Some CB food thoughts

I don't know Don Lesser, who has a blog devoted to seemingly food and eating, but he recently visited Carolina Beach (and is still there?) and wrote about his experiences there. You can read the full post here.

[M]y brother offered us his condo in North Carolina and we both thought a change would be good. Not to mention water that is actually warm enough to get in. Anyway, the trip included a BBQ stop off 95 in North Carolina and then on to the home of sweet tea and fried food, Tiki bars and “Island” cuisine.

I’ll leave out the duds for the moment. We did find two places that I’d call worth visiting. Bowman’s at the Beach we found on our own. It looks old-school, a brick building nestled on the strip, and inside, it feels like it’s been there for a while. The staff is incredibly friendly and, yes, most of the food is fried, but unlike a lot of the places at the beach, the food feels like it was made in the back rather than defrosted. I had some fried oysters, with mac n cheese and fried okra. Sarah had the BBQ pork. The basket of hushpuppies accompanied the meal were the best I have had on this trip. The oysters were fried but greaseless and the BBQ pork tasted meaty. The sweet tea was also the best we’ve had this trip. Sarah, who normally eschews anything with sugar, has been scarfing down the sweet tea like a pilgrim at the holy waterfountain. Sarah pronounced the fried okra great, so I’ll go with her. She makes it rolled in cornmeal, which is the way I’ve gotten used to it. Around here, they cover the pieces in batter. Still, the frying was pretty greasefree–not much grease left on the plate when we were done and I never got the “whoa, too much grease” feeling hours later. ...

The other place we liked was Gulfstream Restaurant, another old-time place. We got that recommendation off of chowhound.com and it was good. I’m a little overloaded on fried food, so I opted for the broiled flounder covered with deviled crab stuffing. Not exactly diet food, but the broiled fish at the previous night’s Deck House had left me ready for something with a little flair. The fish was fresh and the crab stuffing had crisped up nicely without extending the cooking time into the overdone phase. Good cole slaw and the baked potato I opted for over the french fries was wrapped in foil but OK. Hushpuppies and sweet tea not as good as Bowmans, but there was a Shrimp Creole on the menu that I want to try. There is someone cooking out back, not just some college kid with a fryolator and a freezer. ...

Thursday nights there are fireworks on the boardwalk. The boardwalk is small and slightly seedy, like all boardwalks I’ve been to since I was a boy. But there is live music. A good Southern rock n roll band was playing before and during the fireworks which were going off behind their stage. The fireworks were low and some of the shells seemed packed with a little more explosives, leading to a big POW as it blew apart the chrysamthum shells. But listening to good rock n roll while they were going off was a real treat. Aside from some choreographed fireworks in New Orleans that were “big city” fireworks, this is the first time I’ve heard that at local fireworks. Highly recommended.

Column: Carolina Beach is 'my beach'

Came across this touching column from Carolina Beach native Kris Worrell, editor of the Utica Observer-Dispatch about her memories of what she called "my beach."

... I’ve lived at (and visited) many beaches in my day – Virginia Beach, the Outer Banks, the Cape, Galveston, Ocean Beach in San Diego – but nothing compares to “my beach.”

My beach is Carolina Beach, a small, unpretentious place about 15 miles outside Wilmington, N.C., between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River. My grandparents built a house, which my grandmother designed, and two cottages next door during the 1950s. My mother and aunt spent summers there, then my cousins and I did the same. The four-bedroom house never had air conditioning other than the breeze blowing from the ocean but we could always keep cool with a dish of Grandmother’s homemade peach ice cream.

All summer long, Grandmother would rent the two cottages out, mostly to families from West Virginia or Kentucky who saved up all year for this one week in the sun. They would drive up in their cars, the kids pressing their faces to the windows as they saw the ocean for the first time. After they got the key, and often before even unpacking the car, the whole pack would run, stripping off shirts and shoes, arms outstretched, into the waiting surf.

I was born in Wilmington, but only because Carolina Beach, where my parents lived at the time, didn’t have a hospital. Years later while I was pregnant with my first child, my cousins went to the beach house and scooped up a container of sand and shells, then mailed it to me in New York. My husband placed it under the hospital bed (both times) so my children would be born over Carolina Beach soil.

