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One Day Café

~ good eats from a small kitchen

One Day Café

Category Archives: north carolina

Crab Dip or Bust

08 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by Anonymous in north carolina, restaurants, travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bloody caesar, crab dip, north carolina, oyster bar, restaurants, riverside dining, seafood, sisters, wilmington

One of my absolute favorite restaurants in Wilmington is Elijah’s. I don’t recall when my sister first introduced me to the place, but it quickly became a must-do during every visit. As I browsed the menu during this latest trip I realized I’ve sampled quite a large portion of it over the years. This time I was mostly focused on the (previously unappreciated) prospect of an abundance of fresh seafood at my fingertips. For a coastal city, Buenos Aires is alarmingly lacking in that department. So I intended to make the most of it in NC.

The restaurant is in a quaint section of Wilmington, right on the Cape Fear River with gorgeous sunset views. A great setting for basking in beautiful weather and enjoying some cocktails. I highly recommend the Bloody Caesar. The French Martini? Ehhh, not so much.

The main reason I always insist on Elijah’s is the crab dip. We simply must get it, every time. In fact, I wouldn’t mind getting one (or two?) just for myself, and certain people have been known to order it as their meal. It’s creamy and crabby and cheesy, with the perfect kick of horseradish.  And it’s the thick, buttery, lightly toasted garlic bread that really takes it to the next level. Me muero.

Being an oyster bar, Elijah’s offers a variety of oyster preparations, and we went simple: a dozen, steamed. My sister introduced me to oysters on crackers with hot sauce, a pretty delicious combination that for me, still doesn’t beat dousing the suckers in melted butter. Soy una gorda.

After enjoying a few of those absolutely delicious Bloody Caesars, it was time for more seafood. I ordered the crab cakes, one pan-fried with corn bread crumbs and “low country seasonings” (whatever THAT means…southern-speak for delicious?), and one deep-fried with Old Bay. I preferred the pan-fried version, disproving my theory that deep-frying makes everything more delicious. The sides were pretty bland, but at least they made me feel better about my rabid indulgence in all things fried.

Sissie got the special, mahi-mahi in a super rich lobster cream sauce over angel hair pasta with shaved parmesan. Oh man, was it goooooood! Too bad she never did learn how to share.

In addition to full bellies, we also left with a ton of leftovers to indulge in later.

I’m sure there are a ton of places in Wilmington that have excellent seafood, but there is something about Elijah’s that’s just…special. Maybe it’s the chill riverside location, or the artifacts on display from the building’s days as a maritime museum, or the memories I’ve made there with some of my faves. Regardless, two slightly greasy thumbs up.

ELIJAH’S – 2 Ann Street in Wilmington, North Carolina

Read the reviews on TripAdvisor.

The Breakfast Buffet: A Great American Pastime

22 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by Anonymous in north carolina, restaurants, travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

breakfast, breakfast buffet, gluttony, golden corral, restaurants, southern food, USA

I’ve been in a food coma for the past few days, and I am not ashamed.

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to the most for my USA East Coast tour – aside from visiting family and friends, of course – is all the glorious foooooood! Starting in North Carolina, because if you haven’t eaten in the South, you just haven’t lived! (And your heart is probably much healthier for it, but…whatever).

Immediately upon arrival, we hit up the Lighthouse Beer Festival with its glorious array of craft brews. So the following morning was the perfect occasion to visit a breakfast buffet. And where better than the legendary Golden Corral.

The breakfast buffet is all about strategy. First, I always survey my options so I know what is available, can prioritize and allot plate space accordingly. Skip this step at your own risk! Around every corner is another tray of deliciousness that you are going to wish you had more room for.

My personal favorite this time around was the Smokey Cheesy Potatoes because holy hell, there are just no words. Sliced red potatoes in a gooey smokey creamy cheese sauce with peppers and onions. Then there was the sausage egg and cheese casserole, the bacon, the corned beef hash, the cheese grits, the hash browns….and that was just on Plate #1.

For Round 2, realizing I had limited vacancy in my belly I zeroed in on the final non-negotiable: creamed chipped beef over a biscuit. On an impulse, I added an apple fritter that I didn’t expect much from. But WOW, that was the perfect sweet ending. It was like a funnel cake with chunks of sweet cinnamon apples. (Wikipedia link added for the benefit of my non-North American readers – ¡qué lástima si no lo has probado!).

Lest you assume I’m a total glutton, below I present you with the offerings in which I did NOT indulge. How it cannot be considered criminal to include a dessert buffet as part of a breakfast buffet is really not for me to question. And what is pictured is actually less than half of what was available. It took a lot of willpower to skip the chocolate cake, carrot cake, chocolate cream pie, strawberry pie AND the chocolate fountain. But, y’know, we all make sacrifices.

GOLDEN CORRAL – with locations all over the USA

God Bless America.

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