Devour - Summer 2016

SUMMER 2016

Healthy Noshing:

Delicious dining in moderation

Hospitality Management LMRest.com

2 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

INDUSTRY

10-13 | Meet the restaurateurs behind

EDITOR

Jax 5th Ave. Deli and The Felix Cafe.

Shea Carver

ASSISTANT EDITOR Shannon Gentry

ART DIRECTOR Susie Riddle

ADVERTISING Shea Carver, Sandy Vaughan John Hitt, Rose Thompson

CONTRIBUTORS Gwenyfar Rohler, Joel Finsel, John Burke, Allison Ballard, Fanny Slater, Emily Caulfield, Bethany Turner, Evan Folds, Linda Grattafiori

PHOTOGRAPHY Lindsey A. Miller Photography From Jax 5th Ave.: The Legend, featuring Boar’s Head Genoa salami, cappicola, ham, prosciutto, and provolone, with mixed greens, fresh tomato, red onions, mayonnaise, and house dressing, on a toasted sub roll.

ON THE COVER 16-17 |

Fanny Slater dishes on the healthiest eats from three local restaurants, including the Hawaiian Salad Bowl from Epic Food Co., which will allow diners indulgence in moderation—all in honor of keeping that beach bod top-notch during summer months. All photos by Lindsey A. Miller Photography

14-15 FARMING The Goats of Nature’s Way Meet the Mollers, the family who started the goat farm in Hampstead and has become well-known for churning out the best cheese in town.

18-23 FOOD PORN

Pics to Make You Salivate...

Having trouble answering the age-old question: “Where should we eat?”

Allow nine restaurants to make it easier for you with pics that will titillate your tastebuds, as voted on by our readers to be the best among the best.

DEVOUR is published by HP Media seasonally and covers southeastern NC. To subscribe to the print publication, the cost is $15 a year. Folks can sign up to subscribe in print or monthly via e-mail updates at www.devourilm.com.

ADVERTISING in Devouris easy! Feel free to call HP Media at 910-791-0688 or email shea@encorepub.com for a media kit. HP Media also offers advertising packages for Devour and its other publications, encore and AdPak.

28-30 IMBIBE

Broomtail is Expanding!

Bethany Turner interviews the Owings family—owners of Broomtail Craft Brewery—about opening The Sour Barn off north Market Street.

34-35 FEATURE 40 Eats

Find out about the new restaurant cooperative, founded by local restaurateurs and chefs who officially want to put Wilmington on the culinary map of Southeastern NC’s finest dining.

ALSO INSIDE: Chef Profile, pgs. 6-7 • Recipes, pgs. 24-25 • Cocktails and Conversations, pgs. 26-27 Wine Review, pgs. 32-33 • Features, pgs 34-39 • Book Reviews, pgs. 40-41 • Culinary Calendar, pgs. 42-46 SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 3

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Inside the Kitchen Getting to know the chef behind Little Pond Caterers

BY Allison Ballard ● Devour contributor

C

arrots? Maybe not for munching.

“People aren’t really eating them anymore,” chef Tommy Mills says, only half-joking. “I think they’re too loud.”

For more than two decades, Mills, the man in the kitchen at Little Pond Caterers, has kept an insider’s view of the Wilmington food scene—in ways both big and small. The current topic has moved from the Port City’s place in the regional culinary tourist market to the practical application of the many gluten-free, Paleo, low-carb trends, which is something chefs have to accommodate more and more. When whipping up a batch of his signature pimiento cheese for a party, Mills slices jicama and cucumber for dippers, but saves the carrots for chicken pot pies or maybe a side of pasta with carrot butter.

Diners might find either item on the menu at any given Meatball Tuesday— the weekly family-style nosh that Mills and his wife Karin host at their venue at 2016 Princess Place Dr. The nights are named for the meatball grinders, his gourmet version of the classic sandwich, which is one of two entrees always on the menu. The others change by the season and by how Mills wants to flex his creative muscle. It might be pork Milanese or Peruvian-style chicken or tamales. One recent evening, he featured the sandwich, two salads (Caesar and Little Pond house salad) and coq au

• Right: Little Pond Caterer’s ham and cheese biscuits.

• Next page: Chef Tommy Mills Photos by Lindsey A. Miller Photography

6 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

INDUSTRY

vin, served with stacks of tomato slices and round of cheese grits. The offerings are posted each Tuesday on the company’s Facebook page. The serving times are listed from 6 p.m. until “I run out.”

Mills is full of stories from his many years in food—like selling pineapple skewers at Grateful Dead concerts or his days training in Europe. Still, he glosses over the history that made him a popular local chef, like his first job at the Culinarily Yours catering company and working at the popular Gardenia’s restaurant. But he will offer an educated opinion on just about any food topic, usually rapidly listing several notable local restaurants and chefs in the process.

An early proponent of the farm-to-table movement, Mills always has bought produce straight from the farm—actually, from farm trucks in earlier days. Today, he distrusts the label.

“I hate it,” he says. “It is so buzzy.” To Mills the term represents an important food philosophy but is too overused—so much so it has lost meaning to a lot of diners. He takes the jar of olives labeled “tree to table.” “Really? Really?” he questions. “That’s where you’re going with that?”

Maybe people should use more specific terms for those who are really doing the work, like chefs who buy from pig farmers and butcher their own cuts to make charcuterie in their own kitchens. “That should be ‘mud to steel,’” he quips. “You go right from the mud to the kitchen—that’s what it really is.”

Mills suggests food lovers look for people in the business who know what they’re doing and count on them. Supporting local restaurants can make a big difference in the local food

scene, he says. One thing he’s noticed is as Wilmington has grown is its expansion across Southeastern North Carolina.

Restaurants are clustered in smaller communities and diners tend to stay close to home. Those who live at the beach might not get to downtown Wilmington very often and vice versa.

“There are so many great places all over,” he informs. “So many people who do a great job. Go off the beaten path. Find the places you’re going to love.”

Other than that, Mills is encouraged by 40 Eats, the local chef collective of which he is a part (read pages 34-35). He sees it as a sign that Wilmington restaurants might be returning to the collaborative spirit he witnessed in earlier days. He also thinks schools should once again teach basic cooking skills in home economics classes and wonders how he can stay current with the up-and-coming foodie culture. “I’m just the old guy,” he tells. “I need to get some tattoos.”

Still, it’s the simple pleasure of preparing food for an appreciative audience that makes what he does worthwhile. “Do you know what one of my favorite things is, after all this time?” he asks. “Frying bacon.” Watching lardons turn golden and bubble in the pan help him know all is well. “There’s nothing better. That’s the cool thing.”

Little Pond Caterers is located at 2016 Princess Place Dr., (910) 960-7663. www.littlepondcaterers.com

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 7

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Vision and Passion: Meet restaurateurs Felix Scroppo and Jimmy Hart

BY Shannon Rae Gentry â—? Devour assistant editor Whether opening up a new restaurant or taking over an established eatery in town, owning a business in the food industry is an exciting if not terrifying adventure into the unknown. What our restaurateurs in this issue of Devour have in common is their commitment to making their eateries truly their own. Their passions, tastes, values, and ambitions are reflected in everything from their menus down to what hangs on the walls to what flows from the taps. â—? Felix Scroppo, owner of The Felix Cafe. Photo by Lindsey A. Miller Photography 10 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

Felix Scroppo

INDUSTRY

The Felix Cafe • www.felixcafeonline.com

Weekly jazz, free wine tastings, daily specials, and port-side sunsets are just a handful of offerings at The Felix Cafe in Sunset Park (2140 Burnett Blvd.)—and we haven’t even gotten to the menu. Meant to recreate an island vacation with fine-dining finesse at a reasonable cost, The Felix Cafe has been a long time coming for owner Felix Scroppo.

Scroppo wanted a restaurant for many years. Since his first job at 15, Felix has done everything from answer phones for Domino’s to management positions at various establishments. He found success wherever he went, but none of them had his name on the sign. Simply, he wanted his own business.

“The only reason I got out of [the restaurant business] was to start a cleaning service,” he says. “[Creative Ways Cleaning Inc.] is now 20 years old with over 75 employees. I still have the cleaning company, but I always wanted [a restaurant] and this is what I love.”

However, Scroppo again tabled the dream five years ago to begin a greater journey: parenthood. “I absolutely put [buying a restaurant] on hold long enough to adopt my children,” he tells of his then 5- and 6-year-old daughter and son. “Once they were adjusted, I felt I could be away long enough to do this—because it does take a lot of time.”

Today the cafe is in many ways not exactly what Scroppo had in mind before he bought the unassuming building nearby the port. He originally thought his restaurant would be more upscale and serve dinner three times a night at specific times. “Of course that’s the farthest thing from what we do,” he tells.

Scroppo’s vision slowly morphed into an island-style vacation spot, with tropical and nautical-inspired decor. Even a mural of a mermaid rests on the outside bar. “We fit in perfectly with Sunset Park because Sunset Park is so eclectic,” he adds.

Scroppo’s acquisition of the building was really accidental. He was initially interested in renting and converting a recently closed club space into a restaurant. It was conveniently through the same realty company, from which he leased his Creative Ways office, he learned of an alternative. “They said, ‘Well, if you want to do that then I have a friend who might want to sell,’” Scroppo remembers. “And that was David Wishon who used to own Parchie’s.”

Scroppo went out to the restaurant and ate there a few times to get a feel for the unassuming location. His decision to buy wasn’t based on the building, its name or the food (though Wishon definitely built a reputation for his fried chicken). Still, Scroppo saw potential.

“I could see all new equipment being brought in,” he remembers. “All new refrigeration, reversing the kitchen, dish area—so we wouldn’t have to use plastic containers or paper plates. By the time we figured out everything we needed to do (I closed on June 16, 2015), renovation took us all the way to December when we opened.”

It was a complete 180-degree project; not just in the back of the house but indoor and outdoor seating and decor. As well a new front patio and covered outdoor bar are now prime dining areas.

“This place has never been open for dinner service in all the years it’s been sitting here,” Scroppo tells. “It’s been breakfast and lunch only, so we tried to turn that around. Our plating is so beautiful it would be a waste for me to not offer dinner service.”

Scroppo knew he could fiscally manage all of the changes and additions needed once he purchased the property. The trick has been to keep his head above water while he got his bearings—a difficult task for any new restaurant in its first year or two. Moreover, the cafe has meant a lot to the Sunset Park area, whose residents typically had to venture downtown or beyond for not only variety in food, but quality wines, beers and entertainment. “Honestly, I think that’s the main thing that keeps us going,” Scroppo says of neighborhood patrons. “People are right around the corner from here, and it’s awesome food.”

While there have been many lessons learned in his first year, the

most important ones have been to never have anything set in stone. All the focus is on service and quality of food. It’s small space, with limited refrigeration, so seasonal, fresh and staying as local as possible are musts. Scroppo gets produce from Coastal Produce and Country Fresh, and is now meeting with meat distributors closer to home.

“I get two or three orders of produce a week sometimes,” he explains. “And seafood two or three times a week . . . we have minimal things that come frozen and that’s a good thing. I don’t want my stuff frozen; I like it fresh.”

The Felix Cafe menu is largely based on Scroppo’s favorite items, such as the Monte Cristo. Traditionally a fried ham and cheese sandwich, a variation of the French Croque Monsieur, it was Scroppo’s go-to item when Bennigan’s was still in operation on College Road.

When he realized few others, if anyone else, offered the rich sammie he knew it would be a menu staple. “So we tweaked it between Bennigan’s and what they offer at Disneyland,” he divulges. “We changed it from doing it in a deep fryer to skillet. They hold less oil that way so you’re eating less grease.”

Scroppo can often be found in the kitchen side-by-side with Chef Jason Sellars, whom he’s known since childhood. “His father and my father were best friends,” he tells. “I had not seen him for years and he came in to apply for a job. I was like, absolutely!”

His old friend didn’t disappoint either. Sellars and Scroppo have worked closely developing menu items throughout the year. The chef most recently added cookies as dessert options, including chocolate chip, macadamia nut and oatmeal raisin.

“We already had a nice selection of desserts,” he continues. “But we also have a lot of kids come in. So I tried [the cookies]; I love them, and now we bake them fresh every day. We can also turn those cookies into beautiful ice-cream sandwiches. They go really well with our coconut ice cream.”

Their coconut ice cream is provided by Coastal Cupcakes. With summer in full swing, Scroppo is preparing to make a lot milkshakes as well.

