Cape Fear Seafood Company- Wilmington, NC

Grouper Saltimbocca

In a word, excellent. I'll now give a whole bunch more words as to what made it excellent, and a few criticisms as well. 

Cape Fear Seafood Company sits in a strip mall in on College Ave on Myrtle Grove. It isn't all that big, and it is quite popular, so I would recommend making reservations. Inside it is tastefully appointed with an understated, yet bright, upscale coastal seafood restaurant look. The service was good and friendly and the restaurant pleasantly quiet enough to carry on a conversation with people at your table.

We ordered appetizers to start, the fried okra and hush puppies. The okra was well executed, crisp enough, and well seasoned with a remoulade sauce. The hush puppies were overly fried and a bit dark, but not terrible.

Figure Eight Flounder

I was debating between two dishes. One was the shrimp and grits, and the other was the Grouper Saltimbocca. While shrimp and grits is fast becoming one of my favorite dishes, and I have had some amazing interpretations of it, I wondered when I was going to have the opportunity to have a grouper saltimbocca again. I mean veal and chicken saltimbocca are amazing, why not grouper? Additionally both dishes had mushrooms listed in the ingredients and I thought that I could pick them out of the saltimbocca easier than from shrimp and grits. I don't like cooked mushrooms, especially cremini, to me they take on a taste of dirt and permeate any dish made with them. Raw mushrooms on the other hand I will eat. 

I went with the Grouper and I must say that it was simply amazing, in spite of the fact that the mushrooms that I asked to be omitted (the waiter said this could be done, but I think I caught a bit of an eye roll as he said it) were right there on the plate. No real problem as they were only partially cooked and edible, but I did leave a few on the plate. The prosciutto wrapped around the grouper was slightly crisp and the grouper was perfectly cooked. The spinach, goat cheese and sauce combined to make this one of the best, and most interesting, seafood dishes I've had.

Shrimp and Grits

Rachel ordered the small shrimp and grits after our waiter told her that it was one of the top five in the free world, or something like that. She liked it, and I tasted it. We both agreed that it was good, but not life-changing. There were too many tomatoes and far too many mushrooms which became the dominant flavor. Now, please bear in mind that this is simply based on my own personal tastes but my choice of the grouper turned out to be the right one. 

Hush Puppies

Teresa ordered the figure eight flounder and it was excellent as well. The veggies were a tad over seasoned though. AJ had a fried seafood plate which was good and came with nicer hush puppies than the appetizers. 

Fried Okra

We started with soup, Rachel and I both had the crab bisque and it was excellent. We ended by sharing a Crème brûlée which was good. 

Crab Bisque 

Overall, like I said in the beginning it was excellent with a couple of small caveats. I would definitely go back again and have the grouper or one of the other dishes that looked interesting. Check them out sometime and see for yourself. 

Chive Blossom- Pawleys Island, SC

She Crab Soup

The Chive Blossom Restaurant in Pawleys Island is where I had the absolute best Fried Green Tomato BLT ever. It's a small, cute place with a large crowd. 

We started with the She Crab Soup. This is a Southern delicacy and if you're not familiar with it it's a crab bisque with sherry in it and it is quite tasty. Definitely try it sometime if you have the opportunity. 

Burger

Teresa had the burger which came out cooked to her medium-well on a ciabatta roll with Fontina cheese, mushrooms, onions and fries for twelve bucks. Quite nice. My Mother and Step Father both had the chicken salad sandwich at eleven bucks which came with a small salad and they said it was good. 

Fried green tomato BLT

And that magnificent creation pictured above is the Fried Green Tomato BLT, one of the best things I've ever eaten and definitely the best fried green tomato BLT I've ever had. What made it so perfect the combinations of ingredients, each one done to perfection. 

The first thing was fresh multi-grain bread that was toasted on the grill using plenty of butter to get a nice golden brown crunch with a soft inside. Next up was avocado and lettuce with some fried green tomatoes on top. Add in some crisp bacon and the magic ingredient, house-made pimento cheese. This combination of ingredients covered the taste spectrum with sweet, sour, salty, crunchy and soft to create a heavenly, perhaps life-changing, experience for twelve bucks.

