Southwest Virginia Blogs

For thee seventeen plus years we've lived in Roanoke, we have taken part in a few peanut discussions.  Among those who really love peanuts, the debate as to which are best usually ranges from Virginia Diner to Hubs.

Once in a while another name slips in, but mostly since people started caring that their peanuts were something other than Planters,  Hubs and Virginia diner has set the standard.

About three years ago, we started visiting Beaufort, NC and were introduced to peanuts sold by local church group under their own label.  No only were they good, but they also seemed better than the Virginia peanuts we were used to eating.  Pretty soon we had brought some back for neighbors.  It didn't take long before we were getting requests to bring back some more of those church peanuts.

They come in glass jars that say approximate weight 8.5 ounces and sell for $3.25 these days.  The thing is that they just seem like fresher and better peanuts.  Perhaps they're done in small batches, but for whatever reason, they're the peanut for us and some friends who have shared our secret.

They have one other advantage, you don't have to go to an expensive gift store to buy them.  In fact yesterday I was headed to Wilmington from the Cape Carteret area at around 7 am.  One of my unfulfilled chores was to pick up peanuts before heading home.

There is not much open at 7 am in the Swansboro area, but the Ace Hardware on Highway 24 was shining brightly at that time of morning so I pulled in and sure enough they had plenty of church peanuts that I could haul back to Virginia.

There was an added benefit.  When I mentioned that we had a lot of rain the previous night, I was quickly told that their rain gauge had shown two inches.   Early morning shopping and some weather information is hard to beat.

Another coastal tradition that we have carried back to Virginia is the Core Sound "Crab trap" Christmas tree by Neal Harvey in Davis, NC.

I think it is a great idea.  It's made from PVC coated crab trap wire.  It folds up easily in a very small size.

Of course the tree won't cause as much controversy as NC peanuts being labeled as better than Virginia ones.

For thee seventeen plus years we've lived in Roanoke, we have taken part in a few peanut discussions.  Among those who really love peanuts, the debate as to which are best usually ranges from Virginia Diner to Hubs.

Once in a while another name slips in, but mostly since people started caring that their peanuts were something other than Planters,  Hubs and Virginia diner has set the standard.

About three years ago, we started visiting Beaufort, NC and were introduced to peanuts sold by local church group under their own label.  No only were they good, but they also seemed better than the Virginia peanuts we were used to eating.  Pretty soon we had brought some back for neighbors.  It didn't take long before we were getting requests to bring back some more of those church peanuts.

They come in glass jars that say approximate weight 8.5 ounces and sell for $3.25 these days.  The thing is that they just seem like fresher and better peanuts.  Perhaps they're done in small batches, but for whatever reason, they're the peanut for us and some friends who have shared our secret.

They have one other advantage, you don't have to go to an expensive gift store to buy them.  In fact yesterday I was headed to Wilmington from the Cape Carteret area at around 7 am.  One of my unfulfilled chores was to pick up peanuts before heading home.

There is not much open at 7 am in the Swansboro area, but the Ace Hardware on Highway 24 was shining brightly at that time of morning so I pulled in and sure enough they had plenty of church peanuts that I could haul back to Virginia.

There was an added benefit.  When I mentioned that we had a lot of rain the previous night, I was quickly told that their rain gauge had shown two inches.   Early morning shopping and some weather information is hard to beat.

Another coastal tradition that we have carried back to Virginia is the Core Sound "Crab trap" Christmas tree by Neal Harvey in Davis, NC.

I think it is a great idea.  It's made from PVC coated crab trap wire.  It folds up easily in a very small size.

Of course the tree won't cause as much controversy as NC peanuts being labeled as better than Virginia ones.

For thee seventeen plus years we've lived in Roanoke, we have taken part in a few peanut discussions.  Among those who really love peanuts, the debate as to which are best usually ranges from Virginia Diner to Hubs.

Once in a while another name slips in, but mostly since people started caring that their peanuts were something other than Planters,  Hubs and Virginia diner has set the standard.

About three years ago, we started visiting Beaufort, NC and were introduced to peanuts sold by local church group under their own label.  No only were they good, but they also seemed better than the Virginia peanuts we were used to eating.  Pretty soon we had brought some back for neighbors.  It didn't take long before we were getting requests to bring back some more of those church peanuts.

They come in glass jars that say approximate weight 8.5 ounces and sell for $3.25 these days.  The thing is that they just seem like fresher and better peanuts.  Perhaps they're done in small batches, but for whatever reason, they're the peanut for us and some friends who have shared our secret.

They have one other advantage, you don't have to go to an expensive gift store to buy them.  In fact yesterday I was headed to Wilmington from the Cape Carteret area at around 7 am.  One of my unfulfilled chores was to pick up peanuts before heading home.

