February 23, 2011

vol.

26 / pub 34 / FREE FEbRuaRy 23 - MaRch 1, 2011

www.encorepub.com

Announcing the second wave of Best Of 2011 winners

Photo by Courtney Bridgers

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com

hodgepodge| WhAt’s InsIdE thIs WEEk

on the cover

www.encorepub.com

news & views ............ 18-20 fair trade.

20 news of the weird: Chuck Shepherd reveals the latest odd stories.

lAtE-nIGht FUnnIEs

pgs. 4-17

It was an electric night! Can’t you tell? encore’s Best Of Awards Party took place last Tuesday, February 15th, hosted by funny people Changing Channels, including Sandy Vaughan (above), as well as Superkiiid! Jonathan Guggenheim and encore award presenters, Morganna Bridgers and Zack Simcoe (above). Check out our coverage on pages 4-17, including a page of party pics on 7. Stay tuned over the next two weeks as we wrap up the best of the best, 2011.

If you’re not already an encore fan on Facebook, you should be! We’re running a contest on encore’s Facebook page that is simply quite awesome. Also include which show you would like to go to, and we’ll enter you in our contest to win a pair of tickets to the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. We’ll be randomly selecting the winner from the comments one week prior to concert dates. Don’t forget to tell your friends either.

vol. 27/ pub 33 / February 23-March 1, 2011

18 live local: Gwenyfar talks local food and

us and find out how to feature your business.

(910) 791-0688.

‘B’ Is FOr BEst!

FrEE tICkEts!

contents

If you don’t have FB, then log on to www. encorepub.com, click on “Web Extras,” and enter the contests for a chance to win!

EnCOrE rEstAUrAnt WEEk GUIdE

Wanna place an ad in our Restaurant Week guide? We’ll print 20,000 copies to distribute all over Wilmington in March to preface Encore Restaurant Week, March 23-30. Call

“President Obama was in San Francisco today, meeting with a group of technology executives, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Their goal is to figure out how to create new jobs, to replace jobs that have been lost as a result of everyone spending all their time at work on Facebook.”—Jimmy Kimmel “Watson the computer crushed its human opponents on ‘Jeopardy.’ This is the greatest victory of machine over man since the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger.” —Jay Leno “The military is now running Egypt. Well, that never goes wrong, does it?” —David Letterman “Kim Jong Il just turned 70 years old — but he doesn’t look a day over crazy.”—Craig Ferguson “Breast feeding activists plan to descend on Washington for a public breast feeding demonstration. Also descending on Washington, thousands of men saying, “What? I’m looking at the baby.”—Conan O’Brien “For me the great mystery of this whole revolution was that for three weeks, these people were in this square with no bathrooms.

How did they go? This will always be known in Egyptian history as the riddle of the sphincter.”—Bill Maher “These days it seems like you can’t have an armed street mob without it turning ugly.”

—Stephen Colbert, on recent occurences in Egypt. ”Alright, Hosni. Now you’ve gone too far.

Hands off Anderson Cooper. There is not to be a silvery wisp out of place on that man’s glorious head.”—Jon Stewart, on recent occurences in Egypt.

artsy smartsy ............ 22-35 22-23 theatre: Shea Carver previews UNCW’s ‘Arcadia,’ opening February 24th; Gwenyfar reviews the Opera House Theatre Company’s ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.’

24 art: Lauren Hodges gets down and dirty with new art show ‘Laughing at Laundry.’

25 gallery guide: Find out what exhibitions are hanging at local galleries.

27-28 film: Anghus reviews the swordwielding epic, ‘The Eagle’; Rachael Carscaddon gets the scoop on Cucalorus’ ‘Night at the Oscars’ fund-raiser.

30 music: Sarah Crandall interviews jam and funk band, The Mantras, playing The Whiskey this weekend.

32-35 soundboard: See what bands and performers are playing in venues all over town.

grub & guzzle............ 36-39 36-39 dining guide: Need a few suggestions on where to eat? Flip through encore’s dining guide!

extra! extra! .............. 42-55 42 nonprofit fund-raiser: Patti Wilson talks to Daniel Ling about the Full Belly Feast fundraiser, taking place this weekend.

43 crossword: Brain teaser with Stanley Newman.

44 books: Tiffanie Gabrielse breaks down Editor-in-Chief: Shea Carver // shea@encorepub.com is published weekly, on Wednesday, by Wilmington Media. Opinions of contributing writers are not necessarily the opinions of encore.

