Taste of the Beach Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates

A Grand Way to End a Grand Event

Good Winds Wine & Seafood at the 2016 Taste of the Beach Grand Finale.

The Grand Finale Tasting is about as grand a way to wrap up the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach as there could be.

Held this year at Port O’ Call in Kill Devil Hills it was three hours of amazing food, wonderful Champagne cocktails with some great music thrown in. And we don’t want to forget the fantastic IPA and Scotch Ale Lost Colony Brewery was pouring.

Given the weather today—northwest wind, spitting rain, generally miserable—this was a great day to be inside, and there were a lot of people there. We had some beautiful weather for our Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates BBQ & Wings Showdown on Friday, but the weather went downhill quickly after that.

For the 500 or 600 or 700 or so who did go, this is knowledge already gained; for anyone who has never been to the Grand Tasting and is hoping to go next year, some advice. Eat nothing on the day of the event before going. With 18 vendors and 37 selections even nibbling on everything that’s offered requires an appetite rarely achieved.

A couple of things deserve a second visit; however, by the time everything is sampled, a second visit doesn’t seem to practical—or comfortable.

A couple of notes about the food. Everything we tried we felt had real merit and truly deserved to be there. There were a few standouts though—keeping in mind that taste is very subjective.

The Buttermilk Fried Duck Skewers from Saltbox Cafe were the crowd favorite for our group. Bonnie’s Bagles’ Salmon Mousse with Fresh Dill on a bagel chip was a refreshing change from the usual fare. The Crab Cake Sunrise from Cravings called out for either a good cup of coffee or a Champagne cocktail.

One more observation: the chocolate chip cookie cheesecake from Good Winds Wine & Seafood—which was very good on its own—paired beautifully with the IPA that Lost Colony Brewery was pouring. A surprising pairing, but it did work.

2016 BBQ & Wings Showdown Culinary Magic

Serving bbq and ribs at Sooey's. — Serving bbq, ribs, and wings at Sooey’s.

There is a lot to like and not a thing to dislike about the Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates BBQ & Wings Showdown. The concept is simple—invite 16 Outer Banks restaurants to whip up their finest barbecue, ribs and chicken wing recipes and throw in some great music from Jonny Waters & Company.

It also helps to move the event from the parking lot at Sea Ranch Resort to the Soundside Event Site in Nags Head, include some great weather and, Voila (!)—a perfect way to spend a few hours on a Friday afternoon.

Part of the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach, the BBQ & Wings Showdown really stepped it up a notch this year. More great food to sample and a larger space with plenty of parking all added up to a fantastic experience.

If there is a complaint it is that even a nibble of food samples from 16 booths is enough to add 12 pounds of weight in three hours; nonetheless, the effort had to be made.

The results are in, and like anything having to do with taste, it is a bit subjective, but it’s tough to disagree with anything on the list.

There’s not enough space to review everything we tried, but there’s no disagreement here for the People’s Choice award for best ribs—incredibly meaty, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.

Judges Awards:

Best BBQ – High Cotton

Best Ribs – TIE – Jolly Roger and Sooey’s BBQ

Best Wings – Jolly Roger

People’s Choice:

Best BBQ – High Cotton

Best Ribs – Aqua Restaurant

Best Wings – Lucky 12 Tavern

Participating Restaurants

AQUA: BBQ & Ribs

Lucky 12: BBQ, Ribs & Wings

Roadside Grill: BBQ

The Blue Point: Ribs & Wings

Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar: BBQ

Café Pamlico: BBQ & Wings

Beachside Bistro: BBQ

SaltyDawg Smokehouse: BBQ, Ribs & Wings

Sooey’s BBQ: BBQ, Ribs & Wings

High Cotton: BBQ & Wings

Pigman’s Barbeque: BBQ, Ribs & Wings

Cravings: Wings

Chilli Peppers Coast Grill: Wings

Jolly Roger: Ribs & Wings

Frogman’s Barbecue: BBQ

Outback Steakhouse: Ribs

Joe Lamb, Jr. BBQ & Wings Showdown Coming Soon

Improved, expanded and even better than ever, the 2016 version of our Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates Outer Banks BBQ & Wings Showdown promises to be the best one yet. So mark your calendars now for Friday, March 18 and plan on being there.

The event has been growing in popularity since we first introduced it four years ago as part of the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach and it’s gotten so big that we just couldn’t fit all the chef, restaurants, barbecue and wings into our old location at the Sea Ranch Resort.

