I count myself fortunate that I’m able to explore the culinary world via media (press) trips, as well as exploring on my own. Reviewing restaurants, bars, and other venues is wonderful, bordering on eye-opening in some cases, but I also love talking to Chefs and Farmers in an effort to understand the processes, thoughts, and obstacles that sometimes have to be overcome. This is why I’m always up for trips sponsored by the NC Department of Agriculture where we talk to farmers, fishermen/women, producers, processors, and the eateries that benefit from their hard work. Eating and Drinking my way across NE NC was part of one such trip this past June.
Note: Click any image in a gallery to enlarge it.
We began our exploration of NC farming and Seafood with lunch at Nothing Fancy Cafe & Market in Edenton. It’s one of those down home spots that serves up real food from scratch, traditionally prepared using local ingredients because that’s the way it’s done. That’s community – You purchase what I make or grow because it’s the best product I can produce, and I purchase your product for the same reason.
Seating in front is off to one side, while the other side and back of the strip mall store-front cafe offers up antique “smalls”, crafts, and fresh-baked cookies wrapped to go. It’s done the way it should be done. Not the overcrowded type of spot that puts you into overload after 5 minutes. I almost bought a couple beautiful green glass plates, but controlled myself.
This is where I was introduced to Aunt Delsie’s Tomato Pudding. That’s right. Tomato Pudding. Someone said, “you have to like tomatoes”. I like tomatoes, so why not? Let me tell you it was a generally unphotogenic mess o’ sweetened tomato chunks & mush in a bowl that could have passed as a delicious dessert! I failed to get the recipe, but may or may not (wink) call Nothing Fancy Cafe to ask for it.
Nothing Fancy Cafe & Market
701 N Broad St
Edenton, NC 27932
Phone: (252) 482-1909
In between eating and drinking, we did stop at farms and seafood processing facilities. Just to be clear, we did do more than eat and drink on this trip. 🙂
By the end of the day, we were more than ready for dinner at Cypress Creek Grill on the waterfront in Elizabeth City. Chef Brad Chambers, co-owner with his parents since April 4th, 2016, welcomed us with a special set menu featuring some of his favorite dishes.
I was/am so impressed with Chef Brad! He’s killin’ it on the Elizabeth City, NC waterfront. He mentioned that he’s kept menu favorites from the previous owner, but has added new, ramped up items, with more coming in the future. One of the dishes he served, not pictured in the photo gallery below, was a delicious take on Fresh Softshell Crab. It was “southern fried” and served with fries and slaw.
See the Cypress Creek Grill menus here.
Cypress Creek Grill
113 S Water St
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
Phone: (252) 334-9915
The next day began with a tour of TCOM, LP, the incredible former Weeksville Naval Air Station built IN 1941 outside Elizabeth City for housing blimps that patrolled the coast looking for German U-boats during WWII. It’s now privately owned and used for building aerostats (blimps without engines) that are used for sporting events, by the US military, and for national security. The aerostats vary in size. All were impressive, but the largest currently being built in the hangar was huge! A motorized blimp like those originally built here was used in 1906 to spread seed over a valley in New Zealand that had flooded. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the hangar, but were able to photograph photos hung in their office like this:
After touring TCOM, LP we swung by Weeping Radish Farm Brewery for lunch. Before settling in for lunch in their restaurant, we took a tour and did some tasting with owner, Uli Bennewitz. Lunch was delicious – I had a burger. You can peruse the menus here.
The first thing you should know is that Weeping Radish is the oldest microbrewery in all of North Carolina, opened in 1986! Uli wanted to open a microbrewery similar to the ones he left behind in Bavaria when he immigrated to the US. North Carolina laws at that time prevented breweries from selling directly to consumers, but he worked with lawmakers tirelessly to change that. North Carolina is now one of the leading microbrewery states.
