Devour - Summer & Fall 2014

SUMMER/FALL 2014

WORKING FAMILY

FARM

Old River benefits community, offers healthy harvest AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 1

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Divulge.

Devour.

EDITOR Shea Carver ASSISTANT EDITOR Christian Podgaysky

a

s summer transitions to fall, Wilmingtonians enjoy the last moments of splendor. From getting produce from the farmers’ markets, to sipping on sunshinekissed cocktails, to nibbling on last bites of in-season fishy fare, indulgences are on everyone’s mind.

Luckily for locals, Wilmington’s culinary scene charges during the dog days of summer and through the falling of the leaves. Now that the hot weather, and the many downpours that have accompanied it are hopefully coming to a close, folks are eager to sink their cuspids into local harvests. Farm-to-fork enthusiasts can check out our cover story—pages 14-16—to learn about Old River Farm and their black and red cattle. The Laniers share their experiences on the farm with Devour contributor Linda Grattafiori. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we get to the bottom of local group Wilmington Vegan’s new dining guide. The organization’s founder, Sue Cag, enlightens us on the many local options to dine animal-product free.

As always Devour delves into the stories behind Wilmington’s well-known eateries.

Christian Podgaysky spoke with Valerie Lingo of Jamaica’s Comfort Zone, B.T. Corrigan of Halligan’s Public House, and Larry and Gena Casey of Casey’s Buffet (pgs. 10-13) as part of our restaurateur profiles. Devour intern Chad Lovette and editor Shea Carver pick the brains of local chefs Jadran Peros of Roko Italian Cuisine and Tiffany Eslien of Hops Supply Company (pgs. 6-9).

As football season begins to take over TV screens in area bars, Bethany Turner gives the deets on wit, weiss and Americanized brews. Anyone hoping to get a new mouthfeel this fall should check out pages 28-31. While you’re at it, learn how to make a delicious, inexpensive sangria to tide over the sunshine-craving palate until next summer. Though it’s often scoffed at by wine connoisseurs, the tasty drink has a number of flavorful incarnations (pgs. 32-33). What’s more, Joel Finsel’s latest “Cocktails and Conversations” makes for great reading material while sipping on that cool sangria.

Devour shows Wilmington what we love to eat on pages 21-23. From The Golden Chicken’s full-flavored rotisserie bird to The Greeks’ lamb gyro—served on pita bread and smothered in homemade tzatziki sauce. Mouths are sure to water when indulging the tasty pages. For those who want a more rounded opinion on what’s good in Wilmington, check out our piece on the burgeoning Facebook group, “Should I Eat There?

Wilmington Area Restaurant Reviews.” Creators Rich and Traci Hedgepath tell about how they started site, which allows locals to opine on local fare (pgs. 36-37), restaurants, chefs, and foodstuff in general.

Speaking of opinions, Devour reviewer Rosa Bianca marks the best local breakfast eateries in town. She hails Pine Valley Market’s bacon pancakes with bourbon maple syrup best, alongside her pleasure at Jimbo’s Breakfast and Lunch and Blue Surf Cafe’s (pgs 18-19). As well, Food Your Feelings blogger Emily Caulfield gives us new recipes to try (pgs. 24-25), and for anyone looking for more culinary reading to munch on, read Gwenyfar Rohler’s savory book reviews (pgs. 38-39).

It’s all to be divulged. It’s all to be devoured.

Until next time...

ER/ SUMM 4 01 FALL 2

2 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

ART DIRECTOR Kyle Peeler ADVERTISING Shea Carver John Hitt, Rose Thompson Tara Dmeza CONTRIBUTORS Rosa Bianca, Gwenyfar Rohler, Joel Finsel, John Burke, Chad Lovette, Emily Caulfield, Bethany Turner, Linda Grattafiori PHOTOGRAPHY Holland Dotts Trent Williams DEVOUR

is published by HP Media every quarterly 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.devourwilmington.com. The website is updated each month for new, local culinary news, reviews, events and happenings.

ADVERTISING To find out how your restaurant can be included in Devour, go online to www. devourwilmington.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 Weekly.

7324 Market Street • www.ogdentaproom.com 910-821-8185 • OPEN DAILY at 11am for Lunch & Dinner

THE OGDEN TAP ROOM The Ogden Tap Room is a modern establishment with 40 ice-cold beers on tap. There’s no shortage of North Carolina brews and the food menu is a mixture of innovation and comfort. A few favorites include the “The Debris Sandwich” a twisted French Dip with Braised beef, Swiss cheese and au jus on a French loaf. The “Low Country Grilled Cheese,” features pimiento cheese, fried green tomatoes, and bacon! “Emma’s Chick N’ Waffles” is worth a trip in and of itself, with Crispy fried chicken rolled in a peppery batter, it is juicy beyond reason. It comes over a perfectly cooked waffle, paired with a warm, pecan, maple-infused syrup. They have something for the health nuts too!

The one of a kind spinach salad with dried cranberries, green apple, toasted pumpkin seeds, goat cheese & warm cider vinaigrette… it’s amazing!

Grab a cold one, sit on the deck, listen to a great band and indulge in some delicious food at Ogden Tap Room!

INDUSTRY 10-13 | It’s a family affair!

Local restaurateurs Larry and Gena Casey of Casey’s Buffet discuss all the ins and outs of the biz.

Cover/contents photos by: Holland Dotts

18-19 EAT

Broaching Breakfast Dining reviewer Rosa Bianca dishes on waffles, pancakes and other breakfast fare found at Pine Valley Market, Jimbo's Breakfast and Lunch and Blue Surf Cafe.

28-31 IMBIBE

What’s Up with Wheat?

ON THE COVER

Any beer connoisseur looking for adventure will enjoy Bethany Turner’s latest report on wit, weiss and Americanized brews, from Allagash White to Pinkus Organic Hefeweizen to Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale.

20-21 | Linda Grattafiori divulges all the ins and outs of Old

36-37 FEATURE

River Farms, where black and red Anghus cattle roam the fields, and the educational field trips show school kids about daily life on the farm. Operated by Dean and Susan Lanier, and their two sons, Michael and Benjamin, the farm runs rampant with energy and crops, and it serves the greater Wilmington area, too.

ALSO INSIDE:

The Foodie Bandwagon

Shea Carver interviews the founders of the new foodie Facebook group, “Should I Eat There? Wilmington Area Restaurant Reviews,” which now has over 2,000 members.

Chef Profiles, pgs. 6-9 • What We Love to Eat, pgs. 21-23 • Recipes, pgs. 24-25 • Cocktails and

Conversations, pgs. 26-27 • Sangria, pgs. 32-33 • Vegan Guide Book, pgs. 34-35 • Culinary Calendar, pgs. 42-48 4 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

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

“i

BY Shea Carver and Chad Lovette ● Devour editor and contributor

am from Croatia,” Jadran Peros, head chef and owner of Rokos Italian Cuisine, says as I walk in to greet him. “But I am a Dalmation.”

No, he’s not the spotted dog that rides on the back of a fire truck; he was born and raised in Dalmatia, the historical region that covers the southern portion of Croatia. Croatia is located on the Adriatic Sea, and bordered by Bosnia and Slovenia. A large part of the population in Dalmatia comes from Italian descent, right across the Adriatic. Known for their use of fresh seafood, they cook a lot like Northern Italians.

Jadran always was a natural in the kitchen.

It stems from being reared in a family made up of fishermen and cooks. “I started learning to cook with my mother when I was very young,” the chef says. “Everything had to be homemade—the oil, the butter, the marinara, everything. So we all fell in love with that kind of cooking; not just me, but my brother and two sisters, too. Today all four of us are chefs. We share family recipes and secrets, and create our own recipes to share. If you can’t tell, cooking to us is a big family thing.”

Jadran bypassed culinary school. As the youngest sibling, he soaked up the knowledge of his elders every chance he got. “I worked and learned a lot with my uncle in Croatia, who owns a great Italian restaurant called Sargetto,” he says.

When Jadran moved to the United States in 1985, he immediately began working hand in hand with his older brother, Zdenko, at their first restaurant in Morehead City, Nikolas. After 12 years of chopping and stewing popular dishes like their penne rustica, the two went their

● Tiffany Eslien, executive chef of Hops Supply Company. Photos: Holland Dotts 6 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

INDUSTRY separate ways. His brother’s children, who finished culinary school, took over to help in the Nikolas kitchen.

“My wife, Vojka, and I opened up a second Nikolas restaurant in New Bern,” Jadran explains. They wanted to stay in a coastal town, and especially loved NC because of the abundance of fresh produce and fish. “Nikolas lasted 14 years,” Jadran continues, “but then our kids grew up and finished school, so we had to make some changes.”

Vojka and Jadran wanted to live closer to their children. Their son, Roko, attended UNCW to study engineering. Having operated a business their whole lives, they wanted to continue their passion.

“We decided since we always had loved Wilmington, it would be the perfect spot to open a new restaurant,” Jadran says. “Right off, it felt like a dream come true.”

Everything on the Roko menu is fresh and local.

Every morning before opening the restaurant Chef Jadran and his wife collect nearly all of their fish from Gene Long, owner of Motts Seafood. Then, they travel to a host of local produce stands.

“That’s what it is all about to us, supporting other local businesses and making new friends,” the chef notes. “We grew up by the ocean, so coming here and having all of the fresh fish I need really helps me enjoy what I am doing. Moving to Wilmington actually provided even better seafood for us than back home. The fish in the Adriatic are delicious, but they aren’t as big as the fish we use here, like the grouper, snapper and mahi.

One thing we cooked a lot there, but we don’t have here, are all of the big octopus.”

Growing up, Jadran’s mother handmade their pastas and taught her children the family’s favorite dishes. Sadly, a lot of her recipes were lost, but all the foods his family continues to cook were inspired by the matriarch first-hand. On their menu, diners will find these inspirations.

“All of our pastas here are still homemade,” Jadran says. “We make raviolis, capellini, linguine, gnocchi, tagliatelle. There isn’t really a secret to good homemade pasta; you just have to be willing put in the time and effort. Once all of the pasta is freshly made, then you have to know how to make something really special. I would say my specialties are my shrimp ala Roko and flounder Ana. They use our own homemade sauces.”

The shrimp ala Roko consists of local shellfish served with brown scampi sauce, and topped with prosciutto and mozzarella. The flounder Ana comes laced with thinly sliced prosciutto and sautéed in a smooth white-wine cream sauce.

“I even have a little garden behind my house, and I grow my own spices,” Jadran adds. “We grow basil, oregano, thyme, mint, rosemary, and parsley. We like to grow a lot of different spices.”

While Jadran leads the kitchen, his wife, Vojka, plays an integral role in the restaurant doing desserts and overseeing the front-of-the-house staff. “I couldn’t do any of this without her,” Jadran says with a laugh.

“I love being a part of this family,” Vojka interjects, smiling. Originally from Serbia, Jadran and Vojka met in Belle Grad while he was in the military. Instead of stealing her heart with his food on their first date, she flipped it around and cooked for him. Vojka, who was raised on a family farm, was taught to cook everything from homemade recipes, too—and at a young age. Among her favorite Roko desserts are the slow-cooked crème brulee and a fluffy whipped tiramisu.

“I love making my desserts and being with lots of people,” Vojka says.

“To me it is like therapy to open the doors at 4 o’clock, my husband already in the kitchen, and just go in and enjoy the rest of the day, talking to everyone and really getting to know them. We treat everyone like family. We don’t care how much you spend; we don’t care about that.

All we care about is that you are happy to be here and happy with the food that we serve you.”

“The fish in the Adriatic are delicious, but they aren’t as big as the fish we use here, like grouper, snapper and mahi.” —Jadran Roko (with wife Vojka), Roko’s Italian Cuisine

The Peros also take pride in their bar options, from wines to specialty cocktails. They recently took a trip to Napa and Sonoma vallies to go on a tour from vineyard to vineyard. “We really wanted to go out and handselect every bottle of wine that we would provide at our restaurant,” Jadran says. “Now we have a huge selection to go with every meal. We even have a few really high-end bottles in the back that are not on the menu but are available upon request.”

At Roko everything seems to be taken care of by and for family. Even the restaurant’s website and online publicity is handled by their son’s wife, Andrea. Everyone works in unison.

“It is great because we all do our part,” Jadran explains. “The crew is always helping me take care of everything, so I can cook. I enjoy cooking this food so much. I enjoy all of the people, and I enjoy hearing everyone say how delicious our food was. That is what gives me life, and that is —Chad Lovette what lets me walk out every night smiling.”

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 7

“I’ve never had a baby, but I imagine

INDUSTRY *

*

*

[opening a restaurant] is the same: hate *

Tiffany Eslien moved to southeastern NC in August 2012 from the cold, brisk climate of Milwaukee, Wisconsin—a place where beer and cheese runs through the veins as fluidly as blood. An executive chef for the Lowlands Group Cafe Centraal, a former co-worker named David invited the then twentysomething to interview for her first job opening a restaurant as an executive chef. As a corporate chef with LM Restaurants (Henry’s, Oceanic, Bluewater, Eddie Romanelli’s), David knew Eslien would be a perfect fit for their new concept: a gastropub featuring craft beer and refined but homey food.

“At Lowlands I opened a restaurant as a line cook,” the graduate from Johnson and Wales explains, “so I got to see how it worked, but I never got a chance to open as a chef. The stress level is so high. I’ve never had a baby, but I imagine it’s the same: hate it at first, but, eventually, you just love it, and will go through it again and again.”

Eslien accepted the challenge. Today, the 270-seat restaurant thrives in elevated tastes of refinement yet dishes served aren’t too far from your grandmother’s kitchen table. Eslien’s mac ‘n’ cheese comes with shrimp and Andouille sausage. A short-rib pasta that—even in the heat of summer, despite being a heartier dish—sells like crazy.

“We change the menu around twice a year,” she says. “So, it’s coming up soon. We’ll probably get rid of the short rib dish and a few others. We will keep the standard favorites, though, like the mac ‘n’ cheese and our burgers.”

Having worked in kitchens her whole life, Eslien’s love for all-things food spawned at a young age. By 7 she was making her Fijian mother and German father family meals. “I surprised them by cooking,” she

Beautiful Sunsets on the

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Live Music Every Friday and Saturday $5 Appetizers EVERY DAY 4pm-6pm 2 Ann St, Downtown Wilmington

www.pilothouserest.com • (910) 343-0200 8 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

it at first, but, eventually, you love it and will go through it again and again.”

—Tiffany Eslien, Hops Supply Company

recalls. “I can remember trying to make a pork-chop dish that didn’t turn out well. It was extremely salty. I watched Mom season it, but when I did it myself, I definitely went a little heavy.”

She continued helping out in the kitchen and sharpening her knife skills. She’d cook with her family for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, as well as help her mother entertain for guests. Eslien found a love for the Chinese and Indian flavors imparted on Fijian cuisine. “Mom did a lot of curry,” she explains. “I think that’s why I love spicy heat and bold flavors. My dad’s German, so there would be as much pork, hocs, sauerkraut, and ribs at home, too. It was a very diverse kitchen.”

