Getting Your Shrimp and Grits (and more!) at The Big Eat 2019

By Jessica Thomas Lewis

We're about halfway through The Big Eat in Winston-Salem, with three more weeks to enjoy signature dishes from local restaurants at up to 50% off.   This year's Big Eat is running Tuesday evenings from January 8 - February 12.  Greensboro has their own Big Eat event that runs February 5 - February 26.

An annual event, The Big Eat helps local restaurants get through the slower winter months.  Between the two cities, there are nearly two dozen restaurants participating, representing a wide variety of flavors and styles.  These restaurants do tend to attract a lot of business on their Big Eat day!  Reservations are recommended at most locations. Dine in is required, and restaurants may run out of their signature dish, so get there early.

Shrimp and Grits at 6th and Vine, from their Facebook Page

Shrimp and Grits is a common theme at this year's The Big Eat.  Several of the restaurants have Shrimp and Grits on the menu, each prepared a little differently. At 6th and Vine, the Shrimp and Grits are served with Chorizo sausage, onions, peppers, cheddar, and shrimp in a creamy Cajun sauce.  At Bleu Restaurant & Bar, the Shrimp & Grits are served with Andouille Sauce, Creamy Grits, Spinach & Cherry Tomatoes.  The Old Fourth Street Filling Station's Carolina Shrimp N' Grits includes shrimp, andouille sausage, tomato, baby spinach, chipotle cream sauce, and a fried grit cake. You're only going to have one more opportunity this year to have some during The Big Eat; 6th and Vine is offering them on February 5 for only $7.

There are many seafood dishes offered this year, such as Seared Ahi Tuna Rare, Sauteed Black Pepper Crusted Jumbo Shrimp, and Pan Roasted Diver Sea Scallops at Bernardin's, Mussel's at Hutch & Harris, and PBR Mussels with country ham and charred bread at Krankies.

If you prefer steak or chicken, Jeffrey Adams is offering a 12 oz NY Strip and a 14oz Ribeye, the Chicken or Steak Fajita Plate at Señor Bravo, or Pho Chicken at Thai Harmony.

So many choices and there are many other signature dishes to choose from!

All of the featured entrees are listed on the Big Eat NC website here.   Try a new restaurant this Tuesday!

Quarry Park in Winston-Salem, NC

By Jessica Thomas Lewis

Hidden off Reynolds Park Road in Winston-Salem, Quarry Park offers a nice place for passive activities and relaxation.  The access road is next to the William Roscoe Anderson Jr. Recreation Center.   Just minutes from downtown,  this 228-acre park includes a 12-acre quarry with 130-foot bluffs that overlook waters that are so clear you can see dozens of feet below the surface.

The park includes open green space with walking/biking trails, overlooks and an observation platform over the quarry.  Quarry Park also has an event lawn and lawn amphitheater. Winston-Salem's downtown skyline and the Sauratown mountains can be seen in the distance.

The park includes the Waughtown Greenway Connector, providing access from Reynolds Park and the Salem Creek Greenway.  There is a greenway rest area with bike parking and several bike racks throughout the park.

Cool sculptures made for sitting adorn the walking trails and there are lots of metal benches for quiet moments and spectacular views.  The metal benches were designed to resemble the screens once used to sort gravel in the old quarry.  Water fountains and trash receptacles are placed along the trails and there are picnic tables.

There is a public restroom tucked under the observation platform. The walls to the restroom are made of large gravel, such as the gravel that was produced by the old quarry for use in the construction of Business 40 and US 52.  The park is handicap accessible and is stroller and dog friendly.

Entry is free and there is plenty of parking.  Quarry Park is perfect for a quiet afternoon outside.

Fall on the Coast of North Carolina

The leaves are starting to change, and people's minds are shifting from spending time on the water to spending time watching from the shore with friends enjoying a campfire. Living on the coast of North Carolina means comfortable temperatures year-round, yet in the fall the temperatures do start to drop a little, pushing many people off of the water and back on the shore. When you are no longer enjoying the pool and the water activities, here are some popular fall activities to enjoy.


Take a Hike

The leaves are turning breathtaking colors this time of year, and in the coast they change just as they do further inland. This is the time to grab the family and go for a hike through the woodlands along the Albemarle Sound. Along the coast you will find beautiful, untouched woodlands to explore.


Campfires by the Water
What makes fall on the water so enjoyable? For many it is the campfires. Strike up a fire with friends or family and have the water as your backdrop as your roast s'mores and swap stories. The cooler evenings in fall are the ideal time to enjoy this common activity.

