Devour - Summer 2015

SUMMER 2015

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Divulge.

Devour.

EDITOR Shea Carver ASSISTANT EDITOR

i

Shannon Rae Gentry

t’s smokin’ outside! Literally, the weather has been so hot, steam permeates the streets—especially after a torrential downpour, which we’ve been seeing a lot of these days in Wilmington. But that doesn’t damper our spirits. I mean, we do live at the beach, so those coastal showers are mandatory this time of year. Aside from the steamy heat, we’re also enjoying a slew of hot eats, from summertime’s proverbial burgers and dogs, to ice cream and fudge, to smoked meats and ahi tuna. Hungry yet?

If not, you will be once you flip over to pages 18-21 to get a look the delectable photos in “What We Love to Eat.” Our summer 2015 edition features a lot to crave, in fact. And we’ve made it easier on you to enjoy, thanks to our “Food Your Feelings” recipe writer and illustrator. Emily Caulfied enlightens on what’s she stirring up in her kitchen and even shares the recipes with you, marked by adorable black and white drawings. Want a cool salad to beat those hot days? Try her corn and adobe version. Or what about a light cake to help sate your sweet tooth? Her olive oil cake is just the ticket. Check out pages 22-27 for the full rundown.

Rosa takes her review on the road this go ‘round—and appropriately to vacation mecca Myrtle Beach. Just an hour or so south of Wilmington, she reveals the one restaurant that makes a trip there mandatory. And it’s not for Calabash-style seafood, either. Read her review of ART, a gourmet burger and sushi house, which also serves craft cocktails made of ... liquid nitrogen (pages 16-17).

All of our industry features are included in this edition, too. Devour’s new assistant editor, Shannon Gentry, highlights a few local chefs, including owner Lee Grossman of sushi hot spot Bento Box and Rebeca Paredes, the pastry chef at downtown’s fine-dining restaurant, Manna (pages 6-8). Plus, Christian Podgaysky—Devour’s old assistant editor who moved to the Big Apple at the beginning of July—gives us his final piece on local restaurateurs. He interviews the owners and chef of PinPoint, the new downtown finedining restaurant in the old Deluxe space, as well as Carolina Beach’s sweet peeps over at Wake N Bake Donuts (pages 10-12).

Greenlands Farm is the feature of our quarterly farmer spotlight. A family-run operation, the Burkerts and Kelleys put in a lot of hard work to make their 25 acres sustainable.

They also sell a multitude of handmade products and foods in their farm store, as well as offer a host of classes and school field trips. Learn all about them with Linda Grattafiori’s profile on pages 14-15.

To imbibe on craft beers is no problem in Wilmington—especially with the numerous bottle shops that have opened across town. Bethany Turner gives us a rundown of the hotspots to go to buy the most inventive and flavorful brews (pages 30-33). John Burke talks about downtown’s newest vino store, A Tasting Room, and offers up a few deals on the best ways to quench your thirst this summer (pages 34-35).

All the regular reads can be found throughout, too, from Joel Finsel’s creative stories in “Cocktails and Conversations” (pages 28-29), to Gwenyfar Rohler’s tastiest food-centered book reviews (pages 38-39), to Evan Folds’ musings on the importance of eating clean (pages 36-37).

And don’t forget our lengthy culinary calendar (pages 40-47), which allows you to be a part of all the delish events taking place across southeastern NC this summer.

SUMMER 2015

2 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

ART DIRECTOR Kyle Peeler ADVERTISING Shea Carver, Willa Brown, John Hitt, Rose Thompson CONTRIBUTORS Rosa Bianca, Gwenyfar Rohler, Joel Finsel, Christian Podgaysky, Emily Caulfield, Bethany Turner, Evan Folds, Linda Grattafiori PHOTOGRAPHY Holland Dotts, Willa Brown, Trent Williams DEVOUR

is published by HP Media seasonally and covers the greater southeastern NC region. To subscribe to the print publication, the cost is $15 a year. Folks can sign up to subsribe in print or monthly via e-mail updates at www.devourilm.com. The website is updated each month for new, local culinary news, reviews, events and happenings.

ADVERTISING To find out how your business can be included in Devour, go to www.devourilm.com to download a media kit. Feel free to call HP Media at 910-791-0688 or email shea@encorepub.com.

HP Media also offers advertising packages for Devour and its other publications, encore and AdPak.

FARMER

14-15 | The Burkerts family at Greenlands Farm and Store in Bolivia, N.C., are offering more than homegrown foods and goods, they’re educating future generations.

Cover: Holland Dotts Photography

16-17 EAT

Rosa on the Road Rosa Bianca hits Highway 17 to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to test the waters at ART Burger and Sushi. In this unexpected—yet, brilliant— concept for high-end food, Rosa exposes a culinary world beyond Calabash buffets.

34-35 IMBIBE

A Friendly Tasting

John Burke introduces us to Michael Bevacqua and Anthony Palermo,

ON THE COVER 10-12 |

Christian Podgaysky talks to the latest restauranteurs to hit ILM. Stop and smell the doughnuts with Wake N Bake owner Danny Tangredi (above), who admits he hadn’t made a lot of doughnuts before his venture into the biz. As well, PinPoint is one of the newest occupants of downtown Wilmington and its opening was a gamble that owners Dean Neff and Jeff Duckworth were happy to take.

ALSO INSIDE:

owners of the newly opened A Tasting Room. “Winos” of all levels are welcome to latest spot in Wilmington to grab a glass of wine or bottle of brew.

36-37 FEATURE Are We What We Eat?

Evan Folds explores some hard truths about health and food, including the use of GMOs and pesticides that are banned in other countries. Get the history and science behind the modern human diet.

Chef Profiles, pgs. 6-8 • What We Love to Eat, pgs. 18-21 • Recipes, pgs. 22-27

Cocktails and Conversations, pgs. 28-29 • Book Reviews, pgs. 38-39 • Culinary Calendar, pgs. 40-46 4 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

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Inside the Kitchen A look at a chef’s inspiration and background

BY Shannon Rae Gentry ● Devour assistant editor

r

ebeca Alvarado Paredes, pastry chef at Manna, located in downtown Wilmington (123 Princess St.), is as unassuming as it gets. Her creativity and experience lies behind a white apron and quiet demeanor, but she tells me that working side by side with her Manna peers has brought a bit of spice to her professional life—literally and figuratively.

A New York native, after high school, Paredes enrolled in the Johnson and Wales University’s four-year pastry program in Providence, R.I. She then started gaining real-world experience at L’Espalier restaurant in Boston and Pastiche Fine Desserts bakery in Providence.

The search for opportunity, as well as warmer weather, brought her to Wilmington, North Carolina, a mere three years ago.

“When I first moved down here [Manna] was the only place that would hire me,” Paredes jokes of our Port City’s well-known competitive and slim job market. “And bakeries and markets aren’t necessarily looking for a baker with a four-year baking degree.” Nevertheless, she was happy to find home in another restaurant.

There are a few differences between working in a bakery and working with chefs in a restaurant, according to Paredes. At L’Espalier the Korean chef introduced her to various Asian flavors that inspired his dishes.

“It was really fun watching him work with different ingredients in ways that I had never seen, combining flavors that I never would have combined,” she notes. “Pastiche was the only place I worked where it was solely bakers, and it’s a completely different environment than working in the kitchen. The bakers are very calm and cooks tend to be a bit more rowdy. But, working with three or four cooks every day, I get to learn a lot.” ● Rebeca Alvarado Paredes, pastry chef at Manna; next page, Chef Lee Grossman, Bento Box. By Holland Dotts Photography ●

6 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

INDUSTRY Paredes regularly shapes her desserts around what’s available.

She’s often influenced by Chef Jameson Chavez’s Southwestern tendencies and taste for chiles.

“Usually, we have a certain set of ingredients in the kitchen, like in the winter we’ll get a lot of root vegetables that I’ll use,” she explains.

“I definitely have a more French cuisine background that I work with, but sometimes I like to play around with [Chavez’s] smoked chiles. I love using them, but definitely not as often as he does.”

Spice enthusiasts may hear the words “chile and chocolate ganache cake” and come running with their own forks in hand. Others may prefer more traditional sweets, but Paredes says the hardest sell is when she’s working in seasons that have limited fresh, local fruit options.

“I’ll often stick to citruses during those times,” she notes, “but I’ve played with sweet potatoes and butternut squash in the winter. I’ve had guests before say, ‘That’s not a dessert.’”

On the other side of the coin, when there is an abundance of one ingredient—such as the strawberries Paredes was working with as we spoke during the threshold of summer—creativity can become stifled by boredom. “I’ve done charlottes, custards, tarts, strawberry ice cream,” she lists. “Today I’m doing a strawberry granita.”

If it starts feeling a bit mundane, Paredes turns to research, and consults her favorite cookbooks, websites and culinary friends for inspiration. “We have a ton of books here, but I don’t have any specific one I go to,” she explains. “The ‘Flavor Bible’ is great to have, because it lists all of these different ingredients and what they pair well with.”

Paredes’ signature dessert is hard to define.

She hesitates to give just one. “I can make a really good crème brûlée,” she quietly admits.

Really, Paredes wants to continuously challenge herself and her customers’ palates. She implores anyone who’s trying Manna—or even just her desserts—for the first time not to be deterred by savory ingredients. “I try to make it as ‘dessert-y’ as possible,” she assures. “And I promise: It’s not going to be awful!”

When he first opened the doors, Bento Box was roughly a 1400-square-foot space, only open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. and Fridays until 9 p.m. He locked up shop on Saturdays and Sundays.

“It was kind of crazy,” Grossman admits, “but the things we were trying to do were what we’re still doing today: providing a really good product that is unmatched, getting the best local products that I can get, and doing what most people weren’t doing.”

Of course, to the delight of many, he did eventually extend hours and started opening his doors on one of the restaurant industry’s busiest days of the week: Saturday.

At the upstart Grossman also operated with a limited menu— by necessity for the most part. Aside from a dishwasher and prep cook, he was alone in the kitchen. “I literally had 12 sushi rolls on the menu, a few appetizers from the kitchen and that was it,” he tells. “As my staff grew and their skills got better, we started growing the menu.”

The Bento Box menu is not a collection of standard recipes—and they’re not necessarily all of Grossman’s recipes, but what have been shared with him over the years. Take the Filipino Spring Rolls, for example: Grossman went to a friend’s house for a party, where his mother was making the rolls in the kitchen. “I asked her if she could give me the recipe,” he explains. “So, I went to her house one day and made them with her.” He goes on to name so-and-so’s mom who had great Vietnamese spring rolls, his friend from Hong Kong who was known as “the master,” who he credits for the Chinese influence on Bento Box’s menu. “And then there are certain things that we do,

Lee Grossman Owner and chef of Bento Box

The Forum on Military Cutoff houses one of Wilmington’s most popular spots for fresh, locally-sourced fish. Chef Lee Grossman’s Bento Box (1121 Military Cutoff Rd Suite L) serves intricate sushi and sashimi (surfboard) boats, as well as innovative takes on Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. For almost a decade, Bento Box has continued to grow in some of the most uncommon ways in the industry, including having a small menu, limited hours and closing on all holidays—and not just the “big ones.”

Its beating heart comes from Chef Grossman’s dedication to quality food and business. Grossman also does what many chefs and restaurateurs only dream of doing: making time for his family. “It was all about having time to get to know my kids,” Grossman explains. After working tireless hours at a resort, The Breakers, in Florida, Grossman wanted to find a better balance between career and home life. “As the executive chef for banquet sushi, I pretty much lived there,” he says.

like the Pork Belly Lo Mein,” Grossman says. “I take local ingredients and want to make them the way that he would.”

Incorporating local products is paramount for Grossman, too.

He uses pork from Heritage Farms or local fish from various commercial fishermen. Other staples like salmon are bought from sustainable programs.

Whatever he has on hand at the time—and whoever walks through SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 7

INDUSTRY “It’s more about an experience, not just for them but for me.”

—Chef Lee Grossman, Bento Box

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the door—keeps him as creative and adventurous as he’s been from the time he first stepped into the dish pit as a teenager. It set him on the path of volunteering, doing apprenticeships and moonlighting with French, Italian and Japanese chefs, as well collecting invaluable skills and techniques he uses today. Grossman never attended a culinary institute.

Grossman takes pride in his work and the many influences he’s been exposed to over decades of creating and teaching in upscale and hole-in-the-wall kitchens first-hand. His love for business and food guides him in doing it right. To be able to create with what is given, to give customers who say, “surprise me,” an unforgettable journey of flavor. “That’s my favorite part,” Grossman says, “because it’s more about an experience, not just for them but for me.”

