Deryck Wilson

Arrrrrgggggghhhh!!

For anyone who has driven through the southern portion of the US, the name Cracker Barrel brings up images of biscuits, chicken fried steak and a general store packed with goodies like Moon Pies and all sorts of trinkets. Evidently though, an East Carolina fan noticed a small problem at the local Cracker Barrel in Greenville, NC - it didn't stock enough ECU gear, but had plenty of items bearing the logos of UNC and North Carolina State. Being a conscientious college football fan, he sent in an e-mail to Cracker Barrel requesting they stock more Pirates gear in Greenville ... and got this in response:

[...] since this is a small school that plays in a small conference there are few manufacturers that will make ECU merchandise [...]

That wasn't a very well thought out response from the PR rep - ECU is a school with a very proud football tradition, has put a number of players into the NFL (Jeff Blake and David Garrard, to name a couple), has a large and rabid fanbase in the coastal region of North Carolina, and there is no shortage of available purple Pirate gear in the entire region, obviously someone is making it. Predictably the e-mail ended up on the popular ECU fansite Boneyard Banter and ECU fans took to their e-mail inboxes and launched a protest campaign against Cracker Barrel. They won a quick victory, as Cracker Barrel responded:

[...]I also am very sorry for the response sent by one of our Guest Relations Representatives. The response was not an informed nor researched response. I apologize the response seemed insensitive to your concerns for the lack of ECU merchandise offered by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Please be assured this error has been addressed and corrections have been made within our department.[...]

[...] We do have a limited number of items available in East Carolina University in our Greenville, NC location only. We have sweaters, t-shirts, hats, children's cheerleader and football outfits, coasters, garden flags, a hand-painted Christmas ornament, quilt, hand-painted lamp, and a coffee mug. If while you are visiting our Greenville store you don't find this merchandise, please ask one of our retail sales associates to assist you in locating these items. [...]

"Corrections have been made within our department" certainly sounds ominous, maybe the Pirates have forced another one to walk to the plank. In any case, sign me up for one of the hand-painted Christmas ornaments and maybe a coffee mug. And some chicken fried chicken with that awesome white gravy. Oh, and can college football season please start soon? I think the offseason is starting to drive some folks crazy.

Full Story, http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/10/ecu-fans-go-to-war-against-cracker-barrel/

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Once a Pirate - Always a Pirate! As owner of East Carolina Realty & Development, now a Coldwell Banker franchise brokerage- Deryck & The Wilson Group take pride in everything ECU! Visit www.1SearchMLS.com for all your real estate needs. Tell us you're a Pirate for extra special service!

With 440 bird species calling North Carolina home throughout the year, local bird enthusiasts have abundant opportunities to hone their birding skills. And, with the recent completion of one portion of the North Carolina Birding Trail, those opportunities have been enhanced.

On Tuesday at Hammocks Beach State Park, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission officials announced the opening of the coastal plains portion of the driving trail. That particular portion links 102 birding sites in 16 groupings east of I-95. A new portion is planned for Eastern NC at a local park, River Park North in Greenville, NC. That portion should be complete by the Fall of this year.

The commission announced the opening - along with a new trail guide describing the sites - that sets the stage for future Piedmont trails. Work is already under way there, with future plans for a mountain region.

During the ceremonies, bird enthusiasts and officials from around the coastal region visited three of the sites in the Onslow Bight Group of the trail.

After a short ferry trip to Bear Island, part of Hammocks Beach State Park, birders with binoculars and sighting scopes caught glimpses of painted buntings, American oystercatchers, and red-winged blackbirds.

Other birders visited Emerald Isle Woods, owned by the town of Emerald Isle, to walk along a boardwalk and on more than two miles of trail along the south shore of Bogue Sound.

A group also visited the Cedar Point Tideland Trail in the Croatan National Forest, where trails and boardwalks snake through marshes along the edge of the White Oak River estuary. Among wading birds, visitors can view the great egret, red-winged blackbirds, red-headed woodpeckers, summer tanagers and the brown-headed nuthatch.

Chris Canfield, executive director of Audubon North Carolina, spoke on the importance of introducing more people to the state's natural places in hopes they will enjoy them - and also help the local economies.