There is not much open at 7 am in the Swansboro area, but the Ace Hardware on Highway 24 was shining brightly at that time of morning so I pulled in and sure enough they had plenty of church peanuts that I could haul back to Virginia.

There was an added benefit.  When I mentioned that we had a lot of rain the previous night, I was quickly told that their rain gauge had shown two inches.   Early morning shopping and some weather information is hard to beat.

Another coastal tradition that we have carried back to Virginia is the Core Sound "Crab trap" Christmas tree by Neal Harvey in Davis, NC.

I think it is a great idea.  It's made from PVC coated crab trap wire.  It folds up easily in a very small size.

Of course the tree won't cause as much controversy as NC peanuts being labeled as better than Virginia ones.

For thee seventeen plus years we've lived in Roanoke, we have taken part in a few peanut discussions.  Among those who really love peanuts, the debate as to which are best usually ranges from Virginia Diner to Hubs.

Once in a while another name slips in, but mostly since people started caring that their peanuts were something other than Planters,  Hubs and Virginia diner has set the standard.

About three years ago, we started visiting Beaufort, NC and were introduced to peanuts sold by local church group under their own label.  No only were they good, but they also seemed better than the Virginia peanuts we were used to eating.  Pretty soon we had brought some back for neighbors.  It didn't take long before we were getting requests to bring back some more of those church peanuts.

They come in glass jars that say approximate weight 8.5 ounces and sell for $3.25 these days.  The thing is that they just seem like fresher and better peanuts.  Perhaps they're done in small batches, but for whatever reason, they're the peanut for us and some friends who have shared our secret.

They have one other advantage, you don't have to go to an expensive gift store to buy them.  In fact yesterday I was headed to Wilmington from the Cape Carteret area at around 7 am.  One of my unfulfilled chores was to pick up peanuts before heading home.

There is not much open at 7 am in the Swansboro area, but the Ace Hardware on Highway 24 was shining brightly at that time of morning so I pulled in and sure enough they had plenty of church peanuts that I could haul back to Virginia.

There was an added benefit.  When I mentioned that we had a lot of rain the previous night, I was quickly told that their rain gauge had shown two inches.   Early morning shopping and some weather information is hard to beat.

Another coastal tradition that we have carried back to Virginia is the Core Sound "Crab trap" Christmas tree by Neal Harvey in Davis, NC.

I think it is a great idea.  It's made from PVC coated crab trap wire.  It folds up easily in a very small size.

Of course the tree won't cause as much controversy as NC peanuts being labeled as better than Virginia ones.

For thee seventeen plus years we've lived in Roanoke, we have taken part in a few peanut discussions.  Among those who really love peanuts, the debate as to which are best usually ranges from Virginia Diner to Hubs.

Once in a while another name slips in, but mostly since people started caring that their peanuts were something other than Planters,  Hubs and Virginia diner has set the standard.

About three years ago, we started visiting Beaufort, NC and were introduced to peanuts sold by local church group under their own label.  No only were they good, but they also seemed better than the Virginia peanuts we were used to eating.  Pretty soon we had brought some back for neighbors.  It didn't take long before we were getting requests to bring back some more of those church peanuts.

They come in glass jars that say approximate weight 8.5 ounces and sell for $3.25 these days.  The thing is that they just seem like fresher and better peanuts.  Perhaps they're done in small batches, but for whatever reason, they're the peanut for us and some friends who have shared our secret.

They have one other advantage, you don't have to go to an expensive gift store to buy them.  In fact yesterday I was headed to Wilmington from the Cape Carteret area at around 7 am.  One of my unfulfilled chores was to pick up peanuts before heading home.

There is not much open at 7 am in the Swansboro area, but the Ace Hardware on Highway 24 was shining brightly at that time of morning so I pulled in and sure enough they had plenty of church peanuts that I could haul back to Virginia.

There was an added benefit.  When I mentioned that we had a lot of rain the previous night, I was quickly told that their rain gauge had shown two inches.   Early morning shopping and some weather information is hard to beat.

Another coastal tradition that we have carried back to Virginia is the Core Sound "Crab trap" Christmas tree by Neal Harvey in Davis, NC.

I think it is a great idea.  It's made from PVC coated crab trap wire.  It folds up easily in a very small size.

Of course the tree won't cause as much controversy as NC peanuts being labeled as better than Virginia ones.

I am probably the last person to know that you can get a grilled sandwich from a microwave.  I can remember the kids using these funny trays for their microwave pizza, but I didn't pay attention.

Though this is a far cry from a real Panini, it does make a nice warm sandwich for lunch with almost no work.  After a while those cold sandwiches get a little boring.  This was a nice change.

I might even buy a couple more the next time that I'm in the store since this actually was very tasty.

I am probably the last person to know that you can get a grilled sandwich from a microwave.  I can remember the kids using these funny trays for their microwave pizza, but I didn't pay attention.