So we teamed up with the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and moved the event to the Soundside Event Site in Nags Head. Way more room, the setting is beautiful and we’re looking forward to a great time and very full bellies.

The BBQ & Wings Showdown is part of the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach—a four day celebration of the food and culture of the Outer Banks. The dates are March 17-20 and with events happening from Corolla to Manteo, it’s as much a culinary exploration of excellence and creativity as it is a tour of the Outer Banks.

The Outer Banks Taste of the Beach is a must see springtime event. Beg, borrow or steal the time off, give us a call here at Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates. and we’ll help you find a place to stay and enjoy one of the best events of the year.

Winter on the OBX-Still Lots to Do

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean the Outer Banks has ceased to exist. For a lot of people, winter is the best time of the year to be here—it’s uncrowded, the pace of life has slowed down, a walk on the beach is a great time to spend time with just yourself or someone special. Other than an occasional dog romping in the surf with an owner nearby, there are not too many people walking along the ocean.

Of course it can get a little chilly—it is still winter after all. An amazing winter day today with temperatures in the upper 60s but that will probably change by the end of the week.

But if things have slowed down, there are still some great things to do. To help with that decision making process, we’ve highlighted a couple of upcoming events.

A suggestion: the week of March 13-20 would great time to be on the Outer Banks Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicking things off on Sunday, March 13 and the week wrapping up with the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach.

Call us here at Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates. and let us find you a place to stay.

Outer Banks Signature Chef’s Auction– The Purple Party 15th Anniversary

FEB 28

Hilton Garden Inn

Phone: 252-573-9035

Email: SBAKER@MARCHOFDIMES.ORG\

11 of the BEST Chefs, Live and Silent Auction, Fine Wines, Craft Brews, Live Music- Black Tie event. We are celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the Outer Banks Signature Chefs Event. Reserved Seating. Space is Limited

History of Surfing

MAR 09

Jennette’s Pier

Phone: 252-255-2501

The North Carolina Maritime Museums & Jennette’s Pier will host an evening program on the history of surfing in North Carolina.There will be several presentations & video footage that helps tell the story of wave riding, board shaping & why NC’s coast is an East Coast surfing destination.

27th Annual Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade

MAR 13

Nags Head

Parade starts at 1 pm at MP 11.5, at the intersection of Bladen St. and Virginia Dare Trail (Beach Road) and continues north to Driftwood St. Free Parade celebration at Kelly’s with entertainment, awards and free hot dogs for all till they’re gone!

OBX Taste of the Beach

MAR 17-MAR 20

4 Days of Food, Drink and Fun. A fantastic way to sample the fare of many fine restaurants on the Outer Banks in one fun-filled, food-centric weekend! Casual chefs to full-on foodie fanatics will revel in innovative culinary opportunities offered up by members of the Outer Banks Restaurant Association. Over 50 events over four days at nearly 40 different venues.

activities on the Outer Banks.

Joe Lamb Jr. Outer Banks BBQ & Wings Showdown

MAR 18

Soundside Event Site, Nags Head, NC 27959

Enjoy tasting and voting for your favorite Outer Banks BBQ and Wings from 15 of the areas best eateries! From traditional pulled pork and tender fall-off-the-bone ribs, to delicious saucy hot chicken wings! There is something for every carnivore at this 4th annual event. Presented to you with the support of Joe lamb Jr. Realty and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, the event is newly located at The Soundside event site in Nags Head, which will provide a great outdoor (tented) park-like experience for up to 750 attendees AND allow onsite parking. There will be great live music too by Jonny Waters & Company.

Looking Forward to Spring OBX Events

Now that we’re halfway through the month of February, it’s time to start looking forward to some of the springtime events coming up on the Outer Banks.

The big springtime event is the Taste of the Beach, which, with restaurants from Corolla to Manteo participating, is as much an exploration of the area as it is a culinary delight. Scheduled from Thursday March 17-Sunday March 20, this is one to put on the calendar.

Of course for us here at Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates & Associates, the highlight has got to be the Outer Banks BBQ & Wing Showdown. We’ve been the sponsor of this event of a number of years, we always have a blast with it, the food is amazing, and the fun over the top.

Even better this year, the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau is co-sponsoring with us and we get to use the Soundside Event Site in Nags Head which allows us to have even more people on had to sample wings and barbecue and vote for their favorite.