Editorial Assistant: Bethany Turner // music@encorepub.com Interns: Patty Wilson, Rachael Carscaddon, Sarah Crandall

P.O. Box 12430, Wilmington, n.C. 28405 email@encorepub.com • www.encorepub.com Phone: (910) 791-0688 • Fax: (910) 791-9177

General Manager: John Hitt // john@encorepub.com Art director: Sue Cothran // ads@encorepub.com Advertising sales: John Hitt // Downtown // john@encorepub.com

Chief Contributors: Adrian Varnam, Gwenyfar Rohler, Anghus Houvouras, Ichabod C, Jay Schiller, Lauren Hodges, Tiffanie Gabrielse, Tom Tomorrow, Chuck Shepherd, Christina Dore

Kris Beasley // Wrightsville Beach, N. Wilmington // kris@encorepub.com

Office Manager: Susie Riddle // susie@adpakweekly.com

distribution Manager: Boykin Wright

encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

Shea Carver // Midtown, Monkey Junction //shea@encorepub.com

her worst reads of 2010

48-55 calendar/‘toons/horoscope/pet of the week/corkboard: Find out where to go and what to do about town with encore’s calendar; check out Tom Tomorrow and encore’s annual ‘toons winner, Jay Schiller;

read your horoscope; see which of our furry friends of the week need adopting; and check out the latest saucy corkboard ads.

* ' /-.% /-% %)! /+ *" '%0! (/-%

./, 2- ",*( +( .* (% )%#$.

$ +! *. /* )%!' ,%-$ $ +! *. /* %# ' '' *$) *)0%''!

-*) *,* */)

&52: + , / /

,*). . %'(%)#.*)

%) /- *) ! **&

1 1 1 , * 1 $

%

'

'

) * ( encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 3

bestof 2011|

4-12 GOODS & SERVICE 12-13 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 13-17 FOOD & BEVERAGE/RECAP

and

by Shea Carver Bethany Turner

b is for best!

Announcing the second wave of Best Of 2011 winners

T

Changing Channels and Superkiiid! Jonathan Guggenheim hosted the 2011 Best Of Awards Party last week at City Stage/Level 5. Photo by Chad Keith

he besT-of draws a loT of aTTenTion. noT

just to encore or its winners, but to readers who love to indulge their favorites. It leads to conversations about what it means to be recognized among the community as top-notch. These talks are great to have; they keep us aware of what we expect among the ever-evolving business-scape of Wilmington. They also indulge our acknowledgement toward support of local businesses, which puts money directly back into our local economy.

The most important aspect to encore’s Best Of is the camaraderie it brings out of us all. The gratitude for reaching success wears well on everyone’s faces. We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of Wilmington on all fronts: arts, business, media, humanities and everything in between. Moreover, we love that our readers don’t mind expressing their love for it either.

We often get calls asking for information on the innerworkings of Best Of. To clarify, allow us to map out our ground rules: • Ballots were collected through an online voting system from December 2010 through January 17, 2011.

• encore employees never determine the winners; the readers of encore determine the outcome.

• encore reserves the right to secure all voting information, including percentages or amount of

4 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

votes. With over 130 categories and weekly deadlines, we do not divulge numbers—not because we have something to hide but because five people run this paper and, well, time is of the essence to produce it weekly.

• Only one ballot per e-mail address is allowed to vote.

• Voters must fill out at least 25 categories to have their vote counted.

• We do not use voter’s e-mail addresses for solicitation of encore or Wilmington Media products, nor do we share the addresses.

• We accept that businesses campaign (though, we discourage any bribery or misrepresentation of voters); we are not the NC Board of Elections.

Now, on with the show!

Welcome to week two (out of four), as we introduce the 2011 class of encore’s annual Best Of Reader’s Poll. To everyone who voted: Thank you, from encore and from every business mentioned in all 130 categories.

//Goods & services// GARDEN CENTER Thanks to last week’s streak of warm weather, spring fever went into full effect, and lawn and gar-

den centers must have been teeming with gardeners ready to turn their drab lawns into colorful arrays of design. In Wilmington Best Of voters trust the green knowledge and extensive products of Transplanted Garden on 16th Street to help them with their landscape needs.

Owner Tom Ericson notes an interesting fact about his clientele: “Many of them are from other parts of the country,” he says. “Gardening here is so different from where they may have come from.”

Located in zone 8, east coast North Carolinians benefit from mild winters (for the most part) and warm springs and falls—typically a gardener’s dream come true. Yet, hot, humid summers also come with their own sets of rules. Still, with the help of Transplanted Garden nothing comes as a surprise. “Customers appreciate and rely on us to help them with their transition to our unique gardening challenges,” Ericson notes.

Ericson opened the garden center after traveling for years, meeting with landscape and design clients and overseeing installation crews. Sometimes he’d venture out 130 miles a day. “I needed a change,” he says. “That included plant material, climate and letting the customer travel to me.” His dream job now includes offering a vast selection of plants, pottery and garden-related giftware under one roof, and

Some of the Port City’s ďŹ nest restaurants will offer awe-inspiring prix-ďŹ xe meals, prepared especially for this week.

Where to eat: Deck House Casual Dining Caffe Phoenix Treehouse Bistro Halligan’s Riverboat Landing East at the Blockade Runner Marc’s on Market Henry’s Eddie Romanelli’s Island’s Fresh Mex Grill Caprice Bistro Crow Hill Pine Valley Market

Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn Nicola’s Kornerstone Bistro Flaming Amy’s Bowl Hieronymus Seafood The Basics Pilot House Fish Bites The George Catch Toyko 101 The Eat Spot Buffalo Wild Wings

Coming Soon: &ODPSF 3FTUBVSBOU 8FFL (VJEF to be distributed in encore magazine and several local businesses around town in March!

