Eastern Living May 2019 - All Things Barbecue

EASTERN

LIVING N O RT H

C A R O L I N A

All things

Barbecue

George’s Sauces

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A&M Bar-Be-Que

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FEATURES

ON THE C OV E R

THE LEGEND OF DYMOND CITY

48. NC BBQ TRADITION

54.

Variety from the east to the west

Eclectic Melting Pot Vanished

A BBQ Sandwhich served by Abram’s Restaurant in Tarboro Photo by Alan Campbell

58. OUT & ABOUT Events happening in and around the 12 counties

64.

VIEWS FROM OUR 12

VOL. 11, NO. 3 MAY 2019

Eastern NC’s BBQ Throwdown in Downtown Rocky Mount

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

68.

Publisher

Staff

Kyle Stephens

Gene Metrick

kstephens@ncweeklies.com

gmetrick@rmtelegram.com

Editor

ALL IN A DAY’S TRIP

Airlie Gardens, Wilmington, NC

74. TIGHTLINES How to catch a Great White Perch

Thadd White twhite@ncweeklies.com Creative Services Director Michelle Leicester mleicester@ncweeklies.com

Jim Green jgreen@ncweeklies.com Deborah Griffin dgriffin@ncweeklies.com Sarah Hodges Stalls shstalls@ncweeklies.com Leslie Beachboard lbeachboard@ncweeklies.com

Layout & Design

Amelia Harper

Becky Wetherington

lharper@rmtelegram.com

beckyweth@gmail.com

78.

SIX QUESTIONS

Andy Griffin talks BBQ

80. GRANDMA’S KITCHEN Lexington BBQ sauce & Moravian Cookies

Advertising Executives Lou Ann Van Landingham lavan@ncweeklies.com Jessica Mobley jmobley@ncweeklies.com Lewis Smith lsmith@rmtelegram.com

82. MARK IT!

George Washington was an Eastern NC landowner

86.

BIOGRAPHY

Jeff & Johnnell Mills

Jenny White jwhite0225@gmail.com Editorial Contributors Corrine Luthy Sandy Carawan Doward Jones Jr. Janice Hopkins Sylvia Hughes

North Carolina’s

Sarah Davis

Eastern Living Magazine

David Friedman

P.O. Box 69, Windsor, NC 27983

Wade Betts

252-794-3185

Cal Bryant

twhite@ncweeklies.com

Roland Wyman

Eastern North Carolina Living is published by APG Media Eastern NC, and is a subsidiary of the Bertie Ledger-Advance, Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald, Tarboro Weekly and Rocky Mount Telegram.

5

halifax

Cooking up success A&M Bar-Be-Que is a pillar of Scotland Neck

I

Story & Photos by Jim Green

n the small Halifax County

town

of

Scotland

Neck,

Ann

Williams

has

been

30 years when she learned the building that housed A&M had been condemned.

“My

mother

(Willie

Mae

cooking up success at A&M

Palmer) used to work for the

Bar-Be-Que for more than two

previous owner,” she said. “She

decades.

knew we could get it in shape so

“I think what has kept us

we could serve the public.”

successful over the years are

At the time, Williams – who

our products and service,” said

was an accountant for CVS – had

Williams, who opened A&M on

been cooking pork shoulders in the oven while living

I think what has kept us successful over the years are our products and service.

in D.C. She made the decision in late summer to return to her hometown.

She, as well as family and friends, began

work

renovating cement

on the block

building, which also Dec. 20, 1995, at 107 West 11th

includes the space next door for

Street.

dining.

Williams is originally from

“We came down about every

Scotland Neck and grew up

two weeks and worked,” she said.

around family gatherings that

“It took a couple of months to get

involved

ready.”

northeastern

North

Carolina barbecue.

“My cousin used to cook for us,” she said.

In addition to bringing the building up to code, the cooker had

to

be

redesigned

and

Williams had been living in

equipment such as fryers, steam

Washington, D.C., for more than

tables, tables and chairs, among

6

other items, had to be purchased.

The business is only open from 10 a.m.6 p.m. on Fridays and 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on

but Thursdays didn’t work well, Williams said.

Over the years, more

Saturdays, which means food preparation

eateries

begins on Mondays.

Scotland

A&M receives their pigs from a company in Wilson on Mondays. The staff will also start cooking some items such as collard greens.

The pigs are placed two at a time in a large cooker on Monday afternoon, according to longtime employee Sharon Smith.

have

located

Neck,

in

providing

residents and visitors with more food options.

Some have said it’s the best they’ve ever had.

It’s all in our ingredients.

Yet A&M has kept a steady stream of regulars and gained some new fans as well.

at A&M. It also offers grilled, fried and barbecued

“We have our good days and bad days

chicken and fried fish (sea trout), as well as

The cooker is turned on later in the day,

because there are other places to eat here,”

tasty side items such as potato salad, cole

and the four pigs cook for approximately 12

Williams said. “Our regulars come in all the

slaw, Brunswick stew, hush puppies, French

hours, until around 5:30 or 6 in the morning

time, but we also get people from out of town,

fries, collards and chicken and dumplings.

on Tuesday.

too.”

The ribs are pulled off Tuesday morning,

Smith added some of them have come

and the bones are removed. The meat is then

from as far away as Florida and Maryland and

browned again for 15-30 minutes, Smith said.

have raved about the food.

Williams’ staff then chops the meat for use in sandwiches, plate lunches and dinners.

After seasoning, the chopped barbecue is refrigerated, and then steamed when it is ready for consumption.

A&M cooks four pigs per week, Williams said.

A&M tried opening three days per week,

“Some have said it’s the best they’ve ever had,” Smith said.

When asked why, she responded with a smile, “It’s all in our ingredients.”

The dining area has four tables.

“It works pretty good because we have a lot of dependable customers,” Williams said.

Barbecue is not the only fare on the menu

Barbecue, chicken and fish can be ordered as sandwiches or as part of a plate dinner.

Combinations are also available.

Beverages include tea and water, and pies and cakes can be ordered for dessert.

Eat-in or take out is available. A&M does not provide delivery service.

For more information, call 252-826-4027.

Jim Green is a Staff Writer for Eastern Living and serves as Sports Editor of the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald, the Bertie LedgerAdvance and the Standard Laconic.

7

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2019 Update from the Bertie County Commissioners The Blue Jay Recreation Center will open in 2019 providing safe indoor athletic programs and team sports.

Rebuilding and Stronger Than Before New EMS Station 1, Windsor, NC

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9

tyrrell

Down Home Cooking Tyrrell County duo uses barbecue to help others

G

Story & Photos by Deborah Griffin

ood, downhome, eastern North Carolina-style barbecue can be elusive in Tyrrell County, unless you are fortunate enough to know one of a handful of people who still appreciate the art of slow cooking a

pig – for hours - rendering fall-off-the-bone perfection.

Charles Swain, 82, and Carl Willis, 72, are two of a

diminishing breed who make their own barbecue - each using his own secret sauce – similar, yet distinct.

They are close friends who both grew up during a time when

“pig-pickin’s” were much more prevalent.

In the South, a pig-pickin’ is just what it sounds like. People line

up at the grill where a whole pig has been roasted, and “pick” the part of the pig they want off the grill.

Both men have modern grills, but they have cooked pigs in a homemade, converted oil barrel, and occasionally still do.

“That is all we had for a long time,” said Willis.

Originally from Beaufort, he remembers as a young boy, cooking a pig all night, in a hole in the ground, under the shelter of a tobacco barn, using oakwood coals beneath stainless steel beams.

A former N.C. Wildlife Officer, Willis has been retired 23 years.

He has, in the past, served on the Tyrell County Board of Education, served as a town of Columbia commissioner and is currently a county commissioner. He is also a board member on the Mideast Housing Authority, is board chairman for the Tyrell County Department of Social Services and serves on the board of directors for the Mid-East Housing Authority.

And he cooks barbecue for fundraisers and events.

“I stay busy,” he laughed.

Swain grew up in Tyrrell County on a “two-mule farm.” He is a former grocery store owner, and has been cooking barbecue “his whole life,” he said.

For 39 years, he owned four Clover Farm’s Supermarkets - one

10

each

in

Robersonville,

Swan

Quarter, Belhaven and Columbia.

A

national

grocery

chain’s

arrival put three of his stores out of

cook,” Swain said. “And we will go anywhere – if the price is right.”

The men cook everything from barbecue to a low-country boil.

people.

During

cook to bless others - sometimes Columbia’s

annual

Scuppernong River Festival in

cooking for the pleasure of feeding people.

October, Swain, with the help

When they hold a cookout for

business. After the fourth burned,

Both men are United States

of his men’s class at Sandy Acres

friends and family, the purpose is

Swain retired. That was 23 years

Army Veterans, having served a

Freewill Baptist, cooks close to

twofold, said Swain.

ago.

decade apart.

At 82, he is in good health, is

They

are

deeply

involved

still active and said he has much to

with the Tyrell County American

be thankful for.

Legion, cooking often for them does

and preparing barbecue for the

woodworking, constructs outside

Besides

cooking,

he

Legion’s annual fundraising dinner.

furniture and serves on the Tyrell County ABC Board.

The county’s American Legion building sits on the banks of the

Swain lost the love of his life,

Scuppernong River on donated

Peggy, four years ago after 57

land, given in honor of a man killed

years of marriage. He has two

during World War II.

children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

both men and women, who range

He volunteered at the Tyrell County

Fire

Department

The Legion has 52 members,

The two men cook because cooking brings them joy - but they also relish the satisfaction they see on people’s faces.

700 pounds of barbecue to raise money for missions.

in age from 23 – 102. Each month

His barbecue sandwiches have

“It is to feed people, but it is also for people to get out and socialize,” he added.

for

they begin their meeting with a

developed quite a following. They

The social scene in Tyrrell

42 years and was a Emergency

meal. Swain and Willis usually are

have “as much meat as they can

County is scarce, so the cookouts

Medical Services volunteer for 18

involved.

pile on two pieces of bread,” said

are an excuse to bring people

Swain. Last year they raised over

together.

years.

For

the

Legion’s

annual

It was at the fire department

fundraiser, always held on the

the two men began cooking

Saturday of Labor Day weekend,

together and honing their skills.

the

“There is nothing we can’t

$3,000.

Recently, Willis cooked several

Often, Willis and Swain use

pounds of barbecue, an immense

enough

their cooking skills not just for

number of quartered chickens,

barbecue to serve 300 to 400

fundraisers and catering. They

and prepared all the fixings -

two

men

cook

11

which included coleslaw, baked

they used to.

beans, boiled potatoes and

“Time has changed so much,”

banana pudding – by himself. He

Willis added. “We love doing it

wanted Swain to enjoy himself.

- but don’t do it as much as we

A feast for friends and family – it was a pig-chicken-pickin’

used to. It takes us longer to get over it [physically] now.”

– as well as his wife Suzanne’s birthday. She and Willis have two grown sons.

It took a week of preparation and most of two days to cook all the food, Willis said. He was up the day of the event at 5 a.m. to start cooking the meat.

“I used to do this every year,”

The two men cook because cooking brings them joy - but they also relish the satisfaction they see on people’s faces.

“And we enjoy the fellowship,” said Willis.

“We love the people in Tyrell County,” Swain said.

“This is a way we can give

Willis said. “And every year I’d say, ‘this might be my last one.’ It

back a little bit,” Willis added.

Deborah Griffin is a Staff

is a long day. You are tired at the end of the night.”

Both men lament people no longer get together as often as

Writer for Eastern Living and the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald.

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bertie

A Family Affair Bunn’s continues tradition of excellent ‘cue

I

Story By Leslie Beachboard Photos By Leslie Beachboard & Jim Green

f there is one place

Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

in the small downtown

According to Russell, Bunn’s

of Windsor known by

Barbecue opened in 1938, and

locals and visitors alike, it would

has been operated only by two

have to be Bunn’s Barbecue.

families, the Weathers and the

The

building

that

houses

Russells.

Bunn’s Barbecue has had several

“It is the oldest operating

purposes over the years, but has

restaurant in Bertie County,”

housed the famous barbecue

added Russell.

restaurant for the longest time.

“The origin of the building was

Wilbur and Grace Russell purchased the business in 1969.

a doctor’s office during the Civil

The recipe passed to the

War, and then later several Bertie

Russells from the former owners

County residents ran Texaco

- Bunn Weathers and his wife,

service centers from the building,”

Helen.

The origin of the

The

late

Wilbur

Russell

building was a

isn’t broke, don’t

doctor’s office

So, using the

always said, “if it fix it.”

during the Civil War.

original

“Bunn’s

recipe,”

Wilbur

and took

Grace over

restaurant

the and

said Bunn’s Barbecue Co-Owner

continued to serve the same

J.W. “Russ” Russell.

familiar

In fact, the old gas pump

barbecue

everyone

wanted.

can still be seen today, standing

The restaurant started with

in front of the restaurant. Gas

a simple menu of chopped

stopped being sold there during

barbecue, vinegar-based coleslaw

14

and baked cornbread.

Over the years, the menu grew slightly to

began helping make the barbecue. I continued this job all through college,” said Russ Russell.

The Russell family has hosted two major

“Our sister, Amy, also helped out around

celebrations to recognize the 75th and 80th

include Brunswick stew, barbecue chicken on Tuesdays, chicken and pastry on Thursdays

the restaurant,” Russ Russell added.

Russell laughed when asked about any

and hot dogs.

Wilbur and Grace had three children, Russ,

sibling arguments over the years.

Amy and Randy who all grew up working at

He said, “No, not many but that is probably

Bunn’s Barbecue at some point during their

because mom and dad controlled the

childhood. The brother’s - Randy and Russ -

schedule of who was working and what we

continue to operate the restaurant today.

would be doing.”

and in between customers, co-owner Randy

restaurant has survived

Russell explained what it was like growing up

at

in the restaurant.

including

when I was somewhere around 13 to 14 years-

least

10

floods,

four

major

floods in its lifetime.

