This past April, the Morehead City Waterfront hosted the 7th Annual Bites and Blues Festival. The food and music fest is one of the first events that leads up to October’s 33rd Annual North Carolina Seafood Festival.
Bites and Blues Festival: a Preview to the North Carolina Seafood Festival
North Carolina Seafood Festival Commemorative Poster Artist
An hour prior to the kicking off the Bites and Blues Festival, the Seafood Festival Committee unveiled the 2019 North Carolina Seafood Festival Commemorative Poster Artist. Catherine Olander was presented with the honor for her painting, “Carolina Girls”. The painting will be the official image for the 2019 NC Seafood Festival Commemorative Poster and the 2019 Seafood Festival T-Shirt. To purchase the 22″ x 28″ commemorative poster, click here. The price of the poster includes online fees and a donation to The North Carolina Burn Center. After presenting Mrs. Olander as the Commemorative Poster Artist, it was time to kick of the Bites and Blues Festival.
Catherine Olander, North Carolina Coastal Artist and NC Seafood Festival Commemorative Poster Artist for 2019
Bites and Blues Festival
21 locally owned businesses provided a 2 to 3 ounce portioned bite to festival attendees. Guests walked through Morehead City’s downtown businesses, restaurants and bars to grab their bites. Besides sampling the featured items, attendees were also able to purchase alcoholic beverages from local venues as well as enjoy live music. The sold-out event featured entertainment by Beaufort Blues Project, Carolina Swamp Dogs, Wild Honey, 4EverAll, Noah & Grace Bell, Bryan McCoury, JaM, and Backyard Groove.
In addition to eating and dancing the night away, each guest was able to vote for the “Best Bite of The Night”. I had the honor as serving as a secret culinary judge for “The Culinary Bite of the Night”. Each first place winner was awarded $500 and a commemorative Bites and Blues Plate.
Among the 21 participating restaurants, I sampled traditional bites like Tight Line Pub & Brewing Company’s Brunswick Stew and unique bites like Red Fish Grill’s Asian Shrimp Corn Dog. Aside from the winning bites, some of my other favorites included Riverside Grill and Subs Shrimp and Grits and The Island Grille’s Crab Dip.
1st place winner of the “The Culinary Bite of the Night”. Charred Brussels Sprouts with Harissa Emulsion.
It was easy for me to determine my top three bites of the evening, however, it was quite a challenge choosing which restaurant would covet first, second, and third place. Circa 81 – Tapas & Cocktaileria garnered 1st place with their Charred Brussels Sprouts with harissa emulsion, sea salt, and lemon. The dish was not only delicious, but it was original and creative. While vegetables are often regarded as side dishes, this is one creation that can hold its own as an entrée. Circa 81 – Tapas & Cocktaileria was awarded $500 and a commemorative Bites and Blues Plate for “The Culinary Bite of the Night”.
Full Moon Oyster Bar’s chargrilled oysters. 2nd place winner of “The Culinary Bite of the Night”.
Full Moon Oyster Bar secured 2nd place with their beautifully chargrilled oysters. Coincidentally, Full Moon Oyster Bar was one of the most popular spots at the festival. The wait for a their beautiful and delicious oysters was close to ten minutes!
The Ordinary’s seared pork belly and scallops with pepper honey sauce. 3rd place winner of the “The Culinary Bite of the Night”. 1st Place winner for the “Best Bite of the Night” voted by festival attendees.
The Ordinary’s pork belly and scallops with pepper honey sauce was nothing but ordinary. It was a phenomenal bite. Along with placing 3rd for “The Culinary Bite of the Night”, The Ordinary placed first in the People’s Choice category, “Best Bite of the Night”. The Ordinary was also awarded $500 and a commemorative Bites and Blues Plate. The winner graciously donated the $500 back to the NC Seafood Festival.
Circa 81 – Tapas & Cocktaileria
After an exciting night of food and live entertainment, the following morning I had the honor of visiting Circa 81, “The Culinary Bite of the Night” winner. I was not only excited to sample a full serving of Circa 81’s Charred Brussels Sprouts, but I was also looking forward to sampling the Morehead City restaurant’s cuisine.
Although Sunday brunch typically calls for Mimosas and Bloody Marys, I highly recommend diners take a walk on the wild side. Start with the Port Manhattan, a deep burgundy beauty that is a slightly sweeter spin on the classic Manhattan. As well as the gorgeous drink, Circa 81 has an extensive list of other specialty cocktails, beer, micro brews, and wine.
On top of ordering the winning bite, I also enjoyed The Circa 81 Benedict. Perfectly poached eggs sit atop handmade lump crab cakes, fried grit cakes, and are delicately covered with a homemade hollandaise sauce and topped with micro greens.
After an exquisite southern brunch, patrons might find it a challenge to indulge in dessert. Guests should plan ahead and share Circa 81’s hard to resist Swiss Chocolate Crême Brûlée and a Vanilla Crême Brûlée. In short, both crême brûlées are a sweet finish to the Circa81 experience, whether you choose to share or not.
The North Carolina Seafood Festival
Even though The North Carolina Seafood Festival is four months away, it is never too early to start planning. The event will take place at Morehead City’s Waterfront on October 4-6, 2019. The North Carolina Seafood festival is free and open to the public. It will feature live music, cooking demonstrations, oyster grilling demonstrations, oyster shucking contests, and more. Food, drinks and NC seafood products will also be available for purchase. As the date approaches, I will update this blog post with more details. Stay tuned!
[…] addition to El’s Diner, Morehead City is also home to Circa 81. To read more about this restaurant, click […]