NC Eatin’: Rutherford County

Friday, November 13, 2009

Genny’s Family Restaurant
451 Main Street
Chimney Rock, NC

Having hit Waynesville the day before, Dad and I thought we should find another nearby, cute town for lunch on Friday.  I looked at a county map, picked Rutherford County, and figured out that we ought to go to Chimney Rock.  It’s a pretty, easy drive from Asheville, and we already knew there were cute stores and cafes by the gate into the Chimney Rock State Park.

We took my parents’ dog with us, so we found a place on Main Street that allowed dogs in their outside eating area.  Actually, I think Genny’s was the only one.  It has a couple tables in a fenced in area for people with dogs.  I was actually surprised it was the only place set up for dogs since dogs are welcome in the park and the best way to lunch is to sit outside by the river.  Anyway, we got settled in, placed our order with a friendly waitress, and listened to the river while we waited.

Our food took a little while, especially considering the place wasn’t that busy and we didn’t order anything complicated.  I got a hamburger, fries, and a biscuit, and Dad got breakfast.  It wasn’t particularly special, but it was good.  I’d go again.

You’ll notice that the dog isn’t in the picture.  She apparently decided that the sound of the camera freaker her out that day.  lol  After lunch, we took a stroll along the river.  There’s a very short little path there that has a nice view of Chimney Rock.

And I snagged my county sign pic on the way home.

NC Eatin’: Haywood County

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Panacea Coffee House Cafe
66 Commerce Street
Waynesville, NC 28786-5738

While visiting my parents in Asheville, I talked my dad into visiting Haywood County for lunch with me.  We decided we’d visit Waynesville, which is Haywood County’s county seat.  The downtown area is adorable, with plenty of cute shops and cafes to keep anyone entertained for an afternoon.  History buffs will appreciate that the last shot of the Civil War was fired in nearby White Sulphur Springs on May 6, 1865.  A surrender was negotiated in Waynesville the next day once everyone learned of the surrender of Generals Lee and Johnston.

After a little poking around online, I decided Panacea would be perfect.  My dad doesn’t enjoy a big lunch, so I figured a soup and sandwich place would hit the spot.  Plus it sounded cute and like the soup and sandwiches wouldn’t be too standard.  After we ordered, Dad decided it’d be fun to sit in the comfy chairs, so that’s exactly what we did.  To start, we enjoyed the brown sugar baked brie.  Talk about a party in my mouth!  My dad is hilarious.  I asked him if he’d share it with me, and he said he didn’t like brie.  Um…  I had to fight him for it.  Our soup and sandwiches arrived right as we were finishing the brie.  We both had the Joe Schmoe, which is oven roasted turkey, white cheddar, raspberry chipotle sauce, and lettuce on country wheat.  I thought it was fantastic, but Dad thought the chipotle was a little too spicy.  We also both got the pumpkin gorgonzola soup, which was incredible.  It’s definitely some of the best soup I’ve ever had.  Dad thought it was strange but good.

NC Eatin’: Davie County

Sunday, August 2, 2009
Gaither Street Cafe
155 Gaither St
Mocksville, NC 27028

My husband and I went to Asheville to visit family for the weekend, and we took the chance to swing by Mocksville for some lunch on our way home.  Mocksville is Davie County’s county seat and had a population of just over 4,000 at the 2000 census.  American pioneer Daniel Boon lived nearby when he was young.

The downtown area is pretty cute, but be warned that basically nothing is open for lunch on Sunday.  We were glad to find Gaither Street Cafe welcoming customers a little after noon.  The menu isn’t particularly extensive, but you’ll find something you like if you like American food.  I had a very tasty grilled cheese sandwich with applesauce that tasted straight out of a jar but good.  Jason had breakfast food and was satisfied.  The service was good, and the other customers seemed to be friendly.  It seemed like a good after church meeting spot, though I’d love to see how jumping the place gets on prime rib night.

NC Eatin’: Hoke County

Saturday, July 18, 2009
Aviator’s Grill & Pub
155 Airport Dr
Raeford, NC 28376

This was one of the scariest days of my life.   While I was trying to come up with something special to do for his 30th birthday, I thought, “Oh, gee, wouldn’t it be cool if he could do something off his bucket list?  He’s always wanted to skydive!”  I researched it, and found Raeford Parachute Center in Raeford, NC.  Perfect!  Not only could we check something off Jason’s bucket list, but we could also hit another county!  (Side note – like our shirts?)