Though this is a far cry from a real Panini, it does make a nice warm sandwich for lunch with almost no work.  After a while those cold sandwiches get a little boring.  This was a nice change.

I might even buy a couple more the next time that I'm in the store since this actually was very tasty.

I am probably the last person to know that you can get a grilled sandwich from a microwave.  I can remember the kids using these funny trays for their microwave pizza, but I didn't pay attention.

Though this is a far cry from a real Panini, it does make a nice warm sandwich for lunch with almost no work.  After a while those cold sandwiches get a little boring.  This was a nice change.

I might even buy a couple more the next time that I'm in the store since this actually was very tasty.

I once consider writing a travel book of the new south, something like "Burgers, Barbecue, Bagels, and Beans."  I decided that the research would do be me in before I could finish the book.  Bagels do not seem to be as popular as they were a few years ago so I am not sure they would be a good topic these days.  Beans are a far too complicated, but I do claim to have one of the best baked bean recipes around, "The Best Baked Bean Recipe ever."

I will remain content trying to find the best burgers while sampling some great barbecue when I am fortunate enough to run across a true barbecue joint.  My gold standard is the burger my buddy Stephen cooked me a couple of summers ago in Northern Virginia.  Unfortunately his burger stand is never where I need it to be.

This past week on one of my marathon drives in the rain, I pulled into a Cookout drive through burger restaurant in Sanford, NC.  If you are not familiar with Cookout, you should give them a try.  They have very good charcoal burgers. I have eaten at the one in Mount Airy, NC a couple of times with very good results. 

Unfortunately with my Sanford stop, I was in a rush so I ate my burger at the stoplights while driving through Sanford.  That is not a very satisfying way to eat a burger.  I had hoped to find a Cookout in Wilmington this weekend to actually enjoy one of their burgers, but I did not have any luck.  However, while searching for great burgers, I found a local chain called P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille.  One of their locations was not far from the University of NC at Wilmington, so I slipped down there for lunch break.

It was a typical crowded college place where you filled out your own order form.  I came away with a very large cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $7.  It was an excellent burger.  It is a very different burger from the Burger in the Square burger that I nominated as the "The Best Burger in Roanoke."  The P.T. burger reminded me a little of one from "Five Guys Famous Burgers."

If you are in Wilmington, NC and looking for a very good burger with some salt and pepper home made fries, P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille is a good place to start.  Their three locations are at:

Fountain Dr (College)  392-2293

So. 17th St. (Hospital)  794-4544

Military Cutoff (Wright. Beach) 256-8850

We feel really fortunate to have The Fairway as our local restaurant.  It is a rare place that you can find a great burger and nightly specials that rival any fancy restaurant.

I have had a crown roast of pork chops that is as good as any that I have ever enjoyed.  Then if you are interested in some local specials, you find "Chicken pastry" which my mom would have called Chicken and dumplings.  I will even admit to eating their fried okra.  One of my favorite meals is their steak salad.  Of course I am also partial to their some of their sandwiches since they cook their own turkey and roast beef.

I have also found that they have a reasonably priced wine list to go with those special evening meals.  You can find their menu on line as PDFs at this link.   The Fairway is just south of the intersection of  Taylor Notion Road  and Route 58.  Their location is about one mile from the Emerald Isle bridge.

They unfortunately aren't open for breakfast or on Sundays, but that is a fair trade off for the great food that they offer the rest of the time.  Their phone number is 252 3939-6444.

There is little doubt that I am a big barbecue fan.  I have written about a number of barbecue spots like Bastians in Roanoke, Va in my post "Friday night at the Barbecue Joint." Then I wrote about a spot actually called the "Barbecue Joint" located on Weaver Dairy Road near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was mentioned in my post, "Back to the mountains."

Then there was the visit to Allen & Sons Barbecue, Chapel Hill, NC which was recommended by my friend Cameron.  When I took my real estate broker course in Hickory, NC, I discovered a really great spot, "FireBonz."   I even hauled back barbecue in a cooler to Roanoke a couple of times from Firebonz.

There have been a very few barbecue meals that I didn't consider a success like the one we had at Olde Virginia Barbecue in Rocky Mount, Va.  However, the general rule is that any barbecue is better than no barbecue.  As I said in "Barbecue And More Barbecue," I love barbecue.

Since I have been wandering around North Carolina's Crystal Coast,   I have been suffering from a barbecue drought.  Early one morning on my way to a very useful NC broker post licensing course in Wilmington, I happened to notice a metal roofed building called "The Smokehouse" on the west side of US 17.  I made a note of the mileage, and promised myself if that I had a good day in class that I might stop by and check it out on the way home.