After

each

flood,

old. I have been here helping at some point

the family, along with

or another for over 40 years between school

the community, have

and things,” said Randy Russell.

His brother echoed those thoughts.

“I spent many hours as a preteenager in the restaurant. My first assignment was the drink boxes. I would fill the drink boxes with the old-fashioned drinks. Then, I moved up to the candy counter. When I was about 16, I

anniversaries of Bunn’s Barbecue, which was founded in 1938.

According to Russ Russell, 2019 marks 50 years the Russell family has owned and operated the restaurant.

At age 86,. Grace Russell continues to visit the restaurant daily and puts her touches on

According to the brothers, the family

While standing behind the cash register

“ I started helping out around the restaurant

going,” said Russ Russell.

come together to make repairs and rebuild the iconic restaurant.

things.

2019 marks 50 years the Russell family has owned and operated the restaurant.

“We have had many friends help us through the floods. It is the support that keeps us

15

“She is the backbone of the business,” said Russ Russell.

The

“They are always part of the family. Some of our

an

current employees have

extremely popular item on the menu. It

cornbread

sandwich

is

been with us as long as 22

is a piece of baked cornbread sliced and

years,” he added.

stuffed with barbecue and slaw.

According

to

Russ

Russell,

the

The

two

brothers,

Randy

and

Russell

cornbread sandwich evolved from the late,

currently

local Nancy Rascoe, and is now famous.

and

Over the years, Bunn’s Barbecue has seen the rise and fall of the economy, but

take

four-month

eightshifts

operating the restaurant.

“The people are the

Bunn’s Barbecue is on the National

has continued to thrive due to the support

fun part. We have multiple generations

of the locals and visitors to the restaurant.

come eat together at one time. I have

Register of Historic Places, and is located

“Windsor has lost a lot of industry

watched three and four generations of

at 127 North King Street in Windsor across

over the years including the tobacco

a family walk in the front door over the

from the Windsor Post Office.

industry and places like Wrangler. It has

years,” said Russ Russell.

Bunn’s Barbecue is open Monday

always been the local friends and out of

“I love hearing their stories of their

town visitors’ continuous support that has

memories of Bunn’s Barbecue from over

helped us stay open over the years,” said

the years,” he added.

Russ Russell.

Bunn’s Barbecue has attracted visitors

According to him, another thing that

from every state and several foreign

makes Bunn’s Barbecue so special is the

countries. They bring generations to

dedicated employees.

continue the tradition.

through Saturday during April through November and has shortened hours during the winter. Bunn’s Barbecue accepts cash or check only.

Leslie Beachboard is a Staff Writer for Eastern Living Magazine.

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northampton

The Firehouse Barbecue Built Lasker VFD dinners came before the first firehouse

I

Story & Photos by Thadd White

t has gone on for nearly 50 years, built two fire houses, and

delighted people from all over

Northampton

County

and beyond.

tradition

goes

back

long

before their lifetimes.

“It’s older than we are,” Moses mused.

The

work

of

preparing

the hogs has been handed

And, while some modern

down from one generation

conveniences are now used,

of firefighter to the next with

the

Fire

each making subtle changes

Department still cooks what

Lasker

Volunteer

to make it his own, but never

many say is still the best

losing the integrity of the

barbecue around.

original cooks.

It all began in 1971, shortly

“The

ones

who

went

after the formation of the fire

before me were good about

department and before they

teaching us how it was done,”

even had a building to call

Lassiter said. “They did a good

home. Some 48 years later, the

I wanted to be a fireman to serve the community, and this is part of being a fireman in Lasker

barbecue is still touted for how delicious it is, it is still prepared by the firefighters themselves

and

the money raised is

nearing

the

point of paying off the department’s second

job of passing the torch so to

fire house.

speak.”

Looking back, those who lead

18

the

cooking

of

While all three said they

the

enjoyed cooking, it wasn’t why

barbecue now – Mark Lassiter,

they enjoyed the department.

Trevor Lane and Ben Moses

Each said they wanted to

Jr. – said the semiannual

serve their community as a

fireman, but they also enjoyed the work of

to have a lot of people working, including

and are back between 5:30 and 6 a.m. to

cooking.

younger people chopping wood, it isn’t that

begin pulling meat, chopping it and getting it seasoned.

“I wanted to be a fireman to serve the

way now. The older folks help as they can,

community, and this is part of being a

but many are not able to help as before,

fireman in Lasker,” Lassiter said. “I enjoy

and there just aren’t many young people.

cooking, so I didn’t mind it.”

“We made the changeover gradually

Lane echoed those thoughts.

starting with a couple of gas cookers and

“Once you join the fire department, you

then changed completely over a four to

know its part of what you do,” he said. “We

five year period,” he added. “By using

used to throw wood all night.”

the smoke boxes, I don't’ feel we’ve

Now, he said, the men who cook do it for multiple reasons.

“Those of us who are usually cooking

sacrificed much, if any, of the flavor.”

For a Saturday sale, the cooking begins

on

Thursday.

During

that

enjoy it,” he mused. “We enjoy each others

evening, firefighters make slaw and

company I guess.”

cook the fatback, which will be used to

While the cooking has changed, the

seasons the Brunswick stew.

firefighters still prepare everything for

On Friday afternoon, Lassiter, Lane

the plates they sell – the barbecue, slaw,

and Moses begin the process of cooking

hushpuppies and Brunswick stew.

the five hogs they will use to make the

Lassiter said when the barbecue events

barbecue.

first began, the meat was cooked over Oak

Moses said the group cooks 200

wood: but about a decade ago they began

pound pigs which are dressed out for each

the switchover to gas and continued to

dinner.

use smoke boxes to give it the wood flavor

The

without having to chop the wood.

“The number of people in our community is smaller,” Lassiter said. “Where we used

What’s in the seasoning exactly? One would have to cook for the fire department to know.

“We have our own way of doing it,” Lassiter said, offering a smile.

It’s about giving back to our community. We’re able to offer a good meal and people are able to support the fire department.

The chopping of the barbecue used to be done by hand using a chopper

cooking

continues

throughout

the night, and into the wee hours of the morning – usually around 2 a.m.

The cooks go home, sleep a few hours

made by Gilmer Dunn, but has now been mechanized to save time.

A different cooking crew begins making the Brunswick stew around 4 a.m., and

19

it takes a good portion of Saturday to prepare.

“There’s a lot that goes into all of it,” Lassiter said. “I don’t think folks realize how much work goes into this fundraiser, especially since we make everything.”

Lane said he believes its better the way they do it.

“All of it is just us,” he said. “We are the only ones in Northampton County that make everything we sell, and I think that’s something we’re all happy about.”

The hard work pays off, however, as people come from all over Northampton County as well as neighboring counties such as Bertie, Halifax and Hertford.

“We’ve even had a few people say ours is the only barbecue they’ll eat,” Lassiter said.

The group said it is satisfying once Saturday night comes and people come to the fire department to sit down and share a meal.

“It’s good to see so many satisfied customers,” Moses said.

Lassiter added, “It’s about giving back to our community. We’re able to offer a good meal and people are able to support the fire department.”

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Lane said it is good to see some people who don’t get out as much because of their age sit together and socialize.

The hard work, dedication and ability to support its community has helped the Lasker Volunteer Fire Department over the years, and the barbecue dinner has been a big part of their ability to help.

LVFD Chief Michael Sumner said simply, “We wouldn’t have the doors

Dr. Robert C. Mills, OD Dr. Scott Matthews, OD

open without these suppers.”

The first barbecue sale was held in March of this year, and the next one is slated for September. Those wishing to learn about the sale dates and times can find the Lasker Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook.

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern Living, the Bertie Ledger-Advance and the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald.

20

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21

hyde

Rooted in Tradition

I

Martelle’s provides barbecue for all tastes Story & Photos by Sandy Carawan n the South where the love of pork prevails, no subject sparks a more heated debate than that of barbecue.

For southerners, it’s more than a

source of food; barbecue is a source of pride.

Sweet, smoky or dripping in sauce, all across the South barbecue is known for its distinct and varying flavors, perhaps nowhere more so than North Carolina, where barbecue restaurants sprawl from east to west along miles of scenic roadways, each offering up its own take on this delicious delicacy.

While western North Carolinians tend to prefer a sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce, in the eastern part of the state barbecue is known for its lighter, spice-infused vinegarbased sauce.

Even so, nothing is absolute when it comes to barbecue.

with the Engelhard Fire Department.

His choice of cuts of meat, however,

What is absolutely known is that Martelle

“We realized right off that we needed

has been impacted due to the difficulty in

Marshall knows barbecue. He grew up around

fundraisers, so we started cooking pigs in the

obtaining whole pigs because of the restaurant’s

pigs and eating barbecue. He has raised hogs.

early 1970s,” he said. “Over the years that we

geographic location.

He cooks barbecue. He studies barbecue. He

cooked pigs we built our own cookers and

“We started not being able to get whole pigs,”

loves barbecue. Ultimately, he is a barbecue

started out with homemade pits with cinder

Martelle said. “So we started playing with some

connoisseur.

blocks and grates. Then different ones started

different cuts, and what we’ve come up with just

building cookers. They were all charcoal or

seems to be the best alternative to whole pigs.”

“Mustard doesn’t need to go on pork as far as I’m concerned,” points out Martelle, the owner of Martelle’s Feed House Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Engelhard.

But when it comes to the cut of meat, smoke, time, texture and sauce, Martelle prides himself on his own style of eastern North Carolina barbecue.

He explains his knowledge of cooking pigs dates to nearly 50 years ago when he worked

22

wood-based cookers.”

“It took me a while to get a blend that I was

Martelle said when his parents first got

satisfied with. The shoulder has a variety of

married they lived in an old tenant house in

meats in it: some that are similar to a ham, some

which his father cooked pigs in the fireplace.

that are similar to side meat, and some that’s a

“I guess I had cooking pigs in my genes,” he mused.

little bit similar to a loin,” he added.

Martelle remarks experimenting over the

When it comes to preparing barbecue,

years has helped him determine that a blend

Martelle maintains that he looks for the best

of pork butts and shoulders makes a very

quality of meat.

compatible texture similar to a whole pig.

“We use the butts for more of a darker, redder meat and the

over the years. But it was probably my father’s.”

shoulder has more of the ham-

Martelle believes his barbecue is

like white meat. We use more of

the best because it is not only fine

the butts than we do the hams, so

and lean with no fat added, but it

you get a little more moist meat,”

is picked through to create a clean

Martelle said.

product.

Regarding time, he maintains

“It’s lean. It’s clean. It’s kind of

that barbecue takes time to cook,

mild. It’s not real spicy. I think when

and he cooks his at least eight hours

you put all those things together

to get the meat where he wants it.

it comes out as a good product,”

“We cook over charcoal, and Kingsford is our brand,” he said. “We

Martelle said. “That’s what makes it acceptable to people.”

don’t buy cheap charcoal because it

In addition to barbequing pork,

doesn’t work. Our barbecue gets a

Martelle also cooks barbecue

good smoke and a good flavor.”

chicken, barbecue beef, and pork

Afterwards, he processes his barbecue by pulling and handchopping it before mixing in his sauce, which is a vinegar-based sauce infused with salt, pepper, sugar

and

several

different

ingredients that make it a little sweeter.

Grinning, he jokes, “I’ll tell you what the recipe is, but then I’ll have to shoot you. My mother gave me my barbecue sauce recipe, and I never asked her where it came from. I’ve tweaked it a little bit

“I don’t expect everybody to

on the table,” Martelle added. “And

say that I’ve got the best barbecue

every now and then somebody will

because that’s an arguable point.

want to put mustard on it.”

For southerners, it’s more than a source of food; barbecue is a source of pride.

It’s like ball teams. You come from

Martelle’s

Feed

House

Goldsboro, Kinston or Ahoskie and

Restaurant and Oyster Bar is

they’ve got their own restaurant

located at 33301 US Highway 264

and style that they favor. If I can get

in Engelhard, NC. Open year-round,

compared to B’s Barbecue in

in the ball park with those people

lunch hours are Tuesday through

Greenville, which he takes as a

then I’m satisfied,” he said.

Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,

ribs.

Martelle’s barbecue has been

compliment.

Martelle added his barbecue

while dinner hours are Tuesday –

“Every region or community has

has even been reviewed by North

Thursday, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., and

their own barbecue. If somebody

Carolina author and television

Friday and Saturday, 5:00 – 9:00

compares me to somebody else

personality, Bob Garner, who

p.m. Sunday buffet is 11:00 a.m. to

that’s been in business for 50 years

gave

3:00 p.m. (closed on Mondays). For

and I’ve been here 22 years, I’m

recommendation.

pleased,” he said.

North Carolinians take their

it

his

“Mmm-mmm”

more information, call (252) 925-

Whether you’re a barbecue connoisseur

yourself,

a

Hyde

1799 or visit them online at http:// www.martellesfeedhouse.com

barbecue seriously. And when

County local or an out-of-towner

or

it comes to taste, appeal and its

passing

Martelles-Feed-House-Restaurant.

through

or

touring

https://www.facebook.com/

other finer qualities, they

Hyde’s picturesque landscape to

are willing to debate the

witness its many wondrous sights,

Language

differences of what is the

Martelle’s is the place to stop for a

Mattamuskeet Early College High

best barbecue and even

bite of barbecue or chicken, steak

School in Swan Quarter and a

drive all over the state to

or seafood.

regular contributor to Eastern Living

bolster their own debate.

“Of course, we have our sauce

Sandy Carawan is an English Arts

teacher

at

Magazine.