Scroppo has been asked if another Felix Cafe could pop up in the near future. While not out of the question, it all comes down to recreating the quality service, team and food he’s been striving for during his freshman year. To split himself amongst multiple locations could potentially compromise any one of those crucial elements that keeps the cog in the restaurant wheel successfully turning.

“I don’t want my customers to deal with a bad experience,” he says. “Eventually, I may want to do that, but it would have to be the type of location where I can go in and pretty much do what I’ve done here. . . . The question is, do I want The Felix Cafe to be the one and only, or do I want there to be a couple of them?”

Scroppo says he would like to have larger tables inside and expand more around the building. For now, he’ll settle for the love and excitement he continues to get for his one and only. “I never not want to be the talk of the town,” he quips. “In a good way!”

Jimmy Hart

Jax 5th Avenue Deli & Ale House • facebook.com/JaxFifthAveDeliAleHouse

“You got plenty of tape there?” Jimmy Hart answers when I ask him to tell me more about how he came to own Jax Fifth Avenue Deli at 5046 New Centre Dr. Hart’s good-natured smile is amplified by his handlebar mustache. He wastes not time in telling me his story of Jimmy to Jax. Hart’s dad was a Marine, so he grew up mostly in Jacksonville, NC, and had his first taste of hard work at 12 years old on a tobacco farm in nearby Richlands. “It is really where I got my work ethic,” Hart tells. “I think if anyone could have that experience, SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 11

working on a farm at any point in their life, they should because it’s hard work.”

With his job and income, Hart also became pretty self-reliant at a young age. He bought his own clothes and eventually his own car at 16, which was about the time he moved on from farming to a new job at a local grocery store. “I did everything from working in the frozen food section to produce, meat department, and anything I could do really,” he tells.

In 1998 he started working at New York Pizzeria, still located at 2040 Wilmington Hwy # 10 today. He began delivering pizzas.

“They eventually needed a sub maker,” he continues. “I knew the real art and passion was in the pizza . . . it’s all hand-tossed.

You can see everything that happens in the kitchen. They flip the dough and all that.”

Within a year or so, Hart was promoted to manage the shop and did so for five years. The owners even tried to tempt Hart to buy the eatery when they were ready to retire. “However, while working at the shop I found I had a passion for food,” he continues. “I always liked cooking at home. Both my parents liked to cook, so I would help them in the kitchen. But it wasn’t until I started working in the pizza shop I realized I kinda like this and I’m also really good at running it.”

Hart realized he wasn’t quite ready to own a business. Still in his early 20s, he didn’t have the money to invest and was still getting his feet wet. “I also knew I didn’t want to live in Jacksonville,” he admits. “It’s a great place to grow up but not so much to live the

Free at the Felix...

photo by Lindsey Miller Photography

INDUSTRY

rest of your life there.”

He enrolled at Coastal Carolina Community College and got his associates degree before transferring to UNCW’s Cameron School of Business in 2003. Still, Hart needed a job. One day, while mulling about downtown Wilmington, he stumbled upon a chalkboard sign calling for pizza makers at soon-to-open Fat Tony’s. “When they interviewed me, one of the key questions was, ‘If I call you previous job, what are they going to say about you?’” Hart remembers. He responded, “They’re gonna say, ‘Don’t hire him, we want him back!’”

Hart made the first pizza sold at Fat Tony’s and learned a lot from original owners Richard Anderson and Eric Rylander. “My biggest takeaway was that loyalty pays off,” he says. “I stuck with them through the new owner [Don Shockley] who gave me even more opportunities.”

Throughout the next four years or so, Hart continued to balance his job and school but also embarked on the most difficult time of his life: His mother found out she had cancer. “She’s a saint—was a saint,” he says. “I spent her final months with her at home, while commuting to school and took a break from work for two months.”

Hart graduated with a degree in business in 2005, and was the general manager of Fat Tony’s up until about two years ago when he met Jack Thompson, owner of Jax. Thompson opened his first Jax near Tampa, Fl. The restaurateur eventually sold all of his locations throughout Florida and moved to Wilmington, where he opened his last Jax on New Center Drive. “My girlfriend was working here at the time,” Hart tells. “I’d come in, have beer, have some pizza, and just got to talking with [Jack] . . . and he made me an offer I couldn’t turn down.”

In the beginning Hart battled with whether or not to change the name, menu and other aspects of the established eatery. He

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(910) 399-1213 • www.felixcafeonline.com 12 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

“Home of the Legend”

5046 New Centre Dr. (910) 859-7374

friends wanted him to change the name to Jimmy Jax, even. “But what I’ve learned on the business side of things is that you don’t want to be in a rush to change too abruptly,” Hart explains. “People often times mistake that as a failure . . . so I wanted to be careful not to make moves that were too fast or too bold.”

Hart saw everything has something to build and improve upon. So the focus these past two years has been on steady growth. The menu is very close to the original, with Boar’s Head meats, cheeses and pickles. Hart simply brought more order to the operating system behind it: set recipes and portion control included.

“A lot of what was going on was: ‘Oh, tuna salad? Yeah, just throw some of this and that in there,’” Hart explains.

“So there was a consistency that was lacking when I took over. . . . when that was done, I started looking around to see what else we could make in house.”

Jax’s kitchen is modest and limited to what can be made in the back, according to health codes—meaning nothing raw, except for an occasional egg used to make their crab cakes. Therefore, Hart knew roasting his own meats would be out of the question—at least for now.

However, dressings, chicken salad, tuna salad, and various sauces are all made at Jax. “I’m a beer lover, so I thought [about] how can we incorporate beer into some of these things,” Hart continues. “We use a local [imperial stout from Broomtail] in our barbeque sauce.”

Instead of chips and salsa or bread and butter, Boar’s Head pickles are the first to arrive at tables when customers sit down—a true NYC-deli tradition Hart wanted to keep. Occasionally, the kitchen will fuse the pickles with roasted jalapenos for a few weeks for an added kick. “The only problem is we can’t keep up with demand [for infused pickles],” he says. “But that’s one way we make the pickles our own.”

Hart also started to source more meats and cheeses from Boar’s Head, as well as switched out bread distributors to better meet demand without compromising quality. “We have a great sales rep from Sysco,” he continues. “So some of the bread comes from there. We got Carolina Farmin’ in here—a lot of our produce comes from them (tomatoes, mixed greens) and they started a bakery division, so some of our breads come from there. Honestly, some of our sub rolls come from Sam’s Club—they make them fresh right there and we get them a couple of times a week.”

Hart also stays on top of what’s new and trending in craft beers.

Jax serves 24 drafts and 100 bottles and cans weekly. “A cocktail list is something I think we need,” Hart tells. Occasional specialty drinks make it on the chalkboard now, such as a Beefeaters Basil Breeze, with fresh basil and the drink’s namesake gin.

The Pollock in Hart inspired him to add the Greenpoint to Jax’s long list of craft sandwiches. Made of smoked Boar’s Head kielbasa, with sautéed red onions, green peppers and sauerkraut, the Greenpoint is served on a toasted sub roll with spicy mustard. “I love kielbasa,” he adds. “We didn’t have sausage on the menu at the time, but I grew up on that. That says, ‘Me.’” Pizza remains Hart’s passion. The thin, light and crispy pita pizzas are more portioned for one person’s lunch. Jax pizzas are just a little different from the New York-style he grew to master. In fact, Hart’s favorite is the crab cake pizza. He credits Chef Jason Seddon for coming up with the perfect recipe. Hart’s added his own signature combinations, too, like the Ranchero (chick-

● Jimmy Hart, owner of Jax 5th Avenue Deli

en, bacon, broccoli, homemade ranch drizzle) and the Beefy Stuffed (roast beef, red onions, minced garlic, provolone and horseradish cheddar cheese between two pizza crusts) with a side of Guinness au jus.

“I really like pita pizzas because it’s quick and easy,” he says.

“The pita bread is handmade from a Lebanese bakery in Massachusetts, and it’s shipped to us special order, so you’re not going to get this bread anywhere else around here.”

Hart used to want his own pizza shop but says there are plenty of excellent pies being served up in the Port City already. He does think about expanding Jax with a food truck—which would likely focus on those personalized pita pizzas. “That would be a good place to use that ‘Jimmy Jax’ name my friends keep pushing,” he says.

He’s also active in the billiards community, which is why he added a pool table to Jax. He’s considering how he could incorporate the passion into future ventures or expansions. “I have dreams and aspirations to one day open my own pool hall/steakhouse,” he divulges—“like an old-school steak house, where you slice your own steak and have a salad bar.”

Hart points to his head: It’s all up here.”

Photo by Lindsey A. Miller Photography

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 13

A Taste of Nature: Hampstead farm churns out the best in goat’s cheese and seafood

BY Linda Grattafiori ● Devour contributor

Bill and Tina Moller of Nature’s Way Farm and Seafood in Hampstead believe happy, well-kept goats produce higher quality goats’ milk and cheese.

A shell fisherman and former shrimper, Bill used the money from the sale of his shrimp boat to erect three small buildings. One is for Tina’s famous cheese processing, one for eleven female goats, one for two male goats (used for breeding baby kids available only in early spring). ● Above: Bill and Tina Moller oversee their goat farm in Hampstead, Nature’s Way; (right) Tina carefully makes products out of the goat’s milk, including a variety of cheese flavors, scented soaps, herbal salves, lip balm, and more. Photos by Lindsey A. Miller Photography

14 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

“I really like Mr. Bill. I’ve been working with him for three years, and his oysters and clams are tops in taste.”

— Carson Jewell, chef at Rx Restaurant All the animals are registered American Alpine goats and are treated as loving pets, hence such names as Lucy, Lollipop, Sunshine, and Orion. They forage on a mix of alfalfa and lespedeza.

The latter is a member of the pea family which prevents parasites from developing in the goat’s cud. Twice a day, the goats are handand machine-milked by members of the family.

The American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) says “goats are humankind’s oldest domesticated species dating back some 10,000 years,” and an individual animal “returns the cost of its feed in a valuable and healthful food.” (My father swore that goat’s milk cured his ulcers!) A few years back, the ADGA gave Tina several awards for her blue cheese, mozzarella and Herbs de Provence chevré, all made from the milk of her beloved goats. In addition, she makes a mango-raspberry cheese roll and a blue cheese-walnut spread, but her favorite is the dill and garlic chevré. A very productive woman, Tina also makes scented goat-milk soaps, herbal salves, lip balm, and coconut skin cream. She helps jar raw and unfiltered honey from Bill’s bee hives and makes jams from home-grown fruit.

The carefully made products are sold from the Moller household and at Wrightsville Beach Farmers’ Market on Monday, Ogden Park Farmers’ Market on Wednesday and Wilmington’s Riverfront Farmers’ Market on Saturday, all from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. They sell some of their products to Tidal Creek Co-op, and to three restaurants, Pembroke’s, Rx, and Catch, who believe in farm-to-table eating.

Tina remembers meeting executive chef James Doss (Pembroke’s and Rx) many years ago when she was selling organic produce. He told her that her harvest was an inspiration and he hoped one day to use only locally-sourced ingredients in his cooking.

Carson Jewell, chef de cuisine at Rx, is responsible for designing the daily menu at the restaurant. He uses Nature’s Way cheeses, clams and oysters. In describing a particular recipe, Jewell said he was dressing flatbread with a spread made of shitake mushrooms, ramps (wild onions) and feta. He also prefers Tina’s feta in his butter-bean hummus.

“I really love her feta cheese,” Jewell says. “It’s salty, crumbly and delicious. And I like Mr. Bill. I’ve been working with him for over three years, and his oysters and clams are tops in taste. Tonight, I’m using the clams with pork-skin linguine, Swiss chard, leeks, and tarragon.”

Bill attributes the great quality of his shellfish to the “water garden” from which they are harvested. “In Topsail Sound, between the Surf City Bridge and Hampstead, we’ve leased 7 acres from the state of NC,” Bill tells. “These clean waters produce small, singlerock oysters that are 3-to-6 inches across. They are high in salinity, which makes them taste more succulent.”

The Mollers began their personal relationship with shellfish (and each other) over 30 years ago on Bill’s clam dredge. “She needed a job and I needed a good helper,” Bill quipped. “December through March, from dawn to dusk, we clammed side-by-side, as hard as we could.”

“One time I sloshed water into my boots,” Tina notes with a wry smile. “I told Bill my feet were freezing, and he said to bring extra clothes next time. Usually, I was a trooper, but I made him ‘pay’ for that one!”