We had one of the most productive days that I have enjoyed in my many real estate classes.  With that as a background, I was on the lookout for The Smokehouse.  I walked in and without even looking at the menu, I asked if they did barbecue by the pound.  The young lady said yes. I ordered a pound with some slaw and two buns.  Complete with tax, the meal came to $9.08.  I did not even have to ask, I got chopped pork.

About forty five minutes after leaving, I backed down our driveway on the east side of the White Oak River in Carteret County with what I hoped would be my first successful capture of real Eastern North Carolina barbecue.

We made our sandwiches, and it did not take Glenda, my wife, and I long to decide that I will be swinging by The Holly Ridge Smokehouse whenever I get a chance in my travels to Wilmington.  The barbecue was very lean with a nice hint of vinegar without being overwhelming.  The slaw was also crunchy and tasty.  The meal was a winner, a great bargain, and there is even enough left for Glenda's lunch tomorrow.

I wonder how their fried chicken is?  There's seems to be a shortage of that also along the Crystal Coast.  The Smokehouse opens early every morning.  If a full parking lot is an indication of good food, their breakfast must be very good.

There is little doubt that I am a big barbecue fan.  I have written about a number of barbecue spots like Bastians in Roanoke, Va in my post "Friday night at the Barbecue Joint." Then I wrote about a spot actually called the "Barbecue Joint" located on Weaver Dairy Road near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was mentioned in my post, "Back to the mountains."

Then there was the visit to Allen & Sons Barbecue, Chapel Hill, NC which was recommended by my friend Cameron.  When I took my real estate broker course in Hickory, NC, I discovered a really great spot, "FireBonz."   I even hauled back barbecue in a cooler to Roanoke a couple of times from Firebonz.

There have been a very few barbecue meals that I didn't consider a success like the one we had at Olde Virginia Barbecue in Rocky Mount, Va.  However, the general rule is that any barbecue is better than no barbecue.  As I said in "Barbecue And More Barbecue," I love barbecue.

Since I have been wandering around North Carolina's Crystal Coast,   I have been suffering from a barbecue drought.  Early one morning on my way to a very useful NC broker post licensing course in Wilmington, I happened to notice a metal roofed building called "The Smokehouse" on the west side of US 17.  I made a note of the mileage, and promised myself if that I had a good day in class that I might stop by and check it out on the way home.

We had one of the most productive days that I have enjoyed in my many real estate classes.  With that as a background, I was on the lookout for The Smokehouse.  I walked in and without even looking at the menu, I asked if they did barbecue by the pound.  The young lady said yes. I ordered a pound with some slaw and two buns.  Complete with tax, the meal came to $9.08.  I did not even have to ask, I got chopped pork.

About forty five minutes after leaving, I backed down our driveway on the east side of the White Oak River in Carteret County with what I hoped would be my first successful capture of real Eastern North Carolina barbecue.

We made our sandwiches, and it did not take Glenda, my wife, and I long to decide that I will be swinging by The Holly Ridge Smokehouse whenever I get a chance in my travels to Wilmington.  The barbecue was very lean with a nice hint of vinegar without being overwhelming.  The slaw was also crunchy and tasty.  The meal was a winner, a great bargain, and there is even enough left for Glenda's lunch tomorrow.

I wonder how their fried chicken is?  There's seems to be a shortage of that also along the Crystal Coast.  The Smokehouse opens early every morning.  If a full parking lot is an indication of good food, their breakfast must be very good.

I know it's not the case ,but it seems that I been eating Kraft individually wrapped cheese slices for most of my life.  I am not even sure that I thought about other kinds of American cheese.  Now there are certainly lots of cheeses with more flavor that I like, but a slice of processed American cheese on a burger isn't a bad treat.  It's also inexpensive and  something that's easy to always have on hand. 

The other day I was in a strange grocery store and happened to grab a regular pack of Kraft slices.  They were not individually wrapped.  I decided to sample the cheese on some crackers.  I was pretty amazed,  The non individually wrapped slices tasted better and had a more cheese like texture.

I put the cheese in a plastic sandwich bag, and it's stayed just as fresh as the individually wrapped slices.  I now buy the non individually wrapped slices by choice.  I am guessing that I might end up using a little less plastic and have better tasting cheese also.

If I could find a block of American cheese, I might even try it in my Classic Pimento Cheese recipe.  I could even experiment with replacing the more expensive cheese in my Bologna, cheese, & tomato sandwich.

I am not sure when or where I first got to enjoy a Chinese buffet.  It just might have been in Blacksburg, Virginia with my old friend Butch in the late eighties or early nineties.  It was a great way to have a pressure free business lunch.

Later when I  was a manager at Apple Computer,  the local Chinese Buffet in Reston, Va became our favorite place for  employee lunches.  It was one of the few places that we could find a table that would seat eight without reservations.  The food was also inexpensive.  It was nice that people could pick whatever they liked even if was just tofu.