Manna • 123 Princess St., (910) 763-5252 www.mannaavenue.com Bento Box Sushi • The Forum, 1121 Military Cutoff Rd., (910) 509-0774, www.bentoboxsushi.com

La Costa Mexican Restaurant

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THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: 7324 Market Street www.ogdentaproom.com 910-821-8185 • OPEN DAILY at 11am for Lunch & Dinner 8 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

5622 Oleander Drive, 910.392.6006 3617 Market Street, 910.772.9000 8024 Unit 1 Market Street, 910.686.8210 ~ Open Sunday through Thursday until 9pm ~ ~ Friday and Saturday until 10pm ~ ~ Lunch Monday through Saturday 11am to 3pm ~

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South Beach Grill The Basics

Brasserie du Soleil

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 9

Taking a Gamble Newest eateries open across southeastern NC

BY Christian Podgaysky â—? Devour contributor Starting a business is always a gamble. From upstart money, to finding the right locale, to even perfecting the service offered, there are a host of hurdles to address in order to achieve any level of popularity.

This becomes especially crucial in the restaurant biz. The culinary scene is a rapidly changing cultural summit. Dining trends are evolving on the constant. As such, any restaurateur must have a passion for his or her niche and be adaptable. This is evidenced by the soaring success of two new local eateries: Wake N Bake, upstarted by Danny Tangredi in Carolina Beach, and PinPoint, opened by chef Dean Neff and Jeff Duckworth in downtown Wilmington.

Above: Jeff Duckworth, Lydia Clopton and Dean Neff, of PinPoint â—? Photo: Provided by PinPoint 10 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

INDUSTRY Danny Tangredi

Wake N Bake • 1401 N. Lake Park Blvd. Suite 4

Doughnuts are an American pastime. The sugar rush of a glazed ball of dough in the morning has long been a way to get the day started; however, even the allure of traditional doughnuts can get boring. Luckily for Wilmington, Danny Tangredi brought his sweet and sometimes savory brand of doughnuts to Carolina Beach. Wake N Bake serves them up hot and fresh, and most importantly topped with anything from bacon to cereal, and sometimes even filled with an oatmeal-cream pie.

Growing up, Tangredi remembers baking frequently: chocolatechip cookies and cakes. Originally from Maryland, it wasn’t until he attended the University of Central Florida and majored in business that his life changed. “I know Krispy Kreme started in North Carolina, but at the time it was brand new in Orlando,” he reports. “When I was going to school, I would see the [hot and fresh] light. I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll grab a doughnut.’ I started with one; then it was like three.”

Though his love for doughnuts was set in stone, he initially went into sales after graduating. Tangredi had long had a dream to open up his own business, but with no real culinary background, he wasn’t sold on the restaurateur gig. Yet, fate stepped in when Tangredi discovered a doughnut shop that piqued his interest. “[They] did hot doughnuts, cake and though not crazy toppings, some sugar and chocolate toppings,” he tells. “I thought, ‘Oh, man, that’s a cool concept.’ I started researching doughnut shops, and I thought it would be old-school in a way. I remember neighborhood coffee shops and doughnut shops.”

That spurred him to conceptualize a classic doughnut shop that had a “Cheers” vibe. He strayed away from the commercialized tropes of Dunkin’ Donuts. Tangredi wanted to keep it simple and give it a homegrown feel. His idea was revamped as his decision-making process occurred amid the specialized cupcake craze.

“I never really got into the whole cupcake thing, but I saw how it went,” Tangredi says. “I thought we can do something similar in terms of doughnuts. It gives us a chance to never get stale. We can change our menu up, and we can experiment. We can get our customers and employees to participate, so it seemed like fun.”

Residing in Florida at the time, he and his wife wanted to maintain a beach lifestyle, so they settled in Wilmington, as it was halfway between their home state Maryland and their previous Florida location.

Plus, Tangredi read a 2012 Forbes article that lauded Wilmington as being one of the best places to upstart a business.

“We came just to check it out,” he says. “We saw [Carolina Beach] had a Britt’s doughnut and read a little about them. We were like, ‘OK, well, they’ve been doing well for a long time, so obviously people who like doughnuts have been coming to Carolina Beach for a long time.’

That was a big plus.”

Prior to opening, Tangredi actually never made a doughnut. His wife, understandably, was nervous, but Tangredi appreciated coming into business with an untainted set of eyes. He says it’s allowed him to go full-force in the process of experimentation.

“Without having a culinary background, the cool thing is that I’m not trained in any certain way,” he elaborates. “I’m not bringing any of those things to the table, but sometimes we’ll hire folks who have that kind of background. It ends up being more of a deterrent than a benefit.”

Tangredi delved into creating an innovative menu, with only a few names he and his wife played around with, to find the right ingredients. “I knew Chief Keef, the Maui Wauie,” he quips. “Obviously, there’s a certain theme to our shop, so I had the ideas. “ He jotted down notes on what ingredients he thought would cap-

ture the name. One major change that happened before the ribboncutting ceremony last winter was a last-minute alteration to the “Wake N Bacon.” Initially, it was going to be a coffee glaze with bacon, but he and his wife quickly realized maple syrup would mesh better.

Regardless of the over-the-top toppings, since opening, Wake N Bake’s regular-glazed doughnut has been the top-seller. Popular signatures like Wake N Bacon, Cookies N Creme, Carolina Sand, The PB Get Bizzy, Twisted Turtle, and Samoa also are catching on. The PB Get Bizzy actually came about after an in-house competition, wherein Tangredi had his employees concoct their own creations, which were then put to a customer vote online. The employee with the winning pastry won a prize.

As far as business goes, Wake N Bake has caught on quickly; they even won an encore Best Of Award for next year’s newest category, Best Doughnut Shop—and this was after only being open for a few months. Tangredi’s business has tripled since January, and sometimes they’ll have days where 60 percent of their clientele is new. Plus, Trip Advisor ranks them number one for “Best Restaurant in Carolina Beach.”

“We haven’t really seen anything flatten, so as the summer goes on, more people are coming in,” Tangredi says. “We’re so happy people like it, because that was one of our biggest concerns: ‘Once we start, will we be able to get a product that people like?’ Everyone loves it.”

Business is booming so much they’re even anticipating a possible second location after their inaugural tourist season wraps. “I would love to have one closer to the city or toward the north,” Tangredi comments. “Once we get through the summer, we’ll probably seriously start looking at second locations. Once we get a second location, we’re going to seriously start franchising.”

Dean Neff and Jeff Duckworth PinPoint • 114 Market St.

During his youth in Savannah, Georgia, PinPoint chef Dean Neff recalls starting a restaurant in his own house. Having two working parents, the culinary mastermind utilized ingredients lying about and formulated a menu. Being the youngest of four siblings, he managed to entice them enough to pay for the food he prepped. This, of course, was until his father found out and put the kibosh on the young restaurateur’s family-owned and -frequented business. Suffice to say, Neff’s decision to upstart his own eatery is no accident.

Fast forward several years and Neff attended culinary school at the Art Institute of Atlanta. There he met Hugh Acheson, who he worked alongside for 12 years—opening up various restaurants along the way.

Neff even helped Acheson write a cookbook, “A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen.”

“We kind of clicked,” Neff says. “I had a really great time working with him. I went back to the University of Georgia and got a business degree as well. As I was getting ready to graduate, everybody was like, ‘What are you going to do now?’ I said, ‘I’m going to keep cooking.’”

Meanwhile, PinPoint co-conspirator Jeff Duckworth was working as a Bojangles franchisee, with five restaurants in the Athens-Atlanta metro area. A regular at Athens restaurant 5&10, Duckworth met Neff through his association with the eatery. From there, they began chewing over the possibility of opening their own restaurant, which began as somewhat of a pipe dream.

“I love the restaurant business, but it’s just such a grind,” Duckworth says. “It’s a great way to make a living, but it just never goes away. I was proud of my restaurants and my people, and we did a great job in their system, but there’s no opportunity to ever be creative [in corporate].”

INDUSTRY Several years passed, and Neff moved to Asheville. While there he helped John Fleer open Rhubarb. Eventually, Duckworth, also a Savannah native, made his way to Wilmington, noting the similarities between the two historic coastal towns. He latched onto the idea of opening up shop with Neff. Knowing several restaurants would be experiencing a post-summer slump, he spent much of last fall peeking in windows around town to, well, pinpoint his eatery. Luckily for them, the now-defunct Perkeo (formerly Deluxe) became available, and with only a few steps through the door, Duckworth immediately knew it was the one.

“Jeff was like, ‘You’ve got to get here tomorrow; you have to see the space,’” Neff recalls. “Coincidentally, I was doing a Southern Food Ways Alliance dinner with John Fleer here in town at some folks’ house. It happened to be right at that time.”

With a spacious brick-and-mortar locked in, their dreams come to fruition. PinPoint was set in motion and opened in May. Featuring a little over 70 seats, the restaurant can draw enough of a crowd to bring in profit, but not so much seating that the quality of the food suffers.

“We’re not trying to turn and burn; we’re trying to get our feet under us and make connections with people to get them to come back,” Neff says. “There’s a longer projection here than making money daily: We’re hoping to become a long-lasting restaurant in this part of town.”

Plus, their new digs have allowed them to tap into their creative side. Creating an elegant aesthetic that expertly matches their cleaneats-filled menu, PinPoint wants to generate experience. According to its proprietors, part of that is sharing the story of their ingredients’ sources. Their grouper comes from a local man who uses only a rod

● Danny Tagredi, owner of Wake N Bake Donuts.

Photo by Holland Dotts Photography

A Unique Eating Experience 420 Eastwood Rd in Wilmington NC 28403 • (910) 791-6995 Mon. - Fri. 6am- 2pm • Sat. 7am- 2pm • Sun. 8am- 2pm www.eternalsunshinecafe.com 12 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

and reel, which provides Neff the freshest fish he’s ever tasted. Likewise, many of their heirloom grains, like the Antebellum grits, come from a former architect, Anson Mills, who discovered a staggering extinction in the number of grains. As such, he quit his job, sold his possessions, and dedicated himself to breathing back life into their disappearance—some of which had been gone for 50 years. “If you’re in touch with the stories of the food, the food tastes better and also gives it more of a rounded experience,” Neff says.

Neff goes to painstaking lengths to ensure he utilizes every part of the ingredients he can. Every aspect of the dish serves a purpose, whether bringing out texture or adding flavor, simultaneously taking into account acidity and fat content.

From folks looking for a bite from their rotating three-course prixfixe menu (which spans Wednesday to Wednesday), to their regular menu items (which change daily to fit the current season), to their cheese plates, business has steadily increased since opening. Both restaurateurs note the curb appeal of the business’ location: in the middle of downtown’s central business district. Plus, they recently opened for brunch on Sundays, and eventually aim to expand to lunch service.

Duckworth, who brings the more customer-based, business-centered mentality to the table, also circulates the dining area to pay close attention to what diners are doing with their food. He checks in after the first few bites and reports back to Neff. Thus ensuring their ever-changing menu isn’t alienating customers who may have never experienced a certain ingredient.

“I’m really passionate about the food,” Duckworth says. “I just love what Dean does, and he does it better than anybody. I sit down and eat probably like three nights a week. We could both go make bigger paychecks by going to work for someone else, but I’m just happy to have helped open Dean’s first restaurant. He’s a great food mind, and I just felt like he had to open his own restaurant.”

Cafe • Catering • Prepared Foods Meats • Wine • Gourmet Store 3520 S. College Road Phone: (910) 350-3663 • Fax: (910) 350-3691

www.pinevalleymarket.com SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 13

Homesteading in Bolivia: Greenlands Farm makes sustainable living a family affair

BY Linda Grattafiori ● Devour contributor

Heather Burkert, co-owner of Greenlands Farm in Bolivia, N.C., tells the story of a kindergarten class that took a field trip to explore how things grow. One youngster whispered to his teacher, “She can’t be a farmer! She has all her teeth and she’s not wearing overalls.” When his teacher stopped laughing, Heather explained in grade-school language that most aspects of farm life are now sophisticated enough to allow a person to wear regular work clothes and take care of their teeth. ● Above: Heather and Henry Burkert, with their daughter and son-in-law Maud and Ryan Kelley, and grandchildren Jules and Rhett, run Greenlands Farm and the Greenlands Farm store, which sells fresh goods from the farm, including herbs that they dry and bottle (next page).

14 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

INDUSTRY One of the greatest disadvantages she sees for our increasingly technological society is the lack of knowledge regarding growing things. Many children and adults don’t know farm animals, plant names or healthy horticultural practices. Common questions include: “Is that a goat? Does a watermelon grow on a vine? What exactly does a farmer have to do to make it all happen?”

The answer to the last question is “a lot of hard work”—satisfying but hard. Fortunately, Heather has a lot of help. Her husband Henry and daughter Maud Kelley also are landscape architects. They practice the full-circle system known as “homestead farming.” Since 2001, a main aspect of this practice, named “low-impact development” (LID), has involved processing all rain water before it goes back into the ground.

Rain barrels are used to collect and store storm water, which helps provide sustenance for the barn animals. Plus, diverting water from storm drains results in less flooding of the fields and neighboring properties.