"It's crucial that we increase people's appreciation of the natural resources of North Carolina," Canfield said. "But it's equally important that we connect those natural resources to the economic vitality of all of our communities."

Greg Eans can be contacted at geans@coxnc.com and 329-9584.

The Beef Barn, 400 St. Andrews Drive, is changing with the times.

Owners Bob and Donna Simon, who purchased the 42-year-old Greenville steak house in 1994, are changing their business plan and converting the venerable barn-shaped restaurant into a catering venue that also serves nightly meals to a smaller number of patrons.

"I'm very reenergized about the whole thing," said Bob Simon, who began managing The Beef Barn in Cary in 1980 and moved on to head the Greenville restaurant in 1983. "This is going to be our vehicle for growth. Donna and I are so excited about this."

Donna Simon has been focusing on catering for the past four years, and she's been working to convince her husband that catering was the best place for future growth.

"It's a decision Donna had encouraged me to do over a year ago, but I wasn't receptive to it then," Bob Simon said. "Especially in the steak business, competition from chains in the last 10 years has been tremendous. I'm not worried about competition, but when we looked at our business plan, we realized what used to work doesn't work any more.

"Catering has been Donna's passion for the past four years, and her business has doubled every year since she started it.

"Our five-year goal is to be the biggest caterer east of Raleigh," Bob Simon said.

Catering will be available both on-site and off, with a fleet of catering vans and trucks in the works. The Beef Barn will charge a room fee for on-site catering, and a delivery charge and a minimum order of 10 people for off-site deliveries. Catering orders must be placed at least 48 hours in advance.

The first phase of the new business plan is to stop serving lunch to the public beginning Monday. The Beef Barn will honor all of the lunches that have been booked through the month of August, Bob Simon said.

But starting Monday, the restaurant will open to the public at 5 p.m. And when it does, there will be fewer seats available. The number of walk-in diners that can be accommodated will be downsized from 250 seats to 80 seats.

"The booth area (main dining room) and bar area will be available for dinner," Bob Simon said. Part of the downstairs dining area will be converted into a large catering kitchen. The "golf room" downstairs and the upstairs private dining area will be used for catered events only.

And reservations will no longer be accepted for dinner.

"Shrinking from 250 to 80 seats will allow us to be a better restaurant," Bob Simon said. "You can be more discerning, more qualitative when you have a smaller restaurant."

The menu also will be shrinking, he said.

"We have way too much available. We will have steaks, because we are still The Beef Barn. We will have the same rib-eye steak they've been eating for the past 42 years. It will still be here.

"There will also be some chicken and seafood, and dinner specials. And we will have more freshly prepared entree salads.

"But the salad bar is gone, as of Sunday," Bob Simon said, citing the outrageous cost to continue offering the restaurant's signature 45-item make-your-own salad station in today's market.

"The only thing I feel really bad about is the salad bar," he said. It is the end of an era, and it's an emotional decision."

Call The Beef Barn at 756-1161. For catering, call 412-6729.

Saeng Thai House

In celebration of the Queen of Thailand's birthday on Aug. 12, Saeng Thai House, 3400 S. Memorial Drive, will offer any item on the menu at 10 percent off Tuesday when you wish the queen happy birthday. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 754-2244.

Fourth Street Wine Bar

Greenville's Fourth Street Wine Bar now is serving lunch on Mondays from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The wine bar, on the second floor above Fourth Street Wine Shop, had been offering lunch on Tuesdays-Fridays.

The menu includes soups, salads and a variety of sandwiches including cold roast beef, club grilled cheese, chicken salad and BLT. Lunch items range in price from $4-$9.

Sides are $1-$2 and include chips, pretzels, potato salad, pasta salad and fresh fruit.

In addition to a selection of wines, the wine bar offers tea, Pepsi products and juices.

Fourth Street Wine Shop & Bar is on the corner of Fourth and Evans streets in the Jefferson Blount Harvey Building.

Call 758-6900 or visit www.4thStreetWine.com.