Later we were lucky to have Szechuan Restaurant move to close to our house in Roanoke, Virginia.  They brought with them a buffet that turned out to be an excellent place to bring the kids for Sunday lunch.

My wife is not a big Chinese buffet fan so I have probably found more good buffets when traveling for business than when on family trips.  I have eaten in Chinese buffets in Los Alamos, New Mexico,  Mount Airy, North Carolina, and many places in between the two spots.

Recently I did convince my wife to try King Buffet in Morehead City, North Carolina.  It turned out to be a great find.  Glenda, my wife, even likes it.    They have a great variety foods, and it is one of the most economical meals around.  You even get hand dipped ice cream for dessert.

Today I was down in Wilmington, NC for another real estate course.  I had planned to eat at a local Internet Cafe so I could check my mail, but it was closed.  I took a chance on Dragon Garden, which I had noticed the day before when grabbing a sandwich at Jersey Mike's.

I knew that I had lucked into a really good Chinese restaurant when I heard someone at another table say that they had been coming to Dragon Garden for Sunday lunch for years.

The buffet was definitely one of the best  that I have  tried.  All the food was well cooked, very tasty, and a little different than some of the buffets.  I especially liked the shrimp fried rice.  My only complaint is that I wish the food had been labeled.  I will certainly try Dragon Garden out again the next time I am in Wilmington.

I would be interested in hearing from others who have great Chinese buffets to recommend.

I am not sure when or where I first got to enjoy a Chinese buffet.  It just might have been in Blacksburg, Virginia with my old friend Butch in the late eighties or early nineties.  It was a great way to have a pressure free business lunch.

Later when I  was a manager at Apple Computer,  the local Chinese Buffet in Reston, Va became our favorite place for  employee lunches.  It was one of the few places that we could find a table that would seat eight without reservations.  The food was also inexpensive.  It was nice that people could pick whatever they liked even if was just tofu.

Later we were lucky to have Szechuan Restaurant move to close to our house in Roanoke, Virginia.  They brought with them a buffet that turned out to be an excellent place to bring the kids for Sunday lunch.

My wife is not a big Chinese buffet fan so I have probably found more good buffets when traveling for business than when on family trips.  I have eaten in Chinese buffets in Los Alamos, New Mexico,  Mount Airy, North Carolina, and many places in between the two spots.

Recently I did convince my wife to try King Buffet in Morehead City, North Carolina.  It turned out to be a great find.  Glenda, my wife, even likes it.    They have a great variety foods, and it is one of the most economical meals around.  You even get hand dipped ice cream for dessert.

Today I was down in Wilmington, NC for another real estate course.  I had planned to eat at a local Internet Cafe so I could check my mail, but it was closed.  I took a chance on Dragon Garden, which I had noticed the day before when grabbing a sandwich at Jersey Mike's.

I knew that I had lucked into a really good Chinese restaurant when I heard someone at another table say that they had been coming to Dragon Garden for Sunday lunch for years.

The buffet was definitely one of the best  that I have  tried.  All the food was well cooked, very tasty, and a little different than some of the buffets.  I especially liked the shrimp fried rice.  My only complaint is that I wish the food had been labeled.  I will certainly try Dragon Garden out again the next time I am in Wilmington.

I would be interested in hearing from others who have great Chinese buffets to recommend.

I am not sure when or where I first got to enjoy a Chinese buffet.  It just might have been in Blacksburg, Virginia with my old friend Butch in the late eighties or early nineties.  It was a great way to have a pressure free business lunch.

Later when I  was a manager at Apple Computer,  the local Chinese Buffet in Reston, Va became our favorite place for  employee lunches.  It was one of the few places that we could find a table that would seat eight without reservations.  The food was also inexpensive.  It was nice that people could pick whatever they liked even if was just tofu.

Later we were lucky to have Szechuan Restaurant move to close to our house in Roanoke, Virginia.  They brought with them a buffet that turned out to be an excellent place to bring the kids for Sunday lunch.

My wife is not a big Chinese buffet fan so I have probably found more good buffets when traveling for business than when on family trips.  I have eaten in Chinese buffets in Los Alamos, New Mexico,  Mount Airy, North Carolina, and many places in between the two spots.

Recently I did convince my wife to try King Buffet in Morehead City, North Carolina.  It turned out to be a great find.  Glenda, my wife, even likes it.    They have a great variety foods, and it is one of the most economical meals around.  You even get hand dipped ice cream for dessert.

Today I was down in Wilmington, NC for another real estate course.  I had planned to eat at a local Internet Cafe so I could check my mail, but it was closed.  I took a chance on Dragon Garden, which I had noticed the day before when grabbing a sandwich at Jersey Mike's.

I knew that I had lucked into a really good Chinese restaurant when I heard someone at another table say that they had been coming to Dragon Garden for Sunday lunch for years.