Tina did forgive Bill and they married, had two sons, and decided to farm goats on 3 acres of lush land in Hampstead. A strong believer in edible landscaping, Tina does not irrigate their large vegetable and fruit garden, but helps Bill mulch heavily between

INDUSTRY rows with thick wheat straw bales (regular hay would produce too many weeds). Their fruit trees and crops, including hot peppers and blackberries, are thriving and no water is wasted.

“Most of my jams are 75 percent fruit and 25 percent sugar,” Tina explains. “I use honey instead of sugar if it doesn’t alter the taste of the fruit. I especially like our Kieffer dwarf pear preserves and pear butter.”

The most popular pear tree grown in the South, the Kieffer has crisp white flesh, stops growing at about 15 feet and is resistant to the bacteria which cause fire blight. Tina says it’s important to buy fire blight-resistant trees (especially apple) and bushes when considering edible landscaping. “We made the mistake of planting blackberry bushes too close to our Asian pear tree,” Tina said.

“The blackberry bushes got fire blight, gave it to the Asian pear, and both died.”

After many years of working with the land, the Mollers are quick to learn from their mistakes. Early in the spring, Bill uses his rototiller to break up the soil and till in compost, which Tina cleans from the goat stalls. The compost consists mainly of alfalfa hay, manure, and Stall Dry (a natural product of diatomaceous earth and granular clay used in organic production).

For more information about Nature’s Way (115 Crystal Ct.) or to schedule a farm tour, contact the Mollers at (910) 270-3036 or tnaturesway@aol.com and natureswayfarmandseafood.com.

This story is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Keith Moller.

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 15

Healthy Noshing

Delicious dining in moderation

BY Fanny Slater ● Devour contributor and encore magazine restaurant critic

H

ey, you! Yeah, you! The one face-deep in that pile of nachos. It’s time to lighten up (and I’m not talking ‘bout your ‘tude).

While I, too, enjoy grubbing down on some cheesy comfort food, living in a coastal beach town means being surrounded by outrageously fresh fare at all times. Sure, there are kickass burger joints, epic taco trucks and all-night pizza places. But when it comes time for swimsuit season, we all want to balance out our craft beer bellies with a bit of the green stuff.

“Diet” is a four-letter word. Literally (and metaphorically). I don’t believe in convincing myself I can’t have that cookie. I also don’t believe in eating the entire bag. There’s something to be said about the word “moderation”—and I’m gonna say it. It’s a pretty profound concept.

Want that burger? Go for it, but sub the fries for a salad. Thinking about grilled cheese for lunch? Cool. Have grilled fish for dinner. Get it?

So when I was tasked with sharing three of my favorite healthy choice spots, I made sure to go after plates that pack a punch—but still nourish from the inside out.

Speaking of that new polka-dot two-piece, my first stop is a hop, skip and jump from Wrightsville Beach. Epic Food Company offers an entire menu of meals that are ideal to enjoy on the shore or perfect to quench any dinnertime desire after a long day of sandcastle-building in the sun.

I’ll admit: I’m a bit biased. When I first moved to the Port City, I jumped at the opportunity to

• Right: Dock Street Oyster Bar’s oysters on the half shell always make for a healthy option when dining out.

• Next page: Sealevel Gourmet’s lentil burger makes meat-free dining a tasty, filling breeze.

Photos by Lindsey A. Miller Photography

16 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

EAT work with Chef James Bain. Under his tutelage, I spent a summer in Epic’s kitchen, tinkering with everything from roasted beets to fried chickpeas to charred scallions.

Most eastern seaboard seafood restaurants faithfully serve up Calabash-style baskets of fried shrimp. Epic, however, boasts organic, natural, thoughtfully prepared ingredients. The food is designed for the surfer lifestyle, which suggests lean proteins, high fiber and plenty of attention paid to specialty diets. Everything is epic at Epic, but thanks to remembering the full lineup of elegantly crafted sauces and vinaigrettes, I opted for the greens for this assignment. Ordering a salad also meant it was OK to treat myself to homemade sweet-potato chips. Look at me mastering moderation! I had a tropical itch and landed on the “Hawaiian Salad Bowl” (see cover photo) with tender, juicy grilled all-natural beef.

The leafy creation was piled with fluffy sprouts, tangy pickled radishes and cucumbers and grassy cilantro. A vibrant scallion-ginger dressing, bursting with onion-y sweetness, zigzagged across the top. This meal left me sated—and ready to hit the waves.

For my next enticing entrée full of nutrition and light on fat, I found myself in a very inconspicuous shopping center. Sealevel City Gourmet is covertly situated in a Kerr Avenue strip mall. The brainchild of chef and owner Nikki Spears (of esteemed local sushi favorite Nikki’s), Sealevel specializes in southern-style seafood, Mediterranean cuisine and vegetarian fare. It’s eclectic yet uber casual and offers something for everybody. Yep, even dudes who think a meatless burger is a mean joke! One bite of Sealevel’s dynamic mixture of organic lentils, seeds and aromatic veggies will have diners saying, “Where’s the beef? Oh, wait! I don’t care.”

I recommend the “Chipotle Avocado Lentil Burger”—a combo that scores high marks with regular patrons. Griddled in peanut oil,

this crisp patty is topped with a familiar blend of tasty condiments (shaved lettuce, tomatoes, thinly sliced white onions, and pickles).

Also on deck: a creamy, vegan chipotle spread and buttery avocado.

To save a dollar and a few extra calories, lose the bun. The meat-free masterpiece is the star of the show!

Like I mentioned earlier, in the Southeast, it’s uncharacteristic to find a seafood shack not hopelessly devoted to their deep fryer. But every now and then, I find a special restaurant that walks to the beat of their own freshwater drum. Dock Street—whose funky Caribbean décor makes everyone feel right at home (if we all lived in Key West)—has been voted Wilmington’s best oyster bar for 15 years by Devour’s sister publication, encore. Clearly, they ain’t playin’ around.

But it’s not just the prized bivalves that draw the crowd (and the butter). It’s the fact Dock Street proudly offers fresh local seafood steamed and grilled ... but never fried.

To start, take the calamari rings for a spin. Their tender, steamed (yup, steamed) version is doused in a sweet sesame-ginger sauce and blended with crunchy Asian veggies. It’s so light, folks will down the umami-scented starter by the forkful. Try doing that with a basket of fried squid without feeling the thud of stomach crud 30 minutes later. Of course, don’t miss out on the award-winning oysters. I sampled them raw (fresh from the Virginia seas), and they were crisp, briny and fruity. My steamed sampler was savory, slightly floral, and so massive my first mollusk slipped off my mini-fork and nosedived into the butter. Sorry, not sorry?

The punchline of the story: Eat well without it weighing you down.

Remember, all or nothing is a dangerous dinnertime game. Our beach bodies deserve balance with the gift of delicious, nutritious food. Without crappy protein shakes!

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 17

By Lindsey A. Miller Photography

18 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

YoSake

6932 Market St • (910) 395-5558

THE THUNDER ROLL: A Futomaki-style sushi roll filled with tempura-fried soft shell crab, cucumber, avocado, roasted red peppers, cream cheese, jalapeño, and mango, and topped with gorgeous local sprouts.

Jax 5th Ave. Deli & Ale House 5046 New Centre Dr. • (910) 859-7374

JAX SPECIAL: Provolone, Swiss, and feta cheese with fresh tomato, sun-dried tomato, Boar’s Head prosciutto, minced garlic, red onion baked crispy on famous hand made pita with a lite extra virgin olive oil base.

Ogden Tap Room

7324 Market St. • (910) 821-8185

EMMA’S CHICK N’ WAFFLES: Golden fried chicken served atop our Belgian-style waffles, served with SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 19 piping hot pecan syrup.

Casey’s Buffet, Barbecue & Soul Food 5559 Oleander Dr. • (910) 798-2913

FRIED CHICKEN: Fresh-cut marinated and brined— the old-fashioned way. Battered with a family recipe consisting of nine herbs and spices.

Moe’s BBQ

Donut Inn

PULLED PORK SANDWICH: Slow-smoked Boston butt (18 hours or more), pulled to order, and piled high on a toasted bun with signature sauce! Eat it “Bama style,” with slaw, pickles and our signature red sauce.

THE BLUE WAVE: Boars Head turkey, tomatoes, Provolone cheese and a swirl of pesto with choice of bread (pictured below: flaky croissant).

5818 Oleander Dr. • (910) 769-0617

Blue Surf Cafe

250 Racine Dr. • (910) 523-5362

BLACKENED MAHI: Locally sourced mahi, served with roasted tomato grit cake, sautéed corn, bacon, roasted tomato vinaigrette, and sautéed spinach.

1427 Military Cutoff Rd. • (910) 679-8420

Little Dipper

138 S. Front St. • (910) 251-0433

FILET, PORTOBELLO AND AU POIVRE SAUCE: Freshest cut of meat, dipped in a rich peppered mushroom sauce and served with marinated portobello mushrooms.

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar

Southern Thai

JANE’S ADDICTION: Fresh sliced avocado, goat cheese, baby spinach, melted mozzarella on toasted French bread with JL’s homemade pesto sauce.

PAD THAI: Rice noodles, served with choice of protein (like shrimp), sauteed with ground peanuts, eggs, scallions, and bean sprouts.

5500 Market St. #130 • (910) 769-1798

3715 Patriot Way • (910) 769-3193

Interested in having your food photographed for Food Porn? Call Sandy(910-620-1304) to find out how to reserve your space and have Lindsey Miller Photography get up, close and personal with your decadent dishes.

TO

EAT! Recipes to try at home

Food Your Feelings: Local blogger shares latest round of recipes from her kitchen

BY Emily Caulfield ● Devour contributor, Food Your Feelings blogger, http://dearemilycaulfield.wordpress.com.

It is a mad scientist’s power that comes from making something wonderful and brand new.

A singular dish that was just a grocery list of disparate ingredients, moments or hours before. The golden, shimmering alchemy of cooking is one of the ways I fill my life with warmth and light. I cook home food; no molecular gastronomics, no loopy swirls on the plate. It is a remarkable thing to be confident in providing for yourself—not just surviving, but creating, often out of very little, a feast, nourishing and magnificent in its rustic simplicity.

PASTA WITH PEAS, ZUCCHINI, RICOTTA, AND HERBS INGREDIENTS: 1 lb pasta* 12 oz frozen peas 1 medium yellow onion, diced finely 3 cloves garlic, minced very fine 2 zucchini, grated 1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped finely 1 cup parsley, chopped 1 ½ cups chicken stock 1 cup grated parmesan 2 tbsp olive oil Juice of half a lemon 1/2 cup ricotta Salt and fresh ground pepper *A few work well here. You’re looking for something that will hold the light sauce well, cook evenly and is easily served/eaten.

I love it with orecchiette, conchigliette and farfalle. I haven’t tried gnocchi, but I think it would work better than anything actually!

Try it out and find your favorite!

METHOD: Warm some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and then add onions, garlic and some salt, taking care not to burn the garlic. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the grated zucchini, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, heat until simmering, and fold in the frozen peas, stirring until they’re warmed through. Take the pot off the heat 24 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

and add the pasta back in, folding gently to coat everything. Add the herbs and grated parmesan, toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Crank over some pepper and dollop little blobs of ricotta into each bowl, stirring gently as it melts and melds into everything else.

TAHINI ROAST CHICKEN AND TABBOULEH PITA I used to eat this for a very late dinner at least twice a week, at a Georgetown hole-in-the-wall called Quick Pita. It was unbelievably good for food from a counter that also sold calling cards and money orders. I took its proximity for granted; I miss Quick Pita dearly. Here’s my version of their shish ta’wook, tahini-heavy roasted chicken with onions and tabbouleh served in a pita, wrapped in foil, to your unending delight.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb chicken breasts, pounded Pitas 3 tbsps tahini Bunch curly parsley, chopped roughly Bunch mint, chopped roughly 1 cup bulgur wheat 2 tomatoes, diced small 1 onion, diced small 4 scallions, sliced finely Juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsps olive oil 2 tsps sumac Salt and pepper METHOD: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse, dry, and pound the chicken flat. Rub it all over with 2 tablespoons of tahini, and let it sit while you prepare the tabbouleh. Cook the bulgur and set

EAT

aside to cool. Chop and combine the herbs, tomatoes, onion, a teaspoon sumac, and season with salt, pepper, lemon, and oil. Fold in the bulgur, and taste—adjust dressing. Pop it in the fridge to marinate while roasting the chicken. Put the sesame paste-slathered breasts in a shallow roasting pan and roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes; flip and roast 20 more.

