”

“Isn’t it fun? Are you up there?” she asked.

“No, but Jock is.”

“Oh, I see!” She pointed to his picture. “Yeah, I missed it, too. I wish it would stay there forever.”

“We told the building owner it would be two weeks,” Farris responded. He then pointed out a gentleman who has passed away since his picture was taken.

“Oh, that’s sad. You should put up a sign,” Melvina commented.

She left to start her day and Ferris made the point that what just happened is exactly the purpose of this project: To create conversations among the inhabitants of our neighborhood and to ask questions, like, “What do you like about the neighborhood?” or “What would you like to see change?”

Now is an especially interesting time for our neighborhood to have these conversations.

Above: Art installation at 11th and Princess streets, done by Cape Fear Community College students from Jennifer Mace’s photography class. Photo by Shea Carver 16 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

Situated between the prosperous historic district of downtown and the gentrified, nowdesirable historic district overlay (the “12th and Chestnut Neighborhood”), as Ferris described it in the project proposal, it seems to have fallen into the cracks. From the proposal: “According to the 2010 Census, the project area has a population of about 800 people. Forty-four percent are minorities.

Only 11 percent of the population includes older people, which is lower than the city as a whole. The median household income for the 12th/Chestnut neighborhood is $17,700, which is only 36 percent of the county median. The neighborhood is in a census tract where people are very poor: 44 percent have incomes below the poverty level, and 52 percent are near poor with incomes at or below 125 percent of the poverty level. At the time of the census, 28 percent of the neighborhood workers were unemployed and an additional 20 percent worked less than 26 weeks in the prior 12 months. Education is an issue.

The census estimates that 33 percent of the population of the census tract does not have a high-school diploma—1 in 3.”

I would say that right now our neighborhood is on the cusp, and this project and the conversations it creates are essential to getting us to the next step. Next door to Melvina’s laundromat, a new music recording studio has moved into the neighborhood, and a couple doors over, Raquell’s Hair Salon is thriving. I ran into Raquell on the street last week (which

happens pretty often when I walk home).

Raquell is one of those really smart, really competent women who doesn’t talk about herself very much. You have to ask really pointed questions, otherwise, she is far too polite to sing her own praises. “Actually, I’m expanding,” she said in her quiet but proud voice, with a big smile.

March 1 was the one-year anniversary of signing the lease and starting to upgrade the space. She and her business have been a wonderful asset to our neighborhood, with a calm, steady hand at the tiller, bringing positive focus to moving forward. It is so great to have her around. To hear that she is doing well enough to expand was the best news of the week.

Along those lines, Tidal Creek Co-Op has announced in several local media outlets they are beginning to look at a possible relocation downtown. Given their target market, the move should be a no-brainer, but these things do happen slowly. Our neighborhood has been actively campaigning (including a petition) to get them to move into a space on Princess Street. To have a viable grocery store that serves both real groceries and the more esoteric wants of the bohemian set would put more people working and spending in our part of town than we have had in years.

More so, think of how many people you see that you stop and talk with when you go grocery shopping. If you want to get to know your neighbors, you should shop for food in your

neighborhood. Until recently, our neighborhood’s only real food sources were three corner stores: on 17th and Market, on 10th and Chestnut, and on 12th and Chestnut. With convenience-store prices and selections, they don’t really meet the needs of a family of four on a tight budget. The store on 12th and Chestnut, which has long been a source of much controversy within our neighborhood (including the fatal shooting of at least one young man in the last two years), was shuttered last fall. It left many people without that option for groceries and other services.

For those of us who have lived here for any length of time, we didn’t hold our breath in hopes that any real, permanent change was coming to that blighted corner. Then, on a perfectly normal and chilly Friday afternoon in February, the gentleman who owned the property of the shuttered convenience store walked into the Full Belly Project office (11th and Chestnut) to hand a singed, notarized copy of the deed of the property to Full Belly.

Full disclosure: I have a long and intimate relationship with the founder of Full Belly Project, Jock Brandis, that makes me a very biased information source—so biased, in fact, that I went out to dinner and drinks with Jock to celebrate this unexpected largess.

Jock and Full Belly’s executive director, Daniel, spent the next week scrambling to get the utilities turned back on to the building for the tenants. They began formulating a game plan for what to do next. Between informal

meetings with the City of Wilmington planners and the rotating group of neighbors dropping by to discuss the news, Jock and Daniel realized the affordable housing on the second floor was really important to residents in the area. Many of the houses nearby have been subdivided and turned into Section 8 rentals.

After the crash of 2008, suddenly, the area was filled with “For Sale” signs. Clearly, absentee landlords were over-extended and trying to get out. Thus, there are plans to upgrade the apartments. In the meantime, the two men are taking an informal straw poll from the neighborhood about its long-term uses.

Several people have pointed out the need for a job-training and placement center or an outreach medical clinic. In the short term, there is a plan to put people to work restoring the building to its original historic façade as the Justice Grocery Store.

With all this brewing, it feels like our neighborhood might be nearing a new era of stability and maybe even prosperity. Farris, former town manager for Leland and former city manager for Wilmington, points out that this kind of change, the direction and the action, needs to come from the community. City Hall is interested in what we are doing and is in the process of making resources readily available to us. But we the people—the faces on that wall—need to talk with each other and work together to make our neighborhood a place for people to thrive.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Ken Lavigne: The Road to Carnegie Hall

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ments still have not halted the sewage flow into the bay.

— Despite the skepticism of a few tech writers, the Internet pornography super-site Pornhub insists that it is developing a wristband that stores energy (enough to power a cellphone) that can be generated by the “up and down” motion of masturbation. Pornhub announced in February that it will soon begin recruiting human testers for its Wankband.

Wait, What?

An unarmed man, suspected of no crime, who three years ago was shot 16 times by police while lying in his bed, told a Seattle Times reporter in March that he bears no ill will for the cops who shot him. Said Dustin Theoharis, now 32, “Sometimes (police) make mistakes.” Theoharis was napping in a friend’s house in Puyallup, Washington, when police arrived to arrest the friend’s son, and when Theoharis reached for his ID, one officer imagined a gun, and the two officers opened fire, hitting Theoharis in the jaw, both upper arms, both lower arms, wrist, hand, shoulder, abdomen and both legs. He spent months in a hospital and skilled nursing facility and today is largely immobile and unable to

work. (He “won” legal settlements totaling $5.5 million, but one-third went to lawyers, and much of the rest has paid medical bills.)

Can’t Possibly Be True — Update: According to the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, it appears that some of the 2016 Summer Olympics aquatic events will take place among floating household trash and raw sewage in Guanabara Bay (although Mayor Eduardo Paes noted to the Associated Press in March that the events are scheduled for the “cleanest part” of the bay). To acquire the games, organizers had promised a massive cleanup, but now, with 500 days to go, Paes conceded that the goals will not be met and that, indeed, infrastructure improve-

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Compelling Explanations — According to the 17-year-old bicyclist who was broadsided by a motorist at rush hour in Sheffield, England, on March 6, a woman at first alighted from the car to help.

However, upon seeing the extent of the cyclist’s injuries, she apologized and walked away, telling the sprawled-out victim that her children were in the car and would be “scared” to see all that blood — and so she would drive them on to school. (Witnesses provided a description of the vehicle, but the hit-and-run driver was still at large.)

— Trying to stake out a position on the Paris murders of the staff of Charlie Hebdo magazine, Pope Francis in January told an audience during his Philippines tour that freedom of speech is important, but that there are limits. “If my good friend Dr. (Alberto) Gasbarri (who organized the pope’s visit and was standing at his side) says a curse word against my mother,” Francis said, “he can expect a punch.” He then “threw” a mock “punch” toward Gasbarri. (The Vatican press office was later moved to clarify that violence in God’s name can never be justified.)

Cultural Diversity Super-Protective Parenting: Standardized placement exams are typically far more determinative of student success in Asian countries than the United States, and in March in some testing centers in India’s Bihar state, “traditional” rampant cheating became grotesque. Dozens of parents were seen climbing outside walls of one center (to pass answers and notes to the students), reminiscent of movie depictions of Santa Anna’s army scaling the walls of the Alamo. The week-long secondary school exams, testing 1.4 million students, had early-on seen 400plus students expelled, nine bags of cheat sheets confiscated, and at least seven parents arrested. However, officials admitted that their security forces were overmatched by parents desperate to assist their children.

Awesome!

Chicago’s WGN-TV was forced to apologize in March for a misjudgment in booking its “Morning Show” after an unconventional “circus” performer, in a live-television publicity segment, took a power saw to a metal box affixed to her crotch. “Dancer” Shana Vaughan-Gabor, of the Cirque De La Femme, created a dazzling shower of sparks, provoking the male host to first demand that

the camera cut away, but then admitting, “I’ve been waiting my whole life to meet a woman like this.” In the follow-up segment, a group of children who had witnessed the scene used descriptions like “creepy” and “stinky,” but Vaughan-Gabor later urged the station to “save the children from ‘boring’ (entertainment).”

The Litigious Society In March, the Administrative Office of the Courts revealed a slight increase in federal litigation in 2014, but a much larger increase in prisoner lawsuits. Leading the upturn was Dale Maisano, 63, serving 15 years for aggravated assault, who last year alone filed 3,613 cases concerning his Florence, Arizona, facility. Counting previous prison stints, Maisano has filed 6,076 complaints against various officials and prison system healthcare providers. (In a 2014 USA Today report, Maisano volunteered that he himself “could use some mental health help.”)

Unclear on the Concept In March, the investment bank Credit Suisse Group AG agreed to pay $16.25 million to settle a client’s charges that Credit Suisse gave faulty investment advice on two acquisitions by Freeport-McMoRan (one of the world’s largest producers of copper and gold). Actually, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Freeport will receive only $10 million in cash. The remaining amount it agreed to accept, to make up for Credit Suisse’s faulty advice, is $6.25 million worth of future investment advice.

Is This a Great Country or What?

Ion Productions of Cincinnati is eager to sell “the world’s first commercially available hand-held flamethrower” — the XM42, which could shoot 25-foot flames and costs between $700 and $800. Ion announced in March that it was seeking additional funding, touting the device’s uses (“killing insects,” “eliminating weeds between pavement cracks,” “melting snow,” “entertaining friends”) and assuring potential buyers that portable flamethrowers are less regulated than handguns. (Only California and Maryland legislators, and a few city or county officials, appear to be on top of the issue of amateur flame-throwing.)

The Aristocrats!

Police in Grandville, Michigan, arrested David Slovinski, 51, following a pair of January incidents in which he approached employees of Meijer stores and showed them cellphone photos of his genitals. Slovinski, already a “sexually delinquent person” under the law, was on a GPS monitor during the incidents. He later told a police investigator that he knew what he was doing was wrong, but that showing his penis to people “cheers me up when I’m feeling down.”

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arts > music

Sounds of the Azalea Festival

F

illed with good vibes, good food and an excess of entertainment worthy of all ages, the City of Wilmington proudly hosts one the South’s most anticipated festivals. As part of the annual Azalea Festival, nationally known performing artists make their way to Wilmington to celebrate. Nelly and Alan Jackson are the official Azalea Festival concerts. However, a slew of other official and unofficial Azalea concerts will take place, too, which we have previewed here:

Nelly April 10, 7 p.m., Tickets: $35 Miller Lite Stage, CFCC Festival Grounds Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Nelly got his start in the early 2000s, with hits like “Ride wit Me” and “Hot in Herre.”

Receiving multiple awards throughout the years for his work, almost all of Nelly’s albums have been certified platinum.

In 2003, Nelly won a Grammy for “Hot in Herre.” Nelly has furthered his career into areas outside of music, focusing on entrepreneurial pursuits as owner of Apple Jeans, Pimp Juice energy drinks, and until 2010 as co-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Returning in 2013 with his latest release, “M.O.”, Nelly has proven to the world that he is still a musical force to be reckoned.

A preview of sonic happenings during the 68th annual Azalea Festival By: Zachary Painter

Alan Jackson April 9, 7 p.m., Tickets: $49.50 Miller Lite Stage, CFCC Festival Grounds Country legend Alan Jackson has sold over 80 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling country artists of all time. A native of Georgia, Jackson moved to Nashville, TN, at age 27 to pursue a career in music. His first album, “Here in the Real World” (1990), was a success and put Jackson on the map with other renowned artists like Vince Gill and Garth Brooks. Jackson’s career soared in the ‘90s, earning him much acclaim and various awards from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music.

Joining Jackson on the Keepin’ It Country Tour this year are upcoming Nashville stars Jon Pardi and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Brandy Clark. The Keepin’ It Country Tour commemorates Alan Jackson’s 25th anniversary in the country-music business and is a great opportunity for die-hard fans and newcomers alike to witness the legend himself with raw Nashville talent.

Old School Concert Sat., April 11, 6 p.m., Tickets: $24 Greenfield Lake Amphitheater 1941 Amphitheater Dr. Legendary hip-hop artist Big Daddy Kane will help celebrate the 68th annual Azalea Festival. Being the first rapper to boast two sold-out shows at the world-famous Apollo Theater and having a Grammy win under his belt, he will make is way to the stage, alongside performers Jon B. and Mr. Cheeks. Tickets for the event can be purchased at Azalea Festival Ticket Office, as well as Church’s Chicken in Wilmington (4205 Market St.), Church’s Chicken

Above: Nelly. Courtesy photo.

20 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

in Jacksonville (303 Bell Fork Road), G&K’s Hair Studio (230 Princess Street).

SELECT STREET FAIR PERFORMANCES Belk Music and Multicultural Stage Water St. between Princess and Chestnut Groove Fetish 4/10, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Groove Fetish is a five-piece groove-laden psychedelic group straight out of Wilmington, or as they describe themselves, “original blues and rock sprinkled with some jam.” For fans of Widespread Panic, Phish and Grateful Dead, this tight-knit traveling troupe will kick things off for the Azalea Festival street fair.

Major and the Monbacks 4/10, 7:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

Major and the Monbacks offer a classic ‘60s sound in a modern context. In other words, it’s a group of younger guys hashing out vintage-sounding originals, fully equipped with backup harmonies and a horn line. For fans of Ray Lamontagne, Otis Redding or Churck Berry, the Monbacks pack a lot of soul and couldn’t be more perfect for a good time.

Sean Olds and the Church of the Eternal 4/11,12:20-1:20 p.m.

The Kitty-Hawk based folk group will start the day right. Church of the Eternal features vibrant old-town/American influenced music that blends violin, keyboard and steel guitar.

The Gal Friday Band 4/11, 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

The Gal Friday Band started off as an allgirl trio based out of Matthews, NC. The music is bluegrass inspired, featuring powerful, three-part vocal harmonies and a big sound.

Chase Likens 4/11, 4:20 p.m. - 5:20 p.m.

Chase Likens is what we deem young talent. The 23-year-old country singer was a top 12 finalist on “American Idol” and has continued to pursue music ever since. Look out for his new single “Playing it Safe,” as he hits the stage at Azalea Festival.

Jason Lee McKinney 4/11, 9:15 p.m. - 10:45 p.m.

The night will be concluded by none other than Nashville-based Jason Lee McKinney.

McKinney blends Americana, country, classic rock and folk into a gritty sound that has generated quite a buzz.

The Sea Pans 4/12, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

The Sea Pans are a professional steel drum ensemble. They play a variety of Caribbean music, including Latin, reggae, jazz, and even pop favorites with their own island twist.

The Coco Loco Band 4/12, 2:55 p.m. - 3:55 p.m.

The Coco Loco Band are professional en-

tertainers who play all sorts of crowd favorites (basically, everyone’s favorite karaoke/cover band). The five-member ensemble guarantees a good time to be had by all as they close out this years’ 2015 Azalea Festival.

UNOFFICIAL AZALEA PERFORMANCES & HAPPENINGS Cucalorus Rökgärtën Party, 2 p.m.

Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess St. If the Azalea Festival is too overcrowded and dense for your liking, make your way to Jengo’ Playhouse. Hosted by the folks behind the Cucalorus Film Festival, the party will have all the proper fixtures of a Rökgärtën party.

Free Clinic will be performing. As well, folks can create a 20-second or less film about their interpretation of rocks, which will be shown on the venue’s big screen. There also will be a home tour/pub crawl led by a certain “Cucalorian.” Each house will have a bar with its own themed drink. Last but not least, there will be a truck stocked with rocks and googly eyes. Creativity here is key as all participants have the opportunity to decorate their rocks.

There is no cover as long as you are 21 or older. Follow what the Cucalorians do here at www.cucalorous.org/blog.

Alt-Zalea Saturday, April 11 Another place of interest this year is AltZalea Fest. Held in the Brooklyn Arts District, the event will feature a full roster of local talent. “Alt-Zalea Fest started with the premise of getting people to look at the Brooklyn Arts District, not as a place to park, but as a destination for good food, drinks and entertainment,” Allister Snyder, owner of Detour Deli and Café on Red Cross Street, says.

The thriving area is a perfect place to witness Wilmington’s downtown while taking part in the festivities. Detour Deli and Café will feature artwork by local artist Kelly Sweitzer throughout the day. Likewise, Folks Cafe will be holding an artisan marketplace, displaying works by locals. Don’t miss out on the Cape Fear Roller Girls, as they roll about the neighborhood, either. Plus, Alt-Zalea Fest will be hosting a slew of bands worth checking out: Detour Deli and Café 510 1/2 Red Cross St. 2:15 p.m.: Coy 3 p.m.: Brown Widow 4 p.m.: The Umphs 5 p.m.: John DeLuca (Of the Busted

Monks) 6 p.m.: WAUL 7 p.m.: A Bottle Volcanic Folks Cafe 706 N. 4th St. 1 p.m.: Dirty White Rags 3 p.m.: Randy McQuay II 4 p.m. Tres Altman 5 p.m. Cosmic Opossum (Elijah J Yetter- Bowman) Hair Slayer 1005 N. 4th St. 6 p.m.: Fledling encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 21

daily cruises & private charters

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Eco/History & a chance to get up close to the Osprey & Nature

NEW - Down River Maritime History - Thurs: 2 hours

Different topic each week as we travel south on this mighty river.

Topics will rotate between Blockade Runners, Pirates & Ship building. Call for more info regarding these two excursions.

Sunset Cruise with Live Music 6:30pm 2hours $27 Each week we feature a different local musician on board our Sunset Cruises.

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A preview of events across town this week

2015 Beachside Music Series

EVERY Wednesday from 6-9pm & Friday from 7-10pm

April 8th - Rob Ronner April 10th - Brennan Simmons April 15th - Lynne & The Wave www.OceanicRestaurant.com

FEATURE YOUR LIVE MUSIC FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS (as little as $29 a week!)

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Deadline every Thurs., noon!

CHOWIN’ WITH MARK ROBERTS: The Mark Roberts Band plays as part of the 19th annual Chowder Cook Off at Carolina Beach Lake Park. He will

be churnin’ out all the favorites all day long. Courtesy photo.

Wednesday, April 8 James Jarvis (6pm; Free; jazz)

—The Blind Elephant, 21 N Front St Unit F Caveman Dave Kid Songs for Big Kids and Actual Kids (6pm; $3)

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St. Rob Ronner (6pm; free; southern rock)

—Oceanic, 703 S Lumina Ave. Benny Hill (6:30pm; Free; Jazz)

—Sweet & Savory Cafe, 1611 Pavilion Plc. El Jaye Johnson and the Port City All-Stars (6:30pm; $8-$12)

—Cameron Art Museum, 3201 South 17th St. Trivia Night (7pm; Free)

—Hoplite Pub and Beer Garden, 720 N. Lake Park Blvd.

Open Jam Wednesdays (7pm; Free)

—Halftime Sports Bar and Grill, 1107 New Pointe Blvd.

Dutch Trivia (7pm; Free)

—Joe’s Oasis, 6400 Carolina Beach Rd. PSL Presents (8pm; $5)

—TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th St. birthday and nutt street improv (8pm; $3)

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St. Karaoke (9pm; Free)

—Ibiza, 118 Market St. Beebs and Her Money Makers The Madd Hatters (9pm; $10; ska)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St.

Kamikaze Karaoke Contest (9:30 pm; Free)

—Fox and Hound, 920 Town Center Dr.

Thursday, April 9 Trivia With Sherri “So Very” (7pm; Free)

—Whiskey Trail at the Creek, 4039 Masonboro Loop Rd. Alan Jackson (7pm; $49.50; country)

—North Carolina Azalea Festival Fairgrounds, 5725 Oleander Dr. B7 Eli Conley with Folkstar (7pm; $7; folk)

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St. Karaoke (8pm; $3-$5)

—SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar, 227 Carolina Beach Ave N. Karaoke Dance Party (8pm; Free)

—Halftime Sports Bar and Grill, 1107 New Pointe Blvd.

Wrinkle Neck Mules (9pm; $10-$15; bluegrass)

—Bourgie Nights, 123 Princess St. Jenny Pearson (9pm)

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St. Open Mic Comedy (9pm; free)

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St. Sunny Ledfurd (9pm; Free)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St. The Keith Butler Trio (9pm; Free; jazz)

—The Blind Elephant, 21 N Front St Unit F Jazzy Jam Open Mic (9pm; Free)

—Bellas Bar LoCAL, 19 Market St.

Trivia with Party Gras Entertainment (9:30 pm; Free)

—Fox and Hound, 920 Town Center Dr.

Friday, April 10 James JArvis (3pm; Free; jazz)

—Old Books on Front St., 249 N. Front St. Live Piano with Ben Privott (6pm; Free)

—The Blind Elephant, 21 N Front St Unit F Forrest Tabor (7pm; Free; dance and classic)

—Gabby’s Lounge, 1706 N. Lumina Ave. Brennan Simmons (7pm; free)

—Oceanic, 703 S Lumina Ave. Port City Trio (7pm; $3; jazz)

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St. The Clams (8pm; Free; rock)

—Fermental, 7250 Market St. Ian Salmon (8pm; $13)

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St. Mark Roberts Band (8pm; $3-$5)

—SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar, 227 Carolina Beach Ave N. Live Music (8:30pm; Free)

—The Harp, 1423 S. 3rd St. Sgt. Rock (9:30pm; Free)

—Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St. Lil Skritt: Southern Fried Funk Rap (9:30pm; $0-$5)

—Juggling Gypsy Cafe & Hookah Bar, 1612 Castle St.

HOW TO SUBMIT A LISTING All Soundboard listings must be entered onto our online calendar, powered by SpinGo, each Wednesday, by 5 p.m., for consideration in the following week’s entertainment calendar. All online listings generate the print listings, as well as encore’s new app, encore Go. Venues are responsible for notifying encore of any changes, removals or additions to their weekly schedules.

24 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

Tom & Jane (10pm)

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St. Tyler Mckaig (10pm; Free)

—Goat and Compass, 710 N 4th St. Friday Night Fun House Follies (10:30pm; Free)

—Ibiza, 118 Market St.

Reggae Sundays (9pm; $3)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St. W I N N E R

Monday, April 13 Bellamy 2015 Tea Series (2pm; $37.45)

Saturday, April 11

Trivia (7:30pm; Free)

Mark Roberts Band (all day; $6; classics)

UNCW Jazz Guitar Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble II (7:30pm; $6)

—Carolina Beach Lake Park Live Piano with Daniel Veit (6pm; Free)

—The Blind Elephant, 21 N Front St Unit F Awake at Last (7pm; $4-$12; rock)

—Cardinal Bands and Billiards, 5216 Carolina Beach Rd. Robert Beauchene (7pm; Free; Eclectic mix)

—Gabby’s Lounge, 1706 N. Lumina Ave. End of the Line (7pm; $3; folk)

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St. Tyler McKaig and Vittles Food Truck (8pm; Free; singer/songwriter)

—Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St. Machine Gun (8pm; $3-$5; rock)

—SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar, 227 Carolina Beach Ave N. Ian Salmon (8pm; $13)

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St. Saturday Night Dance Party (9pm; $5-$10)

—Ibiza, 118 Market St. Onward, Soldiers with Dad & Dad & Zack Mexico (9pm; $7-$10)

—Bourgie Nights, 123 Princess St. Hinder (9pm; $15-$20; rock)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St. Wayne Graham (9pm; Free; Americana)

—Satellite Bar & Lounge, 120 Greenfield St. Tyler Alderson (9pm; $0-$5; Irish Folk)

—Juggling Gypsy Cafe & Hookah Bar, 1612 Castle St. Brent Stimmel Band (9:30pm; Free; folk)

—Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St. Steven Compton (10pm)

—Palm Room, 11 East Salisbury St. Tim Black & Jenny Pearson (10pm)

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St. Chasing Opal (10pm; Free; folk)

—Hell’s Kitchen-Wilmington, NC, 118 Princess St.

—Hell’s Kitchen-Wilmington, NC, 118 Princess St.

—UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, Cultural Arts Building, 5270 Randall Dr. Magic Micro Multimedia Monday Open Mic (8pm; Free)

—Juggling Gypsy Cafe & Hookah Bar, 1612 Castle St. Bagora and Children of October (9:30pm; Free)

—Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.

Tuesday, April 14 Happy Little Singers (9:45am; $10)

—Hannah Block USO Community Arts Center, 120 S 2nd St.

Trivia With Sherri “So Very” (7:30 pm; Free)

—Carolina Ale House Wilmington, 317-C College Rd. Cape Fear Blues Jam (8pm; Free)

—Rusty Nail, 1310 S 5th Ave. College Night Karaoke (9pm; Free)

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St. DJ Riz (9:30pm)

—Palm Room, 11 East Salisbury St.