The buffet was definitely one of the best  that I have  tried.  All the food was well cooked, very tasty, and a little different than some of the buffets.  I especially liked the shrimp fried rice.  My only complaint is that I wish the food had been labeled.  I will certainly try Dragon Garden out again the next time I am in Wilmington.

I would be interested in hearing from others who have great Chinese buffets to recommend.

I am not sure when or where I first got to enjoy a Chinese buffet.  It just might have been in Blacksburg, Virginia with my old friend Butch in the late eighties or early nineties.  It was a great way to have a pressure free business lunch.

Later when I  was a manager at Apple Computer,  the local Chinese Buffet in Reston, Va became our favorite place for  employee lunches.  It was one of the few places that we could find a table that would seat eight without reservations.  The food was also inexpensive.  It was nice that people could pick whatever they liked even if was just tofu.

Later we were lucky to have Szechuan Restaurant move to close to our house in Roanoke, Virginia.  They brought with them a buffet that turned out to be an excellent place to bring the kids for Sunday lunch.

My wife is not a big Chinese buffet fan so I have probably found more good buffets when traveling for business than when on family trips.  I have eaten in Chinese buffets in Los Alamos, New Mexico,  Mount Airy, North Carolina, and many places in between the two spots.

Recently I did convince my wife to try King Buffet in Morehead City, North Carolina.  It turned out to be a great find.  Glenda, my wife, even likes it.    They have a great variety foods, and it is one of the most economical meals around.  You even get hand dipped ice cream for dessert.

Today I was down in Wilmington, NC for another real estate course.  I had planned to eat at a local Internet Cafe so I could check my mail, but it was closed.  I took a chance on Dragon Garden, which I had noticed the day before when grabbing a sandwich at Jersey Mike's.

I knew that I had lucked into a really good Chinese restaurant when I heard someone at another table say that they had been coming to Dragon Garden for Sunday lunch for years.

The buffet was definitely one of the best  that I have  tried.  All the food was well cooked, very tasty, and a little different than some of the buffets.  I especially liked the shrimp fried rice.  My only complaint is that I wish the food had been labeled.  I will certainly try Dragon Garden out again the next time I am in Wilmington.

I would be interested in hearing from others who have great Chinese buffets to recommend.

For over fifty years I've been walking the shores of the North Carolina coast.  The beaches like this recent shot of Emerald Isle are often at their nicest in the fall.  The water is still fairly warm, warm enough to go wading anyway, and the crowds are long gone.  My wife, Glenda, loves to look for shells. There are plenty of people who like to take home home shells to remember their great time at the beach.

My favorite way to memorialize a trip to the beach has always been taking home a cooler of fresh seafood.  For one magic summer while I was in college, I alternated camping on the beaches of Ocracoke Island with camping in the National Forests of western North Carolina.  Sometimes I would take the long way home from Ocracoke which as any well versed traveler of Route 12 knows is the Cedar Island Ferry.  I would stop in Morehead City for a meal at Captain Bill's and then fill a cooler full of fresh off of the boats shrimp and head home. I heard a rumor that Captain Bill's was up for sale, but there is no shortage of good places to grab some seafood before you fill your cooler.

Five to six hours after loading the cooler in the car,  I would be cleaning and boiling shrimp for a straight from the sea treat. I'm pretty convinced that most folks think shrimp come from the grocery store.  It has gotten more and more popular to buy your shrimp at the grocery store and have them steamed right there.  I'm no purist but I would rather have my shrimp cooked after they've been cleaned, and grocery stores don't do that.  You may not know the difference because you've never tasted shrimp that have been done right.  It's not that hard, but it does takes some time.

You do need one tool, a Shrimp Deveiner. They usually cost a dollar or two.  The next thing you need is fresh shrimp.  Ideally you try to get your shrimp as close to the boat as possible.  In most cases that means asking around locally to find out the best way to buy your shrimp.  Sometimes you can buy them right off the dock or from people who buy them right off the dock.  The shrimp should be firm and not mushy.

Often the shrimp you buy will have the heads still on the body.  Do yourself a favor and have the folks where you buy the shrimp take the heads off if at all possible.  It seems almost effortless for them, but for normal mortals it's a little more of a challenge.  Take a cooler and ice your shrimp down if possible.  Often the sea food shop will give you enough ice for a small cooler.  The biggest challenge with cleaning shrimp is that it is pretty boring.  We usually order three to four lbs of shrimp, weighed with the heads still on the shrimp.  That's about my limit.  After that I lose interest even if someone is feeding me freshly boiled shrimp.  By the time you take the heads and shells off, four pounds with the heads on are equal to approximately two pounds shelled and raw.

We've had good luck in the Swansboro, NC area buying our shrimp from one of the local institutions, Clyde Phillips Seafood, located between the bridges on Route 24.   Don't expect a lot of conversation, but you can count on fresh seafood and a magic touch for removing shrimp heads.