23

edgecombe

A barbeque destination Tarboro’s Abrams draws ‘home’ folk

E

Story by Amelia Harper Photos by Alan Campbell

dgecombe

fancy place to dine may not be

County’s

claim

drawn to Abrams down-home

barbecue

decor. But customers looking for

fame is Abrams Restaurant —

great home-cooked barbecue,

a chain of seven restaurants

chicken, ribs, seafood and all

scattered throughout eastern

the fixins will relish the quaint

North Carolina that began in

pig figurines and old-time signs

1974.

that make it clear that barbecue

to

While the Tarboro restaurant

is the flagship of the operations

“We try to create a homey

and Tarboro is the home of

atmosphere

the

comfortable here,” Brady said.

Abrams

Amusements

Catering division,

and

so

people

feel

there

Abrams’ barbecue is typically

are also Abrams Restaurants

served chopped, though they do

in Scotland Neck, Pinetops,

serve pulled pork, or they will

Greenville,

even prepare whole hogs for

Ahoskie,

Windsor

and Wilson.

But the Tarboro location

catering or special events, Brady said.

stands out as one of the top

The barbecue is vinegar-

destinations for foodies who

based with the proprietary blend

live in or are visiting Edgecombe

of spices and other ingredients

County.

developed

“Of all the restaurants, we are

founder

decades

and

ago

owner

by

Gerald

the one that is most likely to be

Abrams. It is a little milder

a destination spot, so we get a

and sweeter than some other

lot of people from out of town

varieties, yet it still exudes a lot

as well as our regular customers

of flavor.

from the area,” said Wendy

“Our

barbecue

is

also

Brady, general manager of all

healthier

the Abrams locations.

barbecues because we try to

Customers looking for a

24

is king.

than

many

other

eliminate as much fat and skin

The flaky buttered biscuits,

as possible,” Brady said. want

which are almost like large rolls,

to take a taste of the barbecue

are bursting with melted hoop

in their own home kitchens,

cheese and work as a delightful

Abrams sells bottles of its sauce

side dish or a small meal unto

at all restaurant locations and

itself.

For

customers

who

at some local Piggly Wiggly

Located at 609 West Wilson

stores. Restaurants as far away as

St. in Tarboro, the restaurant

Maryland also purchase the sauce

is open from 6 to 8 p.m. on

in bulk to try to bring a taste of

Mondays through Saturdays and

eastern North Carolina barbecue

from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

Their buffet services, which

to faraway locations. marinated

are popular with customers, vary

fried chicken is also coated with

from day to day and include

a proprietary blend of flour and

beverages in the price. On

spices, and the hush puppies are

Mondays through Fridays, a lunch

made from scratch with Abrams'

buffet of barbecue, chicken and

own recipe as well. But the food

other assorted items is available

sensations do not end there.

from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at a cost

Abrams’s

moist,

We try our best to treat everyone the way we want to be treated.

Sundays for $7.49. The biggest

a great recipe for barbecue and friendly customer service,

for $11.49.

Most popular items in the restaurant are barbecue, chicken

famous for our original cheese

seafood buffet with barbecue and

and hamburger steak. Popular

biscuits,” Brady said. “These are

fried children included is available

take-out items are barbecue,

probably the closest thing to the

from 5 to 8 p.m. for $11.49. A

chicken and fish. Home-cooked

cheese biscuits people remember

breakfast buffet is offered from

green beans and collards are

from their childhood.”

7 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays and

popular vegetable choices.

probably

home-cooking,

from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays

of $8.99. On Friday nights, a full

are

good

buffet of the week is available

most

“We

With

Abrams

Restaurant

seeks

to

follow the golden rule.

“We try our best to treat everyone the way we want to be treated,” Brady said.

Amelia Harper is a Staff Writer for the Rocky Mount Telegram.

25

martin

All things change…

G

Except the recipe for Griffin’s Bar-B-Q Story & Photos by Sarah Hodges Stalls

riffins Bar-B-Q has

Dallas passed away in 2015. For

been cooking in the

many years, Janet, Andy’s sister

Martin County community

was a daily fixture in the operation.

of Farm Life since 1946.

Today, Diane Lucido, Janet’s

But, according to third

daughter is the fourth-generation

generation cooker Andy Griffin,

to take part in the family business.

things looked a bit different in the

The team of fewer than a

early days.

dozen cooks are in the kitchen two

“It was just an open shelter

originally,”

he

explained.

“All

or three days a week, depending on demand.

cooked outside with wood pots.

When the employees reach

And there was no refrigeration.

the kitchen, which is located down

You made it and delivered it.”

a lane off the Fire Department Road in Farm Life,

I don’t have to tell anyone what they need to do.

They just know, and they do.

In those early days, Andy’s grandfather,

Andrew

cooked

two

in

for

Williamston.

Griffin,

restaurants

Later,

Andy has already been

there

for

nearly two hours.

“We start at 4:30 a.m.,” Andy explained. when

we

“And are

through, we are through.”

At 4:45 a.m.

on a “cook day,” visitors could hear a pin drop with everyone busy at their stations.

Andy’s

“I don’t have to tell anyone

father,Dallas, would take the reins.

what they need to do,” Andy said

At some point, many members

of the crew. “They just know, and

of the family have worked at the barbecue kitchen. Sarah, the family matriarch has retired, and

26

they do.”

Griffin is grateful for such solid employees.

“We’ve lost a lot of people

making sausage.”

over the years,” when it comes to

Once all the kitchen work is

employees Andy explained. He

done, Rutherford takes to the

does not recall ever having to fire

telephone to check on his delivery

anyone.

route for Tuesday, Wednesday

“We

have

been

very

fortunate,” he said.

remains somewhat local while

When there has been a need for a new employee, Andy has never even had to ask. His senior employee,

Alberto

and Thursday. Tuesday’s route

Arteaga

comes to the rescue.

Wednesday takes Rutherford to the Virginia-line and back.

Rutherford and Arteaga agree, at Griffins Bar-B-Q, it feels like

return to Farm Life, unload and

family.

Andy said Arteaga, who has

“Probably see this bunch as

been with the operation for

much if not more than my own

more than 14 years, will come to him and say, “I will bring you somebody.”

The arrangement seems to work out every time.

It was just an open shelter originally. All cooked outside with wood pots. And there was no refrigeration. You made it and delivered it. stock the cooler.

“I’m a little tough on trucks,”

Unofficially, he was around 8-years-old when he began his career.

Rutherford explained sheepishly.

“I would stand at a table and

Speaking of Andy’s niece,

Due to the routes, he has logged

I was on the grinder, even then”

Diane, Rutherford said, “Diane’s

more than 300,000 miles in 2-3

Andy explained.

like a Mom to us like her mom

years.

family,” Rutherford mused.

In all the time Rutherford has

used to be.”

“I

can’t

even

let

my

grandchildren come up here and

on

been on staff, he said, he never

shortly after Arteaga. If asked

Rutherford’s schedule, and an

remembers Andy taking time off.

In today’s world, employees

what his job is, the response may

important one.

Neither does Andy. He has been

must be 21-years of age to work

in the business, officially, for 43

in this setting.

Kyle Rutherford came along

be, “what day is it?”

“On Mondays I weigh cups

Friday

is

a

big

day

“I take the bigger truck and pick up the meat in Smithfield,”

years.

work now,” he said.

Andy

said

inspections,

and get the product ready to

he said. “That way we will have

“Got out of high school one

go,” Rutherford explained. “Once

product to prepare for next week.”

day and came to work the next,”

are results of the changes in the

the 61-year old said.

business over the years. But he

barbecue is ready, we move on to

He will make the trip then

documentation and paperwork

27

knows there is a reason for it

Griffin’s sausage production

all.

has now surpassed that of “It’s all about food safety,”

he said. “We have to go through a lot to document ourselves.”

Luckily

a

lot

of

the

customers have stayed the same.

“When we first started the routes,” delivering the family product, “it was mainly ‘Mom and Pop’ stores.” Now Griffin’s barbecue is in larger stores as well.

“It’s just always been here for me,” Andy said of his family’s business. “And I am grateful.”

Today, Griffin’s is producing

their barbecue.

On a typical week, they will produce 2,000 pounds of barbecue and they make 10,000 pounds of sausage.

Andy

is

grateful

the

business has been around so many years, but at times had doubts.

“Some years I wondered,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate.”

Sarah Hodges Stalls is a Staff Writer for Eastern Living, the Bertie Ledger-Advance and

approximately 2,000 pounds

the Martin County Enterprise &

of barbecue a week for sale.

Weekly Herald.

28

29

washington

The legend of Simps Washington County men carry on tradition

B

Story & Photos by Doward Jones Jr.

arbecue in Eastern North Carolina is as much a ritual as it is an invitation for dining.

For diehards there is no debate of East, West, North or South offerings. All know which is the best - and that is right here at home.

For many years Highway 64 wound through the midsection of Washington County, leading folks to a lone diner simply placed by the roadside.

Known locally and to many traveling to the beach as “Simps,” it was here folks stopped by for lunch or dinner and visited for a while.

The dining room was classic with booths and tables. The quick service was as legendary as the fare. Dressed in white aprons and hats, the staff added to the fare of a down-home dining experience.

But that doesn’t even include the barbecue itself. The pork was pit cooked right outside the door so it was served fresh. They had a way of warming and flattening the buns that quickly became their signature.

Add a little slaw to the ‘que, a cold soda and one had himself a memorable meal.

In the beginning Simps was noted for its fried lace corn bread, but they soon realized “hush puppies” to be a dining room favorite. After adding the bite size morsel, they soon lost count of how

30

many they served each day as many folks stopped by to purchase a bag full for a drive-along snack.

Sadly, Simpson’s BBQ closed after 45 years of operation, but even today almost two decades later, the food, people and atmosphere are remembered fondly, especially around dinner time.

For several of the local fellows who frequented the eatery, their love of the establishment gave inspiration to keep traditions while spreading their mission of serving their community.

First though, a little more history of the celebrated diner.

Dan and Ruth Simpson opened the short order restaurant in 1957. Located in a service station, it grew in popularity as locals filled its small quarters and travelers discovered the experience of pit cooked BBQ. Soon after opening, Simpson’s son, Red and his wife, Rachel, joined the business eventually taking over the operation. Their daughters also became part of the business in later years making it a true family affair.

As the business prospered, they added a more formal dining section with tables and booths. Here, smartly dressed waiters took orders and served diners and answered questions like “How far is it to the beach?”

For locals in the know, the expectation

of a barbecue plate, or sandwich served with a cold bottle of Pepsi was reward enough for the short trip of dining out.

Those who frequented the establishment still

Ray, whose father was a barbecue cook at a family restaurant, was a natural.

Ruritan Club where at times other members

“The Prices have a deep background of cooking pigs,” he said.

reflect on Simp’s signature sandwich where after

Scot took readily to the process also and the

filling the bun with barbecue and freshly made

two found working together went hand-in-hand.

cole slaw (if requested), an added bonus from

As their reputation grew, other organizations

pressing the offering on a hot plate gave the meal

asked for their help cooking

an added touch.

and serving BBQ plates to raise

The laid back atmosphere was an attraction

money.

Churches,

schools,

within itself. One could drift in, grab a sandwich,

and civic organizations have all

greet some friends and head back out without

benefited from their generous

any fanfare.

services in helping prepare the

The memories of the flavor of the food and

local favorite dinner plate.

people still linger for those who remember. The

Of course, there is more to

times spent dining out, and visiting also led to

the process than the cooking

inspiration, a way to record and pay homage by

on the fire pit. The real work

sharing the experience of good food and good

starts as they prepare the meat

deeds.

for serving. Here they offer a

Scot Luton and Ray Price, who live just down

The two are longtime members of the Roper pitch-in to help with the preparation and serving of the meals. Ray and Scot give credit to a “team effort” with fellow Ruritan’s in the community to accomplish a successful fund raiser.

Today Scot and Ray express, “Simps was a

One could drift in, grab a sandwich, greet some friends and head back out without any fanfare.

unique appliance for grinding the pork.

good place for a meal that was always welcoming.”

They relate those experiences of good food,

the road from the diner in Roper, have taken up

An old fashioned meat grinder, powered by a

the art of serving BBQ plates to help raise money

model T Ford axle attached to a spinning wheel

hospitality and service in the meals they help

for various charities in the community. Like many

provides the finished product ready to serve.

prepare for the grateful public.

of the locals, they were frequent diners at Simps.

The grinder draws a lot of attention as it

As Scot recalls “I ate many meals there; it was like

relates to times gone by and more fitting to food

home.”

preparation in a more labor intensive process.

When the establishment closed in 2002,

In fact recently, the duo provided the grinding

Ray and Scot had begun working together at

services for a mission trip fund raiser to India.

the Roper Fire Department, cooking and serving

Here they prepared the BBQ for over 1,000

plates to raise money.

plates, a record in their books.

Yes, barbecue goes a long way to contribute to the dining experience in Eastern North Carolina.

And do not forget the hush puppies!

Doward Jones Jr. is a longtime writer, photographer and newspaper veteran in Washington County. He can be reached at dowardjones@mac.com.

31

gates

Tarheel Bar-B-Que Family serving families for nearly six decades

N

Story & Photos by Sarah Hodges Stalls

ear the junction of

“We cook our barbecue all

U.S. 13 and 158 in

night long on the slow cooker,”

northern Gates County, there is a

Paige Hedgepeth explained. “It

sign that simply reads Tarheel.

cooks for at least 12 hours.”

It has nothing to do with

Carrying on a lesson learned

the Atlantic Coast Conference.

from her father - half hams and

Instead, this rural community

half shoulders are cooked for their

is home to one of northeastern

barbecue.