When Eslien broke it to her parents she wouldn’t be returning to school, after her first year at Marquette University in Wisconsin (to study pre-denistry/orthodonistry), they were not as pleased. Still, she knew her passion was in food, plain and simple. “I never played around in someone’s mouth like I had played around in the kitchen,” she deadpans. Though unfamiliar with all the ins and outs of the restaurant industry, she had waited tables at a small Sicilian restaurant and always itched to get behind the stove.

“I saw it from a different angle,” she remembers. “I wanted to learn everything. But my first year at Marquette was all science, and I thought, Oh, my god—six years of this! I was already pulling my hair out. I thought, If I’m gonna invest four or five years in school, I’m doing culinary.”

Off to Providence, Rhode Island, Eslien went. Her life growing up in a kitchen already gave her a one-up with understanding cuts of meat and sauces, but culinary school helped refine other skills, such as improving expediency with a knife and understanding the physiology of flavors and biological effects of food and health. In 2006, at 23, Eslien graduated after studying two years in culinary and two years in nutrition.

“The nutrition part was just an educational piece and backup plan,” she explains. “I thought if I can’t handle schlepping in the kitchen, I could be a private chef. I had this weird dream of working for actors/actresses when they’re losing or gaining weight for roles—I thought I could help them do it more healthfully and not in such a body-shocking way.”

However, she landed a job at a fine-dining restaurant, T. Ashwells, upon graduating culinary school. A small 90-seat establishment, the independent fine-dining eatery, located on the peninsula of Wisconsin, drew a tourist crowd from Chicago during the summer.

“If we had 100 reservations, it was a busy night,” she notes. “We had a very small menu we printed daily. Fish and vegetarian dishes changed mostly; we had a baker come in and do rolls and sauces. And then I started playing around with desserts. I was the only girl in the kitchen, and I was able to create specials. The owner was a very trusting employer for such a young kid.”

Eslien eventually moved back to Milwaukee to work for Benchmark.

She did catering gigs for hotels in Chicago and Minnesota before going to Lowlands. “Then, I was in between five restaurants,” she says. “I ran one, and then half of my week I’d jump between others to fill in.”

Heading to the East Coast to Hops Supply Company has been a change of pace, in that Eslien focuses on one eatery now. But the

INDUSTRY workload maintains a hefty focus in attention. Aside from serving lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunches, she also caters private dinners and special events for the Hopshead Guild Members. Members can partake in food-pairing dinners with various inspirations, such as craft beers, barrel-aged bourbons, tapped wine, and even bacon. “The Master Craft dinners are fun,” Eslien says. “The next one will focus on BBQ. They’re inexpensive, too—$35 a person.”

At Hops the beer definitely takes center stage, as they offer upward of 50 flavors, all across the world. They also feature regional pours from Fayetteville (Huske Hardware Sledgehammer) to Asheville (Highland Gaelic) to Fuquay Varina (Aviator Devils Tramping Ground) to Kinston (Mother Earth Dark Cloud).

“I really like NC beers,” Eslien says. “I was at Asheville for a food show and tasted some of the best beer I ever had. I generally like stouts and Guinness, but there was one that was a waffle crème brulee thing that was just delicious.”

Currently, the chef enjoys playing around in her home kitchen with hoppy beers and spicy Asian flavors. She has become immersed in Wilmington’s abundance of local food purveyors. “I like fresh tuna, red snapper, mahi-mahi, mackerel, flounder ... it’s been a real treat to work that stuff,” she states. In fact, her catches of the day have boomed in popularity as of late.

“I want to do even more local,” she says. “Farmers’ market shopping, Port City Produce, local farms... Besides fish, I really like to cook down-home foods with a twist—with an Asian flare. I worked at a restaurant in college where we did French-Asian cuisine.”

She’s adjusting to Port City life rather well. On her days off, folks can

find her relaxing with a brew at Fermental or eating oysters in season at Shuckin’ Shack, in between making rounds at other dining establishments, like Rx or Manna. “When I’m not working, I’m spending my money on eating and drinking beer,” she quips.

During cooler months—at least last January—she was competing in Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series at Wrightsville Beach, wherein chefs are pitted against each other to design a three-course meal for about 65 people in six to eight hours only. Representing Hops, she went head to head with Clarke Merrell of Circa 81 out of Morehead City. Though she lost, she loved the challenge of creating food under pressure. With root beer noted as the secret ingredient, she created scallops and hash, duck breast and sharp-cheddar grits, and tres leches for dessert. “It was fun,” she says. “It was crazy. At first, you think six hours is a lot of time, and once you crack into it, you realize it’s not.”

Whether she’ll compete in the 2015 event remains to be seen.

However, Eslien most certainly will continue giving her all to her baby that is Hops Supply Company. “I think [being executive chef] is like being a mom or babysitting: making sure everyone’s on time, doing their job, checking up on people,” she reveals. “Sometimes, I cook a bit less—aside from all the specials I create. I have to let go and delegate more.”

Being the only female surrounded by a male-dominated workforce can be a challenge. Though it’s not withstanding its payoffs. ”My management skills have changed positively,” she continues with a smile. “And I have the best team I’ve ever had right now.

For the most part, I am easy going and laid back. Maybe I I need to show all those men who’s boss a little bit more.”

—Shea Carver

FOOD PHOTOS

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Holland Dotts hollanddotts@gmail.com

910.685.1155 Food by Rx / Ogden Tap Room AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 9

Successful Restaurateurs From soul to Caribbean to Irish fare

BY Christian Podgaysky ● Devour assistant editor Restaurants come in a slew of variations. Some are rendered by business-minded people who open a franchise; others are started by chefs with a dream and ambition.

No matter which incarnation, a significant amount of dedication is required. Luckily for Wilmington, there is an abundance of driven culinary talent. Palates across the Port City routinely are sated by divergent muses. Most restaurateurs even treat their businesses like members of the family. It’s apropos, even, as a restaurant is like a child: It has to be slowly and carefully nurtured. Not unlike a parent realizes a child’s talent and aids him in seeing it to fruition, a restaurateur must recognize his niche and guide the business in the right direction. We spoke with four restaurateurs in Wilmington who dedicate almost every waking hour to ensure their family-owned and operated establishments remain top-of-mind in the customer directory of go-to restuarants. Let us introduce you...

Photo above of B.T. Corrigan ● Photos by Holland Dotts 10 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

INDUSTRY

“Whenever we go to Jamaica, they just greet me like, ‘Valerie, you’re back!’ That is what we’ve tried to do here: create that same sense of family.” —Valerie Lingo

Valerie Lingo Jamaica’s Comfort Zone • 417 S College Rd #24

Rich with beaches, sun, food, and culture, Jamaica long has been a go-to spot for a relaxing vacation. There’s no need to tell, Jamaica’s Comfort Zone restaurateur Valerie Lingo this information; she lost count of the trips she’s made to the island after about 22. “[My daughter, Yolanda, and I] would go there two or three times a year,” Lingo tells. “Just for short vacations. Jamaica seemed like home to us, so we kept going back, and then when we decided to open [Jamaica’s Comfort Zone] it just fit right in. We already had a bunch of music. We had some of the pictures, and we just had that connection.”

Before launching the restaurant, Lingo worked in corporate America as a director for the Tenant Healthcare Corporation. In 2007 the corporation announced only one director would remain on staff, and the other would receive a buyout package. This came two weeks before Jamaica’s Comfort Zone was set to open, so Lingo volunteered to take the package and headed to Wilmington.

Initially, she wanted the operation to be run by her husband Ulysess, her daughter, and a family member who needed employment. “When I got here, I realized the talent to manage the restaurant was within me—not with the people I was interviewing and not with the person [i.e. the family member] who partnered with us,” Lingo recalls.

Jamaica’s Comfort Zone opened November 7th, 2007. Eight years later, the staff contains Lingo, Yolanda, who works mainly on the weekend, and Ulysess, who comes down once a month from their home state, New Jersey.

Lingo remains the primary operator of the restaurant. Maintaining consistency during its upstart was the biggest challenge.

When the restaurant began, several of the chefs were Jamaican— each with their own style of cooking.

“Bringing the foods back and making them restaurant quality took awhile,” Lingo elaborates. “If one guy cooked one item, it

may not taste the same as if another were to do it. Since I was purchasing the ingredients, I knew what went into the dishes.”

Soon enough the initial cooks left to pursue other ventures, which left Lingo tasked with perfecting Caribbean fare. “I would make a small batch [of our dishes], and my daughter would taste it and say, yes, no, or this is what’s needed,” Lingo describes. “I kept writing them down. When I finally got the recipes where I wanted them to be, I would then send it to my husband, and he would convert it to a gallon or whatever I needed for large quantities.”

Now the menu comes complete with curry goat and/or chicken, Brownstew chicken, Jerk chicken and/or pork, and oxtail—each dish featuring a signature taste as a result of Lingo’s hard work. The eatery also revels in Caribbean drinks. Yolanda has become the restaurant’s unofficial “drinkologist.” Her Rum Punch proves a crowd favorite.

Like any successful restaurant, Lingo boasts a number of regulars.

In fact, she reports two ladies come in every week. “If they miss a day, I will see them some other day” she explains.”They will apologize and tell me what happened” Lingo rewards such customers with a loyalty card. After nine trips to Jamaica’s Comfort Zone, diners get $9 off their next meal.

The operators also treat customers with the same warm welcome they receive when they take trips to Jamaica; their goal is to make the eatery feel like an oasis. “Whenever we go to Jamaica,” Lingo states, “they just greet me like, ‘Valarie, you’re back!’ That is what we’ve tried to do here: create that same sense of family.”

She also keeps community top-of-mind by providing food when Penguin brings reggae artists to town, or when the Cameron Art Museum or UNCW hold a cultural event, or when a local book club requests a catering. Actually, Lingo has really began honing in on the restaurant’s catering capabilities over the past year. In the future, they plan to host more private parties in the restaurant. No matter what the request—“even if it’s just a plate of food.”

Though the restaurant industry sees a lot of turnover in employees, Lingo remains proud of giving opportunities to workers despite their criminal record. The only requirement for employment is a strong work ethic and a positive attitude. “We talk about [their record], and we discuss what’s allowed and what’s not allowed and go from there,” she clarifies.

As of January, Lingo’s been upgrading the restaurant’s furniture and even created a new logo—rasta colors intact. Keeping things fresh for customers is important. She even issued new menus and table tents.

Lingo and her daughter will return to Jamaica this month. As always their trip will bring new inspiration to the restaurant—whether via new recipe or new art work for the walls. “I just extend my vacation by coming to work,” Lingo says with a smile.

B.T. Corrigan Halligan’s Public House • 3317 Masonboro Loop Rd.

A halligan bar is a tool utilized by firemen and police officers to forcibly enter a building. Though not forcefully, B.T. Corrigan certainly broke down the barriers and made his restaurant, Halligan’s AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 11

INDUSTRY Public House, known locally. The restaurant provides an Irish flair to Wilmington’s culinary scene, and though a pub, it maintains a family atmosphere.

Corrigan’s brother, a firefighter, owned three eateries of the same name in New York (two in the city and one in Warwick). It was there that Corrigan received his first taste of working in a restaurant.

“I thought I was going to get out of the business from New York City,” he explains. “When I came down here (12 years ago), to make a better life for my family, I went into sales and did that for about nine years.”

Corrigan’s constant travels in sales kept him away from his family a lot. He also missed the restaurant business. Tossing ideas around with his brother, who still operated the New York incarnations, kept his appetite whetted.

“I thought Wilmington was ready for a nice Irish-atmosphere restaurant,” he tells. “I wanted it to be a local, neighborhood bar and restaurant.”

Corrigan opened Halligan’s four years ago on Masonboro Loop Road. “It is long hours, but I get to see my family and friends all the time, because they’re here,” he says.

Located around the neighborhood in which Corrigan lives, the restaurant quickly caught garnered a number of regulars. It took no time at all to achieve a core base of customers that most restauratuers only dream about.

Business was so good that in 2013, Corrigan launched a second location on Eastwood Road in Lumina Station. “It was like having a new addition to the family,” Corrigan comments. “You put a lot of time and care into it, and you work very hard to put out a good product and hope everyone likes it.”

The new location’s popularity soared as much as his flagship; it also meant double the work. A typical day in Corrigan’s world consists of dropping his kids off at school, picking up products for Halligan’s, doing the books for both restaurants, and talking to the staff at each location. When mid-afternoon rolls around, he begins preparation for dinner, as he works in the kitchen, too. He compares it to “Groundhog Day.” “For me it’s very tough, because it’s hard to be in two locations at once,” Corrigan tells. A quality set of dedicated employees prove essential. “Everybody knows my managers; when I’m not there, they treat it as their own. The staff cares about the restaurant; it’s not just a job where they come and go.”

Despite the strenuous nature of owning and overseeing two restaurants, he prioritizes, making each customer feel welcome. “I love it,” Corrigan says. “Everyday you just go up and say hello, and [make customers] feel like they want to come in, talk, and hang out.

It’s not always just because of drinking and eating.”

Though the company is great, the food keeps customers coming back. Halligan’s has become known for the corned beef served on their Reuben. Chunks of tender meat make it a hit. The Irish Whiskey BBQ sauce for their Celtic wings and boxty entrées bring Gaelic flair, while their Carolina burger appeases appetites of the South.

As well, their Cuban, one of Halligan’s top-three selling sandwiches, and the sweet-potato fries constitute dishes rarely seen at an Irish eatery. Corrigan keeps fare diversified to satisfy many taste buds 12 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

“I keep an attitude of gratitude. It’s wonderful to have a loyal following; especially here locally. We have a lot of locals. They’re almost like family. You get to know them, and if one of them gets sick or dies, its like part of your family. It’s really personal to us. ” —Larry Casey (above with his wife, Gena) and makes sure everything’s served fresh.

“Every four to five months we keep changing the menu,” he describes. “All my staples are the same, but we constantly bring on new sandwiches. I ask my crew to come up with ideas, and if it doesn’t work, no big deal.”

As well Halligan’s, keeps things affordable with specials like $2.50 pint night on Thursday, half-priced bottles of wine on Wednesday and $5 appetizers from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. everyday.

Corrigan deems community give-back just as important. He wants to ensure his restaurant is welcoming to everyone. “Anytime schools are interested, we’ll do a give-back night,” he tells. “We’ve done quite a bit over the years. We’ll have guest-bartender nights, where all the tips are given back to an organization, too. A business is very dependent on the community. Every organization that we give back to are our customers, so we’re directly affected.”

Halligan’s also has hosted several luncheons for a group of local business women to network. The last event in June catered to about 95 people. “We have a network of friends that are just phenomenal,” Corrigan says.

Larry and Gena Casey Casey’s Buffet • 5559 Oleander Dr.

Walking into Casey’s Buffet is like stepping through a portal to a simpler world: Grandma’s in the kitchen, and the only thing to worry about is finishing everything on the plate. The only difference

is Larry Casey’s manning the stove. His wife, Gena, shines her bright personality over the dining room. When watching her flit from table to table and talk to customers, it’s difficult to tell when she’s talking to a new customer or a lifelong friend.

Growing up poor in New Bern, food didn’t come easy for Larry.

“My favorite dish was anything I could get,” he describes. “It was either feast or famine, so I wasn’t really picky. But, some of my favorite dishes would probably be barbecued pork chops.”