Wednesday, April 15 Rob Nathanson (5:30pm; Free)

—Cameron Art Museum, 3201 South 17th St. james jarvis (6pm; Free; jazz)

—The Blind Elephant, 21 N Front St. Unit F

—SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar, 227 Carolina Beach Ave N. key lime pie (4pm; free)

—Bluewater Waterfront Grill, 4 Marina St. Future Islands (6pm; $25; synthpop)

—Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 1941 Amphitheater Dr. open mic (7pm; $3)

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St. Atlantean Piano Trio (7:30pm; $6)

—UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, Cultural Arts Building, 5270 Randall Dr. Gillian w/Stray Local and Mr. T and the Dogwalker (8:30pm; $7-$10; americana)

—Bourgie Nights, 123 Princess St.

robert beauchene Eclectic Mix

AN Azalea Festival Associate Event

FRI.

full dish Dance

SAT.

mike o'donnell Dance & Classic

april 11 APRIL 17 april 18

www.BluewaterDining.com

1706 North Lumina Ave. • (910) 256-2231

100 S. FRONT ST. 910-251-1832 LIVE MUSIC in the courtyard 7 days a week

MONDAY S.I.N. NIGHT $2 Domestics • $3 All Draft Selections • $4 Flavored Bombs 50% off Apps 6pm til close NEW BELGIUM TUESDAY $3 New Belgium selections (Fat Tire, Ranger IPA) $5 Jameson • Wing Special WEDNESDAY $2.75 Miller Lite, $4 Wells, Half off All Bottles of wine Live Music @ 8pm THIRSTY THURSDAY $2.50 PBR 16oz cans $3.50 Sam Adams Seasonal & Hoppyum Pints $5 Redbull & Vodka, 50¢ Steamed Oysters and Shrimp FRIDAY $2.75 Michelob Ultra • $3.25 Stella $4.50 José Cuervo Silver • Live Music on the Patio SATURDAY $2.75 Coors Light • $3.25 Red Stripe • $4.50 Ezra Brooks Cinnamon Whiskey • Music on the Patio SUNDAY $3 Coronas/Corona Lite • $10 Domestic Buckets (5) $4 Mimosas • $4 Bloody Mary’s

$2.50 Budweiser Draft $4 Wells 65 Wings, 4-7pm $3.50 Sweetwaters $4.50 Absolute Lemonade 65 Wings, 4-7pm

$2.75 Yuengling Draft $2.75 Domestic Bottles 65 Wings, 4-7pm

$3.50 Sweet Josie $4 Margaritas $3.50 Pint of the Day $4 Fire Ball $5 Mimosas $5 Car Bombs $5 Bloody Mary’s & Mimosas *Drink Specials run all day

—Oceanic, 703 S. Lumina Ave.

Trivia Night (7pm; Free)

Sam Melvin and Friends (2pm; $3-$5)

SAT.

Lynne & The Wave (6pm; free)

Jazz Brunch with Raphael Name (12pm; $20)

—Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave.

forrest tabor Eclectic Mix

APRIL 10

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St. —Goat and Compass, 710 N 4th St.

EVERY Sunday from 4 – 8pm

april 12th: Festival Finale Featuring Liverpool

Comedy bingo (7pm; free)

Sunday, April 12

Women Fight for Your Guitar Rights (2pm; $10)

FRI.

—Rucker John’s, 5564 Carolina Beach Rd.

Open Mic Night (7:30pm)

2015 Summer Music Series

LIVE MUSIC 7–10PM

Benny Hill (6pm; $10; jazz)

Benny Hill (6:30pm; Free; Jazz)

—TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th St.

Wrightsville Beach, NC

—Bellamy Mansion Museum, 503 Market St.

—Sweet & Savory Cafe, 1611 Pavilion Plc. —Hoplite Pub and Beer Garden, 720 N. Lake Park Blvd.

Open Jam Wednesdays (7pm; Free)

—Halftime Sports Bar and Grill, 1107 New Pointe Blvd.

Laura McLean’s Songwriter Showcase (7pm; $3)

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St. Dutch Trivia (7pm; Free)

—Joe’s Oasis, 6400 Carolina Beach Rd. UNCW Brass Festival (7:30 pm; $6)

—UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, Cultural Arts Building, 5270 Randall Dr. birthday and nutt street improv (8pm; $3)

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St. Karaoke (9pm; Free)

—Ibiza, 118 Market St. BALLYHOO! (9pm; Free)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St. Kamikaze Karaoke Contest (9:30 pm; Free) —Fox and Hound, 920 Town Center Dr.

Thursday ________________________________________

TRIVIA WITH STEVE

8:30 p.m. • PRIZES! • $250 yuengling drafts

Friday ____________________________________________

LIVE __________________________________________ MUSIC Sunday

BREAKFAST BUFFET

Visit our $website Appletinis $4, RJ’s Painkiller 5

9:00 A.m.- 2:00 P.M.• $4 BLOODY MARY’S AND MIMOSA’S 1423 S. 3rd St. DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON (910) 763-1607

www.RuckerJohns.com VISIT WWW.RUCKERJOHNS.COM FOR Friday Monday DAILY SPECIALS, MUSIC & EVENTS Select Appetizers halfMONDAY off $ 4 Cosmopolitan $ 2 Big Domestic Draft Beers $550 Watermelon Martini $ 95 22oz. Domestic Draft ALL DAY 4 RJ's Coffee $ 3 Sam Adams and Blue $5 Pizzas Moon Seasonal Bottles Tuesday TUESDAY 1/2 off Select Bottles Saturday LIVE JAzz IN THE BAR of Wine $ $ 6 All Half Price Bottles of Southern Wine Shiners 5 Absolut Dreams $ 50 $ Blue$2Moon Draft 3 NC Brewed Bottles • Pacifico Absolut Dream $$5503-22oz 2 Select Domestic Bottles Wednesday WEDNESDAY Sunday 1/2 offMiller Nachos Light Pints $150$ Coronoa/ $ 50 5 All$2Flat 50 Breads 1 Domestic Pints Lite Bottles Corona $ 50 $4 Bloody$ Marys 2 Corona/Corona Lt. Margaritas/Peach Margaritas 4 Pints $ 50 $ 50 1 Domestic 4 Frozen Margarita $ 5 White Russians THURSDAY (pick your flavor) Thursday www.RuckerJohns.com $ 50 2 Red Stripe for Bottles $ 50 daily specials, music and 2 Fat Tire Bottles $ 50 2 Fat Tire Bottles upcoming events $ 50 2 Flying Dog IPA 1/2 off ALL Red WineFRIDAY5564 Carolina $ 50 Glasses Cosmos $4, 007 Beach 3 Road

$ (910)-452-1212 3 Guinness Cans Island Sunsets $5 SATURDAY Baybreeze/Seabreeze $4 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 www.encorepub.com 25 22oz.|Blue Moon Draft $3

UNINHIBITED ROCKERS: Decade-long rockers Hinder will perform at Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem this Sunday, April 12, after playing at Ziggy’s by the Sea on Saturday, April 11. Courtesy photo.

LINCOLN THEATRE 126 E. Cabarrus stREET, raleigh, nc (919) 821-4111 4/8: Felix Cartal 4/10: Dark Water Rising, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba 4/11: Dark Side of the Dead 4/14: SoMo, Ben G 4/15: Cavalera Conspiracy ZIGGY’S 170 W. 9th st., winston-salem, nc (336) 722-5000 4/9: Beebs and Her Money Makers 4/10: Mad House Band 4/11: Disco Lemonade; Sunny Ledford 4/12: Hinder THE FILLMORE 1000 Seaboard stREET, charlotte, NC (704) 549-5555 4/8: Coal Chamber 4/9: The Decemberists 4/10: Datsik 4/11:Tesla; On the Boarder NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRE NORTH DAVIDSON ST., CHARLOTTE, NC (704) 358-9298 4/10: Dark Side of the Road 4/12: The Suffers 4/13: Whirr, Wildhoney, Serfs, Girl Pants THE ORANGE PEEL 101 bILTMORE AVE., ASHEVILLE, NC (828) 398-1837 4/8: Datsik 4/9: Stars 4/10: Talib Kweli & Immortal Technique 4/12: David LaMotte HOUSE OF BLUES 4640 Hwy. 17 sOUTH, myrtle beach, sc (843) 272-3000 4/10: Parmalee 4/11: Aaron Lewis

26 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

DURHAM PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 123 vivian ST., DURHAM, NC (919) 680-2727 4/15: Indigo Girls w/NC Symphony MOTORCO MUSIC HALL 723 RIGSBEE AVE., durham, NC (919) 901-0875 4/1: Shadow of the Giant 4/2: Anamanaguchi, Grrl 4/4: Hindugrass 4/5: Iska Dhaaf

NORTH CHARLESTON PAC/COLISEUM 5001 Coliseum dr., n. charleston, sc (843) 529-5000 4/11: Mancini Magic THE ARTS CENTER 300-G EAST MAIN STREET, CARRBORO, NC (919) 929-2787 4/8: Triangle Jazz Orchestra CAT’S CRADLE 300 E. MAIN STREET, CARRBORO, NC (919) 967-9053 4/8: Tontons 4/9: Talib Kweli & Immortal Technique 4/10: Some Army, Lilac Shadows, Body Games 4/11: Waxahatchee, The Goodbye Party 4/12: My Excuse, El Jefe 4/14: Brokeback; The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

RED HAT AMPHITHEATER 500 S. MCDOWELL ST. e., RALEIGH, NC (919) 996-8800 4/12: Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon w/Smash Mouth AMOS’ SOUTHEND 1423 South Tryon STREET, Charlotte, NC (704) 377-6874 4/10: MockTallica, Among the Living, Hell Awaits, Tornado of Souls

encore |april 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 27

Reopening a New Era:

arts > art

J. Coleman returns to Era to debut ‘Not for Sale’ on April 10 By: Josephine Butler

O

n the corner of Castle and Third streets is a charming building adorned with a male cardinal painted by Wilmingtonbased artist Sullivan Anlyan. It leans, ever-soslightly, on its foundation. Known as Era Gallery, the exhibition space has been closed for nearly a year after receiving a noncompliance order from the New Hanover County Building Inspections Department.

Originally opened in 2005 by North Carolina native Chet Fisher, Era was forced to close its doors once before due to the economic downtown in 2008. That’s why it was a complete shock when Fisher found an order of noncompliance posted on the gallery’s front door on April 2, 2014.

New Hanover County had cited Fisher for a zoning violation. He was using the front portion of the building as a gallery space, while maintaining a residence in rear portion. While Era is located on property zoned as Main Street Mixed-Use (MSMU), the noncompliance came because of not having a firewall installed between the gallery space and residence.

“When I received the order of noncompliance, I had two choices,” Fisher tells. “I either had to pay daily fines and would have been considered operating without proper licensing, or I had to close.”

Fisher made the tough decision to close Era’s doors again in June 2014. “I had a year’s worth of art shows planned and was very disappointed to have to postpone; however, not re-opening was never considered,” he notes.

Ten months and $40k in renovations later, Era has been issued an “Order of Compliance” from New Hanover County and is slated to reopen on Friday, April 10.

“The renovations required were a huge financial undertaking and risk,” Fisher explains.

“I believe my investment in this city will pay off eventually now that the U.S. economy is making its way back.”

Reopening was also important to Fisher for another reason: He wants to share his passion for art and design with the city of Wilmington. Era will celebrate its reopening with a solo exhibition featuring recent work from Washington D.C. artist J. Coleman, in a show titled “Not for Sale.” “‘Not for Sale’ is multi-layered in meaning for

P embroke ’ s

1125 A, M ilitAry C utoff r d .

(910) 239-9153

SPECiAlS:

tUESDAY: 1/2 off bAr MEnu froM 5-7PM And $3 SElECt drAftS. WEDNESDAY: 1/2 PriCE bAr MEnu And $2.50 rEd oAk lAgEr And rEd oAk HEllES. THURSDAY:1/2 off glASSES of WinE And $8 WinE SAMPlEr. SUNDAY BRUNCH: EvEry SundAy froM 10AM til 3PM. SUNDAY NIGHT: $2 off old fASHionEd CoCktAilS.

WWW . PEMbrokESCuiSinE . CoM 28 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

ARTIST J. COLEMAN RETURNS: ‘Haller’ by J. Coleman actually will be for sale at Era Gallery’s latest opening this week. Courtesy photo.

me,” Fisher says. “I have more than once walked into an antique shop or gallery and been drawn to an object of beauty, only to be disappointed when turning over the tag and finding the three words: not for sale.”

The concept for the exhibition was borne out of Fisher’s passion for collecting taxidermy, the sale of which is illegal in North Carolina. “While many may find the art of taxidermy morbid and unsettling, I find it beautiful and peaceful,” Fisher says. “Taxidermy not only provides a venue to utilize as much of an animal as possible and to prevent waste, but it also is the greatest way to preserve memories for hunters and to honor the very existence of harvested animals.”

Although Era cannot sale its coveted collection of taxidermy animals, it can, however, exhibit them alongside artworks of other things in life that are simply “Not for Sale.”

“Pride, love, happiness, strength, and your doctor’s cell phone number are not for sale,” Fisher quips. “The tranquility you can find while sitting on Wrightsville and Carolina beaches, listening to the sounds of crashing waves is not for sale.”

Coleman, too, recognizes the beauty of coastal Carolina. “Much of the work I have produced for Era has been influenced by the ocean,” he explains. “A reverence for the ocean and the overwhelming spiritual experiences, which are often the result of observing the ocean for me personally, continue to inform my subject matter”

This isn’t the first exhibition for Coleman at Era. The artist has been showcased in three solo exhibitions at the gallery, including his successful “NC/DC” portrait exhibition, which features portraits of 40 famous personalities that have resided in Wilmington. Portraits included actor Pat Hingle (“Batman”) and actress Hilary Burton (“One Tree Hill”), former Wilmington mayor Harper Peterson, encore editor Shea Carver, as well as everyone’s favorite Village Market clerk, Curtis Thompson.

In addition, Coleman exhibited a series of 50 drawings in the final show before Era’s closing in 2008.

“Ironically, J.’s last show at Era was the most successful show, sales-wise, to date for the gallery,” Fisher informs. “When I called J. and told him the concept I had in mind for the re-opening, he loved it from the start.”

Coleman works in several media: painting, sculpting and mixed media. His stylized work most often deals with the male figure and typically features heroic archetypes evocative of social realism and comic books.

“I feel moments of enlightenment and peace have a cosmic resonance; after the moment has passed and the echo fades, a period of longing can result,” Coleman tells. “During these moments, when the mind craves stimulations and the heart longs for the peace it once felt, one can become discontent with the stillness. It is in this moment which I believe most of my characters inhabit and that I try to capture in my work.”

One such work is “Haller” (mixed media on paper), depicting Harry Haller, the protagonist of Hermann Hesse’s controversial novel “Steppenwolf.” Haller is hunched over, in physical revolt of society and himself.

“J. Coleman’s works represent existential struggle—something I personally struggled with during the closures of Era,” Fisher says. “With this exhibition, I hope art-goers will feel no pressure to buy something, sort of like a visit to a museum. Although the drawings and sculptures

by J. Coleman will indeed be for sale, his subjects are in limbo psychologically—there is nothing for sale to change this state of mind.”

DETAILS: Not for Sale

Exhibit Reception: April 10, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Era Gallery • 523 S. Third Street Chet Fisher: 910-599-6620

Artfuel.inc

2165 Wrightsville Ave. Mon.-Sat., noon-7 p.m. www.artfuelinc.com • (910) 343 5233

Artfuel is pleased to host Vol. 40, featuring Kristen Crouch, Rebekah Todd, Todd Carignan, Joanna Frye, and Saggy Jug Pottery.

ArtExposure!

22527 Highway 17N, Hampstead, NC 910-803-0302 • 910-330-4077 Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (or by appt.) www.artexposure50.com

Our next event will be an Opening Reception on May 8th from 6-8 p.m. for two of our artists. The featured artists will be Vicki Thatcher, contemporary beader and jewelry artist and Jan Lewis, fiber artist.

The second Saturday in June will be another "Art In Action" afternoon starting at Noon. We will offer an opportunity for artists to draw or paint from a live model.

There is no charge, but there will be a tip jar for the model. Artists will be at work

$

either working from the model or working/ demonstrating their craft. There will be a walk-in class offered exploring mixed media and collage from 11am-1pm. The cost is 35.00 with all supplies included. Join us for a fun day of Art! Summer camps for children ages 7-11 begin July 8th. The camps run for four days from 10am-Noon.

For more information regarding these events, please go to www.artexposure50. com.

New Elements Gallery

201 Princess St. (919) 343-8997 Tues.-Sat.: 11 a.m.-6p.m. (or by appt.) • www.newelementsgallery.com

*Applies to any service $30 or more.

225 S. Water St., Chandler’s Wharf (free parking) • (910)-763-3380 Tues.-Sat. 11am-5p; Sun. 1-4pm.

River to Sea Gallery showcases the work of husband and wife Tim and Rebecca Duffy Bush. In addition, the gallery represents several local artists. The current show will enthrall visitors with its eclectic collection of original paintings, photography, sculpture, glass, pottery and jewelry. “Morning Has Broken” features works by Janet Parker. Come see Janet’s bold use of color and texture to reveal local marsh creeks and structures.

SUNSET RIVER Marketplace

Now showing Primavera, New Elements' 30th anniversary celebration. Primavera welcomes springtime with figurative and abstract paintings, vibrant glass, ceramic pieces, and other fine art and craft by our galley artists. Primavera will remain on view until April 18, 2015.

5 OFF

River to Sea Gallery

10283 Beach Dr., SW (NC 179) (910) 575-5999 Tues.- Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com

In the historic fishing village of Calabash, NC, over 10,000-plus square feet of fine arts is showcased. Clay art and pottery; oil paintings, watercolors, mixed media, pas-

tels and acrylics; plus award-winning metalworks, wood pieces, hand-blown glass, fiber art, artisan-made jewelry and more.

Sunset River Marketplace has become a popular destination for visitors, a gathering place for artists and a center of the community, thanks to its onsite pottery studio, complete with two kilns; a custom master framing department; and art classrooms for workshops and ongoing instruction.

WILMA W. DANIELS GALLERY

200 Hanover St., CFCC parking deck, first level 910-362-7431

Cape Fear Community College’s Wilma W. Daniels Gallery presents the 2015 Annual Student Exhibition, with over 100 original works of art. The show runs through May 4, with Fourth Friday receptions on April 24. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at the opening reception on March 27. Admission is free. Regular gallery hours are Tuesdays-Thursdays from 12-5pm and Fridays from 12-3:30pm.

treat yourself to the

ultimate

organic spray tan

Make your appointment today! www.HoneySkinStudio.com • 3145 Wrightsville Ave • (910) 431-1309 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 29

Unlikely Heroes:

arts > theatre

UNCW Department of Theatre presents ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ By: Christian Podgaysky

A

lmost everyone has heard of William Shakespeare’s famous play, “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” Murder, conspiracy, insanity, and the rise and fall of royal power were embodied by the actors of UNCW’s Department of Theatre when they debuted the Bard’s tragic tale in February. This month, the cast will return to the stage to perform Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” a play depicting “Hamlet’s” chaotic world through the perspective of two unlikely characters. The play will open on April 16 at the Mainstage Theatre in the UNCW Cultural Arts Building.

Originally two minor roles in “Hamlet,” Rosencrantz and Guildenstern become the protagonists of their own play in Stoppard’s adaptation. Stoppard first wrote a one-act play titled “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Meet King Lear” in 1964. Later, he lengthened the play to three acts, reti-

tling it “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.” The finished product debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1966 by the Oxford Theatre Group. After the successful premiere, the play became a Broadway hit in London from 1967 to 1968, earning four Tony Awards for Best Play, Scenic Design, Costume Design, and Producer. Eventually, the play was adapted into a radio show for BBC Radio 3 in 1978. In 1990 Stoppard himself adapted the play into a film of the same name, starring Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, and Richard Dreyfuss.

“We get to look at Stoppard’s perspective of the play, which is an existential view at ‘Hamlet,’ from two characters who are doomed from the beginning,” director Ed Wagenseller says.

The play revolves around two young men, Rosencrantz (Eddie Waters) and Guildenstern (Wilson Meredith), who were schoolmates and childhood friends of Hamlet. The play opens with the two friends wandering through the forest playing a game of heads and tails with a coin, which keeps mysteri-

30 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

ously landing on heads. They run into a group of actors called the Tragedians (Arianna Tysinger, Allison Grady, Dottie Davie, Naomi Barbee, and Rachel Johnson) and Guildenstern challenges the leader of the group, also known as The Player (Bruno Rose) to the game. The Player loses and offers to perform a play for them with the Tragedians. Suddenly, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern learn that Claudius, the new King of Denmark, has sent for them to come to the castle of Elsinore to study the strange behaviors of Prince Hamlet to assess his sanity. From there, the audience remains with the charismatic duo as the story of “Hamlet” unfolds in the background. While they are not directly related to the royal drama, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are forced to juggle the King’s wishes, Hamlet’s mental instability, and their own well-being, making them the ultimate victims of circumstance.

“Hamlet is one of the greatest tragedies ever written,” Wagenseller says. “This play certainly has a lot of contemplates, but with the way Stoppard’s writes the script it never goes on for too long before something absolutely ludicrous happens.”

Unlike “Hamlet,” Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s lines will not entirely be in verse.

When their story collides with the original scenes from “Hamlet,” Shakespeare’s style is kept intact, but most of Stoppard’s original scenes are written in a more modern style.

While Rosencrantz and Guildenstern seem to be inseparable, and even mistaken for one another at times, the two characters have nearly opposite personalities.

“Rosencrantz is this eager, simplistic person who is just fine with whatever is happening in his world, as long as he has Guildenstern with him,” Waters says. “There’s often a misconception that he’s the ‘dumb’ one, but that’s not the right word, he just isn’t worried about the metaphysical, absurdist things going on around him like Guildenstern.”

Guildenstern’s more uptight personality provides a foil for Rosencrantz’s lighthearted, and fumbling ways, making for some hilarious moments woven into a tragic story.

“I understand Guildenstern to be the intellectual,” Meredith says. “He’s constantly analyzing the world that he is in and always working to understand it to the best of his ability, an impossible task. To put it simply, he is the smart one of the pair.”

Waters, a senior at UNCW, has appeared in several of the department’s productions including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “PROM,” and of course “Hamlet.” In preparation for this role, Waters has found that

reading the script as many times as possible has helped him the most.

“I’ve been carrying the script around with me since they announced the show as part of the season last year, and still, every time I pick it up, I discover something new that Stoppard buried in the text,” Waters says.

Meredith, also a senior at UNCW, has appeared in the university’s productions of “Hamlet,” “Middletown” and “We are Proud to Present.” Thorough analysis of the script has prepared him as Guildenstern.

“When first reading the script, you will have your mind blown and as you continue to delve you will receive more insights that you hadn’t noticed previously that would continue to blow your mind,” he says. “Then it becomes a process of trying to piece together what you have just learned, absorbing it, and ultimately having the confidence to ‘own’ that knowledge.”

Performing “Hamlet” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” in the same season has allowed for the department to maximize the use of their budget. To maintain the same aesthetic consistency, the same costumes and many of the same set designs seen in “Hamlet” will appear again in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.” In turn, this has allowed for the department to be able to find the perfect costume for each character, adding to the overall authenticity of each performance.

The pairing of the two plays has helped the actors realize the full potential of their roles in both contexts.

“We have taken the opportunity to not only expose the students to arguably the greatest tragedies ever written, coupled with one of the most brilliantly written existentialist plays ever written,” Wagenseller says.

“Stoppard’s play has really stood the test of time.”

DETAILS:

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead UNCW Cultural Arts Building Mainstage Theatre April, 16-19, 19-22, 23-26, 8 p.m., Sunday matinees: 2 p.m.

Tickets: $5-$12 www.uncw.edu/arts/boxoffice.html

Photography & Videography

910.540.6354 Free Engagement Photography with Wedding Package

encore |april 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 31

32 encore |april 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

arts > film

Getting Soft:

‘Get Hard’ shows the demise of its leads’ careers

films this week Cinematique

By: Anghus

Cinematique at Thalian Hall 310 Chestnut Street • $8-$10 www.thalianhall.org

S

ometimes we fall out of love with our favorite stars. You love their work for a long time, but, eventually, they either grow out of the roles you loved them in or don’t grow at all. You become ambivalent to their shenanigans. Will Ferrell was once my go-to guy for funny-on-film: “Old School,” “Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights,” “Ste Brothers.” He was a catchphrase-creating, laugh-inducing machine. His last few films have been well-intentioned bores: movies that never seem to deliver on the promise of the set-up, like “The Campaign” or the disappointing “Anchorman 2.”

It happens to most comedic actors. I can remember when Ben Stiller was doing stuff like “Zoolander,” “There’s Something About Mary” and “Meet the Parents.” He was on top of his game, delivering some great laughs in a variety of mainstream comedies.

Then he started doing dreck like “Night at the Museum,” and before long, we were struggling to get through dreadful trash like “Tower Heist,” “Little Fockers” and “The Watch.”

Or Chevy Chase. Remember the hilariousness of “Caddyshack,” “National Lampoon’s “Vacation” and “Spies Like Us”?

Eventually, we get to phase two and he unloads bricks of compacted garbage, like “Cops and Robbersons,” “Nothing But Trouble” and “Vegas Vacation.”

My point is: Eventually, comedians hit a point of no return, where their antics no longer are funny. No matter how hard they try, the comedian’s shtick will become tired.

We could call it “The Eddie Murphy Principle”—the point where we begin to tire of a comedian. What once seemed funny, original and irreverent (like “48 Hours”) is now just infrequently annoying movies that should be funnier (“Another 48 Hours”).

For Ferrell and Kevin Hart, “Get Hard” is that movie. It’s amazing how fast Kevin Hart went from “the next big thing” to yawn-inducing boredom. Ferrell is at the same point in his career, but he’s been turning in some mostly funny films for a decade. Hart has churned out a dozen films over four years, and it feels like I’ve already seen every trick in his repertoire.

“Get Hard” is another film where premise trumps everything else. Ferrell is a Wall Street tycoon framed for embezzlement.

Hart is the cash-strapped nice guy in need of a quick influx of cash to provide his family with a better life. When Ferrell comes to Hart to ask for help to ready him for prison, Hart embraces the false assertion that

reel to reel

4/10: Don’t miss “Leviathan”! In a Russian coastal town, Kolya is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man’s arrival brings further misfortune for Kolya and his family. (R, 140 min.)

no juice left: Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart churn out more of the same old, tired shtick in “Get Hard.”

Courtesy photo.

he’s been to prison and starts training him for the difficulties of incarcerated life. It’s a film with such a flimsy comedic premise that boils down to “white people are like this” and “black people are like this.” There are attempts at wringing out every bead of comedic sweat between Ferrell’s height and Hart’s lack thereof. While it’s something that might have seemed riskier 20 years ago, now—even in this time of racial strife in this country—the whole thing feels crazy safe.

Every joke feels recycled, and every storyline is rooted in a familiar place.

I don’t expect subtlety from a movie featuring Ferrell and Hart. The jokes are rapidfire and brutally obvious, but the whole thing is just too on-the-nose. There are no levels to “Get Hard.” It’s one note laboriously hammered, like a marching band featuring nothing but snare drummers, with a single drumstick pounding away. I kept thinking about smarter, funnier versions of a similar setup, like “Trading Places”—a movie both funnier and more honest about race some 30 years ago.

