April 18 – May 2

As mentioned in the earlier post, as soon as we pulled up to Wye Hill Brewing, I recognized having been there before.  It was in 2009 when we lived in Charlotte and I had just purchased our 2007 BMW 335 and took off on a Friday to drive to Raleigh to meet up with Norm and Mary, who were staying with friends there.  Norm and I left to find some beer and ended up at the brewery that preceded Wye Hill and enjoyed the drink as we overlooked the downtown skyline.

This time we parked and after a short wait were seated inside where we ordered beers and a cocktail or two.  After perusing the menu, Joanna and I split the Chicken Corn Chowder (cajun spice, black beans, rice, corn, onion, and potato) and the NC Shrimp & Grits (cheese grits, five jumbo domestic shrimp, Kölsch, pickled onion, chorizo, and salsa verde).

The food was interesting, the chicken corn chowder more like a gumbo than a chowder and so full of meat that it became just a bit too much for me.  It would ignite a desire later to replicate what we had done when going to Fort Bragg earlier in the year, that is we would try Corn Chowder at every opportunity. 

The next day would be a full one, and the raison d’être for all of us being there was to gather for lunch at Joanna’s Mom’s living facility.  In attendance were Joanna and I, Joanna’s Mom Joan, Jessica, Kris and Gemma, Joanna’s sisters Debi and Nicole, Debi’s daughter Kristen (her husband Brian couldn’t get off from work) and son Sean with his partner Hannah and their young son, Jason. 

We had sandwiches delivered from a nearby deli and all in all, the afternoon passed pleasantly, four generations of Joanna’s family gathering, perhaps for the last time given the age of some and the distance of others.  Later we’d convene at Nicole’s house until the early evening, consuming the good beers we’d purchased at Sam’s Bottle Shop, a regular stop for us when we visit her in Durham. 

The next morning, we took the kids to the airport for their flight to Barcelona and to kill time, drove around eventually winding up near the campus of North Carolina State, one of the three major universities (University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Duke in Durham) in the metropolitan area known locally as the triangle.  Feeling a bit peckish, we stopped for lunch at Gym Tacos, which was hopping with what appeared to be students and faculty from the school.

Not having any fish tacos on the menu, we ordered a carnitas taco apiece and a split one with chicken, consuming them in the blink of an eye before setting out; me to the Airbnb after dropping Joanna off at her Mom’s residence.  I spent the afternoon working on the blog and getting some reading done and later, we reunited after she took a Lyft back and we then took off to find some dinner. 

We decided to head to Lynnwood Brewing Concern and its sister restaurant, Wilsons Eatery, both located across the parking lot from each other in a former warehouse complex housing many bars, restaurants, and shops.  We entered the brewery and ordered our first couple of beers, taking them outside to sit on the shaded porch while we perused the menu through a QR code.  Here, you order from Wilson’s and the food gets delivered to your table. 

Joanna went for the Grilled Pimento Cheese (house-made pimento cheese with Ashe Co. cheddar and poblano on sourdough) while I jumped all over Ell Bell’s Double Cheeseburger (two smashed patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, house pickles and Duke’s mayo on brioche).  Along with some Belgian Fries we covered almost all of the major food groups and a final high gravity IPA completed my experience for the day. 

The next day, Saturday, we checked out of the Airbnb late in the morning and I again dropped Joanna off at her Mom’s facility while I killed time at a McDonald’s near downtown.  It was a lively scene there, with a group of four folks sitting behind me making a considerable racquet.  Mercifully, they left soon after and I read some more and then made my way to the facility ostensibly to have lunch there, which fell apart at the last moment Joan had one of her periodic melt downs, leaving us free to head out to Wake Forest where we would spend the night with our good friend Carolyn. 

On the way, Joanna feeling hungry, we stopped at a Panera to split a bowl of Corn Chowder, redeeming our faith in this type of soup.  I first met Carolyn when she was the director at UNC Wilmington, and we visited her a few times when she accepted a similar position at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.  She left higher education sometime back and now works for a company that supplies colleges with movable walls and other innovative furnishings.  We enjoyed a delightful meal with her at the house and then treated her to breakfast at Briggs, a local chain I’ve been to a few times, both with her and without. 

We bade her farewell and took off for Greensboro and three nights with Ann and Rendy.  As Ann was working a show at the High Point Market (It is the largest at 11.5 million square feet, most well-known, and most important furnishings industry trade show in the world with a $5.39 billion impact on the state of North Carolina) we agreed to meet Rendy at a park near their house in order to watch his youngest granddaughter, Stella play soccer.  It’s a joy to watch these six-year old’s play, just a few having any real concept about the game.  Stella’s team triumphed and she scored a couple of goals, her first of the season. 

After the game, we left one of the cars in the parking lot at the park and made our way to Gypsy Road Brewing in Kernersville, a sprawling complex with covered seating in the back.  We ordered a round of beers and having grabbed a table, enjoyed the brews while we listened to a two-man combo that, although what they played was new to us, it sounded quite good as we enjoyed the afternoon. 

We’d finish the day with dinner at Rio Grande, the Mexican restaurant we often visit while here and the three of us enjoyed Ten Dollar jumbo margaritas, and salads, a Caesar with chicken for me while Joanna and Rendy each enjoyed a Taco Salad.  And that would take care of our first week or so in North Carolina.  More to come in following posts. 

Links

Wye Hill Brewing: https://wyehill.com/

Sam’s Bottle Shop: https://www.facebook.com/samsbottleshop1/

Lynwood Brewing Concern: http://www.lynnwoodbrewing.beer/wp/

Wilson’s Eatery: https://wilsonseatery.com/

The Market: https://www.highpointmarket.org/

Gypsy Road Brewing: https://gypsyroadbrewing.com/