Press 102 Aubriana’s Well Seasoned Ruth’s Chris Steak House Priddyboy’s Siena Melting Pot Elijah’s YoSake Mixto Little Dipper Verandah Cafe at the Holiday Inn Resort

NO PASSES REQUIRED! Simply go to the participating restaurants of your choice and tell the server you’re there to redeem the Encore Restaurant Week offer!

XXX &ODPSF3FTUBVSBOU8FFL DPN

-mail Sign up for e updates!

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 5

managing a dedicated staff who can answer any question about horticulture.

Other garden centers digging their way into second and third include Progressive Gardens and Farmer’s Supply.

RECORD STORE We love music. We cheer for anyone in the profession who supports its art form. This includes the lone record store—the haven of musical knowledge that’s revered by music lovers everywhere. Gravity Records is spinning vinyl strong at its Kerr Avenue location and takes the crown for the best in WIlmington yet again.

“We are the only record store selling new and used CDs and LPs in Wilmington,” owner Matt Keen says of this dying retail breed.

The reason to continue shopping Gravity rather than at one of those online downloadable sites is rather simple.

“We truly care and want to know what it is you are diggin’ on,” Keen says. In fact, online sites can’t offer the same level of service the guys at Gravity can—personal exchanges about the latest releases and nuances of sound that MP3s fail to reveal. “We obsess over the recording of sound,” Keen says.

“Not just music but sound.”

Also a perk in supporting the local record store: in-store performances. Keen and crew have been working to bring back bands to play afternoon and evening shows. Last year, David Vandervelde, Photoclub and The Love Language graced their stage.

By offering extremely discounted sales on a daily basis, and mass-marketing it across Facebook, they’re staying connected even closer to their clientele. They’d like the same to be said for indie business owners in Wilmington, too.

“I’d like to see [us] work together as much as possible,” Keen says, “pushing the idea of shopping at local, small businesses. 2011 looks to promise some big growth for Wilmington arts. We will be there helping spearhead that growth.”

Yellow Dog Discs rounds out the category.

need want or love.”

Carrying Ruby Assata leather bags, Jessie Williams’ famed feather earrings, Osborn fair-trade shoes, Seneca Rising vintage-inspired clothing, among others like Castles Couture and Mimic, everything to design the perfect outfit can be found in one shop.

Voters also like the women’s duds at Hallelu and Oliver

MEN’S WEAR

WOMEN’S CLOTHING Art and business go hand in hand when browsing through the funky apparel and accessories at Edge of Urge (EoU), downtown Wilmington’s hottest boutique. Also known as Best Place to Shop for Women’s Clothing in encore’s 2011 Best Of poll, EoU sells beautiful wares, from name brands and local artists who work tirelessly perfecting their craft.

“This keeps us very connected to the community,” Jessie Williams, owner and designer, says. “It’s awesome when our customers and best advertisers are also the people who are making their own things to sell in our shop.”

By focusing on one-of-a-kind items, EoU won’t send masses of women onto the streets looking like uniform citizens. Instead, WEAR IT WELL: Larkin Peoples represented Bloke in the Best Men’s Wear category at the 2011 Best Of Awards party. Bloke also dressed all the men hosting the encore show! Photo by Courtney Bridgers

they focus on the dynamic of community, where a little bit of elbow grease, some chipped nail polish and a box of Kleenex remind them of the faith needed to push forward toward their passion.

“Because of all of the love and labor that goes into handmade goods, they have a reputation for being pricey,” Williams says.

“But, over the years, we have worked to find a variety of labels and artists that provide a wide-range of prices accessible to everyone, so that every person can have the thing they

Just take a look at any of the pictures in our 2011 Best Of coverage and notice the fellas gracing the stage at encore’s Best Of Awards Party: how dapper, how sexy, how put together they look.

And it’s not because their girlfriends dressed them either.

No, no—Bloke, Wilmington’s most fashion-forward men’s wear store, is taking our city by storm. They’re transforming blasé-dressed males into stunning blokes, nonetheless.

“Our clothing allows customers to express individuality while also staying classic and comfortable,” owner Michael Vinson says. “The selection of lines and variety of style set us apart. Our products appeal to all ages and can help men achieve their look with a modest budget.”

Having opened only last fall, the store already has a strong following—even from New York City. One of their customers has family in Wilmington, and according to Vinson stated “he’d only do his shopping at Bloke while visiting family throughout the year.” Carrying brands like Jedidiah, French Connection, Tobacco Road and Bensimon Shoes, the quality cannot be matched, whether shopping for denim, shoes or T-shirts.

“Though we’re still a very young business, learning and changing with the community, we are excited to become a fixture amongst Wilmington patrons,” Vinson continues. “I’m

Thank You encore readers for voting us “

Best Surf Shop ”

10 N. Lumina Ave. • Wrightsville Beach • 256-3821 www.sweetwatersurfshop.com • www.wblivesurf.com

6 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

party pics!