Fishing
Fishing is a year-round activity on the North Carolina coast, and in the fall, many of the tourists have headed home, leaving you to enjoy better fishing. Grab your gear, head out to your favorite dock or your boat and catch a trophy this fall.

Play Some Golf

Who wants to play golf in the middle of summer heat? When the fall weather comes, coastal North Carolina offers the ideal climate for a round of golf. Grab your clubs and head out to the golf course to play a round or two, and enjoy the cooler temperatures of fall.



Each of these activities is easy to enjoy in Scotch Hall Preserve, a premier luxury community on the shores of the Albemarle Sound. Schedule a visit to Scotch Hall Preserve this fall, and see what active living in a resort community looks like in North Carolina's beautiful fall.




This is a sponsored post

Bicycle Helmet Law for North Carolina

"On July 5, 2001, North Carolina became a safer place to ride bicycles. Governor Michael Easley signed 

the "Child Bicycle Safety Act" into law. This law requires every person under 16 years old to wear an 

approved bicycle helmet when operating a bicycle on any public road, public bicycle path, or other public right-of-way. In addition this law specifies that all child passengers falling at or below 40 pounds/40 

inches, must be carried in a separate restraining seat. Any parent or legal guardian who knowingly allows a child to ride without a helmet or to ride as a passenger not secured in a restraining seat (when 

applicable), will be in violation of the law. Violation of the law carries a $10 civil fine. The fine may be 

waived upon the receipt of satisfactory proof of purchase of helmet or restraining seat. This law became 

effective October 1, 2001." -- safeguilford.org

Go here to see the full legislative law.

Traffic Resource for the Triad: NCDOT Travel

The NCDOT's Travel page is the best resource for traffic, incidents, and weather advisories in the Triad.  Speed sensors give you real time movement of traffic, and this website also tracks construction, accidents and congestion. There are up-to-the-minute traffic cameras along the major arteries.  

The map above is the current view of the page, showing the traffic congestion after a tractor trailer overturned on I40 under US-52.  The photo below is borrowed from the WXII12 facebook page.

More screen shots of the NCDOT page at the time of the above accident (below).  

From a distance, you can see at a glace that congestion is severe on I40

Zoom in and you can see that I40 is closed under the bridge, with heavy congestion at exit 193, and the Thomasville Road exit is experiencing heavy congestion

Click on the yellow diamond with the exclamation mark, and you'll know the reason for delays

As I was working on this post, this special alert popped onto my screen.

Bookmark this page and use it anytime you need to hit the highway in the Triad!  You can also access national traffic here.

Stay safe and keep your sanity with this indispensable website!

Dewey's, Winston-Salem's Hometown Bakery, Goes Online

Oh, Dewey's.  

Ooooooooooooh, Dewey's.

Dewey's,

 you had me at 

"Free Cake Square Day Mondays"

And now this.

Yes!  Dewey's Bakery has gone online!

Founded in the middle of the Great Depression, Dewey's was the area's first all-electric bakery.  The original store was in Downtown Winston-Salem, and specialized in Moravian baked goods.

Cake squares, creme horns, eclairs, turnover, danishes, Moravian cookies, sugar cake, oatmeal cookie sandwiches, brownies, lemon squares...

Birthday cakes, wedding cakes, retirement cakes, anniversary cakes...

Oh...

Did I mention that Blue Ridge Ice Creams is now a part of Dewey's Bakery at Thruway Center?

Both are homegrown companies born in Winston-Salem, etched into the memories of all who grew up here.  The Dewey's on Reynolda Road was where our Mom brought us.  An eclair was her treat to herself, and each of us kids would take about 10 minutes to decide what we were going to get.  Decisions, decisions.

I digress.

Nothing beats walking into the local bakery and picking your treats right out of the showcase.  But if you're no longer in the area you now have the option to drool over the website, make your choices, and have your deliciously fabulous baked goodies 

on your doorstep in just a few days.

Visit their new website here.

And wipe your chin.  You're drooling.

Walkertown, NC Library celebrating 20th Anniversary!

The Walkertown library is celebrating it's 20th Anniversary May 12 from 2-4pm.  

There will be speakers and live music. 

Readers are Leaders!

First Friday Indie Market Application for June

Time to sell!  Join the First Friday Indie Market with your handmade and vintage items!  Vending spaces available, you can view the application here.  Hurry, application and payment must be received  no later than April 22.