Fourteen years ago, after a careful assessment of their 25-acre property, the Burkerts first planted a fruit tree orchard of persimmons, pears, plums, peaches, and pecans, with an understanding that some trees would take up to seven years to bear fruit. Next, they tilled five acres for organic vegetables, to be used by their family and community supported agriculture (CSA) members. These folks invest in Greenlands Farm and develop relationships with the farmers who grow their food. They also have the opportunity to eat healthy produce with all the flavor and vitamins intact. Prospective members may sign up now for the five-week period (Oct.-Nov.). Fresh food such as greens, sweet potatoes and Japanese persimmons will be available at three locations: the Greenlands Farm Store, Bald Head Island or Ocean Isle. CSA members also take advantage of Greenlands Farm discounts for classes and special events.

The Greenlands Farm Store is a wonder, offering unique handmade linens, goat-milk soaps, wines, specialty beers, honey, teas, free-range eggs, organic meats (especially Henry’s Heritage pork), yummy baked goods (gluten-free Linzer tarts!), and the list goes on and on. A small café offers fresh sandwiches, sides, salads, and hand-dipped ice cream.

It feels like a cross between grandma’s kitchen and a high-class gift shop. “Everything here is an extension of our family life over the years: making our own soaps, jellies, preserves, pickles, breads, cheeses, and salad dressings,” Burkert says. All Greenlands Farm edible products promote the belief that from farm to fork, food should be fresh and free from harmful additives.

They demonstrate this core belief in the petting farm, operated by Maud and her husband, Ryan Kelley, who with their two children, Jules and Rhett, joined Greenlands in 2012 to help with its operation. The petting farm animals are all rescues and include a micro-mini pig, llamas and ponies for rides (75-pound weight limit). On Saturdays rides are available and help support the cost of feeding and caring for each animal.

Tours are hosted throughout the year. Children ages 5 to 13 can join the farm for a week-long summer-camp session or for a single-day tour.

On one farm walk, during the 5-year-old kids’ camp, a small girl surprised Maud when she said, “I like you. Hold my hand.” And they held hands for the next quarter mile. Another child spouted, “Wow! Is that your house?” When Maud answered yes, the boy exclaimed, “Oh, I wanna be a farmer, too!”

Volunteers, ages 12 to 70, help with gardening and animal chores.

Home-school students help at Greenlands to fulfill their community service requirement. Heather says the children seem to enjoy learning about gardening, and in reciprocation the farm benefits from their help as well.

You’re never too old or young to teach. Maud and Ryan’s daughter, 4-year-old Jules, can sometimes be found in the petting pen, educating visitors about the animals. Their 2-year-old Rhett prefers perfecting his pony ride.

Children and adults can take advantage of gourmet, organic dinners, which will be served the last weekends of July, August and September. In July and August, a junior homestead dinner of two courses is planned with a mini-tour of the farm in between. In September, an incredible five-course dinner with paired wines promise to please the most discerning palate. These dinners are held in the Burkerts’ own dining room, which overlooks a beautiful garden and terrace. Between courses, the whole idea of sustainable agriculture and homestead gardening is discussed or demonstrated with mini tours around Greenlands.

Maud says growing a vegetable garden is not a good thing if it involves chemical herbicides and pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetically modified plants. This kind of conventional gardening harms the environment, and removes the plant’s ability to regulate moisture and sustain beneficial insects, worms and microbes that support the longevity of a crop. Pesticides kill the beneficial bugs necessary to destroy the harmful ones. Greenlands uses soldier flies, predatory flies, and lady bugs to deter harmful pests.

Another method Greenlands uses to keep plants strong and the environment healthy is composting to amend the soil. All household wastes that the pigs can’t eat, such as egg shells and barn waste, are processed to help soil maintain a neutral pH and to hold more nutrients and water.

Details: Greenlands Farm and Farm Store, 668 Midway Road, Bolivia, N.C., 28422. Phone: 910-253-7934. Email: info@greenlandsfarmstore. info. Website: www.greenlandsfarmstore.info. FB: www.facebook.com/ GreenlandsFarmonlinestore.

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 15

Rosa on the Road Trekking to Myrtle Beach for a taste of ART

i

BY Rosa Bianca ● Devour contributor and encore magazine restaurant critic

decided to take Rosa on the road this go ‘round and hit up a new place an hour or so south of here—a region many of us know well: Myrtle Beach. While it may not be the first place someone thinks of for highend food, ART Burger and Sushi is changing those notions and quickly. I had a meal so brilliant there, it overshadows every Calabash-style seafood buffet up and down Highway 17.

ART is the brainchild of Larry Bond Jr., an entrepreneur who found an unassuming spot on the beach and executed a brilliant concept that combines artisan burgers and sushi rolls. Sure, it doesn’t sound like a match one would put together immediately, but this small, shotgunstyle room, with some outdoor seating in full view of the ocean, will surprise. It’s appointed in light-colored wood, with red and black hues.

I opened with the ART variation on cheese fries. In addition to the standard ingredients (French fries, cheddar cheese, bacon, and scallions), the kitchen added roasted-garlic salsa and avocado cream. It added a tremendous blend of flavor: The light avocado cream gave the appetizer a milder feel than most cheese fries. The garlic also was subtle, but the salsa FORBIDDEN DELIGHT: ART’s chef’s choice roll during Rosa’s visit came with forbidden rice—black rice that was made the whole thing taste lighter than the reserved for the Emperor of China—served with eel, salmon, tuna, scallions, sesame seeds, and wasabi cream. normal bar variety plate of fries.

Photo by Rosa Bianca I followed up with a few sushi rolls, and started with the mango summer roll. A vegetarian selection—with mango, cucumber, cabbage, carrot, avocado, and Thai basil—it came with a cashew dipping sauce. It tasted like summer.

The bright fruit flavor of the mango tasted elegant, with cool refreshing cucumber, coupled with the satisfying crunch of the cabbage and carrot. The freshness of the produce was incredibly evident. This roll is the result of a restaurant whose staff buys into the very simple belief that quality matters—from ingredients, to preparation, to presentation, to service. Ev-

“ART isn’t a place to visit while you’re in Myrtle Beach. It’s a reason to visit Myrtle Beach.”

—Rosa Bianca

EAT ery step was executed beautifully.

I moved on to something from the “Outside the Box” portion of the menu: the fried chicken roll, sushi made with fried chicken, topped with barbecue sauce, and macaroni and cheese. I only regret it because it was quite filling, and I had a good deal more to taste. But the chicken was crispy and juicy, and the tangy barbecue sauce blended nicely with the sharp cheddar in the pasta. It’s a fun twist on sushi.

I moved on to the American Gothic, another vegetarian roll with sweet-potato tempura, avocado, sesame seeds, and honey/soy/ginger reduction. The sweet-and-salty combination is an old favorite, and the slightly fatty flavor from the fryer adds another dimension. It’s texturally pleasing as well, with soft avocado and sweet potato mixed with crispy tempura. It was another dish I had to make myself stop eating.

I planned on calling it quits on the sushi. I was already stuffed and still had a burger on the way, but a friendly bartender talked me into the Omakase, a chef’s choice roll. I was treated to a pleasant conversation with the executive sushi chef, Will Bates—and a beautiful roll made of forbidden rice, eel, salmon, tuna, scallions, sesame seeds, and wasabi cream.

For anyone unfamiliar, forbidden rice is a black-grain rice once reserved for the Emperor of China. It makes for a startling visual contrast compared to the white rice normally associated with sushi. The freshness of the fish gave everything a rich combined flavor. The wasabi cream proved gentle enough not to upset the balance. I could have eaten that roll all night.

I agonized over which burger to try, poring over the selections named for famous artists. Eventually, I settled on the Rembrandt, a ground-

beef patty, seared in duck fat, confit mushrooms, Manchego cheese, and Dijon mustard. I’ve never tasted beef cooked in duck fat; somehow it tasted light. The grass-fed beef was richly flavorful without being dense, and the mushrooms only added to its robust flavor. I might have gone with a spicier mustard, but this burger was yet another winner.

Beyond the menu, ART has a signature gimmick, which is sure to catch on: drinks made with liquid nitrogen. The quick-freeze technique was fun to watch and makes for some interesting semi-frozen concoctions. My first foray was actually quite simple: Sapporo with a frozen head. The beer stays colder longer and when the head melts you just have more beer. It’s a clever and fun concept.

The bartender treated me to a nitrogen frozen drink made of Malibu rum and peach puree. Normally, I think Malibu tastes like suntan lotion but this fruity concoction couldn’t have been more pleasant. It started off with a consistency like sorbet, and it did in fact come with a plastic spoon. As it melted a bit, it became like a slushy, before evolving into a cold, regular beverage. It was like three fun servings.

Here’s how good ART was: During my visit the air conditioning was out and the temperature outside was in the low 90s. But a nice breeze off the ocean made the room feel pleasantly warm, like dining outside in the tropics. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think nature itself wanted me to love ART. ART manages to be so many things all at once: comfortable while innovative, upscale without pretension. It isn’t eating. It’s dining, but without the intimidating connotations that word implies. ART isn’t a place to visit while you’re in Myrtle Beach. ART is the reason to visit Myrtle Beach.

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SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 17

Holland Dotts Photography

what we LOVE TO EAT

CRAB SLIDERS AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS Catch the Food Truck www.catchthefoodtruck.com

AHI TUNA WITH PORK BELLY East at Blockade Runner 275 Waynick Blvd. • (910) 256-2251

Crab cake BLT sliders ($11 ea.) and white truffle parmesan Brussels sprouts ($6) make for a delectable dinner from Catch the Food Truck. Learn where they’re parked by logging onto their website or give ‘em a call for a catering: (910)-799-3847.

Fine dining can be enjoyed shoreside at East, Blockade Runner’s restaurant within the hotel at Wrightsville Beach. Daily specials abound, like their ahi tuna, pork belly, grilled watermelon, snap pea puree, crispy shallots, and a shaved carrot and zucchini salad.

Call for pricing on specials.

SPICY MANGO HOT DOG

CINAMMON-OATMEAL COOKIE ICE CREAM

Corbett’s Burgers and Soda Bar 1016 S. College Rd. • (910) 833-7411

Boombalatti’s 1127 Military Cutoff Rd., #B • (910) 679-4955

Bacon-wrapped, Nathan’s hot dog, topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, crushed tortilla chips and ghostpepper mango salsa will kick up all your tastebuds this summer. Try it with one of their many varieties of soda, perfect to contruct an ice cream float! $4.49

Now under new ownership, Boombalatti’s at The Forum is scooping out tons of ice cream with a smile. Their cinnamon-oatmeal cookie flavor beats the heat and soothes all sweet teeth simultaneously. Triple-scoop in a waffle bowl: $7.

18 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

Photography & Videography

910.540.6354

SUSHI . SAKE . SOCIALIZE CHECK OUT THE WEEKLY FEATURED ITEMS ON OUR MENU. 1/2 PRICE MENU 5-7 EVERY NIGHT 10-MID FRI/SAT

HOURS M: 5-10 T:5-10 W: 5:10 TH: 5-11 F: 5-12 S: 5-12 SU: 5-10

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33 S. FRONT ST - 2nd FLOOR - 910.763.3172

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 19

Holland Dotts Photography

what we LOVE TO EAT

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH SALT AND VINEGAR WINGS Katy’s Grill and Bar 1054 S. College Rd. • (910) 395-5289 Katy’s has been around for more than 30 years! Last year, the restaurant took on new ownership (the same folks who run Jerry Allen’s at Wrightsville Beach) and increased their menu choices, including their wings. We personally can’t pass up the salt and vinegar, beer-battered variety. 6/$ 7.29 12/$13.99 18/$17.59 24/$22.59 50/$45.99

Ogden Tap Room 7324 Market St. • (910) 821-8185 The “OTap Chicken” sandwich from Ogden Tap Room will not only fill you up, but keep you coming back for more. You can get it grilled, but honestly their fried version is insanely good. Top it with your choice of cheese and fixin’s and indulge! $8

SMOKED BRISKET

PB CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Old Cape Fear Smoked Meats 3530 Carolina Beach Rd. • (910) 471-7422

Kilwins 16 Market St. • (910) 772-1298

Located off Carolina Beach Road, Old Cape Fear Smoked Meats is churning out the best in lip-smackin’ barbecue, ribs and especially brisket. Just head out on Thursdays and Fridays, as they only serve brisket two days of the week, available with choice of sides for only $8.99.

How many times have you walked past the foot of Market and been tantalized by the smell of sweet waffle cones and melted chocolate? Kilwin’s not only serves ice cream, but they have a vast array of fudge you can buy by the slice or pound. We personally cannot pass up their peanut-butter chocolate. $8.99/1/2 pound

20 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

Holland Dotts Photography

what we LOVE TO EAT

VEGETABLE PAKURA MOLCAJETE El Arriero Taqueria 6932 Market St., Ste. P • (910) 208-4948 Authenticity is the name of the game at El Arriero. Their molcajete is a traditional Mexican dish, served in a stone bowl, filled with chicken, steak, chorizo, onions, green pepper, tomatoes, melted cheese, and topped with grilled green onions, cactus and queso fresco. $12.25

BACON CHEESEBURGER PT’s Olde Fashioned Grille 4544 Fountain Dr. • (910) 392-2293 Toasted and seared to delicious perfection, PT’s bacon cheeseburger will provide the perfect amount of bite to your summertime fun! Choose to top it your way from a multitude of fixings, or just go classic with bacon and cheese. $9.65, served with lemonpepper fries and a drink. All locations: www.ptsgrille.com

Kabob and Grill 5 S. Water St. • (910) 833-5262 Deep fried fritters of potatoes, spinach, onion and cauliflower, served alongside an enticing tamarind sauce, will make your mouth water at downtown’s Indian restaurant, Kabob and Grill.