Larry’s grandmother and mom were both whizzes in the kitchen.

Their attention to down-home cooking influenced Larry, though at the time, he didn’t know it. Larry originally wanted to utilize his innate talents in fine-dining. He attended the college of life, taking any culinary job he could get—a work ethic he brings to his current endeavor. He read every cookbook and took every class imaginable—from cake-decorating to sauces.

Larry’s been living in Wilmington since the early ‘90s. Prior to opening Larry’s Buffet with his wife, Gena, he worked for now-defunt Tasty Country for about 10 years.

“I always wanted to have my own place,” Larry states. “The owners wanted to retire, and I wanted to buy Tasty of Country. At the time, the real estate market was doing so well they could sell it for way more than I could afford to pay.”

Consequently, Larry respectfully gave them his six-weeks notice; raised Southern, he knows not to burn bridges. He established Casey’s Buffet in 2004. It started out as a country buffet, but began bringing more soul-inspired cuisine to the mix. As a result, the restaurant fulfilled a niche in Wilmington. “There aren’t a whole lot of places that serve pig’s feet, chitterlings (chitlin’s), homemade cheese biscuits, fat back, and some of the stuff I do,” he elaborates.

Though many buffets get a bad reputation, Larry ensures his foodstuff stays fresh. He keeps fixings—potatoes, okra, macaroni and cheese—in small pans; nothing’s made in extreme bulk. If he’s out of something, he and his staff are cooking another batch to replace it. As well, if a customer has dietary restrictions or desires something special-made, the Caseys try to accommodate. From the customer who’s first in line to the last one at closing time, Larry describes treating each with utmost appreciation.

“I keep an attitude of gratitude,” he tells. “It’s wonderful to have a loyal following; especially here, locally. We have a lot of locals.

They’re almost like family. You get to know them, and if one of them gets sick or dies, it’s really personal to us.”

The Caseys’ efforts show through myriad encore Best Of awards.

As well national acknowledgement by website Thrillist named Casey’s Buffet one of the 21 best soul food kitchens in the country.

“It absolutely was phenomenal,” Larry says. “I didn’t know it until a customer came in and told me about it; I hear everything from my customers.”

Larry’s not the only member of the family working at the restaurant. Aside from his wife, Gena—who takes care of accounting, Facebooks and cares for their 3-year-old, Arliss—the other three Casey children work at the restaurant, too. The familial aspect is both a blessing and a curse. “Just because they’re your children doesn’t mean they work like you,” Gena quips.

Casey’s Buffet adds to their services with thousands of catering gigs. Looking toward the future, they hope to put in a 40 or 50-person banquet room to hold private parties. With Southern food being such a commodity, they even had Darby Hinton (“Daniel Boon Show”) ask they ship him food to California. Because of this, Larry hopes to expand his exporting of Casey’s as featured service. “[Our success] is because of Larry; he makes it happen,” Gena concludes. “He has a gift—not just for cooking, but knowing when to cook and how much to cook.”

“Fresh tastes better”

$4.69 DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS

*Kids eat for $.99 all day on Sundays! *Ogden location only.

www.hibachitogo.com Ogden Location: Hampstead Location:

15248 Highway 17 North Hampstead, NC 28443 910.270.9200 Drive-thru, call in or walk up

6932 Market Street Wilmington, NC 28411 910.791.7800 Dine in or carry out

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 13

Working Family Farm: Old River benefits community, offers healthy harvest

BY Linda Grattafiori ● Devour contributor

Old River Farms’ 450 acres of beautiful, fertile farmland in Burgaw, NC, has rolling green pastures as far as the eye can see, and is fed by rivers and streams on all four sides. This fully functional farm presents the perfect stage for the Cape Fear BBQ Festival, Revolutionary War re-enactments, educational field trips, weddings, and other public and private events. Purchased from dairy farmers in 1973, Dean and Susan Lanier, and their two sons, Michael and Benjamin, own and operate the land. Years ago the Laniers could have sold it to row-house developers and turned a handsome profit. But passion and pride of what their pastures produce prevented the exchange. The family yields vibrant-hued vegetables, free from pesticides, and a herd of very friendly grass-fed cows.

Community-minded, the Laniers eagerly provide the highest-quality food, while also educating visitors on the benefits of growing their own. And if the question “Where’s the beef?” is asked, the customer just might be in luck. ● Photos by Holland Dotts; (above) The silo down on Old River Farm in Burgaw; (right) the farm is known for its black and red Angus cattle.

14 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

INDUSTRY Black and red Angus cattle—hormone-, steroid- and antibioticfree—feed on a huge amount of pasture. It comprises a blend of coastal Bermuda, oats and wheat. Michael compares it to going to a buffet for every meal and eating all you want. Additionally, the cows are given sweet corn, peanuts and a molasses mix to fatten them up. It results in lean but rich and flavorful meat.

Last season one bull with 28 cows produced 29 calves, including a rare set of twins. The Laniers have 69 people on their waiting list for high-quality Angus beef but can only serve 20. So far 800 pounds have been sold at almost twice the cost of grocery-store beef. (Eco-minded customers are willing to pay for meat that tastes delicious and is humanely raised and processed.)

To harvest these flavorful animals, the Laniers toured many nearby facilities. They chose Summit Processors, which is two hours away, to satisfy their humane practices. Company reps showed the Laniers every corner of the spotless facility. Once contracted, Summit Processors neatly packaged the Angus beef fully and honestly disclose the weight, nutritional information and of course the Old River Farms logo.

“We will have to buy more cattle,” Susan explains, “because we will only sell meat from cows we have raised. Ben takes care of our livestock, which is a full-time job by itself. He also manages our vegetable garden, as well as all of the pastures, and we could not do it without him.”

“We’re really on the ground floor with this,” older brother Michael adds, “and it’s exciting to know how much support we already have.

Restaurateurs like Keith Rhodes of Catch are very interested in our beef. My parents and I have always eaten local and/or organic food, and we’re enthusiastic about sharing our knowledge with a community-wide spectrum—from simple, one-dish fare to gourmet cuisine.”

The family understands more people want to eat healthy produce but cannot grow their own. The Laniers expanded their gardens this spring from 5 to 10 acres. They sold three different types of potatoes, sweet corn, broccoli, purple cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini, red okra, watermelon—including an orange variety—and a dozen kinds of heirloom tomatoes, including Cherokee purple.

Michael, a former middle-school science teacher and software developer, germinated the seeds for this produce in two 30-by-100 feet greenhouses. Seeding began for spring annuals and perennials last November.

Vegetable seeds were started in early March and were staggered to meet a certain planting schedule.

“We study it from year to year and adjust,” Michael details. “Last winter was tough to plant around. Our propane bill was very expensive.”

“When it’s cold, lighting the propane tanks is a seven-days-a-week job,” Susan continues. “One of our greenhouses is automated, but for the other, we light the tanks at night and again in the morning.”

An elementary-school teacher for 18 years, Susan feels like she’s “died and gone to heaven” now that her work and new home, which she shares with Dean, focuses solely on the farm. They wake up in the morning to the sounds of their “happy chickens.”

“I feel really good about the eggs I serve my family in the morning,” she says. “I feel really good about the beef I serve my family, and I feel good about serving more vegetables as they become available from the garden. I hope other people are conscientious about the food they buy.”

With this hope in mind, Susan, Michael and everyone on the farm help orchestrate educational field trips. The learning excursions are designed to meet the Common Core State and NC Essential Standards.

This is the fourth year public schools have paid the Laniers to teach 24 different lessons, depending on what’s growing. Lessons include plant-life cycles, seed germination, domesticated animals versus wild animals, and making clothes from cotton. Children are driven around the farm in two flatbed trucks filled with hay bales. The school kids visit the farm pets—two mini donkeys, two sheep, five pygmy goats, three dogs, three hens, one cat, and a pony named Bill. “I love being with the children,” Susan reports. “We use the Socratic method, which encourages critical thinking and helps students work through problems on their own.”

Michael’s creative enthusiasm for the learning process has led to a lot of success in both outdoor and indoor classrooms. When he worked for the public school system, his students’ scores rose from a 50-percent pass rate to 89 percent.

Susan and Dean conduct teacher workshops on agriculture at their farm and at UNCW. Married almost 40 years, the devoted couple has worked well together since they were 15 and 16 years old.

“He kept driving his tractor by my house,” Susan laughs. “My dad saw him and said, ‘That’s one hard-working young boy. You need to marry that boy!’ Sure enough, Dean asked me out soon after that, and we dated our junior and senior years. We married as soon as we graduated high school.”

Each parent is pleased with Michael’s second year of operation in an onsite retail garden center that features 200 varieties of annual, perennial and tropical plants. This summer knock-out roses, herbs,

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 15

INDUSTRY day lilies, and hardy hibiscus have sold well. Plus, euphorbia, variegated phlox and elephant ears have generated business. The garden center is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“My wife and I live across the northeast Cape Fear River,” Michael states. “I can actually drive my boat to work. We live in the swamp; the river is our front yard. We like to knock around ideas with the family about trying new things or making improvements. We’ve talked about opening a bakery, a bed and breakfast, an ice cream shop, and, yes, a restaurant.”

Now, Susan caters weddings on the farm—four in all this school year. “It can be a challenge to meet the expectations of everyone at the wedding,” she says. “But if they want a farm setting, they’re usually a little more laid-back.”

There’s never a dull moment. One recent farm surprise had Michael snapping to attention. He told his dad he was going swimming in their 8-acre swimming and irrigation lake. “OK, but there’s an alligator down there,” Michael’s father said.

Thinking his dad was pulling his leg, he headed out with a camera in hand, and sure enough there was a 10-foot, 300-pound alligator, basking in the sun. The farm is surrounded by water, but still, the alligator had to travel at least a half mile, and was either looking for food or a place to build a nest.

“I approached the alligator for a photo because it looked slow, tired and old,” Michael recalls. “I accidentally slipped down to the ground and the alligator darted lightning-quick to the side. If it had moved in my direction, it would have been on top of me. I called the wildlife folks and they said to leave it alone. It would leave on its own. And it did.”

Near the swimming hole is Dean and Susan’s beautiful, new house. Last Mother’s Day, Michael and Ben asked to take Susan out for dinner, but she said she’d prefer to cook some of their own Angus beef and hang out at home. With so much work to do on the farm, Susan wanted a day to just sit back, tell stories and enjoy her surroundings. She came up with a tasty recipe of marinated London broil and veggies skewered and grilled.

For the 50/50 marinade, blend balsamic vinegar and any favorite cooking oil. Add crushed garlic cloves, fresh oregano, salt, and pepper.

Marinate for 24 hours. Skewer chunks of zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes and onions, and brush with marinade. Grill ingredients until tender. Blot London broil dry and grill seven to eight minutes on each side.

For more information about Old River Farms (8711 Old River Road, Burgaw, NC 28425), go to oldriverfarmsnc.com or call Michael Lanier at (910) 616-5884.

● Photos by Holland Dotts; (top) The Lanier family, owners of Old River; (middle) Old River hosts field trips for school children to learn about agriculture; (bottom) An onsite retail garden features numerous flowers and plants.

16 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

Music, Food and Drink Specials

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12 Beers on Tap Enjoy our outdoor patio and the best pub food around!

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3317 Masonboro Loop Road (910) 791-1019

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1900 Eastwood Road (Across from Landfall) (910) 791-1019 AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 17

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK ‘TIL 2 a.m.

Broaching Breakfast Finding the best morning delights across ILM

o

BY Rosa Bianca ● Devour contributor and encore magazine restaurant critic

K, I admit it: I’m not the right person for this job. I don’t eat breakfast most days; I don’t care for a lot of breakfast foods.

I consider eggs more ingredient than food.

Breakfast gets short shrift in restaurant reviews. The rest of the general public seems to think it’s the most important meal of the day, so I took it upon myself to try something new—even if that something new is pretty common among most people.

Since eggs were out, I chose waffles and pancakes as my go-to breakfast foods.

I tried three local breakfast joints for a sample of their wares. I tried a few other things as well, but waffles and pancakes are the common thread. As a side note, can we agree waffles and pancakes are pretty much the same thing? It’s the same batter in a different shape. Really, there’s no need to argue about them anymore.

Jimbo’s Breakfast and lunch 1529 S. College Rd. • (910) 799-2211 Everyone has a favorite greasy spoon, and with apologies to those who frequent Ezzel’s, Jimbo’s is mine. Don’t go there for hickory smoked Canadian bacon or avant-garde omeletes. Jimbo’s is downhome food. It’s bad for you, and you’ll love it anyway. Hell, you’ll love it because it’s unhealthy.

I admit: I normally frequent Jimbo’s for cheeseburgers or fried chicken sandwiches. I prefer it just before dawn rather than just after. In the interest of my art, I sampled some breakfast fare. I went just a bit off the beaten path and ordered a Belgian waffle with chocolate chips and strawber18 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

HEAVENLY WAFFLES: Jimbo’s Belgian waffles sate the morning sweet tooth. Delicious strawberries and chocolate chips top the waffle, which is warmed to perfection. A generous spread of whipped cream completes the dish. Photo by Holland Dotts

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

—Lewis Carroll

EAT ries, coupled with a side seeds, and finally a drizzle of bacon. (I told you it was bad for you; I also told you, of honey.

With melon, you’d love it.) pineapple, watermelon, Belgian waffles are made and blueberries, no two with the same batter as bites were quite the same, pancakes, but unlike panbut each was equally satiscakes the chocolate chips fying. The sunflower seeds can’t be mixed in without and raisins gave textural gumming up the waffle iron. They’re spread on top contrast, and the hint of and allowed to melt ever honey didn’t overpower the so slightly from the heat fruit like I feared it might. of the waffle. You won’t In retrospect this was probfind farm-fresh strawberably my favorite dish from ries at Jimbo’s, at least not researching this article, and on top of your waffle; but it was the only one which the sugary, frozen ones give a sweet, cool crispdidn’t involve any bacon. ness to the proceedings.

Blue surf cafe Let’s not forget the rather copious helping of aerosol whipped cream.

250 Racine Dr. • (910) 523-5362 “With short strips of bacon baked right www.bluesurfcafe.com With all that sweetness, it’s easy to understand why I ordered bacon.

Blue Surf on Racine might make into the batter and a nice browning on the The salty meat offsets the sugar in a me rethink my opinions on eating style reminiscent of salted caramel. outside layer, [Pine Valley Market’s pan- a daily breakfast. I was too stuffed Side note: I’d like to compliment when I left to sample the grapefruit Jimbo’s on their bacon. I know there cakes] may be the best I’ve ever tried.” are as many opinions on the proper brulee but considered it too cool an cooking of bacon as there are grains idea not to try at some point, so they of sand on Kure Beach, but for my can expect to see me again. money, Jimbo’s does it right. Neither so chewy as to seem raw I vacillated between the peaches and coconut cream with ginnor so crispy as to be brittle, the flavor comes through beautifully.

