Food at The Beach

I finally made it on my beach vacation! Socially-distanced, mask-wrapped, hand-sanitizer-soaked, of course…but tremendously lucky to have made it. If you haven’t eaten yet, tuck into something before proceeding further!

As The Cutest Boy in the World is not a beach guy, at least not enough to drive 10 hours each way, I was lucky enough to talk my niece Vivian into going with me. We rented a ground floor apartment in a beach house for a week in Kure Beach, just outside Wilmington, North Carolina. For those unfamiliar with the geography, it’s on the Atlantic Ocean, between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the more famous beaches of the Outer Banks due north. But less flashy, crowded and expensive – yay on all counts!

Living in a land-locked state, fresh seafood is a rare commodity for us, and I was prepared to eat as much as I could hold. Due to safety concerns, we only ate out in restaurants twice, and I had seafood both times as well as cooking it once.

The first night, we went to a place 15 minutes’ walk up the beach – Big Daddy’s – obviously a venerable institution for generations. We got a table outside, under a porch, after having our temperatures taken and asked to sanitize our hands. All waitstaff were masked, friendly and efficient. I had crab-cakes, and the portions were so generous, I had to finish the second one for lunch the next day. Maybe not the best crabcake in my history (and there are HUNDREDS to choose from), but better than what I’d get at home.

My experience with buying fresh seafood to prepare was from Blackburn Brothers Seafood in Carolina Beach, which was recommended to us by another merchant. Their retail shop was no frills, located on the dock with fishing boats tied up at the rear of the building. They opened at 7 am, right after they unloaded the fish and got it cleaned.

I was seduced by the fresh whole flounder on ice, and got a massive filet. I also bought a packet of the local “Calabash”-style breading mix (as there was no flour or corn meal in the apartment). I’m not sure what is distinctive about Calabash, except that the first ingredient was corn flour and not wheat flour. I pan fried the coated fillets in olive oil and served with tartar sauce – delicious! I think I even converted Vivian, who thought she didn’t like fish, having never had it that fresh. When I was growing up, I thought asparagus was vile as I’d only ever been served canned asparagus. I also never saw fresh brussels sprouts until I was in my 20s – a whole different experience!

Our other restaurant experience was at The George on the Riverfront in Wilmington, for lunch. We sat on their covered porch, and although it was a scorching hot (and humid, obviously) day, it was quite pleasant in the shade. There were so many ceiling fans on high speed, I thought the roof might lift off! We overlooked the river with entertaining boat traffic, and were within sight of the Battleship North Carolina, a major tourist attraction in Wilmington.

Our server Brianna (from Brooklyn, her nametag proclaimed) was a star, and we had a white sangria with pineapple that was wonderfully refreshing, while we shared a crabmeat-parmesan dip with pita points. It was VERY heavy on the crabmeat, which suited me well (big surprise there, huh?) I chose shrimp and grits for my entree. It came from the school of shrimp and grits that is almost soup-like, with far more sauce than I think is optimal. Although it tasted fine, there was WAY more grits than shrimp, a proportion a bit out of balance to me. It was still a delightful experience, and I’d go back there again. They rated A+ on mask-wearing and table-distancing as well – important points these days.

The best food discovery of the week was a collection of gourmet markets called The Veggie Wagonhttp://www.theveggiewagon.com/ . Started in 2009 by a couple selling vegetables from their garden at a roadside stand, it is now a multi-store operation with their own produce-processing facility. One of their locations was a few blocks up the beach from our rental, and we stopped in multiple times for ready-to-heat foods made with local, seasonal ingredients, wine, custom-made ice cream sandwiches, coffees, chocolate truffles and more. I would LOVE to see an operation like this in my local area.

This coffee shop opened at 7 am, which was right when I wanted our lattes, after my sunrise walks on the beach. You could not go in the shop, but ordered at a table at the door from their brilliant barrista. Masks and hand sanitizer in abundant use by everybody.

Wake & Bake Donuts was recommended to us by our landlords, and did not disappoint. Located next to the Food Lion in Carolina Beach, they offered ultra-original and well-executed donuts and pastries, with a funky vibe perfect for a beach town. They claimed to be open “until 10 pm, or when we sell out”. You snooze, you lose…

All food was purchased with my own moolah, and I received no compensation for these reviews, which are purely my own opinion. I was almost as delighted with the many culinary treasures discovered at Kure Beach as with the beach itself. And there’s a whole ‘nother post coming about that!