Welcome to the weekly Port City Foodies newsletter brought to you by me, StarNews reporter Allison Ballard. Writing about restaurant openings and closings is a part of my job covering the Wilmington-area food scene. In recent years, I’ve noticed there are fewer of the area’s classic seafood restaurants. Turns out, others have noticed, too -- including some of the longtime restaurateurs in the home base of coastal North Carolina’s signature style of seafood. You can read more below.
What is our local food identity?
If you think about the foods that define a region, classic fried seafood has to be one of those dishes for this area. Is this style fading away, though? Not completely, but there have been challenges and changes in recent years. Here’s a look . I’ve also included some places to get Calabash-style seafood . Keep in mind, it’s not a complete list, you can also find it at local favorites like Boathouse Restaurant in Wilmington, Bowman’s in Carolina Beach and local Cape Fear Seafood Company.
More: From fish camps to seafood shacks, here's a look at coastal NC's evolving dining scene
Cool ice cream
While there’s something to be said for tradition, it’s also interesting to try something new. A candy and ice cream shop in Carolina Beach is (likely) the first business to bring internet famous Rolled Ice Cream to the area. It’s a dish you can watch as it’s transformed from ingredients like bananas, cream and peanut butter cups into ice cream. It looks like it might be icy, but it's really very creamy. And because of the way it’s made, there’s flavor in every bite.
More: This candy shop brings rolled ice cream and trendy treats to the Wilmington area
New to the scene
It’s a newsy week, restaurant-wise, in Wilmington. First, a fire has temporarily sidelined The Husk and Yosake . And then we tallied the numbers, and found that more than 50 eateries have opened in the area so far this year.
And more are on the way. Hardie Ballard, of the Webo's Catering and BBQ Food Truck, is opening his new restaurant in the former Nippy’s Soul Food Space. Bahn Sai making it official in the Cargo District and Commodore Public House is hosting some soft-open hours soon . It’s also the first weekend for the new Potbelly sandwich shop location and we have a little bit more information about the recently opened Brunches in Carolina Beach , and what’s ahead for the brand. Whew!
More: More than 50 restaurants and bars have opened in the Wilmington area this year. See the list.
Let’s get social
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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Port City Foodies Newsletter: It's a newsy, meat-and-potatoes week in Wilmington
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