Best Of Awards Party held at City Stage/Level 5, February 15th

GET DOWN! GET DOWN! That’s precisely what everyone who attended the 2011 Best Of Awards Party did Tuesday night, February 15th. (clockwise, top, left): Omar Washington accepst the award for Ten Pin Alley, which won Best Bowling Alley, 2011. • Sandy and Cullen get pumped up for the 2011 ceremony! • Jonathan Guggenheim shows off his swanky spidey tattoo while helping announce the winner for Best Tattoo Parlor (Jade Monkey). • Jef Pollock once again strips down to his skivvies during the awards show!

• Valerie Watkins opens the show with ‘The encore Best Of Awards Show,” a parody of the “Rocky Horror Show” opening number, “Science Fiction/Double Feature.” • Apple Annie’s show off their best, most delicious skills! • Morganna Bridgers and Zack Simcoe did the honors of presenting the awards. • The audience once again goes wild for the 2011 hosts! • Photos by Justin Mitchener, Courtney Bridgers and Chad Keith

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 7

so thankful for Bloke’s success thus far and for the readers of encore for voting us Best Men’s Clothing.”

Other shops taking care of our fine dressed men are Oliver and Joseph A. Banks.

Upon a Child’s ethics are based on a simple motto they’ve learned over many year: “Provide excellent quality at great prices all the time, in good economics or bad.”

Located off New Centre Drive, Once Upon A Child is conveniently open seven days a week, which accommodates any busy parenting schedule. It’s all part of the larger picture for the Talbotts—”focusing on what we can do for the customer to serve the community we live in.”

Other children’s clothing store nods go to Gap Kids and Alligator Pie.—Shea Carver

PLACE TO BOARD A PET The Dog Club of Wilmington puts pure unadulterated fun in the lives of our pets. Their dedication and love for animals dictates the proper care and treatment for every client, in a safe, 30,000 square-foot environment.

“We have 12,000 square-feet inside and 17,500 outside, and the majority is used for play space,” Dyana Scholz, owner and operator, says.

Though daycare is Dog Club of Wilmington’s (DCW) primary goal, the folks here are also committed to rescue efforts. In fact, they’ve helped nearly 100 dogs find homes since they opened three years ago.

“This business and my job here is the most natural thing I could have done,” Scholz ensures readers. “I grew up with horses and dogs and cats and rabbits, and we even had desert tortoises. The love of animals runs deeply in me and I have been extremely blessed to find employees who have invested so much into this business and their love of animals, too.”

Treating every visitor as if it were their own, the DCW staff comfort and transition even the shyest of pets into the playful set-

MORTGAGE COMPANY

ting. “We are very committed to our clients needs and try to accommodate them whenever possible,” Scholz continues. “Owners tell us all the time how excited their dogs are to come to play for the day or stay overnight, and the comfort they have they are not imposing on friends or family, yet knowing their dogs are having fun and are safe.”

Other facilities that encore readers entrust their animals to include Pups Play and Stay

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE KIDS! Sharon Talbott of Once Upon a Child gladly accepts the award for Best Children’s Clothing from Sandy Vaughan.

Photo by Courtney Bridgers.

and Meadowsweet.

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING Children grow like weeds and seemingly never stop. Thanks to encore’s Best Of, the question about what to do with the leftover baby clothes and toys aren’t needed anymore. Once Upon A Child has the solution. OUAC not only sells items that children need, but they also buy gently used products that customers no longer use or want.

Owner Terry Talbott says the store continues soaring in popularity because it “pays cash for used products, supplies a friendly atmosphere and well-organized store for easy shopping.” In our current economy, a little extra cash never hurt anyone, and paired with treating every customer like a true neighbor makes it even better.

Business savvy, Talbott and his wife, Sharon, have always had a stronghold on being independent business owners, thanks to ventures in other franchises. Thus, Once

Don’t all prospective homeowners wish there were an “easy” button for getting a loan? Just one little push, and the stresses of applying for a mortgage are instantly relieved. Well, although there’s no such button at Alpha Mortgage Corporation, it’s a much smoother experience than people will find elsewhere.

“We underwrite, process and fund all loans in-house, which gives us a decided advantage over our competitors,” Joey Milam, marketing director of Alpha Mortgage explains. “We are also able to order our own appraisals from trusted local appraisers as opposed to management companies. Many of our first-time buyers are often amazed at how easy we make the process of obtaining a mortgage, and they are grateful for an otherwise stressful time being made just a little bit easier.”

Alpha Mortgage has been independently owned since 1983. The company is able to adapt to market changes much quicker than a larger investor-owned corporation.

“We are much better positioned to accommodate our clients’ various needs,” Milam says. “[Plus, we] stay honest and remember that integrity and reputation are paramount in keeping a business in good-standing with the community.”

In this economic downfall, Wilmington needs mortgage companies such as Alpha to helps its citizens persevere through the tough times. Alpha Mortgage has faith, though, that the Port City will return to a flourishing business-scape. “Wilmington’s wide array of services, amenities and coastal lifestyle will continue to attract newcomers from the North and other areas,” Milam believes. “Hopefully, we can continue into a steady growth like we have in years past.”