Even better: an order of five only runs $3.50.

THE HANGTOWN FRY Reel Café 100 S. Front St. • (910) 251-1832 The Reel Café is known for their lunch and dinner crowd, and especially the late-night bar crowd. But on Sundays, they offer one heck of a brunch, too. Be sure to go for their one-of-a-kind omelet, The Hangtown Fry, featuring fried oysters, bacon and cheddar cheese. Served with hashbrowns, it’s a hearty meal and rings in at only $9.

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 21

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.

Chicken and LEEKS IN PHyLLO This fresh and healthy chicken pie is light enough to eat all summer, which you’re going to want to do, plus the leftovers are tops! The chicken’s flavor and tenderness quotient are very high, mostly owing to the lovely herb and spice-scented yogurt marinade it spends the night (or two or three) sousing in. Even though the actual cooking process is a breeze, it’s one of the dishes we’re going to recommend actually planning for a bit (rather than how the feeding frenzy mealtimes usually are around here). So! Prep time is a day and a half at least—just so we’re clear. I’d hate for you to get stoked then realize you had to wait another three days to eat the greatest chicken pie ever baked. Because that’s what you’re in for.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb organic, free-range chicken 14 oz nonfat greek yogurt Juice of half a lemon 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and sliced 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced Salt Fresh ground pepper 4 leeks, sliced thinly, rinsed in a water bath, and well drained Bunch fresh parsley, washed and chopped, no big stems 20 sheets phyllo, frozen and thawed 2 tbsp melted butter, ¼ cup olive oil mixture (to brush on phyllo) 22 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

METHOD: Pound the chicken until thin and flat, as if for a paillard, then cube it.

(I put the bird in a Ziploc bag, covered it with a kitchen towel and then banged it flat with an ice cream scoop, and it went great! So, try that if you don’t know how else to do it.) Throw it into a Ziploc and set it aside while you make the marinade.

Combine yogurt, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper, and serrano pepper in a bowl and stir until blended. Add the mixture to the chicken and let it sit overnight in that Ziploc bag if possible, or at least three or four hours. The longer it sits, the more amazingly tender and flavorful the result will be.

When you’re ready to assemble your pie (make sure your phyllo is properly thawed according to the box directions), get the marinated chicken out of the fridge and put it in a bowl. Add the leeks and parsley and turn to combine. Set aside. Melt two tablespoons of butter on low heat, and mix it in a bowl with ¼ cup oil.

Next, butter, oil or nonstick spray a 9x12 baking dish, and lay down your first sheet. Brush lightly with butter/olive oil mixture, and lay second sheet on top, brush with butter/oil, and then add the third sheet, and go on like that until you’ve laid down 10 sheets. Work quickly so the phyllo doesn’t dry out and begin to crack; you can also cover, with a slightly damp paper towel, the resting phyllo yet to be added to the pan, if necessary. It should stay moist that way.

When 10 sheets are down, spread the herby, spicy chicken and leek goodness in a thick single layer across the entire pan. Smooth down with a spatula and then add 10 more sheets of phyllo, always brushing with butter/oil between layers.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes. The pastry will be deeply golden, the chicken cooked through and so tender. It will be amazing. It’s unreal right from the oven, and it’s magnificent the next day, right out of the fridge. Dinner and lunch in one pan, in that order.

EAT

OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH SAFFRON AND CARDAMOM FROM ALICE MEDRICH This cake is at once fluffy yet silky, subtly spiced and just gorgeous. It’s a dessert for people who don’t have sweet teeth, yet it’s rich and satisfying, and sugary enough for those who do (with sunny yellow olive oil and bright velvety saffron).

INGREDIENTS: Pinch saffron threads, crumbled 1/2 cup whole milk 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3/4 tsp ground cardamom 1/8 tsp kosher salt 2 large eggs 2 egg yolks Confectioner’s sugar, enough for dusting METHOD: The recipe is for one 8-inch cake, preferably in a round cake tin but any thin baking dish will suffice. Tin is key though, because the cake cooks at a relatively low temperature and a thick porcelain

baking dish won’t work. The slimness of the dish guarantees the light, springy quality we all crave in a cake.

So, in a small bowl, sprinkle the crumbled saffron over the milk and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour your cake tin and set aside.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl also set aside. Next, in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the sugar with the olive oil, vanilla, cardamom, and salt on medium-high until well blended.

Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating well after each one.

Take your time and give each step some love. It will be OK. It will be awesome.

After eggs and egg yolks have been blended into the mix, continue to beat on medium high until the mixture pales and thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Downshift to low speed and add the flour mixture and saffrony milk in three separate additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary, and mix well to create a silky, uniform batter—no lumps.

Pour the shiny, silken batter into your cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, until it’s golden brown and the sides of the cake spring away from the sides of the pan. Then pierce the center with a toothpick if you really need to check doneness, and the toothpick should come out clean. Let cool in its pan for 15 minutes, then invert and let cool on a rack or just a plate. Turn the cake right side up, dust with powdered sugar, slice into wedges and serve.

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 23

BRING IT DOWNTOWN! PLACES TO SHOP IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON

SKATE. SURF. SHOP.

Clothing Accessories LOCAL Art Gifts

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Bring this ad in for a free gift .

18 South Water St , #5 Wilmington, NC 28401 910-763-4523

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BRING IT DOWNTOWN! PLACES TO SHOP IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON

Open 7 days a week!

“Food fit for an Italian Feast” Featuring: Fresh Ravioli, Italian Desserts & Italian Wines

Monday - Friday: 11am - 6pm Saturday: 10am - 7pm Sunday: 12 Noon - 6pm

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EAT

Charred bitter greens I adapted this recipe from April Bloomfield’s crowd-pleasing dish at The John Dory Oyster Bar, and it’s amazing. The bright, zesty flavors of anchovy, dijon and vinegar, against smoky, grilled bitter greens, is the most exciting way I know to start a meal. It’s like a starter pistol, or a roman candle, shooting off layers and layers of flavor into the starry cosmos.

INGREDIENTS: For the dressing: 1 whole tin of anchovy fillets in oil (I think Cento brand is the best), rinsed (you could debone it if you really care, but I don’t so I didn’t; the bones are extremely fine, and you’re about to puree the whole thing anyway) 1/2 tsp coarse-ground dijon mustard 1 clove of garlic, chopped roughly 1 fresh, organic, free-range egg yolk 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup high quality vegetable oil 1/4 cup grated parmesan Salt and pepper For the salad: 2 heads bitter greens (I like chicories, like escarole, endive and radicchio), quartered length-wise 3/4 cup Panko, toasted 26 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

1 bunch radishes, sliced thinly 1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly on the bias METHOD: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the anchovies, mustard, and garlic a couple times until a paste forms, then add the egg yolk and vinegar; puree to emulsify. In another bowl, whisk together the olive and vegetable oils. While running the food processor, slowly add them to make a smooth, creamy emulsion. Pour it all into a bowl, fold in the 1/4 cup parmesan, season with salt and pep, cover and refrigerate.

Now, for the salad, you can prep the greens with white vinegar or you can straight grill them without. I recommend prepping them, and it’s very simple. Just boil up a cup of white vinegar and pour it over the quartered greens. Toss everything quickly to wilt the greens a little, then drain. You want them to stay crunchy mostly, but the vinegar takes a lot of the bite out of them.

After greens are prepped, cook the greens over high heat, searing each side for a few seconds, just enough to get color on the sliced sides. You can toast the breadcrumbs in a dry pan for a few minutes while you’re at the stove anyway, just remember to keep them moving or they’ll burn in a blink.

Let the greens cool a bit, add the scallions, radishes, then the dressing, then the breadcrumbs, and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately! It’s amazing.

EAT INGREDIENTS: 5-6 ears sweet summer corn 2-3 scallions, sliced thinly 2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped finely 1 large sweet vidalia onion, sliced into thick rounds Juice of half a lime (or a whole one, depending on how juicy) Heaping 1/4 cup of sour cream Salt and pepper 1 tbsp olive oil (for grilling)

GRACE PARISI’S SUMMER CORN SALAD WITH CHIPOTLES IN ADOBO Grace Parisi’s corn salad is the best thing to take to a summer barbecue, especially because it tastes like a delicious, smoky cheeseburger, even though it’s totally vegetarian! Spicy, sweet, fresh and crunchy ... you’ll want to lick the bowl.

METHOD: If you don’t have a grill, the best way to cook perfect corn is to pop them in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, husk and all. If you have a gas stove, shuck the roasted corn and roll them over the flame for just a few seconds to get some color. Set the corn aside and heat the oil in a pan or grill pan over medium high. Grill the onion slices in small batches until they’re soft and sweet, with some great golden color. Set them aside to cool. When they’ve cooled enough, slice the corn off the cob and coarsely chop the onion.

In another bowl, mix together the sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chiles, and scallions. Add the corn and onions, season with salt and pepper, and you’re out the door.

TUESDAY TASTINGS MENU SAMPLE OUR MENU ITEMS WITH $ 1- $ 4 SMALL PLATES MAKE IT A TASTE OR MAKE IT A MEAL WITH YOUR OWN COMBINATIONS!

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3 courses 3 courses

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 27

Cocktails and Conversations

Dark and stormy origins of the Cape Fear

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

i

just finished mopping the floor when a pair of sweat-drenched grandparents hobbled in out of the sun, one sort of leaning on the other as though she might collapse. A blast of thick heat surrounded them as they made their way in. We were still an hour from opening, as I began buttoning my shirt and tying my tie.

“I know that you’re not quite open,” the man said, “but we would only like some icewater. And my wife needs a moment in the cool shade.”

He took off his straw hat and began fanning her with it as she eased into a chair.

She was wearing a light-blue dress, with an old-fashioned camera hanging from a strap around her shoulder. She exhaled loudly as she set it down and wiped her forehead with a napkin.

“Of course,” I said. “Welcome. Please, excuse the mess.”

I scooped ice and poured water into two tall glasses, then cut a lemon into six wedges and set them on a plate.

“Thank you,” he said, as I delivered their drinks. “I don’t think we would have survived another 10 minutes out there. I feel like we’ve reached the end of the Earth.”

I laughed. “Sure feels like it sometimes. I guess here more so than other places, being Joel Finsel, bartender at Manna. the Cape of Fear and all.”

He looked at me with fresh eyes as though sizing me up for the first time. “The frontier turned a lot of decent people into savages,” “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy he said, “if that’s what you mean.” present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must I didn’t know what I meant. “Men have been brutal to each other for too long.” rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think “It’s because you won’t let us women be in charge,” the woman teased. anew and act anew.” —Abraham Lincoln We all smiled. She was probably right.

28 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

IMBIBE As I continued setting up around them, I asked where they were from.

“All over,” he said. “Is it too early for a bit of rum? Goslings with a side of ginger beer?”

“A deconstructed Dark and Stormy,” I said. “Sounds delicious.”

“It’s only appropriate,” he said, chuckling. “Since your town is still a pirate’s economy, from what we’ve been told. When we were thinking about retiring here, friends told us to either bring our job with us ... or our money.”

“Tell the boy what you told me,” she said, “about the old curse.”

He nodded, then looked at me and winked. “Do you have the time?”

I looked around. I still had about 30 minutes before I would officially open, but a strange new look in his eyes compelled me to listen.

“Go ahead,” I said, pouring dark rum into a glass and setting it on a napkin in front of him. He watched as I opened a can of ginger beer and poured it over ice in a second glass. “Thank you kindly,” he said, taking a sip of each. “As a history teacher, I always like to check out an area first before we go on a trip. Believe it or not, it helps me understand what the people will be like.”

“Really?” I asked. “How does that work out?”

“I’ve found that a place’s history leaves a sort of residue. Don’t ask me how I know this, but it does.”

“What happened here?” I asked, expecting to hear about the political coup of 1898 and the racist massacre that followed. I recently read Philip Gerard’s “Cape Fear Rising,” and the horrific details were still fresh in my mind. To my surprise, he went back a few hundred years.

“The first colonists came to raise cattle,” he said, “but the land was too sandy and dry, with terrible mosquitoes.”

“Sounds about right,” I said, adding an extra splash of rum in his glass.

“It gets worse,” he said. “They were businessmen. They had investors. And they lost a lot of money coming here. To return home with their tails between their legs would have been a terrible failure.”

He took a second sip, swirled it around his mouth, and swallowed before chasing it with a swig of ginger beer, wincing from its bite.