I can’t endorse Jimbo’s as a part of a healthy diet, but I can tell ger waffles and the maple bacon waffles. I chose the latter but you it’s tasty. Add another 15 minutes to the elliptical machine and regretted it when I learned it was a plain waffle with maple syrup and crumbled bacon. My experience with PVM conditioned me enjoy yourself once in a while. You deserve it. to expect the maple flavor and bacon would be baked into the Pine Valley Market batter; however, the syrup was warmed before pouring (the only 3520 S. College Rd. • (910) 350-3663 way to do it as far as I’m concerned). The copious smattering of www.pinevalleymarket.com PVM’s relatively recent addition of breakfast to their already im- crumbled bacon imparted a salty counterpoint to the otherwise pressive culinary résumé may seem like an exercise in overachiev- cloying syrup. The waffle itself, seared crispy, held up nicely and ing, but those who do well are always looking to do more. Their didn’t grow mushy and wet under the syrup. lunch menu has never disappointed me, and I’m a big fan of their I was more thrilled with the potato hash, full of onions, garlic, catering operation. I hired them for my mother’s birthday a few bacon, ham, and cheddar. (I admit: I ate around the egg sunny years back, and they knocked it out of the park. I attended a wedside up.) It felt like a classic lumberjack style breakfast, both filling ding a couple years ago, which they catered; my fondness for their and flavorful. Garlic makes a wonderful, pungent addition to onNew York strip has lasted substantially longer than the bride and ion, and I suspect for a breakfast agnostic like myself, it provided groom’s fondness for one another.

PVM had no waffles to choose from, so I went for the bacon hints of lunch and dinner, making it more palatable to my personal pancakes with bourbon maple syrup. With short strips of bacon tastes. Collectively the dish is rich and salty. I highly recommend baked right into the batter and a nice browning on the outside adding a dollop of the Sriracha, stacked in plentiful quantities in layer, these may be the best pancakes I’ve ever tried. Bacon has a the condiment section, for a little extra heat, but the potato hash way of improving everything. The hint of bourbon in the syrup lent is delicious either way. smokiness normally absent from breakfastfare.

So that’s my foray into breakfast. I can’t say it’s made me a true Knowing I wasn’t likely to eat any healthier elsewhere while believer, but I’m a bit more inclined to schedule a breakfast meetresearching this piece, I ordered the yogurt bowl. Now, I know ing than I was before my little experiment. For those of you who breakfast isn’t all about pork and bread. The yogurt is absolutely covered with fruit, a smattering of golden raisins and sunflower are already fans of breakfast, all I can tell you is go try the yogurt.

● Above photo courtesy of Pine Valley Market

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 19

13th Annual Lighthouse Beer & Wine Festival

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Holland Dotts Photography

what we LOVE TO EAT

PUPUSAS La Kumbala 7213 Market Street • (910) 821-8283 They’re like pockets of ooey-gooey goodness! A traditional Salvadoran dish, pupusas are corn tortillas, stuffed with beans, cheese and meat, and served with a cool, crisp slaw salad and La Kumbala’s special sauce. For only $2.50 each, they’re a bargain, and they’ll fill up the belly nicely.

FRIED SEAFOOD PLATTER Oceanic Restaurant 703 S Lumina Avenue • (910) 256-5551 Dine right on the Atlantic on the Oceanic’s Crystal Pier to enjoy their fried seafood platter, loaded with hand-breaded fresh shrimp, flounder and oysters, and served with housemade apple coleslaw and French fries. It’s huge, too, ringing in at $22.95.

BACON-MUSHROOM OMELET Goody Goody Omelet House 3817 Market Street • (910) 762-0444 Since 1977 Goody Goody has become a breakfast standard among Wilmington diners. Their uber fluffy omelets cannot be beat, as they sandwich a plethora of fillings, including our personal favorite: bacon, mushroom and Swiss ($6.75). Cash-only, so leave the cards at home!

CARAMEL BREAD PUDDING 22 North 22 N Lumina Avenue • (910) 509-0177 At 22 North the menu changes daily. So be on the lookout for the caramel bread pudding, and order it when they have it. It’s made with French bread, golden raisins, and toasted pecans; soaked in cream, brown sugar, vanilla, and Hayden Basil bourbon, served with ice cream; $6.95.

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 21

Holland Dotts Photography

what we LOVE TO EAT

HEUVOS RANCHEROS FALLEN CHOCOLATE CAKE The Basics 319 N Front Street • (910) 343-1050 One spoonful and it will melt in your mouth in pure bliss! The Fallen Chocolate Cake at the downtown Southern eatery the Basics is rich in chocolatey flavor with a molten center. Served with fruit slices makes it feel a tad bit healthy; $5.75.

CRAB DIP

Elijah’s 2 Ann Street • (910) 343-1448

Creamy, cheesy and lumpy: It’s everything you could ask for in a crab dip. The rich, creamy cheese bubbles and sizzles as you dip garlic-buttered toasts into the sweet dip, filled with lump crab meat. It’s a decadent start to any meal; $11.95.

22 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

The Dixie Grill 116 Market Street • (910) 762-7280 Need a hearty meal on Saturday to work off Friday’s hangover?

Head to the Dixie for seared beef tips with peppers, onions and mushrooms, topped with cheddar jack cheese and served with seasoned black beans, two eggs, sour cream, salsa, and tortillas, all for $9.25. Just come early enough to get a seat; they fill up fast!

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN The Golden Chicken 417 S College Rd #22 • (910) 769-2599 Don’t miss the 1/4 chicken meal, which will leave you licking your fingers for days on end, just so you can relish a little bit more of that Peruvian flavor. Served with your choice of two sides, like fried yucca and canary beans, the price at lunch is only $6!

Holland Dotts Photography

what we LOVE TO EAT

FRENCH TOAST MEXICAN CORN & TAQUITOS Las Olas 1127 Military Cutoff Rd A-2 • (910) 679-4009 The Mexican street corn has become many foodie’s addiction!

Slathered in chile powder, aioli, lime, and cotija cheese, it’s insanely sweet and savory (two ears are only $5.95). Paired with a few taquitos, filled with either hickory-smoked pulled pork or salsa verde pulled chicken, makes it a winning meal (three for $7.50).

Causeway Cafe 114 Causeway Drive • (910) 256-3730 Causeway ups the ante on French toast, by making it with cinnamon-raisin sourdough bread. Or have it with banana walnut bread. Or Texas or whole wheat toast. Whichever you choose, your stomach will thank you and your wallet will, too; $4.99.

CLAY POT

LAMB GYRO

Saigon Bistro 21 N Front Street • 910-769-2628

The Greeks 124 Princess Street • (910) 343-6933

Also known as Com Tay Cam, this clay pot of seafood stew comes packed with crab, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and squid, stirfried in a light tomato sauce with a slight spiciness on top of slow cooked herbed Spanish rice with white wine. $15.99

Nothing says Greek ecstasy like a lamb gyro, carved right from the spit, served at The Greeks (their downtown location is where we eat)! Served on pita bread with homemade tzatziki, red onions, tomatoes and romaine lettuce, it’s a mouthful of taste! $6.49.

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 23

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.

HALLOUMI GRILLED CHEESE INGREDIENTS: Sub rolls Couple pickled beets, julienned Small cucumber, julienned Small to medium heirloom tomato, seeded and diced Halloumi, thinly sliced Cracked pepper METHOD: The point of this snack is that it’s really the best pressed as slim as an inch, and wrapped in foil, and eaten walking around a park or city block. If you don’t have a sub or panini press, use a frying pan and a pot you can fit into it. Wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil and let it sit in the pan while that preheats on medium high. Spoiler: you’re going to be the press! Anyway, layer the sub rolls evenly with cheese, and then distribute veggies on top. Pop the top back and, and dry, no oil, either close the press or put the sandwich in the pan then lean on it with the foil-covered pan and press down heavily, and evenly, for about four to five minutes, until the bread begins to get golden on both sides and the cheese melts slightly. Repeat, with as many as you like (should be, like, a lot). Wrap in foil, tuck in backpack, and go.

24 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE INGREDIENTS: 4-5 pineapple rings 1/2 cup pineapple’s juice 1/2 cup light brown sugar 4 tbsp butter (or coconut oil/veg oil) 1 1/2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 3/4 cup milk (whole, soy, almond, coconut) 3/4 cup applesauce 1/2-3/4 cup granulated sugar Squeeze lemon Pinch kosher salt METHOD: Arrange your pineapple rings in the bottom of a nine or 10 inch round cake tin. Set aside, and in a small sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and whisk in the brown sugar.

Then add the pineapple juice. Heat until it’s all velvety and melted together, stirring often with a whisk so it’s very smooth. Take off the heat and let it cool for a few seconds. Not too long, or it will get really sticky (you just made caramel, really). Grab your tin with the pineapples and pour it over quickly and carefully. Set aside.

Meanwhile, sift your flour, white sugar, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl. Add milk, applesauce, and milk. Mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula. The batter should be smooth, and wet, but not runny. Thick. Add flour if it’s too thin, and applesauce if it’s too thick. Pour cake batter over the sticky caramel and pineapple rings. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. It’ll get gold and begin to spring away from the pan. Test it with a tooth-

EAT Cumin Cayenne METHOD: This is a family favorite in summer or winter, but you can’t beat it’s zing on a hot sunny day. Season the chicken liberally with salt, cracked pepper, curry and cumin. Let them reach room temp before you start grilling. Preheat your pan on high. Chop your scallion, cilantro, and celery. Grill three minutes, flip. Three more minutes and flip again, until cooked through. Set aside in fridge to chill and when it’s cool enough to touch, shred into a large bowl with your hands. Add the rest of your veg, herb, raisins and almonds. Then the greek yogurt. I put a hell of a lot of curry powder on it, then a little bit of cayenne. That’s it, really.

pick, and when it comes out clean take the cake out of the oven.

Let it rest for about ten minutes, then invert it onto a large plate.

It should pop out easily.

CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS: 2 free range chicken breasts 2 1.2 cups nonfat plain greek yogurt Celery Raisins Sliced almonds Scallions Cilantro Curry powder Salt and pepper

WATERMELON FETA SALAD INGREDIENTS: Big fat chunks of watermelon Small bunches mint and parsley, chopped roughly so they’re like salad leaves.

1/2 cup feta Juice of two limes Olive oil Red onion, sliced as thin as possible Cracked pepper METHOD: Slice the onion and steep the rings in a bowl with the lime juice for 20 minutes. They’ll get less viciously sharp, and turn an awesome pink. Meanwhile, put watermelon, cheese and herbs into a bowl. Add the neon onions, lime juice, oil and toss gently with your hands so everything gets an even coat. Crack some pepper over and taste to make sure it’s perfect. It probably will be, or close.

http://dearemilycaulfield.wordpress.com AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 25

Cocktails and Conversations Tossing around “Master Mixologist”

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

t

he first thing a good bartender will do after saying hello is drop a cocktail napkin down on the bar in front of the customer. Sometimes they will use it to wipe their face or blow their nose; but in most cases, they just let it lie. We do this to bind customers to us as they scan the menu—just in case they were thinking of getting up to go. That little square of paper is our way of saying, “Give us a try, even if you aren’t sure what some of the ingredients taste like.” (Particularly, digestivos and aperitifs.)

A smart bartender will be happy to explain—for example—how Chartreuse is made by Carthusian monks at the foot of the Alps. The recipe was part of a secret manuscript given to them 400 years ago. It utilizes over 130 herbs and flowers. An even better bartender also will give a taste.

“Medicine-y” is a common response.

Perhaps because a medicine is what most spirits were intended to be: water of life, vitality in a jar, a cure-all to numb the pain, and restore a person’s courage. With an increasing amount of exotic ingredients on many cocktail lists, more and more customers have begun surrendering their choice into their bartender’s hands—like Roger, a regular, who showed up recently with a new female friend.

“Surprise me,” he said, when I asked what he would like. “Just don’t show me a naked picture of my ex-wife,” he added, pounding his fist lightly on the bar. His companion, a forty-something vixen, with eyes much younger, seemed eager to change the subject. “I hear you’re a master mixologist,” she said.

SHAKE AND STIR: Joel Finsel tends the bar at downtown’s Manna. Photo by Trent Williams

“The hard part about being a bartender is figuring out who is drunk and who is just stupid.”

—Richard Braunstein

26 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

IMBIBE “Do anything long enough, and you’re bound to get good at Please, don’t think you are anything but a cheap booze-slinger if you’re not juicing fresh citrus every night and making your own it,” I replied. bitters and syrups. Even when you’ve mastered those things, you’d “Yeah, but he’s won awards and stuff,” Roger said. “Ask him.”

“I’ve gotten lucky a few times,” I said. “What would you like to still be nothing close to a “master mixologist.” That comes when every guest—no matter how annoying—feels better walking out drink?” your door than they did walking in, because you anticipated every “Surprise me, too,” she said. need before it arose, listened more than you talked, and didn’t Roger shook his head and grinned.

We tend to get this request a lot lately: bartender’s choice. Some give away free drinks to entice friends to leave bigger tips (you nights they can be a blessing—an expression of creative freedom. know who you are).

I was still thinking about all of this as I floated blackberry liqueur Other nights they can be paralyzing, like when a friend you haven’t seen in a while asks, “What’s new?”, and the thought of trying to over Roger’s crushed-ice cocktail. I wanted to tell his friend that condense months of experience into a few meager lines becomes to be a master of anything was like trying to catch a handful of air crippling. I’ve found it’s best just to relax and see what pops up out with your fingers; as soon as you feel worthy of such an eminent mantle, you’ve already begun to slip. of the unconscious archive. In RogBecoming a master is about aspiring, er’s case, it was easy: a Blackberry not gaining. As I strained her cocktail, Bramble. Deciding to play it safe “Please, don’t think you are anyI wanted to explain this to her. I held with his friend, I chose to introduce back because I understood how the her to the world of craft cocktails thing but a cheap booze-slinger if ignorant try to sell us as “mixologists.” with my Doctor J. you’re not juicing fresh citrus evHolding my lighter in my left hand, As I began gathering the ingreI squeezed an orange peel into the dients, I thought about her “master ery night and making your own flame, flaring up the oils above the rim mixologist” comment. I’ve heard bitters and syrups.” of her glass and releasing a toasted citthe term get tossed around fairly rus bouquet into the air. I wanted to arbitrarily these days, and I suppose tell her that, in the end, it wasn’t even it’s good if it gets people excited supposed to be about me; rather, I was about craft cocktails. Still, something about it didn’t feel right. I wondered: Would you call a sculptor with 16 years experience a there for them. Others already had sat down, leaving little time to explain. I simply said, “thanks,” and moved on. master?

It caused me to reflect on my career. I was only a kid when I landed a job at the Astral Plane in Philadelphia. The bar was small, but the owner gave me the freedom to experiment. I was still a journeyman who just happened to be on my game the night the editor at StarChefs came in on a busy Saturday to try my drinks and later dub me the city’s “Rising Star Mixologist.” Sure, my drinks were good, but some of them weren’t even mine. A few were still holdovers from my predecessor (so go the barman’s blues). The following year, I beat out 24 other bartenders to win the Philadelphia Cocktail Classic and went on to have my recipes published in national magazines like Cosmopolitan. A few years later, I had to be careful not to let my head swell when Playboy.com called me “one of the top ten bartenders in the nation” in 2009. Still, none of those honors made me feel like I’d “mastered” my craft, as the woman implied.