Farmers' market

Fresh produce available this week at the Pitt County Farmers' Market, 4560 County Home Road, includes: string beans, pole beans, bush beans, cucumbers, blueberries, peaches, cantaloupes, plums, watermelons, cabbage, collards, lima beans, butter beans, crowder peas, a variety of squashes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, banana peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, green tomatoes, radishes, corn, field peas, okra, white onions, spring onions, red onions and daikon radishes.

A food demonstration featuring squash will be held from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday with Stephanie West-Puchett and The Vegetarians of Pitt County. Samples will be offered from several recipes, and educational materials will be available. The demonstration is sponsored by the Pitt County Health Education Foundation, Pitt Partners for Health, local farmers and the Pitt County Health Department.

The Pitt County Farmers' Market is open from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays. Call 355-7612.

Wine tastings

Fourth Street Wine Shop, corner of Fourth and Evans streets, will feature a complimentary wine tasting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday. Call 758-6900.

Finelli's Café will hold a wine tasting from 6-8 p.m. the first Thursday of each month in conjunction with the artists' openings at neighboring City Art Gallery. The tastings are held on the Finelli's patio, 511 Red Banks Road. Call 695-0020.

Village Point Market, formerly Lopaus Point Market, will hold a Spanish wine and hors d'oeuvres tasting from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the market, 620 Red Banks Road. Cost is $5 per person. Call 321-FOOD.

Nibbles

House of Mandarin, the Asian buffet restaurant at 803 S. Memorial Drive, appears to have closed. The telephone has been disconnected.

K&W Cafeteria, 1916 W. Arlington Blvd., now is serving breakfast only on Fridays and Sundays. Breakfast hours are 6:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Lunch is served beginning at 11 a.m. daily. The cafeteria had served breakfast daily since it opened at its Arlington Boulevard location. Call 756-7577.

O'Charley's, 610 S.E. Greenville Blvd., is holding a "Stuff the Bus" drive through Sunday to collect school supplies to be donated to the local Boys and Girls Clubs to Pitt County.

Hot Dish is a weekly column of restaurant and food news. To submit items for consideration, call Jane Hudson at 329-9577, fax 754-8140 or e-mail jhudson@coxnc.com. For more information on Greenville Living, simply visit www.1SearchMLS.com.

Dowdy Ficklen Stadium

Contests against seven bowl qualifiers, including a home matchup against Fiesta Bowl winner West Virginia, and battles against Atlantic Coast Conference members North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and Virginia, all highlight East Carolina's complete 2008 football schedule released Tuesday by Conference USA.

After the Pirates open the campaign on Aug. 30 by continuing its 13-game series with Virginia Tech at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, the Mountaineers will make their second visit in three years to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Sept. 6. ECU will face off against North Carolina State for the third consecutive season on Sept. 20 before the Pirates head to Charlottesville for the first time since 1975 when they meet Virginia on Oct. 11.

"Needless to say, we're all excited to play our out-of-conference schedule," fourth-year East Carolina Head Coach Skip Holtz said. "I know all of us embrace the challenge of moving this program forward, and (ECU Athletics Director) Terry Holland has continued to provide us with that opportunity. Facing two teams who finished in the top 10 a year ago in Virginia Tech and West Virginia to open the season speaks for itself. Without question, we're certainly looking forward to continuing our renewed rivalry with N.C. State for a third-straight year and having the chance to see Virginia again after playing them two years ago in Greenville. I think our Conference USA schedule is set up in a fair manner and, although it presents familiarity with the same divisional format as a year ago, it remains as challenging as ever."


2008 EAST CAROLINA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 30 - Virginia Tech (ESPN/ESPN2)
Sept. 6 - West Virginia (ESPN/ESPN2)
Sept. 13 - at Tulane
Sept. 20 - at N.C. State
Sept. 27 - Houston
Oct. 11 - at Virginia
Oct. 18 - Memphis
Nov. 2 - at Central Florida (ESPN/ESPN2)
Nov. 8 - Marshall
Nov. 15 - at Southern Miss
Nov. 22 - at UAB
Nov. 29 - UTEP
Dec. 6 - C-USA Championship Game @highest-seed campus site (ESPN/ESPN2)

For the latest ECU updates, school information and Pirate Athletics, visit www.ECUPirates.com

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