His wife looked at him, then to me. “This is where the story gets cruel,” she warned, slowly shaking her head. “When I married a professor, I didn’t realize that I would never travel again for fun without getting to hear about all the terrible things that happened everywhere.”

“It’s how a place finally begins to heal,” he said, his voice raising an octave. “Once the boy knows, then he’ll be able to better understand what’s wrong with his town.”

My eyes widened. I felt a little like I was eavesdropping on a longstanding conversation between them. I poured just a little more rum, hoping to pry it out of him.

“Well,” he said, turning back to me, “do you wish to speculate on what the settlers did to make their money back?”

“Traded worthless trinkets for a boatload of deerskins?” I ventured.

He looked at me blankly for a moment before a crooked smile took over the left side of his mouth.

“Pelts? No,” he said. “Something far more sinister.”

“Lay it on me,” I said.

He frowned. “Now, I am only telling you this to honor the spirits of those who came before us.”

I nodded.

“Well, the soil was so bad that most of the settlers abandoned their claims after a couple years. But, then, among the last ones, somebody had an idea.”

“What year was this?” I asked.

“1660, thereabouts,” he said, his smile sinking into a valley of lines around his eyes and mouth. “It began with explaining the importance of a good education to the natives, to try to convince the parents to let their children return with them to England, to learn how to read and write. And they were successful. When the last ship sailed, they took a group of children with them. They even left a message affixed to a post at the mouth of the river, ‘a scandalous writing’—though no one knows for sure what it said. A warning, most likely.”

“Abandon all hope, ye who enters,” I joked.

“Something like that,” he said, looking over at his frowning wife.

She had finished her water and looked ready to move on.

“Do you think any of the young Indians ever returned,” I asked. “I bet they would have amazing stories to tell their parents about the rest of the world.”

“No, I don’t think any ever did,” he said, finishing the last of his rum and setting a $20 under his empty cup.

His wife was already standing. “And if you ever get the mayor in here,” she said, “you tell them that those kids deserve a monument.”

“Why?” I asked. “What happened?”

The old man reached over and took her hand. “None ever came back,” he said, “because they were sold as slaves.”

Dark & Stormy 1.5 ounces Gosling’s Black Seal Rum 2.5 ounces of Barritt’s Ginger Beer Mix together over ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 29

TAP

THE KEG! Reviews and rambles on brew

Bottle Shop Overload: A look at local shop owners’ fave sips and suds

BY Bethany Turner ● Devour contributor Whether a craft-beer connoisseur or novice, bottle shops possess the best selection for finding one’s new favorite brew. Combine that with knowledgeable staff who are just as enthusiastic about helping customers as they are drinking beer, and you’ve got a recipe for a great business.

In fact, what once was limited to Wrightsville Beach in our area’s pioneer bottle shop, Lighthouse Beer and Wine, is now an industry ripe with options—and each one different. While each host an area where you can sip a cold bottle, then select a six-pack (or more) and head out—today’s bottle shops often serve draft beer, too. Many carry unique fine wines, even. They truly vary in that the atmosphere, selection and dynamic of each is unique to its owners.

Some have become better known as bars than spots to mix a six, but one thing is certain: Bottle shops are the new neighborhood watering holes.

CAROLINA BEACH Island Beverage 1206 N. Lake Park Blvd. • (910) 707-1423 w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / p a g e s / I s l a n d - B e v e r age/790355207674592 Owner: Bryan Parker Date opened: May 4, 2015 Devour (D): Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Bryan Parker (BP): It was long overdue for South Wilmington and CB to have a proper bottle shop. After working on the wholesale side of beer and wine, I was ready to open my own spot, and wanted it to be on the island where I live, work and love. I enjoy running my shop because I love sharing my passion for amazing beers and wines with both the locals and folks just visiting. CB is a great beach, which is still affordable, with great people and great schools and has come a long way in the last few decades. I am thrilled to be a part of this island community and greatly enjoy adding to its diversity.

D: Your all-time favorite beer?

BP: Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, because it was the first real craft beer I got my hands on way back when, and it changed forever how I approached beer.

30 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

D: Your favorite new beer in the market?

BP: Westbrook Gose from South Carolina D: What sets Island Beverage apart?

BP: The number one thing that sets us apart from everywhere else is customer service. We are beer lovers, not beer snobs. We welcome the novice to the expert; we just love sharing great beers and wines with the fine folks who come by. We are also health-department approved and offer proper glassware to drink our draft beer and wine by the glass. Being located on an island, with beautiful beaches and plenty of parking and bike lanes, makes it all worth the visit. downtown Bombers Beverage Company 108 Grace St. • (910) 833-5107 www.bombersbevco.com Owners: Zach Boylston, Caleb Churchwell and Jacob Wright Date opened: October 24, 2014 D: Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Zach Boylston (ZB): We opened Bombers Beverage Company because we have a strong passion for craft beer, and we wanted to share it with Wilmington. We loved the growing beer scene and saw an opportunity to service an under-serviced market downtown. Coming to work every day with the ability to share our passion with our customers is an absolute pleasure.

D: Your all-time favorite beers?

Jacob Wright (JW): Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale Caleb Churchwell (CC): Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous ZB: Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin D: Your favorite new beers in the market?

JW: Haw River Newlin’s Original Belgian Oatmeal Pale Ale CC: Dogfish Head Festina Peche ZB: Wilmington Brewing Company’s Midtown Swank IPA D: What sets Bombers apart?

CC: Our passion and experience sets us apart from other shops in town and gives us the opportunity to provide an unparalleled level of customer service.

Combined we have over 20 years of industry experience. We genuinely love craft beer and proudly call ourselves beer nerds. There is nothing that we enjoy

IMBIBE to provide off-premise sales for customers, while offering a nice place to sit down for a drink before taking their purchases home.

These days we’re doing more on-premise sales. We still do part of our sales as a bottle shop, but over the years we’ve morphed more into a beer bar. We really enjoy the fast pace of the current Cape Fear Wine and Beer, and I think the most enjoyable aspect of it is the people. Our customers are world-class, and our staff is extremely close. But the beer is a close second (I wish sarcasm could be properly conveyed in print).

D: Your all-time favorite beer?

MB: Picking an all-time favorite beer is difficult. We’ve always sold (and drank) a lot of IPAs, like Bell’s Two Hearted, Oskar Blues G’Knight, Ballast Point Sculpin, and the like. We really like stouts, like Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout and North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Our favorite Belgians are Westmalle Tripel and lambics from Timmermans.

We really like easy-going, middle-of-the-road beers, like North Coast Red Seal and Anderson Valley Amber Ale. D: Your favorite new beer in the market?

MB: We’ve really liked seeing Cascade sours from the Pacific Northwest become available, as well as some great Mid-Atlantic breweries, like Erie, Red Brick and Champion. We’ve also been enjoying a lot of Grapefruit Sculpin from Ballast Point and Pinner from Oskar Blues.

Andrew Bopes, Palate. Photo by Holland Dotts Photography

more than being able to share our passion with our customers. For first timers who have no idea what kind of beer they like, we pride ourselves on being able to guide customers to something they will enjoy.

For the seasoned craft drinker, we provide a selection of specialties and rare releases that is unsurpassed.

Bombers also sets itself apart with its constant pursuit to be on the cutting edge of the craft-beer market. We recently purchased a Crowler Machine (a machine that cans 32-ounce of draft beer) to provide our customers with an economical and convenient way to purchase to-go beer. We also constantly travel to get specialty beer that is not available in the market.

Cape Fear Wine & Beer 139 N. Front St. • (910) 763-3377 www.capefearwineandbeer.net Owners: Maaike Brender À Brandis and Lector Bennett Date opened: July 3, 2003 in Water Street Centre; moved to existing location in 2008 D: Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Maaike Brender À Brandis (MB): When we started, there were few craft-beer and fine-wine options in Wilmington, particularly in downtown. Wilmington Wine Shoppe was in business at the time, and Lighthouse already had been rocking it for a few years, but Wrightsville Beach is practically across the globe from downtown! We wanted

D: What sets CFWB apart?

MB: Well, the fact that we’re not a true bottle shop! We’ve got the best of both worlds (on- and off-premise). We have 25 rotating drafts and 300 bottles. I’d say our atmosphere is very different than other beer spots in town as well. We’re one part German beer hall, one part English pub and one part Viking mead hall. Throw in healthy splashes of tattoo parlor, record store and mechanic shop. Everything in here we’ve built by hand, literally and figuratively. Every walk of life pulls up a barstool and strikes up a conversation. We pride ourselves on having an equally safe and fun spot to drink beer. We also put 100 percent of ourselves into what we do.

Palate Bottle Shop & Reserve 1007 N. Fourth St. • (910) 399-1081 www.palatenc.com General Manager: Andrew Bopes Date opened: December 15, 2014 D: Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Andrew Bopes (AB): I’ve always had a fascination with wine and craft beer and want to share that passion with everyone. People always ask, ‘What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about money?’ And the answer is supposed to be what you should do for work. Well, if I didn’t have to worry about money, I’d be drinking great wine.

D: Your all-time favorite beer?

AB: I’m a mood drinker, so my favorites change a lot. If I had to pick just one it would be the Japanese Green Tea IPA, which was a collaboration between Stone, Ishii, and Baird.

D: Your favorite new beer in the market?

AB: New to the local market is Westbrook Brewing out of Mt. Pleasant, SC. Their Gose is so good, especially with the weather warming up.

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 31

IMBIBE D: What sets Palate apart?

AB: What sets us apart from other bottle shops is our true embrace of this hybrid bar/retail shop. You can grab a pint and hang out on our patio, or sip on a glass of wine while perusing our extensive selection of wines from around the world. midtown The Brewers Kettle 4718 Oleander Dr. • (910) 502-0333 www.bkwilmington.com Owner: Stephen Henson Date opened: May 23, 2015 D: Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Stephen Henson (SH): I have two friends who have shops in High Point and Kernersville. Each of their stores reflect their personality and are staples in their respective communities. This shop in midtown Wilmington is going to do the same. We’re new of course, but the outpouring of support from my midtown business neighbors and customers has been awesome. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be in Wilmington.

D: Your all-time favorite beer?

SH: Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen: just a straight lager beer. Doesn’t get any simpler than that.

D: Your favorite new beer in the market?

SH: Haw River St. Benedict’s Breakfast Dubbel D: What sets The Brewers Kettle apart?

SH: Besides location and style of the store, including layout; each of us choose different breweries and wineries to bring in beyond some of the mainstays that are a part of each of our shops. Certainly the atmosphere matters, but we all strive to bring in a little something different and most of the time it’s the beer, because that’s why we do it.

Hey! Beer Bottle Shop 4405-A Wrightsville Ave. • (910) 547-6707 www.heybeernc.com Owners: Mike Duffy and Kristy Gomez Duffy Date opened: March 5, 2015 (Mike’s birthday) D: Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Mike Duffy (MD): [Kristy and I] were both in the film industry and spending lots of time apart from each other. Hey! Beer offered us a chance to be based out of the same location for once. We love running the shop because of the people who come in. Talking beer for a living, it doesn’t get much better!

D: Your all-time favorite beers?

MD: Founders Harvest Ale Kristy Duffy (KD): Yards Brewing PYNK.

Mike and Kristy Duffy, Hey! Beer.

Photo by Holland Dotts Photography

focus our attention on small-format single bottles, which we organize by beer style. That way, if you know what kind of flavor you like in a beer, you’ll find all of those in one spot!

OGDEN Fermental 7250-B Market St. • (910) 821-0362 www.fermental.net Owner: Steve Gibbs Date opened: March 1, 2013 D: Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Steve Gibbs (SG): Fermental was born from a love of beer and wine and the drive to bring quality brands and obscure varieties to the public in a unique and comfortable setting where you can casually shop, as well as enjoy an evening out with live music, social events, food trucks, and more. Personally, I have been in the industry for nearly 15 years and have sat on many different sides: from bar, to restaurant, retail to wholesale and supplier. Seeing these different perspectives has given me the opportunity to connect with customers with both education and experience. Basically, Fermental exists now due to a common bond of beer and wine and the desire to bring these two components to the public in an unconventional, yet more approachable manner. I enjoy the interesting blend of regular customers and new patrons we see every day. Showcasing and sourcing hard-to-find beer and wine, while interacting with distributors, breweries and wineries is a welcoming portion of the job—along with seeing people enjoy our offerings, as well as our surroundings.

D: Your all-time favorite beer?

SG: It would have to be a super fresh American IPA. A few examples include: Stone Enjoy By; NoDa Hop, Drop ‘n Roll; Victory Dirt Wolf; Knee Deep Hoptologist; and Wicked Weed Freak of Nature.

D: Your favorite new beers in the market?

KD: Victory Kirsch Gose MD: Ballast Point Grunion, a great hoppy pale that just made its way into bottles in the state in the last few months.

D: Your favorite new beer in the market?

SG: Anything from Knee Deep Brewing out of Auburn, California.

Locally, Wicked Weed Brewing from Asheville is continually pushing out top-quality IPA’s and barrel-aged beers that push boundaries and taste incredible.

D: What sets Hey! Beer apart?