North Carolina’s oldest family restaurants, Tarheel Bar-B-Que. Don’t be confused because

“My Daddy always said butts made it too greasy and all hams made it too dry,” she explained.

their address reads Eure, North

Tarheel Bar-B-Que is well

Carolina - that’s only because it’s

traveled. Paige recollected one

the nearest post office.

family that came in annually from

Raleigh McKinley Eure, better known in the community as

Texas, buying 30 pounds and taking it back home with them.

“Gramps,” founded Tarheel Bar-

Their product has needed its

B-Que in 1960, according to his

own passport, making it across the

daughter, Paige Hedgepeth. The

Atlantic Ocean.

family lived about six miles from the site of the restaurant.

Paige elaborated, “I know we’ve had some of our barbecue

“I’ve been around here since I was two,” said Hedgepeth, the now co-owner.

that’s been sent to Germany, to somebody’s son in the military.”

The military has a special place

She and her two sisters spent

in the heart of Tarheel Bar-B-Que.

time in the restaurant at various

Two very special American flags

points. Since 1986, Hedgepeth

adorn the walls of the restaurant.

has run the business with her husband, Ricky.

Depending

Virginia in Kuwait on the fourth of on

business,

Tarheel cooks two or three days a week.

32

“One was flown over Camp July,” Ricky explained.

A local soldier from that camp brought the flag home to be

displayed in the establishment.

“The other was under the seat of an F-18 Warthog as it flew over Afghanistan.”

The pilot, who was from the area, presented it to the restaurant family.

Both members of the couple smile when they talk about the flags.

“It means a lot to know we are thought of this way,” she explained.

Katie Askew Stallings, her husband, Les, and

Unfortunately the “coffee group” members

grease drains right out,” she said. “It never just

have all passed away, and the restaurant only

sits in the grease.”

opens for breakfast on Saturdays.

When asked how hard it is for a small, family business to make it these days, Paige did not hesitate to respond. harder,” she said.

“Next to impossible,” Ricky added.

opportunities to “come home” from Suffolk,

loyal following is a bit habitual

Virginia and have a meal at Tarheel. On this

when it comes to their regular

visit, the trio made it in for lunch.

seats.

“This will always be home,” Greene

“They

come

in

and

“They are like a lost puppy.”

Nevertheless, they stay and eat.

is one of the things that keeps the Hedgepeths going.

delicious country food.

We love eating here.

explained.

feel at home when we eat at Tarheel Bar-BThe feeling their clientele is more like family

Good service,

someone is in their seat,” he

explained referring to Gates County. “And we Que.”

trying to be a little more healthy,” Ricky said.

The people and the stories which have

But together with their 16 employees and

walked in and out the door over the years are

loyal customer base, the Tarheel Bar-B-Que

eatery specials visitor’s will not find on a menu.

family keeps Gramp’s legacy alive.

In an era of healthy eating, Ricky has

“A lot of it is like a family,” Paige explained.

adapted his cooking methods to ensure

“For years there was the coffee group. They

the best outcome for the product as Paige

were here every morning.”

explained.

But like with families, things change.

occasional special on the menu.

“We wanted to try something to grab those

According to Ricky, their

Stallings smiled. “We love eating here.”

something new. Now, turkey barbecue is an

“Each year it’s harder and

her sister, Gladys Greene, look forward to their

“Good service, delicious country food,” Katie

Recently the restaurant has ventured into

“Our pork is cooked on racks where the

“There was the guy that was riding the horses from Florida to New York,” Ricky reminded Paige.

Paige laughed, “And there was the one riding a unicycle coast to coast.”

“A lot of travelers from all over everywhere,”

33

Ricky

said.

people,

“Seeing

talking

to

different

of Tarheel next door, he explained

different

as Paige shook her head. That

people.”

wasn’t all the story.

Paige said that is Ricky’s favorite part of it all.

She

quickly

Years later the FBI came back to do an extensive search of the

remembered

something. “Tell her about Barbara Bush,” Paige told her husband.

Ricky held up his hand. “Not that one,” he explained.

He explained this Barbara Bush was reportedly linked to the Dixie Mafia, a southern criminal ring that operated widely in the past 30 years.

“She said they had been involved in a robbery and murder

area in relation to this case, which had remained open many years.

The

Tarheel

crew

helped

investigators any way they were able as the search was behind the original restaurant.

The case was then closed after they could not find what they needed.

“We’ve seen a lot around here,” Ricky laughed.

in Oak City on the way to Virginia

“Yes, we have,” added Paige.

Beach,” Ricky said of the visit years

Sarah Hodges Stalls is a Staff

ago.

Writer for Eastern Living, the Bertie-

Supposedly, they buried a

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35

nash

Best in the Carolinas George’s Sauces offer variety for all

O

Story by Amelia Harper Photos by Sarah Louya

ne of Nash County’s

George’s sauces also come

bigger claims to fame

in a hot vinegar-based variety

in the culinary world

that packs more heat, and in a

of barbecue is the creation and

special barbecue formula that is

manufacture of George’s Sauces,

tomato-based.

which capture the quintessential

All these sauces are still

taste of eastern North Carolina

made with the same personal

barbecue in a bottled form that

care as the original product that

can transform a variety of meats

was developed more than four

into a taste sensation.

decades ago in a home kitchen

Available in three different

in Rocky Mount.

varieties that can be used alone,

George’s Original Barbecue

mixed in various combinations

Sauce was developed in 1975

or as the basis for personalized

by George Stallings of Rocky

recipes, George’s Sauces are used

Mount. George and his brother,

in home kitchens and restaurants

Ed, made the sauce as a hobby,

in the Carolinas and beyond.

In fact, George’s Original

Barbecue

Sauce was chosen by Rachel Ray Every Day magazine as the “Best in the Carolinas.”

George’s Original Barbecue Sauce is

Everything we do here revolves around faith and family.

vinegar-based sauce

36

with a proprietary blend of

but the product became so

crushed red peppers, apples and

popular with family and friends

spices.

that the brothers began making

batches in their garage to sell.

own for a year, but as the business

revolves around faith and family,”

“We want to grow, but we

The Chapell family of Nashville

expanded, Brian left his job as

Brian Hassell said. “We are also

never want to outgrow this

was among their most faithful

planning director for the town of

trying to make things always

process,” Brian Hassell said. “In

customers, and Beth Chapell

Nashville and joined the team at

better for our employees so they

the world today where so much

eventually bought the business,

George’s Sauces in 2018.

can have a good work-life balance.

said Ashley Hassell, who currently

Since then, the company has

relationships with old customers

grown even more.

owns the business.

Under the leadership of Beth

The Hassells focused their

Chapell, the sauce began to be

efforts

distributed in the area in Food

strategies and on streamlining

Lion stores and some other

production at their operations

outlets until it became well-

center in Nash County. However,

known in the community.

keeping the personal touch on

George’s Sauces also was picked up by regional Walmart stores and appeared in more than

on

new

marketing

the product has remained a priority.

“The products are all made by hand so we don’t have automated

250 Walmart stores by 2013. a

machinery making the product.

household name at that point,”

There is no line — there are just

Hassell said.

people,” Ashley Hassell said.

“It

became

more

of

We also are working to strengthen as we build relationships with new customers.”

is mass produced, we make our products in small batches. We make every pot ourselves and mix the spices ourselves. The

We know who we are.

We know what we do.

And, we do it really well.

The results are paying off in the growth of company morale and

quality control is us. At the end of the day, we never want to forget who we are.

After owning the business

Working as a team gives the

sales. With just eight employees

for more than 25 years, the

couple more time to spend with

— three of them part-time — the

“We know who we are. We

Chapells sold George’s Sauces to

their family and to concentrate

company makes about 4,000

know what we do. And, we do it

their daughter, Ashley, and her

on the employees they count as

16-ounce bottles or 750 gallon-

really well.”

husband, Brian, in April 2017.

family as well.

size containers of barbecue sauce

Ashley ran the business on her

“Everything

we

do

here

each day.

Amelia Harper is a Staff Writer for the Rocky Mount Telegram.

37

beaufort

Smoke on the Water Rotarians use annual cook-off to help others

S

Story by Thadd White Photos by Roland Wyman

moke on the Water

and well-liked barbecue cooking

has a storied history

challenges.

in downtown Washington.

What began as a way to

In

addition

to

barbecue, there is also a chili cooking challenge.

promote the historic downtown

The event draws thousands

portion of Washington now serves

to the downtown Washington

as a fundraiser to allow the Noon

waterfront each year, and draws

Rotary Club of Washington the

cooks from up and down the

opportunity to give back to the

Eastern Seaboard.

community.

“Every penny goes to nonprofit

“We want to be a fun and family event everyone can come

groups to help them with their missions,” Anderson said.

out and enjoy,” said Festival

Smoke on the Water began

Director Pam Anderson. “You can

under Anderson’s tutelage some 22 years ago. It was

Every penny goes

her brainchild when

to nonprofit groups

Historic

to help them with

Association.

their missions.

on the water, and that’s

she was hired by the Downtown

Washington Merchant “I saw steam rising how it began,” she said.

The

barbecue

come out and get good barbecue,

cook-off had its roots with the

but you can also spend the day

downtown

and not spend a dime and still

Anderson continued to run the

enjoy it if you want to.”

festival for five years before

merchants,

and

Smoke on the Water has

moving in a different direction.

become one of eastern North

She said running the festival got to

Carolina’s

be too much and she had to turn

38

most

well-attended

the festival over to others.

On Friday afternoon, the cooks and vendors

Over the course of the years, the festival

arrive and begin setting up. The Chief Cook

suffered and began to need new life. That’s

meeting happens at 5 p.m., and that's when

when the Noon Rotary Club stepped in in

the contestants learn rules and procedures.

for third.

All pigs are cooked Eastern North Carolina style and judged without sauce.

The pigs begin being distributed at 8 p.m.

2009. They took over the festival, turned it

Normally there will be as many as 35 teams

into an event organized and led by volunteers,

cooking. Those entering the contest pay a $175

The weekend draws as many as 25,000

and used it to help become a fundraiser to give

entry fee, but the pig is supplied to them. There

people descending on Washington’s downtown

back to the community.

is a $2,500 top prize and other cash awards

waterfront. People have the opportunity

for second through fourth. Prizes are awarded

to watch the pigs being cooked Friday and

“I volunteered because I wanted to check on my baby,” Anderson mused.

It didn’t take too long before volunteering led to Anderson taking back over leading the festival, and she has enjoyed every minute of it.

“We are getting better organized and learning as we go,” she said. “We make more money, which ultimately gives us more money to give away.”

in two categories – gas and charcoal and wood.

There

is

Showmanship

also

a

contest

for

decorating the cook site, and the winner receives $300.

“Cooks come from as far away as Texas, and we have

Cooks come from as far away as Texas... They love the venue because its on the waterfront.

The two top sponsors for the event are

several from the Roanoke

Nutrien and Smithfiled. Smithfield supplies the

Rapids area,” Anderson aid.

pigs for cooking as well as making a donation

“They love the venue because

to the festival.

it’s on the waterfront. They also say we have a

It takes approximately 150 volunteers to make the event successful as it has grown.

with judging beginning promptly 12 hours later.

well-run event, and they appreciate the money going to charity.”

Saturday.

On Friday evening there is a movie for the children and bouncy houses. There is also a ‘Pig

The event begins on Friday, but volunteers

The other contest is the chili cook-off. The

start marking of the streets and making

cost for entering one chili is $25 or two can be

Saturday morning begins with judging the

preparations on Thursday.

entered for $40. The prizes begin with a $500

barbecue and then the day will be full of family

award and a trophy for first place with $300

fun.

“It’s nonstop once Thursday gets here,” Anderson said.

and a trophy for second and $100 and a trophy

Parade’ takes places that evening.

There is a 5K planned for the day, as well

39

as a car show, amusements, train

every year,” Anderson said. “We

rides, live music and, of course, a

have a good group of people who

lot of barbecue.

really want to do good. It’s a lot

Once the contest is judged,

of hours and hard work, but that’s

all the barbecue is taken to

why it is a service project.”

a chopping tent where it is

She said it all pays off.

mixed together and sold for the

“When I get to hand a check

remainder of the event. Anderson

to someone and see the reaction

said the barbecue usually sells out

they have because they know

completely.

it can make a difference in

Some of those featured this year will be Squier Red and the Blues Band, Steve Creech Band,

someone’s life – that’s the best part of it all,” she said.

Anyone

interested

in

the Wicked Mojos and Ruth

participating in Smoke on the

Wyand & The Tribe of One.

Water, serving as a volunteer or

Anderson said the entire event is a lot of work for the volunteers,

helping sponsor the event can go to smokeonthewater.info.

but it is worth it. This year Smoke

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern

on the Water will be held Oct. 18-

Living, the Bertie Ledger-Advance

19.

and the Martin County Enterprise & “I am amazed and feel blessed

40

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41

hertford

Less Sauce Equals More Flavor Pork Fest continues long tradition

A

Story by Sarah Davis Photos by Cal Bryant/Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

sk

Edwards

Several winners of Roanoke-

for the recipe of

Tom

Chowan Pork Fest have been

the secret sauce he

winners in the State Contest

uses for the barbecue served at

in Raleigh. One year the first,

Murfreesboro’s annual Roanoke-

second, and third place winners

Chowan Pork Fest, and he will

in the State all had earlier won

laugh at you, not because he is

accolades in Murfreesboro.

refusing to give you the secret

Once the judging is completed,

recipe but because, in his words,

all the barbecue is chopped and

“There is no secret recipe.”

mixed with the “secret” sauce by

Likening the dousing of well-

Edwards and a group of friends

cooked pork with too much sauce,

- Dennis Bennett, Ed Courtright,

no matter the recipe, to covering

Jerry

a good beef steak with A-1 sauce,

Charles Futrell, Dan Johnson and

Edwards explains that the real

David Lane.