Also holding spots on our poll: Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

SURF SHOP

Thanks! for voting us “Best Hot Dogs in Wilmington” for 2011 8 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

One block from the ocean is prime real estate for a shop that caters to surfers, and that’s where locals and tourists alike will find Sweetwater Surf Shop. Established by Jim and Diane Skiba in 1976, this is Wrightsville Beach’s go-to store for extreme sports.

“We take pride in getting our customers what they want, when they want it,” Danielle Bourgeois, managing partner of Sweetwater, says. “We will special order items if

available, and we always try to offer the best price we can.”

Bourgeois’ father, Chuck, bought the store from the Skibas in 1995. Since, he and his children have kept it running as a family operation, helping Sweetwater give off a hometown feeling. But that’s not the only reason locals frequent this surf shop. No, the Bourgeoises stock the store with tons of mens’, womens’ and childrens’ clothing, as well as all the gear necessary to hang ten. They even offer rentals on a variety of boards: surf, body, snow and stand-up paddle.

Beginners can take surf lessons through Sweetwater while more advanced waveriders don’t need to worry about missing a good surf day just because they’re shopping: Sweetwater has surf cams set up to feed directly into the store.

The best thing about this best-of winner, though, is that Sweetwater stays focused on giving back to the community that supports it. “We as independent business owners support local schools, causes and benefits in the area,” Bourgeois shares. And that is definitely something to be stoked about!

Beachgoers also like to shop at Bert’s Surf Shop and Surf City Surf Shop.

PRINT SHOP The self-proclaimed “Cheers bar of print shops,” Dock Street Printing proves itself to be a place where everybody truly

knows your name. They’ve been serving the area since 1973, so it’s no wonder they have built such a fan base. Owners Cindy Meyers and Bill Goodwyn say the best compliment they have ever heard is from longtime customer Michele Brocks: “Coming here is like coming home because it feels like family.”

Although, not all of Dock Street’s customers physically come through the door with jobs for Meyers and Goodwyn. They say in recent years they have accommodated the busy schedules of their clients tenfold.

“They don’t have to always come in to do business,” Meyers explains. “A lot of the jobs are e-mailed in and out in a couple of hours.”

The quick and familiar service that Dock Street provides Wilmington earned them the bragging rights to six consecutive bestof wins. The print shop follows a business motto that probably influenced the achievement: “Put good energy out and it will come back.” The employees focus on doing the right thing, which is not always the easiest thing to do. But the right thing always leads to the best results. For Dock Street, this means the best graphic design in reports, brochures, business cards and invitations.

They even offer vinyl sports products, like the miniature footballs that cheerleaders throw to the crowd at local high schools, or really neat personalized cork and paper coasters. Dock Street Printing isn’t just for

businesses; their services assist all Port City residents; www.dockstreetprinting.com.

Second place for Best Printing Company is All Ways Graphics, and Copycat Print Shop takes home third.

REAL ESTATE AGENCY Jim Wallace began Intracoastal Realty years ago as a small outfit with a few extraordinary properties. Today, the business runs with over 300 agents and staff, and it’s the top real estate company in Wilmington!

“We are locally founded, owned and operated,” Lake Slacum, the realty’s director of marketing, says. “Yet, we are part of a global network of independent real estate companies [that] boast more sales than any other national franchise.”

Slacum believes Intracoastal’s agents are highly trained, experienced and skilled, helping the business to continually grow. Because of the great service they’ve received, many clients refer the realty to their friends and family members. Still, it doesn’t hurt that Southeastern North Carolina is a beautiful location.

“The Wilmington area will always be an attractive place to live and work,” Slacum shares. “The area sells itself. The business landscape will continue to improve as the economy improves. We are proud of our independent status as a real estate company, and we appreciate the loyalty of those who

wish to do business with us a result.”

Second in real estate goes to Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty and third is for Century 21 Sweyer and Associates.

SHOE STORE This store offers the most fashionable designers around: from the classic looks of Kate Spade, Tony Burch and Jack Rogers to the oh-my-gosh-gotta-have-it flair of Diane von Furstenburg. Superb shoe style abounds at Monkee’s, located in Lumina Station. As an added bonus to the large selection of designers, owner Deedee Shaw and her team put shopper satisfaction at the top of their priority list. “What makes us successful is the fact that all of our employees truly care about the store and the happiness of our customers,” Shaw explains.

With a passion for pairing sandals with pedicures, Shaw says she chose to open Monkee’s to do something she loves in order to give back to the community. Sharing her fashionista outlook with Port City women seemed a natural fit! “The outlook for the Wilmington business-scape is great,” Shaw tells encore. “I feel there are a lot of resources and guidance for new business owners.”

And in order to grow with the changing times, the owner makes sure her store reaches customers in the online world, too.

On the Monkee’s website, www.monkeeswilmington.com, shoppers can scope out the

thank you readers of encore for voting us #1 for eight straight years!

[Without you we would quite literally being talking to ourselves!]

.