The last time I saw the house and beach was 2001. Monday, Sept. 10, 2001, to be exact. We had gone to meet my cousins and show my new husband this place I’ve talked about for years. The vacation didn’t turn out as planned, as we spent most of the week trying to contact our friends in New York City and watching news of the terrorist attacks instead of lounging in the sand.

My kids had never seen the beach or the house, which my grandmother sold decades ago when the upkeep became too much. So, on this trip, we drove over the bridge and into the small town. The boardwalk, though a bit bigger, still had the obligatory arcade and the wonderfully simple Britt’s Donuts shop, voted the best in the country by numerous magazines, tourists and natives alike. They’ve been selling one kind of donut – basic, glazed, perfect – since 1939. Donuts, coffee, milk. That’s all that is on the menu. What else do you need? ...

I snapped pictures of my kids in front of the house, with the same view I used to see spread out behind them. There were lots more people on the beach than I ever had to tolerate, the tide was coming in and we got caught in a terrible lightning storm that sent us under the porch for a time.

Still, like a sweet, delicious donut, it was perfect.

Michael's does it again!

Congratulations to Carolina Beach's Michael's Seafood and Catering for winning firstplace at the Great Chowder Cook-Off in Rhode Island for a third straight year.

Unfortunately, there can be no four-peat.

Now that his world-famous clam chowder is a three-time winner, Chef Michael McGowan from the Carolina Beach restaurant has to retire the champion chowder from the competition.

Paul Tarasco has worked at Michael's for six years. After the first win in 2009, Tarasco said that the three-peat was no surprise to anyone who has tasted the soup.

"We knew for a fact we were going to sweep it ," said Tarasco. "There's no way we weren't going to win the next two years."

Don't believe us? Then read this!

We LOVE Carolina Beach. (Of course we do; we wouldn't have Our Beach Place if we didn't.) But don't just listen to us.

With temperatures and gas prices on the rise this summer, many families are planning affordable getaways to Carolina Beach, N.C. Coastal breezes and free seaside activities combine to offer great value, family fun and a refreshing break for everyone. With a conveniently-accessible location, Carolina Beach is also easy on the gas. Major highways make the trip there quick via I-40, US-74, or NC-421.

Carolina Beach offers the best of a North Carolina beach experience. A variety of free events and affordable activities create a destination that is literally music to the ears. In June, vacationers can dance barefoot in the sand at the Pleasure Island Beach Music Festival—the largest and only music festival held on the beach along the North Carolina coast. There are also free concerts every Friday evening throughout the summer at nearby Fort Fisher.

One of the “must-sees” of Carolina Beach summer vacations is the free “Film & Fireworks Series.” On Sunday evenings, visitors grab beach chairs or blankets and head over to Carolina Beach Lake Park for free, first-run, family-friendly movies. On Thursday nights, the place to be is on the beach, near the boardwalk, where there's a spectacular display of fireworks. And, any night of the week, families can take in the sights and sounds of Carolina Beach's classic seaside amusement park.

Whether combing the beach for shells or treasured sea glass or taking in all the shopping, dining and arcade activity along the boardwalk, there's something to engage and delight everyone. There are water sports galore including surfing, boating and fishing. Or enjoy a slightly slower pace of life at Carolina Beach Lake by renting a paddleboat, canoe or kayak. Landlubbers can enjoy a hike along the many scenic trails at Carolina Beach State Park or rent a surrey bike and pedal through the center of town. ...

For all shaggers and beach music fans, the 26th Annual Pleasure Island Beach Music Festival on June 4 is an opportunity to sway to the beat. Widely recognized as the biggest and only beach music festival actually held on the beach on the North Carolina coast, this fun festival is hosted by the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce. ...

With so much to see and do in Carolina Beach and its surrounding areas, it's no wonder visitors call it the summertime headquarters of sun, sand and smiles!

Click on the link at the top for more.

Surfing is big biz in CB

From the balcony of OBP, you can watch for hours the many surfers who make the trek to Carolina Beach. The stretch in front of our condo seems to be one of the most popular spots on the island for catching waves.