MD: We open up our entire inventory to mixing and matching. We

D: What sets Fermental apart?

SG: Fermental offers patrons an opportunity to shop, sip, select, drink,

32 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

IMBIBE devour, and delight in a multitude of fermented libations, while enjoying a casual setting and a large beer garden that hosts live music, tastings, events and more. Historically, we were the first bottle shop in the area to offer beer on draft, wine by the glass and growler fills.

Our unique atmosphere and knowledgeable staff also make each visit memorable, educational and simply fun.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH Lighthouse Beer and Wine 220 Causeway Dr. • (910) 256-8622 www.lighthousebeerandwine.com Owner: Jason Adams Date opened: February 28, 1998 D: Why did you open and what do you enjoy most?

Jason Adams (JA): I paid my way through college working in fine dining restaurants and found I had a great passion for craft beers and great wine from around the globe. Back then there were not any specialty beer and wine stores in Wilmington. Seeing a niche that needed to be filled, I sold all my belongings to open Lighthouse Beer and Wine. I love running Lighthouse for many reasons. This is an amazing industry to work in. Products are always changing, and there is something new every week. There are so many beers and wines to try, one can never get bored. I enjoy knowing that every day is different and can be accompanied by a new glass of wine or beer.

D: Your all-time favorite beer?

JA: I have had some amazing beers over the years, but I think that setting and experience can have a lot to do with perception. That being said one of my favorite beers to recollect was enjoyed two years ago at our staff Christmas party. Among a plethora of great beer, we had a few bottles of Anchorage Brewing Company’s Love Buzz Saison.

It’s brewed with rose hips, peppercorns and fresh orange peels. Then it goes through second fermentation in Pinot Noir barrels where it is dry-hopped in the barrel with Citra hops. Unbelievable depth and complexity!

D: Your favorite new beer in the market?

JA: Wicked brewing has never let me down. I would say my favorite beer right now is their Genesis Blonde Sour Ale or Imperial Coolcumber Saison.

D: What sets Lighthouse apart?

JA: Lighthouse Beer and Wine has been around for over 17 years! We strive to have the absolute best and largest beer and wine selection in town. We hand-pick every bottle that comes into the store. We also the host and organize the Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival, which is one of the largest festivals in the Southeast. There are 150 breweries and wineries that attract 5,000 people every October. On top of that, our staff is amazing. I believe we have the friendliest, most talented and knowledgeable staff possible.

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UN

CORKED! Reviews and rambles on vino

A Friendly Tasting: New wine and beer shop shuns pretension

BY John Burke ● Devour columnist A Tasting Room is the newest place to buy wine and beer, and I think that matters. The spot took a unique space in an underserviced part of downtown and made it something special. It’s the brainchild of Michael Bevacqua and Anthony Palermo, two wine-industry veterans who finally have put their stamp on a place of their own.

They wanted a friendly neighborhood shop where they could sell what they wanted to sell and cater to the community. That opportunity presented itself on Second Street between the City Club and The Atrium. Two small rooms with some outdoor seating in the back is all Palermo and Bevacqua needed to bring their vision to fruition.

The room itself shouldn’t be as good a wine shop as it is. The layout isn’t open, thanks to a crowding layer of brick in the center, and the ceilings are low enough to make taller people uncomfortable. Yet, thanks to clever shelving placements and well-chosen artwork, the room still feels inviting, even cozy.

A Tasting Room shuns pretension. It advertises educational wine events in plainspoken English, with no foreign language skills required. It’s a friendlier approach to a subject that can intimidate even seasoned oenophiles. You have no idea how many wine lovers I know who can’t pronounce “Meritage” correctly. I suspect you won’t hear the word “oenophile” uttered much in A Tasting Room. “Wino” is a lot more likely.

I’ve known Bevacqua for years from his work with the Fortunate Glass and The Wine Sampler, and his passion for wine, beer and excellent food is well known to me. He literally has a fantastic nose for wines and a figuratively fantastic nose for sniffing out undervalued bargain wines. More importantly, he has an easy manner with people and makes wine approachable despite his vast knowledge on the subject. When I stopped by to chat about this article, he offered me a glass. Given the heat and humidity, I asked if he had a rosé he liked.

With an effortless smile he replied, “I don’t sell anything I don’t like,” and poured me a textbook example of French rosé.

A Tasting Room is already a bit of an institution, in part because the owners insist on talking up other businesses they love. While I tried to chat up Bevacqua about his business, he was distracted by his taco dinner—he couldn’t help but use our time together to talk up Beer 34 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

Anthony Palermo and Michael Bevacqua Photo by Holland Dotts Photography

Barrio two blocks away. A Tasting Room isn’t a business of its own but an interconnected thread in the downtown community.

I didn’t know Palermo beforehand, but he shares Bevacqua’s passion for wine and community. Their vision for offering a retail shop catering to the downtown business district is what makes the small room work. Their philosophy requires many great businesses nearby in order for theirs to succeed.

Part of the fun is looking at the calendar of events on their website.

Mondays are Service Industry Nights, wherein they offer discounts to those who serve us lunch and dinner the rest of the week, and $3 beer specials are the order of the day.

Tuesdays are Wine Smarts, dedicated to the “cause of Geekery” in which they taste the unique and esoteric. Folks will find wines not found on an average list in restaurants. On Fridays live music outdoors accompanies the weekend wine tastings, giving the whole place a feel less like a business and more like a backyard gathering of friends.

For those willing to put themselves in the capable hands of Bevacqua and Palermo, there is the wine club. The club operates at two levels, standard and premium, for $25 and $45 respectively. Mem-

IMBIBE bership entitles patrons to two bottles of wine selected by the proprietors each month and a 10 or 15 percent discount on all purchases.

They carry a host of wines perfect for the heat of the Cape Fear, too. Bevacqua’s favorite: a sparking rose, Baja Tanga. “It’s 95 percent Chenin Blanc, 4 percent Torrontes and 1 percent Malbec,” he says— “wonderful aromas with racy acidity, full bodied with flavors of strawberry and cream. Only 1,200 cases were made and it’s only $11.99.

Just think Sunday morning Mimosas!”

I have to add that a friend of mine made a fun discovery when we visited A Tasting Room. We stopped in for wine and beer before having dinner at Cousin’s Deli a few blocks away. He found a blackberry cider so delicious he barely got a sip, as others scavenged his six pack before he could finish his first bottle. This kind of discovery is emblematic of what shoppers can expect to find in A Tasting Room.

“We are carrying a beautiful Cava, which is the ‘house Cava’ for all Michelin-star restaurants in Catalonia, Spain,” Bevacqua tells.

“The Canals Cava Brut Classic is made in the same method of a fine Chapagne. Refreshing and crisp with a long clean finish and a bargain for $14.99.”

This is the fun kind of business one can’t help but root for. It’s a nice little upstart with a new way of looking at one of the world’s oldest products. Palermo and Bevacqua are working on some innovative ideas for the future, but even what they’ve come up with so far is well worth a look.

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Are We What We Eat? Examining the modern diet and our health

BY Evan Folds ● Devour contributor and owner of Progressive Gardens

It was in 1826 when French gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” This is known to be the origin of the adage, “You are what you eat.” As obvious as it appears, the truth in this statement is relative and implied. Surely Mr. Brillat-Savarin did not mean this literally, so what did he mean exactly? For a long time, we have known that diet has a direct association with our health. In 1939 Dr. Weston Price published “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects.” Through his work as a dentist, Dr. Price was able to compare modern and primitive populations at arguably the last time on Earth that all civilizations had not been plagued by the empty calories of sugar and white flour. Dr. Price’s research is startling. He took images to go along with his measurements of people’s jaw bone and tooth formation to show the influence of the empty modern diet on humans. ● Above: Stock photo 36 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

Modern food is not building healthy

FEATURE

people. According to CDC, data When it comes to food, we are our own we can imagine. Don’t take this as religious, worst enemy. For example, the list of foreign more as a statement acknowledging the eningredients in the food found in the average food and skin allergies have almost ergy and force of life.

American diet is long, artificial, and often The idea that people are more than the sum times hard to pronounce. They contain pestidoubled from 1997 through 2008. of their parts—and that there is more to life cides, growth hormones, butylated hydroxythan what is physically here—is central to the anisole, antibiotics, glyphosate, aspartame, secret of leveraging living systems to human genetically modified organisms, high-fructose corn syrup, and on and on. advantage. It is our awareness of this life force that allows us to work with it.

All of these ingredients are man-made. They were invented by food and Life force is the energy that ties us together and prevents us from falling apart. crop scientists commissioned by global food corporations looking to im- It permeates through plants, animals and all that is alive. For instance, it is the prove the yield, shelf life, flavor, and marketability of foodstuff. There is reason that a plant grows up against the force of gravity. no proof of malice, but these ingredients were designed to trick us. They Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was a spiritual scientist. He recognized and rewere made for profit, not people—just like a good advertisement. spected the immediacy and physicality of life, but his gift was the capacity to Who wants to eat food that contains questionable and potentially danger- interact with the spiritual world. He gave over 6,000 lectures and wrote many ous synthetic ingredients? Nobody. Yet the average American eats them on books exploring human spirituality on subjects ranging from education and a daily basis. How does this happen? Coming to terms with the answer to architecture to economics and agriculture. Steiner emphasized that our diet this question is vital to accomplishing a food revolution in this country. The not only determines our physical well-being but can promote or hinder our complete answer is a mouthful—and beyond the scope of this article. Suffice inner spiritual development. He pointed out that no matter what we eat, we it to say, if everyone were aware of how backward our food system really is, remain human. However, if the inner forces that make and keep us human beeverything would change in an instant. come weak, then our food can overcome us and we become ill. We become We officially and sufficiently have screwed up our agriculture and food sys- more like the food than we should be. tem to the point that there really is nothing left to do but fix it. As this awareRather than being a result of what we eat, Steiner might say we are ness grows and people become fed up with “Big Food,” there is growing what we think. If we choose to think we are animals—or entirely materievidence that consumer-buying power is beginning to win the day. alistic beings interested only in survival—then this is what we become. It Fast-food giants like McDonalds are closing stores and losing market share, should be obvious to anyone willing to consider the idea that we are witwhile desperately updating their menus with healthier options. Kraft Foods is nessing this phenomenon directly in modern times. Steiner described the removing synthetic colors and preservatives from its flagship mac and cheese. irrational behavior he saw in his day and it has become more prevalent in Tyson has announced it is eliminating the use of human antibiotics in chick- modern times as a matter of nutrition. He said, “A bridge can no longer ens. General Mills removed genetically modified organisms from its original be built from thinking to will and action. Food plants no longer contain Cheerios and 25 percent of the sugar from its Yoplait yogurt. These are fairly the forces people need for this.” radical changes for these companies, amounting to reduced margins and exIt’s powerful idea and explains a lot of what we see and would like to pensive acquisitions. Yet, all of this happened within the past year. change in the world. It becomes all the more relevant when we come to terms World-governing bodies and health organizations are speaking up. In with the fact that modern conventional agriculture has no consideration for March of 2015, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency life force. They use dead materials in an attempt to grow life, so how are we to for Research on Cancer announced its findings that glyphosate, the main in- conjure these forces on our own without proper fuel from our food? We’re fed gredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp, is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” De- the belief that malnourishment is to blame for the ills of society, not bad luck. spite this clear call for concern by the WHO and nations, such as Canada and Could it be that the potential of humanity is being held hostage by the empty the Netherlands, banning it completely, Roundup is sold legally. Actually, it is modern diet? Modern food is not building healthy people. According to CDC, the top-selling herbicide in the United States. It may be popular in landscapes data food and skin allergies almost have doubled from 1997 through 2008; across America, but there is far more glyphosate used in large-scale agricul- autism rates have gone from 1 in 10,000 generations ago to an estimated 1 ture growing corn, soy and other commodity crops. in 68 today; diabetes more than doubled from 1980 to 2013. The problem Glyphosate use has risen sharply with the mainstream adoption of has no smoking gun, leaving the “experts” baffled, but reasons are obvious: genetically modified (GMO) crops. Now that biotechnology companies conventional agriculture and the modern human diet. have genetically altered crops to live through glyphosate applications, The physical afflictions of the modern diet on the human population are farmers can spray at will, and they have, increasing glyphosate use ten- accompanied also by the influence of food on the mental capacity of people, fold, from 1996 to 2012 in the U.S. Tests have found glyphosate in honey, which is much more difficult to quantify. All you have to do is look at a test soy sauce and even breast milk. It is safe to say that, at least on a physical given in grade school from the early 20th century, compared to an equivalent level, the old adage is true: We really are what we eat. The alarming part test today, in order to see how far our standards have fallen. It is no coinis, we have barely studied what it is doing to us. cidence that USDA data shows that levels in every category measured for Despite the drastic decline in the nutritional potency of food and the sharp nourishment, like calcium and amino acids, in food crops has declined over increases in the use of artificial ingredients, the human body is a wonder of the last 100 years. harmony and resilience. It is exponentially complicated, yet in its manifestaFood for thought. tion as a human being, it is effortless in its application. Given the inundation Are we really what we eat? The answer is up to you, but the takeaway of the modern artificial diet, stop and consider the varying organizational ac- is that we must consider food more seriously and look at it as more than complishments conducted unconsciously by our bodies during every minute just a means to a full belly. It doesn’t have to be more expensive, just of every day—the nervous system, reproductive system, endocrine system, more intentional. Try to eat foods that are alive like wheatgrass, sprouts, digestive system, respiratory system—all without us lifting a finger. A human or homegrown veggies as often as possible, and pay attention to how being is more than just a physical body. Did you know that every five to seven good they make you feel. years the human body completely remakes itself? Your liver regenerates every The history and potential of food is more than a story, it is an opportunity to six weeks and your skin every 35 days. Considering your entire brain replaces bring our will into action. What we think, we grow. These things could not be itself every two months, how do you think we retain our thoughts from child- more important. We have every opportunity to encourage living food made hood? That’s right, from the marrow in your bones to the skin of your body, with love. Visit a local farmers’ market, join a community supported agriculture it’s all in a perpetual state of re-invention. While the physical body continues (CSA) program, or better yet, grow your own! to make itself anew, it acts as a vehicle for the spirit, in whatever manifestation SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 37

TO

READ! Cookbooks and other reviews

NC chefs, Mary Poppins and Hunters: A few new and old books that tantalize the taste buds for all walks of life

BY Gwenyfar Rohler ● Devour columnist, freelance writer and business owner of Old Books on Front Street Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes From the Carolina Coast John E. Batchelor John F. Blair Publishers, 2015 (350 pages)

Founded in 1954, John Blair Publisher is dedicated to regional writers and topics. Travel guides and cookbooks that celebrate the South, and North Carolina especially, have long been stalwarts in their catalog.

