300 East

The Usual: chicken salad, asparagus, mushrooms and cheddar baked open-faced.

300 East is a classic Dilworth establishment that has been open over 25 years. Many of the menu items have endured such as the Sonoma salad - one of my favorites and the Usual (above). They used to have an "Unusual" but it looks like that one is no longer regularly available. The setting is quaint and charming in a renovated old house and you must check out the cute signs that mark the bathrooms. A cozy full bar with a generous wine list is downstairs and there is seating upstairs, downstairs and on the patio out front. Lunch, dinner and brunch are served and a kids menu is available as well.

I recently enjoyed the homemade pimento cheese dip as well as a crab cake sandwich. I tried the gazpacho, which was more of a tomato soup with chunks of veggies rather than the blended variety that I like better. On another visit I tried the goat cheese appetizer - delicious with sun dried tomatoes and roasted garlic - and the aforementioned Sonoma salad with chicken - love the Dijon mustard dressing and the inclusion of red potatoes. Desserts are also tasty including the peach cobbler with ice cream that I sampled. 300 East truly has an eclectic menu with several unique salads, pizzas and Mexican inspired options as well as a full sandwich and entree menu. Vegetarians will find plenty including black eyed pea falafel and farro saute. Definitely a fun and different place to dine in Charlotte.

Pimento Cheese appetizer.



Gazpacho.



Crab cake sandwich with rice.



Peach cobbler.

Calabash Seafood Hut and Calabash Creamery + Crabbing

Platter of fried goodness (and cole slaw!)

In early June we spent a wonderful week at an oceanfront house on Ocean Isle Beach complete with sun, sand, waves and crabbing. We cooked up fresh boiled shrimp most nights but one evening we did venture into Calabash for some fried seafood. Calabash Seafood Hut is classic Calabash fried goodness and the tiny dining room was filled to capacity by 5:15 PM. The shrimp and oysters were my favorite; the hush puppies could be better.

After dinner, despite being stuffed, we headed over to Calabash Creamery where they serve up delicious ice cream with creative flavors. I enjoyed the chocolate peanut butter and we had fun resting on the creamery's rocking-chair filled porch. A fun evening for all!

Sunset view from our house.



Basket of hush puppies.



Clam chowder.







Cute front porch of the creamery.

Calvin crabbing!



Crabs we caught!



Crabs we ate!