I suppose it’s an easy thing for a customer to say, and equally effortless for a bartender to smile and go along with (you certainly don’t want the customer to think less of you), but something about how easily she took my word for it didn’t seem right. As I poured their drinks, I started to wonder about the criteria for such a lofty title. Just because you’ve had your recipes mentioned in the newspaper, or beat out a handful of others at a regional contest, doesn’t mean you’re adept. A master has to be able to chip a perfect sphere from a jagged shard of ice, using nothing but an ice-pick and bare hands. You have to be able to name the holy trinity of herbs that go into making absinthe, and explain the point of distillation that gives Scotch-whisky its smoke—mixing and straining, all the while.

A master can explain the difference between tequila and mezcal coherently while three-deep with service tickets. A master equally must be able to pull away from explaining such bits of random barroom lore—such as the golden ratio or the contributions of Cajun apothecary Antoine Amadee Peychaud to the craft—when servers begin to glare because too much time has passed.

Doctor J Orange cream citrate may sound like a multiple-choice answer on a futuristic science quiz, but it’s really quite old-fashioned. Back in the days of soda jerks, one would have mixed it at a soda fountain with syrup. Staying true to this model (and because all good cocktails require a delicate balance of flavors), I add lemon juice (acid), simple syrup (sweetener), homemade vanilla vodka, and club soda, to lengthen this original cocktail creation.

1.5 oz house-infused vanilla vodka (take 6-8 whole vanilla pods, slice in half, drop into your favorite bottle, and wait 24 hours, shaking occasionally) ½ oz. fresh lemon juice ¾ oz. simple syrup 4-5 drops of Bittermen’s orange cream citrate 1 ½ oz. club soda or mineral water Shake the gin, lemon juice, orange cream citrate, and simple syrup over ice for 20 seconds before straining into a pre-chilled martini glass. Gently top with soda. Garnish with a flaming orange twist.

Blackberry Bramble Created in the mid-1980s by Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Club in Soho, London. ½ oz. gin ¾ oz. lemon juice ½ oz. simple syrup ¾ oz. creme de mure (blackberry liqueur) Shake the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup with cracked ice, and strain into a double rocks glass. Top with crushed ice and gently float the blackberry liqueur on top. Garnish with a skewer of blackberries.

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 27

What’s Up With Wheat?

The skinny on full-flavored global beers

BY Bethany Turner ● Devour freelancer When expanding from the American adjunct lagers, concocted by the big three, curious beer drinkers often head to flavorful but safe options, such as the wellknown American wheat Blue Moon. Others may be willing to try other fruity wheat styles as they branch out from the pack. Belgian witbiers, German weissbiers, and American pale wheat ales can satisfy the need for more complex tastes while remaining sessionable. Often consumers lump these three styles together, despite their varying characteristics. Knowing the difference between wit, weissbier, and American wheat beer—and which style elicits a customer’s favorite flavor—will alleviate confusion about what exactly we’re getting when ordering a wheat. ● Courtesy photos.

28 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

SIPS SUDS AND

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AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 29

of paradise, ginger root, sweet orange peel, and bitter orange peel.

IMBIBE WITBIER Always liberally spiced, witbier—Dutch for “wheat beer”—is based on the eastern-Belgium farming culture and the inclination to use local barley, wheat and oats paired with items imported from faraway markets. Hops, these days usually East Kent Golding or Saaz, impart an herbal character.

Originating from Belgium and the Netherlands, witbier calls for half-malted barley (very pale, usually a Belgian or German pilsner malt), half raw wheat (traditionally hard-red winter wheat) and occasionally 5 percent or less of oat.

Hoegaarden (pronounced “who-garden”) is the most recognized example in America. Monks in the small town of Hoegaarden, east of Brussels, were the first to create Belgian wheat beer around 1445. The location is a huge player in the campaign for witbier. At one point, there were over 30 farmhouse breweries in Hoegaarden, but the last closed in 1957. Nine years later, Pierre Celis—a meager milkman who missed his favorite white beer—revived the brew. It is now owned by Interbrew, and Stella Artois is its sister under the same company. Pierre’s name lives on in Austin, Texas, where he opened Celis Brewery and crafted Celis white.

The long-established convention is to use coriander and orange peels in the brewing process, which the Belgian monks began when applying these ingredients imported from Curacao. The duo evokes a tropical aroma and honey flavor one can expect from Hoegaarden and other witbiers. Fermented twice but never filtered, Hoegaarden pours hazy and light yellow, with great head retention. It’s especially effervescent, tingling even on the lips, yet retains a soft mouthfeel.

American-brewed options available locally may vary from the original recipe but are still good runners-up for the style.

ALLAGASH WHITE Allagash Brewing Company Portland, Maine ABV: 5% Allagash Brewing Company, as their website touts, “began as New England’s original Belgian-style brewery” in 1995. Thus, Allagash White was founder Rob Tod’s first release. The beer is crafted with the traditional Curacao orange peel, coriander, and wheat in place of barley, along with a proprietary yeast strain.

The beer pours a pure yellow, though not as hazy as Hoegaarden. The citrus flavor is strong, with hints of pineapple from blending with the heavy spice, while picking up on mild, herbal hops. The finish is clean and fresh.

RAZOR WIT BELGIAN-STYLE WHITE ALE Highland Brewing Company Asheville, North Carolina ABV: 4.5% The summer seasonal from North Carolina’s Highland Brewing Company, Razor Wit, is a great American interpretation of the Belgian witbier style. The pale-yellow brew is semi-transparent, and the orange flavor comes through beautifully. Spice and hops mingle on the tongue, as Highland ups the ante with cumin, coriander, grains 30 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

WEEPING WILLOW BELGIAN WIT Mother Earth Brewing Company Kinston, NC ABV: 5% Perhaps it’s North Carolina’s summer heat that attracts state brewers to witbier, but Mother Earth also has created a Belgian-style brew; this one’s available year-round. Bitter orange peel and high levels of coriander come through full-force in this wit, balanced by low hops. The citrus exudes more lemon than sweet orange.

WEISSBIER While Belgian witbiers utilize half-malted barley and half raw wheat, German weissbiers use half-malted barley, at least 50 percent malted wheat (it can be as high as 70 percent) and a very assertive yeast. True weissbiers never contain added botanicals or spices. It’s the yeast that generates the unique flavors of banana and clove through phenol compounds. To describe a beer as “phenolic” means to take note of its spicy or sometimes medicinal characteristics. Additionally, the yeast produces esters, which give off a fruity flavor and aroma.

The Reinheitsgebot, otherwise known as the Germany Beer Purity Law, once stated that beer could only be made with malt, hops and water. With Louis Pasteur’s discovery of yeast and its function in the 1860s, the law was amended to include yeast. Ayinger Brauweisse, a Bavarian import available locally, is brewed to this law, as are all German weissbiers.

At 5.1-percent ABV, it pours a hazy golden orange-yellow with a thick white head. The banana aroma is evident, and the brew’s buttery, viscous feel goes down smooth.

A familiar term in wheat beers is “hefeweizen” (or “hefeweissbier”), which is the name assigned to unfiltered wheat beers. Kristallweizen, or kristallweiss, refers to a wheat beer that has been filtered, removing the yeast from suspension and excess wheat proteins.

PAULANER Paulaner Brauerei Munchen Munich, Germany ABV: 5.5% Paulaner is available at most craft-beer stores and craft-heavy bars in Wilmington. In the glass, it appears a deep orange color. It’s sweeter and less complex than the other German weissbiers on this list, and a fruitier apricot flavor comes through from the wheat. Still, it’s one of the top three hefeweizens in Germany.

WEIHENSTEPHANER Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Freising, Germany ABV: 5.1% Weiehenstephan is the oldest still-standing brewery in the world—since 1040 they’ve been brewing—and they produce an archetypal hefeweizen. The spice notes are strong with this one. Immediately after popping the cap, it’s almost as if there were a big bowl of clove directly underneath one’s nose. The spice remains hefty on the front of the palate, while banana closes in on the finish. A smooth, buttery mouthfeel remains.

ERDINGER Erdinger Weissbrau Erding, Bavaria ABV: 5.3% Erdinger is the number-one selling hefeweizen in Germany and

leads the international market for weissbier. No pun intended, it follows the Reinheitsgebot—the true purpose of which is to ensure no low-quality brewing ingredients (such as corn or rice) or additives are used. (Plus, it helps Germany in taxation, but that’s another story).

Erdinger pours a golden orange-yellow with a creamy white head. Banana and apricot come through in aroma and flavor, while the phenol compound gives off a medicinal taste, thanks to the yeast. Erdinger’s mouthfeel is viscous and it passes softly along the tongue.

MAISEL’S WEISSE KRISTALL Brauerei Gebruder Maisel Bayreuth, Bavaria ABV: 5.1% Not as heavy as most wheat beers, this filtered kristallweizen is sessionable. A lot of the beer’s enjoyment is in the clove-powered aroma. Banana flavors appear at the beginning of each sip, while fruity esters float through to the finish.

PINKUS ORGANIC HEFEWEIZEN Brauerei Pinkus Mueller Munster, Germany ABV: 5.1% Established in 1816, Pinkus is the world’s first organic brewery. Their hefeweizen pours hazy, of course, and deep yellow. Banana is highly evident on the nose and on the taste buds; it finishes a little sweeter than Erdinger or Weihenstephaner.

KELLERWEIS Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Chico, California and Mills River, North Carolina ABV: 4.8% Available year-round from Sierra, Kellerweis is brewed via the Bavarian tradition of open fermentation: the steel tanks are open at the top to allow the yeast to thrive as it pleases. A very, very large percentage of beers are crafted in closedoff fermentation tanks. Sierra’s take is unique for the U.S., which is probably why it’s one of the much better American-made hefeweizens.

The unfiltered beer pours a light gold color and boasts flavors of banana, clove and nutmeg. It is tangier and crisper than its German brethren but still delicious.

AMERICAN PALE WHEAT ALE Like their Belgian counterparts, American wheat beers possess a substantial amount of wheat malt in each brew. The biggest difference for consumers is flavors vary much more across American wheats than they do from Belgian wit to wit or from German hefeweizen to hefeweizen. While the flavors tend to favor Belgian wits—additional spices are often seen, whereas banana and clove flavors are not often encountered—American pale wheat ales were derived from hefeweizens.

Early American craft brewers opted for house yeasts. More dependable than foreign yeast strains, these yeasts were neutral— meaning they don’t produce as many esters, such as clean ale or lager strains. Although wheat brewers in the U.S. began with German noble hops, they now typically choose American varieties which are known to generate more bite.

IMBIBE In fact, West Coast wheat beers are usually even hoppier because they’re inspired by American pale ales more than European wheat styles. The first produced by an American brewery after Prohibition (pre-Prohibition wheat beers were mostly produced on a small scale by German immigrants) originated on the West Coast at San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company in 1984. Anchor Summer Beer, a filtered version, is created with 60 percent wheat malt, German Hallertauer hops and an ale yeast.

In the past 30 years, craft breweries have been popping up on the United States map like wildflowers. Consequently, American pale wheat ales have flourished and taken on a plethora of flavors. Many can be found with fruit or spices added, ranging from apricot to watermelon. While Old-World wheats remain true to style, America’s craftbeer avant-gardes continue producing wheat ales that thrill and thirst-quench.

OBERON ALE Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo, Michigan ABV: 5.8% This summer seasonal, renowned across the country, uses Bell’s house ale yeast and wheat malt. It generates a hazy orange-yellow look with fruity, sweet citrus flavor and a smooth mouthfeel. The hops create a drier finish while mild spices dance on the tongue.

CIRCUS BOY Magic Hat Brewing Company South Burlington, Vermonth ABV: 4.5% Those interested in tasting the circus will have to travel out of town to acquire one; the Magic Hat website cites two spots in Swansboro: one in Cherry Point and another in Greenvillep. Called a hefeweizen on the bottle, Circus Boy is Americanized in its use of pale malt, Apollo hops, American yeast, and the rather large addition of organic lemongrass. Throw in wheat and hefeweizen yeast, and the beer is rounded out for banana and clove, while the lemongrass is on the tip of the tongue.

LITTLE SUMPIN’ SUMPIN’ ALE Lagunitas Brewing Company Petaluma, California and Chicago, Illinois ABV: 7.5% The highest ABV of all the beers on our wheaty list, this beer weighs in at 64.20 IBUs, and trumps the subtle hops in other wheat beers (usually around 10 to 20 IBUs).

Little Sumpin’ pours a golden color with a slight haze and a lingering white head. The aroma evokes thoughts of honey and rose petals. It’s brewed with three kinds of wheat malt and “all the hops that start with ‘C’”—we can bank on Centennial, Chinook and Cascade. The higher ABV is masked by the citric, piney hops, fruity peach flavor, and balanced malts. It’s a complex beer and a great example of the West Coast’s use of a pale-ale base.

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 31

UN

CORKED! Reviews and rambles on vino

Sumptuous Summer Sangria: A perfect drink for Coastal dwellers’ thirst

BY John Burke ● Devour columnist Serious wine snobs will have my head for this. It’s not something hardcore oenophiles admit all that often. They’ll pepper their sentences with words like “brix,” “terroir” and “mouthfeel,” but they won’t admit to this simple truth: In hot weather, sangria is delicious. In Wilmington we have a lot of hot weather, so we ought to talk about sangria.

For anyone unfamiliar, sangria is an Iberian concoction comprising wine, brandy, sugar, and fruit. It can be made with white or red wine, but students of Romance languages may correctly guess that red wine is the traditional choice: Sangria loosely translates to “bloodletting.” Regardless which style of wine is used, the final product is meant to be served cold and typically over ice. Many versions also include orange juice.

In their defense, the wine snobs have something of a point.

Sangria is meant to be made with sub-par wines. The fruit, sugar and brandy masks the wine’s natural flavors, so there’s no point in wasting a good bottle on sangria.

Sangria is readily available in bottles, though it is regulated by the European Union. Only ones produced in Spain or Portugal carry the name “sangria” on the label.

The liquor escalates the alcohol content, which some find a worthwhile alteration to the wine. More importantly, it acts as a preservative. Lovers of port and other fortified wines are familiar with these two qualities. Sailors many centuries ago discovered adding brandy to wine prevented spoilage on long journeys.

This fact is important because it gives purpose to the remnants of open wine that’s starting to turn. (Don’t laugh: I’m sure some of my readers leave at least a bit of wine behind when they open a bottle.) Sangria is a great way to avoid having to toss the remainder. Think of it as a casserole made from wine leftovers.

There are variations on sangria which forego the brandy in favor of lemon-lime sodas. These might be fun and tasty (I haven’t tried them myself), but they are not sangrias in any classic sense. Those looking for a little less impact from the alcohol (you’re laughing again, aren’t you?) might consider this alternative, but remember the preservative quality of the brandy will be lost. If anything, this variant would need to be consumed much more quickly, as the carbonation won’t last long after mixing.

The sugar content of sangria typically takes the form of simple syrup, but honey is an acceptable alternative. Be aware when using honey; it can be an overbearing flavor. It’ll have a much greater impact on the outcome, so mix accordingly.