Learning to use the shrimp deveiner just takes a few shrimp and they don't seem to mind.  I also take out a second smaller bottom vein.  Once you have that mastered, my suggestion is to clean about one half your shrimp and then bring to boil about two to two and one half inches of water in an uncovered twelve inch deep (three quart) skillet.  If you have cleaned your shrimp the way I suggested, they cook without any smell.

My wife, Glenda, says she adds some salt, an amount or pile about the size of a quarter in her palm.  She dumps the shrimp in the boiling water and has a timer running from the minute the shrimp are dumped in the water.  The shrimp cook very quickly and are done in three minutes when they've turned a beautiful pink color.  As soon as they are done, my wife dumps them in a bowl of water filled with ice.

We then fish the shrimp out and let them drain in a collander.  All you have to do then is to put them in bowl or on a platter if they are going to be eaten immediately.  Once you have had real fresh shrimp done right, going back to anything less is tough to do.

I can highly recommend Kelchner's Cocktail sauce.  It does vary a little between batches so I try to be a little forgiving since it is the best I've ever had.

If you want to know more, this link on shrimp is very helpful as is this link on cooking shrimp.

You aren't able to read the sticker in the lower left corner of the left most window at Clyde Phillips, but it says "Friends don't let friends eat imported shrimp."  Just click on the link to the left for a view of the bumper sticker.  If anyone ever tries this shrimp appliance, I would be interested in hearing about it.

For over fifty years I've been walking the shores of the North Carolina coast.  The beaches like this recent shot of Emerald Isle are often at their nicest in the fall.  The water is still fairly warm, warm enough to go wading anyway, and the crowds are long gone.  My wife, Glenda, loves to look for shells. There are plenty of people who like to take home home shells to remember their great time at the beach.

My favorite way to memorialize a trip to the beach has always been taking home a cooler of fresh seafood.  For one magic summer while I was in college, I alternated camping on the beaches of Ocracoke Island with camping in the National Forests of western North Carolina.  Sometimes I would take the long way home from Ocracoke which as any well versed traveler of Route 12 knows is the Cedar Island Ferry.  I would stop in Morehead City for a meal at Captain Bill's and then fill a cooler full of fresh off of the boats shrimp and head home. I heard a rumor that Captain Bill's was up for sale, but there is no shortage of good places to grab some seafood before you fill your cooler.

Five to six hours after loading the cooler in the car,  I would be cleaning and boiling shrimp for a straight from the sea treat. I'm pretty convinced that most folks think shrimp come from the grocery store.  It has gotten more and more popular to buy your shrimp at the grocery store and have them steamed right there.  I'm no purist but I would rather have my shrimp cooked after they've been cleaned, and grocery stores don't do that.  You may not know the difference because you've never tasted shrimp that have been done right.  It's not that hard, but it does takes some time.

You do need one tool, a Shrimp Deveiner. They usually cost a dollar or two.  The next thing you need is fresh shrimp.  Ideally you try to get your shrimp as close to the boat as possible.  In most cases that means asking around locally to find out the best way to buy your shrimp.  Sometimes you can buy them right off the dock or from people who buy them right off the dock.  The shrimp should be firm and not mushy.

Often the shrimp you buy will have the heads still on the body.  Do yourself a favor and have the folks where you buy the shrimp take the heads off if at all possible.  It seems almost effortless for them, but for normal mortals it's a little more of a challenge.  Take a cooler and ice your shrimp down if possible.  Often the sea food shop will give you enough ice for a small cooler.  The biggest challenge with cleaning shrimp is that it is pretty boring.  We usually order three to four lbs of shrimp, weighed with the heads still on the shrimp.  That's about my limit.  After that I lose interest even if someone is feeding me freshly boiled shrimp.  By the time you take the heads and shells off, four pounds with the heads on are equal to approximately two pounds shelled and raw.

We've had good luck in the Swansboro, NC area buying our shrimp from one of the local institutions, Clyde Phillips Seafood, located between the bridges on Route 24.   Don't expect a lot of conversation, but you can count on fresh seafood and a magic touch for removing shrimp heads.

Learning to use the shrimp deveiner just takes a few shrimp and they don't seem to mind.  I also take out a second smaller bottom vein.  Once you have that mastered, my suggestion is to clean about one half your shrimp and then bring to boil about two to two and one half inches of water in an uncovered twelve inch deep (three quart) skillet.  If you have cleaned your shrimp the way I suggested, they cook without any smell.

My wife, Glenda, says she adds some salt, an amount or pile about the size of a quarter in her palm.  She dumps the shrimp in the boiling water and has a timer running from the minute the shrimp are dumped in the water.  The shrimp cook very quickly and are done in three minutes when they've turned a beautiful pink color.  As soon as they are done, my wife dumps them in a bowl of water filled with ice.