We also have the perfect way to kick off the week. Be here Sunday March 13 for the 27th Annual Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. A mile long parade on the Beach Road in Nags Head, it may be the whackiest most fun parade ever to grace the streets of the Outer Banks.

Joe Lamb, Jr. Outer Banks Review of 2015

By any standards, 2015 was a good year on the Outer Banks. Final figures aren’t in yet, but unless November and December post a negative number of people coming to the Outer Banks, visitor spending will set new records. The housing market is back on its feet again. There has been steady improvement for the past five years, and 2015 seems to be the year we can safely say it has come back; new construction is significantly up over 2014, the number of properties sold passed 2014 in November and we’re still waiting for the December figures to finalize the year.

There was other good news as well. NCDOT and the Southern Environmental Law Center reached an agreement that halted lawsuits preventing a replacement for the aging Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet. NCDOT also decided to accelerate the timetable for the Mid Currituck Bridge and with any luck there will be traffic relief in Southern Currituck and Southern Shores by 2021.

We gathered a some of the headlines from bigger events by month to look back over 2015. Some are significant; some remind us how much fun it is to be on the Outer Banks.

January

Wedding Expo Best Attended Yet

Weddings and events are big business on the Outer Banks and the 2015 Expo brought brides, grooms and their entourage from all over the US. This year’s Outer Banks Wedding Association’s Wedding Expo is January 16-17.

February

Possibility of Offshore Wind Energy in NC Future

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced lease sites for offshore wind energy development. Located 28 miles offshore, the Kitty Hawk site is one of the potentially most productive on the East Coast.

March

OBX Opposition Grows to Offshore Oil & Gas

With the news that BOEM was going to reopen the Eastern Seaboard to offshore drilling, a unified Outer Banks rose up in protest. The issue is still undecided, with surveys of potential drilling sites not yet finished.

The Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates BBQ & WINGS Showdown

Part of the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach, the Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates BBQ & Wings Showdown packed them in. Well, we couldn’t help but pack them is since it rained that day and we had to hold the whole event in a giant tent, but we would have packed them in anyway. This year’s Taste of the Beach is March 17-20.

April

A Special Day for OBX Special Olympics

Held the last Saturday in April, the Dare County Special Olympics brought together over 200 athletes in a remarkable display of love, family and competitive effort.

May

OBX Brewfest

The first of what we can only hope is many OBX Brewfests. Great beer, great music and a wonderful atmosphere. The initial event for the refurbished and expanded Outer Banks Event Site, the setting could not have been any better. Look for the 2016 version over Memorial Day Weekend.

June

Bonner Bridge

An historic and hard fought settlement between the SELC and the NCDOT put an end to the litigation holding up construction of the replacement for the Bonner Bridge. The bridge, built in 1964 originally had an 40 life span. Construction for the replacement span should begin this spring.

July

Jefferson Starship

Under the heading of what’s old is new, Jefferson Starship made an appearance at the Lost Colony. Amazing that after all these years, they still sound as fresh and new as ever.

August

34th New World Festival of the Arts

Back in 1981 Edward Greene, owner of the Christmas Shop in Manteo, felt there had to be some way to get people to come to the town so he introduced the Outer Banks to the New World Festival of the Arts. He’s handed it off to the Dare County Arts Council—Edward is 91 and wants to slow down a bit—but the festival is still a marvelous combination of craft and high art.

September

Mother Nature Forces OBX Cancellations

Mother Nature really threw a curve at us in September. Hurricane Joaquin started to come this way then veered out to sea and that was followed by an early season nor’easter. Quite a number of events had to be cancelled and the Beach Road north of Black Pelican in Kitty Hawk was washed out for the second time in 2015.

October

Brewtag-Can Beer Kegs Fly?

The short answer is apparently not—or at least not well. But the event, sponsored by Kitty Hawk Kites, was a lot of fun.

November

10th Annual Outer Banks Marathon This Weekend

Blossoming from a single event 10 years ago to a weekend of family fitness time with races from fun runs to the Marathon. Near record times in 2015. The 2016 Marathon Weekend will be November 11-13.

December

New Town Council in Southern Shores

Capping a year of turmoil a new town council was seated in Southern Shores with three the three incumbents standing for re-election voted out of office.

Record Warmth for the Month

More like spring or early fall that winter, the Outer Banks experienced 60 and 70 degree daytime temperatures all month. The fishing was great, the surfing ok—there wasn’t a lot to stir up the ocean—but the spirit of the holidays was alive and well.

Tag: Taste of the Beach