Make sure it’s not too close to the heating element. When the chicken’s golden and bubbling, pull it and let sit for about 5 minutes. While it’s cooling, warm the pitas in that still-hot oven! Then slice the chicken, spread more tahini over the pitas, add tabbouleh, and serve! If you’re headed on an adventure, just wrap them tightly in foil and boogie. They’re amazing now or later!

NO-FAIL, VELVETY SOFT, ONLY ONE YOU’LL EVER WANT OR NEED BANANA BREAD INGREDIENTS: 4 overripe, very black bananas, mashed 1 cup light brown sugar 2 cups bread flour 2 eggs 1/3 cup nonfat greek yogurt 1/3 cup applesauce 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ground cloves 1 ½ tsps ginger 2 tsps cinnamon 2 tbsps butter, for the dish

2 cups Israeli couscous 4 scallions 3/4 cup raisins, plumped in warm water/lemon Bunch fresh parsley Bunch fresh mint 1 lb onions, peeled and halved 1 lb carrots washed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces, unpeeled 2 zucchinis, washed and cut into ½-inch half moons 4-5 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled 1 tsp cumin 2 tsps cinnamon 1 tsp coriander 1/2 tsp cayenne 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ginger 6 cups beef broth Juice of half lemon 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2-3 tbsps coconut oil

METHOD: Boom! Long list, easy prep, I swear. Preheat dutch oven or stock pot on medium. Mix the dry-rub spices in a big bowl, cube up the lamb, and toss it in. Mix with a silicon spatula until everything is completely coated. Heat the coconut oil until shimmery and tumble in the lamb. Move it around until everything’s all browned on all sides—no worries if the pan gets all brown; we’re going to deglaze it! Remove the browned lamb to a bowl.

Next go in the onions. Brown them on both sides and move them to a plate. Add a pinch of salt and drop of oil, if/when needed. Same with the carrots: browned and removed to a plate. Deglaze the pan with red-wine vinegar, and return the lamb, onion and carrots back to the oven. Add the beef stock, spices, garlic, and zucchini. Bring just barely to a boil, then reduce the heat to a soft whisper of bubbles, for like an hour.

Meanwhile, roast up the pine nuts in a dry pan, till golden and nutty, and set aside to cool. Cook couscous according to the packet directions, and remove from the heat. Drain the raisins, chop the scallions, mint, and parsley, and stir them into the couscous with the pine nuts when it’s warm but not hot. The dish is ready when the lamb and onions are soft and melty but the carrots and zucchini still have the tenderest bite. Add lemon to taste, and ladle the stew over a cloud of herby couscous, with another sprinkle of herbs. It’s perfect ... heaven ... Marrakech!

METHOD The trick here is the bananas have to be so black and floppy that it’s almost upsetting to touch them. But do it! It’s worth it, I promise. That, and I double the spices for a zingy, warming bread. It really is the best I’ve ever tasted. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mash up the bananas, and add the yogurt, applesauce, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cream together the sugar and eggs in yet another bowl, add that to the spiced banana/yogurt/applesauce mixture, and then fold the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into a buttered loaf pan or dish, and bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden and burnished, rising out of the pan like a mountain of gingery, warm, banana bliss. It’s unreal! It stays moist for days. It’s fool-proof, I swear. I’ve spent years trying to get it perfect, and I finally did. You’re welcome—for breakfast, lunch, dessert!

SPICED LAMB BRAISED WITH CARROTS AND RAISINS OVER COUSCOUS INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ lb boneless lamb leg, cubed, tossed in dry rub spices (below) 1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted in a dry pan SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 25

Cocktails and Conversations An elaborate deception

BY Joel Finsel ● Devour contributor, mixologist and author of ‘Cockatils and Conversations from the Astral Plane’

A

tall, thin man wearing a three-piece suit walked into the bar and sat down. He carried a cane, though he didn’t seem old enough to need one—nor did he lean on it at all for support. He carried it like a scepter and set it on the seat beside him within easy reach.

“Hello,” I asked, as I laid a cocktail napkin in front of him. “How are you?”

With the chain from his pocket-watch dangling from his vest, he looked like he just walked out of an old movie—possibly even twirling the ends of his mustache with his fingers.

“Just fine,” he said. “Do you have a port?”

“How about this 10-year tawny?” I asked and poured him a little taste.

He held the glass beneath his nose, swirled, and when he took a sip, he held his jowls open a little to suck in some air. He took his time tasting it, staring straight ahead, squinting and rocking his head back and forth in consideration.

“How long has this been open?” he asked. He closed his eyes and sipped again.

I honestly didn’t know.

“It’s garbage,” he said and slid the cup forward.

“It’s obviously turned. Do you have any others?”

I pulled a fresh bottle down and opened it. I poured a second taste in a fresh glass.

This time he sloshed the wine around in his teeth like mouthwash a few times before swallowing. “It’ll do,” he said.

I was about to take the spoiled bottle away when his hand grasped the bottom. “Want me to make it fresh again?” he asked.

“Nice try.”

“I’m a magician,” he said.

“Sure you are.”

“I’ll prove it.”

I looked around the room. My shift-mate Heather seemed to be holding the other customers down,

• Joel Finsel. Courtesy photo 26 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

IMBIBE so I decided to oblige him. “How?” He pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “See this,” he said. “I bet you $20 I can crinkle it up until it becomes so small I will then blow its particles through the air and later make it reappear back to full-size in your register.”

“You’re crazy.”

He pulled out a ballpoint pen and drew long handlebar mustaches around Ben Franklin’s mouth. “I invite you to also write down the serial number,” he said. “For the price of this port and your tip, I will make this legal tender note disappear and reappear in your cash box. If I can’t, it’s yours.”

I let go of the bottle. “Let me see that serial number.” I copied it down on a napkin.

His smile could have peeled the paint from the wall. I put the napkin with the serial number in my pocket and handed the defaced currency back to him.

He took a sip of port, picked up the bill and folded it in half, then in half again. “Have you ever heard of Leonardo Fibonacci?” he asked.

Before I could answer he continued, “Fibonacci was an Italian, from Pisa, who traveled around the Mediterranean world, learning everything he could about different forms of mathematics.”

I nodded and watched him fold the bill in half in ever smaller segments.

“The reason I am folding the bill this way is to honor the golden ratio, a spiral of integers, a sort of sacred geometry that Fibonacci discovered,” he explained. “Now, if you will excuse me, because I can no longer physically fold this in half any longer, I must turn within.”

He closed the origami bill in his balled fist, took another sip of wine and closed his eyes.

The door opened behind him and a young man wearing a yellow Tshirt walked in, scanning the place desperately. “Which way is the bathroom?” he asked.

I pointed left and he smiled thankfully.

I looked back at the magician. His eyes were closed tightly, his mouth and cheeks strained like Luke Skywalker failing to levitate his X-wing Fighter out of Yoda’s swamp.

About two minutes later the guy in the yellow T-shirt re-emerged from the bathroom, his shoe-lace untied. When he reached the bar, he bent down to tie it. He was about to order from me when he noticed the magician’s contorted face having some kind of spasm. He decided to sit at the other side of the bar where Heather took his order.

I continued to watch the crazy guy’s face for another couple of minutes. He must be an escaped mental patient, I reasoned, as he began to snort and smack the side of his head with his open palm. I noticed other customers beginning to stare, and I was afraid I might have to throw him out if he didn’t come back around soon.

I turned to scan the others and saw the guy in the yellow T-shirt slam a shot of whiskey. “One and done,” he said to Heather, counting up his change. “Many thanks.” As he walked out, he held his finger up to the side of his head and twirled it in a circle, then pointed at the well-dressed loon.

I stifled my laughter and the magician didn’t seem to notice. After a minute or so later, the magician slammed his fist down on the bar and opened his hand. “It is done,” he said. The bill was no longer in his hand.

He reached for his cup and took a sip. “Go on,” he said, “take a look.”

“Bullshit,” I said.

“Go on,” he waved me away. “Make sure you check the serial number, if the mustache alone isn’t enough for you to believe.” He held his stare and sipped slowly while pointing to the register.

“That’s impossible,” I said.

“I assure you,” he said, finishing his cup, “it is not.”

I opened the drawer. In the far left compartment was the back of a hundred. I flipped it over and saw the mustache. The serial numbers matched. “How the hell?” I asked.

“I’ll take that back,” he said, and snatched the bill out of my hand.

“Keep the change on the $20 bet.”

“Thanks,” I said, suddenly wobbly. I had to grab onto the bar to steady myself.

He slid his empty cup forward, wiped his mouth with the napkin and picked up his cane. “Good evening to you, then,” he said and triumphantly made his way out.

I thought it was the most inexplicable event of my life until Heather counted the money-drawer at the end of the night and asked if I knew why we were $92 dollars short.

I suddenly realized their scam. The two guys had been working together and followed a carefully crafted script. When the guy in the yellow T-shirt bent to tie his shoe, he was play-acting. In reality, he was picking the bill up from the floor. He then walked around to Heather’s station and used it to pay for his shot, allowing the older man to win his bet while netting over $90 dollars in change.

Veteran bartender Joel Finser is the author of “Cocktails and Conversations from the Astral Plane.” Feel free to send questions or comments to joelfinsel@gmail.com.

WWW.BLUESURFCAFE.COM BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER GREAT OUTDOOR PATIO UNIQUE SPECIALS DAILY 250 Racine Drive Wilmington, NC Racine Commons 910.523.5362 SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 27

TAP

THE KEG! Reviews and rambles on brew

Second-Tier Success: Broomtail Craft Brewery expands and adds another venture solely for sours

BY Bethany Turner ● Devour contributor While many craft-beer enthusiasts now are discovering sour beers for the first time, prior to 1883 almost every beer possessed a recognizable tartness. Why? Well, until Emil Christian Hansen isolated and grew single cells of pure yeast culture in his lab, brewers were forced to use the dregs of their old batches to start new beers. The remaining unwelcome bacteria and yeast were an inconvenient necessity that created acid along the way.

Today, any wild yeast or bacteria introduced during the brewing process will sour a beer—but three specific microbes (or “bugs”) are most used to intentionally create a sour batch. By the basics, Brettanomyces—or “Brett”—is most recognized for its flavor of funk, which often takes months to fully fruit as the yeast contemplates its environment and ferments the beer. Lactobacillus, also known as “lacto,” is a bacteria that converts sugars into lactic acid

and is found in yogurts and other foods, offering a cleaner sour flavor. Another bacteria, Pediococcus (“pedio”), also lowers the pH level of beer and creates a blend of funk and intense sour, often paired with Brettanomyces.

Since 2008 the amount of Google searches for “sour beer” has steadily climbed. However, the length of time one must invest in making sours (many months)—alongside the difficulty of making them in large quantities—does suggest the industry will not see huge growth in this market in comparison to other styles of beer.

But the desire for these rare and distinctive brews is increasing, which means, at least on a smaller scale, sours will be brewed more often by more breweries.

In Wilmington Broomtail Craft Brewery will be making its mark in the world of tart this summer when it unveils “The Sour Barn,” a second location dedicated to the brewing of sours and—bonus— a larger taproom.

Broomtail opened its original brewery and taproom in north Wilmington’s Dutch Square industrial complex on May 10, 2014. It was the first brewery of the city’s most recent surge to open since Front Street Brewery, which was alone in the town’s quest for local brews for 18 years. Broomtail, named such after the owners’ love for horses, is best known for its flagship brown ale, Moe Beer, and Bucket List Blonde, among other taproom regulars.

Brewmaster and owner Barry Owings has homebrewed since the early ‘90s; his interest in it began after many trips to California’s Russian River Brewing Company and other West Coast brewhouses. After kicking a keg of beer at a neighbor’s party in under an hour, his wife and Broomtail manager, Lisa, knew they were onto something.

Fast forward to today, and Wilmington is home to eight breweries with a

• Left: The Sour Barn — located at 7211 Market St. — is the latest expansion project for Broomtail Craft Brewery.

Photo by Bethany Turner

28 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

Monday - Thursday: 11am - 9pm Friday - Saturday: 11am - 10pm (Lunch menu served until 4pm) Closed Mondays through the end of March.

