Our Southern Heritage

Somewhat peculiar to North Carolina’s southern coastal region is a style of cooking and serving fresh ocean seafood known as Calabash Style. Deriving its name from the tiny coastal fishing village south of Wilmington where it originated, Calabash Style simply means serving the lucky diner large quantities of very fresh seafood that has been lightly breaded and deliciously fried. Calabash Style became famous, and now can be found in a number of Wilmington restaurants.

Special Barbecue

And then there’s the nectar of the gods – eastern Carolina style barbecue. No, this isn’t steaks cooked over charcoal in the Weber barbecue, this is genuine pit-cooked pork – the whole hog slowly cooked and basted with a vinegar, salt and pepper mixture and pulled – none of that sliced Lexington style with catsup and sugar added for us, thank you. Although not many restaurants still use the pit out back for cooking the pig, the flavor can still be the same if properly done on more modern equipment.

In fact, many churches and schools raise money by staging a benefit barbecue, also called a Pig Pickin’. Go ahead, spend the five or six bucks and enjoy it. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

No barbecue meal would really be complete without our marvelous and addictive hush puppies – essentially deep-fried cornbread dollops, sometimes flavored with onion, sugar or other spices. If you’re fortunate, the restaurant will also offer Brunswick stew. Don’t ask what it is – just order it.

Beverage Of Choice

And of course, you’ll want iced tea. Sweetened or unsweetened, iced tea isn’t just a drink down here; it’s a way of life. Should you see something on the menu labeled “greens,” be aware it may not relate to salads. In the South, greens include collards, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and turnip greens – all cooked. Some Yankees never do acquire a taste for them. Sweet potatoes are another staple here, and restaurants find more ways to cook them than you ever thought possible.

No matter whether you’re dining formally in a fine, upscale restaurant or that terrific little spot around the corner only the locals know about, Wilmington is a great place for that famous haute cuisine, “Good Eats.”