I can’t fault “Get Hard” for playing it safe; there’s so little money in risk. I can’t in good conscience strongly recommend something so bland as “Get Hard” either. Much like “The Campaign,” it takes a subject just ripe for the picking and delivers something that refuses to use the premise for anything other than a setup. This is a bad sketch of a movie—a muddling routine from Def Comedy Jam circa 1998. “Get Hard” is the worst thing a comedy can be: risk free.

Kevin Hart might have some gas left in the tank at the box office, but I feel he needs to make a left turn before he shows up in

so many films that audiences start to sour.

Much like Liam Neeson, one can only appear in a handful of dreadfully similar films before everybody proclaims, “Been there, done that.” “Get Hard” is proof-positive that Ferrell’s best years seem to be squarely in the rear view mirror. A sobering experience good for a handful of laughs. A film that will be forgotten within minutes of exiting the theater.

DETAILS: Get Hard

★★ ★ ★ ★ Starring Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie Directed by Etan Cohen Rated R

4/13-15: In the gripping drama,” Still Alice,” Alice Howland (Julianne Moore, who won the Academy Award for this performance), a happily married mother of three, who is also a renowned linguistic professor, starts to forget words. Her momentary forgetfulness quickly unfolds into a diagnosis for Early Onset Alzheimer’s. In a battle in which Howland proves herself as brave and sensitive, she fights the loss of her family, her career and eventually herself. (PG-13, 101 min.)

All area movie listings and paragraph synopses can be found at encorepub.com

encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 33

Southeastern NC’s premier dining guide

grub&guzzle

American BLUEWATER

Enjoy spectacular panoramic views of sailing ships and the Intracoastal Waterway while dining at this popular casual American restaurant in Wrightsville Beach. Lunch and dinner are served daily. Favorites include jumbo lump crab cakes, succulent seafood lasagna, crispy coconut shrimp and an incredible Caribbean fudge pie. Dine inside or at their awardwinning outdoor patio and bar, which is the location for their lively Waterfront Music Series every Sunday April - October.

Large parties welcome. Private event space available. BluewaterDining.com. 4 Marina Street, Wrightsville Beach, NC. (910) 256.8500.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon-Fri 11a.m. - 11 p.m.; Sat & Sun 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Waterfront dining ■ MUSIC: Music every Sunday in Summer ■ WEBSITE: www.bluewaterdining.com

Blue surf cafÉ

Sophisticated Food…Casual Style. We offer a menu that has a heavy California surf culture influence while still retaining our Carolina roots. We provide a delicate balance of flavors and freshness in a comfortable and inviting setting. We offer a unique breakfast menu until noon daily, including specialty waffles, skillet hashes and unique breakfast sandwiches. Our lunch menu is packed with a wide variety of options, from house roasted pulled pork, to our mahi sandwich and customer favorite, meatloaf sandwich.

Our dinner features a special each night along with our favorite house entrees: Braised Beef Brisket, Mojo Pork and Mahi. All of our entrees are as delicious as they are inventive.

We also have a full beer and wine list. Come try the “hidden gem” of Wilmington today. 250 Racine Drive, Wilmington 910-523-5362.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday to Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Daily Specials, Gluten Free Menu, Gourmet Hot Chocolates, Outdoor Patio, New Artist event first Friday of every month and Kids Menu.

■ WEBSITE: www.bluesurfcafe.com

BUFFALO WILD WINGS

If you’re looking for good food and an atmosphere that’s fun for the whole family, Buffalo Wild Wings is the place! Award winning wings and 20 signature sauces and seasonings.

Plus…salads, wraps, flatbreads, burgers, and more. Tons of Big screen TVs and all your favorite sports. We have daily drink specials, a HUGE draft selection, and Free Trivia all day every day. Come in for our Weekday Lunch Specials, only $5.99 from 11am-2pm. Visit us for Wing Tuesdays with 60 cent wings all day long, or Boneless Thursdays with 60 cent boneless wings all day long. Buffalo Wild Wings is a great place to dine in or take out.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: MondaySaturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: 2 locations-Midtown (910-798-9464) and Monkey Junction (910-392-7224) ■ MUSIC: Live music Friday and Saturday in the Summer ■ WEBSITE: www.buffalowildwings.com

East oceanfront dining at blockade runner

Award-winning cuisine accompanied by the sounds of breaking surf + a soothing coastal breeze, that's East Oceanfront Dining. Our chef, Ben Ramsey, will pleasure your palate with fresh local seafood, produce from our own gardenscape + other harvest from local purveyors. Chef Ramsey is focused on the best of what our region has to offer and he + his staff are delighted to serve you. You'll dine in the comfort of our relaxing restaurant or if you choose, our canopied, oceanfront deck provides a memorable ambiance for any evening.

If you're looking for a more casual bite or maybe just a drink or two before dinner, have a seat in the Aquarium Lounge. A great selection of wine, beer or spirits can provide just what you're looking for as you settle in for an evening of coastal culture. For reservations and information concerning best rates and packages, please call 1-800-541-1161.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: The Blockade Runner Beach Resort, 275 Waynick Blvd.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ WEBSITE: www.blockade-runner.com

Elijah’s

Since 1984, Elijah’s has been Wilmington, NC’s outdoor dining destination. We feature expansive indoor and outdoor waterfront dining, with panoramic views of riverfront sunsets.

34 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

As a Casual American Grill and Oyster Bar, Elijah’s offers everything from fresh local seafood and shellfish to pastas, sandwiches, and Certified Angus Beef selections. We offer half-priced oysters from 4-6 every Wednesday & live music with our Sunday Brunch from 11-3. Whether you are just looking for a great meal & incredible scenery, or a large event space for hundreds of people, Elijah’s is the place to be.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun-Thurs 11:30-10:00; Friday and Saturday 11:30-11:00 ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown Wilmington Kids menu available

eternal sunshine cafÉ

Wilmington’s new unique restaurant, Eternal Sunshine Café, is conveniently located between downtown and Wrightsville Beach, also close to UNCW. It is a great spot to savor a gourmet breakfast, like cinna-swirl pancakes with coffee cream cheese syrup or a southwest benedict with chipotle hollandaise on a made from scratch biscuit. The lunch menu is filled with fresh delectable salads, sandwiches on house baked breads, and pitas. Come experience the innovative twist on breakfast classics and a casual lunch guaranteed to make you a regular customer. May the tranquility of Eternal Sunshine Cafe’s atmosphere shine upon your face and reinvigorate your day. Serves breakfast all day. Dinner COMING SOON! ■ SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH: MondayWednesday 7-2, Thursday-Friday 6:30-2, Saturday 7-2, Sunday 8-2 ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.eternalsunshinecafe.com

Halligan's pub

“Failte,” is the Gaelic word for “Welcome,” and at Halligan’s Public House it’s our “Motto.” Step into Halligan’s and enter a world of Irish hospitality where delicious food warms the heart and generous drinks lift the spirit. Be sure to try Halligan’s house specialty, “The Reuben,” number one with critics and of course our customers. One bite and you’ll understand why. Of course, we also serve a full selection of other delicious entrees including seafood, steak and pasta, as well as a wide assortment of burgers, sandwiches (Halligan’s Cheese Steak), and salads. And if you are looking for a friendly watering hole where you can raise a glass or

two with friends, new and old, Halligan’s Public House boasts a comfortable bar where fun-loving bartenders hold court daily and blarney fills the air. Stop by Halligan’s Public House today, “When you’re at Halligan’s....you’re at home.” With 12 beers on tap and 16 flat screen TVs, you can watch your favorite game and enjoy your favorite drink. Enjoy two locatons: 3317 Masonboro Loop Rd., and 1900 Eastwood Rd. in Lumina Station.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: 7 Days a Week Monday-Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOODS: Masonboro Loop & Lumina Station ■ FEATURING: The Best Reuben in Town! $5.99 lunch specials, Outdoor Patio ■ WEBSITE: www.halligansnc.com

HENRY’S

A local favorite, Henry’s is the ‘place to be’ for great food, a lively bar and awesome patio dining. Henry’s serves up American cuisine at its finest that include entrees with fresh, local ingredients. Come early for lunch, because it’s going to be packed. Dinner too!

Henry’s Pine Room is ideal for private functions up to 30 people. 2508 Independence Boulevard, Wilmington, NC. (910) 793.2929.

SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun. - Mon. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Tues.- Fri.: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sat.: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Daily blackboard specials.

■ WEBSITE: www.henrysrestaurant.com

Holiday Inn Resort

Oceans Restaurant located in this oceanfront resort is a wonderful find. This is the perfect place to enjoy a fresh Seafood & Steak dinner while dinning outside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Chef Eric invites you to experience his daily specials in this magnificent setting. (910) 256-2231. 1706 N. Lumina Ave, Wrightsville Beach.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: Sun.-Sat. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Waterfront dining ■ WEBSITE: www.holidayinn.com

HOPS SUPPLY CO.

The combination of chef-inspired food and our craft bar makes Hops Supply Co. a comfortable and inviting gastropub that attracts guests of all types – especially a local crowd who can feel right at home whether ordering a classic favorite or trying a new culinary delight! At HopsCo, we are dedicated to the craft of excellent cuisine and delivering hops in its most perfect form, exemplified by our selection of craft beers. As hops are the heart of flavor for beer, our local seasonal ingredients are the soul of our culinary inspired American fare. 5400 Oleander Dr. (910) 833-8867.

■ OPEN: Mon-Thurs 10:57 am - 10 pm; Fri-Sat 10:57 am - 11 pm {Serving Brunch 10:57am – 3pm & bar open until midnight}; Brunch ALL DAY Sunday 9:57am – 10pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.hopssupplycompany.com

The little dipper

Wilmington’s favorite fondue restaurant! The Little Dipper specializes in unique fondue dishes with a global variety of cheeses, meats, seafood, vegetables, chocolates and fine wines. The warm and intimate dining room is a great place to enjoy a four-course meal, or indulge in appetizers and desserts outside on the back deck or in the bar while watching luminescent jellyfish. Reservations are appreciated for parties of any size. Located at the corner of Front and Orange in Downtown Wilmington. 138 South Front Street. (910) 251-0433.

■ SERVING DINNER: 5pm Tue-Sun; Seasonal hours are open 7 days a week, Memorial Day through October ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Tasting menu every Tues. with small plates from $1-$4; Ladies Night every Wed; $27 4-course prix fixe menu on Thurs.; "Date night menu," $65/couple with beer and wine tasting every Fri. and half price bottles of wine on Sun. ■ MUSIC: Mondays and Memorial Day-October, 7-9pm ■ WEBSITE: www.littledipperfondue.com

Ogden Tap Room

Wilmington’s go to Southern Gastro-Pub. With a menu featuring some southeast favorites and a few from the bayou. Ogden Tap Room offers a selection the whole family will enjoy. With 40 beers on tap from around the world, The O Tap is a Craft Beer Enthusiast dream come true. Ogden Tap Room also has a great wine selection as well as a full bar featuring the areas largest Bourbon selection. You are sure to leave Ogden Tap Room a happy camper.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon-Thurs 11am - Midnight, Fri & Sat 11am - 1am, Sunday Noon Midnight.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Ogden ■ FEATURING: Live Team Trivia Tues 7:30-9:30pm ■ MUSIC: Every Thursday 8 - 10pm ■ WEBSITE: www.ogdentaproom.com

pine valley market

Pine Valley Market has reigned supreme in servicing the Wilmington community for years, securing encore’s Best-Of awards in catering, gourmet shop and butcher. Now, Kathy Webb and Christi Ferretti are expanding their talents into serving lunch in-house, so folks can enjoy their hearty, homemade meals in the quaint and cozy ambience of the market.

Using the freshest ingredients of highest quality, diners can enjoy the best Philly Cheesesteak in Wilmington, along with numerous other sandwich varieties, from their Angus burger to classic Reuben, Italian sub to a grown-up banana and peanut butter sandwich that will take all diners back to childhood.

Served among a soup du jour and salads, there is something for all palates. Take advantage of their take-home frozen meals for nights that are too hectic to cook, and don’t forget to pick up a great bottle of wine to go with it. 3520 S. College Road, (910) 350-FOOD. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.-Fri.10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Sun. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: South Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Daily specials and take-home frozen meals ■ WEBSITE: www.pinevalleymarket.com

The trolly stop

Trolly Stop Hot Dogs is a five-store franchise in Southeastern North Carolina. Since 1976 they have specialized in storemade chili, slaw and various sauces. As of more recently, select locations (Fountain Dr. and Southport) have started selling genuine burgers and cheese steaks (Beef & Chicken).

Our types of hotdogs include beef & Pork (Trolly Dog), allbeef (Sabrett), pork smoked sausage, Fat Free (Turkey) & Veggie. Recognized as having the Best Hot Dog in the Best of Wilmington Awards in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Call Individual Stores for hours of operation or Look at our website trollystophotdogs.com Catering available, now a large portion of our business. Call Rick at 297-8416 for catering and franchise information.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ LOCATIONS: Wrightsville Beach (910) 256-3921

Southport (910) 457-7017 Fountain Dr. (910) 452-3952 Boone, NC (828) 265-2658 Chapel Hill, NC (919) 240-4206 - COMING SOON! ■ WEBSITE: www.trollystophotdogs.com

Asian BIG THAI II

From the minute you walk through the door to the wonderful selection of authentic Thai cuisine, Big Thai II offers you a tranquil and charming atmosphere - perfect start to a memorable dinner. For the lunchtime crowd, the luncheon specials provide a great opportunity to get away. The menu is filled with carefully prepared dishes such as Pad Thai (Chicken, Beef, Pork or Tofu pan-fried rice noodles with eggs, peanuts, bean sprouts, carrots, and chives in a sweet and savory sauce) and Masaman Curry (The mildest of all curries, this peanut base curry is creamy and delicious with potatoes, cashew nuts and creamy avocado). But you shouldn’t rush into a main entrée right away! You will be missing out on a deliciously appetizing Thai favorite, Nam Sod (Ground Pork blended with fresh chili, green onion, ginger and peanuts).

And be sure to save room for a piece of their fabulous Coconut Cake! A trip to Big Thai II is an experience that you’ll never forget. If the fast and friendly service doesn’t keep you coming back, the great food will! 1319 Military Cutoff Rd.; 256-6588 ■ Serving Lunch: Mon-Fri 11 a.m. -.2:30 p.m.

■ Serving Dinner: Mon-Thur 5 p.m. -.9:30 p.m.; Friday 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday 4 p.m. -.10 p.m.; Sunday 4 p.m. -.9:30 p.m.

■ Neighboorhood: Mayfaire ■ Featuring: Authentic Thai Cuisine ■ Website: www.bigthainc.com

hibachi to go

If you want fresh food fast, check out Hibachi To Go! It is a family-owned business with a professional and friendly staff serving the freshest local ingredients. Everything on the menu is done right on-site, from hand trimming the meat to making every sauce! They offer affordable appetizers such as crab, pork, or pineapple wontons, green bean fries, spring rolls, and edamama along with specialties like Teriyaki or Hibachi chicken, hand-trimmed ribeye, scallops, tempura or grilled shrimp, and fresh fish with veggies and rice. Drop by daily for the $4.69 lunch special and $4 sushi. Bring the little ones in on Sundays to the Ogden location and they can eat for only $0.99!

Visit us at our Ogden location where you can dine- in or takeout or our Hampstead location where you can drive-thru, walk-up, or take-out.

■ Serving Lunch & dinner: 11am- 9pm Everyday ■ Neighboorhood: Ogden- 6932 Market Street Wilmington, NC 28411 (910) 791-7800 Hampstead- 15248 Highway 17 North Wilmington, NC 28411 (910) 270-9200 ■ Featuring: $4.69 lunch specials ■ Website: www.hibachitogo.com

kabuki korean cafÉ and sushi

Family-owned and operated, Kabuki Korean Café and Sushi is Wilmington's only authentic Korean restaurant, freshly

renovated and boasting a brand new menu! They feature delectable Korean BBQ, and are best known for traditional items like their bibimbop and bulgogi. But they also feature a large variety of Asian cuisine, from fresh sushi to fried rice to teriyaki dishes, dumplings, edamame and more. Open daily, Kabuki welcomes diners for lunch from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and dinner 4:30 to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. Stop by Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m. 4102 Oleander Drive, Suite 2, at the corner of 41st Street, behind the Hess gas station. 910-350-3332.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER:

Mon-Fri, 11am-2:30pm; Sat-Sun, noon-10pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, off Oleander Drive.

■ FEATURING: Wilmington's only authentic Korean restaurant!

szechuan 132

KYOTO ASIAN GRILLE

Kyoto Asian Grille specializes in crafting mouth-watering food and providing superb customer service. We serve a plethora of Asian cuisines, from Chinese to Japanese to Thai, and have an unwavering commitment to flavor. All of our ingredients are fresh, cooked to order, with artistic culinary flair.

We also serve everything from sushi to traditional Chinese dishes, a plethora of curries to Pad Thai, hibachi and teriyaki dishes, and more. Come give us a try where you will find nothing in the freezer but the ice cream. Open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday. Located at 4102 Market Street, (910) 332-3302.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon - Thu: 11am - 3pm and 5pm - 9:30pm or Fri - Sat, 11am - 3pm and 5pm - 10pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: An array of Asian cuisines, from Japanese to Chinese, Thai and more.

indochine restaurant & lounge

If you’re ready to experience the wonders of the Orient without having to leave Wilmington, join us at Indochine for a truly unique experience. Indochine brings the flavors of the Far East to the Port City, combining the best of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine in an atmosphere that will transport you and your taste buds. Relax in our elegantly decorated dining room, complete with antique Asian decor as well as contemporary artwork and music. Our diverse, friendly and efficient staff will serve you beautifully presented dishes full of enticing aromas and flavors. Be sure to try such signature items as the spicy and savory Roasted Duck with Red Curry, or the beautifully presented and delicious Shrimp and Scallops in a Nest. Be sure to save room for our world famous desert, the banana egg roll! We take pride in using only the freshest ingredients, and our extensive menu suits any taste. After dinner, enjoy specialty drinks by the koi pond in our Asian garden. Located at 7 Wayne Drive (beside the Ivy Cottage), (910) 251-9229.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tues.- Fri. 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.; Sat. 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. for lunch. Mon.- Sun. 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. for dinner.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.indochinewilmington.com

southern thai

Our menu is centered around authentic Thai cuisine and features traditional dishes as well as chef-inspired dishes. We always deliver authentic Thai cuisine mixed with southern hospitality. Thailand can be culturally divided into 4 main regions: North, North Central, Central & South. The diverse topography and cultures lend their way to creating unique cuisines in each region. Meals are prepared by all generations coming together in the kitchen. Recipes are passed on this way through the generations so that the food you are tasting today is influenced by the knowledge of the past.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon - Thur 11am to 3pm and 4:30 to 9:30pm; Fri 11am to 3pm and 4:30 to 10pm; Sat 12 to 10pm; Closed Sunday ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: South Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Authentic Thai Cuisine ■ WEBSITE: www.southernthairestaurant.com

thai spice

the local favorite for Thai cuisine. This family-run restaurant is sure to win you over. If you haven’t discovered this gem, come in and be charmed. Whether it be a daytime delight, or an evening indulgence, your visit will make you look forward to your return. Located in Monkey Junction at 5552 Carolina Beach Rd., Ste. G. (910) 791-0044.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tue.-Th.: 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Sun.: 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington South ■ WEBSITE: www.ThaiSpiceWilmington.com

From the flavorfully mild to the fiery spiced, Thai Spice customers are wooed by the dish that’s made to their specifications. Featuring a tasteful menu of traditional Thai standards to numerous delectable house specials, it’s quickly becoming

Craving expertly prepared Chinese food in an elegant atmosphere? Szechuan 132 Chinese Restaurant is your destination! Szechuan 132 has earned the reputation as one of the finest contemporary Chinese restaurants in the Port City.

Tastefully decorated with an elegant atmosphere, with an exceptional ingenious menu has deemed Szechuan 132 the best Chinese restaurant for years, hands down. 419 South College Road (in University Landing), (910) 799-1426.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Lunch Specials

yosake downtown sushi lounge

Lively atmosphere in a modern setting, Yosake is the delicious Downtown spot for date night, socializing with friends, or any large dinner party. Home to the never-disappointing Shanghai Firecracker Shrimp! In addition to sushi, we offer a full Pan Asian menu including curries, noodle dishes, and the ever-popular Crispy Salmon or mouth-watering Kobe Burger.

Inspired features change weekly showcasing our commitment to local farms. Full bar including a comprehensive sake list, signature cocktails, and Asian Import Bottles. 33 S. Front St., 2nd Floor (910) 763-3172.

■ SERVING DINNER: 7 nights a week @ 5PM; Sun-Wed until 10pm, Thurs until 11pm, Fri & Sat until Midnight.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: 1/2 Price Sushi/Appetizer Menu nightly from 5-7, until 8 on Mondays, and also 10-Midnight on Fri/Sat. Tuesday LOCALS NIGHT - 20% Dinner Entrees. Wednesday 80S NIGHT - 80s music and menu prices. Sundays are the best deal downtown - Specialty Sushi and Entrees are Buy One, Get One $10 Off and 1/2 price Wine Bottles.

Nightly Drink Specials. Gluten-Free Menu upon request.

Complimentary Birthday Dessert.

■ WEBSITE: www.yosake.com - @yosakeilm on Twitter & Instagram. Like us on Facebook.

Dinner Theatre theatrenow

TheatreNOW is a performing arts complex that features weekend dinner theater, an award-winning weekly kids variety show, monthly Sunday Jazz Brunches, movie, comedy and live music events. Award-winning chef, Denise Gordon, and a fabulous service staff pair scrumptious multi-course themed meals and cocktails with our dinner shows in a theatre-themed venue. Dinner theater at its best! Reservations highly suggested. 19 S. 10th Street 910.399.3NOW (3669).

Hours vary.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown Wilmington and Greater Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Dinner shows, jazz brunches, and more ■ WEBSITE: www.theatrewilmington.com

gREEK The greeks

The Greeks is a two-store (going on three), family-ownedand-operated Greek restaurant. Since 2011 Chef Georgios Papanikolaou and his family have been giving unwavering attention to detail to their food, which represents Greek culture. The chef picks fresh local produce and proteins on a daily basis. The spices and herbs are imported from Greece, where they are picked wild from the mountains, sealed and then transported here. The family keeps their Greek roots close to their heart; with each dish they are recreating exactly

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the same flavors that a person will experience should they be in Greece. With a plethora of recipes to choose from and the best gyro in town, the family hopes to expand without compromising an iota of the experience.

124 Princess St.; 910-343-6933 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday 10:00AM to 3:00PM Tuesday-Sunday 10:00AM to 9:00PM ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown and Monkey Junction ■ WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA: www.the-greeks.com or www. facebook.com/thegreeksnc

Healthy CLEAN EATZ cafÉ

This café is your one stop shop to start living a healthy lifestyle. Everything on the menu is under 500 calories and 10 grams of fat unless you order otherwise. The café offers dine in, carryout, or get an entire weeks worth of meals by signing up for our weekly prepackaged meal service. We also do customized food prep to fit anyone's diet needs. Stop by Clean Eatz today to start a new you. You only have one life, Make it count!

Lifestyle tip: Resolutions usually fail due to the stress we put on ourselves to change so quickly. Make simple changes one by one. We didn’t get where we are at overnight. Baby lifestyle steps: Eliminate fried foods, drive thrus, alcohol, or sugar first. Add a new goal each week. You got this! 203 Racine drive,Wilmington NC 28403. (910) 452-3733.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday- Friday: 11-7, Saturday: 11-3 ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.cleaneatz.net

Indian KABOB AND GRILL

Welcome to Kabob and Grill, downtown Wilmington's only fine Indian restaurant. Located on Water Street, overlooking the Cape Fear River, Kabob and Grill innovatesexotic flavors of Indian kabobs and curries. Kabobs are baked to perfection in our "tandoor" clay oven fresh, daily. We take pride in offering a great selection of vegetarian entrees made with healthy spices, vegetables and herbs. We also serve vegan and gluten-free items, all aromatic and full of flavor. Our professional chef ensures our lavash and extensive menu appeals to all palates, whether choosing vegetarian, chicken, lamb, goat, or seafood. Our dining area is modern and upscale, yet steeped in Indian tradition. We have a full-service bar and are open seven days a week. We do take-out, delivery and welcome private parties. 5 S Water Street, (910) 833-5262.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Lunch Sunday through Saturday 11am-3pm. Dinner Sunday through Thursday 5-10pm, Friday & Saturday 5-10:30pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Innovative Indian recipes, made fresh daily.

tandoori bites

Located on College Road, just opposite Hugh MacRae Park,

ROTATING GROWLER TAPS

Tandoori Bites offers fine Indian cuisine at affordable prices.

Try one of 74 dishes on their lengthy menu, featuring a large range of side dishes and breads. They have specialties, such as lamb korma with nuts, spices and herbs in a mild creamy sauce, as well as seafood, like shrimp biryani with saffron-flavored rice, topped with the shellfish and nuts. They also have many vegetarian dishes, including mutter paneer, with garden peas and homemade paneer, or baingan bharta with baked eggplant, flamed and sautéed with onions, garlic and ginger.

Join their cozy eatery, where a far east escape awaits all diners, among a staff of friendly and helpful servers, as well as chefs who bring full-flavored tastes straight from their homeland. Located at 1620 South College Road, (910) 794-4540.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon. - Fri. 11-2:30 pm (Lunch Buffet) & 5-10 pm (Dinner), Sat. - Sun. 11:30 -3:00 pm (Lunch) & 5-10 pm (Dinner) ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Lunch buffet ■ WEBSITE: www.tandooribites.net

Italian ELIZABETH’S PIZZA

A Wilmington favorite since 1987! At Elizabeth’s you’ll find authentic Italian cuisine, as well as some of your American favorites. Offering delicious pizza, salads, sandwiches, entrees, desserts, beer, and wine. Elizabeth’s is known for their fresh ingredients, where even the bread is baked fresh daily.

A great place for lunch, dinner, a late night meal, or take out.

Elizabeth’s can also cater your event and now has a party room available. Visit us at 4304 ½ Ma rket St or call 910251-1005 for take out.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: 10am-Midnight every day ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown (Corner of Market St and Kerr Avenue).

■ WEBSITE: www.epwilmington.com ■ FEATURING: Daily specials, kids menu and online coupons.

eddie romanelli's

Saltimbocca, Eggplant Parmigiana, USDA Prime Sirloin, and award-winning NY style hand-tossed pizzas, Fat Tony’s is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Their appetizers range from Blue Crab Dip to Grilled Pizzas to Lollipop Lamb Chops.