1001 N. 4th Street • (910) 769-6565 www.facebook.com/thedistrictnc

Expires 7/31/16

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5500 Market St. • 910-769-1798 www.johnnylukeskb.com SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 29

IMBIBE handful on the way. Wilmington Brewing Company, which also opened in 2014, will soon begin distributing kegs of their beer to bars and restaurants across the Port City. After a couple of years under their belt, the breweries are beginning the second tier: their first expansions. The Sour Barn is an answer to a couple of issues.

“Our intention was to build the next brewery,” Barry divulges. “When those cards didn’t pan out exactly like we wanted—and our only two bottlenecks were a place to age our sours and more retail space in the front—that’s when we decided to expand into a larger retail space. This place came available, and it’s exactly where we wanted to be.”

The space is located on Market Street in Ogden, just north of Middle Sound Loop Road. Although once ridden with unsightly ceiling tiles and wires not connected to anything with a purpose, the area was somewhat of a blank canvas. The Owings acquired it in January and have been revamping the indoor area, from painting and trim work to installing a second bathroom, and ripping up the old carpet.

“It was heinous in here—it looked horrible,” tells Barry, who did much of the work himself along with friend Jay DuBois. “There was insulation from the ‘60s and ‘70s. So we ripped everything out [and the] carpet. We tried to get the pad up—our employee, Cameron, and I. We worked for hours and realized we couldn’t do it ourselves. The floor wound up costing us half of what we budgeted for the entire build-out.

We knew right then: This is not going to work as we had planned.”

Yet, when the hired crews revealed the floor beneath the padding, The Sour Barn received a gift. “He told us this is true terrazzo,” Barry says of the flooring professional. “This is not a coating. This was done in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s. While the concrete is wet, they literally put pebbles in it, and then they ground it flat. This is a super-hard floor. You can tell when the two sides of the building were done; one is softer than the other side and you can see the dings in the softer side.”

As well Barry found a safe in the floor from, he believes, the site’s first life as a convenience mart. Unfortunately, when he cracked the rust-laden lid, it was empty.

Character exudes from the hand-crafted bar, too. “We wanted reclaimed wood for the bartop, but it’s extremely expensive,” Lisa details. “We actually had some that had been in the pasture with our horse, Smokey, for years. The character that you see is from him—his bite marks or where he’s kicked it.”

Barry built the bar and tables. The taproom—an expanse in comparison to Broomtail’s current retail space—will host 12 taps featuring all of Broomtail’s beers, high-top tables, TVs, comfy furniture and a card and game area. The Sour Barn will offer a

• Above: Barry and Lisa Owings opened Broomtail Craft Brewery two years ago and are expanding their product with the launch of The Sour Barn.

Their wooden bar is made of reclaimed wood from their horse barn and even includes all the knicks their beloved animals have made on the wood. Photo by Bethany Turner

30 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

fenced-in backyard and access for food trucks. The location also is within walking distance to a few fast-food and local restaurants, and will be near the upcoming Publix location in Ogden.

Currently, eight wooden barrels sit in the brewhouse of The Sour Barn, still wrapped in plastic from shipping and surrounded by the mess of construction. Barry, ever the scientist, surprisingly doesn’t have a set-in-stone plan for the sours he’ll start in those barrels.

“Honestly, it will be what I can brew,” he admits. “You have to keep the bittering within certain levels or lacto won’t grow. What I would prefer to do is just use our low-hopped beers as much as I can so I can just pull enough off of a batch to put in a barrel—so I’m serving two purposes at once. But to get things started quickly, I like saisons and lighter beers and Moe—those are my favorites for barrels. Most likely, we’ll brew a batch of Moe and keep the hops out, and put it in a couple of the barrels. Then brew a batch of Elysium Bier de Garde—keeping the hops super low, around 10 to 12 IBU’s—and put that in a couple of them. And then a batch of either Hay Day or Blonde, and just put different fruits in each or some with no fruit at all.”

All eight of the barrels at The Sour Barn are pinot. “It’s kind of my favorite barrel,” Barry reveals. “I’ll also put some stainless back there, so I can do super clean, non-oaky sours, more like Cascade Brewing’s, so that will be fun, too.”

IMBIBE There will be two sours that Barry will unleash when The Sour Barn opens. He will only release 50 bottles of the first. “The other is 350 bottles,” he says, “and that’s the way they’re going to come out. It will be a barrel and we’ll bottle and age them, and there will be [periodic] releases like that. While the eight pinot barrels are starting, we’ll have 5-gallon batches with 50 bottles at a time. Our releases will be very limited for the first year.”

The 50-bottle release used Moe Beer as the base to create a Flanders-style ale, which Barry says will be incredibly sour. They’ll brew the 350-batch from saison. “After fermentation was finished, we put it in a cabernet barrel,” Barry continues. “I put my bug blend in and let it go for about a year. Then we used the same tart cherry puree that Wicked Weed uses, added 50 pounds of tart cherry to it, and let it go another six months. It’s pretty phenomenal.”

Barry is souring Elysium to be bottled soon. The release will be later in the year. “We put it in a chardonnay barrel, and after a year we put blackberry in it,” Barry details. “It’s not as berry as I wanted. It wound up being more oaky but still interesting.”

While Brett, lacto and pedio are the most used microbes, the different blends and wild yeasts and bacteria utilized are up to brewers. Often a brewer’s “bug” is his secret ingredient, so while they may reveal the process or partial ingredient list for a sour, consumers shouldn’t expect to clone the beers.

“I kind of grew my bugs,” Barry divulges. “I started off with

some from South Yeast Labs—that’s a group of guys from the microbiology department at Clemson University. They started this yeast company and then got more into bugs, such as Lactobacillus. They harvest their bugs off of fruit in South Carolina, and then they grow it up and clean it. I may get some starters from them for these barrels, or I may just pull from my bugs in my barrels.”

While “clean” brewing is “the art and the science,” Barry says— and, really, the focus at Broomtail—he believes sour beers leave a little more room for the brew to do its own thing. “Regardless of what anybody says, you’re not going to get the exact same sour every time,” Barry asserts. “We get the exact same beer every time at Broomtail, unless I want to change it. It will be slightly different every time at The Sour Barn. Even when I go out to the West Coast, I may have a beer one year and the next year order the same thing and it’s completely different. That not only has to do with the bugs and the temperature acting differently, but most sours are blended—and if they’re not blended exactly the same, there will be a difference in taste.”

At this point, Barry has no intentions of distributing his sours, as rare and coveted as they will be. With the second-tier expansion he and other breweries in Wilmington are embarking on, it is a sure sign of eager palates ready to imbibe.

The Sour Barn will be located in Ogden at 7211 Market St., beside of La Kumbala.

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UN

CORKED! Reviews and rambles on vino

Fun With Wine: Ways to go beyond cracking a bottle this summer

BY John Burke ● Devour columnist Sure, readers don’t necessarily need my help corking a bottle of wine to enjoy in the summer, but what about some fun alternatives? Wine cocktails are becoming a little more popular these days, so I decided to divulge a few uses for wine that are a little outlandish and maybe not for everyone. But they’re definitely out of the ordinary and can make summer sipping a little more interesting.

Basically, I wanted to look into uses for wine beyond just opening a bottle and emptying the contents. Cooking with wine is a little too easy as well; any fool can pour Sangiovese into his red sauce. I wanted crazier ideas—some that the wine snobs will shun, most likely.

I’m obsessed with a new rum punch recipe. I’ve had it in my fridge for weeks now. What makes it innovative is its base: sweet tea. But the really crucial ingredient is 1 cup of dry white wine. With sweet tea and two types of fruit juice mixed in, just a little bit of dry white cuts the sweetness and keeps the punch from getting cloying. That’s why there’s four times as much white wine in this rum punch recipe as there is rum.

The wine is crucial to the flavor. Believe me, I’ve tried a number of variants on it and the one thing that cannot change is leaving out the wine.

WHITE WINE-RUM PUNCH 12 cups sweet tea 1 cup OJ 3 cups pineapple juice 1 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup white rum Mix all ingredients well. Serve over ice.

New World sparkling wine is likely to be trendy this summer. There are rumors of a prosecco shortage, Champagne still tends to be overpriced, and Cavas never really have caught on the way they should in the affordable market here in the USA. Domestic sparklers, as well as Aussie and 32 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

South American wines will be big this year, too. With that in mind, readers should consider dolling up some cheaper (and less tasty) versions. Sparkling cocktails are great for daytime drinking. Think brunch.

Fruit flavors are natural additions. Raspberry and orange especially complement bubbly wines. I prefer to match them with drier wines because the fruit provides more than enough sugar, but allows the drinkers to make adjustments to their own tastes. Also, keeping a little simple syrup handy is recommended, especially for those who prefer their cocktails on the sweet side.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, bitter liquors and herbs can alter flavors. Gin, rosemary and basil are big favorites in the summer craft-cocktail market. Using sparkling wine

IMBIBE instead of soda to add bubbles to cocktails adds dimension, depth and flavor.

The Rouge 75 is one of my current favorites. I’m a sucker for raspberries, and gin has always been my summer drink of choice. The piney bitterness offsets the sweet fruit for a complex set of flavors. I tend to go a little heavier on the sparkling wine just to keep it carbonated.

ROUGE 75 2 raspberries Orange twist 1 ounce simple syrup 1 1/2 ounces gin 1 ounce chilled sparkling wine Ice In a cocktail shaker, muddle one orange twist, berries and simple syrup. Add ice and gin; shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with Champagne and garnish with the twist.

Summer is also a time when we may indulge in wine more for its effects than for elegant reasons, like food pairings.

Given the heat, maintaining the integrity of a particular bottle could be hard. So, consider making wine ice cubes. Freezing a little bit of wine beforehand will beat the brutal temperatures without adding unwanted water to a drink. Even reds can benefit from a little extra chill this time of the year.

Lower alcohol wines work better as alcohol won’t freeze, but even high ABV wines should freeze adequately given enough time. This plan works best with low-dollar wine often poured (something cheap bought by the case is best). That way, planning ahead right now is easy: Pour one bottle into ice cube trays and have them ready to go whenever opening a bottle for consumption.

I can’t stress enough: Don’t do this with a favorite Bordeaux or any bottle that’s been saved for a special occasion. This is for wines that give off a little buzz, not for anything worth savoring. For outdoor dining and drinking, wine ice cubes can make the occasion substantially more pleasant. Just don’t invite those wine-snob friends.

Don’t forget to enjoy wine the way it’s meant to be enjoyed over the summer. A good sauvignon blanc with citrus grilled chicken is one of the great pleasures these months offer. But when bored, break out the rum punch.

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 33

The Culinary Scene

40 Eats launches food collective

BY Alison Ballard ● Devour contributor

W

hile traveling to Denver, Colorado, local restaurateur Billy Mellon truly began to understand the advantages of chefs joining forces in solidarity. Over drinks and a big pot of jambalaya, Mellon witnessed the reverie of 35 food pros, who came together to discuss ideas, help each other and share information within their field.

“There’s this idea that it’s dog-eatdog,” said the owner of Manna restaurant in downtown Wilmington. Really, it’s a stereotype that should be dispelled and replaced with the belief of strength in numbers. “That’s the way it should be,” Mellon continued.

So Mellon set out to make it happen.

He gathered a group of like-minded restaurateurs and chefs based in Wilmington to form 40 Eats. The group’s name is a take on the highway that brings so many visitors to town. Right now, it includes Mellon, Catch’s Keith Rhodes, Dean Neff of PinPoint, Port Land Grille’s Anne Steketee and Shawn Wellersdick, James Doss of Pembroke’s and Rx, and Tommy Mills of Little Pond Catering (read Mills’ chef profile on pages 6-7.

“We all have the same philosophy about sustainability,” Mellon said— “about what we want to do and how we do it.”

• Right: Billy Mellon of Manna at the Wilmington Wine and Food Festival in May. • Next page: (l. to r.) Shawn Wellersdick and Anne Steketee, Billy Mellon, Dean Neff, and Jameson Chavez.