Apparently the influx of surfers is a great economic boon for the town, according to WECT.

Memorial Day weekend is considered the start of the summer tourist season, but it's starting early for local beachside businesses. ...

Carolina Beach already has a vibrant surfing community, but it's the out-of-town wave riders that make summer so profitable.

Do you love beach music?

Then the Cape Fear Coast is the place to be!

[B]oogie on down to Wilmington and North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast during the month of June for back-to-back weekends of beach music festivals. Two summer festivals will feature the best in beach music, a laid-back style of rhythm-and-blues with roots on the Carolina coast. On Saturday, June 4, Carolina Beach is the place to be during the 26th Annual Carolina Beach Music Festival. The following Saturday, June 11, the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA will host a Beach Music Festival at Battleship Park to celebrate the ship’s 50th Anniversary as a World War II attraction in Wilmington.

Kick up some sand at Carolina Beach on Saturday, June 4th during the 26th annual Carolina Beach Music Festival (formerly Pleasure Island Beach Music Festival). Held on the beach near the Carolina Beach Boardwalk between Harper and Hamlet Avenues, the annual summer music extravaganza features beach music where it originated—on the Carolina coast. The fun begins on Friday during a kickoff party with music by The Carolina Breakers and DJ Mike Worley at the Sea Witch Café & Tiki Bar. The Carolina Beach Music Festival gets rocking on Saturday at 11:00am with continuous live music until 4:30pm. This year’s bands include: Jim Quick & Coastline (11:00am); The Band of Oz (1:00pm); and The Fantastic Shakers (3:00pm). Gates open at 10:30am, so bring your chairs, sunscreen, beach blankets, and coolers (no glass; no pets) and spend the day enjoying classic beach tunes. The 26th Annual Carolina Beach Music Festival is presented by the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the gate (no refunds). Advance tickets (cash-only) are available at the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce (1121 N. Lake Park Blvd., Carolina Beach) and the following Carolina Beach businesses: Courtyard by Marriott, Olde Salty’s, the Silver Dollar, and Touchè. For details and online ticket purchases (credit card only), please visit www.pleasureislandnc.org/beachmusicfestival.asp or call 910-458-8434. A shag dance contest with over $4,000 in cash prizes follows on Saturday night at the Sea Witch Café & Tiki Bar. To register for the shag contest or to purchase contest tickets, call 910-231-8212. The party continues on Sunday at the Sea Witch with music by Soul Beam.

Editorial: Treat Masonboro like a jewel

We've briefly discussed Masonboro and its "issues" before. Recently, the Star-News in Wilmington weighed in.

In an area rich with natural resources, undeveloped Masonboro Island stands out as a gem. The barrier island between Wrightsville and Carolina beaches is a nature reserve and also a popular destination for beachgoers.

Unlike our beach towns and the popular north end of Carolina Beach, there is no regular supervision on the fragile barrier island, which is a sea turtle nesting area, important marine nursery and wildlife haven.

Unfortunately, another sort of “wildlife” has put its mark on the island at times, leaving the beach trashed after busy summer weekends, especially holidays. In addition to trash, there have been fights and injuries amid the throngs of people and anchored boats along the island’s shoreline.

After one particularly wild weekend a few years back, New Hanover County sheriff’s deputies ferried ATVs to the island and patrolled the area. Most people seemed to get the message about the trash, and officials and island supporters were pleasantly surprised to arrive on the island the day after a big holiday weekend and find very little litter. ...

With the weather warming up and people beginning to take the short boat ride to the island, it’s important to get the word out that, although a closure to the public is not imminent, it is always a possibility.

With the folks at the N.C. Coastal Reserve taking a hard look at the rules for Masonboro and all its other sites up and down the North Carolina coast, folks using the island need to be on their best behavior.

And not simply because access could be restricted, but because it is a fragile and unique place that we share with all sorts of marine life, and because taking special care of this jewel is the right thing to do.

Visit Masonboro. Enjoy its isolation and its beauty. And honor it by being a good steward