“secret” to good barbeque lies

barbecue that has raised more

with the cooking and the cooks.

than a quarter of a million dollars

Though some might disagree, even some cooks, Edwards insists that the cooking gives it the flavor, not the sauce.

A.B.

Flanagan,

That, then, is the

for the Jefcoat Museum at the Roanoke-Chowan Pork Fest.

How has it come to be that one’s nose leads to High Street

And the Pork Fest certainly

in Murfreesboro on the third

has the cooks to give it the

Saturday in May for a delicious

flavor. Each year, beginning early

plate of award-winning barbecue

Friday evening, in preparation

and fixin’s?

for

42

Cowan,

judging early Saturday by

In the 1990s, Murfreesboro

three certified, licensed judges

became home to the Brady

- chosen from a master list of

C. Jefcoat Museum, located at

approximately 50 provided by

201 West High Street (once

the North Carolina Pork Council -

Murfreesboro

approximately 20 cooking teams

Covering approximately 17,000

compete for prizes.

square

feet,

High the

School). multi-floor

museum

numerous

$100,000 for the elevator, and,

items of Americana from items

houses

within five years, the goal had

of drudgery, such as washing

been reached.

machines and irons, to those of

entertainment,

such

as

phonographs and organs.

Because of the nature of the

In event,

preparation Brinson

for

Paul,

this Jimmy

Gray, and Tom Caulkins visited competitions similar to the one

building, if the collection were to

they hoped to start.

be accessible to all, an elevator

of his involvement in other

was needed, and an elevator costs

competitions, Futrell was able

money.

Because

As various fundraisers

to offer guidance concerning

and donation solicitations were

what to do, and, perhaps more

producing a small amount toward

importantly, what not to do.

the elevator, Wayne Futrell, a

The

steering

committee

competitive cooker and also

enlisted

an official North Carolina Pork

contacting Edwards, who was

Council judge, suggested the idea

known for the barbecue served at

of a pork-cooking competition as

Meherrin Baptist Church’s annual

a quick method of raising large

youth fundraiser.

funds.

group agreed to sauce and chop

community

support,

He and his

In 2002, the first Roanoke-

the barbecue for serving, and

Chowan Pork Fest was held with

they have continued to do so

10 cooking teams.

each year.

That year,

almost $10,000 was raised: A

Sponsors

were

solicited,

thermometer was erected on

and several major ones came

the school grounds showing the

aboard,

movement toward the needed

Brown (Smithfield Foods), Glover

including

Tom Edwards’ Secret Sauce:

Murphy-

1 gallon vinegar ½ pound brown sugar 3 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper ¼ cup salt Construction, CRMP, Metal Tech

just as a fundraiser for the Jefcoat

and Piggly Wiggly, among others,

Museum but as a community

as well as smaller businesses and

event.

individuals.

The community does love

In addition to providing an

it, supporting it as sponsors and

elevator, other major expenses

as volunteer workers, whether

that have been met by Pork Fest

setting

proceeds are roof repair and a

money, filling plates, or cleaning

sprinkler system.

Once these

up the grounds and removing

renovations had occurred, there

the garbage. Locals join cooking

was talk of abandoning Pork Fest,

teams from other parts of North

but it was decided that it was

Carolina, South Carolina, and

wanted and even needed, not

Virginia to enter the competition.

up

tents,

collecting

43

Judges, on the other hand, are traditionally,

given him when he was just beginning to

community

and deliberately, not local.

compete, as well as the ongoing assistance

Brinson Paul and Colon Ballance for

any cooker will offer another, if needed,

their dedication to this endeavor.

during the competition.

housing the Jefcoat Museum, the former

One local resident who has entered the Murfreesboro competition is Hunter Brown who has been cooking competitively for

The purchase of a ticket to Pork

about 10 years, whether in Murfreesboro,

Fest entitles one to

Ahoskie, Seaboard or Washington.

mouthwatering

more than the

barbecue

and

fixin’s;

Brown noted the Pork Fest always

one can tour the museum, visit old cars,

supplies the pig for contestants whereas

purchase crafts, and enjoy music - usually

other competitions may not.

local, sometimes otherwise.

Brown

especially emphasized the feeling of

For children, there are organized games

community of the cooking teams, noting

and other activities, such as face painting.

the assistance more seasoned cookers

For them, there is also a Pepsi Wagon from

offer to younger ones.

which hot dogs can be purchased. In most

Another

local

resident

who

has

competed in Murfreesboro is Futrell,

years strawberry shortcake is available for purchase.

feels

appreciation

to By

Murfreesboro High School building has been re-purposed. Edwards said that he is heartened driving by the building and seeing it still in use, noting that all the hard work for the fundraisers that have preserved the building are worth it. He sees not just the Jefcoat Museum but the Murfreesboro High School he attended.

The Roanoke-Chowan Pork Festival is held on the third Saturday in May each year. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., one can tour Pork Alley.

Festivities usually continue

winning first place in 2006. He excitedly

In 2008, Paul retired as head of the

talks about his days as a competitor, which

Jefcoat Museum, and by default, head of

until mid-afternoon, with the barbecue

health forced him to abandon in 2008,

the Roanoke-Chowan Pork Fest. Colon

meal being served from noon - 3 p.m.

emphasizing the same feeling Brown

Ballance has been serving in that capacity

described among the competitors. Calling them “a family,� Futrell talks of assistance

44

ever since.

Edwards

Sarah Davis is a retired librarian and regular contributor to Eastern Living and the

emphasized

the

entire

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45

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Thadd White Editor twhite@ncweeklies.com Jim Green Sports Editor jgreen@ncweeklies.com Sarah Hodges Stalls Staff Writer shstalls@ncweeklies.com

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history meets adventure 47

by Janice Hopkins

North Carolina’s

Barbecue Tradition N

orth Carolina is one of the states

vinegar, brown sugar, spices, and seasonings.

noted for its barbecue, and unlike

Commonly, this style uses only the

some other places, the single word

pork shoulders, cooked and chopped.

“barbecue” means pork in North Carolina.

The shoulder is made up of the shank or

To denote other meats, it takes two

bottom part of the leg and the Boston

words, for example, “barbecued chicken” or

butt or top portion. In the far west of the

“barbecued beef.”

state, a mayonnaise-based coleslaw often

Practically all barbecue will have three basic elements: a heat source, meat and

In the Piedmont, it is more likely to be a

usually a cover. Early barbecues often

red slaw, which uses a dressing, somewhat

involved cooking in a dug pit and being

similar to the red barbecue sauce, instead of

covered with foliage or something similar.

or in addition to, mayonnaise.

Today, cooks are much more likely to use some type of grill.

In contrast, Eastern-style barbecue sauce has no tomatoes whatsoever. Instead, it

However, when it comes to barbecue,

uses vinegar, pepper, sugar and spices in

the state has two main distinctive styles and

the sauce. Any slaw down East will have

many variations of those.

mayonnaise or salad dressing, similar to the

The western part of the state has Westernstyle barbecue, also known as Lexington or Piedmont. It uses a red, tomato-based sauce with ingredients, like ketchup, apple cider

48

accompanies the barbecue.

extreme western part of the state.

Eastern barbecue is also much more likely to be “whole hog.”

Large barbecue events often use a short

HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO BARBECUE, THE STATE HAS TWO MAIN DISTINCTIVE STYLES AND MANY VARIATIONS OF THOSE. cinderblock structure with a metal grill of some type across the top. The hog is split in half, sometimes wrapped in something like chicken wire to allow turning without falling into the embers, placed on the heated grill with the raw side down, and slow-cooked. It is then flipped, and the skin side is cooked the longest.

The sauce (sometimes referred to as the glaze) is applied near the end of cooking with a swab or brush attached to a stick. More may be added after the meat is pulled off the bone.

Fire department barbecues have become another North Carolina tradition. It’s become

prepared Eastern-style barbeque. It was seen

important than the technique or the recipe.

as unique, something different, and they did

However, many newbies don’t realize that

a brisk business. This just goes to show how

things like texture, aroma, and appearance also

there are no defined borders in the two types

factor in.

of barbecue, but there has always been some crossover.

Tim gives an example. At one competition a family set up beside him with a large impressive

Barbecuing takes a special talent, and

trailer. They had all the furnishings and gadgets

competitions have developed. Hobbyists pull a

imaginable, and everything looked new and

trailer around the state with all their equipment,

shiny. This was the family’s first experience at

hoping to win and have the best barbecue.

competing. They loved to have people over to

Tim Barbee, who has participated in many

their house for cookouts, and everyone always

such competitions, explains some of his

bragged on their cooking and said it was the

experiences.

best barbecue they’d ever eaten. They were

He’s quick to point out that competition

sure they were going to win.

cooking is much different than cooking

By now, Tim was a veteran at the

barbecue at home. Just because all the friends

competitions, and he felt secure with his small

and neighbors talk about how wonderful

trailer and homemade cooker. Tim won this

someone’s barbecue is, it doesn’t mean

competition, but his neighbors came in last

the person is ready to win or even enter a

place. They had a lot to learn. Tim is quick

competition. That usually requires experience

to point out what the seasoned competitor

– learning what the judges are looking for and

knows. “It’s not the cooker but the cook” who

making necessary adjustments.

wins.

The rubric might vary slightly, but generally,

Janice Cole Hopkins is a professional writer

the greatest percentage of the score comes

with numerous published books, and is a regular

from the flavor and taste. The outcome is more

contributor to Eastern Living.

a good way for volunteer fire departments to raise money for their operations. They’ve become popular over the years, and politicians often attend to campaign and talk to voters due to the large crowds the events usually draw.

In Bertie and surrounding counties, the Powellsville

Volunteer

Fire

Department

Barbecue in March has become an important tradition. The community comes together to support their fire department, preparing around 5,500 pounds of barbecue to sell in plates or to take away in cartons. People even come from other states to attend.

In some respects, it’s almost like a huge reunion with family and friends who haven’t seen each other in a while getting together.

Years ago, the Roaring River Volunteer Fire Department in Wilkes County always held an annual barbeque.

Now, this was in the mountain region in the western part of the state, but these men

49

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7

301 Endless Yard Sale a h t e y “Puts Itself on” for

T

he 2019 edition of

the 301 Endless Yard Sale is June 14-15.

Hosted by a variety of towns located along U.S. 301 in the counties of Halifax, Nash, Johnston, Wilson and Harnett, the annual 301 Endless Yard Sale takes place the third Friday and Saturday of June annually.

Along the 100-mile plus stretch of highway, the event offers deals, antiques, collectibles, DIY furniture, crafts, and more.

“We work to promote the event, encourage vendor locations, and keep an open line of communication between local stores, restaurants, residents, and county officials, but, at this point, we’re all sure the event would happen without us,” ,” said Lori Medlin, President/CEO County Visitors Bureau. “It has taken on a life of its own and we couldn’t be happier about it.”

firstt i m e attendee enthusiastically reacting to and sharing posts.

The

four

other

participating

counties also have visitors bureaus work with the Halifax County Visitors Bureau to plan and promote the sale by managing the website

their

and the social media for the sale.

w a y

“We’re also responsible for the posters, brochures, and billboards you see in the region, but we’re just the middleman,” said Medlin. “The

down U.S. 301 in June.

Those who would like

Now in its seventh year, the event attracts

vendors work with local businesses to set-up

to set up a vendor space and

over 15,000 shoppers, and over 1,000 vendors,

booth space and the shoppers come to buy

participate in the sale call Medlin at

every year to sell or buy.

from the vendors. People are very enthusiastic

252-536-1721 and she will put them “on the

about this sale. And it’s great for local businesses

map.”

People often stay overnight in the area to com or l

you see in the region, but we’re

happier about it.”

Shoppers interested in participating on

can visit

posters, brochures, and billboards

life of its own and we couldn’t be

being a

“We’re also responsible for the

Along the route, beyond the vendor booths,

Visitors Bureau. “It has taken on a

the 14th and 15th, as well as people interested

Over 18,000 people follow the Facebook

are quaint southern restaurants, ancillary local

in being a vendor along the route, can visit

page and the months leading up to the event

retail stores, and locally-owned hotels that

www.301endlessyardsale.com

find shoppers, vendors, past participants, and

benefit from the thousands of shoppers making

Facebook page.

take advantage of the two full days of the sale,

and the economy.”

and hopefully cover the entire 100-plus miles.

as well

the sale.

Medlin, President/CEO County

website and the social media for

happen without us,” ,” said Lori

promote the sale by managing the

we’re all sure the event would

Visitors

county officials, but, at this point,

1721 an

work with the Halifax County

stores, restaurants, residents, and

the sale

counties also have visitors bureaus

of communication between local

a vendo

The four other participating

locations, and keep an open line the

event,

encourage

vendor

Bureau

to

to and sharing posts.

52

or

like

the

plan

and

particip Shop map.”

Thos

ar

53

The

Legend of

Dymond City

Eclectic Melting Pot Vanished Story & Photos by Sarah Hodges Stalls

“You know, that blasted railroad out of Jamesville is literally a myth. It was there, yes, but by heck, no one knows the first thing about it.”

That was the picture painted of the Jamesville and Washington Railroad by railroad historian and author, H. Temple Crittenden.

The Norfolk, Va. resident penned the exclamation of apparent frustration in a 1966 correspondence to Francis Manning, long-time editor of The Enterprise.

Little did Crittenden know, the story surrounding the area’s earliest railroad was filled with adventure and intrigue.

Sadly, the railroad nor the town it brought to life would see the next century.