Photos by Lindsey A. Miller Photography

34 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

FEATURE

Although there is a belief that a The group meets every month or competitive attitude prevails in the so at Folks Cafe to discuss a handful food business, the people in it ofof initiative and priorities. Among ten have much in common. “There them is the goal to gain more atis something so similar in those who tention for the Wilmington’s food choose to do this work,” Neff enscene. Of course, the area already lightened. “I love talking food with draws people with its beautiful people.” beaches, historic homes and tourist —Jose Andres Puerta Steketee agrees. “We like-minded attractions. Somehow, it’s Charlesrestaurateurs relish and appreciate ton, Asheville, Raleigh, and Kinston any opportunity to spend time together to discuss ideas, that have become the go-to foodie destinations. issues, sources, resources, and promotion,” she said.

“We have a ton of great restaurants here,” Mellon said. “We The group made an appearance at the Wilmington Wine can take the Wilmington food scene to the next level.” and Food Festival in May and has begun distributing bumThe bonus is that marketing the city will benefit the many per stickers and T-shirts with a distinctive highway sign-inbusinesses that rely on tourism dollars. According to Steketee, spired logo—one based on Mellon’s early thoughts about the first step is to establish the 40 Eats name and mission. the group. That’s just the beginning though, he said. Mel“One way is to start creating events that we all participate lon sees 40 Eats as a long-term presence in the local food in—think dinner fundraisers—as a way to show our solidarity in scene and they’ve made plans for that. The current memall things ‘food’ in Wilmington,” she noted. bers are part of a seven-person board that will rotate duThe group is planning on one such event each quarter, with ties and positions. Eventually, they’ll add other members, the first planned for about 100 guests to take place July 17 at who will be added via nomination and votes from current Bakery 105. members.

The chefs in 40 Eats are excited about other possible ad“We don’t want anyone to misunderstand,” Mellon said. vantages of their restaurant collective, too. They can work to“We are very appreciative of the great group of people gether to increase their buying power, share larger purchases who are already supporting our restaurants. But there so and resources, and benefit from teamwork. much happening all around us, and I think we can grab “It’s always a good thing to collaborate,” Neff said. His exsome of that spotlight. That’s the goal.” perience in the Charleston food scene helped him understand how important collusion can be. “Chefs all worked together To find out more about 40 Eats, contact Billy Mellon at there, and it helped everyone. It has a way of opening doors.”

Manna, (910) 763-5252.

“I believe no chef becomes what he becomes without having many people influence him.”

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 35

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SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 37

Pests and Disease: How to maintain a healthy garden without pesticides

BY Evan Folds â—? Devour contributor and owner of Progressive Gardens

At its best agriculture is a deliberate concentration of natural-living systems for human benefit, but in modern times it has increasingly become a manipulation of Mother Nature. There is no part of agriculture where this is more true than in defending crops from pests and disease organisms—in approaching farming more as an art than a science, a feel than a process. For instance, most growers tend to look at a pest infestation or disease outbreak as bad luck, which results in growers attempting to kill their problems with powerful toxins that end up in our food and eventually in our bodies.

But the progressive farmer understands pests are attracted to unhealthy plants, and disease is a result of a bad diet. Thus the perspective drives the action. Pests and disease damage is very costly to farmers. • Above: Stock photo 38 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

“A healthy plant is the result of healthy soil. Healthy soil is created by diverse soil microbes and a healthy ecosystem. It really is as simple as that.”

One example is the invasive Asian citrus psyllid, a plant juice-sucking bug smaller than an apple seed that carries a disease called “huanglongbing.” It disfigures oranges and turns them bitter, leaving citrus growers no choice but to destroy their trees. Over the last few years, it has cost the U.S. citrus industry billions of dollars in damages. There is no known cure.

No event in the history of American forests is better known or sadder than the introduction of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, from Asia in the late 1890s. The effects of its introduction will be felt forever, as the chestnut devastation was so widespread that oaks filled the void and collapsed under non-ideal conditions. The entire forest ecosystem was altered and still has not recovered fully. No control was found for the destruction of the blight.

As an agricultural consultant, I don’t like the idea of not having a cure for target pests and diseases. I hear it all the time regarding the local tomato blight issues we have in North Carolina, or when people say chinch bug, ground pearl or mole crickets in their lawns cannot be cured. The issues may not be treatable with chemicals, but compost tea will eliminate them with consistent applications.

Sometimes the most logical approaches for healing are not even considered. The same is true in modern medicine where doctors who have not been trained in nutrition prescribe pills to manage symptoms rather than dig deeper to determine modalities, such as probiotics, altering diets or juicing—all of which have potential to actually heal and regenerate.

Rather than focusing organic methods to encourage fertility in natural living systems, the majority of the last century of agronomy has been focused on how to increase yields at all costs, and eliminate the problems created from the use of empty fertilizers and toxic biocides with technology and human ingenuity. The result is a public health epidemic which grows by the day.

In the U.S. more than 68 percent of adults are overweight or obese, compared to 30 percent worldwide. As people grow larger, so do plants.

From 1985 through 2011, average wheat yields in the U.S. increased 26 percent. Hydroponics—or growing plants in water, supplemented with artificial fertilizer salts—is capable of increasing yields up to 20 times per acre for certain crops.

The constant march toward higher yields comes with a price. Unfortunately, the problem is so subtle and profound it is very difficult to diagnose. Yet, it turns out, for the most part, poor soil and poor diets are the reason for the majority of pest infestations and disease outbreaks in crops.

The artificial approach to fertility that dominates and defines conventional agriculture uses toxic “biocides,” like pesticides, fungicides, etc., as a means of trying to kill the pest or disease created by these empty fertilizers. The approach is best defined as what the great Charles Walters aptly called “toxic rescue chemistry.”

So, how did we get here? The Industrial Revolution brought about the concept of biocides, but the world wars made them famous. The munitions used in combat became fertilizers, and chemicals like DDT were transferred from the battlefield to the growing field. In fact, due to the success of DDT in killing insects, World War II was the first U.S. war in which diseases—many like typhus and malaria carried by insects—killed fewer people than bullets and bombs. Though the objective worked, it came at a huge ecological cost.

Then the Green Revolution introduced the concept of genetic engineering (GMO). For the first time, rather than having to consider killing a crop plant with the chemicals being used, we started altering plant DNA so that it could withstand toxins sprayed on it. The method gets utilized for upwards of 90 percent of non-organic commodity crops, like corn

FEATURE

and soy in the U.S. GMO farming has resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of biocides in crops and represents a growing danger to humanity. Conventional agriculture is the equivalent of taking the pill to treat our symptoms so that we can eat more fast-food. It doesn’t make sense. What happens to people when they eat fast food for every meal? They get sick.

This is not to say a healthy field would never have a pest or disease infestation, no different than a healthy human would never get sick, but when considering an average diet delivered to plants, it is no wonder they are ill. Take for instance how common artificial fertilizers contain as few as five elements, but plants require no less than 15 to grow successfully (known as “essential elements”). What do we expect to happen when we feed plants less than half of what they require in order to grow?

Artificial fertilizers are not just empty, they are man-made and unrecognizable to Mother Nature and the overall ecosystem, specifically to beneficial soil microbes, like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes.

These microbes are capable of building the maturity in soil to where it can support plant growth on its own if we encourage them. Consider that the forest grows trees with no fertilizer.

Generally speaking, a disease organism is simply a microbe feeding on a weak plant that has nothing to eat it. Compost tea works as a great fungicide and there are many biological disease-control products on the market containing concentrated soil organisms. Consider the balance, strength and diversity of the life forms in the ocean; so it is with the soil food web. Rather than kill the symptom, heal the system.

Target pests have predators, too. Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a common approach in organic-growing operations where beneficial insects, such as ladybugs or praying mantis, are used for pest control.

The approach of using balance rather than force wins in the long run.

Plus, it turns out pests cannot digest complete proteins from plants.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, and amino acids are nitrogenbased organic compounds defined by amine (NH2) functional groups.

Soluble nitrogen is irresistible to a plant; greening up the lawn with nitrogen makes it obese, and forces it to produce amino acids with which the metabolism of the plant cannot keep pace. This is pest and disease food.

The idea of a poor diet for plants actually creating pest infestations and disease may sound conceptual, but it is very literal. Movies such as “Supersize Me” or the book “Fast Food Nation” illustrate the sickness created when people eat fast food for every meal.

Dr. Philip Callahan’s “Tuning Into Nature” documents his work and describes the attraction of target pests to the infrared emissions of plants. He also divulges why treating symptoms with poisonous pesticides does not solve the real problems in agriculture. Dr. Callahan received a Ph.D. in entomology (study of insects), and spent his life pursuing an understanding of energy, or life force, particularly as it influenced agriculture and health. He documented the phenomenon of target pests being attracted to unhealthy plants through infrared vibrations emitted by empty proteins and perceived by their antennae.

Rather than flying by a neighborhood and landing on plants, pests actually “see” food in plants fed a bad diet.

Food for thought.

There is more to life than what is physically here, and pests and disease in agriculture is about more than bad luck. We cannot kill our problems without strengthening the ecosystem. It is not possible, and we are paying for it in more ways than one. As a general rule, the best defense against pests and disease in the garden is a healthy plant. A healthy plant is a result of healthy soil. Healthy soil is created by diverse soil microbes and a healthy ecosystem. If we can grow our soil rather than just our plant, we win. It really is as simple as that.

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 39

TO

READ! Cookbooks and other reviews

Southern Delights: Cookbooks to enjoy from the Creole State to the Tar Heel State

BY Gwenyfar Rohler ● Devour columnist, freelance writer and business owner of Old Books on Front Street “A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly’s New Orleans”

by Cynthia LeJeune Nobles Louisiana State University Press 2015, Pgs. 219

John Kennedy Toole’s posthumous success, “A Confederacy Of Dunces,” manages to beautifully capture a time and place with great love, yet continue to speak to people generations later. There are few books that hold such a continual sway in the American imagination.

Like many people, I was given a copy of “Dunces” during a trip to New Orleans. The book follows the antics of Ignatius J. Riley, an obese pretentious man, who suffers arrested development and still lives with his mother in New Orleans in the early 1960s. Ignatius, his mother and the cast of characters eat their way through New Orleans’ restaurants, stores and foods, all emblematic of the city (at one point Ignatius even works as a hot-dog vendor). Given The Crescent City’s culinary fame, a book celebrating its food in “Dunces” is the perfect addition to the cultural conversation.

Cynthia LeJeune Nobles has written a book that accomplishes the task on multiple levels.

Yes, all the actual food mentioned in “Dunces” is in her cookbook, complete with simple, easy-to-follow, tested recipes and mouth-watering photography. But the book is so much more.

Part of it is anthropology, as it delves into the city’s cultural history and complex world of subcultures. Part of it is architectural history with wonderful photography and information 40 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

about long-lasting and sometimes now-forgotten buildings, businesses and iconic New Orleans landmarks that fill “Dunces.” She includes the story behind the D.H. Holmes Clock and the details surrounding its theft and reappearance; the history of the Pennyland Arcade; and also a discussion of the progression of Bourbon Street and the world of which the Night of Joy nightclub was emblematic. In addition she introduces readers to the history of Dixie 45 beer and Dr. Nut Soda, both defunct brands produced in New Orleans.

FEATURE Page after page of the book is sprinkled with quotes from “Dunces,” and many are surrounded by culinary history of the area, like the world of pickled meat—a form of preserved pork to which I, personally, was oblivious.

She pays homage to the famous restaurants of the city—Café du Monde among them—while shining a light on lesser-known ones and the special world of the neighborhood grocery market. She even managed to get an interview with the manager of Lucky Dogs, the hot dog carts that Ignatius’ cart was based upon.

At its core, this is a really good cookbook. It has probably the best recipe for French bread I’ve ever tried (and of course an interesting history of bread baking in New Orleans and evolution of the Po’ Boy). The chapter on oysters alone is worth the purchase.

Nobles has achieved perfection, in my opinion, with her book. It is everything “Dunces” fans want it to be: It captures the same love of the city that the book does, and the recipes are numerous and incredible. It will make any reader fall in love with New Orleans, “A Confederacy of Dunces” and the good living of the city all over again.

•

•

•

his wife when the first courting and his future in-laws make appearances.

Through all the pieces, a rhythm of spoken history, of transferring through songs runs. As readers turn the pages, they will hear his voice almost singing, as it tells the story of family life on a farm, in eastern North Carolina during the 20th century. His lyric use of sensory imagery makes the mouth water, word after word, and even recoil with earthy realities of farm life: chickenneck wringing, hog slaughtering and squirrel shooting. Through it all, the steady, patient love kneaded into bread, pie, and casserole and spooned out is palpable across generations.

