by David Cecelski The first mulberries are ripe now and yesterday we went picking, me, my daughter, my daughter’s friend, and my little nephew. We walked to our favorite tree, a stalwart young thing across the road from the city park nearest us. The tree was just full of the sweet, dark berries. Mulberry trees—the… Read More →
St. Nicholas Greek Festival, Wilmington
by David Cecelski I happened to be in Wilmington the other day during St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church’s Greek Festival. I had been there once before, a year or two ago, and had a wonderful time, so I took my lunch break there on Saturday. There was traditional Greek music, dancing, and crafts, tours of the church,… Read More →
Eagle Island Produce and Seafood Market
by David Cecelski What a strange and wonderful place this is. It’s an old roadside produce stand, fish market, and general merchandise store a stone’s throw from the Northeast Cape Fear River, on a lonely stretch of Highway 421 that otherwise is home only to endless miles of marsh and a bleak industrial landscape. You… Read More →
At the Statesville Rotary Farmers’ Market
by David Cecelski One of the really exciting things I saw at the Statesville Rotary Farmer’s Market the other day was Floyd and Rita Hager’s homemade sauerkraut. That fermented cabbage dish was once a staple across rural America, especially in places that had a lot of settlers fromGermany, Russia, Poland, or other sauerkraut-loving countries.IredellCounty, where Statesville is, is one of those… Read More →
Miss Peggy O’Neal’s Fishcakes
by David Cecelski While we were on OcracokeIsland, my daughter and I discovered Peggy O’Neal’s fishcakes. They were the breakfast special at the Pony Island Restaurant, a friendly mom-and-pop place that has been serving island locals and visitors since 1959. Everything on the restaurant’s menu is hearty and wholesome, but the really exciting thing to me… Read More →
Hot Pepper Vinegar, Oyster Stew, and Cheese Biscuits
by David Cecelski One night last week my daughter and I decided last minute that we needed to go to PortsmouthIsland. By dawn the next morning, we were 125 miles down the road at Pam’s Diner, in little Washington. Pam’s has been one of my favorite country cooking places for 25 years and has hardly changed at… Read More →
Mermaid Point
by David Cecelski My old swamping buddy and I headed toward SilerCity, veered off onto Hwy. 902, then cut south on back roads down to the old coal mining villages along the Deep River. You don’t get a sunny, 75-degree day every day, so we decided last minute to grab a boat and go. We left one… Read More →
Lovick’s Cafe, Kinston
One of my favorite places to be in Eastern North Carolina on a Saturday morning is Lovick’s Cafe in Kinston. Located on Herritage St., a stone’s throw from the NeuseRiver, Lovick’s is the kind of place where everybody feels at home. When you walk in the door, you’ll find the joint hopping—every table full, customers shouting greetings to old friends… Read More →
Cary’s Little India
by David Cecelski I always look forward to visiting “Little India” when I am in Cary. A recent wave of new immigrants has made Cary the first place in the state where there are enough Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis to support a little business district that caters mainly to them. For me it’s a delight, a way to… Read More →
The Art of Making Oyster Fritters
Oyster fritters 1 pint shucked oysters, whole, and juices 1 cup self-rising flour Salt to taste ½ tsp. black pepper ½ cup vegetable oil In a mixing bowl, combine oysters and juices, flour, salt and pepper. Mix until oysters are evenly coated. Drop by large spoonfuls into 1 inch of hot oil in a skillet…. Read More →