Proudly supporting the craft beer movement, they have an ever-changing selection of microbrews included in their 27-tap lineup – 12 of which are from NC. They have a wide selection of bottled beers, a revamped wine list, and an arsenal of expertly mixed cocktails that are sure to wet any whistle. Fat Tony’s offers lunch specials until 3pm Monday through Friday and a 10% discount to students and faculty at CFCC. They have two pet-friendly patios – one looking out onto Front Street and one with a beautiful view of the Cape Fear River. With friendly, excellent service and a fun, inviting atmosphere, expect to have your expectations exceeded at Fat Tony’s. Find The Flavor…..Craft Beer, Craft Pizza!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday-Thursday 11 am10 pm; Friday-Saturday 11 am-Midnight; Sunday Noon-10 pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ WEBSITE: www.fatpub.com ■ FEATURING: Daily lunch specials until 3pm and late night menu from 11pm until closing.

siena trattoria

Enjoy authentic Italian food in a beautiful, warm, casual setting. Whether dining indoors or in our courtyard, Siena is the perfect neighborhood trattoria for the entire family to enjoy. From our delicious brick oven pizza to elegantly prepared meat, seafood, and pasta specials, you will find a level of cuisine that will please the most demanding palate, prepared from the finest and freshest ingredients.

■ SERVING DINNER: at 4 p.m. Daily.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington South. 3315 Masonboro Loop Road, 910-794-3002 ■ FEATURING: Family style dinners on Sundays ■ WEBSITE: www.sienawilmington.com

Slice of life

Eddie Romanelli’s is a family-friendly, casual Italian American restaurant that’s been a favorite of Wilmington locals for over 16 years. Its menu includes Italian favorites such as Mama Romanelli’s Lasagna, Baked Ziti, Rigatoni a la Vodka and, of course, made-from-scratch pizzas. Its American influences include tasty burgers, the U.S.A. Salad and a 16 oz. Marinated Rib Eye Steak. Romanelli’s offers patio dining and flat screen TVs in its bar area. Dine in or take out, Romanelli’s is always a crowd favorite. Large parties welcome. 503 Olde Waterford Way, Leland. (910) 383.1885.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun.- Thurs. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington South/Leland ■ FEATURING: Weekly Specials ■ WEBSITE: www.RomanellisRestaurant.com

“Slice” has become a home away from home for tourists and locals alike. Our menu includes salads, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, homemade soups, subs and, of course, pizza. We only serve the freshest and highest-quality ingredients in all of our food, and our dough is made daily with purified water. Voted “Best Pizza” and “Best Late Night Eatery.”All ABC permits. Visit us downtown at 125 Market Street, (910) 251-9444, in Wrightsville Beach at 1437 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 101, (910) 256-2229 and in Pine Valley on the corner of 17th and College Road, (910) 799-1399.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m., 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, Downtown and Wilmington South.

■ FEATURING: The largest tequila selection in Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.grabslice.com

Fat Tony’s Italian Pub

a taste of italy

Fat Tony’s has the right combination of Italian and American influences to mold it into a unique family-friendly restaurant with a “gastropub” feel. Boasting such menu items as Veal

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SINGLE BOTTLES TO MIX N’ MATCH

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Looking for authentic Italian cuisine in the Port City? Look no further than A Taste of Italy Deli. Brothers, Tommy and Chris Guarino, and partner Craig Berner, have been serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner to local and visiting diners for twenty years. The recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, and after one bite you feel like you’re in your mamas' kitchen. Along with the hot and cold lunch menu, they also carry a large variety of deli sides and madefrom-scratch desserts. Or, if you’re looking to get creative in your own kitchen, A Taste of Italy carries a wide selection of imported groceries, from pasta to olive oils, and everything in between. And last but certainly not least, allow them to help you make any occasion become a delicious Italian experience with their catering or call ahead ordering.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday-Friday 8:00am8:00pm, Saturday 8:30am-7:00pm, Sunday 11:00am6:00pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.ncatasteofitaly.com ■ FEATURING: Sclafani goods, Polly-O cheese, Ferrara Torrone and much, much more!

Jamaican JAMAICA’S COMFORT ZONE

Tucked in the corner of University Landing, a block from UNCW is the hidden gem of Wilmington’s international cuisine scene - Jamaica’s Comfort Zone. This family owned restaurant provides a relaxing blend of Caribbean delights – along with reggae music – served up with irrepressible smiles for miles. From traditional Jamaican breakfast to mouth-watering classic dishes such as curry goat, oxtail, jerk and curry chicken, to our specialty 4-course meals ($12.00) and $6.99 Student meal. Catering options are available.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tuesday - Saturday 11:45am - 9:00pm and Sunday 1:30pm - 8:00pm. Monday - Closed.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown – University Landing 417 S. College Road #24 ■ FEATURING: Weekly Specials updated daily on Facebook ■ WEBSITE: www.jamaicascomfortzone.net

Latin American CEVICHE'S

Come enjoy the tropical flavors of Panama and Central America...from our fresh fish to our handmade empanadas, traditional arroz con pollo to fresh inspired salads, We hope you will be transported to simpler time with warm, friendly service, and festive vibe. Large selection of beer and wine, including red and white sangria, tropical mimosas, drink specials daily. Just before the bridge at Wrightsville Beach. 7210 Wrightsville Ave. (910) 256-3131.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon - Sun 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ WEBSITE: www.wbceviche.com

san juan CafÉ

Offering the most authentic, gourmet Latin American cuisine in Wilmington. With dishes from countries such as Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Cuba you’ll be able to savor a variety of flavors from all over Latin America. Located at 3314 Wrightsville Avenue.

910.790.8661 Follow us on Facebook/Twitter for live music updates!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon - Sat. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and from 5-10 p.m. Closed Sunday.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Nightly specials ■ WEBSITE: www.sanjuancafenc.com

Mexican San felipe

At San Felipe, we pride ourselves in offering the best Mexican cuisine combined with a Mexican inspired dining experience that will instill a sense of “familia” with our patrons.

Ditch the regular fare and try one of our Mexican inspired favorites such as our sizzling Certified Angus Beef Fajitas or our Carolina Chimichanga. Visit any of our 10 North Carolina locations to see for yourself and while your at it, try one of our delicious Margaritas! See you soon Amigos!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington, Leland & Southport ■ WEBSITE: www.sanfelipenc.com

Organic LOVEY’S natural foods & CafÉ

Lovey’s Market is a true blessing for shoppers looking for organic and natural groceries and supplements, or a great place to meet friends for a quick, delicious and totally fresh meal or snack. Whether you are in the mood for a veggie burger, hamburger or a chicken Caesar wrap, shoppers will find a large selection of nutritious meals on the a la carte Lovey’s Cafe’ menu. The Food Bar—which has cold, organix salads and hot selections—can be eaten in the newly expanded Lovey’s Cafe’ or boxed for take-out. The Juice Bar offers a wide variety of delicious juices and smoothies

made with organic fruits and vegetables. Specializing in bulk sales of grains, flours, beans and spices at affordable prices.

Lovey’s has a great selection of local produce and receives several weekly deliveries to ensure freshness. Lovey’s also carries organic grass-fed and free-range meats and poultry. wheat-free and gluten-free products are in stock regularly, as are vegan and vegetarian groceries. Lovey’s also carries Wholesome Pet Foods. Stop by Lovey’s Market Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 am to 6 p.m.. Located at 1319 Military Cutoff Rd in the Landfall Shopping Center; (910) 509-0331. “You’ll Love it at Lovey’s!”

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Café open: Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.(salad bar open all the time). Market hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown FEATURING: Organic Salad Bar/Hot Bar, New Bakery with fresh, organic pies and cakes. Newly expanded.

■ WEBSITE: www.loveysmarket.com

whole foods market

Whole Foods Market offers one of the most expansive freshly prepared foods options in the city! With 4 bars featuring hot dishes & salads, a sandwich station, sushi station, and pizza station, you are apt to satisfy everyone in your group.

All of the ingredients are free of any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives so food is fresh and flavorful from farm, ranch, or dock to your fork! Dine in the cafe or carry out. On any given day the selection offers an array of organic, local, vegan/vegetarian, and healthy options. Voted Best Salads by encore readers.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: 7 days a week. Monday - Sunday. 8am - 9pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Seasonal, healthy, organic, vegan/vegetarian ■ WEBSITE: www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Seafood CATCH

Serving the Best Seafood in South Eastern North Carolina.

Wilmington’s Native Son, 2011 James Beard Award Nominee, 2013 Best of Wilmington “Best Chef” winner, Chef Keith Rhodes explores the Cape Fear Coast for the best it has to offer. We feature Wild Caught & Sustainably raised Seafood. Organic and locally sourced produce & herbs provide the perfect compliment to our fresh Catch. Consecutively Voted Wilmington’s Best Chef 2008, 09 & 2010.

Dubbed “Modern Seafood Cuisine” we offer an array Fresh Seafood & Steaks, including our Signature NC Sweet Potato Salad. Appetizers include our Mouth watering “Fire Cracker” Shrimp, Crispy Cajun Fried NC Oysters & Blue Crab Claw Scampi, & Seafood Ceviche to name a few. Larger Plates include, Charleston Crab Cakes, Flounder Escovitch & Miso Salmon. Custom Entree request gladly accommodated for our Guest. (Vegetarian, Vegan & Allergies) Hand-crafted seasonal desserts. Full ABC Permits. 6623 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28405, 910-799-3847.

■ SERVING DINNER: Mon.-Saturday 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Acclaimed Wine List ■ WEBSITE: www.catchwilmington.com

DOCK STREET OYSTER BAR

Voted Best Oysters for over 10 years by encore readers, you know what you can find at Dock Street Oyster Bar. But we have a lot more than oysters! Featuring a full menu of seafood, pasta, and chicken dishes from $4.95-$25.95, there’s something for everyone at Dock Street. You’ll have a great time eating in our “Bohemian-Chic” atmosphere, where you’ll feel just as comfort able in flip flops as you would in a business suit. Located at 12 Dock St in downtown Wilmington. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. (910) 7622827.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: 7 days a week.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Fresh daily steamed oysters.

■ WEBSITE: www.dockstreetoysterbar.net

fish bites

Home of the freshest seafood in town, and Wilmington’s only Live Lobster Tank. Try one of our signature entrees like Fish Bites Tuna Filet, Stuffed Flounder or The Fishermans Stew. We have unique appetizers like Oyster Bombs, Shrimp Bombs, or Grouper Cheeks(who knew Groupers had cheeks!!). Have your Fresh Catch prepared to your delight, pan seared, grilled, blackened, broiled or fried. We will accomodate any taste. The Daily Special Board features creative dishes that highlight our Chef’s creative culinary skills. We make a fantastic steamer platter with Crab Legs, Shrimp, Clams, Oysters and Mussels. The possibilities are endless. We have the largest selection of seafood in the area.

Not only are we a seafood restaurant, but a fresh market as well. Take home your Fresh Seafood selection and cook it your favorite way. We also have take out. Don’t forget our made from scratch desserts. Come in and enjoy a fresh beverage from our full service “Bottems Up Bar”. Whether you just need something to curb your appetite or a full meal, we have something for everyone. Daily food specials and Drink Specials offered. Kids Menu available. So come in and enjoy the most amazing seafood you have ever tasted!

6132-11 Carolina Beach Rd. (910) 791-1117 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tue-Sat 11am - 9pm, Sun 11am - 3pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: South Wilmington ■ FEATURING: The freshest seafood in town, and Wilmington’s only Live Lobster Tank!

■ WEBSITE: www.fishbitesseafood.com

oceanic

Voted best seafood restaurant in Wilmington, Oceanic provides oceanfront dining at its best. Located in Wrightsville Beach, Oceanic is one of the most visited restaurants on the beach. Choose from a selection of seafood platters, combination plates and daily fresh fish. For land lovers, try their steaks, chicken or pasta dishes. Relax on the pier or dine inside. Oceanic is also the perfect location for memorable events, such as wedding ceremonies & receptions, birthday gatherings, anniversary parties and more. Large groups welcome.

Private event space available. 703 S. Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach. (910) 256.5551.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & SUNDAY BRUNCH:

Mon – Sat 11am – 11pm, Sunday 10am – 10pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Dining on the newly renovated Crystal Pier ■ WEBSITE: www.OceanicRestaurant.com

the pilot house

The Pilot House Restaurant is Wilmington’s premier seafood and steak house with a touch of the South. We specialize in local seafood and produce. Featuring the only Downtown bar that faces the river and opening our doors in 1978, The Pilot House is the oldest restaurant in the Downtown area. We offer stunning riverfront views in a newly-renovated relaxed, casual setting inside or on one of our two outdoor decks.

Join us for $5.00 select appetizers 7 days a week and live music every Friday and Saturday nigh on our umbrella deck.

Large parties welcome. Private event space available. 910343-0200 2 Ann Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm, FriSat 11am-10pm and Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm. Kids menu ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Riverfront Downtown Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Fresh local seafood specialties, Riverfront Dining, free on-site parking ■ MUSIC: Outside Every Friday and Saturday

SHUCKIN' SHACK

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar has two locations in the Port City area. The original Shack is located in Carolina Beach at 6A N. Lake Park Blvd. (910-458-7380) and our second location is at 109 Market Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington (910-833-8622). The Shack is the place you want to be to catch your favorite sports team on 7 TV’s carrying all major sports packages. A variety of fresh seafood is available daily including oysters, shrimp, clams, mussels, and crab legs. Shuckin’

Shack has expanded its menu now offering fish tacos, crab cake sliders, fried oyster po-boys, fresh salads, and more. Come in and check out the Shack’s daily lunch, dinner, and drink specials. It’s a Good Shuckin’ Time!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Carolina Beach Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-2am; Sun: Noon-2am, Historic Wilmington: Sun-Thurs: 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 11amMidnight ■ NEIGHBORHOODS: Carolina Beach and Downtown ■ FEATURING: Daily lunch specials. Like us on Facebook!

■ WEBSITE: www.TheShuckinShack.com

and produce. They work with local fisherman and farmers to ensure your meal will be freshly grown and hand chosen. A new dinner menu is churned out daily to ensure the chefs are working with the freshest ingredients. Plus, the bartenders are creating new drink menus daily as to never bore your taste buds. 1125 A Military Cutoff Rd. 910-239-9153.

■ SERVING BRUNCH & DINNER: Open for dinner TuesSun, 5pm-close, with live music Fri-Sat nights. Sunday brunch, 10am-3pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.pembrokescuisine.com

smoothies and more

hell's kitchen

Tropical smoothie cafÉ

Tropical Smoothie Café’s menu boasts bold, flavorful food and smoothies with a healthy appeal, all made to order from the freshest ingredients. Our toasted wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and gourmet salads are made fresh with highest quality of meats and cheeses, topped with fresh produce and flavorful sauces, available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The fun atmosphere and unparalleled hospitality brings customers back to Tropical Smoothie Café again and again. At Tropical Smoothie, we are guided by one simple belief: When you eat better, you feel better and when you feel better, all is better. It's part of our mission to inspire a healthier lifestyle by serving amazing food and smoothies with a bit of tropical fun. 2804 S. College Road, Long Leaf Mall.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon-Fri; 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sat-Sun ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, at Shipyard Blvd. and College Rd.

Southern Casey's Buffet

In Wilmington, everyone knows where to go for solid country cooking. That place is Casey’s Buffet, winner of encore’s Best Country Cookin’/Soul Food and Buffet categories.

“Every day we are open, somebody tells us it tastes just like their grandma’s or mama’s cooking,” co-owner Gena Casey says. Gena and her husband Larry run the show at the Oleander Drive restaurant where people are urged to enjoy all food indigenous to the South: fried chicken, barbecue, catfish, mac‘n’cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, chicken‘n’dumplings, biscuits and homemade banana puddin’ are among a few of many other delectable items. 5559 Oleander Drive. (910) 798-2913.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesdays.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Pig’s feet and chitterlings.

Rx Restaurant & bar

Located in downtown Wilmington, Rx Restaurant and Bar is here to feed your soul, serving up Southern cuisine made with ingredients from local farmers and fishermen. The Rx chef is committed to bringing fresh food to your table, so the menu changes daily based on what he finds locally. Rx drinks are as unique as the food—and just what the doctor ordered. Join us for a dining experience you will never forget!

421 Castle St.; 910 399-3080.

■ SERVING BRUNCH & DINNER: Tues-Thurs, 5-10pm; FriSat, 5-10:30pm; Sun., 10am-3pm and 5-9pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ WEBSITE: www.rxwilmington.com

pembroke's

A seasonally inspired and locally sourced Southern cuisine dining experience, Pembroke’s was created by the owners of downtown’s Rx Restaurant. Pembroke’s focuses on the same values and excellent service as its sister restaurant, purveying local companies for the best in seafood, proteins

Sports Bar This is downtown Wilmington’s Sports Pub! With every major sporting package on ten HDTVs and our huge HD projection screen, there is no better place to catch every game in every sport. Our extensive menu ranges from classics, like thick Angus burgers or NY-style Reuben, to lighter fare, such as homemade soups, fresh salads and vegetarian options. Whether meeting for a business lunch, lingering over dinner and drinks, or watching the game, the atmosphere and friendly service will turn you into a regular. Open late 7 days a week, with free WiFi, pool, and did we mention sports?

Free downtown lunchtime delivery on weekdays; we can accommodate large parties. (910) 763-4133.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & ■ LATE NIGHT: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: 1/2 priced select appetizers Monday

- Thursday 4-7 p.m.

■ WEBSITE: www.hellskitchenbar.com

Carolina Ale House

Voted best new restaurant AND best sports bar of 2010 in Wilmington, Carolina Ale House is the place to be for awardwinning food, sports and fun. Located on College Rd. near UNC W, this lively sports-themed restaurant. Covered and open outdoor seating is available. Lunch and dinner specials are offered daily, as well as the coldest $2 and $3 drafts in town. 317 South College Road. (910) 791.9393.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: 11am-2am daily.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: 0 HD TVs and the biggest HD projector TVs in Wilmington.

■ WEBSITE: www.CarolinaAleHouse.com

vegetarian/Vegan sealevel restaurant

The Sealevel family is settling in to making the cozy most of sweater season, with a variety of soups and hot beverages: mulled cider, nondairy hot cocoa, ginger-hibiscus tea, and hot sake. You won't need a coat after a cup of the regularly featured Thai-style hot 'n' spicy coconut curry soup, made without meat or dairy products, with Thai chilies and lemongrass.

Commune with your lentil burger-lovin' soul over a portobello melt and a side of hot potato chips with vegan chipotle dip.

Desserts are shifting into seasonal favorites: gluten-free and vegan sweet potato and apple pies; gluten-free brownies with non-dairy chocolate frozen cream; and assorted vegan and gluten-free cookies round out the sweet fare. Ask about delivery. Party space/dance hall available! Lunch everyday, 11am-2pm, except Tuesdays. Dinner Thurs.-Sat., 5-9pm.

Check our specials, updated daily on Facebook. 1015 S. Kerr Ave. 910-833-7196.

■ SERVING LUNCH AND DINNER 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., daily; Thurs-Sat., 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, near UNCW ■ FEATURING: Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, lactose-intolerant and seafood-friendly fare!

■ WEBSITE: www.sealevelcitygourmet.com

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Caribbean Comfort:

g&g > review

Reggae Hut Bar and Grille heaps on tastes from Jamaica By: Rosa Bianca

C

omfort food means different things to different people. For most it’s something reminiscent of childhood. I tend to find comfort elsewhere. For me, comfort comes in the form of quick-service meals, served with interesting spice palates. And I find Reggae Hut Bar and Grille very comforting.

Tucked away on Grace Street, in a building which has housed a sad march of failed eating establishments, Reggae Hut combines a neighborhood, dive-bar feel with a Jamaican menu that impressed me across the board.

I opened with a crab cake appetizer. While it might not have been the delicate lump and claw variety found in finer dining establishments, this deep-fried version—with a hue a few shades past golden—proved a nice way to start a meal.

Although I could always go for more crab in my crab cakes, this was hardly the fish-scented bread ball I’ve railed against at other establishments. It tasted crispy and briny In North Carolina, we take our pork seriously, and possibly no cut of pork is taken more seriously than the ribs. Slow-cooked ribs slathered in Jamaican jerk barbecue sauce might be a jolt for some local aficionados, but it’s a shock worth having. The garlic and brown sugar sauce, heated with scotch-bonnet peppers, makes for an interesting departure from classic American rib preparations.

While the sauce might have been foreign to my tongue, the slow-cooking style was immediately recognizable for its quality. Rib meat should never fall off the bone, no matter what you’ve been led to believe. The trick is to have tender meat, which still adheres to the bone. That’s the sweet spot, and Reggae Hut found it. This may be my new favorite rib joint.

On a side note (no pun intended), the plantains added a wonderful variation from traditional American complements. The chef avoided the pitfall of overcooking them to a mealy mess.

Instead, I got a firm, flavorful addition to dinner. Likewise, the macaroni and cheese, with al dente noodles and bold chunks of cheddar, also rounded out the meal. I found the mac and cheese needed a few shakes of pepper, but otherwise I was happy.

The Jamaican patty appetizer is the closest item I found to a disappointment. A turnover-like pastry stuffed with choice of chicken, beef or vegetables, by no means did it taste terrible. I found it a little doughy and light on flavor, more than anything. The elements are there, but they don’t quite come together.

However, the jerk pork, a classic Jamaican entrée, more than made up for any perceived shortcomings. Served with a thinner rendition of jerk sauce than the ribs, this version packed

sneaky spice: Reggae Hut’s jerk pork packs a kickin’ finish. Photo by Christian Podgaysky.

a punch of heat rather deceptively spicy. The spice came at the end of the palate. While I usually stick with lean pork loin when I have a choice, the fattier cut gave a fuller flavor that my arteries might regret but my taste buds were glad to endure.

I also have to recommend the coco bread.

While nothing special on its own, its spongy texture made sopping up additional helpings of the ridiculously good jerk sauce delightful.

Reggae Hut mixes affordable food with a comfortable bar-room concept. Hipsters chatted easily with punks and businessmen, while a heavily tattooed bartender played referee. It has the welcoming feel of a great downtown establishment. With good food and excellent pricing—and a little help from the new Marriott across the street—I suspect Reggae Hut could break the string of bad luck restaurants have had in that Grace Street building. I know I’ll be back.

DETAILS:

Reggae Hut Bar and Grille 121 Grace St. Mon. - Sat., 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Sun., 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.

(910) 833-5211 www.reggaehutbarandgrill.com

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extra > feature

W

Spring is in Bloom:

ith the winter cold behind us, and the warn, sunny days of spring just around the corner, the 68th annual Azalea Festival is set to thaw out the streets of downtown as Wilmington transitions into the new season.

As the festival kicks off, Wilmington will welcome a host of celebrities, such as Casey Jennings, a professional American volleyball player; Clyde Edgerton, a distinguished professor at the UNCW and the author of 10 novels; New York Times bestselling author Dan Hampton; the beautiful and charming actress from the 40s and 50s, Jacqueline White Anderson; three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings; Meg Caswell of HGTV and the winner of “Design Star” season 6; Miss NC Beth Stovall; Miss NC USA Julia Dalton; and Skai Jackson, the twelve year-old actress who has been the star of Disney’s hit series, “Jessie.” Here’s a preview of events:

A preview of events occurring as part of the 68th annual Azalea Festival By: Kamerin Roth

Queen’s Coronation Wilmington Convention Center , 515 Nutt St. Wednesday, April 8th, 3 p.m., Free 42 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

Taking place in the grand lawn of the Wilmington Convention Center, 2013 Miss America winner Mallory Hagan will be crowned this year’s Queen Azalea.

Hagan advocates against gun violence and child sexual abuse. Her first initiative as Miss America was to become the spokesperson for IHOP’s 8th annual National Pancake Day celebration, which raised millions for the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Hagan will succeed Kirsten Haglunch, last year’s Queen Azalea. In attendance will be city officials, board members, and the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Belles.

Cole Bros. Circus April 9/10: 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

April 11/12: 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $20-$28 With more than an acre of ground for the Cole Bros. Circus Big Top, the annual circus promises to be a favorite for all ages. Combining acrobatics with costumed characters and even a human cannonball, the two-hour performance is a romp of action-packed show that

Above: This year’s Azalea Queen, Mallory Hagan. Courtesy photo.

will send chills, thrills, and chuckles through crowds. You can purchase your tickets in advance and skip the lines by calling (910) 794-2894.

Juried Art Show The Hannah Block Community Arts Center 120 S. Second St. April 10-12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Free Over 100 North Carolinian and national artists will present their fine paintings at the annual Juried Spring Art Show and Sale, a long standing tradition at the Azalea Festival.

Awards for first, second and third places will be doled out, as well as Donor, Memorial, and People’s Choice Award, among others.

Children’s Art Contest The Hannah Block Community Arts Center 120 S. Second St., Free The sixth annual Children’s Art Contest broke records in 2015: 343 students put their skills to the test with their submissions.

The work was unveiled on Thursday, April 2, and will be on display through April 30.

The contest is open to all elementary or middle-school students across the state.

This year’s fist-place winner for the elementary school category is Becki Girolami, a fifth grader at Parsley Elementary in Wilmington.

Likewise the winning middle-school piece comes from Max Brinker, an eighth grader at Cape Fear Center for Inquiry.

Street Fair Downtown Wilmington on Water, Front, and Market streets April 10: 6-10:45 p.m., April 11: 12-10:45 p.m., April 12: 1-4 p.m., Free The Azalea Festival Street Fair will pack over 330 arts and craft vendors, 40 food vendors, four stages, and a children’s area, all into the streets of downtown Wilmington.

The three-day event will fill the air with the irresistible smell of food and the sounds of live music. There also will be an area for the kiddies full of games and crafts.

There will be old favorites, like facepaintings, jewelry made from things like sea glass, antique buttons, T-shirts, and photography. But there also will be a whole new line-up of booths serving anything from wine, to candles, to hot sauces, and much more.

Food vendors will be selling funnel cakes, fresh made lemonade, gyros, kettle corn, and ice cream, deep-fried Oreos, and even the eight-pound gummy bears.

After Garden Get Down Bluewater Waterfront Grill, 4 Marina St. April 10, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., Free For the first time in the Azalea Festival’s long history, they are joining together with LM Restaurants, Inc. to put on the “After Garden Get Down.” With live music by Chase Likens, Belk Road South musician and plenty of good food for everyone, the Bluewater Grill is the place to be. The 2015 Queen Azalea, Mallory Hagan, will be in at-

tendance for the event, and there will be live music.