We invited about 50 people to a party at our house for Saturday evening, and they were also invited to join us for skydiving.  Six of them ended up taking us up on the offer.  We were advised that we had a noon slot for the class and jump, which, given the 2 hour timeframe they gave us, would’ve been just perfect.  We could eat a late breakfast, drive out, train, jump, grab some lunch, head home, and have a couple hours before the party.  And it would have been perfect if it had turned out that way.  Unfortunately you cannot take RPC at their word when they tell you your group can get through the whole thing in 2 hours unless your group is only 2 people.  I’m not sure why they didn’t tell me that when I asked as we would have taken an earlier slot.  We ended up there for 5 hours.  Ugh!  That said, they were really great.  Very safe and fun.  I’d definitely recommend them with the caveat that you should prepared for it to take a loooong time.  So here’s how it went:

NC Eatin’: Harnett County

Saturday, June 27, 2009
Nonna’s Italian Restaurant
11 W Front St
Lillington, NC 27546

That weekend I went on a scrapbooking retreat with a friend.  We met some people at Camp Agape to work on our projects from Friday evening through Sunday at noon.  It was a great opportunity to check out another county!

Harnett County is just south of Wake and borders a total of 7 other counties.  I found a little Italian place in the county seat, Lillington.  Lillington was quiet but super cute.  It’s just 4 square miles and has a population of around 3,000.

Nonna’s didn’t look like anything special outside or inside, but it still turned out to be a good choice.  The service was good, and my calzone was perfect.  My only disappointment was that they don’t have a liquor license, so I couldn’t have a beer or glass of wine to unwind before heading back to scrapbook some more.

NC Eatin’: Pender County

Sunday, June 21, 2009
Harvey’s Deli & Tavern
108 West Freemont Street
Burgaw, NC

On our way home from Sunset Beach, we drove through a couple small towns trying to find somewhere good for dinner.  Finally we hit paydirt in Burgaw.  Burgaw is the county seat of Pender County and had a population of just a bit over 3,300 as of the 2000 census.  The homes we saw were small but very well maintained, and the main street is adorable.

We wandered into Harvey’s, which is a cute local pub.  They have a decent beer selection, and a good variety of the sort of food you want if you’re eating at a local pub.  We had fried cheesesticks to start and then burgers.  It was all good even though it came out a bit slowly.  No wonder!  We think there were just 2 people working the place when we visited.  But they were nice, and it wasn’t ridiculously slow.  I’d definitely return here if we passed through Burgaw again.

NC Eatin’: Brunswick County

Saturday, June 20, 2009
Boundary House
1045 River Road
Calabash, NC

Calabash Creamery
9910 Beach Dr SW
Calabash, NC 28467

I went to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, with a bunch of friends to celebrate one friend’s 30th birthday.  We stayed at the Sea Trail Resort.  On Saturday, some folks went to the beach and the rest of us hung out at the house and by the pool.  It was very nice.   By the time the evening rolled around, we were totally ready to head for Boundary House for dinner.

 

The atmosphere was what you’d expect from a seafood restaurant near the beach – there’s a huge boat suspended from the ceiling and everything’s a bit rustic.  The menu is as you would expect as well.  But then you eat the food… and you’re so happy!  They start you off with these amazing croissants with honey butter.  Yummm.  If your meal comes with a salad, you should be pretty pleased with that as well.  I’m not much for seafood (hate the smell, let alone the taste), so I ordered baby back ribbs.  Turns out those were pretty darned good.  I’d definitely recommend visiting Boundary House for dinner.

After dinner, we poked around a bit at the nearby shops until they closed.  Then it was time for the Calabash Creamery.  “Calabash Gourmet Ice Cream is made daily on premises. The twenty-four flavors consist of the finest, freshest ingredients and contains 16% butter-fat. In addition, ‘no-sugar added’ is offered along with soft-serve ice cream, hand packed pints and quarts, ice cream cakes, pies and cookie sandwiches. Varied flavors rotate, with a featured flavor every month. Locally grown ingredients are always incorporated, i.e. strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches, sweet potatoes (sweet potato soufflé), apples, etc.”  (-Creamery website)  Visiting the Creamery is an absolute must if you’re in the area – even if you’re lactose intolerant.  It’s worth it.  See the pictures below. 