Citrus fruits are most commonly used to flavor sangria, though 32 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

peaches, kiwi, apples, grapes, and pineapple are all common choices as well. I wouldn’t recommend banana, but feel free to experiment with berries.

Once comfortable with a sangria recipe, it easy to experiment with variations on the same theme. One of my favorites is a cinnamon-apple version. Though it’s not classic summer fare, it’s an interesting autumnal take on an old favorite.

For anyone seeking a more masculine alternative, comedian Adam Carolla markets something called “Mangria.” Instead of a little bit of brandy, Carolla substitutes a hefty helping of vodka, and combines it with red wine and orange juice. Proceed at your own risk.

However, I promised something for the interminable dog days of a Carolina coastal summer. Something with a lower alcohol content and greater drinkability won’t come amiss. My favorite version is a white-wine concoction heavily influenced by peach.

Admittedly, I make it by sight, so my measurements are estimates—the real fun of making sangria is tweaking it to your own specifications, no matter if you like red or white. Quite frankly, I think you’re doing it wrong if two pitchers turn out the same.

IMBIBE WHITE SANGRIA 1 bottle of cheap white wine (that pinot grigio someone brought to a dinner party three years ago will work nicely here) 3 shots of brandy 3 shots of peach schnapps 1 cup orange juice 3 sliced peaches, the thinner the better 1 container each of raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (I wouldn’t bother with canned) 1 cup of mango chunks Mix them all in a pitcher and let sit in the refrigerator at least overnight. More fruit flavor will bleed into the mix over a period of days, but don’t wait more than a week. Serve over ice, garnish with fruit if you’re so inclined.

Some people like the large chunks of fruit in their glasses while others strain. There’s no right or wrong answer here, so do what feels right.

I won’t lie to you, the peach schnapps probably imparts more peach flavor than the actual peaches, but no one drinks sangria for the vitamins in the fruit.

Sangria isn’t a high-minded beverage; no one sips it and waxes poetic about tannins on the mid-palate. It is a fun alternative to a cold beer on a hot day. Some of your more serious wine-drinking friends might turn up their noses, but anyone that serious about drinking probably shouldn’t be your friend in the first place. Their refusal is your gain: More sangria for you.

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AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 33

Community Resource New dining guide gets released for plant-based diets

a

s a vegan, dining out can be a challenge—especially when one’s new to town or new to the plant-based lifetsyle. Intimidation may arise over the inevitable nightly dinner debacle: “Where should we eat?”

That’s why 20-year vegan Sue Cag, founder of the local group Wilmington Vegan, launched a dining guide in May. After traversing the nation on tour, playing music for her fans, each town presented a new obstacle to overcome so she could maintain her dietary needs.

“The idea [to publish the Wilmington Vegan Dining Guide] came when I was traveling and discovered a vegan guide in the super vegan-friendly town of Portland, OR,” says Cag, who also oversees Folkstar record label with Kim Dicso, another Wilmington Vegan member. “I thought: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have such a resource in Wilmington? Could it really happen?”

Cag started Wilmington Vegan in 2011, mainly as a social group where folks could gather for support and potlucks. They’ve also participated in Earth Day, Pawz in the Park, and the Earth and Surf Fest. Cag launched a Facebook page for Wilmington Vegan, and it currently includes over 300 members. The most popular question she constantly fields are options of where to go for healthfully minded, yet creatively inspired meals. “The purpose of the guide is to be the definitive resource for allthings vegan in the area,” Cag explains.

The guide feaures upward of 50 establishments that serve and sell vegan foods.

From restaurants like 9 Bakery and Lounge, Sealevel Gourmet and Double Happiness, to bakeries like Uprising, to grocers like Tidal Creek and Lovey’s, to the numerous

34 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

BY Shea Carver ● Devour editor

TASTEFULLY, HEALTHFULLY RESOURCEFUL: Wilmington Vegan group released its first dining guide in May 2015, with 1,000 copies printed and available across town, at places like Old Books on Front Street, Tidal Creek, and Sealevel Gourmet. It’s also downloadable on their website, www.wilmingtonvegan.com.

56 billion farm animals are killed by humans annually, and 3,000 animals die in slaughterhouses.

—Wilmington Vegan Dining Guide

farmers’ markets across town, it’s comprehensive. All listings are comprised based on Wilmington Vegan members’ experiences, so the recommendations come first-hand from reliable sources.

“Of course I love Sealevel, since they’re the closest thing we’ve got to a vegan restaurant (but, unfortunately, they serve fish and dairy),” Cag notes. “The people and choices at Sealevel are great, especially the lentil burger. When I’m craving pizza, I’ll head to Mellow Mushroom or Brixx. When I want a good curry, I’ll go to YoSake. Great veggie rolls are at Nikki’s downtown.

Tasty dessert treats are at Uprising. My groceries come from Tidal Creek, and the farmers’ market, but that’s just me—everybody has different preferences.”

The guide efficiently organizes the resources with accurate and updated information. A lot of times just finding the correct spots to frequent as a vegan can be tough, and once they’re actually at a restaurant, it can still be overwhelming if staff aren’t properly trained or helpful.

“Servers that don’t understand what vegan means and/or staff that don’t know which ingredients are used in dishes [can be

“We need to stop thinking of animals as resources, and start viewing them for who they are: sentient beings whose lives deserve to be respected and valued.”

—Wilmington Vegan Dining Guide frustrating,]” Cag tells, “or [if they] provide conflicting/inaccurate information on menus and don’t mark dishes that are vegan.”

The Wilmington Vegan Dining Guide exists to alleviate some of the stress. Cag and her volunteers—including board members Frannie Sweeney, Caitlin Campbell, Kim Dicso, Sandra Sharpe, Christine Chavez, Dayna Hines, and Valerie Robertson—all contacted many of the local eateries, businesses, organizations, and markets to ask for improvements on their vegan offerings.

Positive feedback fueled the project. The guide even showcases advertising support from vegan-friendly establishments, including Doug Dixon MD, Progressive Gardens and Oriental Medical Therapies, among others.

“I’m a true introvert so talking to restaurants and businesses, well, that’s even tougher,” Cag admits. “Luckily, we have gregarious people on the board . . . Wilmington Vegan board member Frannie Sweeney, in particular, got more than half of our advertisements due to her previous sales experience.”

Aside from releasing the free guide, Wilmington Vegan has a lot of other projects in the works, too, all in hopes of strengthening their reach. They already do a bi-weekly newsletter, and on their website, www.wilmingtonvegan.com, they offer a calendar of events, along with a blog. Plus, they’re launching a new mentor program. The latter will ensure vegans get one-one-one support while immersing into the lifestyle. “There are a lot of people in our community who have questions or need help getting started or figuring their way around ingredients, recipes, groceries, and so forth,” Cag says. “It can also be for someone farther along who could use general support in what can be a hostile world.”

The mentor will sit down with the mentee and talk about what it means to be vegan—to live a thoughtful, compassionate life, by taking animals, the planet, and humans into consideration wholly. Essentially, that means a vegan avoids the consumption of animal products (flesh, fish, dairy, eggs), as well as the use of fur, leather and wool. Various reasons may arise for coming to the conclusion of being a vegan, whether it’s for environmental purposes, health, or activism.

FEATURE “I went vegan for ethical reasons,” Cag states. “For me it was intuitive. I liked animals and it was obvious they experienced joy and pain. Not eating them or using them was such a simple way for me to eliminate a whole lot of unecessary suffering in the world. It just seemed like a no brainer. Then later reading ‘Diet for a New America’ by John Robbins sealed the deal.”

The group is asking for volunteers to help out, and they want to expand the amount of people who serve on the Wilmington Vegan board. New projects, outreach events, communications, web work, and more are on the roster of needs.

“The newsletter keeps people in the loop about major community happenings,” Cag states. “The Facebook group (www. facebook.com/groups/wilmingtonvegan) allows people to ask any questions they may have, or share their experiences, and get immediate feedback and support from the community.”

Wilmington Vegan looks to release volume two of the dining guide. Cag hopes to publish it eventually twice a year. “We already have an ever-increasing list of places we need to add to the next publication,” she excites. “The response has been overwhelming. Having this resource in the community is a big deal—more than I could have known when we first started working on it. It definitely shows folks there are a ton of choices in our community, probably a lot more than they imagined. It’s easy to find tasty vegan eats in town, and it’s constantly improving, even in a Southern town like ours.”

RECIPES: Chickpea-of-the-Sea 1 can of chickpeas (or 16oz dry equivalent) 1/2 tsp mustard 1 tbsp onion powder 2 tbsp or more of kelp (find it for cheap at Saigon Market) Pinch of cayenne pepper Pinch of black pepper A couple heaping spoonfuls of Vegenaise (vegan mayo available at Tidal Creek or Whole Foods, or make your own) Salt if needed Adjust ingredients to taste and serve on open face toast with melted vegan cheese or parm on top if desired. The kelp is what gives this a sea-like flavor.

Homemade Vegenaise 1/2 cup soy milk, plain, preferably unsweetened 1 cup plus 2 tbsp non-gmo canola oil 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar 1/4 tsp agave 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tbsp lemon juice Zest from 1/8 lemon (or a little extra lemon) 1/8 tsp dry mustard Put everything in the blender and process until thick.

www.wilmingtonvegan.com AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 35

The Foodie Bandwagon: Facebook group asks diners ‘Should I Eat There?’

BY Shea Carver ● Devour editor In a day and age when “Top Chef,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Master Chef,” “Chopped,” and “Taste” make it accessible for viewers to catch behind-the-scenes scenarios of kitchen life, also it seemingly is making everyone a food critic. Watching Tom Colicchio spout off how unctuous a pork dish is or seeing Tony Bourdain licking his lips in regards to the viscosity of a syrup inspires many to hold the same bombast for their local chefs and eateries upon dining out. Don’t say it isn’t true; how many times have you taken a picture of the perfect bowl of pho, posted it to Facebook, and thoroughly described everything from its broth to the noodles to the veggies? Well, this is de rigueur over at the Facebook group, “Should I Eat There? Wilmington Area Restaurant Reviews.”

Rich and Traci Hedgepath upstarted the popular site in January 2013 with less than 100 members—primarily the Hedgepath’s family and friends. Today, it has grown to 2,000 members and a whole lot of opinions.

Above: Rich and Traci Hedgepath, founders of the local Facebook group, Should I Eat There? Courtesy photo 36 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

FEATURE “We generally get about 50 to 100 requests to join per day as of While scouring various discussions, numerous pictures of sushi late,” Traci says. “Rich started the group with the idea of having non- rolls, cheesesteaks, ribeyes, quiches, burgers, cocktails—practically biased reviews from the ordinary diner’s point of view.” any food or drink imaginable—will make one instantly famished.

The Hedgepaths grew up within the restaurant industry, as their The most debated food item came with a simple queston: “Where families owned and operated numerous eateries in North Carolina. in Wilmington is good BBQ?” Over 100 users started pitching their Rich’s family ran six restaurants in the Outer Banks, whereas Traci’s favorite sauces, meats and dry-rubs, as well as the places to eat. family had stake in the seafood industry by running Pearls and Pot- A few comments went too far for Traci and Rich; the Hedgepaths ters Fish Camp in Wilmington. The husband-and-wife team opened draw the line at immaturity and unfair retaliation, i.e. name-calling Blue Crab Grille off Oleander Drive in 2004. Combined, they knew or insulting others. every position in the restuarant industry, from back-of-the-house to “As you know, we are very passionate about our barbecue here front-of-the-house management and operations. “We ran it for two in southeastern NC,” Traci says. “Some people were referring to it years,” Traci says, “but we found it a daunting 24/7 job, especially as ‘fake barbecue,’ which some of our members felt was extremely with having small children. It was extremely hard to run an indepen- insulting to our culture (my hubby included).” dent restaurant in this highly competitive market.”

Rich is a self-proclaimed griller/smoker extraordinaire, who has Though they closed Blue Crab, Rich a hankering for ribs. He even stayed in restaurant management a bit judged last year’s Port City Rib longer before taking on the position Fest in the “People’s Champion“We wanted to give even the smallest ship” after Traci nominated him. as an enrollment counselor at a university. Traci is the owner and furniture restaurant a leg up in this highly competi- And he adores southeastern NC re-fabber for Lulu’s Boutique. Yet, their barbecue. “The acidic vinegar tive town, and give diners a heads up on flavor and the vinegar adding to love for food never waned. They knew as diners how they depended on othany establishments that fellow diners said the tenderness,” he describes. “It ers’ recomendations, sometimes more is what I was raised on, so it taste were good or bad. “—Traci Hedgepath than paid advertising, to drive their like home. But that is possibly decisions upon which restaurants to equaled to the cooking of it. I love visit. With that in mind, they launched the day long cooking that it takes Should I Eat There? “We wanted to for the proper results.” give even the smallest restaurant a leg up in this highly competitive “Seafood is another hotbed issue,” his wife explains. “There are town, and give diners a heads up on any establishments that fellow so many preferences, including how it is caught in the first place, so diners said were good or bad,” Traci notes. it tends to cause a commotion whenever it is put up for debate.”

Rich launched the group with a set of rules and code of ethics in Sometimes the Hedgepaths will host polls for members to vote mind. The biggest: Absolutely no advertising is allowed from busi- on as well. One asked where they looked most for restaurant reness owners. Restaurateurs, chefs, or waitstaff cannot go on to list views (Yelp, Trip Advisor and encore came out on top); another asked their daily specials or lure in diners by touting their offerings. They their favorite sushi spots (Bento Box, Sunny’s Sushi, Genki ranked top can review a place from a diner’s perspective should they choose, three). Topics truly are neverending: best wings, hot dogs, ice cream, but it can’t be in the interest to sabotage or make their own estab- burgers, pizza, crab legs, Southern cooking, fine dining, and more. lishment look better.

Numerous people often ask, “Where should I go for my birthday/ “We know there are plenty of people in the industry, and they anniversary/job promotion dinner?” have a right to be in the group,” Traci says. “We just want their re“I think the more you use the site, the more you know whose perviews to be from a diner’s perspective. We discourage any pushing sonal preferences match yours best,” Traci says. “Everyone has their of members to eat at an establishment that you may have ties with, own palate, and that’s what makes Should I Eat There? great. You and also discourage them from pushing diners away from their com- may not have had the chance to try something, or may not have even petition. . . . Lately, advertising has been a bit of an issue. When we heard about a certain place that someone else absolutely loves.” see it, we generally just delete the comment and remind members Because of the success of Should I Eat There? Traci and Rich are not to advertise. We try to handle it fairly, on an individual basis. Only currently trying to take it to a better platform. They want to launch a handful of people have been banned from the group so far.” an app to assist diners with review posts and pics, as well as devise a Likewise, the Hedgepaths moderate to ensure diners are respect- better, faster rating system. Plus, they’re transitioning into their own ful of each other’s opinions. It’s inevitable that taste buds will vary; website as to ensure categories of reviews can be managed more thus, likes and dislikes are sure to appear in a hot-topic thread. “We efficiently. “We have had many members suggest forming a dining want everyone to feel like it is an open forum to be able to express group,” Traci tells, “and there is talk of an end-of-year party. Howtheir opinions (good or bad) without repercussions or harassment,” ever, we prefer to stay more low key when evaluating our dining Traci says. “I really enjoy when someone goes to an establishment experiences when we’re out and about.” and posts a thorough review, complete with pictures. I almost feel Essentially, the Hedgepaths’ immersion into the industry led to a like I enjoyed the experience right along with them. To me, that is so fun, engaging hobby, which very well could open doors into another much more valuable than ‘I hate this or that place because it stinks.’ interesting business idea. “There may be an option in the future to Recently, some of our favorite threads have been ones that led us team up with local businesses for advertising opportunities on the to great new restaurants, including our new favorite Asian in town, website or app, as they are developed,” Traci says. “Above all, we Saigon Bistro!” wish to keep the site unbiased whenever possible to keep this as pure as we can.”