Ambiance is nice. Service is excellent, Cornella took very good care of us and accommodated my parents well. Prices, at lunch anyway, are reasonable. Food is amazing. Stop by and see what I mean.

A.W. Shucks- Charleston, SC

A.W Shucks is a large place on the corner of State Street and Market in Charleston and they've been around for a while. Inside it's well appointed giving a modern seafood ambiance. Outside, where we chose to eat, is comfortable and casual. Bear in mind this is a reasonably inexpensive seafood restaurant in a tourist city so it does get crowded and don't raise the expectations all that high.

That said, my food was quite good, and quite reasonable. I got the steamer pot, shown above, which consisted of crabs, clams, shrimp, mussels, oysters, corn, potatoes and sausage swimming in a broth with some Old Bay for $23.00. It was very good.

Teresa ordered the 'award winning' stuffed shrimp, but I don't know who gave it the award. I tasted it and it was pretty good.

So overall, nice ambiance, reasonable prices, good food and good service. I'd go again.

Tommy Condon's- Charleston, SC

Fish and Chips

Tommy Condon's in Charleston, SC is what I'd call a southern Irish bar. It has traditional Irish fare, and some traditional Southern fare. Having gone through traditional Southern fare for a couple of days I decided to go with the fish and chips. As the Irish would say, it was a proper fish and chips, nothing amazing, nothing disappointing. The fish was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The chips were crispy and hot. It was even better than a few fish and chip meals I had in Ireland. Of course, I had to have a pint or two of Guinness to wash it down.

Guinness, as if I have to tell you that

Now here's where a restaurant shines or fails. Teresa got the Shrimp Po Boy and it was disappointing. The roll was stale and the remoulade mediocre. She pointed this out to our waiter and he comped her meal, even though she ate most of it. That was a nice touch.

I'd say to stop by and try them, and I'd recommend the fish and chips. Just don't go expecting a five-star meal. It's an Irish bar in a tourist town, so expect decent Irish pub food.

Magnolias- Charleston, SC

Seafood and Grits

Another place I put on the short list for the Charleston trip was Magnolias on East Bay Street. Magnolias is a bit pricey for dinner, but the lunch prices were reasonable. In retrospect, it was probably the best dining experience I had in Charleston.

I had the seafood and grits at $16.00. It consisted of grits, really good buttery tasting grits, some fresh tasting shrimp, a scallop and a small piece of lobster. The portion was just right for the middle of a hot summer day. My best seafood and grits so far.

Teresa had a vegetable wrap which she said was a bit bland for her taste, but not bad. She did comment that the collard greens she ordered as a side were amazing.

Wonderful ambiance and excellent service. Our server, Eric, did a great job. I will definitely go back again. 

Poogan's Porch- Charleston, SC

When were planning to take a trip down to Charleston, I did some culinary research. I was looking mostly for Southern Style and Low Country food in a variety of price ranges and settings. One place that interested me was Poogan's Porch, and that was mainly because they offer an alligator salad as well as shrimp and grits. 

Alligator Salad

We were seated in the front dining room, it's an old house, and given menus. There was the alligator as an appetizer so I ordered it. Well, the alligator was delicious. It was fried to a golden crispness with a moist inside and served on a bed of salad greens with an amazing dressing. It was my first time eating alligator and if you haven't tried it, you should. The taste is difficult to describe, but the consistency is similar to chicken. Something that needs to be experienced to appreciate.

Scallops

Teresa ordered the scallops which were delightful. There were four large ones with a mound of greens and a risotto cake in a nice sauce. I tasted one, and some of the risotto, and I would have been quite happy with that as my meal. 

Shrimp and Grits

Instead, I had the shrimp and grits and I was quite happy with that. The shrimp tasted fresh and were cooked perfectly. There were three colors of peppers to give some color and sweetness, taso ham and a nice sauce covering perfectly cooked grits. 

Nice ambiance, reasonable prices and excellent service. A lovely dining experience.

Nu-Cavu, Wallkill. Another great meal.