Though it’s free to attend, The Bluewater Dining Package is $250 and will include one Airlie Luncheon Garden Party ticket, parking at the Bluewater Grill and shuttle service, a three-course meal at Bluewater Grill, and entry into the After Garden Get Down. There are a limited number of seats available.

Visiting Ships Water St., April 10-12 Prices vary by ship Every year all types of visiting ships join Wilmington during the Azalea Festival to partake in the celebration. Docked along the Cape Fear riverside, the boats are open for visitors to explore and discover.

Boxing Tournament Schwartz Center, CFCC April 11-12, 2 p.m.-6 p.m., free An Azalea Festival staple since 1978, the boxing tournament brings boxers from 8 and up together to participate in a competition of the finest fighters from the national and international levels. Boxers will be separated into ages 8-16, 17-34 and master boxers, 35 and up compete in six divisions—from 55 to pounds 201 pounds. Queen Azalea and other VIP guests will be in attendance.

Coin Show The Elks Lodge, 5102 Oleander Dr. April 11: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; April 12: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Free A family fun day of coins and currency, the coin show will have more than 30 dealers from several surrounding states on hand to appraise, buy, sell, and trade coins and other numismatic items. Children will receive free foreign coins to learn about currency and foreign countries. Don McNeely of Gold History Corporation will be on hand. A 30-year veteran prospector, he will be speaking with attendees and teaching panning techniques throughout the event.

Fireworks Riverwalk April 12, 9 p.m., Free Set by the beautiful, serene Cape Fear River, the Azalea Festival Firework Show will light up the sky, so arrive early and pick the best spot you can find and enjoy the show.

Hedrick Gardner Parade Mile April 11, 8:20 a.m.

Hendrick Gardner has partnered up with Without Limits, Go Time, and the North Carolina Azalea Festival to put on a race like never before. The course will be on 3rd Street, with a turn around in front of the grand stands of the North Carolina Azalea Festival. Proceeds from the race will benefit Habitat for Humanity. The winner of the race will ride in the Azalea Festival parade.

Parade April 11, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

With over 100,000 viewers each year, the Azalea Festival Parade will have floats, marching bands, horses, celebrities, and Queen Azalea herself meandering through historic downtown Wilmington. This year the parade will be given a new route. It will begin at the south end of downtown and travel north up 3rd Street. Viewing areas will stretch from Market Street to Bladen Street, with bleachers between Grace and Chestnut, and additional seating on Market.

Street Fair Multicultural Stage Water St. (between Chestnut and Princess) April 11-12, free Each year the Azalea Festival features contemporary and traditional music, dance, and ethnic pageantry.

The Street Fair Multicultural Stage brings recognition to the region’s growing ethnic population. The stage will feature some of the best Native American, Celtic, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Hawaiian, Polynesian, Indian, Techmoja, Philippine, and Japanese performing artists, dressed in authentic colorful costumes. One of the main events of the stage will be the “Children’s Multicultural March.” Children will march and represent their cultures. The march is a way to highlight our area’s growing cultural diversity and helps show the strength of our multicultural

community. The event will be filled with the sounds and sights of diversity and will bring the world over to the streets of Wilmington.

Azalea Festival Beach Volleyball Tournament Capt’n Bills Backyard Grill, 4240 Market St. April 11-12 Woman’s Final: 6 p.m., Men’s Final: 7 p.m.

Tickets: $25-$35 for players; $5 for spectators The Wilmington Volleyball Series will be pulling in some of the top athletes from across the East Coast, but the tournament will be open to all players. Contestants will be playing for prizes such as Reflekt Sunglasses, Socco Socks, and 17th Street Surf Shop merchandise.

Festival Finale April 12, 4 p.m.-8 p.m., Free Bluewater Waterfront Grill, 4 Marina St. The Festival Finale will kick off at Bluewater Grill as their Waterfront Music Series, which runs throughout summer, begins. As VIP guests dine and party at the restaurant, there will be live music by The Beatles cover band, Liverpool. They will be playing from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The first 1,500 people to show up will get a free koozie and the chance to enjoy the spring weather as this year’s Azalea Festival takes its bow.

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Home is Where the Heart is:

extra > feature

The NC Azalea Festival’s Historic Home Tour showcases beautiful craftsmanship By: Linda Grattafiore

M

ary Margaret Konz knows how to wait for what she wants at a price she can afford. Drawn to the Brickhouse Cottage at 503 S. Front Street for years, she kept watching the selling price on the market. When foreclosure was eminent, she made a reasonable offer. And it was accepted.

Konz’s one-story, hip-roof cottage, with full-width front porch, is one of the many styles of buildings presented by the Historic Home Tour. Sponsored by the Historic Wilmington Foundation, the tour helps promote the historic resources of Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear region. Since 1966, the foundation has saved more than 200 historic properties from being destroyed and has helped restore them to shine yet again.

Konz’s new digs weren’t always prepped for the Historic Home Tour. Upon her purchase, there were five holes in the roof of the abandoned house, so her first move was

to bleach everything she could get her hands on. Konz had a Hydro-Stop sustainable roofing system (similar to fiberglass) installed under the pinched metal roof.

The beautiful hardwood floors were resanded throughout the small yet substantial cottage. All the walls were painted bone white, and crown molding was added for softness. After renovating the master bathroom vanity and walk-in shower with carrera marble, she placed an apartment-size washer/drier appliance in the adjoining walk-in closet for the ultimate in laundry efficiency.

She opened the kitchen with a vaulted, yellow-pine ceiling and low black cabinetry by IKEA (a fifth of the box stores’ prices) Now, when a visitor walks through the cottage from front to back, there are touches of cosmopolitan splendor on every wall and in every corner. The front parlor shows an easel with Konz’s large canvas reproduction of Monet’s “Woman with a Parasol.” A Queen Anne ivory love seat is a frugal find from The Eclectic, Etc. consignment shop. One of the five fireplaces BRICKHOUSE COTTAGE: Mary Margaret Konz’s 503 S. Front Street home is one of many on the Azale Fest Historic Home Tour, sponsored by the Historic Wilmington Foundation. Courtesy photo

contains a Convert-to-Gel Log Set in oak, which warms the room with a can of Real Flame (good for two and a half hours).

To the right of the parlor, is a guest bedroom which holds a magnificent cattycornered brown and ivory poster bed. The letters on the headboard read: “Paris, 1898.” Memorabilia from Konz’s trip to Paris sprinkle the room, including a painting of the Eiffel Tower.

The sitting room mantel holds another large oil reproduction painted by Konz. This one is reminiscent of Degas’ dancer paintings, and shows five ballerinas all dressed in pink tutus. An elegant chaise lounge stretches out as if begging to be sat upon, and is printed a la francaise (“I seem to gravitate to all things French!”).

The Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary Catholic Church and nine selected homes feature a variety of architecture and located within four of the eight National Register Districts in Wilmington. The ribbon-cutting will take place this Saturday, April 11, at 12:30 p.m., at the MacRae-Willard House (520 Orange St.), home of Dr. Landon and Connie Anderson. Free ice cream from Dairy Queen will be served at the Neoclassical Revivalstyle home.

44 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

As participants make the tour, they will note the grand example of Spanish Baroque architecture of St. Mary’s; the Charlestoninspired Allen-Woodward House (George and Nancy Bolts); the craftsman style bungalow of the Swinson-Dowe House (Michael O’Connell III); the Greek-Revival cottage of the William Cooke House (Suzanne and Herman E. Smith); the Craftsman-style, three bays wide of the Alvy R. Hardwick House (Pat and Elaine Hogan); the two-story Italianate wood frame Hovis House (Larry and Alice Hovis); the foursquare styled Martin L. Stover House (Gay Adair); and the English Cotswald Cottage style of the James D. Nutt House (Lale and Paul Lewis).

Folks can purchase tickets ($25) by calling (910) 794-4650. Tickets go up to $30 the day of the event.

DETAILS:

North Carolina Azalea Festival Historic Home Tour Sat., April 11, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Sun., April 12, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets: $25-$30 www.ncazaleafestival.org www.historichome.org

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Greenhouse Whimsy:

extra > feature

The Cape Fear Garden Club puts on 62nd annual Azalea Garden Tour By: Linda Grattafiori

T

he 62nd Azalea Garden Tour, presented by the Cape Fear Garden Club (CFGC), will delight the public this weekend with 12 private gardens, plus Airlie (Saturday and Sunday only). An official event of the North Carolina Azalea Festival, the presentation of these gardens is one of the most popular garden tours in the South.

Sandra Kittinger, chair of this year’s tour, said the nonprofit CFGC has raised $1.2 million in the past 20 years, which helps fund horticultural scholarships for students at UNCW and CFCC. Substantial grants also are given each year to Audubon North Carolina and other worthy nonprofits (applications for grant disbursements are online at www. capefeargardenclub.org).

Kittinger, whose own inspiring home overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway, is proud of the selections for this year’s theme, “Coastal Gardens from River to Sea.” “The variety will inspire every avid gardener, with gardens

ranging in styles from classical to modern and formal to whimsical,” she says.

The focus, of course, is the azalea! Tour participants may attend the Friday morning, ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. There will be a parade of the 2015 Azalea Belles, an introduction of Azalea Queen Mallory Hagan (Miss America 2013) and Azalea Festival celebrities. There will be a reception at the nearby Dr. Heber W. Johnson Rotary Garden (parking at Legion Stadium, 2221 Carolina Beach Road, with free bus shuttle service).

Garden tour ticket booklets will be stamped at each event. They contain a county map, which shows the location of each beautiful garden, parking tips, descriptions, and acknowledgements to the many Wilmingtonians who make this event possible, especially the garden tour owners themselves.

On the tour, one can see the greenhouse whimsy and winding garden paths at the residence of Donna and Britt Starling. When the Starlings renovated their home from “shabby

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Whimiscal hues: Donna Starling, member of the Cape Fear Orchid Society, takes in her breathtaking orchids, which will show as part of the Azalea Garden Tour.

Photo, courtesy Donna Starling.

chic to Caribbean modern,” they recycled the beams, windows and doors to create a very livable 13-by-26 foot outdoor greenhouse, resplendent with its own shabby chic chandelier. A member of the Cape Fear Orchid Society, Donna installed the proper climate controls for the ultimate in orchid culture.

She nurtures several different slipper orchids (paphiopedilum) and moth orchids (phalaeonpsis)—the latter a favorite of greenhouse growers. Donna loves the large classic white Malibu Mystere and the spotted purple Sonata Spots.

Outside tall live oaks shade the Starling residence, both front and back. Donna has shaped the gorgeous dense boxwood into a Zen framework around her formal entry patio. Evergreen liriope surrounds a flowing fountain. Needle palms line the walkway to the backyard. A shaded path winds through the woods, which are festooned with azaleas, camellias, fatsia, gardenias, hostas, and Japanese yew. A red-doored garden shed, which once served as a playhouse, is backed with a yellow slide and provides a fun exit to the rear. A discerning eye will spot three garden fairies, which once represented the Starling children, Michael 15, Kitty 14 and Jules 10, now almost grown.

The whole Starling family enjoys entertaining on the outdoor patio around a mod-

ern black gas-fire pit with blue-glass insert. The patio is surrounded by variegated bamboo, adorned with tiny twinkling lights. Nature lovers, the Starlings have birdand butterfly-friendly plants, especially the trumpet vine and butterfly bush. There are two bluebird houses and feeders for other treasured birds, such as the brilliant red cardinals, which are so prevalent this time of year. Nearby is a flame azalea, one of the few deciduous azaleas on the tour.

Other landscapes in the tour have these rare finds, especially Airlie Gardens, the epitome of southern gardens, with its 67 acres filled with over 100,000 azaleas, camellias, statuary, and the 465 year-old Airlie Oak. Also, be sure not to miss the labyrinth and waterfalls at the Lower Cape Fear Hospice Heritage Garden; the life-size copper giraffe at the home of Michael Murchison and Barbara Sullivan (author of Garden Perennials for the Coastal South); the intimate courtyard at the Camellia Cottage Bed and Breakfast of Paula Tirrito and Steven Skavroneck; Kinzy and Jeff Tippett’s shared garden with her parents, Bill and Maxine Hobbs (retired teacher and former colleague); the sparkling pool surrounded by tropical plants of Beverly and Carroll Thomas; the trio of petite gardens maintained by homeowners, Allan Donald, Marie and Tom Douglas and Signa and Wray Stalvey; three mature bald cypress at the Hogan Family Garden; and the stone-enclosed pool and nearby dock on Pages Creek, enhanced by the Resh Family Garden.

Tickets for the tour are $25 and are good for all three days. They can be purchased at any of the participating gardens, as well as a host of establishments around town, which are listed at www.capefeargardenclub.com.

DETAILS: Azalea Garden Tour Fri. - Sun., April 10-12, Gardens open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

(910) 390-0605 www.capefeargardenclub.org

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The Nine Lives of Xen

extra > fact or fiction

Chapter 7: Cats always land on their feetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and other lies By: Anthony David Lawson

I

messed up. I got greedy and I messed up. Bad. I was riding high on the prospect of prolonging M.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life for as long as I lived. I was so focused on staring off into my happily-ever-after sunset that I failed to see the logistical problems surrounding my plan. One -by-one they started rising to the surface, like so many bubbles in a bottle of champagne. Once the cork was popped, a river of doubt and newfound concerns sprayed out.

My dream of a happy ending was drowning, and my misplaced metaphor of celebratory champagne was sobering.

How would her long life be explained? At some point she would have to be moved somewhere else. How was I supposed to pull that off?

I would have to double the amount of life I was taking in, after all, I was reaping for two now. How long could I get away with killing so much before suspicions were raised?

Most importantly, what if she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even want to live forever? I had only considered my own feelings, and communication so far had been impossible.

The thing is cats do understand most languages but lost the ability to communicate outside of our own species. This happened right around the time we lost our god status, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a story for another time.

Sometimes I get so frustrated that I forgetthat I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be understood, and let out an embarrassing â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rawph?â&#x20AC;? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard that some cats try and show feelings of pleasure by â&#x20AC;&#x153;purring.â&#x20AC;? This has to be a myth. I have never been so happy in my life that I felt the need to vibrate my vocal chords. Oddly enough, the closest language any of us have been able to approximate is Japanese.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe me? Look it up.

So, until I could find a way to communicate with M., I would have to focus on the problems I had some hope of solving. Then I thought, Why kill more when I could just hit up the geezers that had a bit more time left on them?

That brings us to Mitchell Stone.

Mitchell wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily old, but the cigarettes had made him prematurely frail. I tended to keep my distance from Mitchell; he always had a stench of tobacco surrounding him, bringing to mind images of cartoon clouds of smoke. Despite the staffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best efforts, Mitchell always found a way to break into the locked door that led to the basement so he might sneak a quick cigarette.

His racking cough was constant, but he never seemed to get any sicker. I decided to see how much time he was dealing with, so I waited for him to settle down, held my breath and jumped into his lap.

A year and a half. This walking ashtray still had well over a year of life left in him. Usually that would make him off limits, but I started to justify. If heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only going to spend that time sucking on those nicotine party favors then it would be just as well that I should take him now. That was the only thought I had time for, seeing as how I was being forcibly removed from a rapidly decreasing lap.

As he stood up, Mitchell yelled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get away from me you filthy beast!â&#x20AC;?

Apparently someone doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like cats. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Calm down, Mr. Stone,â&#x20AC;? an attendant offered. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Filthy animalsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;smell like death.â&#x20AC;?

Coming from the human smoke stack that was highly offensive. He just sealed the deal.

Mitchell Stone was going to die that night. *

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* * * * I slipped into his room around 1 a.m. The snoring emitting from his mouth was deafening. This was going to be even easier than I thought. I jumped up and stalked over, practically licking my lips at the prospect of 18 months of life. There was no need to pry his mouth open as another monstrous roar parted lips. I leaned over and started to will the life out of him. Just as I could see the shimmer in the back of his throat, his eyes popped open. We were eye to eye for at least 10 seconds before he yelled out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;CAT! This damn cat is trying to kill me!â&#x20AC;?

I hauled ass out of the room and down the hallway before anyone could see me. Hopefully, they would assume he had had a bad dream. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to be kicked out, not now. I was cursing myself for thinking I could

take so much at once. When life wants to be lived, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up so easily.

The next day in the rec room I could hear him causing a commotion over where he was sitting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m telling you, that cat is evil! It was looking into my soul, I tell you! Like it was hungry. Like it wanted to eat my dreams.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a cat Mitch,â&#x20AC;? offered a geriatric comrade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, it wanted to eat my dreams, and then kill me. I know it.â&#x20AC;?

This was a problem. Even if no one believed him I might get kicked out for upsetting the residents. Then I saw my chance.

Ever-predictable Mitchell was making his way to the basement door.

I slipped quietly around the corner from the door so that when he looked around for the all-clear, he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see me. He popped the door, and as it was closing I slipped in behind him. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t risk turning on the light, which worked better for me, but instead of lighting up right away, he started down the stairs. This I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expected and had to think quickly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rawph?â&#x20AC;? I asked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh Jesus wept, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s here to kill me.â&#x20AC;?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a little sad when the paranoid are right.

As he turned to rush up the stairs, I darted in between his legs to guarantee a loss of footing. His arms flailed as his tumbled backward. The stairs were stone and made very little sound as his body connected with him.

In fact, the only sound louder than a muffle was when his neck let out a quick snapping sound when his head connected with the basement floor.

The dry twig sound was bad enough, but the groans that followed were worse. He was still alive. I dashed down and stared down his throat willing his life-force out of him. It was bad I murdered the poor bastard; I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to let him suffer. The essence slipped out easily this time, and I thought for a second before letting it roll back into me so that it could be absorbed.

None of this could go to M. On the chance that his memories would still be intact, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want her to see me doing what I had done through his eyes. So I had 18 more months all to myself while M. was still upstairs in her chair, fist-clinched tight.

Anthony David Lawson is the author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Novel,â&#x20AC;? as well as a local playwright, director and actor. He will write a piece of prose presented in parts every other week in encore throughout 2015, entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Nine Lives of Xen.â&#x20AC;?

UPCOMING EVENTS BASEBALL Wednesday, April 8 Baseball vs NC State 6:00pm - Game Sponsored by BB&T Friday, April 10 Baseball vs William & Mary 6:00pm Saturday, April 11 Baseball vs William & Mary 2:00pm Sunday, April 12 Baseball vs William & Mary 2:00pm

TENNIS Saturday, April 11 Women’s Tennis vs Charleston Southern 11:00am Sunday, April 12 Men’s Tennis vs Georgia State 12:00pm

To order tickets or for more information, please contact the UNCW Ticket Office at (910) 962-3233

www.UNCWSports.com encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 49

AMY BAMBENEK

VOLLEYBALL CAMPS AT UNCW

BEGINNER CAMP

A

s the months get hotter and the school countdown comes to a close, it’s that time of year when parents begin looking for enriching activities for their rugrats to do over summer months. Our area is filled with culture, artistry, the beach, and wildlife, so there’s an activity for kids of all different ages and interests. Developing a child’s curiosity about the world proves vital in ensuring their success. Whether they want to test their sense of adventure, paint a Picasso, cook a three-course meal, or develop their basketball skills, they’re sure to find something throughout this list. Camps provide the perfect opportunity to diversify children’s talents, allow them to build lasting friendships, and even prepare them for their next school year. Here are just a few suggestions...

July 13-16 (3rd-8th graders)

EVENING SKILLS SERIES

July 13-16 (8th-12th graders)

ALL SKILLS CAMP

July 17-19 (5th-8th graders)

ADVANCED CAMP

July 20-23 (9th-12th graders)

POSITION CAMPS

July 24-26 (9th-12th graders) Please email UNCWVolleyball@gmail.com or call 910.962.3242 To register & view pricing info, visit www.volleyballcampsatwilmington.com

Mini Monets Summer Art Camps Projects in each camp are designed to encourage and nurture the creative thought process by using a teacher guided and self directed approach.

During each class period, we will start one project, have a snack, and then begin to work on a second project for the rest of class. We Work at each students own pace without rushing them to complete during a specific time.

Tuition for both Clay and Sculpture weeks are $175 per week and the Fine Arts and Illustration camps are $160 per week. This includes all supplies,

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materials, displays, and snacks for the Camps include: Beginner: July 13week. Call 910-399-1708 or email minim- 16 (3rd-8th graders); Evening Skills onets@gmail.com for more information.

Series: July 13-16 (8th-12th graders); All Skills: July 17-19 (5th-8th graders); UNCW Volleyball Camp Advanced: July 20-23 (9th-12th gradOffered for youths of all skill levels, ers); Position: July 24-26 (9th-12th UNCW will hold a Vollyball Camp. Com- graders). Please, email uncwvolleypetitive drills and fun games will instill ball@gmail.com or call 910-962-3242 good sportsmanship as well as vital vol- for more information. leyball skills into attendees. Some camps offer accommodations for commuters, Wrighstville Beach Parks & Recreation while others are day camps. For a full list- Camps Summer time fun at Wrightsville ing of the details associated with each camp, please visit www.volleyballcamp- Beach Parks and Rec includes many satwilmington.com. exciting programs. Enroll now in Art

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Camp, Performance Camp, Art Camp for Youth with an Adult, Cooking Camp, Cotillion Manners Camp, Basketball, Soccer, Lacrosse or Tennis Camps, or our new Junior Lifeguard program.

For a complete schedule of all of our programs and activities for youth and adults, call the park office at (910) 2567925 or visit the Town’s website: www. townofwrightsvillebeach.com, or email parksrec@towb.org.

Power of Play Summer Camp Summer camp at Power of Play will be filled with fun, education, crafts, field trips, swimming, physical activity, sports and entertainment. Each week we will have a new theme and incorporate activities, field trips and entertainment that pertain to that theme. Children will get outdoors and enjoy social interaction and friendship with other children, learn to work and play as a team, learn about the world around them, and most importantly have fun!

Camp runs 10 weeks, June 15 - August 21: 1/2 day 9AM-1PM Monday - Friday $95/week. Full day 7:30AM6PM Monday - Friday $150/week. Daily and hourly rates available. Call 910332-1660 or visit the website: www.

PowerofplayWilmington.com Greenland Farms Summer Camps Greenlands Farm offers Day Camps for the Spring, Summer, and throughout the year on specially scheduled days.

Please check in with us for the date of our next Day Camp!

Summer Camp sessions are enjoyed from 8:30 am to 4.00 pm, Monday – Wednesday. The camp is open to 5-13

year olds, June —August, seven sessions (M-W) for 2 age groups, see our camp application for dates specific to your child.

Throughout the week your child will experience modern homestead farming. Greenlands Farm incorporates sustainability practices into everyday life on the farm: permaculture, organic farming, composting, and rain cisterns.

We believe these practices directly influence our impact on the environment, both on the farm and off. Your child will eat, can, and bake what we grow! They will get “hands on” experience by milking our goats and learning soap making with the milk they collect.

How cool is that?! Greenlands Farm also has rescue farm animals we use to educate children about each animal: needs, care, and respect. These animals teach valuable lessons that can be applied to many facets of life. Creating awareness of sustainable and responsible practices through homestead farming is a step towards our children changing the future of our society. Our goal isn't to encourage your kids to be future farmers, but to share with them the joy and fulfillment of working hard, respecting the environment around them, and reaping the benefits. Your child will learn teamwork, patience, and responsibility through Greenlands Farm’s homestead farm life: all skills that can be applied to life off the farm.

Enrich your child and give an experience like no other! check out the website: http://www.greenlandsfarmstore. info/camp/ or call 910.253.7934.

Sponsored by:

Contact us for current program information: (910) 256-7925 ~ parksandrecreation@towb.org Or visit our website for a complete program list: www.townofwrightsvillebeach.com

SPRING 2015 YOUTH PROGRAMS:

Performance Club begins April 9th — Kids’ Cooking begins April 13th Youth Basketball Instructional League begins April 9th Cape Fear Cotillion begins April 21st — Tennis Lessons (ongoing) Safe Sitter® Babysitter Training 1-Day Course on May 16th

REGISTER NOW FOR SUMMER 2015 YOUTH CAMPS:

Summer Camp!

June 15-August 21

Half Day - 9AM-1PM Monday-Friday: $95/week Full Day - 7:30AM-6PM Monday-Friday: $150/week Daily and hourly rates available!

6644 Gordon Road • www.PowerofplayWilmington.com P: (910) 332-1660 • F: (910) 332-0640

Youth Art Camps — Parent & Child Art Camp — Performance Club Camps Cotillion Manners Camp — Tennis Lessons & Camps Basketball Camps — Hammerheads Soccer Camp — Lacrosse Camp Kids’ Cooking Camp — Junior Lifeguard Program

ONGOING FITNESS PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS:

Barre Fit — Vinyasa Yoga — Pilates — Gentle (Hatha) Yoga Boot Camp — Tone, Strengthen & Stretch — Low Impact Aerobics

OTHER PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS:

Men’s Basketball & Flag Football Leagues — Tennis Lessons Shag & Line Dancing — Men’s & Women’s Singles Tennis Ladders Bridge Lessons—Pickleball Lessons & Coed Doubles Ladder

COMING SOON:

Farmers’ Market begins May 18th — Concerts in the Park begin June 18th encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 51

events SEASIDE SPRING RENEWAL RETREAT 2nd annual Seaside Spring Renewal Retreat coming up 4/9-12, 2015! Four day/three night retreat is all about health, wellness and renewal just in time for summer! The event begins with an early check-in oat 3:00pm complete with a wine and cheese reception at the Beacon House Inn Bed & Breakfast on Thursday from 5:307:30pm. Healthy, artisan breakfast each morning accompanied by raw cold pressed juice and smoothie from Island Wellness Market. Total

package includes three yoga classes at Salty Dog Yoga and Surf, a three course group dinner at the Surf House Cafe‘, smoothie and shopping coupon for Island Wellness Market and a goody bag to take home! Since this retreat is about renewal and relaxation, we are also offering a late checkout of 1pm on Sunday. Call for costs. 910458-6244 or 877-BEACON6. Beacon House Inn Bed & Breakfast, 715 Carolina Beach Ave N. COLE BROTHERS CIRCUS 4/9-12: Sponsored by the N.C. Azalea Festival.

Free children tickets available at participating McDonald’s and www.freekidstickets.com. Admission: $21; $16 children and senior citizens.

$5 off for advance tickets at the Azalea Festival Office or the gate. Wilmington International Airport, 1740 Airport Blvd.