Most of the stories about the town now rest with those

54

who built it. Some names live on –

Dymond City; William Bissell and

although faintly – still synonymous

his wife, Sarah, 20, lived in the city’s

with Dymond City.

hotel. The census listed Sarah’s

In September of 1956, the last

occupation as hotel keeper.

resident of Dymond City was laid

The hotel, built in 1870, became

to rest under the canopy of a large

a temporary home to visitors from

magnolia tree, deep in Farm Life.

as far away as Ireland, England and

“He was a good man,” the local

the northern United States. Some

store keeper Jim Manning once

European visitors would later make

said of Matt Bissell. “If he told you

Dymond City their home.

something, you could count on it.”

In preparation for the 1974

Matthew Wesley Bissell, born

Martin County bicentennial, one

Sept. 25, 1885, was a child of

Farm Life resident shared her

Dymond City in every sense and a

childhood memories of the hotel.

drop in the melting pot of cultures

Dorcas Roberson, mother of

that would make up the promising

long-time Martin County deputy

railroad town.

Nathan Roberson, described the hotel as being “just like Kitty’s

THE HOTEL, BUILT IN 1870, BECAME A TEMPORARY HOME TO VISITORS FROM AS FAR AWAY AS IRELAND, ENGLAND AND THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES. SOME EUROPEAN VISITORS WOULD LATER MAKE DYMOND CITY THEIR HOME.

saloon on Gunsmoke.”

As was the case in many homes of the day, the census listed two servants in the Bissell household: 9-year-old

Henry

Sykes

and

25-year-old Rosa Davis. Sister Beatrice came along, and little Matt was soon to follow.

The Bissell family would be one of many around the globe that were drawn to Dymond City by the promise of prosperity.

That promise began with a group of businessmen form the North, following the Civil War. Francis Lightfoot, a Pennsylvania timber merchant and surveyor,

His father, William Bissell, was

began buying land between the

born in England in 1842. It was

Roanoke and Tar rivers around

believed the elder Bissell was

1868.

brought directly from England by the business minds behind the J&W Railroad.

Records

In an 1870 article, The Tarboro Southerner wrote: “. . . And for the past two years,

William

(Lightfoot) has been preparing

Bissell initially served as the

show

for the settlement of a first-class

line’s chief engineer and later as

town.”

superintendent.

According to the 1880 census, the first and only census to include

That town would later be called Dymond City, a utility town built by and for the railroad company.

55

The

Jamesville

and

States with Fisher. The fellow

Washington Railroad and Lumber

Irishman married Fisher’s oldest

Company, the organized effort

daughter, Maria.

of the Pennsylvania business

A

devout

Quaker,

Fisher

group, was issued a charter by

arranged services for locals who

the General Assembly of North

shared his faith. This population

Carolina in February of 1869.

was once great in number.

Richard Waring of Pittsburgh

Evidence leans towards Megessa

and Henry H. King of Philadelphia

as the site for these services,

ran the company. Waring and

although others claimed the

King

hotel.

operated

the

business

adventure with the backing of

Fisher’s

English investors.

Reportedly,

business

abilities,

although questioned, pulled the “English

J&W Railroad through financially

Capitalists” put in $300,000 in

the

treacherous times. Eventually, the

cash. For this, they received first

continued task would become

mortgage bonds on the entire

too much for him. Fisher would

assets of the company. Many

resign and turn over operations to

believe these bonds were the first

William Bissell.

of their kind – secured by property

Soon the face of Dymond

– issued in Martin County.

City would change for good. After

Lightfoot, who would later

numerous sales of the business,

be named company president,

the J&W Railroad made its final

moved to Jamesville to begin

passenger run on Jan. 25, 1892.

surveying

route.

The population once peaking

The J&W opened trade lines by

the

railroad

at 100, would drop to 10 by 1897,

connecting steamer ports in

the year the railroad closed for

Jamesville and Washington.

The area’s exquisite cedar trees were popular items for sale.

Making and selling shingles was one business that thrived thanks to the developed trade route.

Legend has it shingles from Dymond City were used to reroof Mount Vernon, home to George Washington.

A man who would leave his mark on the area for years to come introduced the shingle business to Dymond City.

a farm venture in the Alexandria

good.

Beaufort County.

Colony of the Argentine Republic.

“The crowds who celebrated

The Irishman came with his wife

the event made the trip to the

and two daughters.

scene in buggies, wagons, and

H. Temple Crittenden alleged in a 1965 correspondence to

carts with banners flying to meet the train,” Bonner explained.

Martin County that Fisher came

By all accounts, Fisher and his

to Martin County “after being

family were well accepted in the

chased out (of the Argentine

area. Once word of their move

Republic) by Indians.”

spread among the friends of

Documentation of his claim has not been discovered.

When Fisher took over, the

Fisher and Henry P. Nolan, visitors flocked into Dymond City from points around the globe.

The Nolans and the Bissells would be the last to leave Dymond

City.

The

Nolans

returned to Pennsylvania. William and Sarah Bissell would go no farther than Jamesville.

Matt

Bissell

spent

the

remainder of his day near his childhood home in what is now Farm Life. The Bissells are buried together just outside Dymond City and now watch over the stories and secrets of what was

Abraham Fisher was chosen

railroad track was completed –

Megessa, the Fisher home,

by Waring to oversee operations

21 miles long – finally reaching

was built on land purchased along

“The story of the J&W is still

of the railroad after a slow

Beaufort County. An aged, yet

the railroad. His will, dated 1910,

percolating,” Crittenden wrote to

start. Although not recorded,

undated newspaper clipping set

described the property as, “200

Francis Manning. “I am hoping

it is believed Fisher arrived in

the stage for the celebration that

acres of woodland in N.C. situated

that a bit of information will

Dymond City in 1872. Now the

followed.

on the old railroad and _ miles

eventually come to the surface.”

eclectic melting pot was heading towards her heyday.

Lottie Hale Bonner wrote of the multitude gathered along

from Dymond City.”

Nolan,

who

would

once the promise of the east.

Sarah Hodges Stalls is a Staff serve

Writer for Eastern Living, the Bertie

The Fisher family came to

the track outside Washington in

Dymond City as postmaster,

Ledger-Advance and the Martin

Eastern North Carolina by way of

1874 to greet the first railroad in

had made the trip to the United

County Enterprise & Weekly Herald.

56

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&

OUT ABOUT! Out & About is a listing of events happening in and around the 12 counties which make up the

coverage region for North Carolina’s Eastern Living Magazine. Those wishing to have an event listed should sent it to: Eastern Living, Attn: Out

& About, P.O. Box 69, Windsor, NC 27983. Email events to Thadd White at twhite@ncweeklies.com.

MAY 23 SPRING CONCERT SERIES WASHINGTON – The Spring Concert Series will feature Wyldwood from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 23 at the Turnage Theatre in downtown Washington. The Beaufort County Traditional Music Association sponsors the event. For more information, visit www.bctma.org.

MAY 24 ART WALK WASHINGTON – An Art Walk is planned for downtown Washington on Friday, May 24. For more information, contact the Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

MARK WILLS CONCERT ROANOKE RAPIDS – Mark Wills will be in concert Friday, May 24 at the Roanoke Rapids Theater. Wills has hits such as “I Do Cherish You” and “Don’t Laugh at Me.” Lobby doors open at 5 p.m. and Theater doors at 6 p.m. The opener goes on stage at 7 p.m. and Wills at 8 p.m. For more information, call 844-778-5483 or visit www.rrtlive.com. The Theater is located at 500 Carolina Crossroads Parkway in Roanoke Rapids.

ACOUSTIC MUSIC WASHINGTON – Acoustic Music with Wayne Stokehart will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 24 at the Turnage Theatre.

The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington.

For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252946-2504.

58

MAY 25 COUPLES DANCE WASHINGTON – A Couples Dance sponsored by USA Dance Chapter 6046 will be held from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, May 25 at the historic Turnage Theatre. The cost is $5. The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington. For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

MAY 26 RECYCLED TREASURES HOLLISTER – Recycle Treasurers will be the topic of a seminar at Medoc Mountain State Park at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26. The suggested audience of the program is ages 5 to 12. Register by Friday, May 24. Medoc Mountain State Park is located at 1541 Medoc State Park Rd. in Hollister. For more information, call 252-586-6588.

MAY 30 VARIETY SHOW WASHINGTON – A Variety Show is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 30 at the historic Turnage Theatre. The Beaufort County Traditional Music Association sponsors the event. The event is free, but donations are appreciated. The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington. For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

MAY 31 PANIC AT THE DISCO WASHINGTON – Panic at the Disco – a 1970s murder mystery – is planned for Friday, May 31 at the historic Turnage Theatre. The cost is $24. The show will be presented by the Arts of the Pamlico Players. The Theatre is located at 150

Sage Festival in Windsor

West Main St. in Washington. For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

SAWYER BROWN IN CONCERT ROANOKE RAPIDS – Sawyer Brown will be in concert Friday, May 31 at Roanoke Rapids Theater. Lobby doors open at 5 p.m. and Theater doors at 6 p.m. For more information, call 844-778-5483 or visit www.rrtlive.com. The Theater is located at 500 Carolina Crossroads Parkway in Roanoke Rapids.

JUNE 1 FISHING CREEK PADDLE ENFIELD – The 2019 Enfield Fishing Creek Paddle is planned for 8 a.m. Saturday, June 1 at Bellamy’s Mill. Those in kayaks and canoes can travel approximately five miles along the creek. Fishing Creek winds through rolling fields and woodlands of loblolly pine, gum swamp and cherry bark oak. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Enfield Restoration and Preservation Committee. The cost for the event is $30, and kayaks and canoes are available to rent.

The meeting point will be on Bellamy Mill Road in Enfield. For more information, call 252-445-2234.

JUNE 3 VIDANT BERTIE MEN’S HEALTH EVENT WINDSOR - Vidant Bertie Hospital will host its annual Men’s Health Event Monday, June 3 at Heritage House in Windsor.

There will be multiple speakers, but seating will be limited.

For more information, call 252-794-6653.

JUNE 7 SAGE FESTIVAL IN WINDSOR WINDSOR - The annual Sage Festival is planned for downtown Windsor on Friday, June 7. The event will be held from 6-10 p.m. and will feature the R.T. Johnson Band. For more information, contact the Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce at 252-794-4277.

JUNE 7-8 PLEIN AIR ON THE PAMLICO WASHINGTON – Plein Air on the Pamlico is planned for June 7-8 in the Washington Historic District.

The event is for casual and competing artists of all levels, and the artists are welcome to plein on the shores of the Pamlico River.

The event is sponsored by the Washington Harbor District Arts Stops and the Arts of the Pamlico.

For more information, go to ww.artsofthepamlico.org/event/ plein-air-festival/ JUNE 8 CANOE THE SCUPPERNONG CRESWELL – Those wishing to canoe the Scuppernong River can do so as at Pettigrew State Park beginning at 9 a.m.

Saturday, June 8. The trip will begin at the wildlife ramp on Spruill Bridge Road in Creswell. Canoes, personal flotation devices and paddles are provided. Participants must wear shoes appropriate for wading. Pre-registration is required.

Call Pettigrew State Park at 252-797-4475.

59

&

OUT ABOUT!

JUNE 9 BROADWAY ON THE BIG SCREEN WASHINGTON – Broadway on the Big Screen will present Brokeback Mountain The Opera at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 9 at the historic Turnage Theatre. The event is free, but with a suggested donation of $5. The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington. For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

JUNE 10-14 NARRATIVE SELF PORTRAITS COLUMBIA - The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a mixed media narrative selfportrait workshop with a different twist June 1014. Led by Amy Gardner Dean – Resident Artist of Jerry’s Artarama – the session will explore the concepts of narrative self-portraiture to create mixed media and collage-based artworks.

The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia. For more information, contact info@pocosinarts.org or call 252-7962787.

JUNE 14-15 ENDLESS YARD SALE The 301 Endless Yard Sale is planned from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. June 14-15 along U.S. 301. Communities along the road join together along more than 100 miles of highway. For more information, visit 301endlessyardsale.com.

JUNE 15 STRYPER IN CONCERT ROANOKE RAPIDS – Multi-platinum crossover Christian metal band Stryper will be in concert Saturday, June 15 at the Roanoke Rapids Theater. Lobby doors open at 5 p.m. and Theater doors at 6 p.m. For more information, call 844-7785483 or visit www.rrtlive.com. The Theater is located at 500 Carolina Crossroads Parkway in Roanoke Rapids.

JUNE 16 SUNDAYS IN THE PARK WASHINGTON – The Sundays in the Park Concert Series will feature Emerald City Big Band at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 16 at Festival Park in Downtown Washington. The event is free, but donations are appreciated.

JUNE 21 CANOE LAKE PHELPS CRESWELL – A park ranger will lead a canoe adventure on Lake Phelps beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, June 21. Canoes, personal flotation devices and paddles are provided.

Participants must wear shoes appropriate for wading. Dress

60

and prepare for getting wet. Pre-registration is required.

Pettigrew State Park is located at 2252 Lake Shore Rd. in Creswell. Call Pettigrew State Park at 252-797-4475.

JUNE 21-25 ANYTHING GOES CLAY WORKSHOP The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a five-day workshop June 21-25 in which students will explore combining basic techniques into anything but basic pottery. The workshop will be led by A. Blair Clemo, who will demonstrate his unique approach combining wheel throwing, hand building and press molding to make utilitarian pottery. Students of all skill levels are welcome. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia. For more information, contact info@pocosinarts.org or call 252-7962787.

PAPER MACHE COMES ALIVE The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a workshop on Paper Mache June 21-26. Margaret Couch Cogswell will teach the class “Paper Mache Comes Alive” in which students will learn basic techniques on the way to creating animals, rascals and objects. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia. For more information, contact info@pocosinarts.org or call 252-796-2787.

