Travelling to Wilmington, NC

[NulloModo]

Hiya,

A friend and I are about to embark on a little roadtrip from DE to Wilmington, NC (and possibly points south) to visit his parents and just get out of town for a bit.

Is there anywhere in this area where we should stop to have some of the best BBQ (any style, although my personal preference (and dietary needs) require the stuff that is not smothered in sugar-based sauces. Mustard/vinegar/hot-sauce based are all fine, as is just smoked meat), or any other southern cuisine? Trip leaves out tentatively tomorrow, so let the recs flow ;).

[NulloModo]

A little snooping on Hollyeats.com has led me to think PArker's might be where we stop on the way down, any comments for or against? Anything not on Holly's site I should really consider?

[artisanbaker]

i can't remember how to get there, but there is a french creperie that i found to be extraordinary by american standards

they made a mont blanc chestnut crepe for me that wan't even offered on the menu!

[Varmint]

Tell us the basic route you're taking, and we can help you with your barbecue itinerary. Parker's would not be my first choice on any trip!

[NulloModo]

Oh really? Holly gave it 4 stains, so I thought it must be good. Trip has been recheduled to leave out tomorrow morning, so, any recommendations I guess I would need today ;).

We leave out of northern DE on I-95, take that straight down till it intersects I-40 in NC, then head East to Wilmington/Wrightesville Beach, which will sort of be our base of operations for the trip. There might be slight excursions to Myrtle Beach and Sout of the Border/Cafe Risque as well.

[tkrongold]

if you venture south along rt 17, you'll come to a little town called Southport. Great restaurant there called The Pharmacy (at least it was the last time i was there - about a year ago). The owners are originally from Philadelphia and put out very good high-end meals. Also in Southport, for good casual food on the water, go to The Provision Company. Nothing fancy, just good burgers, grouper salad, etc. For a little more upscale, there is another place on the water (actually next door to the Provision Company) called Mr P's Waterway. They do great shrimp & grits & wonderfully fresh & flavorful soft shells.

[Andrew Fenton]

I'll second the recommendation for the Yacht Basin Provision Co. in Southport. Really, if I were staying in Wilmington, I'd be tempted to eat there every night, at least if the weather was good.

If I were you, I'd skip South of the Border. It's just dirty and gross; not even much fun for kitsch value.

For Wilson BBQ, I'd say go with Mitchell's. But Varmint's your man on that.

[Varmint]

If you're willing to go to South of the Border (which is another 75 miles south of the I-40/I-95 interchange), you should get yourself to Goldsboro and go to Wilbers. And if you do go to SOTB (which is indeed not at all fun), stop in the General Store and pick up some Blenheim's ginger ale -- get some yellow capped and red capped. The red capped is the ultra-spicy.

If you're stuck with Wilson, Parkers isn't too bad, but Mitchell's has the potential of serving you better barbecue. Unfortunately, their consistency is quite variable.

[kpurvis]

And once you're in Wilmington, I just did a story on food in Wilmington that should still be posted at www.charlotte.com. It has a long list of restaurants and food places. The three best that I tried were Port Land Grille, Caffe Phoenix and Circa 1922.

[Zeb A]

Cafe Risque as well.

Varmint says they serve a great BLT.

[Andrew Fenton]

For some reason, I've never been able to persuade my wife to go there. But she does like BLTs...

[kpurvis]

Cafe Risque as well.

Varmint says they serve a great BLT.

Huh. I thought Varmint was a leg man.

Good ol' Cafe Risque. What would the trip down I-95 be without them? When my son was learning to read, they made road trips so much more interesting.

Son: "Mommy, what's an adult toy?"

Me: "Never mind, son -- they take too many batteries."

[Varmint]

Cafe Risque as well.

Varmint says they serve a great BLT.

Huh. I thought Varmint was a leg man.

What do you think the "L" in "BLT" stands for?

I think I need to start a thread of what type of food is served in "Gentlemen's Clubs." I can't say I've ever eaten in one. Seriously!

[Andrew Fenton]

Here's a review of Cafe Risque (not safe for work). Food isn't the main focus, but here's what they have to say:

The food is good but way overpriced. A burger, fries, slice of pie, and a drink came to over $18.00.

The club has a cover charge, about $3 for "locals" and $7 for "out of town folks". When I asked what was considered "local", the man at the door says  "North Carolina". The club also has a 1 drink minimum, but does not serve alcohol. The cheapest drink, soft drinks, were about $3.50 for a tiny glass. They also have a grill menu. I found the Philly Cheesesteak to be surprisingly good. So good I almost asked for another one. Meals run from $7-18 depending on what you get, sides, and of course, drinks.

[NulloModo]

Just got back tonight!

Unfortunately due to travelling companions not being much interested in dining, the food choices during the trip were limited to what could be fit into the schedule.

We visited two BBQ joints: Flips in Wilmington, and Parkers in Wilson on the way back up. BBQ was also sampled at a variety of places not specializing it, and surprisingly, wasn't half bad at an unplanned lunch at a Golden Corral. However, Parkers was definately the best of the bunch.

About the closest we got to fine dining was a seafood dinner at the Oceanic, on Wrightsville Beach, also in Wilmington. Great view, very fresh and tasty seafood, but pretty standard fare. Still, I would recommend it.

A couple nights out resulted in tasting some good bourbons and scotches at various bars in Wilmington, and if anyone ever stops by the area, I highly recommend sitting down for a drink at the bar in Circa 1922, Cynthia, one of the bartenders, is very well versed in what to do around town, and offers great drink suggestions as well.