Weekend in Wilmington

A couple of friends of mine traveled to Wilmington back in October to visit a friend of ours who just had a baby. I had little knowledge of Wilmington other than the hit 1990’s TV show, “Dawson’s Creek” until we actually visited there.

Was I pleasantly surprised. It is a blossoming tourist town and actively growing by the minute. You can see new restaurant to shop open back to back as if it is a growth spurt that does not plan on slowing. It is certainly a culinary getaway if you are looking for some tasty seafood, beer, and ice cream.

We did not do much for being there less than 36 hours, but what we did get to do was pretty delectable. Unfortunately, I do not have all the details ( I was the driver and not the writer), but here is a sampling of my memory:

Ruben at Copper Penny: All I have to say is that this Ruben is close but not quite to the king of all Rubens in the south, the Cavalier in Lynchburg, VA. It was very tasty though and left me full for the afternoon.

Beer at Waterline Brewing Company: We were in the middle of their Oktoberfest and it was filled with fun, music and of course, beer. I had their Rye IPA which was quite nice.

Cocktails at The Blind Elephant: Historically known to be a 1920’s prohibition bar, that took its name to another direction other than the typical names at the time such as Blind Tiger for instance. They sold the Moscow Mules on Tap and I was definitely craving one in the heat. Overall, really refreshing and enjoyed the active atmosphere for a Saturday night in a small, tourist town.

Oysters at Dock Street Oyster Bar: Best meal all weekend. I loved these Oysters which where basically local, straight off the shore. They had a wide range of vinegars so I kept mine simple with red wine vinegar and horseradish. The corn was also a great compliment to completely finish my lunch.

Ice Cream at Kilwin’s Chocolates: This was some of the best American ice cream I have tasted in a while. I went with the fan favorite, peanut butter cup despite my yearning for mint chocolate chip. The verdict? I could have had a full pint of it, but happy that I stuck with my small scoop. Otherwise I would have definitely spoiled my dinner.

                                              

Overall, you must travel to Wilmington. It is perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer trip up or down the southeast coast.

Baltimore Seafood Festival

I finally started my return to food festivals this year! Rather than being a presenter, I was actually part of the massive “foodie” crowds in pretending I “knew” what I was talking about to restaurant owners and purveyors. It felt odd since I am used to bein on the other side, but it was wonderful to just relax and enjoy the food, wine and the weather.

My first was the Baltimore Seafood Festival and it was hot. Unfortunately since I have been so late on sharing articles in recent months, I unfortunately do not remember specific details which include where I tried certain items. However, since it was a “seafood festival” most of the items I sampled are not hard to decipher. 

Pros

Location: Was great to be naturally in the weather in a great area of Baltimore.

Oysters: They were not too bad. Even though I do not remember exactly which purveyor I tried the oysters, they were very good. I am a pacific oyster lover and despite these being East Coast oysters, I really enjoyed them. Refreshing and I think the additional toppings helped.

Cons

Cost: I was not impressed by the cost. Though you paid a reasonable $38 in advance, you only received 10 tickets and those 10 tickets did not translate well with the vendors and their portions of food. I understand oysters can be expensive but if they are local there should not be much competition with the cost. I had to purchase more tickets in order to feel like I got my “experience worth” of food. Maybe I am just used to the festivals in the South stuffing you with food to the point of no return.

Overall: Though this is their 2^nd attempt at this type of festival, I praise it especially for having something like this during the warmer months of the year and to attract more visitors to Baltimore, a challenge I know faces regularly. Looking forward to the next one! 

Notes Into 2010

After a long break from the holidays, I decided to enter into 2010 just with some notes. Nothing too extraordinary; just some observations as I left 2009 on a rather quiet note compared to previous years.

Most Notable Indulgences of the Holiday Season

My Mother's Sweet Potato Casserole
I have had many versions from different parts of the country, and I admit: the south has the most flavor.

Homemade Bread
7-Grain has been my favorite thus far, and I am not saying that because I am a health nut. If you have not made your own bread yet, please do. You will amaze yourself.

Georgia Wine: Tiger Mountain's Tennat, Petit Manseng and Wolf Mountain's Chanteloup
We went completely local on the wine this year and it was definitely worth it.

Georgia Beer
We got into Sweetwater Beer lately.

Chocolate Whiskey Tart
I officially made this a personal tradition.

See's Chocolates
My family should have just bought me two boxes alone.
http://www.sees.com/

Chocolate Cake, Raspberry Filling, Vanilla Frosting From Henri's
I almost became sick because I ate so much.

Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Filling, Chocolate and Blue Frosting From Henri's
So good we had to buy another.

Mussels
Black Diamonds.

My Father's Traditional Oysters Rockefeller From Connecticut
Did not even know Connecticut had oysters.

Williams Sonoma Cranberry Orange Relish
I know, I know. The family is not much into homemade cranberry sauce so we stick to this. Its so good though.

Williams Sonoma Pumpkin Pecan Butter
I can and will eat this from the jar.

Spinach Dip
Another new personal tradition.

Steak from Findley's Meat Market
My mouth just waters from visioning it again.

Old Mill's Crab Cake
Full of peppery flavor. A must try if you are in north Georgia. They make some killer shrimp and grits too.
http://www.acwortholdmill.com/

Pear Salad
Ina Garten had it right on this recipe.
Endive, Pear, and Roquefort Salad

Homemade Cheese Balls
So much fresher than store bought brands.

And...

Buckeyes
A tradition from the great state of Ohio. So very easy and makes so very many, I had to split this project into two nights. Enjoy!

1 1/4 C Butter
1 X 18 oz. Jar Creamy Peanut Butter
7 C Sifted Powdered Sugar (Approximately 1.5 lbs.)
6 C Semisweet Chocolate Chips
3 T Shortening
Processor, Blender, or Mixer
Wax Paper

Process butter and peanut butter until thoroughly blended.


Add 3 C powdered sugar and blend until smooth.

Gradually add remaining powdered sugar in 2 batches until mixture pulls away from the sides.

Shape into 1 inch balls.

Cover and chill or freeze for at least one hour.


Combine chocolate chips and shortening in top of double broiler.

Bring water to boil and then reduce heat to low.

Cook chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally.


Remove pan from heat and leave chocolate over the hot water.

Take chilled balls out of freezer and using wooden pick, dip each ball into chocolate. Coat 3/4 of the ball.

Place on wax paper.

Smooth wooden pick holes and let stand until chocolate solidifies.

Store in at room temperature, fridge, or freezer.