JUNE 23-JULY 3 WEARABLE ELECTRONICS & SOFT CIRCUITS The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a interactive workshop in metals, jewelry and fabrication June 23-July 3. Students will create interactive wearable objects as they learn the basic of electronics, programmable microcontrollers, assembly circuits and sewing soft circuits. It will be led by Arthur Hash and Elliot Clapp. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia. For more information, contact info@pocosinarts.org or call 252-796-2787.

JUNE 27 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING & DINNER WILLIAMSTON - The Martin County Arts Council will hold its annual membership meeting and dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 27. Tickets are $25, which includes the meal with dessert and entertainment form the Hank & Pattie Duo, may be purchased from the Arts Center or Mast Pharmacy in Williamston. The Arts Center is located at 124 Washington St. in Williamston.

JUNE 28 LEE GREENWOOD IN CONCERT ROANOKE RAPIDS – Iconic Country Music legend Lee Greenwood will be in concert Friday, June 28 at the Roanoke Rapids Theater. Lobby doors open at 5 p.m. and Theater doors at 6 p.m. For more information, call 844-778-5483 or visit www.rrtlive.com. The Theater is located at 500 Carolina Crossroads Parkway in Roanoke Rapids.

JUNE 29 COUPLES DANCE WASHINGTON – A Couples Dance sponsored by USA Dance Chapter 6046 will be held from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, June 29 at the historic Turnage Theatre. The cost is $5. The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington. For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

JULY 3 FREEDOM FIREWORKS WINDSOR - The annual Windsor Freedom Fireworks are planned for Wednesday, July 3 at the Roanoke/Cashie River Center. The event begins at 6 p.m. with fireworks scheduled to begin at dark. For more information, contact the Windsor/ Bertie Chamber of Commerce at 252-794-4277.

JULY 10 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING WASHINGTON – The Arts of the Pamlico Annual Membership Meeting is planned for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10 at the Historic Turnage Theatre. The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington. For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

content. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia.

For more information, contact info@pocosinarts.org or call 252-796-2787.

FAB LAB COLUMBIA - The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a Fab Lab workshop on wearable electronics and soft circuits July 12-16. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia.

For more information, contact info@pocosinarts. org or call 252-796-2787.

MOVING METAL: THE ART OF RAISING METAL COLUMBIA - The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a workshop on transforming a flat two-dimensional sheet of copper into a closed three-dimensional form in this ancient and dynamic process of raising metal July 12-16. The class will be taught by Greg Wilbur. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia. For more information, contact info@ pocosinarts.org or call 252-796-2787.

JULY 13 BROADWAY KIDS WASHINGTON – Broadway Kids will present Beauty and the Beast Jr. at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13 at the Historic Turnage Theatre. The cost is $5 per person. The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington. For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252-946-2504.

JULY 11 ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW WILLIAMSTON - The Martin County Arts Council will host its annual Photography Show Opening Reception and Awards presentation at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 11. Submissions will be received from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 7. The show will remain open to the public through Aug. 30. The Arts Center is located at 124 Washington St. in Williamston.

JULY 14 BYE BYE BIRDIE WASHINGTON – Broadway on the Big Screen will present Bye Bye Birdie at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 14 at the Historic Turnage Theatre. The event is free, with a suggested donation of $5.

The Theatre is located at 150 West Main St. in Washington.

For more information, contact Arts of the Pamlico at 252946-2504.

JULY 12-16 CLAY WORKSHOP – FIGURATIVE MYTH(OLOGY) COLUMBIA - The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a clay workshop July 12-16. Led by John Donovan, the Figurative Myth(ology) workshop will explore hand-building techniques in clay with the intent of creating abstracted or fragmented figurative formed imbued with personal narrative

JULY 15-19 KIDS SUMMER ART CAMP WILLIAMSTON - The Martin County Arts Council will host the annual Kids Summer Art Camp from 10 a.m. until noon July 15-19. The camp is open to children age 5 to 15, and has a cost of $65 for members and $75 for nonmembers. The Arts Center is located at 124 Washington St. in Williamston.

61

JULY 19 NANTUCKET IN CONCERT ROANOKE RAPIDS – Nantucket, a group formed in Jacksonville in 1969, will be in concert Friday, July 19 at the Roanoke Rapids Theater. Lobby doors open at 5 p.m. and Theater doors at 6 p.m. For more information, call 844-778-5483 or visit www.rrtlive.com.

The Theater is located at 500 Carolina Crossroads Parkway in Roanoke Rapids.

JULY 26-30 SKETCHING YOUR WAY INTO CLAY COLUMBIA - The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a clay workshop by Eleanor Anderson titled Sketching Your Way Into Clay July 2630. The workshop will teach students to take potter to the next level focusing on surface design. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia.

For more information, contact info@pocosinarts.org or call 252-796-2787.

WOOD JEWELRY COLUMBIA - The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a Wood Jewelry workshop led

by Dan Dicaprio July 26-30. In the workshop, students will explore small scale woodcarving techniques with an emphasis on jewelry applications. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia. For more information, contact info@pocosinarts.org or call 252796-2787.

DULCIMER GUITAR WEEKEND COLUMBIA - The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft will host a Dulcimer Guitar Weekend led by Beth Ireland July 26-30. Students will learn the safe use of tools including the bandsaw, router and drill press in a safe and supportive environment. They will learn to shape wood with a variety of tools, lay out scale lengths, fret, string and strum a dulcimer guitar. The school is located at 201 Main St. in Columbia.

For more information, contact info@pocosinarts. org or call 252-796-2787.

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Class of 2018 MCC Cosmetology graduate Lateah Rodgers working on a client in the classroom.

800-776-8566 | www.visitmartincounty.com 67

ALL IN A Story by David Friedman Photos courtesy of Airlie Gardens & New Hanover County

I would not have thought it possible to be both a 67-acre garden and a hidden gem.

Yet, nestled between one of the coast’s most popular beaches and a downtown scene that is a thriving tourist destination, Wilmington’s Airlie Gardens has managed to become just that.

I have had the pleasure of visiting the gardens several times, on varying occasions, and I still haven’t come close to seeing it all.

That is in fact one of the treats associated with Airlie Gardens. You could try to take the time to see the entire place in one day, come back six months later, and much of what you saw will look completely different.

Other foilage will be in bloom and they will bring with them new colors, new smells and even new sounds associated with the wildlife they attract.

The address in your phone’s GPS will be the same, but your eyes, ears and nose will tell you that this garden is not like the garden you experienced a mere six months before.

I have attended several weddings at Airlie Gardens and would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful backdrop for a couple’s nuptials than the live oak trees on the Airlie Oak Lawn or the Pergola Garden that doubles as a natural isle for the bride’s walk.

On the beautiful campus is the Minnie Evans Bottle Chapel which can only accurately be described as a piece of art. I guess it could be considered pieces of art as it is part of a larger collection in the sculpture garden built in honor of local artist Minnie Evans.

Either way, take me at my word when I tell you that seeing it backlit after sunset is nothing short of stunning. Better yet, don’t take me at my word. Go see it for yourself.

68

Day’s Trip

airlie gardens

The good news is you don’t have to commit to spending the rest of your life with somebody just to enjoy Airlie Gardens. The gorgeous grounds are for far more than just weddings.

In fact, they get a staggering 120,000plus visitors each year. These include students of all ages there to learn about a history that dates back to 1735 and King George II. Many are tourists interested in seeing the multitude of flowers, plants and trees.

The azaleas in the area have become famous but the above mentioned live oaks combined with dogwoods and redbuds keep those with thumbs greener than mine entranced.

Birdwatchers come from all around the country to enjoy the result of such a large natural sanctuary. The site even hosts a monthly bird hike which allows bird enthusiasts of all levels to join a local expert on a hike to view some of he more than 200 bird species that have been identified in the region.

Some visitors come to see the butterflies. The spectacle is only available five months of the year, but if you come to Airlie Gardens between mid-May and October, you can check out Airlie’s Tranquility Garden. It is home to hundreds

69

of butterflies housed in a 2,700 square foot natural habitat. Seeing them released, which they do weekly in season, is still on my to-do list.

Others, like myself, initially come for an event. With the above mentioned venues, weddings are obviously a common sight during the fairer weather months. There are several other events throughout the year worth checking out if you have the time and funds available.

Live music can be enjoyed at Airlie Gardens via the Summer Concert Series.

Between May and September each year, you can lay out a blanket on the lawn during the first and third Friday and enjoy a live show.

My favorite event of the year is the Annual Airlie Oyster Roast. Always held the third Friday in October, the oyster roast presents a delicious mix of oysters, refreshments, a lively crowd and good music. This year’s entertainment is The Band Of Oz, which means I will once again be in search of tickets when they go on sale in August.

70

While the oyster roast is my favorite Airlie Gardens event of the year, my son’s best-loved event is undoubtedly the holiday lights that go up during Enchanted Airlie.

Beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and running until Christmas, you can stroll through a half mile of gardens and lights while enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday season.

These are just a few of the things you can enjoy at Airlie Gardens but, like the gardens themselves, the number of events is too vast to fully appreciate or articulate.

There is yoga and art exhibits and my son even met Santa there for the first time.

It may require a day trip, but whatever your interest, there is a good chance that Airlie Gardens has something for you.

Either way, I would encourage you to come experience for yourself nature in some of its most glorious glory.

David Friedman is author of the syndicated column Fourth & Long and a regular contributor to the Bertie LedgerAdvance, Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald and the Chowan Herald.

Airlie Gardens is located at 300 Airlie Rd, Wilmington, NC, and is open daily 9 AM - 4 PM. Call 910-798-7700 for more information. Admission $3-$9, under 4 are free.

71

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Sharon & Billy Maitland 72

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TIGHT LINES

o T w Ho

G

A h c t Ca

h c er P

t a e r

W

e t i h

Wade Betts

74

Morone Americana - the White Perch - is the most popular fish in the region.

Some might argue the most popular point, but I’ll stick to my guns. To catch

than a dining room table where a storm

and a large spinner and light jighead is

over turned a large tree and left a slight

better for shallow water. The rubber tails

depression and some roots in the

come in all shapes and sizes, but some

bottom of the creek.

anglers just use a small piece of shrimp.

one, you just need a hook and some

Probably the best and most fun way

In deeper water bottom rigs baited with

shrimp. Okay, a rod or pole of some kind

to catch perch is using ultra-light rods

fresh shrimp will sometimes catch perch

and some line are also necessary.

and lures called beetle spins. I’m a fan of

The point is they are, for the most part, easy to catch. I like to catch fish, but I don’t like to eat them. People who do like to eat fish tell me white perch are good eating. Good eating and easy to catch, see why they’re so popular.

They are not large fish and their flesh isn’t dense. A catfish about the same size, for example, would weigh more.

The world record white perch was caught on Oct. 16, 2016 in Massachusetts and weighed 3 lbs., 8 ounces.

The North Carolina state record was caught on Dec 16, 2001 from Falls of the Neuse Reservoir, and it weighed 2 lbs., 15 ounces. To qualify for the N.C. Angler Recognition Program a White perch must weigh 1 lbs. or be at least 12” long.

White Perch can be found in all the coastal rivers in our area, as well as most creeks and the Albemarle Sound. The

“ ”

4 lbs. test line but many fisher people I know use 6 and some 8.

Probably the

two at the time.

I’ve been catching white perch ever since I can remember. In the early 80’s I got my first boat and really started to “hurt some perch.” Back then they would bite beetle spins without added shrimp.

Most people now-a-days tip their

best and most

lures with shrimp. I’ve caught some

fun way to catch

best bet is to go ahead and add the

perch is using

rigs and cane poles using worms for

ultra-light rods and lures called beetle spins.

without the added sweetener, but the

shrimp. Folks catch perch on bottom

bait, this is mostly done in the early Spring and upriver.

I hear reports every year about the upper Chowan River and the big White Perch being caught. This guy never gets to experience early Spring fishing because turkey hunting season doesn’t end until mid-May. Priorities.

From this year’s reports the perchin’

fish are very gregarious; where you catch

“Beetle spin” is a generic term that

should be good. Anglers are already

one there are usually many more, and

is also a brand name - kind of like “Skill

talking fish fry. I must admit a platter of

will hold mostly around some kind of

Saw.” It refers to a small spinner bait

white perch fillets does look appetizing.

structure. Drop-offs and stump fields

made by Johnson Fishing Tackle and the

If I caught the fish and the memory

are both good bets.

various copies.

Seasoned anglers know of “holes”

Some fisher people, like me, buy

or “wrecks,” and these spots are closely

the components and then mix and

kept secrets. I’ve caught 20 or more in

match to assemble the lures. A heavy

as many casts in spot not much bigger

head and a small spinner runs deeper

of the trip is fresh on my mind I will eat fish, but other than that they are much more fun to catch than to eat.

Wade Betts is a regular contributor to the Perquimans Weekly.

75

76

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6

Qwithuestions

Andy Griffin O wner , G riffin ’ s B arbecue

78

What time does your day start?

“2:30 (That’s AM). It takes about and hour to make sure we’ve got things ready. We have to check every cooler, every thermometer and document all of it. It takes time to do it correctly.”

How

has

technology

changed your business?

“Our security system is as much a part of our food safety program as our security program. I get an alert on my phone if anything happens up here and that protects the product.”

Do you raise your own hogs?

What is one of the biggest

“No, we once did, but we never killed

changes you’ve seen over

them here. We used to raise them and take them to Williamston Packing Company. They would prepare them, and we would bring them back here.

Well, they closed. Then we went to Snow

the years?

“Probably

the

inspections.

We

document the temperature (of the meat) from the time we leave the Smithfield

Hill and then that place closed. Now we

plant all the way though our process.

go to Smithfield. We send someone

There are all kinds of documentations

every week to pick up the meat.”

now.”

How much barbecue does Griffin’s produce a week?

“We

make

a

couple

thousand

pounds a week. The dominant part of our production now is sausage. We

What is the frustrating part of this business?