Building upon 60 years of success, their latest offering, “Chefs of the Coast” by Greensboro News and Record food critic John E. Batchelor, combines the elements of both a travel guide and a cookbook.

As the name implies, the book travels down the coast, beginning with Elizabeth City and meandering to Southport. Each section features a chef and restaurant, accompanied by recipes.

Batchelor notes that his earlier work, “Chefs of the Mountains,” inspired much feedback from his readership. Observations that the recipes were very complicated for home cooks ranked high on the list. Batchelor assures that he selected more home-cookfriendly recipes for this volume. Though I have yet to put them to the test, personally (I have a kitchen renovation under way, at present), most appear to list ingredients that are available at a regular grocery store or farmers’ market and the steps are not exceedingly difficult. (Browning and frying are pretty accessible to even the most inexperienced home cook.)

As a travel book, it is pretty inspiring: filled with quaint little restaurants and exciting personalities you just want to meet and absorb into your life. Reading it reminds me how much I want to go back to the Outer Banks and inspires new itineraries I would not have known otherwise. Though I have to say, when he gets to Wilmington, the book really comes alive for me. From Richard Martin at Cape Fear Seafood Company to our local celebrity chef, Keith Rhodes of Catch, Batchelor makes our culinary landscape come alive. Names that are constantly in the press: James Doss, Jameson Chavez and Shawn Wellersdick become three-dimensional people with families, interests and pasts; all this paints a picture of their food. It is a wonderful concept.

The book is intended to be part travel book, part cookbook, part memoir, and part journalism. Oddly, this is both its strength and weakness. It may seem compelling and interesting, blending different interests and tastes; however, Batchelor can’t seem to make up 38 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

his mind as to whether he is writing reviews or legitimate journalism.

The biography section of Chef Mark Anthony of The Metropolis Restaurant is presented in almost entirely oral-history form, as one long block quote with no context. Other entries are mostly narration by Batchelor with very few quotes from the subject. It makes for a book that doesn’t quite blend or fuse but is nonetheless an interesting read. Batchelor’s style is an odd combination of academic writing and modern journalism. But for me food writing always boils down to one question: Do I get hungry reading it? The answer

FEATURE in this case is an unqualified “yes.” If the text isn’t drool-inspiring enough, the photography is.

Though Batchelor’s thesis is that chefs are our new rock stars, it is actually when he looks at the decidedly unostentatious establishments, like the Full Moon Café and Brewery in Manteo, that capture my heart: life with a small family in a small café that expands as the family does. It is lovely, and as an entrepreneur, a little more relatable than some of the more esoteric pronouncements about food that pepper other profiles. I think that is another strength: the breadth of people covered in the book—from the die hard multigenerational traditionally trained chefs to the surfer-turned-chef with a love of the beach and the constant party that cooking can be.

The recipes focus primarily on seafood (as one would assume

from the title of the book), with a focus on local food sources. But they also include appetizers, desserts, and in one case, chicken parmigiana. Frankly, I would have bought the book just for the recipes from Chef Thierry Moity of Caprice Bistro. The Floating Islands Dessert actually is explained so clearly (and photographed so beautifully) that it is going to be one of my first endeavors when I can use my kitchen again. Sadly, Moity did not offer up his waterzooi recipe for this book, but a girl always can dream.

All in all, “Chefs of the Coast” is a worthwhile exploration of the food traditions of our area: both its guardians and the young turks who are challenging the assumptions of what Southern coastal cooking can be.

TASTY LEFTOVERS Books we love to indulge in again and again!

Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book With a Story P.L. Travers Harcourt 79 pages

“Mary Poppins in the Kitchen” stars everyone’s favorite English nanny, Mary Poppins. She and the Banks children must cook for themselves for a week while Mr. and Mrs. Banks are away, and Mrs. Brill, the cook, has gone to help nurse her sister’s children (all four came down with the measles).

The first half of the book is the story of their week with Mrs. Corry, Admiral Boom and the Bird Woman dropping by to help.

The second half of the book contains the recipes for the food cooked in the first half.

Many children’s cook books are very simplified: pizza bagels, cupcakes, cookies, grilled cheese sandwiches. Not this one.

Travers teaches the young audience how to roast a chicken, make a lemon soufflé and, of course, make Mrs. Curry’s famous gingerbread stars. The directions are clear; she doesn’t belittle or talk down to her readers, and she reinforces the importance of hand washing and how to use leftovers.

As a home cookbook, it has a tremendous amount of information in a few short pages. This is far and away one of the best cookbooks I have encountered in years. Though it is aimed at kids, and would certainly be fun to share with a little person, it is great for adults, too.

Wild Game Cookbook John A. Smith Dover Publications 137 pages

Though I do not hunt, I have at several points in my life resided with hunters.

The importance of honoring the animal’s life by using as much as possible from the carcass always was stressed. A book like this could have gone a long way toward making things easier for me then.

Smith has written a book that is aimed at both the hunter and his cook back home. It begins, as one would imagine, with a recipe for a solid hunting stock and ends with a surprisingly thorough wine list for pairing with food. (Chablis and oysters sound wonderful, don’t they?) There is an entire chapter on recipes for cooking pigeons and doves, including the now, in our household, infamous “Sweet n’ Sour Pigeon” (I am not kidding). To balance it out, there is also “Antelope a la Rose`.”

Smith has a very readable style and a firm belief that most of the damage to game meat is done by improper field dressing and if hunters would take more care, cooks would prepare better food. “Wild Game Cookbook” really closes the circle on the cycle of nature that enables us to survive. Smith has written an entertaining, educational book that would be a great gift for any hunter.

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 39

Select Indulgences Culinary calendar of events

~events & happenings~ THEATRE NOW Schedule: 7/11: Lee Venters’ Jazz Brunch • 7/30-8/1, 7pm, Impossibilities: Magic Show and Dinner • Through 7/25: Summers at Seabreeze, dinner show by Zach Hanner: In the era of segregation, African-Americans had few options when it came to enjoying the beautiful waters of our coastal home. Fortunately, the place they did have was Seabreeze. And from its birth at the turn of the century to its ultimate demise after decades of revelry, Seabreeze has been the center of many amazing stories, a lifeline for it’s residents and the spot where many a carefree day was spent. This multi-media piece, crafted from the tales of those that were there, celebrates the storied history of this cultural touchstone. Special musical arrangements and recordings provided by Wilmington Walk of Fame Star recipient, Grenoldo Frazier. • Dinner show through 8/7-9/5: “JT and Joni in Jail”— On the eve of a significant event in 1960s America, six disparate people are thrown into a prison cell during a protest for peace.

Over the course of several hours, in their interactions with one another, they discover that the world is rapidly changing, that what is immediately obvious may not be true, and that folks may not be as alike—or not—as they first assumed or imagined. Dinner theatre includes a show and three-course meal, often with a choice of two or more entrées (one of which will always be a vegetarian option), $22-$38. 910-399-3NOW (3669). 19 S. 10th St., downtown Wilmington. www.theatrewilmington.com

GOOD HOPS BREWING 7/24: “Jaws” shark day! Come out to the brewery for summer movie night! We will be playing the classic movie “Jaws” all day out in our beer garden. Dress as silly lifeguards or in your best shark ensemble to enter our costume contest. Volunteers from the NC Aquarium will also be on hand to talk about sharks, and their impact on the environment, as well as the type of sharks we have right here in NC. 811 Harper Ave. at Dow Rd., 706713-1594.

PORT CITY RIB FEST 8/14-15, 11am-11pm; 8/16, noon-7pm: The Port City RibFest is a celebration of great BBQ, music and zany fun. It features champion pitmasters from around the country who make Memphisstyle, Chicago-style, Texas-style, even North Carolina-style pork 40 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

ILM VEGAN POTLUCKS Wilmington Vegan Supper Club Potlucks take place every first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm at Kitchen & Lounge at South Front Apartments, located on Greenfield Street at 2nd Street, across from Satellite Bar. Simply bring a vegan dish to share and come swap recipes and socialize. The Wilmington Vegan Lending Library will be there for you to grab a book as well.

Please bring a list of ingredients along with your dish (or even better, the recipe!) Remember: dishes absolutely must be completely vegan, with no meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs, no chicken stock, no honey, and so on. If you have any questions, please ask us. And remember to bring a plate, utensils, and a drink. Visit http://wilmingtonvegan.com for more info. ribs, beef brisket, beef ribs, chopped or sliced pork, chicken and sausage. North Waterfront Park, downtown Wilmington. www. portcityribfest.com. Live music and BBQ cookoff!

EPICUREAN EVENING 9/3: 9th annual culinary extravaganza, featuring restaurants, bakeries, and breweries. Emceed by Frances Weller, with featured speaker Sherry King, live auction, tastes of the competition between epicureans (Bistro at Duplin Winery, Catering Thyme, East, Elijah’s, Hilton, Little Dipper, Low Tide Pub, 22 North, and more).

WWW.BLUESURFCAFE.COM BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER GREAT OUTDOOR PATIO LOCAL ARTIST FEATURED EACH MONTH 250 Racine Drive Wilmington, NC Racine Commons 910.523.5362

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

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 41

ENCORE RESTAURANT WEEK 10/21-28: It’s the tastiest week of fall!

Encore Restaurant Week features special prix-fixe deals all across Wilmington. From low-country to French, Indian to Italian, American and beyond, diners get a taste of all styles of cuisine without breaking the bank. Visit www. encorerestaurantweek.com to see all participants and menus, or pick up the Encore Restaurant Week Menu Guide at free-standing locations in October.

Eat. Drink. Indulge!

Wilmington Convention Center, 515 Nutt St., 5:30pm. Tickets: $125. www.wilmingtonee.com

FLAVOR OF NC 9/26, 6:30-10pm: Experience the three regions of North Carolina as chefs, musicians and performers present the flavors of the mountains, Piedmont and coast. Enjoy regional food, wines, beers, locally roasted coffees and a lemonade bar. En-

joy the culture and uniqueness of our state as you help Good Shepherd Center provide a pathway to self-sufficiency for our hungry and homeless neighbors who share our Carolina home.

St. James Episcopal Church, 25 S. Third St. http://goodshepherdwilmington.org.

NC SPOT FESTIVAL 9/26, 10am-9pm; 9/27, 10am-5pm: Arts and crafts, food vendors, children’s zone, with blowup rides, camel and pony rides, gem mining and more! $3: Children 12 and under free. No pets, no coolers. Lawn chairs welcome. Spot dinners, $8, includes two spot fish, hush puppies, French fries, and coleslaw! Spot Festival 5k on 9/28: register, www.ncspotfestival.com. Festival takes place in Hampstead, NC.

RIVERFEST The fall festival of the year, 10/2-4, featuring an array of artists, craftsmen, merchants, street performers, contests and competitions, and food vendors. Friday, 6-11pm; Saturday 9am-11pm; Sunday, 10am-5pm Fireworks show on Saturday, 9pm. Downtown Wilmington. Free!

TASTE OF WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH 10/10, 5-8pm: Waterfront at MarineMax, Wrightsville Beach.