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 37

TO

READ! Cookbooks and other reviews

Devouring Lunch: A few book reviews that tantalize the taste buds

BY Gwenyfar Rohler ● Devour columnist, freelance writer and business owner of Old Books on Front Street Lunch at the Shop: The Art and Practice of the Midday Meal

By Peter Miller Abrams Image Books, 2014

Peter Miller owns an independent bookstore in Seattle, Washington. Each day he and his staff sit down together for lunch. This lovely book is part history of the shared experience, part instructions manual and part tour of Seattle’s food history. It is all beautiful.

Miller’s store, Peter Miller Architectural & Design Books and Supplies, obviously focuses on design-related materials. One would assume the book’s look would be just as important as the content—if not more so. Indeed, the layout entices: different colored text, highlighting and dividing sections, and clean, accessible pages. Following the current trend in cookbooks for beautiful food photography, the full-page color pictures make the small and ordinary appear vibrant and essential. Make no mistake, the prose comes just as evocative and mouth-watering as the visuals—maybe even more so. He begins by detailing a basic tour of his small cooking space at work. His descriptions of storage containers made me hungry as he detailed their possible contents.

For Miller, their daily lunches aren’t just about eating food.

They’re about creating a community. The mutual experience of planning, preparing and sharing a meal composes the book’s dominant theme. The way it’s shaped and transformed the lives of the bookstore staff from co-workers to something more underpins every page. Miller comments staff members come back to the bookstore after leaving for other jobs because they miss lunch—both the food and the camaraderie.

A staff lunch is not the only way he builds community. The larger net of food providers in Seattle are featured in the book, which creates a history of the artisan food movement in the city.

He divulges on a ballet choreographer whose family changed the way the staff sees lentils. As well, he dishes about their favorite bakery, the restaurant around the corner and the perfect week for Washington State wild strawberries. Like the way he perfectly describes food in only a few sentences, people jump to 38 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

life off the pages. I felt like I could walk into the Seattle Farmers’ Market and pick a lifelong relationship with any of the vendors.

Recipes come included, too. Though they have measurements and directions, they are much more along the lines of how my mother taught me to cook. It starts with ideas for dinner leftovers that have been brought to work. Recipes latterly build upward, adding quality cheeses and fresh herbs. Whole new meals to be shared emerge. Staples that should be prepared at begin-

FEATURE ning of every week are offered, including “A Very Good Basic Vinaigrette.” In particular, this creation seems to be the pinnacle of Miller’s condiments.

Miller advocates not just the importance of lunch, local food and community—though all three are part of his vision—he wants a world where connecting with people through food is made a regular priority. Giving attention to a sit-down meal on plates with silver wear will bring a greater calm and connection to life, and the ripple effect will be felt throughout the day and the city. It’s a tall order, but his book convinces. (I already have

started taking steps to plant perennial herbs at Old Books for just such purposes.) Though weaning everyone off disposables will take some time, the lovely and gracious world Miller outlines inspires. He sells something desirable and beyond price: shared local, fresh food with community.

For most, it feels out of reach. Though dinner has become the meal which focuses on familial sharing, Miller argues lunch with co-workers and friends should not take second place. I am converted.

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

A History of the World in Six Glasses

By Tom Standage Bloomsbury Books, 2005

Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola have shaped the direction of civilization according to Tom Standage. The hypothesis intrigues and evokes a double take.

He begins by detailing the discovery of fermented beers and the rise of grain agriculture. It shifted society away from the nomadic hunting and gathering life. He progresses through the economic and social ups and downs of beer, before exploring wine, and the revolution of spurious liquor.

Apparently, spurious liquor’s discovery was so incredible it was believed to have miraculous healing powers—even to the touch. It was so such a wide belief that an almost-forgotten, paralysis-stricken Spanish king was wrapped in sheets soaked in spirituous liquor by his doctors. (Unfortunately, a candle flame accidentally ignited the monarch; he burned to death in front of them.) The waxing and waning power of seafaring nations as depicted by their embrace of rum and limes as part of sailors’ rations (partly as a means to fight scurvy before the vitamin C connection was understood) fascinates.

The coffee and tea chapters contain information most people have already encountered in school; however, the revolution of Coca-Cola is enthralling. The book chronicles its spread across the planet, which created a global empire. It proves a truly incredible story. Though many see the results daily, it often goes unnoticed.

For a different and exciting way of seeing modern life and the way beverages have influenced the well-known nations, pick up “A History of the World in Six Glasses.”

Cinnamon Roll Murder

By Hanna Swensen; recipes by Joanne Fluke Kensington Books, 2012

Hannah Swensen caters food and solves mysteries with her sisters in the upper Midwest. Along the way she gives her readership recipes to go with the food she prepares in her books.

The dialogue comes pretty unrealistic and expositionheavy. Frankly, people who know each other do not talk in extensive paragraphs, or explain they are turning on a blinker to switch lanes in traffic during a bad storm. Most real-life people just switch lanes, and the passenger figures out what is happening by looking out the window.

The mystery is good; however, it’s a fairly predictable plot.

As well, it’s littered with stock characters—who are all wholesome depictions of the image upper-Midwesterners like to sell about themselves.

Conversely, the recipes come aimed toward people who actually live in the modern world, and they are really tasty.

The dishes include options using microwaves as tools. (They are definitely written for people who consider cooking something that involves a can and a box off the shelf.)

It’s not a challenging read, but for a rainy afternoon, it is a lovely escape from obligations. Read it with a tray of the cinnamon rolls the sleuth serves. Some things don’t have to be original or new; they need to be dependable. That is what this book is.

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 39

CAM Café, Fresh & Seasonal

Wednesday Nite

Thursday Nite

UPSCALE DINING 5 - 9pm Reservations:

910-777-2363 We also serve lunch Tues. thru Sun. 11am - 3pm

SPANISH TAPAS 5 - 9pm

Enjoy Wednesday al fresco dining at CAM Café on the patio with friends.

Experience classic Spanish tapas with a California/Mexican twist made with local, seasonal ingredients. Pairing your meal with the featured wine of the week makes for a hump-day to celebrate.

Join in the popular Thursday evening CAM Café, upscale dining experience in the inspiring setting of the museum. The Chef-driven menu features a modern take on the not-so-standard fare. Check online for Thursday musical highlights that will smooth your weekend landing.

Located in the Cameron Art Museum 3201 South 17th St. Wilmington, NC 28412

Devour Book Club AUGUST - Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss SEPTEMBER - Lunch at the Shop by Peter Miller OCTOBER - A History of the World in 6 Glasses

by Tom Standage NOVEMBER - Thomas Jefferson’s Creme Brulee

by Thomas J. Craughwell JANUARY - Uncommon Grounds

by Mark Pendergrast FEBRUARY - We wanted a Farm by M G Kains MARCH - Brew Like a Monk by Stan Hieronymus APRIL -Bringing It To The Table by Wendell Barry MAY - A World History by Mark Kurlansky JUNE - An Edible History of Humanity

by Tom Standage Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM at Old Books on Front St. 249 North Front Street downtown Wilmington

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

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 41

Select Indulgences Culinary calendar of events

~events & happenings~ A "BRUNCH" OF CLASSIC CARS 8/16, 9am-noon: Features food, a car show, live music, kids’ activities, hot wheels derby ($5 per car), raffle, and prizes. Tickets can be purchased at Assistance League Thrift Store (420 Eastwood Rd.).

Proceeds benefit Assistance League of Greater Wilmington and Greater Porters Neck Area Foundation. Porters Neck Country Club, 8403 Vintage Club Dr. http://algw.assistanceleague.org. (910) 7777824 or Erica@amommysjourney.com

THEATRE NOW DINNER THEATRE 8/8-30: “The Bard’s Broads,” by Anthony Lawson. A young Will Shakespeare is influenced by the ‘ladies” at his favorite pub. Includes an Elizabethan-inspired 3-course meal. Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets $32/adult, $18 show only. Not appropriate for children. Beverages and food service gratuity not included. Admission: $28-$32. 8/10: Sunday Jazz Brunch with Raphael Name, Brazilian Guitarist. Doors open at 11:30am. Show and Brunch 12-2pm. Tickets $20/$15 under 12. • 9/5-27: “The Bard is a Broad,” by Anthony Lawson. Sequel to the outrageously fun, interactive bawdy comedy “The Bard’s Broads.” Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets $32/adult, $18 show only. Not appropriate for children. Beverages and food service gratuity not included. • 9/14: Sunday Jazz Brunch w/Nina Repeta Trio. Doors open at 11:30am. Show 12-2pm. Tickets $20/ adult, $15 children under 12. Beverages and food service gratuity not included. • 10/3-11/1: “Wilmington’s Horror Story,” by Anghus Houvouras, Calie Voorhis, and Zach Hanner. Three tales of horror by three very talented local scribes served with a devilishly delicious three-course horror themed meal. Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets $34/adult, $18 show only. Not appropriate for children. Beverages and food service gratuity not included. TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th Street. www.theatrewilmington.com

PORT CITY RIB FEST Folks can head to the Battleship North Carolina (1 Battleship Rd.) to partake in a BBQ competition among top “ribbers” from around the country, plus there will be live music, arts & crafts, activities for kids, a hookah lounge, a karaoke competition, and tons of vendors peddling everything from yam vodka and massages, to psychedelic T-shirts, and dry rubs and sauces. 8/15-8/17: Friday: 11am-midnight ($1, 11am-3pm); Saturday: 11am-midnight; Sunday: noon-7pm. $7 adult, $1 children, $5 seniors, $4 military personnel, $2 off on Sunday with church bulletin. www.portcityribfest.com

PHLOCK TO THE BEACH A buffett-style beach bash at Cape Fear Regional Jetport (4019 Long Beach Rd.) in Oak Island, NC, features a dress-like-a-parrot42 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

head pub and grub crawl; bocce ball tournament, horseshoe tournament, pancake breakfast, and the Phlock to the Beach concert with tropical rockers Latitude. Fees vary for events. Runs 8/22-23. Megan Canny: (910) 457-6964.

FLavor Of NC 9/20, 6:30pm: The event samples tastes from all across the state—the mountains, piedmont and coast. Chefs will be cooking delicious offerings, and musicians and other performance artists will entertain. Tasty drinks will be poured, and a silent auction will take place, too. Proceeds benefit local nonprofit the Good Shepherd Center, which strives to aid the homeless and hungry. Admission: $75. Held at St. James Parish (25 S. 3rd St.) For more information: www.stjamesp.org

EPICUREAN EVENING 9/4, 5:30pm: This year 30 of the region’s most talented and innovative chefs will bring their best to the table for the 2013 Copper Kettle and bragging rights. A silent auction will be held and a featured speaker will inform as part of the eighth annual culinary extravaganza, held at the Wilmington Convention Center (515 Nutt St.).

Proceeds benefit the Methodist Home for Children. Tickets: $125

JUICE, JAZZ & JAVA GALA 9/6, 6pm: The North Brunswick Kiwanis presents the 2nd annual Juice, Jazz & Java Gala at Cape Fear National Golf Course (1281 Cape Fear National Dr.) featuring dinner, dessert, coffee bar, wine tasting, and dancing to live jazz with the Shawnette Beatty Trio. Plus, there will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and more. All proceeds go to local children’s programs. Tickets: $60. www.capefearnational.com

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

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

www.pinevalleymarket.com AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 43

CUSTOMER SERVICE LOCAL SHELLFISH CRUISING, CLAMMING, CHOWDER

SEAFOOD BUFFET ROCKAFELLAR

Deli y l p cio LOBSTER CLAMS STEAKS OYSTERS m i r us CHOWDER SEAFOOD FRESH MARKET !

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FRESH MARKET CHOWDER SEAFOOD

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9/6, 10am: Climb aboard The Shamrock—at Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Ed. Center (309 W. Salisbury St.)— for a day of boat cruising, clamming, beach combing and feasting with Captain Joe Abbate and federation staff. Along the waterways, the federation’s scientist, Tracy Skrabal, and advocate, Mike Giles, will demonstrate how to dig clams. Then, guests will head to uninhabited Masonboro Island for a class on making true Carolina-style clam chowder, where they’ll play beach games and enjoy paradise; $85. www.nccoast.org or (910) 509-2838

CARE PROJECT GALA 9/20, 6pm: The gala features amazing cuisine from restaurants across the area and five chefs will be present to serve and chat about specialty creations. Guest speaker Justin LeBlanc, a “Project Runway” finalist, will discuss living life as a deaf man. The Raleigh-native is now a NC State professor. Jack Jack 180 will play muisic all evening! The funds raised support family retreats and services which brings many families together for counseling, education and fellowship through CARE. Held at the Union Station Building, downtown Wilmington Tickets: tinyurl.com/4thAnnualCAREgala

OYSTERS STEAK LOBSTER CLAMS ROTARY CLUB GARDEN PARTY 11am: An opening event of Wilmington Riverfest held at Serving the largest selection of CUSTOMER SERVICE LOCAL SHELLFISH 10/3, Greenfield Lake Amphitheater (1941 Amphitheater Drive, the Fall fresh seafood in Wilmington.

Garden Party will include live entertainment by L Shape Lot, lunch 6132-11 CAROLINA BEACH ROAD (HWY 421) 4 miles north of Carolina Beach, 421N on left 1.5 miles south of Monkey Junction 421S on right in the Masonboro Landing Shopping Center

www.fishbiteseafood.com • 910.791.1117

by Parker’s BBQ and open beverage bar. Free shuttle service from Legion Stadium also provided. Purchase tickets through facebook. com/GreenfieldLakeCollaborative.Proceeds benefit the economic and community development endowment fund of the Rotary Clubs of Wilmington Wheel and Garden Collaborative. Tickets: $50. www. wilmingtonriverfest.com

AIRLIE OYSTER ROAST 10/17, 6-11 p.m.: Airlie Garden’s annual Oyster Roast comes with a peck of oysters and two spirited beverages. Menu also includes appetizers, Carolina BBQ, and live music will be played by the band, Heartbeat of Soul, as well as Sea Pans. Tickets: $85. 300 Airlie Rd. 910-798-7700. http://airliegardens.org.

A FAR EAST CAFE Thai • Vietnamese

Thank you Wilmington for your continued support and voting us

Best Thai, Best Overall Restaurant & Best Atmosphere

RIVERFEST 10/3-5: Every year thousands of visitors look forward to the strolling through the array of artists, craftsmen, merchants, and food vendors that line the downtown streets of Wilmington with their wares! Riverfest also features a ton of special activities, like a car show, competitions, like standup paddleboarding, and concerts. www.wilmingtonriverfest.com. Free!

