This is a blog of my five-week exploration of culinary experiences in North Carolina. Baaswell Sheep is accompanying me and offering his own commentary on the trip, although he refuses to go into any place that serves lamb chops.
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My companion got a decent night's sleep and is feeling a little better, but I think he has a cold on top of his injuries. He's trying to adjust his approach since simply sitting in his hotel room all day would not be comfortable at all. So, we went down into downtown Southport, taking in the city in small chunks while spending plenty of time in the library where he could cool off, rest, and do some of his remote work (yes, this is a working vacation, but that was the only way he could manage a five-week trip.)
Southport, NC
Southport goes back to 1745 and the establishment of Fort Johnston. In 1792, the town of Smithville was founded on that site, and in 1887 it was renamed to Southport. In spite of the new name, it has never been a major shipping port, but is a nice getaway spot that is most likely not nearly as overrun as the major beach destinations. If you want a place that has a bit of a fishing village feel to it with Victorian era houses along the riverfront and not too much modern development, this is the place for you. You won't find an open beach here, but IMHO that's not a bad thing.
So, I went into this place and ordered a light lunch, and they brought me a box of 25 watt incandescent bulbs. That was't very bright. Okay, okay – baaaad joke. Seriously, folks, we did want something light for lunch, so we stopped in this little coffee shop that had a hummus wrap on the menu. It was pretty good, though the only indoor seating was upstairs, and on a hot day like today that was a little stuffy. On a more mild day, the patio seating or the front porch seating would have been really nice, but it was in the mid 90's most of today.
Small but interesting museum about the maritime history of the Southport area with a few exhibits stretching beyond the local area. If you're into this sort of thing, it's a great stop given that it had no admission fee. They even had a model of the CSS Colonel Lamb ship – that's a good name for a ship if I do say so myself.
Southport Visitors Center and History Musuem, Southport, NC
Great little history museum and once again, no admission fee (but please, do leave a donation for these kinds of places if you visit them, or they won't stay around or will have to start charging a fee.) A lot of good information about locals who were active over the past 150 years in civil and disabled rights. The town has also been quite active in the movie industry, including a movie based on a book that was set in Southport.
Southport Waterfront, Southport, NC
In the first picture below I'm looking out from a fishing pier where at least ten people were fishing that morning. By 5 o'clock, all but two had left. The views are stunning here, even if you aren't looking out directly at the ocean. (The water you see is the end of the Cape Fear River, and the land beyond is Bald Head Island – the ocean is on the other side of that island, or you can simply follow the river south just a short ways.) Some of the most interesting residents here are the laughing gulls, whose vocalization really does sound a bit like a laugh. I was amused by the numbers hanging out at the nearby seafood restaurant, which was closed that day (sorry guys, no free handouts today.) There's also something oddly amusing about the fact that a riverside seafood restaurant was closed due to "water problems".
One of my companion's favorite drinks is Cheerwine, which was created in North Carolina and has been produced there for over a hundred years. It's a cherry/black cherry flavored soda (no, there's no alcohol in it despite the name). Interestingly, Wikipedia describes it as having "an unusually high degree of carbonation compared to other soft drinks." Interesting because my companion opened his store-chilled plastic Cheerwine bottle, had a little, and closed it, then we went down a block to the waterfront to enjoy the view. When he opened the bottle again, it just spewed out everywhere, soaking his arm, shorts, and socks. He has no idea how that happened, as he'd never had that happen before. Thank goodness I'd had the good sense to sit on the other side of him – can you imagine how hard it would be to get red Cheerwine out of bright white wool? Ah, well, at least he didn't loose all that much of the soda, though his shorts and socks may never be the same again.
After a full day in downtown Southport, we returned to the hotel and went to the nearby Bella Cucina for dinner, my companion craving a little pasta. The food was good and the portions plentiful, the server nice and friendly. Overall a great combination. Unfortunately, since we're hitting the road again tomorrow, we couldn't take the leftovers with us, but that's life sometimes.
Please note that all restaurant and product names are used simply for referential purposes and links provided as a courtesy. Reviews are the sole opinions of the reviewer: no restaurant has paid to be listed here, and no restaurant is being explicitly endorsed. In other words, go out there, try them all, and form your own opinions!
Southport goes back to 1745 and the establishment of Fort Johnston. In 1792, the town of Smithville was founded on that site, and in 1887 it was renamed to Southport. In spite of the new name, it has never been a major shipping port, but is a nice getaway spot that is most likely not nearly as overrun as the major beach destinations. If you want a place that has a bit of a fishing village feel to it with Victorian era houses along the riverfront and not too much modern development, this is the place for you. You won't find an open beach here, but IMHO that's not a bad thing.