The Weeping Radish property includes a farm used for sourcing for the on-site restaurant, as well as an in-house butcher shop. Cattle and hogs are sourced from local farms and processed on-site into sausage and charcuterie. Their retail counter sells sausage, pastrami, bacon, and beer.
Uli has stayed true to his Bavarian roots, brewing according to the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot Purity Law of 1516. He’s also gotten creative with the various facets of his businesses. For instance, he pipes steam from the brewing process across the building to the smoking equipment.
“Since the beginning the Weeping Radish has brewed beer according to the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot Purity Law of 1516 which states that beer must be brewed using only four ingredients: Hops, Malt, Yeast and Water. No additives, chemicals or preservatives may be used.”
Weeping Radish only does self-distributing of their beer at the brewery, so you’ll have to make a trip to the source if you want to check it out. It’s definitely worth the trip!
Weeping Radish Farm Brewery
6810 Caratoke Hwy
Grandy, NC 27939
Phone: (252) 491-5205
Of course, after lunch and tasting at a brewery, we had to round out our afternoon with a tour and tasting at Sanctuary Vineyards.
Sanctuary Vineyards is owned by the Wright family, who have called Currituck County home for seven generations. The first member of the family was shipwrecked on the coast – a great beginnings story!
They grow fourteen different types of European grapes on approximately 10 acres. We got the opportunity to go look at the vines as we learned family and vineyard history. I found it interesting that all their grapes are picked by hand. That’s a lot of picking, from what I saw!
We tasted quite a few Sanctuary wines. There wasn’t one I didn’t like, but my favorite was the 2015 Wright Brothers Reserve. It’s 50% Temperanillo, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Cabernet Franc, that is sourced from their best estate vineyard blocks. Sanctuary’s description: “Ripe blackberry, blueberry, and rum cherry notes float along a structured backbone of tannins.”
Sanctuary wines are available regionally and at the vineyards. They have regular live festival and music events.
Sanctuary Vineyards
7005 Caratoke Hwy
Jarvisburg, NC 27947
Phone: (252) 491-2387
Sampling all that beer and wine lead to powerful appetites, so we headed to Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe for dinner.
Located on the Roanoke Sound, this family owned and operated restaurant serves seafood caught in North Carolina by local fishermen only. Look at their menus and you’ll see who caught your meal. Their pork, poultry and vegetables are sourced from farms across the state. Herbs are grown in their on-site garden. Desserts are made from scratch daily by their pastry chefs.
An interesting tidbit we learned is that for Basnight’s to be able to buy directly from the local fishermen’s boats, they must have a “Dealers License”. This means smaller-quantity local fishermen can dock behind the restaurant, bring their catch in to the kitchen, and sell directly to Basnight’s.
Folks in the restaurant industry will find it incredible that Basnight’s food cost is at 40%. That’s the cost of supporting small local producers. They offset that with “shear volume” and they don’t advertise at all, relying instead on word of mouth. I can tell you that I almost – almost – got lost trying to find my way back to our table, the place is so big! And they were slammed, a common occurrence I’m told.
I’ll be making a point of going back to Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe whenever I’m in the area. Absolutely wonderful food and commitment to community.
Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe
7623 S Virginia Dare Trail
Nags Head, NC 27959
Phone: (252) 441-5405
After touring seafood processing facilities and a retail market connected to one of them on our final day, we finished up our tour with lunch at Garden Spot Cafe. It’s located in a building that was built around 1900 on the banks of the Roanoke River. One of the three sisters who opened the Cafe is still involved, with her son, in the daily operation. You can expect hearty portions of home-style cooking here. They have a pretty cool Steamer Bar upstairs that’s open Wednesday – Saturday. It wasn’t open the day we were in town. Bummer! See a picture of the Steamer Bar on their website.
Because this is such a landmark, there was a camera crew filming in the Cafe while we were there. Stop in if you’re in the area.
Garden Spot Cafe
124 W Water St
Plymouth, NC 27962
Phone: (252) 793-3600