SEAFOOD, BLUES & JAZZ FEST 10/11-12, 11am: The 21st annual Pleasure Island Seafood Blues & Jazz Festival at the Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area (118 Riverfront Road) in Kure Beach, NC, is headlined by blues legends Delbert McClinton and Robert Cray. The event includes coastal cuisine, arts and crafts, a wine tasting, and a Kidz Zone, featuring magicians, juggling acts, clowns, and more. Children under 13 admitted free. $25-$60. www.pleasureislandnc.org

LIGHTHOUSE BEER/WINE FEST Tues - Sat: Lunch 11am - 2pm NOW OPEN MONDAY EVENINGS! Mon - Sun: Dinner 5pm - 10pm 7 Wayne Drive (Market Street at Forest Hills) 910-251-9229 www.indochinewilmington.com 44 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

10/18, 1-5pm: The 13th annual Lighthouse Beer & Wine Festival at Battleship Park (1 Battleship Rd.) features more than 150 breweries and wineries with over 300+ samplings, plus live music, foodtruck madness, and a fleet of taxis to take attendees home free of charge. A portion of the proceeds benefit The Carousel Center in their efforts to aid abused and neglected children. $30-$50. www.

LighthouseBeerandWine.com

TASTE OF WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH Held Sat., 10/11 at the MarineMax Boat showroom, a celebration of all the restaurants and hotels on the beach with food, wine and beer tastings, and celebrity judges to announce Best in Show; People’s Choice award also given. Proceeds benefit the Wrightsville Beach beautification project and the Weekend Meals on Wheels Program.

Wrightsvillebeachfoundation.org/taste-of-wrightsville-beach. Tickets: $25-$250.

~classes & workshops~ CAPE FEAR WINE & FOOD CLUB Cape Fear Wine and Food Club (memberships $15/year) classes are demonstrations. All classes include a generous portion of the menu items and wine pairing samples for adults. Takes place at Seasoned Gourmet, 1930 Eastwood Rd. • 8/15, 6:30pm: Date Night: Authentic Mexican cuisine with fresh tomato & tomatillo salsa and fresh-fried corn tortilla chips; a really delicious and simple mango guacamole, and learn to make yellow rice and scallions to accompany the carne asada (grilled beef flank) flavored with lime, fresh three-pepper relish, garlic and cilantro, served with warm tortillas; and finish with mini churros with cinnamon sugar. , $90. • 8/21, 6:30pm: Wine Cocktail Party, $25. Demonstration by Susan Boyles with cauliflower and Irish cheddar bite, with a blood-orange champagne fizzy, shrimp toasts with spicy pineapple salsa, paired with a pineapple-basil Riesling mojito, and pancetta-wrapped broiled radish and burgundy Manhattan. • 8/26, 6:30pm: Demonstration

by Chef Kristen Mitchell who brings a simple spin on local ingredients. Menu/price to be announced. • 9/4, 6:30pm: Jamacin Me Hungry, $35, featuring a crab salad, coconut rice and field peas, spicy and grilled Jerk chicken, coconut toto, served with lime and sweet potato jam, and an array of tropical fruits, including fresh pawpaw, pineapple and mango. • 9/9, 6:30pm: World of Wine Part 1 with Mike Summerlin of Grapevine of NC, $25. This is the first in a six-part series designed for those who want to know more about the nitty-gritty details of the wine world, including the vocabulary, grape-growing, wine-making techniques, aromas, flavor profiles, and everything else that goes into that glass of vino. Part 2, 10/14. • 9/12, 6:30pm: Date Night: Chilean Wine Country Grill, $95, featuring a mixed grill of lamb, chorizo and marinated beef flank, pebre sauce, arroz mamposteao, ensalada Chilena, pan-fried sweet ripe plantains, and cocada cookies. • 9/14, 2pm: Master It: Caesar salad, $20. Learn the original recipe and some popular variations, as well as how to make perfect croutons to top this simple, elegant salad. Bring a lidded 8 oz. jar or bowl so you can take your dressing home. • 9/20, 11am: No More GI Blues ,$45. IBS workshop with Susan Boyles. Learn which foods to cook as to overcome IBS. • 9/28, 2pm: Master It: Crab Cakes, $25. Prepare and cook crab cakes and learn to make lightly dressed green salad with fresh lemon-tarragon vinaigrette • 10/4, 2pm: DIY Whole Foods snacks with Susan Boyles, $30. Use self-made raw sugar syrup as the sweetener for gluten-free snack bars with puffed rice, seeds, dried fruits and gluten-free granola. • 10/12, 2pm: Master It: Homemade Pasta, $25. Make pasta linguini and cavatelli by hand, and enjoy them with an easy spinach and parmesan pesto. More classes and events can be found: www.theseasonedgourmet.com/cape-fear-food-and-wine-club

MARKET CRAWL COOKING CLASS Every Monday, 10 a.m. through August: Take part in a Market Crawl and Cooking Class with Chef Tyson Amick. Chef Tyson and members will venture to a nearby Farmer’s Market and fish house to purchase local ingredients before returning to the Coastal Education Center for a fun workshop on preparing and cooking healthy, delicious meals. $65.

Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center, 309 W. Salisbury St.

POLISH FESTIVAL On November 1st, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., head over to Castle Hayne Road to enjoy the 17th annual Polish Festival. A ton of delicious food is available for purchase, from keilbasa to pierogies, to stuffed cabbage, and gobs of pastries and strudels. Domestic and Polish beer, hand-crafted from Front Street Brewery, will be for sell. Also, live polka music will have folks dancing their socks off with The Chardon Polka Band and Karolinka. More info can be found at www.stjamesp.org

~tastings & things~ CAPE FEAR WINE AND BEER 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. • Tues. 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. • Beer Infusement Thurs.: Come see what ingredients Randall the Enamel Animal is enhancing upon delicious beer. Free. • Sunday: Beer church: Purchase select beer and keep your glass for free. 1st Mass starts, 1pm; 2nd Mass , 8pm, free. 139 N. Front St.

DUPLIN WINERY 8/16, 2-5pm: Music in the Courtyard. Live music w/Curtis Lee. • 8/23, 2-5pm: Music in the Courtyard w/Johnnie Acoustic • 8/30, 2-5pm: Music in the Coutyard w/Jenny Pearson. • 8/30, 3:30-9pm: Murder Mystery. Over the course of a meal, clues are provided to the guests. Working in groups, the winning team receives a Duplin Prize. Tickets: $55. • 9/6, 2-5pm: Music in the Courtyard w/Mark Daffer. • 9/13, 5-9pm: 38th annual Grape Stomp Event. Beach music, grape stomping and of course wine tastings. Special vineyard tours and exclusive wine tastings which include a special cheese tray.

Tickets: $15/person include concert and grape stomp. Add $5 for exclusive wine tasting. Dinner available for additional purchase. • 9/13, 2-5pm: Music in the Courtyard w/ Curtis Lee • 9/20, 2-5pm: Music in the Courtyard w/ Randy Oglesby • 9/27, 2-5pm: Music in the Courtyard w/ Johnnie Acoustic. • 9/26-27, 10am-10pm: Muscadine Harvest Festival: Duplin Winery and over 30 wineries will attend. www.muscadineharvestfestival.com. Live music w/ Johnnie Acoustic. • 10/25, 3:30-9pm: Murder Mystery. Over the course of a meal, clues are provided to the guests. Working in groups, the winning team receives a Duplin Prize. Tickets: $55. 505 N. Sycamore St, Rose Hill, NC. www.duplinwinery.com

AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 45

SILVER COAST WINERY Craft Beer Tastings: Seven days/week; flight of five craft beers $6.

• Wine with a light food pairing $20/person includes whites, blush and reds; min. four people (two-day notice; (910) 287-2800). • Every Tues., 6-9pm: Open Mic Night in Southport Tasting Room. • 9/6, 8:30am-5pm: Purple Feet Festival. Grape stomp, antique car show, arts and craft vendors, food, and more. Admission: $5; free for kids 12 and under. 6680 Barbeque Rd NW, Ocean Isle Beach. www.silvercoastwinery.com

Fermental Start off your weekend right at Fermental with free tastings and music every Friday! Sample your favorite craft beers and fine wine at 6 p.m. On September 27th at noon, they’ll hold Arts and Drafts, featuring local artists booths, a beer tent, and live music, along with food trucks. (910) 821-0362, 7250 Market Street • fermental.net

WILMINGTON WINE SHOP Join us to sample five new delicious wines we’ve brought in just for our customers during Free Friday Wine Tasting, 5-8pm. Have a bottle or glass of your favorite with friends afterwards in our cozy shop or on the back deck. And beer lovers don’t fret, we’ve got a fridge full of craft and micro-brews. 605 Castle St. 910-202-4749. www.wilmingtonwine.net.

NONI BACCA 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.

VINYL WINE WEDNESDAYS Vinyl & Vino, a celebration of good tunes and good wine! We’ve got a old school turntable all set up and ready to go and some great albums to spin, bring your own tunes to share too! Jonathan will be featuring $5 wine by the glass or grab a bottle at 15% off! Free!

Wilmington Wine Shop, 605 Castle St. www.wilmingtonwineshop. com

WINE TASTING WEDNESDAYS Sweet N’ Savory Cafe, 1611 Pavilion Pl., holds a weekly wine tasting.

Attendees get $5 off every bottle of wine. Free; 5-6:30pm.

HOMEBREW WILMINGTON SUPPLY Every Friday 4-7pm free craft-beer tasting! Brewing demonstrations, Saturday at 1:30! 824 S. Kerr Ave. Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm & Sunday 12-5pm. www.wilmingtonhomebrew.com

46 DEVOUR | AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014

~markets & tours~ FARMERS' MARKETS Fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats, seafood, honey and more! Schedule: Poplar Grove, Wed, 8am-1pm.

Aso features fresh baked goods, pickled okra, peanuts and handcrafted one-of-a-kind gifts such as jewelry, woodcrafts and pottery.

Runs through 11/26. 10200 US Highway 17 North, 910-686-9518. www.poplargrove.com • Riverfront on Water St., downtown, every Sat., 8am-1pm. Food, arts & craft vendors and live music. Runs through 11/22. www.wilmingtondowntown.com/farmers-market • Carolina Beach, every Sat., 8am-1pm, around the lake in Carolina Beach. Free parking! Vendors align the lake and an influx of artists and crafters of all types; live music. Runs through 10/4. www.carolinabeachfarmersmarket.com. • Wrightsville Beach, 21 Causeway Dr., Monday, 8am-1pm, through Labor Day. 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. • Town of Leland, at Leland Town Hall, every other Sun., 11am3pm, through the month of Aug. • Oak Island, Mondays, 7am-1pm through 9/8. Middletown Park, Oak Island • Southport, Wed., 8am1pm, through 9/25. Garrison Lawn in Southport, NC. • St. James Plantation Farmers’ Market, Thurs., 4-7pm, through 9/18 at the Park at Woodlands Park Soccer Field.

TASTE CAROLINA 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 2:30 Downtown Afternoon Tasting Tour ($50/person) and a 3:30 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 Tasting History Tours of Pleasure Island; guided walking tours. $25.

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

HENRIETTA III CRUISES An elegant, three-tiered boat offers sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises, tours, Sunset Dinner Cruise, along with Murder Mystery dinners and more through Oct. 11th On the riverfront at Water and Dock streets; costs vary depending on tour. 910-343-1611. www. cfrboats.com

~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, and check out at the online cashier and you are done!

• Rent-A-Farmer CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) box is now available through Feast Down East with two different options: “Veggie Lovers” can sign up for monthly subscriptions or the “Produce Committed” can save 10% by receiving a 10-week supply of heart healthy, farm grown provisions that include fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs and free range eggs! Shopping made easy, let Feast Down East hand pick the best vegetables available and deliver them to your pick up location of choice. We guarantee all the produce to have been grown within 150 miles of Wilmington, NC. www.FeastDownEast.org.

FOOD BANK OF NC Established in 1980, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is a non-profit organization that provides food to people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina. In 2008-09, the Wilmington branch distributed over 4 million pounds to our four county service area. • Sept. 11: Sort-A-Rama: One of the largest corporate volunteer gatherings in the area. Join Presenting Partners Food Lion, Cisco, BlueCross BlueShield of NC, and BASF to sort 150,000 meals for families in need while fostering community engagement, teamwork, and volunteerism among your employees and/or customers! foodbankcenc.org/SortARama. • Sept. 26-27: Third annual 24-Hour Telethon (now named #FoodBank24), starts on 26 at noon, and airs through 27 at noon. The Food Bank and Gregory Ng of Freezer Burns are coming together once again to raise food, funds, and awareness as part of the national Hunger Action Month movement. Learn more at foodbank24.org.

FREE MARKET/FOOD NOT BOMBS Wilmington’s Free Market welcomes people to donate reusable housewares, music, car items, games, clothing, haircuts, blankets, and anything else of need! No barter or trade; everything is free!

Do not leave items and run; take with you what does not get taken.

Volunteers always needed to teach short lesson on urban living, gardening, recycling holistic remedies, or offer free haircuts, sew clothing—anything educational and or useful.helpful. The Really Really Free Market is held in conjunction with Food Not Bombs to provide free vegan and vegetarian meals to the hungry. Food is a right, not a privlege. All our food is donated, and anyone can donate! Meetups are first Sunday of each month at Greenfield Lake Park at picnic tables by the water. www.ilmfreemarket.moonfruit.com or FB group, “Wilmtington’s Really Really Free Market & Food Not Bombs!”

Port City Swappers A monthly food and beverage trade, with no cash exchange, folks can share homemade, homegrown or foraged foods, e.g. a loaf of bread or a jar of pickles or a half-dozen backyard eggs. For more info, check out their facebook page: facebook. com/PortCitySwappers. Swap dates include: 8/31, 9/28, 10/26, 11/30, 12/28.

Want to list your foodie event, tour, class, organization, or fundraiser in our next edition?

E-mail the event

by October 1st to shea@encorepub. com, or post it online through encore’s calendar, which populates Devour’s calendar, too. Head over to encorepub.com.

CAPEFEARPHOTOBOOTH.COM 910.685.1155 AUGUST - OCTOBER, 2014 | DEVOUR 47

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!

Everday favorites on our buffet include: • BBQ Pork • Pig Feet • Fried Chicken • Baked Chicken • Chicken & Pastry • Catfish • Whiting • Clam Strips • Fat Back • Crinkle Fries • Chitlins • Rutabagas • Green Beans • Mac-N-Cheese • Sweet Potato Soufflé • Cabbage • Boiled Potatoes • Corn • Field Peas • Turnips • Collards • Baked Beans • Green Peas • Lima Beans • Rice • Chicken Salad • Mashed Potatoes & Gravy • Coleslaw • Potato Salad • Pan-Fried Okra • Rolls • Hushpuppies • Cheese Biscuits • Apple, Blueberry & Peach Cobbler • Cherry Cheesecake • Banana Pudding • Ice Cream

WE ALSO DO CATERING!

5559 Oleander drive • 910.798.2913

Wednesday-Saturday 11am-9pm • Sundays 11am- 8pm • Closed - Mondays Tuesdays