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 9

encounter a combination of natural products, aromatherapy and holistic healing techniques to reach total body renewal. Their menu of services is extensive, including specialized services like acupressure to relieve headache and sinus pain, as well as a rehydrating sea-algae wrap.

“Our training is very extensive for all employees,” White divulges. “We put tremendous effort into researching and developing new treatments and constantly re-evaluate our products and services.”

The spa manager explains that she and her therapists strive to exceed their customers’ expectations, every day, with each guest. “I wanted to own a business that impacted clients in a positive way,” White shares. “Our success means that a lot of people are doing something positive for their well being.”

Area residents also like to relax with Head to Toe Day Spa and Bangz.

A SUCKER FOR A RUB: Sandy Vaughan demonstrates how relaxing a massage from the Ki Spa ladies can actually be. encore award presenter Zack Simcoe plots to take Sandy’s job next year. Photo

by Justin Mitchener

scene before they venture to the store. Plus, friends of Monkee’s Wilmington on Facebook will be the first to hear about all the sales and deals as Shaw marks down the prices!

Stepping into second place is Belk and

taking away third is Rack Room Shoes.

SHOPPING PLAZA

SPA

With over 50 stores, Mayfaire Town Center is the best place to get a dress for date night, even if date night happens to be at Mayfaire too! It’s one of the most popular places in Wilmington on the weekends because it offers something for everyone.

Families can shop in an open-air, pedestrianfriendly setting. Couples can dine at one of the many fine restaurants, like Melting Pot or Longhorn Steakhouse, and then head over to Mayfaire Cinema 16 for the latest drama or romcom. Plus, there’s even a latenight scene offered by Fox and Hound Pub and Grille, where the party doesn’t end ‘til 2 a.m.

In the summer, Mayfaire Town Center turns into an outdoor venue for live music.

Mayfaire’s Music on the Town Concert Series brings bands like Soul Power Posse, L Shape Lot (voted best band by encore readers!) and Phantom Playboys to play every Friday night, along with inflatable play places, cotton candy and snow cones for the kids.

But that’s not the only event at Mayfaire.

This shopping plaza was also involved in Focus on the Coast’s Girls’ Nite Out where women can shop and be pampered all while networking and socializing.

During the holidays, Santa can be found

“We are the only true spa in Wilmington, and our main focus from beginning to end is the client’s whole experience,” Ariel White, spa manager of Ki Spa, says. Ki is an ancient Japanese word meaning energy, and at this spa, the therapists attempt to use the natural energy within their customers to create a relaxed mind and body. Guests will

BEST PLACE To Buy A New Car! 11 YEARS IN A ROW! BEST PLACE To Buy A Used Car!

HONDA STEVENSON HONDA StevensonHonda.com

S. College Road, Wilmington 395-1116

APARTMENT COMPLEX The amenities at The Reserve at Mayfaire cannot be rivaled by any other apartment complex in Wilmington. Where else are renters going to find a 26-seat, large-screen movie theater? Let alone the 6,000 square foot clubhouse with a fitness center, business center, kitchen, entertaining room and two tiled porches overlooking the junior olympic size pool. That, and they have a gourmet java and juice bar. They even prepare a continental breakfast every single morning.

“What makes us superior to other apartment communities in the area is not just our location [near] the beach or our amenities but the special services that we offer to our residents,” Cary Farris Green, assistant community manager, boasts.

Really, it can’t be beat. With five floor plans to choose from, there’s an apartment to fit every lifestyle. The options range from one to three bedrooms, and there’s even a twobedroom apartment with a study room which is perfect for college students. Families will enjoy the outdoor playground, and adults will love the close shopping and nightlife in Mayfaire Town Center.

“We truly care about our residents,” Green says, “and we strive to make The Reserve at Mayfaire not just an apartment, but a home.”

Second place is awarded to the Reserve at Forest Hills and third goes to The Keys at 17th Street.

HAIR SALON Over two decades ago, stylists began coloring hair and polishing nails at Bangz Hair Salon and Spa. Frank Potter opened as it as an effort to better the industry, both locally and globally. Today, Potter still goes the distance, literally, to keep that effort alive.

“In this industry, staying involved and

Now serving

Wilmington’s

BEST BURGER Always Fresh Never Frozen www.ptsgrille.com 6 Locations in the Cape Fear

10 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

daily in front of the movie theater, greeting children, while snow falls from the rooftops in the theater’s plaza every weekend night.

Needless to say, there’s always something going on at Mayfaire!

The second place prize goes to Lumina Station, and it’s a tie for third with Hanover Center and Independence Mall.

! o o t s e i r F t s e and B

“Voted BEST BUFFET, SOUL FOOD and FAMILY RESTAURANT by encore readers”

Miss your Mama’s cookin’ come home to Casey’s!