We then fish the shrimp out and let them drain in a collander.  All you have to do then is to put them in bowl or on a platter if they are going to be eaten immediately.  Once you have had real fresh shrimp done right, going back to anything less is tough to do.

I can highly recommend Kelchner's Cocktail sauce.  It does vary a little between batches so I try to be a little forgiving since it is the best I've ever had.

If you want to know more, this link on shrimp is very helpful as is this link on cooking shrimp.

You aren't able to read the sticker in the lower left corner of the left most window at Clyde Phillips, but it says "Friends don't let friends eat imported shrimp."  Just click on the link to the left for a view of the bumper sticker.  If anyone ever tries this shrimp appliance, I would be interested in hearing about it.

For over fifty years I've been walking the shores of the North Carolina coast.  The beaches like this recent shot of Emerald Isle are often at their nicest in the fall.  The water is still fairly warm, warm enough to go wading anyway, and the crowds are long gone.  My wife, Glenda, loves to look for shells. There are plenty of people who like to take home home shells to remember their great time at the beach.

My favorite way to memorialize a trip to the beach has always been taking home a cooler of fresh seafood.  For one magic summer while I was in college, I alternated camping on the beaches of Ocracoke Island with camping in the National Forests of western North Carolina.  Sometimes I would take the long way home from Ocracoke which as any well versed traveler of Route 12 knows is the Cedar Island Ferry.  I would stop in Morehead City for a meal at Captain Bill's and then fill a cooler full of fresh off of the boats shrimp and head home. I heard a rumor that Captain Bill's was up for sale, but there is no shortage of good places to grab some seafood before you fill your cooler.

Five to six hours after loading the cooler in the car,  I would be cleaning and boiling shrimp for a straight from the sea treat. I'm pretty convinced that most folks think shrimp come from the grocery store.  It has gotten more and more popular to buy your shrimp at the grocery store and have them steamed right there.  I'm no purist but I would rather have my shrimp cooked after they've been cleaned, and grocery stores don't do that.  You may not know the difference because you've never tasted shrimp that have been done right.  It's not that hard, but it does takes some time.

You do need one tool, a Shrimp Deveiner. They usually cost a dollar or two.  The next thing you need is fresh shrimp.  Ideally you try to get your shrimp as close to the boat as possible.  In most cases that means asking around locally to find out the best way to buy your shrimp.  Sometimes you can buy them right off the dock or from people who buy them right off the dock.  The shrimp should be firm and not mushy.

Often the shrimp you buy will have the heads still on the body.  Do yourself a favor and have the folks where you buy the shrimp take the heads off if at all possible.  It seems almost effortless for them, but for normal mortals it's a little more of a challenge.  Take a cooler and ice your shrimp down if possible.  Often the sea food shop will give you enough ice for a small cooler.  The biggest challenge with cleaning shrimp is that it is pretty boring.  We usually order three to four lbs of shrimp, weighed with the heads still on the shrimp.  That's about my limit.  After that I lose interest even if someone is feeding me freshly boiled shrimp.  By the time you take the heads and shells off, four pounds with the heads on are equal to approximately two pounds shelled and raw.

We've had good luck in the Swansboro, NC area buying our shrimp from one of the local institutions, Clyde Phillips Seafood, located between the bridges on Route 24.   Don't expect a lot of conversation, but you can count on fresh seafood and a magic touch for removing shrimp heads.

Learning to use the shrimp deveiner just takes a few shrimp and they don't seem to mind.  I also take out a second smaller bottom vein.  Once you have that mastered, my suggestion is to clean about one half your shrimp and then bring to boil about two to two and one half inches of water in an uncovered twelve inch deep (three quart) skillet.  If you have cleaned your shrimp the way I suggested, they cook without any smell.

My wife, Glenda, says she adds some salt, an amount or pile about the size of a quarter in her palm.  She dumps the shrimp in the boiling water and has a timer running from the minute the shrimp are dumped in the water.  The shrimp cook very quickly and are done in three minutes when they've turned a beautiful pink color.  As soon as they are done, my wife dumps them in a bowl of water filled with ice.

We then fish the shrimp out and let them drain in a collander.  All you have to do then is to put them in bowl or on a platter if they are going to be eaten immediately.  Once you have had real fresh shrimp done right, going back to anything less is tough to do.

I can highly recommend Kelchner's Cocktail sauce.  It does vary a little between batches so I try to be a little forgiving since it is the best I've ever had.

If you want to know more, this link on shrimp is very helpful as is this link on cooking shrimp.

You aren't able to read the sticker in the lower left corner of the left most window at Clyde Phillips, but it says "Friends don't let friends eat imported shrimp."  Just click on the link to the left for a view of the bumper sticker.  If anyone ever tries this shrimp appliance, I would be interested in hearing about it.