“It can be very confining. Everything has to be documented and followed 52

produce about 10,000 pounds a week

weeks a year, seven days a week. I have

of sausage. The balance sort of changed

never had an entire week’s vacation.”

over the years.”

79

Grandma’s

Kitchen

Before someone considers making me Eastern North Carolina’s Most Wanted for this article, I want to say that I love eastern North Carolina Barbeque, and especially Bunn’s Barbeque in Windsor. But I also love Lexington Barbeque.

I was born in Thomasville, and when I go home relatives always take me to Lexington Barbecue and to Winston Salem for Krispy Kreme doughnuts. These are the home of each respectively. Both are only a short drive from Thomasville.

Lexington Barbecue, formerly Honey Monk’s, is known and rated in the top five of all barbeque places in America. This sauce is different from the sauce in Eastern North Carolina. It is tart, sweet and hot.

Some who are used to Eastern North Carolina sauce love the difference in taste while others hate it because it is different than what they are used to eating.

Sandwiches are put together with pulled

80

Sylvia Hughes with her grandmother, Bertie Dameron.

pork, sauce and red slaw. Red slaw is made by adding enough of the barbecue sauce to hold the finely chopped cabbage together.

Krispy Kreme needs no explanation to North Carolinians, but did you know the first Krispy Kreme was made in Winston Salem?

Another place for good food is a restored Moravian community called Old Salem. There are many interesting shops to visit including a book shop, a coffee house, farmers’ market and a bakery.

The Moravian Cookies are unusual and delicious. They are thin, crispy and have several kind of spices.

I am going to try to give you recipes closely resembling the barbecue at Lexington and the Moravia Cookies at Old Salem. I hope you will try them with a sense of exploring something new and different.

Lexington Barbecue Sauce • • •

1 cup of vinegar ½ cup of catchup

1 teaspoon hot sauce 3 tablespoons light brown sugar • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes • Put all ingredien ts in a small pan an d heat until brown sugar melts and small bubbles start to appear. Can be used immediately or sto red in refrigerator.

• Don’t forget to make slaw with just en ough sauce to hold cabbage tog ether.

•

Moravian Cookies •

packed 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar,

•

1 ½ sticks butter

•

2 cups molasses

• • • • • •

Put brown sugar, butter and brown sugar is melted.

•

t until molasses in a saucepan. Hea

lasses ling water and add to mo Dissolve baking soda in boi up. mixture. Careful, it will bubble Stir into flour and spices together.

• Remove from heat. Mix Form den spoon until well mixed. molasses mixture with a woo set in refrigerator overnight. into a rectangle, wrap and let kie sheets. rees F, and lightly grease coo • Preheat oven to 325 deg s at a time, ace, roll dough, small portion • On a lightly floured surf is the goal. as thinly as possible. Paper thin on cookie cutter and place 1 inch apart • Cut with a 2 ½ in cookie

•

1 tablespoon baking soda ¼ cup boiling water r

6 2/3 cups all-purpose flou 1 tablespoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons ground ginger 1 tablespoon nutmeg

sheets.

• •

es, lightly browned around the edg Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until sheets dle, remove from cookie Let cool until easy to han ight pletely cooled. Store in airt and place on racks until com containers.

Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.

81

N.C. 32 and Savage Road southwest of Folly

MARKER TEXT George Washington Owned a tract of land nearby. He surveyed and formed a company to drain a part of the Dismal Swamp, 1763.

MARK IT! Title To Begin Here

Rabore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam Information courtesy of the voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources ea rebum.

Stet clita kasd gubergren, no

I

n 1763 George Washington and eleven other Virginia businessmen including tobacco king William Byrd, developed a

scheme to drain the Dismal Swamp. he twelve men formed the Dismal Swamp Land Company in of acquiring and draining massive tracts of fertile land. Nearly all of the original members of the company were heavily in debt at the time.

After George Washington surveyed the area, and suggested the building of a north-south canal, the partners purchased nearly 40,000 acres of the land.

Using several hundred of their own slaves, as well as those who were rented to them by other planters, the first attempt to drain the land ended in utter failure in the face of sweltering heat, disease, and dense vegetation.

The company then shifted its focus to the production of hemp in the small tracts of land that were actually cleared, but that too ended in failure. Finally, the ever-dwindling number of investors turned to simply felling timber for wood shingles and barrel staves, shipping them by 1805 through the canal.

In 1810 the Dismal Swamp Land Company finally paid its first dividends, but only one of the original twelve members was alive to receive them. Washington’s own role in the enterprise had been quite small, although he had surveyed

REFERENCES Alexander Crosby Brown, The Dismal Swamp Canal (1946) Charles Royster, The Fabulous History of the Dismal Swamp Company: A Story of George Washington’s Times (1999) William S. Powell, ed., Encyclopedia of North Carolina (2006) Bland Simpson, The Great Dismal: A Carolinian’s Swamp Memoir (1990) Records of the Dismal Swamp Land Company, 1792-1834, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Reserve Library Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center: http://www.dismalswamp.com/ The Way We Lived in North Carolina website map: http://www.waywelivednc.com/maps/historical/dismal-swamp-canal.htm

82

and originated the idea for the canal. Fed up with the lack of progress, Washington contracted to sell his 1/12 share to Light Horse Harry Lee, the father of Robert E. Lee, in 1796, but Lee was unable to accumulate the necessary funds.

Upon Washington’s death, his shares passed to his heirs.

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Two classic tales set in the Middle Ages comes alive with characters that will steal your heart. The timeless plots become believable and all too real. This is the print version of two related Kindle novellas, Roslyn’s Rescue and Glenda’s Gold.

Roslyn doesn't know what she would have done without the woodcutter’s help, however the villagers think him dimwitted.

Rogue knights try to harass Roslyn, her mother forbids her to see Asher again, and her trips through the Dark Woods to see Grandmother get more dangerous.

When the earl’s heir comes to the silver shop to buy a gift, he and Glenda are drawn to each other, but his family will never approve of her. Besides being a common shopkeeper’s daughter, her father is a braggart, and his boasting always causes trouble. With an impossible task of spinning and one dilemma following another, what will become of them?

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85

biography •

By Deborah Griffin

We serve food here, but we also serve

love.

- J ohnnell M ills

At Grandpa’s Kitchen, love flows as abundantly as the sweet tea.

“When you are at Granpa’s Kitchen, you are with family,” said owner Jeff Mills.

Here, the Bible and barbeque go together like biscuits and butter.

Jeff and his wife Johnell brought Grandpa’s Kitchen to Littleton in 1997, basing their endeavor on a Bible verse: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working

86

for the Lord, not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Jesus Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24.)

The Mills’ want customers to feel like they are coming home when they enter the restaurant.

Stepping through the door, patrons are struck with the savory smell of barbeque, along with a warm, love-filled welcome.

Red-and-white-checkered tablecloths, reminiscent of an old fashioned family picnic, compel people to sit and stay a while.

Customers know when they see the solid wood-carved, winged pig “Grandpa” is in the kitchen.

Jeff is actually not a Grandpa – yet. He and Johnell have four children.

All three of his girls - Jade, Jiona and Jalen are currently in school at the University of

Jeff & Johnnell

Mills

Bringing Bible and Barbecue to Littleton North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Jeffery Junior, 10, is in the 5th grade.

He chose the name Grandpa’s Kitchen because it evokes the idea of the kind of barbeque patrons might have experienced when they were younger.

“What kind of barbeque does your grandpa cook?” he asks, referencing his way of cooking pigs on a grill.

“A long time ago everyone desired vinegarbased North Carolina style barbeque. So that is one of the reasons we’re called Grandpa’s Kitchen, because we do the whole hog, vinegar-based barbeque. Some places have gone to using just Boston butts, but we cook the whole hog,” he added.

One advantage of cooking the whole pig, as dedicated barbeque connoisseurs might

realize, is an item for which people line up and out the door. Grandpa’s Kitchen calls them “skins,” (fried pigskins).

Littleton is a peaceful community of around 650 people in Halifax County less than 10 miles from Lake Gaston. The lake straddles the North Carolina and Virginia border and is roughly 35 miles long, covering approximately 20,000 acres.

Vacation homeowners, fishermen and tourists stop at Grandpa’s Kitchen on their way to the lake and on their way home.

The locals also frequent Grandpa’s Kitchen, some two or three times a week.

Jeff greets everyone as if they are family.

Grandpa’s Kitchen’s menu reads like a spread prepared for a Sunday dinner-on-thegrounds at a countryside Southern Baptist

Church.

Jeff has both turkey and whole-hog barbeque, barbequed chicken, ribs and something he calls pig-wings, which look suspiciously like turkey wings.

The side dishes they offer would make any grandma proud.

The hushpuppies customers rave about are made daily from scratch.

“We are talking buttermilk and eggs, the whole ‘sha-boom,’” Johnell said.

They also make their own coleslaw, string beans, potato salad, boiled potatoes, blackeyed peas, and Grandpa’s famous turkey stew.

Their array of desserts will make the most staunch of dieter’s mouth start to water.

The homemade sugary confections include strawberry cake, pineapple cake, sweet potato

87

pie, coconut pie chocolate-iced cake, and their most requested, banana pudding.

Grandpa’s Kitchen offers take-out and also caters to businesses and private parties.

Jeff confesses the restaurant is really a family affair. Relatives of Jeff and Johnell are employed, including both of their mothers.

Brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins have been employed in various capacities. Even the couple’s children help when they can.

“They basically grew up in the restaurant,” admits Johnell.

The writing is on the wall, literally. The office is marked with multiple lines drawn on the wood paneling, along with names and dates, documenting each child’s growth spurts.

The Mills will have been married 30 years this July. Twenty-three of those years have been as owners of Grandpa’s Kitchen.

“I’ve basically worn a hairnet for 20 years,” Johnell laughed.

Jeff attributes the longevity to Johnell’s “agape” love for him. Agape is considered a type of unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.

“I am thankful for her support, as my wife and my business partner,” he said.

The couple were high school sweethearts and graduated together in 1984 from Northwest High School.

They moved to Newport News after college, but realized they wanted their children to grow up near family.

Jeff considers the restaurant a ministry.

“When I was in the fifth grade, I felt like God was calling me to go into ministry,” he said.

But, he realizes now, his ministry is not necessarily behind a pulpit.

Serving his customers and sharing the love of Christ are his passion.

“This is more than just food,” said Jeff. “This

88

is just a tool that allows us to show our faith and acknowledge Jesus is Lord of our life.”

Johnell agrees. “We serve food here, but we also serve love.”

“We’re a place where the food is fresh, hot, seasoned with love and cooked to perfection,” added Jeff.

Grandpa’s Kitchen, located at 149 E. South Main Street in Littleton, is open each week from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Thursday – Sunday.

Deborah Griffin is a Staff Writer for Eastern Living and the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald.

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PARTING SHOTS

Thadd White is on the banks of the Scuppernong River in Columbia

All magazines are not created equal.

Bar-Be-Que in Scotland Neck. While open

of love to help those in their county. Deborah

This is now the fourth Eastern North

only a few days a week, it has become a

Griffin’s story shows their love for their

treasure for local barbecue aficionados.

community, and for cooking barbecue the

Carolina Living magazine since our staff took over the primary responsibility of producing it.

Readers will also learn about Martelle’s in

To say it has been challenging is an

Englehard, where Martelle Marshall still cooks

understatement. We struggled to find stories in a few counties and worked around set schedules for some of the other stories.

his own barbecue.

important barbecue-related events in our 12 county-area as we have stories about Pork

Simps BBQ, and traces it to two Washington

Fest in Murfreesboro (written by Sarah Davis)

While we are proud of our work, it is the time and effort of firemen, business owners and volunteers we are most happy about. People went out of their way to tell the stories found in these pages. all proud to have produced. While we are

Finally, readers will learn about two

Dow Jones Jr. takes a look at the historic County men who

The result, however, is a magazine we are

right way.

still cook the same way.

In addition, Janice Cole Hopkins gives a comparison of barbecues across North

You’ll also meet the

and Smoke on the Water in Washington.

folks

Carolina.

behind

This edition’s Biography feature shows the

George’s Sauces in

love Jeff and Johnell Mills have for barbecue

Nash County. Amelia

and God.

Harper

the

Sylvia Hughes also offers a recipe for

story of the creation

gives

Lexington barbecue for those who are

of the sauces and

interested in trying the delicacy in this edition

traces it to the current owners, who still make it the same way.

of Grandma’s Kitchen.

We’ll be back in May with stories centered

proud of our work, it is the time and effort

My trip to Northampton County was

on sports. You’ll learn a lot about the history

of firemen, business owners and volunteers

educational as I learned – and share with you

of our counties and the people who coached,

we are most happy about. People went out

in these pages – the historical significance of

played and loved sports of all kinds.

of their way to tell the stories found in these

the barbecue dinners at the Lasker Volunteer

pages.

Fire Department.

Until next time, remember… all who wander are not lost. Continue joining us as we

We have stories about several of our

Sarah Hodges Stalls allows readers an

famous barbecue restaurants in Eastern North

inside look at Griffin’s Barbecue, where a small

Gates,

Carolina, including Bunn’s in Windsor (written

group in Martin County produces thousands

Nash, Northampton, Tyrrell and Washington

by Leslie Beachboard), Abrams in Tarboro

of pounds of barbecue each week for local

counties.

(written by Amelia Harper) and Tarheel in

stores.

Gates County (written by Sarah Hodges Stalls).

Readers also will meet a pair of Tyrrell

Jim Green also introduces readers to A&M

County men who cook barbecue as a labor

90

wander through Beaufort, Bertie, Edgecombe, Halifax,

Hertford,

Hyde,

Martin,

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern Living Magazine, the Bertie Ledger-Advance and the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald.

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