WENESDAY

Meatloaf: 11AM-9PM Chicken Gizzards & Chicken Livers: 11AM-4PM Carved Ham: 4PM-9PM THURSDAY

Brunswick Stew: 11AM-4PM Baked Spaghetti: 11AM-4PM Hamburger Steak: 4PM-9PM Deviled Crab: 4PM-9PM SERVING SQUASH CASSEROLE FRIDAY

BBQ Pork Ribs w/red sauce: 11AM-4PM Fried Shrimp: 4PM-9PM Deviled Crab: 4PM-9PM Carved Roast Beef: 4PM-9PM SATURDAY

Hot Wings, Fried Pork Chops, Hamburger Steak: 11AM-4PM Fried Shrimp: 4PM-9PM Deviled Crab: 4PM-9PM Carved Roast Beef: 4PM-9PM SUNDAY

Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef, BBQ Chicken, Dressing, Ovenbaked Cornbread, Homemade Biscuits

Over 20 Homestyle Vegetables and Fresh cooked Eastern North Carolina BBQ Pork cooked daily

ALSO SERVED DAILY...

Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken, Chicken & Pastry, Catfish, Whiting, Clam Strips, Fat Back, Crinkle Fries, Pig’s Feet, Chitlins, Rutabagas, Green Beans, Mac-N-Cheese, Sweet Potato Soufflé, Cabbage, Boiled Potatoes, Corn, Field Peas, Turnips, Collards, Baked Beans, Green Peas, Lima Beans, Rice, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Pan Fried Okra, Rolls, Hushpuppies, Apple, Blueberry & Peach Cobbler, Cherry

Cheesecake, Banana Pudding and Ice Cream

Family owned and operated by Larry and Gena Casey SERVING PIG’S FEET EVERYDAY!

(910)798•2913 • 5559 Oleander Dr. Between Dogwood Lane & French Street, across from the batting cages

OPEN: Wed.-Sat. - 11am-9pm, Sunday - 11-8pm CLOSED MONDAY & TUESDAY encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 11

ahead of trends is crucial,” Potter explains.

“We annually make trips to both the New York and Miami international hair shows.”

Potter says he believes Bangz customers deserve the best, and the employees strive to provide their clients with “honest dedication.” The stylists must take hands-on classes throughout their employment at this salon. It’s more than continuing education, it’s a commitment to providing customers with the best experience possible. “All of our stylists and spa technicians are trained in the most updated beauty industry secrets and hair styles,” Potter shares.

“Do what you love with passion, integrity and consistency,” he tells encore, exposing how Bangz has reached such success.

“Having passion about your work will radiate through to your clients, and it makes their experience with you one that they look forward to every month.”

Fashion-forward Wilmingtonians also enjoy having their hair done at Rock ‘n’ Roller Salon and Hypnotix Spalon.—Bethany Turner

//Arts & EntErtAinmEnt//

atively spunky gallery, the extensive wine and beer list from the bar, as well as its plethora of art, keep the coolest kids patronizing again and again. “[Everyone] gets a chance to be a part of something at Bottega,” Perotto promises, “unless you’re a jerk. We don’t give jerks a chance.”

Sticking to their guns about steering clear of art snobbery and continuing to house fresh music, always-rotating art and an electric vibe of enthusiasm, Bottega remains a haven for creative types, young and old.

They also draw in wordsmiths thanks to poetry readings held every fourth Thursday of the month. College students love them, too, as Bottega hosts UNCW’s Atlantis open-mic night. And live music always fills their bill any given night of the week.

Bottega partakes in downtown Wilmington’s Fourth Friday Gallery Walk, often having new art shows open the fourth Friday every month. The next event takes place this week on the 25th, featuring the surrealist “Exquisite Corpses Exhibition.”

Cameron Art Museum and Projekte round out the category.

ART GALLERY

KARAOKE

“Your bartenders can really dance!” It’s only one of many compliments Sandy Perotto has received this year for her staff at Bottega Gallery and Art Bar. Though they are the glue behind running this cre-

“My endless loooovvvveeee...”

“Oh, baby, you... You got what I neeeddd...”

“I hear the train a’coming, it’s rollin’ ‘round the bend...”

WHERE NEWS COMES FIRST: Frances Weller, taking Best Newscaster 2011, introduces a new news crew to WECT, which happened to take Best Newscast 2011, (l. to r.) Dustin Etheridge, Michelle Li and Veronica Macias. Photo by Chad Keith

n to g in m il W u o y k n a h T for voting us

“Best Chinese Restaurant!”

Our vision is to provide our customers with the most exciting dining experience while they are in our home; that we see to it that every customer in our restaurant leave with the anticipation of coming back.

419 South College Rd. • (910) 799-1426

12 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

The choices are endless, styles unlimited.

The hosts are always upbeat and ready to serve a singing audience. In Wilmington, Katy’s Bar and Grill churns out and the most “American Idol”-wannabes, as their karaoke nights continue topping the best on encore’s poll. Hosted on Tuesdays with Julian and Fridays with DJ Valerie, and on select Wednesdays, too. Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, Katy’s not only packs in patrons for a quick round of duets but also for unbeatable drink and food specials.

PBR goes for only a buck-fifty on Mondays, and they have $4.99 lunch specials daily, along with wings served 12 different ways and for 39¢ daily when dining in from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. With over 40 microbrews, beer fans will have a hayday here, and they’ll never run out of fun, either, thanks to pool, ping pong and foosball tables housed in the bar. Have a drink, a bite and song or two all under one roof.