“Shub’s Cooking” is innovative; the work is beautiful. It is no surprise Stephenson has yet again found a new way of showing us the beauty of the world we take for granted.

•

“Shub’s Cooking”

by Shelby Stephenson Red Dashboard, 2014, pgs. 164 “Shub’s Cooking” by North Carolina Poet Laureate Shelby Stephenson is, much like the author, a surprising and unassuming book. The collection of poems begins at A with “Apple” and continues through 66 pieces to “Vegetables.” Along the way, the pieces slowly combine Stephenson’s memories with his mother’s recipes for cooking. Slowly, not only does a portrait of family life emerge but a record of their foodways.

His mother, like many women, might have had an outline for making a casserole, but she certainly wasn’t contained by that.

There are, by my count, at least four poems addressing barbeque directly. Stephenson’s brother owned a barbeque restaurant, and of course the importance of barbeque and pig pickin’s to a community and mark life events in the South cannot be understated.

Stephenson is a fascinating poet! He utilizes form to reinforce his theme while bringing in unexpected elements—like the recipes that become part and parcel of the poems. We do not just meet him and his parents in his young life but also SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 41

Select Indulgences Culinary calendar of events

~events & happenings~ THEATRE NOW Schedule: Through 7/30: Celia Rivenbark’s “We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier” • 7/27: Reid Clark and Friends Comedy Showcase at 8 p.m. • 8/5-9/3: Joel Finsel’s “Cocktails & Conversations,” adapted by Zach Hanner (Joel Finsel is the writer for Devour’s “Cocktail and Conversations,” pages 26-27). • 8/10: Pineapple Shaped Lamps presents Sketch Comedy at 8 p.m. • 9/9-10/8: “Greater Tuna” by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams, directed by Justin Smith with Zach Hanner and Cullen Moss. All dinner productions show on Fridays and Saturdays only; doors at 6 p.m. Tickets can include three-course meal. Tickets: $20 (show only)-$40. 19 S. 10th St., downtown Wilmington. www.theatrewilmington.com

NC BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL Nestled in the heart of Pender County, Burgaw is a small town that exemplifies true Southern charm. This year’s premiere event will be held 6/17-18, and will host some of the area’s finest entertainment and artisans nestled around the courthouse square with antique cars lining the streets—also live music, BBQ cookoff, blueberry recipe contest, children’s activities, wine garden and beer tent, food vendors, 5k walk/run, and more. A nonprofit civic organization sponsored in part by the Town of Burgaw, the festival takes place 6/20. www.ncblueberryfestival.com.

PORT CITY RIB FEST 8/5-7: The 4th Annual Port City RibFest will convene at the brand new North Waterfront Park in downtown Wilmington. They’ll feature a BBQ competition among top “ribbers” from around the country, plus live music, arts and crafts, kids activities, and vendors peddling everything from yam vodka and massages, to psychedelic Tshirts and dry rubs and sauces.

Fri. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun., noon - 7 p.m. Admission: $1-$7. 5 N. Water St. www.portcityribfest.net.

WARRIORS TWOS AND BREWS 75-minute, all-levels class, and enjoy locally brewed afterward.

Takes place every other Monday at Front St. Brewery, 6:30 p.m.

Dates: 6/20, 7/11. 8/8, 8/22. $10 suggested donation w/half proceeds going to yoga village and other half to nonprofit of instructor’s choice. 9 N. Front St.

COASTAL HORIZONS LUNCHEON Coastal Horizons Rape Crisis Center will present keynote speaker and NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw at their annual luncheon on 6/10. All monies raised will go toward awareness for behavioral health across the region from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. $125. Wilmington Convention Center, 515 Nutt St. For more information about event sponsorships contact Jamie Thompson at 910-790-0187 or www.businessmadecasual.com.

BREWERY TO BEACH BIKE RIDE Come spend your Saturday on 6/25 with us and enjoy a fun 42 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

bike ride, beer, and food! The bike ride will start at Wilmington Brewing Company (824 South Kerr Ave.) at 11 a.m. and go through the cross-city trail finishing at Lighthouse Beer & Wine.

There will be four drafts from Wilmington Brewing Company as well as Vittles Food Truck from 1-3 p.m.

AMERICAN LEGION FISH FRY We offer your choice of Large Whiting Fillet or North Carolina Farm Raised Catfish Nuggets. Each meal comes with Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Hushpuppies, Sweet or “Yankee” tea. All for $8 on 7/1, 8/5, 9/2 at noon. Have an extra portion of fish for just $2 more. Beer and Wine is also for purchase in our Canteen. As always, our Auxiliary has tempting homemade desserts for a great non-caloric price. American Legion Post 129, 1500 Bridge Barrier Rd.

FAMILY FIT CHALLENGE Family Fit Challenge: Helping Kids Make Healthy Choices at Northeast Library in Wilmington, features J’nelle Ruscetti of Wilmington Health in a program for parents struggling to raise healthy-weight kids in a society that promotes obesity. J’nelle will address healthy sleep, diet, movement, and media habits, as well as motivational techniques parents can use to help kids learn to enjoy making healthy choices. 7/18 at 5 p.m. Free.

Contact Mary Ellen Nolan at (910) 798-6307.

SOUTHEAST CRAB FEAST SouthEast Crab Feast Wilmington at Hugh MacRae Park will be held 7/30 at 4 p.m. The feast will feature all-you-can-eat fresh blue crabs, sides of fish and chips, and music. Tickets: $10-$29. www.southeastcrabfeast.com.

CAPE FEAR MIX AND MINGLE Cape Fear Mix & Mingle at Ironclad Brewery (115 N. 2nd St.) in downtown Wilmington on 8/27 is a free multi-vendor event and fundraiser showcasing locally owned, family-friendly businesses, and features non-profit raffles, food, drinks and shopping. www.capefearmixandmingle.com.

40TH ANNUAL GRAPE STOMP For 40 years, the friends and family at Duplin Winery have stomped grapes. Once to make wine and now just for fun! Join us for our 40th Annual Grape stomp celebration on Saturday, 9/10. This event has live music from The Chocolate Chip Band & The Holiday Band, dancing, wine tastings and a grape stomping contest. Festival goers get a chance to stomp grapes with their bare feet. Prizes will be awarded to our best grape stompers. Special vineyard and production facility tours will be given during the day as well. Exclusive wine tastings with are available at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. Tastings fill up quickly, so make sure to reserve your space today. The Bistro Restaurant will be open on a first come first serve basis and food tents will be available on site as well for dinner purchases. Advance tickets: $15 per person. Add exclusive wine tasting for an additional $5 or $10. VIP Tents available! Call 1-800-774-9634. 505 N. Sycamore St., Rose Hill, NC. www.duplinwinery.com/grapestomp.

A TASTE OF THE TOWN

mosphere. 9/19-22, but there is no battle on Wednesday, Sept.

21. Tickets: $59-$69. Jimmy Crippen: (828) 265-9075 or www. competitiondining.com.

~classes, tastings & things~ CAPE FEAR WINE & FOOD CLUB The Seasoned Gourmet has been teaching cooking classes for over 15 years. They offer unique events for members and their guests, including cooking classes, wine-pairing classes, premium wine dinners, and free members-only events throughout the year.

Members enjoy exclusive discounts from our host, The Seasoned Gourmet. Enjoy a 5 percent daily discount on all merchandise in their store, plus a 10 percent daily discount during classes that you attend. Also a special members-only discount wine during events: 15 percent off six or more bottles and 20 percent off 12 or more bottles. To reserve a seat in class or join, call 910-2569488 or stop by The Seasoned Gourmet, 5500 Market St ., #110. www.theseasonedgourmet.com. (910) 256-9488

WINE NOT, IT’S FRIDAY Last Friday of the month, 6-8 p.m.: Wine Not, It’s Friday! Signature wine tasting event and a taste of food and wine pairings. $5 donation benefits a local non-profit. Whole Foods at 3804 Oleander Dr.

LUNCH AND LEARN We are fortunate to have so many amazing local businesses at Whole Foods in the Cape Fear Region! Each Tuesday a different local business owner will share the story behind their business, offer a tasting of their product, and answer any questions. Bring lunch and get ready to be inspired! Space limited, so RSVP. 6/7: Sophie’s Treehouse: therapeutic rice bags; 6/14: Feast Down East: produce from local small farmers and community markets to increase food access in underserved communities; 6/21: Sea Love Sea Salt: culinary sea salts; harvested from the waters along Wrightsville Beach and created through solar evaporation. 6/28: The Veggie Wagon: artisan foods incorporating farm-fresh produce from local small farmers. www. wholefoodsmarket.com

CULINARY CREATIONS CLASS

A Taste of the Town on 9/20 features the finest restaurants in downtown Wilmington, NC, which have partnered with Thalian Hall to present an evening of culinary sampling. The event begins at Thalian Hall, where attendees will receive a map of participating restaurants. They will travel through downtown either on foot or by free trolleys provided by Thalian Hall to enjoy small appetizer portions of each restaurant’s best dishes.

Winners announced for best appetizer, entrée and overall. Proceeds benefit Thalian Hall. Tickets are $50. www.thalianhall.org.

Instead of trying to find a cooking class to meet your goals and ending up with too many cooks in the kitchen, consider having Culinary Creations design a cooking class for you and your family or friends to be held in the comfort of your own home. We will help you design a menu to focus on the dishes that intrigue you most. Prepare a meal from our menu selections or we can work together to customize a menu for you to learn to prepare and enjoy. And best of all, you and the other ‘students’ get to enjoy the fruits of your labor between each course! 910-5382433. www.culinarycreationsonline.com

CHEFS BATTLE FOR YOUR VOTE

CULINARY ACADEMY

Wilmington Chefs Battle for Your Vote at Bluewater Grill in Wrightsville Beach is part of the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, a single-elimination tournament highlighting the best of the state’s food, agriculture and culinary talent.

For each dinner battle, two teams of some of the finest local chefs will battle it out in a blind full-service, six-course meal.

Alongside culinary and guest judges, diners rate each dish using an interactive app, ultimately determining who moves on to the next round and who goes home. New this year: All-Star Dream Teams allows chefs from different restaurants to partner together to create a three-person team, upping the potential caliber of talent and creating a more fun and competitive at-

CFCC Culinary Academy, Hands-on Kitchen Basics Series: Sliders Three Ways. Join Chef Gwen on Tuesday nights from 6-8 p.m. this summer to learn her best culinary tips and techniques.

Prep, cook, plate and sample your own creations during this 2-hour class. The $40 registration fee per section includes class, samples and/or takeaways. CFCC Union Station, room 517, at 502 N. Front St. Register: www.cfcc.edu/culinaryacademy.

KIDS COOKING CLASSES For boys and girls, ages 8-10. Does your child love to cook?

Wrightsville Beach Parks and Recreation has stirred up something just for them, a fun hands-on youth cooking class! This SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 43

ILM VEGAN POTLUCKS Wilmington Vegan Supper Club Potlucks take place the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Kitchen & Lounge at South Front Apartments at 1400 S. 2nd St. Bring a vegan dish to share, swap recipes and socialize.

Bring a list of ingredients along with your dish—or even better, the recipe! Dishes absolutely must be completely vegan—no meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs, no chicken stock, no honey, and so on. Bring a plate, utensils and a drink. For more info visit www. wilmingtonvegan.com.

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! Camp 1: 6/27-7/1 (Rising 3rd-5th Grades), 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Camp 2: 7/25-7/29 (Rising 6th-8th Grades), 1 p.m.-4 p.m. $160 Wrightsville Beach residents and $190 nonresidents. 1 Bob Sawyer Dr.; 910-256-7925. townofwrightsvillebeach.com

KIDS COOKING CLUB Children Museum of Wilmington presents Kids Cooking Club with Mary Ellen on Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. Please pre-register.

Explore seasonal recipes and savor the flavor of your hard work.

Kids Cooking Club is sponsored by Harris Teeter and held at 116 Orange St. www.playwilmington.org

CAPE FEAR WINE AND BEER Beer Church: Purchase select beer and keep your glass for free.

1st Mass starts, 1 p.m.; 2nd Mass, 8 p.m., Sunday, free. • Beer Flights, Massage and Monday Night NitroMassage Monday: 5-8 p.m., $10 for 10 minutes with our licensed therapist, Josh Lentz. Beer Flights: nine 5-ounce samples for $18. • Monday Night Nitro: $1 off nitrogen pours. Free. • BYOT (Bring Your Own Trivia): The next wave of pub trivia on Wednesdays. Prizes include gift certificates from local businesses, as well as beer from us. • Fridays $10 pitchers: Bartender’s choice. All day.