NC Eatin’: Perquimans County

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Nicholson House Restaurant
1500 Belvidere Rd
Belvidere, NC 27919

I’d visited a client in Currituck in the early afternoon, so I was ready for a spot of tea to break up the drive back to the Triangle.  I’d read about the Nicholson House online, so I took a pretty big detour so I could head over to Belvidere.  It was an excellent choice.  The Nicholson House was charming, inside and out.

After a bit of a wait and poke around to find a server, I was seated and ordered tea and a scone.  The server warned me that the scones are baked to order and take a while, so I got some hush puppies to tide me over.  The hush puppies were perfect – deep fried, crunchy, and NOT fishy.  And look at the cute plate!

I had time to walk around and take a bunch of pictures while I waited for my scone to arrive.  Finally, it came, and… I didn’t know what to make of it.  It was DELICIOUS… at the edges.  And not cooked in the middle.  Arg.  If I’d been hungrier or had more time, I’d have asked them to throw it back in the oven.  So… I would *highly* recommend visiting the Nicholson House for tea, but only if you have time to wait for a scone.

A bit about Belvidere – it’s an unincorporated town in Perqimans County with a population of less than 900.  Now this is what rural North Carolina is all about!  The homes I saw were adorable and looked well-loved, and the people I encountered were friendly.  It must be a haven for Quakers as there are two meeting houses nearby, the Piney Woods Quaker Meeting and the Up River Friends Meeting.

NC Eatin’: Halifax County

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Sharky’s Oyster Bar and Grill
1730 Julian R Allsbrook Hwy
Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870

I passed through Halifax County on my way up to Virginia Beach for a meeting. Since I wasn’t sure when (or if) I’d get a chance to stop, I hadn’t done any research about where to go. Well, I did *some* research – it just wasn’t terribly useful. Most of the restaurants in this area of the state don’t have an online presence. I got stuck in traffic on the interstate near Roanoke Rapids and, since I’d been driving for a while and needed a quick break, I decided it was time for a quick break. Luckily I spotted a sign for the Halifax County Visitor Center when I got off the interstate, so I headed there for a bathroom (clean!) and some advice.

The folks at the visitor center were very nice.  Unfortunately I soon learned why I’d had trouble finding anything other than chain restaurants when I’d searched online.  I asked for a suggestion for a local place with a good dessert or snack, and… the lady with whom I was speaking suggested Ruby Tuesday.  *sigh*  I explained my quest, and she said I had just two choices – Sharky’s and Ralph’s Barbecue.  Ralph’s wasn’t due to open for another half hour and I needed to get back on the road, so I headed over to Sharky’s.

There were a few fun drink choices, and I ordered a fun flavored “martini.”  It was awful according to my tastebuds - very very strongly alcoholic.  I could only manage a few sips.  *sigh*  I was hopeful for the key lime pie.  Well, the pie was good, but it was just your standard mass-produced, frozen pie that you’d normally expect from a chain restaurant. The server was super nice, so I really hope Sharky’s does a good job with lunch and dinner! 

Overall I was disappointed, which is especially sad since it’s the first time I’ve been disappointed on my quest.  I suppose it had to happen some time.  If I get to pass back through Roanoke Rapid, I’ll definitely give Ralph’s a try.  I heard the banana pudding is really good – not to mention the barbecue.

NC Eatin’: Iredell County

Sunday, March 22, 2009
I Bambini Italian Restaurant
2785 Charlotte Hwy # 2785
Mooresville, North Carolina

On our way home on Sunday after the scrapbooking event, we passed through Mooresville to visit with a friend who lives there.  Funnily enough, another friend of ours from the Triangle was also visiting our Mooresville friend that day.

Our Mooresville friend had intended to try I Bambini for a while, so that’s what we did.  One friend got the Sunday champagne brunch buffet for $11.95 after being tempted by the lobster tails.  He was disappointed to figure out that the lobster tails contained only a smidge of lobster meat and mostly other stuff.  He said the rest of the buffet was fine, though he probably wouldn’t choose it again because of the price.  I had the gnocchi with alfredo sauce.  The sauce was decent, but the gnocchi was bad – very gummy.  I prefer it to be fluffy/al dente.  The local and my girl friend liked their dishes though, so it just depends on what you order whether or not you’ll enjoy your food.

Mooresville is an interesting town – it’s known as Race City, USA.  Race City, USA. It is home to more than 60 NASCAR teams and racing related businesses.  It also has two important racing museums – Memory Lane Motorsports and Historical Automotive Museum and the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.  Additionally, there’s the NASCAR Technical Institute and a NASCAR pit crew training school.