Eastern North Carolina was once home to thousands of acres of Carolina Gold rice. And then, about a century ago, those rice fields disappeared. In Pamlico County, this heirloom crop is back — and coming to menus across the state.
Rice Among the Hmong in McDowell County
Carolina Gold is making a comeback in fields out east, but here are two sides to North Carolina’s rice revival.
The Family That Cooks Together
A family with ties to multiple Latin American countries gathers to break bread. The matriarch prepares the food. Her son-in-law pulls together all of the disparate elements into a Charlotte restaurant dynasty.
Young, Scrappy, & Hungry at Leah & Louise
At a restaurant in Charlotte, the award-winning owner and chef has taken preservation to a whole new level. In his kitchen, nothing — and we mean nothing — gets tossed in the trash.
Dining on (Oak) Island Time
No rush: The clocks on the walls of Oak Island Restaurant are just for decoration. All you really need to know is whether it’s Chicken & Dumplings Thursday or Fried Fish Friday.
Oak Island, Over Easy at the Old Bridge Diner
On the way to work or headed home from the beach, post up in a booth at the Old Bridge Diner for breakfast and lunch classics — pancakes to patty melts to popcorn shrimp — all day long.
The Wonderful World of What-A-Burger
The 1960s architecture, croaking call boxes, and carhops toting plastic trays stacked with steaming fries and frosty shakes: What-A-Burger — the beloved North Carolina chain, not the popular Texas franchise — is a living remnant from a time when cars were king.
Hungry? Try These 7 Classic North Carolina Drive-Ins
Here are a few regional classics of the Happy Days era.
Seven Sacred Cookbooks from Southern Chefs
The dog-eared, food-splattered pages of cookbooks hold recipes that define our state, as well as our palates. These vintage dishes are sure to remind you of suppers past and will make you feel right at home.