The festival will celebrate the island’s diverse and delicious fare on and around the beach with over 30 local cuisine, beer and wine tasting booths. Celebrity judges will rate the dishes with a “Best in Show” and participants will select the “People’s Choice” award. Net proceeds will go to: 20 percent towards the New Hanover County Weekend Meals on Wheels program; 30 percent towards the Cape Fear Community College Pineapple Guild Club for Hotel-Restaurant and Culinary Technology students to help fund their annual trip to the National Restaurant Associa-

Wilmington’s family-owned and operated French Crêperie! * Authentic sweet and savory crêpes made from scratch * * Vegan, dairy and gluten-free available on demand * * Serving breakfast and lunch daily *

Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 7am-3pm Saturday: 8am-3pm Sunday: 8am-2pm

42 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

3810 Oleander Dr. wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 395 0077

tion Expo in Chicago; 25 percent toward Wrightsville Beach Park Amenities and Programs; 25 percent towards Wrightsville Beach Beautification Projects. Tickets: $50-$100. http://wrightsvillebeachfoundation.org/taste-of-wrightsville-beach.

BELLAMY TEA SERIES Bellamy Mansion presents 2015 Tea Series: Mon., 10/12, with A Parisian Afternoon Tea (single seating, 2pm), and on Mon., 12/7, with A Proper English Tea (double seating 11am and 2pm). To make reservations, call 910-251-3700, ext. 303. Cost is $37.45, includes tax, for each seat in elegant formal parlors of the musician. Seatings are limited. 503 Market St. www.bellamymansion.org

~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. 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. Special members-only discount wine during events: 15 percent off six or more bottles and 20 percent off 12 or more bottles. RSVP: 910256-9488 or stop by The Seasoned Gourmet, 1930 Eastwood Rd., www.theseasonedgourmet.com

WHOLE FOODS Kids’ Club every Thursday, 10-10:30am, in the café. Free events abound, fun activities and snacks. • Last Friday of the month, 6-8pm: Wine Not, It’s Friday: Join us for our signature wine tasting event and enjoy a taste of food and wine pairings. $5 donation benefits a local nonprofit. 3804 Oleander Dr.

CULINARY CREATIONS CLASS 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. You can 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! 910538-2433. www.culinarycreationsonline.com

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 program aims to teach kids creative and simple recipes that will encourage healthy living and good nutritional choices. It can help build selfesteem, team building, and even motivate them to cook for you!

1 Bob Sawyer Dr.; 910-256-7925. townofwrightsvillebeach.com

VOM FASS 7/16, 6:30pm: We’re making delectable vinegar spritzers, mocktails, and Vom Fass-inspired appetizers just for you. Bring your appetite! Chef Kristin will be available with recipes, advice and

VOM FASS MoCKTAIL PARTY 7/23, 6:30pm: Head over to Independence Mall for Vom Fass’ classes in making delectable drink syrups perfect for summer mocktails. The spice shop offers it on July 23. They’ll share a ton of natural drink syrup recipes, perfect for shrubs, margaritas and beachy beverages. You’ll learn from Chef Kristin and Vom Fass owner Kim! All guests will receive 10 percent off all purchases, and will be entered into our end-of-summer contest to win a $100 gift card to Vom Fass. Plus, the winner will get two free passes to any future class or event. Tickets are $15 for one, $25 for two and $35 for three. www.vomfassusa.com smiles! • 7/23, 6:30pm: Mocktails anyone? Get ready for some mind-blowing recipes, using our delectable, all-natural drink syrups and Vom Fass Balsamic Fruit Vinegars! Shrubs, margaritas, beachy beverages and more! Chef Kristin and Owner Kim will be hosting this fabulous evening of fun. 3500 Independence Blvd. www.vomfassusa.com

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

1st Mass starts, 1pm; 2nd Mass, 8pm, Sunday. Free. • Beer Flights, Massage and Monday Night NitroMassage Monday: 5-8pm, $10 for 10 minutes with our licensed therapist, Josh Lentz. Beer Flights: nine 5-oz samples for $18. • Monday Night Nitro: $1 off nitrogen pours. Free. • BYOT (Bring Your Own Trivia): The next wave of pub trivia. Prizes include gift certificates to Chop’s Deli, Memory Lane Comics, and Browncoat Theatre & Pub, as well as beer from us. $10 pitchers: Bartender’s choice. All day. Free wine tasting: from 5-7pm, 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.

DUPLIN WINERY Exclusive Wine & Food Pairing, 7/11, 5-9pm: Reservations made through the Bistro for a special wine and food-pairing dinner.

Guests will enjoy an in-depth wine description and food pairing from our knowledge about bistro staff. Four course, five star meal, with jazz musician playin. $50/person • Ann’s Art Class, 8/1, 10am-2pm: Resident artist Ann Farrior teaches an interactive art class, w/careful guidance and instruction. Includes all the materials needed to create your craft, lunch in our bistro and a glass SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 43

DUPLIN WINERY aNNUAL gRAPE STOMP 9/12, 5-9pm: For 39 years, the friends and family at Duplin Winery have stomped grapes—once to make wine and now just for fun! Join us for our celebration, featuring beach music, grape stomping and of course wine tastings. Special vineyard tours will be given during the afternoon, as well as exclusive wine tastings, which include a special cheese tray.

Tickets: $15/person. Add exclusive wine tasting for an additional $5. 505 N. Sycamore St., Rose Hill, NC. • 9/19, 5-9pm, $25. Duplin Winery will hold a grape stomp in Myrtle Beach, too. Visit www. duplinwinery.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

glass; beer by the bottle. Informal, fun and festive! Take home your favorite or enjoy in-house. Free. 7250 Market St.

FORTUNATE GLASS Free wine tasting, Tues. 6-8pm. • Sparkling wine specials and discounted select bottles, Wed. & Thurs. • Monthly food and wine pairing events. 29 S. Front St. www.fortunateglasswinebar.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 3-6pm, Fridays. Old Books on Front Street, 249. N. Front St.

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. Open again on July 21. The Front Room, Little Pond Caterers, 2016 Princess Place Dr. www.littlepondcaterers.com

WINE TASTINGS Thurs./Fri., 5pm: 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.

RED BANK WINE TASTING of wine. $40/person. • Annual Grape Stomp: 9/12, 5-9pm: For 39 years, the friends and family at Duplin Winery have stomped grapes. Once to make wine and now just for fun, join the celebration, feat. beach music, grape stomping and of course wine tastings. Special vineyard tours will be given during the afternoon, as well as exclusive wine tastings which include a special cheese tray. Tickets: $15/person. Add exclusive wine tastings for an additional $5. Myrtle Beach Grape Stomp, 9/19, 5-9pm, $25. • Muscadine Harvest Festival, 9/25-26: Duplin County Events Center Enjoy wine tastings, live music, arts and crafts, food from all around eastern North Carolina, children’s activities and a shag contest. Over 30 local wineries will be participating in this celebration of the nation’s first cultivated grape and the North Carolina State Fruit, the Scuppernong. $15-$20/person. 800-774-9634.

505 N. Sycamore St., Rose Hill, NC. www.duplinwinery.com

PALATE Mon.: 15 percent off mixed six packs • 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. All 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.

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 44 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

Red Bank’s wine of the week, Sat., 1-4pm. 1001 International Dr. 910-256-9480.

THE WINE SAMPLER Hosting free weekly tasting every Wed.-Sat. We offer a 10-percent discount on all tasting wines, all week. Wed.-Fri.: 3-7pm; Saturday: noon-7pm. 4107-C Oleander Dr. (910) 796-WINE (9463). http://thewinesampler.com

NONI BACCA WINERY Tasting room open seven days a week, 10am-9pm (Mon-Sat) and 12-5pm (Sun.). Taste a flight of 6 or 9 wines; over 70 wines made on premise to sample at any time, served by the glass or the bottle. • Thurs.-Sat.: Specials at the bar on glasses and bottles of wine that run all day, but the crowd begins to gather around 7pm. Craft beer selection, too. We also make special label wines for weddings, corporate gifting, birthdays, reunions, or any event. 910-397-7617.

WILMINGTON WINE SHOP Join us to sample five new delicious wines we’ve brought in just for our customers during Free Friday Wine Tasting, 5-8pm. Have a bottle or glass of your favorite with friends afterwards in our cozy shop or on the back deck. And beer lovers don’t fret, we’ve got a fridge full of craft and micro-brews. 605 Castle St. 910202-4749.

SMALL PLATES NIGHT Mon,: $25 six-course flight ($35 includes 2-oz. wine pairing). $5

single plates and $6 specialty Mojito. YoSake, 33 S Front St.

TAPAS TUESDAY $10, 5:30-7pm: Every Tues.! Half-off craft cocktail list and select wines. Catch, 6623 Market St.

WILMINGTON BREWING CO. Firkin Fridays, 5:30pm • Sat.: Free brewing demos, 1:30pm. 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 3-5pm. Free tasting included! 3pm, 3:45pm and 4:30pm. 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 2:30pm Downtown Afternoon Tasting Tour ($50/person) and a 3pm Downtown Dinner & Drinks Tour ($65/person). A 10am Farmers’ Market Tour ($75/person), and cooking class is also available. www.tastecarolina.net

TASTING HISTORY TOURS

$25. Afternoon of delicious food and education. 910-622-6046. www.tastinghistorytours.com.

PORT CITY JAVA ROASTERY TOUR Join us at Port City Java’s corporate headquarters for our monthly public roastery tour, coffee cupping and 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 limited to six people. Tickets 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

~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.

Tasting History Tours of Pleasure Island; guided walking tours.

ie Want to list your food on, ti a iz n a rg o r, u to t, n e v e our class, or fundraiser in next edition?

E-mail the event by September 1st to shea@encorepub.com, or post it online through encore’s calendar, which populates Devour’s calendar, too. Head over to www.encorepub.com, click calendar, add event, and follow the directions.

SUMMER 2015 | DEVOUR 45

FARMERS’ MARKETS

ILM VEGAN MENTOR PROGRAM

Fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats, seafood, honey and more! Poplar Grove, Apr.-Nov., Wed., 8am1pm. 910-686-9518. www.poplargrove.com • Riverfront Farmers’ Market open on Water St., downtown, every Sat., through Dec., 8am-1pm. Food, arts and craft vendors, live music. www. wilmingtondowntown.com/farmers-market • Carolina Beach Farmer’s Market every Sat., May-Sept., 8am-1pm, around the lake in Carolina Beach. Free parking; vendors align the lake, from artists and crafters and musicians. www.carolinabeachfarmersmarket.com. • Wrightsville Beach Farmers’ Market, 21 Causeway Dr. Fresh NC-grown produce, seafood and other locally produced consumables. A variety of unique craft vendors have also been added to the market this year. Mon., 8am-1pm, first Mon. in May-Labor Day. • Town of Leland Farmers’ Market at Leland Town Hall, alternating Sun., 11am-3pm, May-Aug. This market is focused on local food and agricultural products. • Oak Island Farmers’ Market, Mon., April-Nov., 7am-1pm. Middletown Park, Oak Island • Southport Waterfront Market, Wed., May-Sept., 8am-1pm. Garrison Lawn in Southport, NC. • St. James Plantation Farmers’ Market, Thurs., May-Oct., 4-7pm, park at Woodlands Park Soccer Field.

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. http://wilmingtonvegan.com.

PORT CITY SWAPPERS Port City Swappers is a monthly food and beverage swap where members of a community share homemade, homegrown, or foraged foods with each other. Swaps allow direct trades to take place between attendees, e.g., a loaf of bread for a jar of pickles or a half-dozen backyard eggs. No cash is exchanged, and no goods are sold. Diversify your pantry and go home happy and inspired while meeting your neighbors! facebook.com/PortCitySwappers.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS A is a 12-Step organization for anyone suffering from compulsive overeating, anorexia, bulimia, or any food/eating-related issue.

We have helped thousands of people stop their self-destructive habits and start living healthy, rewarding lives. We have no dues, fees or religious affiliations. Come and see how we can help you! Call 919-406-9300, or visit us at www.triangleoa.org.

Wednesdays at Pine Valley United Methodist Church, 3788 Shipyard Blvd., Bldg B.

FOOD NOT BOMBS To provide free vegan and vegetarian meals to the hungry. By sharing food we start a revolution. Food is a right, not a privilege.

All our food is grown in the Food Not Bombs garden, and donated by local businesses, restaurants, farms, and people. Anyone can donate, and if you are unable to donate food, then donating your time is enough. Monthly meetups. www.foodnotbombs.net.

WILMINGTON COUPON CLUB Wilmington Coupon Club meets monthly, second Monday, at 6pm. Come exchange coupons and learn how to save money. www.wilmingtoncouponclub.com

225 South Water St ∙ 910-769-3709

Scratch Made | Pure Ingredients Vegan, Gluten & Allergy Friendly Grass-fed Burgers | Hormone Free Featuring Local NC Beef & Pork Tuesday – Sunday 11am – Midnight

WWW.NEMALOUNGE.COM 46 DEVOUR | SUMMER 2015

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

featured on www.thrillist.com

as one of the country's 21 best soulfood kitchens!

WE ALSO DO CATERING!

5559 Oleander drive • 910.798.2913 Wednesday-Saturday 11am-9pm • Sunday 11am- 8pm • Closed - Monday and Tuesday