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Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014
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The Journal
Wilkerson’s is open for 2014 season After a brief winter break, Wilkerson's Restaurant is open for business and again providing residents and visitors to Colonial Beach with mouth-watering seafood and a warming waterfront atmosphere. Wilkerson's, one of Colonial Beach's oldest restaurants, is a seven-days-a-week family business that closes after Thanksgiving to give its employees a break and prepare for the next year. It reopened on Friday, Jan. 25, to begin its 2014 season and its 68th year of business. "We always close for a while," said owner Jim Wilkerson. "Dec. is a slow month for us, and it gives us a chance to clean and upgrade our equipment." Wilkerson and his family have operated the popular seafood restaurant since 1946. His father, Walter, returned to Colonial Beach after serving in World War II as an Army Air Force pilot. Walter, and his father, Herbert, opened the restaurant, as well as a seafood business, and it quickly became a family venture. The two senior Wilkersons passed away in the 70s, but Jim and his son, Jay, have continued to operate the restaurant that is known especially for its crab cakes, fried shrimp and broiled rockfish. The restaurant is located on the banks of the Potomac River at 3900 McKinney Blvd near the
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Dining out still possible even if you’re on a diet
Colonial Beach town limits on State Route 205. The restaurant was badly damaged in 2003, when it was struck by the winds and water of Hurricane Isabel. The storm was one of the most damaging in years and its toll on the area, including the closing on the nearby Happy Clam restaurant, was shocking. "We were closed from the 19th of September until April 1st to repair the damage," said Wilkerson. "We had people working seven day a week, including Christmas, trying to get repairs done." Ready and raring to go for the 2014 seafood season, Wilkerson's will again feature delicacies like jumbo snow crab legs, steamed blue crabs and fried oysters. It has an expansive salad bar and a dessert menu that
Dining out at a restaurant is a treat for many people, while for others it’s a way of life. Onthe-go professionals often find that dining out is simply more convenient than cooking at home. However, large portion sizes and dishes that tend to contain a lot of sodium and fat can make dining out less healthy than eating at home, which is a concern for those men and women who want to shed a few pounds. But dining out does not have to be done at the expense of your waistline. The following are a few ways dieters can still enjoy their favorite restaurants without having to worry about their weight. * Order foods that are broiled, boiled or roasted. Foods that are broiled, boiled or roasted tend to be healthier than foods cooked in other ways. When ordering your meal, ask that oils be used sparingly if not removed completely. When foods look somewhat greasy, dab them with a napkin in the same manner you might dab the grease from a slice of pizza. * Don’t fill up before your meal arrives. Once you have been seated, skip the unending bread basket, forgoing this free appetizer altogether or asking for raw vegetables instead. When fellow diners order potentially fattening appetizers, ask to have a side salad with low-fat dressing on the side instead. * Leave a little behind on your plate. Restaurant portions can be substantial, so don’t feel as if you need to finish your entire meal. You can always ask the waiter to pack up what you have left behind, or, when ordering, ask if the restaurant offers smaller portions at lower prices. * Skip the dips and dressings. Many condiments can add unwanted calories to a meal, making even a healthy entree a calorie-laden meal that’s best avoided. For example, a salad covered in creamy Caesar salad dressing can take away from the overall nutritive value of the salad. Don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions or simply ask to have dressings put on the side so if you must indulge you can do so
features homemade apple pie à la mode, among other treats. For the first two decades of Wilkerson's operation, the family also sold crabs, crabmeat and oysters, as part of a seafood delivery business that served customers throughout the Baltimore and Washington areas. However, the family eventually phased out its seafood business to concentrate on making the restaurant a regional favorite. The restaurant, which employs as many as 30 people during the peak season, opens at 11:30 a.m., seven days a week. It provides great food and a wonderful waterfront view for customers and is available for large parties or receptions. The restaurant phone number is (804) 224-7117. —Richard Leggitt
Gwynnedale Alpacas is newest, successful business in Westmoreland The newest, successful business in Westmoreland County is composed of 14 alpacas and three members of the Chatham family. Westmoreland County Circuit Court Clerk Gwynne Chatham, her husband, Ken, and her son, Ken II, are operating the Gwynnedale Alpaca Farm and delighting friends, neighbors and customers in the process. Gwynnedale, a home-based business that opened last year, is the first alpaca farm in historic Westmoreland County. It is a family-operated business and a labor of love for the Chathams. “You just fall in love with these animals,” said Ken Chatham. “We personally interact with them daily. We feel fortunate and blessed to be working with such quality animals.” Alpacas are native to the high Andes mountain ranges in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They are bred for their high quality fiber, which is shorn and made into blankets, gloves, scarves, socks, sweaters, hats and a wide variety of other items. “Alpaca fiber is five times warmer than wool,” said Ken Chatham. Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky natural fiber. It is soft, not scratchy, contains no lanolin, is hypoallergenic and has become very popular with clothing manufacturers worldwide. Alpaca fiber is also flame resistant. “We researched the business for three or four years,” said Ken Chatham. “It is kind of like raising racehorses; the breeding and the generics are very important.” The Gwynnedale alpacas are currently being raised on a two-acre site in Montross, next to Stan’s Skateland. The Chathams have acquired top breeding stock from across the country, including a new male that arrived this week from Idaho. “We decided to purchase our superb breeding stock from those who had spent years developing the best genetic lines,” said Ken. “That led us to acquiring Snowmass Olympic Starzz, Sunset Hills Patriot, and Sunset Hills Argonautum as our herdsires.” “It’s all about genetics,” Ken Chatham said. “The Snowmass and Sunset Hills farms are some of the most highly recognized research and development teams in the alpaca business.” “We have also acquired amazing females with unbelievable lineage which have been multiple award winners in their own right. We feel that this combination will put us in a position to offer the highest quality offspring in the future.” Chatham said alpacas come in 22 colors, are curious, social animals and are alert and pleasant to be around. Because of their mountain heritage, they actually enjoy cold weather and prefer to sleep outdoors as opposed to a covered shelter the Chathams have constructed for them. They eat grass and hay and the Chathams provide them with a daily treat of barley, grain, apples or carrots. Ken said he hoped area schools and churches would bring children to see
From right, Ken Chatham & Ken Chatham II feed the alpacas at Gwynnedale Alpaca Farm in Montross the Gwynnedale alpacas. “They are such great animals. We love showing
them and talking about them. —Richard Leggitt
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Even men and women on a diet can enjoy their favorite restaurants. to ordering from the low-calorie section of the menu. The food will likely be just as delicious, though not as dense or as large.
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