MONSTER EXCITEMENT On 4/10-11, check out what the excitement is all about when the legendary Ram sponsored monster truck, Raminator rolls into Neuwirth Motors on 219 S. College Road. Guests of all ages are invited to see how they measure up against the towering 5’5’’ tires, meet the talent behind the wheel and receive an autograph and take a photo with a member of the Hall Brothers Racing team. Since 2002, two of the most iconic and most feared opponents in monster

truck racing have been sponsored by the Ram Truck brand—Raminator and Rammunition. In Dec. 2014, Raminator and Driver Mark Hall broke the Guinness World Records record for the Fastest Speed for a Monster Truck, hitting a record speed of 99.10 miles per hour. For more information on the Ram Monster Truck lineup, visit Raminator.com. 219 S. College Rd. AZALEA CELEBRATION SPRING FLING Azalea celebration presented by Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, Sat., 4/11, 11am. Silent auction, luncheon, and musical entertainment by Curtis Campbell. Tickets $20. Proceeds for Salvation Army’s “Center of Hope.” (910) 343-0620. Pine Valley UMC, 3788 Shipyard Blvd.

PLEASURE ISLAND CHOWDER FEST 4/11: 19th annual cook-off at Carolina Beach Lake Park is family-friendly, w/local chefs preparing and sharing their best seafood chowder recipes, 11:30am-5:30pm. Kidz Zone, facepainting, a giant 3-in-1 inflatable house, laser tag and more. For an additional fee, paddleboat and surrey rides are available. Traditional festival foods (hot dogs, funnel cakes, crab cakes) and adult beverages for sale. At 4:30pm, the People’s and Judges’ Choice Awards will be announced, w/awards for Most Enthusiastic and Best-Decorated tents. Chowder on a first-come, first-served basis until 3:30pm. Live music from The Mark Roberts Band. $6 for adults; free for children ages 12 and under. Coolers not permitted; beer/wine/soft drinks and food for sale.

Chairs, blankets, children welcome; no pets.

Carolina Beach Lake Park, N Lake Park Blvd.

AZALEA FEST 4/9-12: NC Azalea Festival, a Wilmington tradition since 1948, feat. five days of spring in grand style with pageantry, merriment and Southern flair. This year the festival’s very first queen in 1948, actress Jacqueline White Anderson, will participate in the Queen’s Coronation to crown Mallory Hagan (Miss America 2013) as Queen Azalea 2015, Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Belles, celebrities, juried arts and craft shows, a traveling circus, fireworks (Saturday night), and a street fair (Fri./Sat./Sun.) with exhibits, vendors, live music, entertainment and kids’ activities, two-hour parade on Sat., 9:30am, Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour w/ free admission to Airlie Gardens on Saturday and Sunday, Azalea Home Tour, live musicw/ country artist Alan Jackson (4/9) and rap powerhouse Nelly (4/10) at the Cape Fear Community College Campus, 411 N. Front St. www. ncazaleafestival.org. Download the N.C. Azalea Festival App. SECOND SATURDAY BOOK SALE 4/11, 10am-2pm: The Friends of the Leland Library will hold their Second Saturday sale at the Magnolia House, 485 Village Road, Leland. Features special deals for our members. You may join or renew your membership at the sale. All others are welcome to make purchases at our regular low prices. Ellie Edwards, (910) 833-2322.

52 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

Creators syndiCate CREATORS SYNDICATE © 2015 STANLEY NEWMAN

WWW.STANXWORDS.COM

4/12/15

THE NEWSDAY CROSSWORD Edited by Stanley Newman (www.StanXwords.com)

YACHT CLUB: Though spelled more phonetically

by S.N. ACROSS 1 Brings under control 6 Big family 10 Action figures, essentially 15 Exotic berry 19 Hold responsible 20 Nothing at all 21 Rigel’s locale 22 Stylish 23 Celestial cartography 25 “Isn’t that obvious?”

27 Manet and Monet 28 Rail riders 30 Tapering fully 31 Poetic plaint 32 Seinfeld character 33 No-fly, for instance 34 Hunter’s helper 37 Not as iffy 38 DC Comics hero 42 Miscellaneous category 43 Country star who had her first hit at 13 45 Bar supply 46 Applications 47 Gelatin shaper 48 When shadows are shortest 49 Den hanging, perhaps 50 Apiece 51 Try to sting 55 Actor Mandel 56 Got juice from 58 Crush an exam 59 Fix up 60 Protested a shearing 61 Cancel, as at NASA 62 Lathered 63 What the 18th-20th Presidents all had 65 Great time 66 Where brigantines are built

69 Spring sign 70 H, on the NYSE 72 Excessively 73 Heston’s Ben-Hur adversary 74 Region crossed by Marco Polo 75 Mars alias 76 Music genre 77 Letters on toothpaste tubes 78 Republic of China founding father 82 Nautical nonsense 83 Hideaways 85 Fit out 86 Stew servers 87 Dies down 88 Aspersions 89 Brazilian soccer great 90 Babe Ruth contemporary 93 Italian fashion center 94 Letter drop 98 Sing adequately 100 Don’t go out 102 Web journal 103 Hopeless case 104 Roll on a runway 105 From a loom 106 Some evergreens 107 American alternative 108 Valhalla host 109 1936 Olympics star DOWN 1 Recipe meas.

2 __-Seltzer 3 Polite request 4 Flows out 5 Frontier colonizer 6 Absolute rulers 7 On sale 8 Equate to 9 Place for a quick bite

10 Comics canine 11 Three-part cookies 12 A bunch of baloney 13 Myrna of the Thin Man films 14 Undo, as binder rings 15 More sore 16 Goatee locale 17 Nonstandard contraction 18 Like goo 24 Goneril’s dad 26 Copy-room supply 29 __-day (vitamin dose) 32 Ring-shaped cake 33 Paramount Pictures founder 34 First courses 35 Footnote abbr.

36 “A Jug of Wine . . .” source 37 First course 38 Make tracks 39 Focus of a 1942 battle 40 Middle of some plays 41 “Not a chance!”

43 Trifled (with) 44 Ill-suited 47 Cornfield challenges 49 Beer descriptor 51 Sales prospects 52 North African capital 53 At __ (with consequences) 54 Australian port 55 Oodles 57 Flop-__ hound 59 Nettles 61 Actor Delon 62 Luster

63 Kid-lit elephant 64 Destroy slowly 65 How some commuters travel 66 Throat bug 67 Roulette bet 68 Parcels out 70 Receives guests 71 Pleasant change 74 Potpourris 76 Circus attraction 78 Pop singer Boone

79 Enthusiastic spectators 80 Greenish blue 81 Consults 82 Halfway to a walk 84 Corporate shuffles, for short 86 Return of the Jedi princess 88 Trig functions 89 Ante up 90 Frozen-dessert chain

91 Anderson Cooper alma mater 92 Be boastful 93 Tax-free bond, for short 94 Ankle-length 95 Another way to say 20 Across 96 Warning sign 97 Till bills 99 Pull, as a trailer 101 Smidge

Reach Stan Newman at P.O. Box 69, Massapequa Park, NY 11762, or at www.StanXwords.com

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Fresh from the Farm

The Riverfront Farmers’ Market is a curbside market featuring local farmers, producers, artists & crafters.

OPENING DAY Saturday, April 4th 8am to 1pm

Runs through November 21st, 2015

OPEN RAIN OR SHINE!!

• Fruits • Vegetables • Plants • Herbs • Flowers • Eggs • Cheeses

• Meats • Seafood • Honey • Baked goods • Pickles • Jams & Jelly • Art & Crafts

Riverfront Farmers’ Market is now on the corner of North Water and Princess Streets

FEATURED MUSIC MAY 2 ND

RICH ZIMMERMAN

PAWZ IN THE PARK 4/18, 10am-3pm: The second annual Pawz In Park will be held at Battleship Park in Wilmington, NC. All proceeds from this 501(c)(3) non- profit event will go back to local animal rescue groups dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding adoptive homes for animals surrendered by private owners and obtained by animal shelters and humane societies. Live music, food trucks, beer tent, pet related vendors, activities for pets, a silent auction, and appearances and special activities with some of the Wilmington Hammerheads players! Plus, Netop the painting dog will be on stage showcasing his talents! Check him out by following this link: http://netopthedog.com. $5, admission for furry friends and kids 5 and under is free. Jennifer Bloech: pawzinpark@ gmail.com. www.pawzinpark.com SPRING FASHION PREVIEW 4/22, 6:30pm: Style Girl Jess James presents the 8th annual Spring Fashion Preview at Bakery 105 with a “Mad Men” theme in honor of the show’s very last season. Presented by Dr. Rosalyn George of Wilmington Dermatology Center, the preview features the latest trends for spring at any age with a nod to the late 60’s, the current setting for the last season of “Mad Men.” Each musthave look will be modeled on the runway by local celebrities in their 20s to 80+. Beauty experts Celebrity Hair Stylist Steven Ward, along with the Steven Ward Hair salon, and top international makeup artists from Trish McEvoy will curate hair and makeup looks to correlate with looks styled by Jess James. Shopping and deals you won’t wanna miss from your favorite boutiques/designers! Tickets: $25. 105 Orange St. www.stylegirljessjames.com

charity/fundraisers GOING FIT’S READY FOR 5K 4/9, 16, 6pm: Are you training for a run or want to reach a new goal? Going Fit has a new program just for you! Going Fit insured and certified instructors will be training you Tuesdays and Thursdays for three weeks. Class will consist of warm up, gradual training, and end with a strength and stretch segment. Stop putting off your 5k dreams! Join us to start your training!

Smith Creek County Park, 633 Harris Road NONPROFIT LUNCH AND LEARN 4/16, 11:30am: Dashboards are a management tool using graphs, charts, and pictures to easily represent an organization’s progress, success, need for improvement, and more. During this Lunch & Learn, you will see examples of how or-

GENUINE FACTORY

See Us For

For more information call 538-6223 or visit www.wilmingtondowntown.com

and Silent Auction to benefit the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services. Come see local celebrities and civic leaders strut their stuff on the runway as they model fashions from our Vintage Values stores. Silent auction items include art, jewelry, travel items, and more. Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N Water St.

14TH ANNUAL ARTS SENSATION 4/16, 8pm: 14th Annual Arts Sensation will support the nonprofit Lower Cape Fear Hospice Foundation—showcase of music and dance at Thalian Hall Main Stage, 310 Chestnut St. Tickets are $15 GA at 910-632-2285 or online at www.thalianhall.org/events. Featured musical

WALK MS 4/18, 10am: Walk MS connects people living with MS and those who care about them. A day to come together, to celebrate the progress we’ve made and to show the power of our connections. When you participate in Walk MS, the funds you raise give hope to the more than people living with MS in our community. Greenfield Lake Park, 310 Willard St. Emily Conner: (336) 299-5473 or emily.conner@nmss.org. Modern Automotive serves as the title sponsor of Walk MS in the Greater Carolinas. Register now, connect with others and start fundraising today!

4/13-14: AGES AND STAGES

The local playwright group, Port City Playwrights, will hold auditions on Monday and Tuesday for their upcoming production, “Ages and Stages. Auditions are held at the Community Arts Center (120 S. 2nd St.) both days from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will consist of cold readings for ages 16 and up. Please, bring résumé and headshot. Performances will be held at Cape Fear Playhouse on May 11 and 12. More info? portcityplaywrightsproject@gmail.com. performers are The FROG Project. Company “T” Tap Dancers will perform along with a variety of dance from classical to contemporary.

SILENT AUCTION AND FASHION SHOW 4/17, 6pm: Join us for the dinner show! Searching...for Style, the 23rd Annual Fashion Show and Silent Auction to benefit the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services. Come see local celebrities and civic leaders strut their stuff on the runway as they model fashions from our Vintage Values stores. Silent auction items include art, jewelry, travel items, and more. Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N Water St. 6TH ANNUAL PAJAMA PARTY 4/17, 6:30pm: Join us in your fave PJs for dinner, dancing, fashion show, and auction.This fun-raiser is to benefit the 10 Year Plan’s Homeless Medical Respite Care Program. Not everyone has a warm place to sleep at night. Help us bring awareness to this problem in the Cape Fear Area. Prizes given for best PJ’s! Bluewater Waterfront Grill, 4 Marina St. DV SILENT AUCTION AND FASHION SHOW 4/17, 6pm: Join us for the dinner show! Searching...for Style, the 23rd Annual Fashion Show

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ganizations can use dashboards as a tool to hold themselves accountable for the goals and objectives that they plan to achieve. Dashboards can be used to track progress, monitor situations, celebrate success, and easily explain an organization’s current. Brunswick Community College, 2050 Enterprise Dr., NE.

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theatre/auditions AGES AND STAGES AUDITIONS 4/13-14, 7-9pm: Port City Playwrights’ Project, in conjunction with Outrageous Pelican Productions, Inc., will hold auditions for Ages and Stages at the Community Arts Center.

120 S. 2nd Street. Ask for OPP when inquiring in which room the auditions are being held. Tryouts will consist of cold readings. Actors of all ethnicities and ages (16 and up) are welcomed and should bring a resume as well as a headshot, if available. Because the performance, which is slated for May 11 and 12 at the Cape Fear Playhouse, consists of staged readings of PCPP members’ works, there are limited rehearsals. Please direct questions to portcityplaywrightsproject@gmail.com.

Comunnity Arts Center, 120 S. Second St. ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN...

UNCW Department of Theatre feat. Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” directed by Ed Wagenseller. Acclaimed as a modern dramatic masterpiece, the play is a fabulously inventive tale of Hamlet as told through the worm’s-eye view of the bewildered Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor characters in Shakespeare’s work. In Tom Stoppard’s best-known work, this Shakespearean Laurel and Hardy finally get a chance to play the lead roles. Runs at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. 4/1619 and 23-26 on the main stage theatre, UNCW Cultural Arts Building. $12 for members of the general public, $10 for seniors, UNCW employees, and alum, and $5 for students. Kenan Box Office: 910-962-3500. www.uncw.edu/arts/boxoffice.html.

LITTLE WOMEN 4/17-19, 3:30pm: Based on the life of Louisa May Alcott, this Broadway musical captivates this timeless story. A glorious musical filled with personal discovery, hope, heartache and everlasting love. Free tickets (limit 4 per person) are required for the performances beginning March 23 from the church office. St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1416 Market Street JOHN LITHGOW: STORIES BY HEART 4/17, 8pm: Join Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner John Lithgow for one very special evening, as he offers a touching and humorous reflection on storytelling as the tie that binds humanity. www.uncw.edu. UNCW Kenan Auditorium, 601 S. College Rd.

LT. FLIPPER’S TRIAL: ONE-ACT PLAY 4/26, 3pm: Henry Flipper was the first African American to graduate from West Point, but his military career ended after a very few years in a dishonorable discharge based on highly questionable charges. Free program explores his role in American history. A native of Georgia, Henry Flipper was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1877 and assigned to the Tenth Regiment of U.S. Cavalry at Fort Sill, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Lt. Flipper distinguished himself in the war against Warm Springs Apache Chief Victorio in 1880. Shortly afterwards, however, Lt. Flipper was tried for embezzlement of government funds and dismissed from the army in 1882 at the age of 26. He contested the charges for the rest of his life. His conviction was finally reviewed more than a century later, his discharge status was changed to good conduct, and President Clinton issued an official pardon in 1999. Bob Rogers, a retired Army Captain and IBM employee living in Charlotte, NC, has written a one-man play about Lt. Flipper’s trial.

See Bob Rogers perform his play and read from his novel First Dark: A Buffalo Soldier’s Story at this free program. Books will be available for purchase and autographing. No registration is needed. Dorothy Hodder 910-798-6323dhodder@nhcgov.com. Library, 201 Chestnut St. RUDE BITCHES MAKE ME TIRED 2 Through May 3, Fri.-Sat., 7pm, by Celia Rivenbark, adapted by Zach Hanner. Doors open at 6pm. Sundays starting April 12 at 3pm. Tickets $38. $22 for show only. Local author, Celia Rivenbark’s latest novel gets a second dinner theater makeover. This time with some additional stories not found in the book, but with all the irreverance you’ve grown to love. Advice on etiquette from these Southern

gals will keep you in stiches. Three-course meal included. www.theatrewilmington.com. TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th Street

comedy DEAD CROW COMEDY CLUB Ongoing schedule: Mon, Comedy Bingo and $1 tacos; Tues, free Crow’s Nest Improv (longform), 8pm; Wed, Nutt House Improv Show, 9pm, $3; Thurs, free open-mic night, 9pm; FriSat, national touring comedians/comediennes, 8pm/10pm $10-$15; Sun, closed. • 11:45pm: Late Fear with Willis Maxwell, Wilmington’s Late Night Talk Show, taped every 1st and 3rd Saturday night at midnight in the Dead Crow Comedy Room, Late Fear is a hilarious and fun showcase for Wilmington’s creative talent and small business. Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front Street PSL PRESENTS 4/8, 8pm: Pineapple-Shaped Lamps presents an evening of original sketch comedy! Bar and kitchen will be open! TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th St. www.theatrewilmington.com

music/concerts THERAPEUTIC MUSIC TRAINING 4/11-12; 6/5-7: Therapeutic bedside music is the mission of the Music for Healing and Transition Program, Inc. (MHTP), a 501c3 not-for-profit educational organization. MHTP offers classes at 12 sites in the U.S. and announces its classes beginning in Wilmington, NC on 10/4-5, 2014.

Classes will be held at the Phillips LifeCare &

Counseling Center of Lower Cape Fear Hospice and at the Davis Community Assisted Living and Rehab Center. Students complete courses in five weekend Modules on musical and medical topics spread out over a year, and are guided through the course of study by an advisor. Other requirements include a 45 clinical hours and a required reading list. Students may receive tuition reductions based on medical or musical life experience, and there are scholarship funds available for students when enrolled in the Program.

MHTP accepts students as well as amateur and professional musicians. Each Module teacher is a specialist in his or her field, whether it be as a healthcare professional or professional musician. Each teacher is a working CMP with extensive experience in healthcare facilities. 910465-0942 or email mhtp@mhtp.org. www.mhtp. org. $435+reg. fee. 1414 Physicians Drive WOMEN FIGHT FOR YOUR GUITAR RIGHTS 4/12, 2pm: Pomegranate Books and Cafe Zola present Laura McLean’s parlor-style guitar clinic and empowerment. Boost your guitar confidence for the summer, and the rest will follow.

Join the Guitar Guru of the Lower Cape Fear for this lively exhibition and education! $10 at the door. Ages 12-122. Veteran guitarist/songwriter Laura McLean has been a mainstay of the Cape Fear music scene since classic rock was hot and new! A member of the Wilmington Dreams Center for the Arts faculty, McLean is bringing guitar skills to the masses in a series of 3 guitar clinics. Ladies, bring guitar and questions. Laura is trying to stop writing songs for her upcoming “Sheven Deadly Shins” release, and foolishly attempting another production at the same time w/New Riders of Calamity entitled “Surfadelic.” www.lauramclean.com. Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave.

ATLANTEAN PIANO TRIO 4/12, 7:30pm: The Atlantean Piano Trio—Barry David Salwen (piano) Abigail Van Steenhuyse (violin), Richard Thomas (cello)—was formed in 2005 by UNCW faculty members. Salwen and Thomas are original members; Abigail Van Steenhuyse joined the trio in 2011. Since its establishment, the trio has performed regularly at university and college venues and recital series throughout the United States. UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, Cultural Arts Building, 5270 Randall Drive UNCW STRING ENSEMBLE 4/13, 7:30pm: UNCW String Ensemble is comprised of music majors and minors and students from across UNCW and is conducted by Steven Errante. The Accidentals, comprised of music students, is directed by Danijela Gualdi.

Cultural Arts Building Box Office opens 1 hour prior to performance. Advance tickets are not sold. UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, Cultural Arts Building, 5270 Randall Drive UNCW BRASS FESTIVAL 4/15, 7:30pm: Army Ground Forces Trombone Ensemble, UNCW Department of Music faculty and students perform an evening of brass.

The Army Ground Forces Trombone Ensemble, part of the Army Ground Forces Band, provides world-class music in support of the U.S. Army Forces Command, headquartered at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., and serves as the musical ambassador of the American Combat Soldier to the American people. UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, Cultural Arts Building, 5270 Randall Drive PRO MUSICA 4/16, 7pm: Concert series celebrating the works of living composers will feature exclusively the music of the American composer William

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Bolcom, winner of the National Medal of Arts, the Pulitzer Prize and two Grammy Awards.

Barry Salwen will perform selections from Bolcom’s Pulitzer Prize winning piece “Twelve New Etudes for Piano.” “Seasons” for guitar, will be performed by Justin Hoke, and selections from Bolcom’s famous “Cabaret Songs” will be performed by Nancy King and Robert Nathanson. William Bolcom is regarded as one of the most versatile of the contemporary American composers, his music is always engaging, provocative and entertaining. Purchase seats on CAM’s website: www.cameronartmuseum.org, by phone and at the door. Cameron Art Museum presents the Pro Musica concert series celebrating the works of living composers and other new music of the 20th and 21st centuries, cosponsored by the University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Music. CAM, 3201 S. 17th St. 75-VOICE CAPE FEAR CHORALE 4/18, 7:30pm; 4/19, 4pm: “Requiem in c Minor” by Luigi Cherubini in concert with Cape Fear Chorale. Donations are appreciated. Winter Park Baptist Church, 4700 Wrightsville Ave. CAPE FEAR CHORALE 4/18, 7:30pm: 75 voices singing “Requiem in c Minor” by Luigi Cherubini in concert with Cape Fear Chorale. Donations are appreciated. Winter Park Baptist Church, 4700 Wrightsville Ave.

dance AZALEA COAST USA DANCE 4/11, 6:45pm: Social ballroom dance and a basic group dance lesson. Silver level group lesson in Fox Trot given by Cindy Riggs of River-

town Ballroom from 6:45-7:30pm. No partner necessary for the lesson. Open dancing to our own custom mix of ballroom smooth and latin music from 7:30-10pm. $10 members, $12 nonmembers, $5 military with ID, $3 students with ID. 910-799-1694 or usadance@csandes.com. www.azaleacoastncusadance.org.

New Hanover County Senior Center, 2222 S. College Rd. OVER 50’S DANCE 4/14, 7:30pm: Music by DJ Baby Boomer. Bring a finger food or 2-liter drink. All ages welcome.

Senior Center, 2222 S. College Rd. ELKS CLUB SOCIAL DANCE 4/17, 7:30pm: Come Dance with us at the Elks Club. DJ and singer Tony LaFalce has more than 4000 songs and will gladly play your requests for all kinds of music: Ballroom, Latin, shag, nightclub, country, rock and roll, line dancing. Tim Gugan, 910-371-5368. S17 member couples, $20 guest couples. Elks Club, 5102 Oleander Dr. LINE-DANCING LESSONS 4/20, 6:30pm: Learn how to do the latest line dances from our insrtuctor. Halftime Sports Bar and Grill, 1107 New Pointe Blvd.

art/exhibits WAA SPRING ART SHOW The Wilmington Art Association will host its 33rd Annual Juried Spring Art Show and Sale during the 2015 North Carolina Azalea Festival Fri., 4/10, through Sun., 4/12. Over 150 artists will be selected to display their work including 2-D and 3-D selections. Hanna Block Community Arts Arts Center, 120 S Second St.

HARRY TAYLOR EXHIBIT SALT Studio is proud to present Harry Taylor’s photography exhibition, “Requiem: Views from the Cape Fear.” Featuring never seen before tintype photography (wet plate collodion process) and large scale fine art archival photographic prints from Taylor’s on going Cape Fear River series. Prints will range in size from 16x20 inches to 40x60 inches and will be affordably priced for both new and experienced collectors of fine art.

Taylor’s tintype photography will be featured in the forthcoming April 2015 issues of Garden and Gun and Our State magazines. The Cameron Art Museum recently showed Harry’s “Requiem,” a greenhouse constructed of 280 ambrotypes and glass negatives of Taylor’s tableaux vivants of the Civil War in the Cape Fear Region. Hangs through 4/17. 805 N 4th St; 910-367-5720.

UNCW PRINT BIG 4/18, 10am: Hosting the second annual large scale woodblock printmaking extravaganza. The public is invited to watch 14 artists print their woodcuts with a steam roller. This year’s woodblocks are inspired by the Full Belly Project, who will receive a portion of the proceeds. CAB Art Gallery Cultural Arts Building UNCW, 601 South College Rd. ARTISTS’ RECEPTION Port City Pottery & Fine Crafts features Dianne Masi, Gourd Artist and Mary Holden-Hall, Potter thru April 21st, The Cotton Exchange. Reception Friday, March 27, 6-9 PM. Refreshments served.

PRIMAVERA Primavera opens at New Elements Gallery Friday, March 27th. This exhibit welcomes springtime with figurative and abstract paintings, vibrant glass, ceramic pieces, and other fine art

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and craft by our gallery artists. Primavera will remain on view until April 18, 2015. New Elements Gallery, 201 Princess St. FOURTH FRIDAY GALLERY NIGHT Coordinated by Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, feat. 16 local art galleries and studios that will open their doors to the public in an after-hours celebration of art and culture, from 6-9pm, every fourth Friday of the month through 2014. Rhonda Bellamy: 910-3430998, 221 N. Front St., Ste 101. artscouncilofwilmington.org

museums CAPE FEAR MUSEUM Exhibits: Nano Days: Dive into a miniscule world where materials have special properties and new technologies have spectacular promise.

Enjoy fun hands-on activities demonstrating the special and unexpected properties found at the nanoscale and examine tools used by nanoscientists. Nationwide festival of educational programs is organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). Parental participation required. Free for members with admission. Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St. • Make It Work, through 9/13/15: Encourages visitors to explore the six types of universal simple machines to learn how they make work easier. Lift levers, work with wedges, and encounter other maritime-related hands-on activities. View historic objects and images from the museum’s collection related to Wilmington’s boat and ship building history and make connections to simple machines. Sponsored by Landfall Foundation.

• Fort Fisher: 150 Years, through 7/13/15: Includes hundreds of artifacts that document the

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history of Fort Fisher and its changing role in the community. View a selection of objects and images that shed light on the past 150 years.

Examine artifacts from when Fort Fisher was a battle site. See some of the different the ways the site has been used since 1865. • World War II: A Local Artist’s Perspective: In time for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landing and the Normandy campaign, Cape Fear Museum will be exhibiting one of the region’s most powerful collections of World War II artifacts. • Cape Fear Stories presents artifacts, images, models, and 3D settings to explore people’s lives in the Lower Cape Fear from Native American times through the end of the 20th century. • Michael Jordan Discovery Gallery, Williston Auditorium, giant ground sloth, Maritime Pavilion and more!