One of my favorite places to eat is the Nu-Cavu Restaurant in Wallkill and I had an urge to go there for the Pescadore, it was a Friday in Lent after all. As always, the food was delicious, the service excellent and the atmosphere warm and friendly. Teresa had the eggplant lasagna and we shared the Raspberry Tower shown to the left. Raspberry sorbet coated in chocolate. Rich and tasty.

Crescent City Brew House

After a very filling lunch we walked around town for a few hours hoping to make room for dinner. The problem of course is too many choices to eat, and not enough time to try them all. One place that looked interesting was the Crescent City Brew House on Decatur. After we found a ‘buy one entrée, get one free’ coupon at the hotel, the decision was made. This turned out to be another great decision.

The restaurant reminded Teresa of the Blue Bayou in Chicago, maybe because that bar was patterned after a New Orleans restaurant, lots of wood, and open.

The menu was extensive and we decided to have the seafood. I ordered the shrimp Pappardelle, which is jumbo shrimp over noodles with bacon, peas and mushrooms in a creamy sauce of fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Teresa had the crabmeat stuffed shrimp. Both were delicious, but mine was probably the best seafood dish I’ve ever had. There was so much on the plate I couldn’t finish it all so I took a doggy bag and gave it to a homeless guy we saw later.

I had two beers. The first was a Red Stallion, a Vienna style copper beer that was pretty good. The second was one of the specialty beers, a dark Weise beer that had a nice flavor. The beers are a bit pricey at $6.50 each, but worth a try.

For more info check out their website.

Nu-Cavu Restaurant, Wallkill NY

The Cavu Restaurant at Kobelt Airport in Wallkill, New York was a nice place to grab a burger, or a sandwich, but it closed a few years ago. I’d heard that they’d re-opened recently as the Nu-Cavu so we decided to give it a try and popped in on a Saturday night.

The same ambience was there, an A-framed building with lots of sunlight streaming in and a good view of the airfield. There was light jazz playing too. One thing that stood out is the white tablecloths and the wait staff dressed in black. The menu confirmed it, more upscale, but not over the top.

The burgers and sandwiches are gone, replaced by a nice menu of seafood, steaks and pasta. We looked the menu over and the prices are reasonable ranging from fifteen dollars up to twenty-five for the surf and turf. Entrees come with a salad and a side, and they give hot bread with a nice olive tapenade.

Teresa decided on the Broiled Seafood Scampi. It was a huge plate of jumbo shrimp, flounder, and sea scallops in a lemon wine sauce with a side of pasta for 18.95. I had La Pescaotore that was a huge plate shrimp, clams, mussels, and calamari with a spicy Fra diavolo sauce over linguine, also 18.95. Well, mine was delicious and I sampled Teresa’s, and it was equally good. On mine, the calamari was cooked just right and there were a ton of mussels. In fact, my portion was so large I even had to bring the pasta and some of the calamari home.

Service is good. Food is great. Atmosphere is nice. Prices are reasonable. Overall a winning combination, and a restaurant you should visit soon, and often.

After we got home I checked out the web site and saw that they still serve the burgers and sandwiches at the bar, so I'll stop by again. It looked like they had a pretty good selection of beers on tap.

For more information check out their website.

Update 04/24/10-

This review is one of the most popular on this blog, as evidenced by the number of hits, so we decided to pop in again and see how they were doing. We got there at five on Saturday and there were plenty of seats available, but as we ate I saw the hostess placing reservation cards on most of the tables so I'd suggest getting there early, or making a reservation. The bar area was filling up too.

I ordered La Pescatore again and it was every bit as good as I remembered. Teresa tried the Cavu Chicken and it was delicious. Chicken breast layered with roasted peppers and eggplant, done parmigiana. Very good food, good portions (I brought some of mine home, and that's rare) good prices, very good service, and you even get to watch small planes land and take off. Get there and eat.

Update- July 9, 2010- We stopped by and tried the bar menu tonight and it was great. I had a bacon and blue cheeseburger, we shared chicken cordon blue bites, and Teresa had the chicken quesadilla appetizer (it was enough for a meal) all for less than $30.00 including tax and tip.

I had a chat with Carmela, one of the owners, and she is a nice person. Great food, good prices and good service are the benchmark at the Nu-Cavu.

Update- April 15, 2011- Here's a few more pictures.