Free wine tasting: from 5-7 p.m., with two whites and two reds.

Free • Beer Infusement Thurs.: Come see what ingredients Randall the Enamel Animal is enhancing upon delicious beer. Free.

139 N. Front St.

PALATE Turntable Tues.: Bring your favorite vinyl, enjoy specials • Wed: Free tasting of wine from around the globe, hosted by a winery representative or vendor to teach you about the selections.

Tasting wines offered at a discount, as well as an additional 10 percent off six packs and 15 percent off cases. • Sun: $6 mimosas. 1007 N. 4th St. www.palatenc.com

SILVER COAST WINERY 225 South Water St ∙ 910-769-3709

Globally Inspired Cuisine & Handcrafted Spirits

Wine and beer tasting always available with inquiries. 6680 Barbeque Rd. Ocean Isle Beach. www.silvercoastwinery.com

FERMENTAL Join us in the cozy confines of North Wilmington as we help kick off your weekend with our Friday wine tasting. Every week Fermental serves up a sampling of fine wines and craft beers to tempt taste buds and tantalize tendencies. Wine available by the glass; beer by the bottle. Informal, fun and festive! Take home your favorite or enjoy in-house. Free. 7250 Market St.

FLYTRAP BREWING Scratch Made • Pure Ingredients • Vegan, Gluten & Allergy Friendly Grass-fed Burgers • Hormone Free • Featuring Local NC Beef & Pork

Wine Down Wednesdays: 1/2 OFF Wine Martini Tastings: Friday 5-7pm Book your private luncheon events with us Follow us on Facebook & Instagram for weekly specials

HOURS: Mon. Closed • Tues. - 4pm – 9pm • Wed. 4pm – 10pm Thurs. - Sat. 11am – 10pm • Sun. 11am – 9pm

WWW.NEMALOUNGE.COM

44 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

Fourth Friday Gallery Night, featuring new artists and exhibition every Fourth Friday of the month through 2016. • Food trucks and live music Thurs. through Sat., weekly. • $5 flight Sundays and $5 flight Tuesdays. 319 Walnut St. www.flytrapbrewing.com

FORTUNATE GLASS Free wine tasting, Tues. 6-8 p.m. • Sparkling wine specials & discounted select bottles, Wed. & Thurs. • Monthly food/wine pairing events. 29 S. Front St. www.fortunateglasswinebar.com

BREWERS KETTLE Weekly live music, monthly food and wine and beer pairing events, wine tastings, and showcasing local breweries! 4718 Oleander Dr. 910-502-0333. www.bkwilmington.com

MEATBALL TUESDAY Chef Tom Mills prepares limited meatball subs and other items only on Tuesday nights for less than $12. Once he runs out, then he’s out. Cash and checks only. The Front Room, Little Pond Caterers, 2016 Princess Place. www.littlepondcaterers. com

BOOKS, BEER, JAZZ Enjoy browsing our extensive book catalog and library while listening to live ambient jazz piano. Start out your weekend with a beer or glass of wine, while James Jarvis performs his jazz compositions for your listening pleasure. Live piano from 3pm, Sundays. Old Books on Front Street, 249. N. Front St.

A TASTING ROOM Thurs./Fri., 5 p.m.: Our weekly wine tastings feature six selections for your tasting pleasure. Try before you buy to load up your home cellar, or choose your favorite wine from the lineup and purchase a glass to enjoy at our tasting bar or in our garden seating. Cheers! A Tasting Room, 19 South 2nd St.

THE WINE SAMPLER Hosting free weekly tasting every Wednesday through Saturday. 1 percent discount on all tasting wines, all week. Wednesday-Friday: 3-7 p.m.; Saturday: noon-7 p.m. 4107-C Oleander Dr. (910) 796-WINE (9463). www.thewinesampler.com

BURNT MILL CREEK Thursday Night is Neighborhood Night at Burnt Mill Creek, with Steviemack’s International Food Company food truck.

Bring friends for supper and a drink. Burnt Mill Creek, 2101 Market St.

WATERLINE BREWING Weekly live music, food trucks every Fri. and Sat., and new beer. 721 Surry St., under the Cape Fear Bridge. www.waterlinebrewing.com

SWEET N SAVORY CAFE Every Wednesday from 5 - 7 p.m., we break open our wine selection for you to taste. Our wine selection ranges from Napa valley, French Bordeauxs or great wines from Australia. Some weeks we have wines that can only be found at Sweet n Savory Cafe, 1611 Pavillion Place.

TACOS AND TRIVIA Every Wed., 8 p.m., at Capt’n Bills Backyard Grille. Bring your team! Stuffed tacos from 8-11 p.m. for only $2 each. Other food and drink specials as well! 4240 Market St.

WHISKEY HOTDOG MYSTERY Whiskey Hotdog Mystery Music Wednesday at Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St. Amazing Hot dog creations from the Gypsy Kitchen, with $1 off all whiskeys every Wednesday. For more info, check jugglinggypsy.com.

NONI BACCA WINERY Tasting room open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (Mon.Sat.) and 12-5 p.m. (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 7 p.m.. Craft beer selection, too. We also make special label wines for weddings, corporate gifting, birthdays, reunions, etc. (910) 397-7617.

$10, 5:30-7 p.m.: Every Tuesday! Half-off craft cocktail list and select wines. Catch, 6623 Market St.

SMALL PLATES NIGHT Mon.: $25 6-course flight ($35 inc. 2 oz. wine pairing). $5 single plates and $6 Specialty Mojito. YoSake, 33 S. Front St.

WILMINGTON WINE SHOP Sample five new delicious wines we’ve brought in just for our customers during Free Friday Wine Tasting, 5-8 p.m.. Have a bottle or glass of your favorite with friends afterwards in our cozy shop or on the back deck. We’ve got a fridge full of craft and micro-brews. 605 Castle St. (910) 202-4749.

WILMINGTON BREWING CO. Firkin Fridays, 5:30 p.m. • Sat: Free brewing demos, 1:30 p.m..

• Also featuring food trucks and live music weekly. 824 S. Kerr Ave. (910) 392-3315

FRONT STREET BREWERY Every third Thursday, join us for The Wort Shop Thirsty Third Thursday. Our brewers will tap a new experimental brew that will be available in limited quantities for that day only. • Brewery Tours, everyday from 3-5 p.m. Free tasting included! 3 p.m., 3:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Learn how we brew our beer, about the brewing process and sample a few brews with one of our brewers. Sign up for a tour at the host stand. 9 N. Front St. www. frontstreetbrewery.com

~tours~ TASTE CAROLINA FOOD TOURS Sample an eclectic assortment of downtown restaurants, enjoy food and drink, and meet some of the city’s best chefs. Public parking available. Saturday tours include a 2:15 p.m. Downtown Afternoon Tasting Tour ($55/person) and a 3:15 p.m. Downtown Dinner and Drinks Tour ($65/person). 10 a.m. Farmers Market Tour ($75/person). Cooking class available. Private and custom tours are available any day or night of the week for groups of eight or more. Visit www.tastecarolina.net.

TASTING HISTORY TOURS Tasting History Tours of Pleasure Island; guided walking tours. $35 and up. Afternoon of delicious food and education. (910) 622-6046. www.tastinghistorytours.com

PCJ ROASTERY TOUR Join us at Port City Java’s Corporate Headquarters for our monthly public roastery tour, coffee cupping & home brewing class! Learn how coffee is grown, harvested, processed and roasted through a tour of our facilities and see a formal coffee cupping to demonstrate the “taste of place” that makes each coffee so unique. See us demonstrate a few different brewing methods you can use to achieve that perfect PCJ cup at home.

Tour groups are limited to six people. Tickets are available for $15/person. www.portcityjava.com

PORT CITY BREW BUS Port City Brew Bus offers public brewery tours that are open to anyone 21 years or older. Eat a hearty breakfast before the tour. We will have pretzels, snacks, and water but there isn’t a stop for lunch. Visit three breweries to experience their facilities, understand the brewing process unique to their beers and enjoy samples of their offerings. $55. www.portcitybrewbus. com. (910) 679-6586

TAPAS TUESDAY SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 45

~clubs & organizations~ FEAST DOWN EAST BUYING CLUB Enjoy the quality, value and convenience of the Feast Down East Buying Club. It costs nothing to join, and the benefits are immeasurable. Support your local farm families and community. Choose a pick-up spot, check out at the online cashier, and you are done! www.FeastDownEast.org

FARMERS’ MARKETS

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

ILM VEGAN CARROT MOB Like a flash mob, the Wimington Vegan Carrot Mob chooses a restaurant to meet at and dine in for a night of fellowship and vegan meals. A location and time is chosen, and vegan diners show up and shows local restauratuers support from the vegan community in an effort to expand vegan menus. www.wilmingtonvegan.com

ILM VEGAN MENTOR PROGRAM The Wilmington Vegan Mentor Program ensures those who are new to veganism are provided with all the support and guidance they need. Volunteer mentors are paired with those who are making new food choices. They meet to talk and answer questions, go to the grocery store, discuss cookbooks, and explore local resources. www.wilmingtonvegan.com

! s l a e d .com

Fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats, seafood, honey and more! Poplar Grove, April-Nov., Wed., 8 a.m.-1 p.m. (910) 686-9518. www.poplargrove.com • Riverfront Farmers’ Market open on Water St., downtown, every Sat., through Dec., 8 a.m.-1 p.m. www.wilmingtondowntown. com/farmers-market • Carolina Beach Farmer’s Market every Sat., May-Sept., 8 a.m.-1 p.m., around the lake in Carolina Beach. Free parking; www.carolinabeachfarmersmarket.com. • Wrightsville Beach Farmers’ Market, 21 Causeway Dr. Mon., 8 a.m.-1 p.m., first Mon. in May-Labor Day. • Town of Leland Farmers’ Market at Leland Town Hall, alternating Sundays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., May-Aug. • Oak Island Farmers’ Market, Mon., April-Nov., 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Middletown Park, Oak Island • Southport Waterfront Market, Wednesdays, May-Sept., 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Garrison Lawn in Southport, NC. • St. James Plantation Farmers Market, Thurs., May-Oct., 4-7 p.m., park at Woodlands Park Soccer Field.

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

We specialize in catering!

SANDWICHES SALADS

Come enjoy delicious food, waterfront dining and panoramic views of the best sunsets Wilmington has to offer! www.elijahs.com

2 Ann St. Wilmington, NC • 910-343-1448 46 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2016

PASTAS DESSERTS 1101 S College Rd. • (910) 392-7529 www.ncatasteofitaly.com

JAPANESE HIBACHI STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI

614 S. College Rd. • (910) 399-3366 www.okamisteakhouse.com

Daily Specials: All You Can Eat Sushi | Lunch $11.99 Dinner $21.99 | Kids 13 or under $13.99 Sunday $21.99 ALL DAY! Mon - Thur: 11am - 2:30pm & 4 -10pm Fri: 11am - 2:30 pm & 4pm - 11pm Sat: 11am -11pm, Sun: 11am - 9:30pm Steak, Seafood, & Chicken for the specially designed “Teppan Grill”, Japanese Sushi, Hand Rolls, Sashimi, Tempura Dishes, & Japanese Noodle Entrées!

TUESDAY TASTINGS MENU $10 per person - Cheese and chocolate for the table! $2.25 domestics, $4 drafts and $4 wells.

Thank you, Wilmington, for choosing us as the best place to have a first date!

Thank you, Wilmington, for choosing us Thank you, Wilmington, for choosing us as •the best place to have a Encouraged first date! as the best place to have a first date!

138 South Front Street Downtown • Reservations • 910.251.0433 • www.littledipperfondue.com Every Tuesday is Date Night!Every Tuesday is Date Night!

3 courses 3 courses

SUMMER 2016 | DEVOUR 47

SOUTHERN SOUL FOOD AT I T S F I N E S T

RECOGNIZED

BY YAHOO TRAVEL as THE BEST BUFFET IN NORTH CAROLINA

BEST OF WE ALSO DO CATERING!

2016

5559 Oleander drive • 910.798.2913 Wednesday-Saturday 11am-9pm • Sunday 11am- 8pm • Closed - Monday and Tuesday Visit our website - www.CaseysBuffet.com

WINNER OF BEST BUFFET, FRIED CHICKEN AND SOUL FOOD