910-798-4370. Hours: Tues-Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun., 1-5pm. $5-$8. Free for museum members and children under 3. New Hanover County residents’ free day is the first Sun. ea. month. 814 Market St. www.capefearmuseum CF SERPENTARIUM World’s most fascinating and dangerous reptiles in beautiful natural habitats. See “Bubble Boy” a 12-foot saltwater crocodile, and “Sheena”, a gigantic Reticulated Python big enough to swallow a human being whole! There are dozens of other incredible live specimens, from huge anacondas to deadly bushmasters from the Amazonian jungle. King Cobras 15 ft long erect their hoods and amaze you. Black Mambas, Spitting Cobras, Gaboon Vipers, Puff Adders, Fer-delances and more! Over 100 species, some so rare they are not exhibited anywhere else. New Christmas exhibit features “Chomp” a gigantic alligator snapping turtle with a head the size of a basketball. Also brand new is the Inland Taipan from Australia, the snake having the world’s

deadliest venom. Winter schedule is Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm (until 6pm on Saturday). Address: 20 Orange St., across from the Historic Downtown River Walk, intersecting Front and Water Street. (910)762-1669. www.capefearserpentarium.com WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH MUSEUM The Wrightsville Beach Museum of History, housed in the turn of the century Myers Cottage, exists to preserve and to share the history of Wrightsville Beach. Visitors to the cottage will find a scale model of Wrightsville Beach circa 1910, exhibits featuring the early days of the beach including Lumina Pavilion, our hurricane history and information about the interaction between the people and our natural environment which have shaped the 100 year history of Wrightsville Beach. (910) 256-2569. 303 West Salisbury St. wbmuseum.com.

WILMINGTON RAILROAD MUSEUM Explore railroad history and heritage, especially of the Atlantic Coast Line, headquartered in Wilmington for 125 years. Interests and activities for all ages, including historical exhibits, full-size steam engine and rolling stock, lively Children’s Hall, and spectacular model layouts.

House in an authentic 1883 freight warehouse, facilities are fully accessible and on one level.

By reservation, discounted group tours, caboose birthday parties, and after-hours meetings or mixers. Story Time on 1st/3rd Mondays at 10:30am, only $4 per family and access to entire Museum. Admission only $8.50 adult, $7.50 senior/military, $4.50 child age 2-12, and free under age 2. North end of downtown, 505 Nutt St. 910-763-2634, www.wrrm.org.

LATIMER HOUSE Victorian Italiante style home built in 1852, the

restored home features period furnishings, artwork and family portraits. Tours offered MonFri, 10am-4pm, and Sat, 12-5pm. Walking tours are Wed and Sat. at 10am. $4-$12. The Latimer House of the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society is not handicapped accessible 126 S. Third St. 762-0492. www.latimerhouse.org BELLAMY MANSION One of NC’s most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture, built on the eve of the Civil War by free and enslaved black artisans, for John Dillard Bellamy (1817-1896) physician, planter and business leader; and his wife, Eliza McIlhenny Harriss (1821-1907) and their nine children. After the fall of Fort Fisher in 1865, Federal troops commandeered the house as their headquarters during the occupation of Wilmington. Now a museum, itf ocuses on history and the design arts and offers tours, changing exhibitions and an informative look at historic preservation in action.910-251-3700. www.bellamymansion.org. 503 Market St. CAMERON ART MUSEUM Exhibits: Matter of Reverence: For over 40 years, Hiroshi Sueyoshi (Japanese, b. 1946) has worked in the medium of clay. This exhibition explores the evolution of his art and philosophy as well as his major influences including Isamu Noguchi, Peter Voulkos and Ruth Duckworth. Featuring work from CAM’s permanent collection as well as loans from private and public collections including the Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC, the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC and the Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, NC. Free for members. • Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Claude Howell ClaudeLIVE focuses on the life and work of one of North Carolina’s most notable artists. Howell holds an established

place in the vanguard of North Carolina art. A brilliant colorist and meticulous draftsman, he is best known for his intimate examination of the southern coast: the quality of light and life of its people. For over fifty years, Howell kept journals chronicling his daily life in Wilmington and his international travels through 23 countries.

He wrote brilliant radio commentaries inspired by his journal entries which were produced by WHQR Public Radio and established the art department of the UNCW, and was teacher, mentor, arts activist and philanthropic leader, using his great energy and will for the betterment of the arts in North Carolina.Corner of South 17th St. and Independence Blvd. Tues-Sun,10am5pm; Thurs: 10am-9pm. Museum members free, $8 non-members, $5 students with valid ID, $3 children age 2 -12. • CAM Café hrs: Tues-Sat, 11am-3pm; Sun, 10am-3pm; Thurs. dinner. 910395-5999. www.cameronartmuseum.org BURGWIN WRIGHT HOUSE 18th century Burgwin-Wright House Museum in the heart of Wilmington’s Historic District, is the oldest museum house in NC, restored with 18th and 19th century decor and gardens. Colonial life is experienced through historical interpretations in kitchen-building and courtyard. 3rd and Market St. Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm. Last tour, 3pm.

Admission rqd. (910) 762-0570. burgwinwrighthouse.com.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Mon, Little Sprouts Storytime, 10am, and Go Green Engineer Team, 3:30pm. • Tues., Kids Cooking Club, 3:30pm • Wed., Preschool Science, 10am; Discover Science, 3:30pm; and Mini Math, 4pm. • Thurs. StoryCOOKS, 10am; and StART with a Story, 3:30pm • Fri., Toddler Time, 10am; and Adventures in Art, 3:30pm •

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Drop off gently used books at our museum to be used for a good cause. Ooksbay Books uses book collection locations to help promote literacy, find a good use for used books, and benefit nonprofits. www.playwilmington.org 116 Orange St. 910-254-3534

sports/recreation BEACH FOUNDATION RUN/WALK 4/11, 8am: The Bobby Brandon Real Estate Team, Intracoastal Realty and Wrightsville Beach Foundation present the 3rd Annual Pier2Pier2Pier Run/walk and Kids Crab Crawl. Adult Run/Walk, $20 before March 28th AND $25 after March 28th. Kids 14 and under, $15 before March 28th and $20 after March 28th. Run is approx. 3.44 miles. T-shirts to first 300 entries.

Wrightsville Beach Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, 23 East Salisbury St. SPRINT TO SAVE 4/16, 6pm: UNCW Alumni and Friends are rallying to “$print to $ave UNCW Track “ by sponsoring a fundraising event on April 16 in the Golden Hawk Room of Trask Coliseum from 6-8 p.m. RSVP’s required. Food, beverages, speakers, door prizes, music, fun and surprises. Limited to 150 attendees. Email Patricia C. Smith at pcsmith@ec.rr.com for reservations. UNCW Golden Hawk Room Trask Coliseum EAST COAST MARSOC FOUNDATION GOLF 4/17, all day: The Leland TDA is proud to present the inaugural East Coast MARSOC Foundation Golf Tournament. The tournament will be held April 17th at Magnolia Greens Golf Course.

Glenda Browning, Director of the Leland TDA

said, “We are so excited to be able to sponsor an event that supports such an important cause. Being able to give back to the soldiers who serve us is an honor.” MARSOC Foundation provides benevolent support to the U. S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Supports active duty and medically retired MARSOC personnel and their families, as well as the families of Marines who have lost their lives in service to our nation. If possible, please disseminate the attached release so that the information can reach the public. If you have any questions please contact: Glenda Browning: director@visitlelandnc.com. Magnolia Greens Golf Course, 18800 Linkswood Circle PICKLEBALL Part tennis, part ping-pong, and part badminton, Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports today. Pickleball is played with a perforated plastic baseball, similar to a whiffle ball, and wood or composite paddles. The game is easy to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game! Pickleball lessons: Tues/Thurs, April 21, 23, 28, & 30, 9-10:30am. Adult coed and doubles ladder registration open! Play begins May 11 and August 28. Call for entry fees.

Wrighstville Beach Parks and Recreation, 1 Bob Sawyer Dr. (910) 256-7925 WILD BIRD AND GARDEN’S NESTING BIRDS 4/18, 9:15am: Springtime is nesting time! Join Wild Bird & Garden and the Coastal Plain Conservation Group for a free program about the birds that are nesting around our region. Learn about the various birds that are nesting now, the different types of nests that they build, and their preferred nesting habitats. Find out how to en-

courage birds to nest in your yard! Temptations Everyday Gourmet , 3501 Oleander Dr #13

PICKLEBALL SIGNUPS! Say what? A new sport? Yep! Pickleball is coming to Wrightsville Beach Park and Rec Department.

Lessons start April 21 (and continue on 23, 28 and 30, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.). Then an adult co-ed and doubles league will start! Registration is now open! And what’s pickleball, you ask? Just a hybrid sport of tennis, ping-pong and badminton all rolled up into one. It’s played with a perforated plastic baseball, similar to a whiffle ball, and knocked around with wood or composite paddles.

SEA TURTLE MONITORING/INFO SESSION 4/23, 6pm: Whether you want to learn about sea turtles or you are anxious to get involved with monitoring & protection efforts at the Masonboro Island Reserve, this session will have something to offer! No registration necessaryAll are welcome; bring a friend! UNCW Center for Marine Science Auditorium, 5600 Marvin K Moss Lane PLANTING FOR WILDLIFE PROGRAMS Program: 9:15-10:30/Plant Sale: 10-12:45, 4/25: Daniel Hueholt will speak about the native trees and plants of southeastern NC and how they benefit our local birds and wildlife.

Join us for this free program to learn how you can create a native habitat for the birds, butterflies, and bees in your yard, and pick up some wildlife-friendly plants at our Native Plant Sale!

Wild Bird and Garden, 3501 Oleander Dr (Hanover Center)

film BEHIND THE GARAGE Behind the Garage Series: Subversive Films & Experimental Music. Subversive films shown every Sunday at 8pm, followed by experimental musical guests. 8PM: Controversial, eyeopening and entertaining films & documentaries shown weekly. 10PM: Experimental, avant garde, noise, and other unclassfiable musical performances at 10. Hosted by Karl Tyler Perry.

Juggling Gypsy Cafe & Hookah Bar, 1612 Castle St

Hair Nails Facials Waxing Spa Packages Massage Therapy Gift Cards available Wedding parties welcome INDEPENDENCE MALL 910/794-8897

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RAILROAD MOVIE NIGHTS Wed, 6:30pm: Benefit for Wilmington Railroad Museum and Hannah Block USO. Great films

and Two great causes! Action, adventure, romance, intrigue, music, humor, suspense & more! Enjoy the vintage surroundings of the USO Auditorium and entertainment. Can also check out Facebook pages or websites. April 15: Union Pacific, April 22: The Train, April 29: The Harvey Girls. Free admission but must reserve: 910-341-7860. Community Arts Center, 120 S. Second St. FILM OF THE MONTH 4/16, 2:30pm: NHC Main Library, 201 Chestnut St. April’s Film of the Month at Main Library looks back at the Civil War through the man in the White House during those years of national crisis. Free but for adults only, please, because of mature themes. You may BYOP (Bring Your Own Pop and Popcorn). The audience will also select their own winners from among this year’s Oscar nominees. Library’s movie license permits the use of the movie title only on our own website, so check the online calendar at wwww.nhclibrary.org for more info.

Justine Roach, jroach@nhcgov.com / 910-7986306

kids’ stuff LEGOS AT MYRTLE GROVE 4/14, 3:30pm: Monthly Lego challenge at the Myrtle Grove Library is a fun way for Elementary School age kids to practice problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, visualizing three dimensional structures, communication, and motor skills! Participants may work alone or in teams. It’s free, thanks to the Friends of NHC Library. Make sure there’s space for your child by preregistering on the calendar at www.nhclibrary.org or calling 910-798-6393. Max Nunez, mnunez@nhcgov.com. New Hanover County Myrtle Grove Library, 5155 S. College Rd. PERFORMANCE CLUB: YOUTH ACTING Boys and girls ages 7-14. Eight-week session gives kids and teens an exciting opportunity to practice their performance skills and develop their craft under the guidance and direction of LJ Woodard. Series will focus on presence, projection, memory skills, character breakdown and acting for the stage. We will utilize one of the most well-known and beloved scripts out there, “The Little Mermaid.” Characters will challenge and teach young performers the fundamentals of theater performance. The Wrightsville Beach Children’s Theater in the Park is a tuition-based program directed by LJ Woodard of the Performance Club! No audition necessary; all levels accepted and ideal for parents who seek an easy rehearsal schedule. Final performance at the WB Amphitheater is free for friends, family

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and the community! (Minimum of 8 students rqd; max of 18 students). Admission: $240 WB residents, $288 non-residents. WB Parks and Rec Dept., 1 Bob Sawyer Drive BASKETBALL LEAGUE Boys and girls, ages 6 - 9. Youth Basketball Instructional League at Wrightsville Beach brings you a sports program that is well organized and will fit into a family’s busy schedule. We have created a basketball league that will add to a family’s quality of life without consuming it.

We believe sports should be a fun, safe experience in which children can gather together in an atmosphere of inclusion. Children of all talent levels will learn basketball skills and sportsmanship, while building friendships and self-esteem.

League will hold one game per week for 6 weeks.

Coaches are professional, experienced basketball clinicians; games begin with a practice led by the clinicians. The overall emphasis will be on fundamentals and teamwork, with each game focusing on a different aspect of the basketball game (i.e. shooting, ball handling, passing, etc.).

Players play a minimum of half of the game; two 20-minute halves in a 4v4 or 5v5 format with a target roster of 8-10 players/team. $85 WB Residents, $100 Non-Residents. Wrightsville Beach Parks and Rec Dept., 1 Bob Sawyer Dr=.

PERFORMANCE CLUB: FOOTLOOSE For boys and girls ages 8-13. One of the most explosive movie musicals will burst onto the WB Amphitheater stage! Under the direction of LJ Woodard, The Performance Club will perform a collection of songs and scenes from this popular film and even include some other “totally ‘80s” classics that will surely entertain our theater-in-the-park attendees. Tuition-based theater program directed by LJ Woodard of the

Performance Club! No audition necessary; all levels are accepted and ideal for parents who seek an easy rehearsal schedule. Final performance at the WB Amphitheater is free for friends, family and the community! (Minimum of 10 rqd and a max of 22 students). $140 WB Residents, $170 Non-Residents. Wrightsville Beach Parks and Rec Dept., 1 Bob Sawyer Drive TOUCH A TRUCK 4/19, 12:30pm: A hands-on educational event where children can see and touch heavy machinery and meet the people who build, protect, and serve our community.

Explore over 20 trucks, and enjoy helicopter landings, a moon bounce, hayride, live music, and more! Proceeds benefit the Junior League of Wilmington’s community initiatives. 12:30-1:30pm is horn and lightfree hour for younger children. $6/person or $20/family of 4. Mayfaire Town Center Event Lawn, 6835 Main St. STARLAB PLANETARIUM 4/19: Learn about the universe at the Starlab Planetarium, at this free family event sponsored by Woodmen of the World!

Please preregister for only one of the four half hour planetarium sessions listed on the calendar atwww.nhclibrary.org as space is limited. Crafts and children’s fingerprinting will be available from 2-4pm and do not require registration. Contact Mary Kleinfeldt, mkleinfeldt@nhcgov.com. 910798-6373. NHC Northeast Library, 1241 Military Cutoff Rd. KIDS COOKING CLASS 4/20: Boys and girls ages 5-7. Wrightsville Beach Parks and Rec has stirred up something just for them, a fun hands-on youth cooking

class! This program aims to teach kids creative and simple recipes that will encourage healthy living and good nutritional choices. It can help build self-esteem, team building, and even motivate them to cook for you! 1 Bob Sawyer Dri. $76 WB Residents, $93 Non-Resident THEATRE NOW Children’s Theater Super Saturday Fun Time.

Kid’s live adventure and variety show. Satur-

4/15: SPEAKEASY ILM On Wednesday, April 15, TheatreNOW will open its doors to all folks who have a knack for storytelling!

Speakeasy Wilmington is a monthly storytelling competition, which allows raconteurs to show off their skills in all genres—as long as emotion and narrative comes through. Must tell your story in five minutes, through spoken work, dance, music, dramatic monologue, etc., all done in a speakeasy format. Questions?

Email Ariel at typewriter@keys@gmail.com. days. Doors open att 3pm. $8/$1 off with Kid’s Club Membership. Drop off service available.

Tickets: www.theatrewilmington.com or 910399-3NOW

lectures/readings NC COASTAL FEDERATION SERIES Gain a greater understanding about cutting edge sea level rise research with Paul Hearty, Ph.D. of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Dr. Hearty will present on findings of the PLIOMAX project, which aims to increase the accuracy of sea level rise estimates by studying carbon dioxide levels during past geologic eras. Join the discussion as experts bring life to coastal topics such as oyster farming, sea level rise, gardening with native plants, and pressing issues such as Titan Cement and the hardening of our coast. All presentations take place at the Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center in Wrightsville Beach from 7-8:30pm. Free to members with a suggested $10 for non-members. Fred and Alice Stanback Ed Center, 309 West Salisbury St. WOMEN, LAW & COURT, POST CIVIL WAR 4/13, 6pm: Angela Robbins Marritt will speak about how Tarheel women used the courts and new laws to protect their assets and support their families in the unstable years following the

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Civil War. Her lecture to the Old New Hanover Genealogical Society (ONHGS) is made possible by the NC Humanities Council’s Road Scholars program. Admission is free and the public is invited. Marritt, Ph.D., an instructor at UNCG and Salem College. Experience researching historical court records will be of special interest to local historians and genealogists. Local History and Genealogy Librarian Jennifer Daugherty at 910-798-6305 or jdaugherty@nhcgov.com. Information about ONHGS is at their website,http:// www.onhgs.org. Learn more about the NCHC Road Scholars at http://nchumanities.org/ programs/road-scholars. Northeast Regional Library, NHC, 1241 Military Cutoff Rd SPEAKEASY IN ANY MEDIUM 4/15, 8pm: Speakeasy Wilmington (Wilmington’s monthly storytelling competition) is putting on a special edition show, Storytelling in any medium. Show will be open to performers of all genres, as long as the performance conveys some sort of narrative. Five-minute stories, told through spoken word, dance, circus, music, dramatic monologue, anything besides conventional storytelling. Just like a speakeasy, performers are welcome to sign up to tell their story the day of the show, but e-mail Ariel at typewriterkeys@ gmail.com to reserve your spot ahead of time. Admission by donation. TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th Street DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS 4/16, 7pm: Come learn about this fascinating and beautiful resident of our shallow sounds.

Once so abundant in NC they were considered a nuisance, Terrapins are now listed as a species of Special Concern. Unfortunately there is not much data about the current status of the population in the state. To help gather some more information, the NC Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve are working with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to help estimate the numbers of terrapins in our area through a paddling survey. If you would like to learn more about Terrapins and how you can join in the paddling survey, please attend this education session. Join our federation staff on an adventure to explore barrier islands, take a night-time turtle walk, visit Rich Inlet by boat or learn how to build a backyard rain garden. The adventures begin at the education center. Times and prices vary. Admission: Free for members, $10 suggested donation for non-members. Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center, 309 W. Salisbury St. COUPLET: TWO DAYS OF VERSE 4/18. Richard Krawiec, Danny Krawiec, and Melissa Hassard (from Sable Books) are planning to come to Old Books to offer the follow-

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ing workshops. 10:30-12:30 flash fiction/poetry craft workshop • 1:30-2:45 book cover design workshop • 3-4 Marketing your book. • Open mic at 4:30 • 8pm Up All Night Theatre Co. Devised Theatre Piece: Slam Poetry, $6. http:// www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1282058 • 1:30 Sat PM join us for our inaugural Literary History Walking Tour of Downtown Wilmington, $8, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1282390 • Sun., 4/19, 2-3pm: Shaun Mitchell Reading • 4:30pm Poets From Pleasure Island • 6:30pm Anthony Lawson Reading • 8pm Up All Night Theatre Co. Devised Theatre Piece: Slam Poetry $6, www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1282058. Old Books on Front St., 249 N. Front Street UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA Behavior is a primary ways for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings as their ability to use language is lost. Some of these behaviors can present real challenges for caregivers to manage. Peggy Best and Charlotte Rosenberg of the Alzheimer’s Association will explain how to decode behavioral messages, identify common behavior triggers, and respond effectively to some of the most common behavioral challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. This is a free informational program, and no registration is required. Contact Consumer Health Librarian Mary Ellen Nolan, mnolan@nhcgov.com / 910798-6307. NHC Northeast Library, 1241 Military Cutoff Rd. FLICK OR FICTION BOOK CLUB 4/20, 6:30pm: This month’s book: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” available at Old Books on Front St 15% discount for club members. 249 N. Front St

classes/workshops COMMUNICATION W/ALZHEIMER’S 4/8, 1:30pm: As people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia progressively lose the ability to put their feelings and needs in words, friends and family members need new ways to connect. Attitude, tone of voice, facial expression, and body language become critically important. Peggy Best of the Alzheimer’s Association offers helpful suggestions for decoding verbal and behavioral messages from loved ones with cognitive degeneration, and strategies to help you connect and communicate at each stage of the disease. This free informational program requires no registration. Consumer Health Librarian Mary Ellen Nolan, mnolan@nhcgov. com / 910-798-6307. NHC Northeast Library, 1241 Military Cutoff Rd. ART CLASSES Mon, 10am: Basic drawing—Learn how to shade to depict light and shadow, line drawing, work from a photo or imagination and how to draw anything. • Tues., 2pm: Paint with watercolors—Learn how to work from a photo or imagination, create light and shadow, vibrant color layering, washes, splashes, sponging and masking. • Dreamdoodle Drawing: Wed., 10am.

Method called Zentangles is meditative and produces amazing drawings for beginners and experienced artists alike. Work with ultra-fine Sharpies creating designs and patterns that flow into beautiful compositions. • Thurs, 10am: play draw. Four really fun projects using pencil, charcoal, pen and ink and oil pastels, create amazing drawings! • Fri., 10am: Painting w/acrylics. For beginning or experienced students. Supply list is available. Maximum 4 students. Individual

guidance. Sun Room, 6905 Southern Exposure CRAFT SABBATH 4/12, 1:30pm: Join us for the last Craft Sabbath until Fall 2015! We will first dive into a creative mandala flow! Afterwards, allow the swirling energy to come to life on your canvas - your canvas being your choice of a white Longwave Yoga shirt!

Pre-registration is required by 6pm April 11, 2015 as materials must be prepared in advance. Longwave Yoga, 203 Racine Drive #200 SHIFT HAPPENS 4/13, 5:30pm: Life keeps changing, both by choice and by chance. Motivational speaker Syble Solomon will inspire you to be more proactive about steering your course through change. She has a wealth of tips for making each day special, securing your future, and adding purpose to your life. Syble Solomon is President of LifeWise Strategies, creator of Money Habitudes, and an executive coach who lives in Wilmington. www.moneyhabitudes.com. Free but space is limited and preregistration is requested, on the calendar atwww.nhclibrary.org, or Justine Roach at 910-798-6306 orjroach@nhcgov.com. NHC Northeast Library, 1241 Military Cutoff Rd. CONFUSED SENIORS AND HEALTHCARE Lower Cape Fear Hospice will host a free conference, Confused Seniors in a Complex Healthcare System, from 9 am-noon, Tues., 4/14, at The Davis Community, 1011 Porter’s Neck Rd. Conference features three presentations of specific interest to seniors and their loved ones. Charles Long, CEO of The Davis Community, will present “Long Term Care: The Past, Present and Future.” Kelly Cahill, clinical educator for LCFH, will present “Controlling Your Own Healthcare Decisions.” The final piece is a screening of “Being Mortal,” a recently aired

“Frontline” documentary featuring Atul Gawande, MD. Registration for the conference is mandatory. Deadline for reg: 4/10. Jason Clamme, 796-7943; Jason.Clamme@lcfh.org.

Complimentary breakfast snacks will be provided. www.lcfh.org or facebook.com/lcfhospice.

MONEY SMART DAY 4/18, 11am: Families are invited to enjoy a Money Smart Day full of financial literacy activities at the Main Library on Sat., 4/18. Free programs are made possible by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation through Smart Investing @ Your Library, a partnership with the American Library Association. • 11am-noon: Make a Piggy Bank! A crafts project for young kids. Space is limited at this session so please reg. in advance on NHC Library’s online calendar. • noon: Free pizza! • 12:30-1:30pm: Money Smart Game Show! Older kids and teens can win prizes by testing their money management smarts at this interactive quiz show. • 2-3pm: Comedian Colin Ryan gets Funny about Money!

Colin turns personal finance into a comedy routine, but makes connections between between money and options in life. All ages can enjoy his advice: “Once you save up, you can stand up.” Business and Law Librarian Justine Roach at 910-798-6306 orjroach@nhcgov.com. Main Library, NHC, 201 Chestnut Street CHANGE FREAK 4/21, 11:30am: It is difficult to get people to change. This is because everyone has a unique change style, which affects the way they think and feel about change. Understanding these differences is essential to transforming individuals, teams, departments and organizations.

Complete an assessment of each person’s change personality. This will be followed by an

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explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of each style. Then we’ll look at ways to approach change that fit with an individual’s unique style.

Speaker: David Rendall, whose clients include the US Air Force and the Australian Government, as well as companies in the Fortune 50, AT&T and State Farm Insurance, Fortune 500, Ralph Lauren, and Fortune Global 500, BASF, GlaxoSmithKline, and Tyco International. Reg: 4/6, 8am; closes 4/17, 5pm. lcfhra.shrm.org. Lunch will be provided.

Hampton Inn, 2320 S. 17th Street LIFE-CARE PLANNING SEMINAR 4/21, 2:30pm: Attorney Joan Keston will discuss an integrative approach to Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Asset Protection. The presentation will describe each area of Elder Law and explain how they work together to achieve “Life Care Planning.”

Seating is limited, so RSVP today! New Hanover County Executive Development Center, 1241 Military Cutoff Road KIRTAN 4/23, 7:30pm: Kirtan is the ancient practice of call and response chanting. Each syllable and vowel has a vibration, and when you string them together you get names/words. The chants are called “Mantras.” When we awaken and stir these energies, they purify our mind and subtle body (the space between the atoms), cross over the disturbances of the mind, and leave one feeling clear and refreshed. Eddy Nataraj and Mary Glackmeyer bring this ancient practice into the modern world with a fresh and innovative style of kirtan that is a fusion of traditional harmonium-based kirtan and the dynamic colorings of Spanish-flamenco guitar. Longwave Yoga, 203 Racine Drive #200

ORANGE STREET POTTERY CLASSES Orange Street Pottery is accepting students for the spring classes! Day Class is from 9am to

NHRMC.ostomates@gmail.com. New Hanover Regional Medical Center, 2131 S. 17th St.

SCREEN GEMS STUDIOS TOURS Guests will get an insider’s look at the largest studio complex east of California and experience the rich history of EUE/Screen Gems and the films and television shows produced at the facility over the last three decades. Attendees Wilmington’s film studio is back open for lot tours! will walk the 10-stage working lot have access Wanna see where famed shows like “Dawson’s to sounds stages and go behind the scenes of Creek” or “One Tree Hill” filmed? Or how about the CBS series “Under the Dome.” Guests will see a visual history of the NC film and tele“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” or “The Crow”? vision industry in the screening theater where Screen Gems is open for tours again off 23rd Street, many famous producers, directors and actors every Saturday and Sunday. It’s $12 for adults and have reviewed footage of productions shot at the studio. Tours will be hosted on Saturdays $10 for students and military; $5 for kids 12 and under. Cash only admission, and arrive early to get a and Sundays at 10am, noon and 2pm weather permitting throughout the summer. 1223 23rd spot in line for the 10 a.m., noon or 2 p.m. times.

St. North $12 for adults; $10 for students and military personnel with an ID; $5 for children under 12. Admission is cash only at this time. (910) 343-3433. noon Monday thru Thurs. Evening Class is from http://studios.euescreengems.com/nc/tours.

5:30 to 8:30pm. All classes are a a 2 day class, FAMILIES ANONYMOUS For more information, orangestreetpottery@ Thursdays, 7:30pm: A worldwide 12-step regmail.com.Hannah Block Community Arts Ctr, covery fellowship has started a new group in 120 S. Second St. Wilmington for families whose lives are affected by a family member’s use of mind-altering substances or related behavioral problems—especially helpful to parents struggling with an addicted child. Through meetings, literature and a OSTOMY SUPPORT GROUP caring fellowship, FA can help parents develop 4/13, 6pm: Offered by New Hanover Regional the skills to cope with this family disease and Medical Center, meet in James Walker Conferbring serenity back to their lives. No dues or ence Room near the cafeteria. Open to people fees are required for membership. First names with urostomies, ileostomies, and colostomies only are used at meetings to preserve individual as well as their caregivers, and those with imanonymity. Advance notice is not necessary to pending ostomy surgery or reversals. Meets attend a meeting. Visitors are welcome. 609the second Monday of the month. Contact

SCREEN GEMS TOURS!

clubs/notices/tours

238-0174 or email clark@milioti.com. Wilmington Treatment Center, 2520 Troy Dr. About the FA organization: www.familiesanonymous.org or 847-294-5877 or 800-736-9805. All calls and contacts are confidential.

ASG CAPE FEAR, NIGHT STITCHERS 4/8, 6pm: Sewing enthusiasts meet. Nonmembers are welcome to attend two meetings; thereafter membership is required. Sew Happens, University Landing Shopping Center, 413 S. College Road HAPPIEST HOUR GROUP AA meetings 5am, Mon. • 5:30am, Tues, Wed, Fri, and Sat. 1602 Front St. NONPROFIT LUNCH AND LEARN 4/16, 11:30am: Dashboards are a management tool using graphs, charts, and pictures to easily represent an organization’s progress, success, need for improvement, and more. During this Lunch & Learn, you will see examples of how organizations can use dashboards as a tool to hold themselves accountable for the goals and objectives that they plan to achieve. Dashboards can be used to track progress, monitor situations, celebrate success, and easily explain an organization’s current position. Brunswick Community College, 2050 Enterprise Drive Northaest WILMINGTON NEWCOMERS CLUB 4/16, 9:30am: The ladies of Wilmington Newcomers Club will meet Thursday, April 16. Social time begins at 9:30am, followed by our monthly meeting at 10:00am. Our guest speaker will be Connie Nelson, Communications/PR director for the Wilmington and Beaches CVB. Connie will share highlights of all there is to see and do in New Hanover County, as well as share how residents can “Be a tourist in their own home-

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town”, and how everyone can help to “Spread the Wilm”. For meeting location, please visit our website: wilmingtonncnewcomers.com. Anyone new to New Hanover and Pender counties in the last four years is invited to join. Cape Fear Country Club, 1518 Country Club Dr. MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE 4/17-20: Sale is two weeks later than ever before meaning more blossoms on flowering shrubs and azaleas, more leaves on trees, better plants and bloom on our already gorgeous annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetables; plus we’re past the local frost date of April 15. The New Hanover County Arboretum is located at 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403, 910-798-7660. New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive SUICIDE BEREAVEMENT GROUP The goal of this group is to provide support and emotional assistance to those who have lost loved ones to suicide. The group meets 6-7:50 p.m. first Thursday of the month. Boiling Spring Lakes Community Center, 1 Leeds Road LUPUS SUPPORT GROUP 4/21, 6:30pm: This group meets the third Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8pm. This group provides participants with an opportunity to receive introductory information about lupus, encourage the expression of concerns, provide an opportunity to share experiences, encourage and support positive coping strategies, and emphasize the importance of medical treatment.

Meeting programs vary from guest speakers to DVD presentations and open group discussion.

There is no charge to attend the meeting, and drop-ins are welcome. LFANC at info@lupusnc. orgor at 877-849-8271, ext. 2. www.lupusnc. org. Northeast Regional Library, 1241 Military

Cutoff Road LOSS OF A PARENT Lower Cape Fear Hospice will offer a free sixweek grief program for those coping with the loss of a parent from 5-7 p.m. Mondays, through May 11, at the Dr. Robert M. Fales Hospice Pavilion, Conference Room, 1406 Physicians Drive in Wilmington. Discussions include the phases of grief and the grieving process, along with other areas of concern. Often being around others who have been through a similar experience enables participants to talk about what they are experiencing. Grief groups help emphasize that participants are not grieving alone and others understand and can support them on their grief journey. Registration is mandatory and closes once the series begins. For more information, call 796-7991. Dr. Robert M. Fales Hospice Pavilion, Conference Room, 1406 Physicians Drive TREMOR SUPPORT GROUP Wednesdays, 4pm: Support Group for individuals with essential tremor and their families and friends. New Hanover County Senior Center, 2222 S. College Rd. AA SOBRIETY MEETINGS Trudge through roadblocks rooted in past trauma(s), regardless of cause. Discussion (closed meeting for those with a desire to stop drinking). Fellowship Center (next to Intergroup), 5901 Wrightsville Ave. Wed. meetings, 7pm.

OCD/ANXIETY DISORDER SUPPORT GROUP 7pm: Building B. Group meets the first and third Thursday of each month. Open to adults 18 and older. Family members welcome. The first Thursday of each month is an educational presentation by Dr.Savard. Third Thursday is member

led. Free. Details: 763-8134. Pine Valley United Methodist Church, 3788 Shipyard Blvd., Building B OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS MEETINGS OA is a 12-Step organization for anyone suffering from compulsive overeating, anorexia, bulimia, or any food/eating-related issue. We have helped thousands of people stop their self-destructive habits and start living healthy, rewarding lives. We have no dues, fees, or religious affiliations. Come and see how we can help you! Call 919-406-9300, or visit us at www. triangleoa.org. Wednesdays at Pine Valley United Methodist Church, 3788 Shipyard Blvd., Building B CAPE FEAR CAMERA CLUB Club meets third Tues. each month, Sept thru June, 7pm at Cape Fear Community College, McCloud Bldg, room S002. www.capefearcameraclub.org WILMINGTON TROLLEY Eight mile, 45 minute narrated tour aboard a nostalgic, motorized trolley. Downtown. 763-4483.

GHOST WALK 6:30pm & 8:30pm. Costumed guides lead visitors through alleyways with tales of haunted Wilmington. Nightly tours at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. Admission charge. Meets at Water & Market streets. Reservations required: 910794-1866; www.hauntedwilmington.com

culinary FARMERS’ MARKETS Fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats, seafood, honey and more!

Poplar Grove, Apr-Nov, Wed, 8am-1pm. 910686-9518. www.poplargrove.com • Riverfront Farmers’ Market open on Water St., downtown, every Sat., through Dec., 8am-1pm. Food, arts & craft vendors and live music. www.wilmingtondowntown.com/farmers-market • Carolina Beach Farmer’s Market every Sat., May-Sept, 8am-1pm, around the lake in Carolina Beach.

Free parking; vendors align the lake, from artists and crafters and musicians. www.carolinabeachfarmersmarket.com.• Wrightsville Beach Farmers’ Market, 21 Causeway Dr. Fresh NCgrown produce, seafood and other locally produced consumables. A variety of unique craft vendors have also been added to the market this year. Mon., 8am-1pm, first Mon. in May- Labor Day. • Town of Leland Farmers’ Market at Leland Town Hall, alternating Sundays, 11am-3pm, May-Aug. This market is focused on local food and agricultural products. • Oak Island Farmers’ Market, Mon., April-Nov., 7am-1pm. Middletown Park, Oak Island • Southport Waterfront Market, Wednesdays, May-Sept., 8am-1pm. Garrison Lawn in Southport, NC. • St. James Plantation Farmers’ Market, Thurs., May-Oct., 4-7pm, at the Park at Woodlands Park Soccer Field.

WINEDOWN WEDNESDAYS Free tasting of wine from around the globe. Every week hosted by a winery representative or vendor to teach you about the selections. All wines offered at a discount as well as an additional 10%off 6 packs and 15%off cases. Come winedown after a long humpday. Palate Bottle Shop & Reserve, 1007 N. 4th St. WINE TASTING Ongoing bimonthly wine tasting, taking place on the first and third Thurs. of each month. A Tasting Room will be pouring a new selection of high

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We offer luxury apartments with upscale finishes and cityscape/ river views. Our access controlled building features elevators, gated parking lot/deck, additional storage units, fitness studio, cyber cafe and lounge, as well as an outdoor veranda with a grilling station. All within walking distance of Front Street and the Riverwalk!

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MON - FRI: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM S AT: 1 0 A M - 5 P M SUN: 1 PM - 5 PM

814 N. 3rd Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 Tel: 1-910-341-0200 www.cityblockapartments.com 68 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

quality small production wines and chef Tomm Mills will prepare tasty nibbles to pare for your enjoyment. Wines can be ordered that night and we will schedule convenient delivery right to your door. We are looking forward to tasting with you! The Front Room @ Little Pond Caterers, 2016 Princess Place JAZZ BRUNCH 4/12, noon: TheatreNOW’s popular Sunday brunches continue with Brazillian jazz guitarist, Raphael Name. Food prepared by Chef Denise Gordon. Doors open at 11:30am. Show 12-2pm. $20/$15 children under 12. Ticket includes 3-course brunch and show. Beverages and gratuity not included. 19 S. 10th St. www. theatrewilmington.com BELLAMY 2015 TEA SERIES 4/13, 2pm: Bellamy Mansion presents the 2015 Tea Series, starting with the April 13th event: A Celtic Spring Tea (single seating, 2pm). The series continues on Mon., 10/12, with A Parisian Afternoon Tea (single seating, 2pm), and on Mon., 12/7, with A Proper English Tea (double seating 11am and 2pm). To make reservations, call 910-251-3700, ext. 303. Cost is $37.45, includes tax, for each seat in elegant formal parlors of the musician. Seatings are limited. 503 Market St. www.bellamymansion.org.

SUPPORT COASTAL LAND TRUST 4/24, 6-8pm: Wine Not ... It’s Friday at Whole Foods Market, 3804 Oleander Dr. Come sample delicious wines paired with a variety of food samples throughout the store. Suggested donation of $5 benefits the NC Coastal Land Trust in support of the Flytrap Frolic (which will be held on April 25th). Fun event! Beth Steelman, (910) 790-4524. bsteelman@CoastalLandTrust. org FERMENTAL Weekly wine and beer tasting, Fridays. Free.

• 4/25, 6pm: Join Ballast Point Brewing [San Diego, CA] and Atwater Brewery [Detroit, MI] for an evening of tastings, giveaways, live music, food trucks, brewery staff and a bit of friendly competition. It’s East Coast versus West Coast in this epic evening that showcases select beers from both Atwater and Ballast Point in a cordial challenge presented by both breweries as an informal invitation for the public to sample and savor. Several beer styles will converge and votes cast for winners in each category. Beer will be available for sampling and by the pint or growler fill. Live music begins at 6pm with the folk rock stylings of Kim Dicso followed by Phil Kelly and Friends. Catch Food Truck, 6pm. 910821-0362.910-821-0362 for details. 7250 Market St., www.fermental.net.

ARIES (Mar. 21–April 20): “Uitwaaien” is a Dutch word that means to go out for a stroll in windy weather simply because it’s exhilarating. I don’t know any language that has parallel terms for running in the rain for the dizzy joy of it, or dancing through a meadow in the dark because it’s such nonsensical fun, or singing at full volume while riding alone in an elevator in the mad-happy quest to purge your tension. In the coming weeks, you don’t need to describe or explain experiences like this; you just need to do them. Experiment with giving your instinctive need for exuberance lots of room to play.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your nasty, nagging little demon isn’t nasty or nagging any more. It’s not doing what demons are supposed to do. It’s confused, haggard and ineffective. I almost feel sorry for the thing; it is barely even keeping you awake at night, and its ability to motivate you through fear is at an all-time low. Here’s what I suggest: Now, when the demon’s strength is waning and its hold on you is weak, you should break up with it for good. Perform an ultimate, non-reversible exorcism. Buy it a one-way bus ticket to the wasteland and say goodbye forever.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When he was in his 50s, French painter Claude Monet finally achieved financial success. He used his new riches to buy a house and land, then hired gardeners to help him make a pond full of water lilies. For the first time in his life, he began to paint water lilies. During the next 30 years, they were his obsession and specialty. He made them a central feature of 250 canvases, which now serve as one of his signature contributions to art history. “I planted my water lilies for pleasure,” he said. “I cultivated them without thinking of painting them. Suddenly, I had the revelation of the magic of my pond.” I regard the imminent future as a good time for you to do something similar, Gemini: Create or find a source of beauty that will stimulate your sense of wonder and fuel your passion to express yourself for a long time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Everything we do in life is based on fear, especially love,” Cancerian comedian Mel Brooks said. Although he was joking, he was quite serious, too. More often than we like to admit, desperation infects our quest to be cared for. Our decisions about love may be motivated by a dread of loneliness. We worry about whether we are worthy of getting the help and support we need. It’s a fundamental human problem, so there’s no reason to be ashamed if you have this tendency yourself. Having said that, I’m happy to report that you now have the necessary power to overcome this tendency. You will be able to summon tremendous courage as you revise and refine your relationship with love. It’s time to disappear the fear.

tors syndiCate FEAST DOWN EAST BUYING CLUB Enjoy the quality, value and convenience of the Feast Down East Buying Club. It costs nothing

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Do you ever feel reverence and awe, Leo? Are there times when you spontaneously yearn to engage in acts of worship? Is there anyone or anything that evokes your admiration, humility and gratitude?

The coming weeks will be a good time to seek out experiences like these.

According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will get tender jolts of transformational inspiration if you blend yourself with a sublime force that you trust and respect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A lot has happened since you were . . . uh . . . indisposed. You’ve missed out on several plot twists. The circle has been broken, repaired, broken again, and partially repaired. Rumors have been flying, allegiances have been shifting, and riddles have been deepening. So, are you ready yet to return to the heated action? Have you learned as much as you can from the commotion that provoked your retreat? Don’t try to return too early.

Make sure you are at least 70-percent healed.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Rent, but don’t buy yet. That’s my $250-perhour advice. Keep rehearsing, but don’t start performing the actual show. OK?

Flirt, but don’t fall in love. Can you handle that much impulse control? Are you strong enough to explore the deeper mysteries of patience? I swear to you that your burning questions will be answered if you don’t try to force the answers to arrive, according to a set timetable. I guarantee you will make the necessary connections as long as you don’t insist they satisfy every single one of your criteria.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Guerrilla Girls are a group of prankster activists who use humor to expose sexism and racism in the art world. Every so often they take a “weenie count” at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. During their first survey in 1989, they found that 5 percent of the artists who had work hanging in the galleries were women, while 85 percent of the nudes depicted in the paintings were women. More recently, in 2012, their weenie count revealed that 4 percent of the artists were female, but 76 percent of the naked people in the paintings were female. The coming week would be a good time for you to take a weenie count in your own sphere, Scorpio. Conditions are more favorable than usual to call attention to gender disparities, and to initiate corrective action.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The English term “engine” refers primarily to a machine that transforms energy into mechanical power. But its roots are in the Old French word “engin,” which meant skill or wit, and in the Latin word “ingenium,” defined as “inborn talent.” I’d like to borrow the original meanings to devise your horoscope this week. According to my reading of the astrological omens, your “engine” is unusually strong right now, which means that your cultivated skills and innate talents are functioning at peak levels. I suggest you make intensive use of them to produce maximum amounts of energy and gather more of the clout you’d love to wield.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What I’m about to say is not a hard scientific fact, but it is a rigorous poetic fable. You don’t need to go to the mountain, because the mountain is willing and able to come to you. But will it actually come to you? Yes, but only if you meet two conditions. The mountain will pick itself up and move all the way to where you are if you make a lot of room for it and if you are prepared to work with the changes its arrival will bring.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you were a 4-year-old, cookies might be a valuable treasure to you. Given a choice between a bowl of stir-fried organic vegetables and a plate full of chocolate-coconut macaroons, you’d probably choose the macaroons. For that matter, if you were 4 years old and were asked to decide between getting a pile of macaroons and a free vacation to Bali or an original painting by Matisse or a personal horoscope reading from the world’s greatest astrologer, you’d also opt for the cookies. Since you’re a grownup, your list of priorities is screwed on straight, right? You would never get distracted by a sugary, transitory treat that would cause you to ignore a more nourishing and long-lasting pleasure. Right?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): On June 23, 1917, Babe Ruth was the starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in a Major League Baseball game against the Washington Senators. After the first batter drew a walk, Ruth got upset with the homeplate umpire and punched him in the head. Ejected! Banished! The Babe had to be dragged off the field by the cops. The new pitcher was Ernie Shore. He proceeded to pitch a perfect game, allowing no further Washington player to reach base in all nine innings. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I see you as having the potential to duplicate Ernie Shore’s performance in your own sphere. Coming in as a replacement, you will excel. Chosen as a substitute, you will outdo the original.

encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 69

to join. The benefits are immeasurable. It is a great way to eat healthier, while knowing you support your local farm families and community.

Log on at www.FeastDownEast.org and start buying fresh local food, sourced from Southeastern NC farms. Choose a pick-up spot, and check out at the online cashier and you are done! Orders must be placed by 11am Monday for Thursday delivery. Consumer pickup is Thursday 3:30-6pm at: the Cameron Art Museum, THE POD (located next to Dunkin Donuts on UNCW campus) or the Burgaw Historic Train Depot.

1614 Market Street (We face 17th St.)

Rummage Sale April 11th 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Sale starts in the parking lot and goes throughout the store.

Items starting at $1!

(910) 399-7939 Wilmington, NC 28401

e Affordable Alternative!

TASTING HISTORY TOURS Tasting History Tours of Pleasure Island; guided walking tours. From its beginnings as a tourist destination, the island has weathered destructive fires, tragic hurricanes, naval battles and more. Tasting History takes you through the streets of Carolina Beach and into a few of the restaurants to taste some of what the locals have to offer. Join us for an afternoon of interesting history and tasty eats. $32.50. tastinghistorytours.com. 910-622-6046.

PORT CITY SWAPPERS Port City Swappers is a monthly food and beverage swap where members of a community share homemade, homegrown, or foraged foods with each other. Swaps allow direct trades to take place between attendees, e.g., a loaf of bread for a jar of pickles or a half-dozen backyard eggs. No cash is exchanged, and no goods are sold. Diversify your pantry and go home happy and inspired while meeting your neighbors! facebook.com/PortCitySwappers.

FOOD NOT BOMBS To provide free Vegan and Vegetarian meals

.com

! s l a e d Your one-stop discount connection Half-Price Vouchers Free coupons at local businesses

to the hungry. By sharing food we start a revolution. Food is a right, not a privilege. All our food is grown in the Food Not Bombs garden, and donated by local businesses, restaurants, farms, and people. Anyone can donate, and if you are unable to donate food, then donating your time is enough. Monthly meetups. www. foodnotbombs.net WILMINGTON WINE SHOP Join us to sample five new delicious wines we’ve brought in just for our customers during Free Friday Wine Tasting, 5-8pm. Have a bottle or glass of your favorite with friends afterwards in our cozy shop or on the back deck. And beer lovers don’t fret, we’ve got a fridge full of craft and micro-brews. 605 Castle St. 910-202-4749. www.wilmingtonwine.net.

NONI BACCA WINERY Tasting room open seven days a week, 10am9pm (Mon-Sat) and 12-5pm (Sun.). Taste a flight of 6 or 9 wines; over 70 wines made on premise to sample at any time, served by the glass or the bottle. • Thurs.-Sat.: Specials at the bar on glasses and bottles of wine that run all day, but the crowd begins to gather around 7pm. Craft beer selection, too. We also make special label wines for weddings, corporate gifting, birthdays, reunions, or any event. 910-397-7617.

RED BANK WINE Red Bank’s wine of the week, Sat., 1-4pm.

1001 International Dr. 910-256-9480.

FORTUNATE GLASS Free wine tasting, Tues. 6-8pm. • Sparkling wine specials and discounted select bottles, Wed. & Thurs. • Monthly food and wine pairings.

29 South Front St. CAPE FEAR WINE AND BEER Beer Church: Purchase select beer and keep your glass for free. 1st Mass starts, 1pm; 2nd Mass , 8pm Free. • Beer Flights, Massage and Monday Night NitroMassage Monday: 5-8pm, $10 for 10 minutes with our licensed therapist, Josh Lentz. Beer Flights: nine 5 oz samples for $18. • Monday Night Nitro: $1 off nitrogen pours. Free. • BYOT (Bring Your Own Trivia): The next wave of pub trivia. Prizes include gift certificates to Chop’s Deli, Memory Lane Comics, and Browncoat Theatre & Pub, as well as beer from us. $10 pitchers: Bartender’s choice.

All day. Free wine tasting: from 5-7 PM, with two whites and two reds. Free • Beer Infusement Thurs.: Come see what ingredients Randall the Enamel Animal is enhancing upon delicious beer. Free.

Sign up for details at:

www.encoredeals.com

www.bertsurfshop.com

HYPERFLEX Full suit, booties & gloves ALL FOR ONLY $10995

10% OFF UNCW Students (with valid ID - Excludes surfboards)

SUP BOARD, PADDLE & BAG PACKAGE

DEAL only $1095 GREAT SALES ALL FALL & WINTER

UP TO 50% OFF

WILMINGTON - 5740 Oldeander Drive • (910) 392-4501 SURF CITY - Hwy. 210 • (910) 328-1010 CAROLINA BEACH - Hwy 421 & Winner Ave • (910) 458-9047 70 encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com

CORKBOARD Available for your next CD or Demo

KAREN KANE MUSIC PRODUCTIONS 33 year veteran Producer/Engineer

200 album credits

Dreaming Of A Career In The Music Industry?

AUDIO ENGINEERING CLASSES Music Recording, Mixing, Pro Tools, Studio Production Classes offered in Jan., Apr. and Sept.

(910) 681-0220 or mixmama.com ORDER YOUR LAB TESTS ON-LINE!

DISCOUNTED FEES, CONFIDENTIAL NO Doctor’s Order Needed. ANALYSIS BY LARGEST CERTIFIED REFERENCE LAB IN USA.

www.YourBloodTests.com

Your local Health Coach: 616-0278

GASTRIC BYPASS WITHOUT SURGERY! IT’S EASY WITH HYPNOSIS!

CALL NOW

FOR FREE CONSULTATION 910-343-1171 www.solomonhypnosis.com

COASTAL HOT TUB

Hot Tub & Spa Repair

www.coastalhottub.com

910-274-1416

SPRING SPECIAL

Paradise Bodyworks & Day Spa

$10 OFF any one service over $70.

Not valid w/any other discount 3803 Peachtree Ave.

910-367-2387 or 910-341-7943 paradisebodyworksdayspa.com

FANTASIZE

A Night ON the tOwN For Executives and Refined Gents Brunette Model/Social Companion 5’5”, 36DDD, Very Assertive

910-616-8301 tAtiANA36ddd@AOl.cOm Want to Get the Word out about Your business...

AdVeRtiSe ON the

CORKBOARD

as much as you want while enjoying the FULL Menu Til MIDNIGHT Every Night At the Brewery!

4weeKS - ONlY $50 cAll 791-0688 FOR detAilS

Front Street Brewery 910.251.1935 9 North Front Street, Downtown Wilmington FrontStreetBrewery.com

Now Hiring

WELCOME to

FABULOUS ENTERTAINMENT

910-726-5323

Wilmington Friends/Quakers Meeting Silent Worship... “gathered together in My Name” First Days (Sundays) 10-11 a.m.

202 North 5th Avenue

Reiki I Class with Janis Pulliam, Reiki Master

DAY SPA ExPANDING

Exotic Dancers

In-Out Calls • Casual Events Two Girl Show • Bachelor Parties 24/7 Dancers • Serious Inquiries Only Now Hiring

Sunday March 22 from 10am-6pm.

Costs $125, includes certification as a Reiki I Practitioner.

Call 910.620.5765 for more info or to pre-register for class. janispulliam.com

THERAPISTS NEEDED Rooms for rent.

Ideal for massage therapist and holistic healers.

Call 910-367-2386

La Costa Mexican Restaurant

www.lacostamexicanrestauranwilmington.com

16oz margaritas

$4.25 Monday and Tuesday at all locations

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS 5622 Oleaander Drive, 910.392.6006 3617 Market Street, 910.772.9000 8024 Unit 1 Market Street, 910.686.8210 open sunday through Thursday until 9pm, Friday and Saturday until 10pm Lunch Monday through Saturday 11am to 3pm! encore |april 8 – 14, 2015 | www.encorepub.com 71

THANK YOU WILMINGTON FOR VOTING US BEST BUFFET, FRIED CHICKEN AND SOUL FOOD/COUNTRY COOKING!

Family owned & operated by Larry & Gena Casey

WE ALSO DO CATERING!

5559 Oleander drive • 910.798.2913

Wednesday-Saturday 11am-9pm • Sundays 11am- 8pm • Closed - Mondays and Tuesdays

Visit our new website - www.CaseysBuffet.com

winner of best BUFFET, FRIED CHICKEN AND SOUL FOOD/COUNTRY COOKING

W I NNE R