Other karaoke bars hitting the right notes with our readers are Fox and Hound and Brown Coat Pub.—Shea Carver

NEWSCAST AND NEWSCASTER Wilmington native Frances Weller seems perfect for her job. For 28 years at WECT, she has kept citizens informed and established a connection with her viewers.

Residents have grown to trust and depend

on her as a newscaster. Her love for news began early in life.

“I have always been a news hound,” Weller shares. “As a young girl, I would read newspaper articles to my family at the dinner table. I also started watching the news at an early age. I believe I was born to do the news.”

Not just reporting to fulfill her destiny, Weller also claims that her job is always interesting and challenging. “I never know when I get up in the mornings what our news is going to be for the day,” she says. “I do know that I will learn something in the course of the day and will look forward to sharing that knowledge with our viewers.”

Growing up in this community was monumental in Weller’s ability to make a mark in the local scene. She remains in the Port City now so she can broadcast the facts on the place she loves most. “Many of the people, places and events that we report on are names, locations and organizations that I’ve known about for decades,” Weller explains. “[This is] home. We have the best beaches, restaurants and fun places to shop. The real estate here is beautiful. I simply can’t think of another place in the world that’s better than Wilmington. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

Weller also feels that in addition to her mother and twin sister, so many of the people here are like family to her. Plus, she hears so often that she is like family to her viewers! “That means to me that people don’t only see me as a newscaster, but someone they have grown to trust enough to make me a part of their daily routine,” she shares. “As one woman said to me the other day, ‘I’d be lost if you weren’t there.’

She has no idea how much those words

mean to me.”

Voters have proven that the news station truly is, “Where news comes first,” as WECT receives the honors of Best Newscast. The station’s success is partially due to its ability to keep up with improving technologies.

“We now have an obligation to report on three screens: TV, cell phones and personal computers,” Weller says. “We are challenged daily to keep up in those areas and to find innovative ways to communicate the news.” With the hard work WECT puts in to bring locals the best news, we’d say first is well deserved!

Second place for Best Newscast is awarded to WWAY while News 14 Carolina receives third. Wilmington’s other favorite newscasters are Jon Evans and Colin Hackman, both of WECT.

MUSEUM Cameron Art Museum (CAM) is much more than a museum. Situated on Pyramid Park, this beautifully designed building not only presents six to eight changing exhibits a year, but also films, dance showcases, live music, gallery lectures, and yoga and tai chi classes. Committed to arts education, CAM provides monthly kids and family programs where children can create their own art to take home, inspired by museum surroundings. There are even pottery workshops and demonstrations offered on-site by resident master artist Hiroshi Sueyoshi in The Clay Studio of the Pancoe Art Education Center.

The outside space of the museum is also used for displaying artwork. There is a plethora of outdoor sculptures, some of which are viewable from the intersection of 17th Street and Independence Boulevard where CAM is located. Guests can walk the grounds admiring the artwork, or enjoy hikes on CAM’s nature trails. There’s even a historic Civil War trail, as the Battle of Forks Road took place in 1865 on what is now part of the museum site.

CAM supports Alzheimer’s caregiving through a program called “Connections.”

Alzheimer’s patients and their caretakers or family members meet in small groups to tour the museum and view artwork, dis-

cussing the memories evoked from paintings and sculptures.

Folks also enjoy visiting the Cape Fear Museum and Children’s Museum of Wilmington.

DANCE CLUB All hip 20- and 30-somethings alike know that Pravda consistently pumps out the best beats for booty-shakin’. The bar emits a red glow onto Front Street, and through the thick fog of smoke machines one can just barely make out the dance floor. It helps that the floor is always packed with a crowd of women and men moving together as one rhythmic beast.

With the haze, the energy and the Russian artwork and decor, it topped the Port City’s fave dance spot.

It makes sense that the music of this nightclub lures downtown patrons inside.

Owner Dustin Cook is an audio engineer and DJ—and therefore expert on great tunes. He encourages Pravda’s DJs, lighting technicians, bartenders and design team to create the most desirable party atmosphere.

“We are constantly changing and improving. We stay current and work hard every day,” Cook says. “Make what you enjoy your work, then you will enjoy working.”

Pravda’s hard work seems to be paying off. Customers rave about the bar, citing it a “world class nightclub.” It offers vodka galore, of course, and a plethora of highend whiskeys. Plus, between the 40 or so draught and bottle beers, guests can surely find something they will enjoy.

The best thing about this Best-Of winner, though, is the owner’s outlook on downtown’s future. It is important to Cook that he promotes professionalism and a positive environment while adding to the nightlife appeal of the area. “[We want] to ensure that downtown Wilmington continues to prosper and be a fun, safe and exciting place for tourists, students and residents to enjoy,” Cook says.

Cook embodies the saying “there’s always room for improvement.” So while he

and his team continue the best-foot-forward attitude, Wilmington will continue to love Pravda.

Second place for dance club was Level 5, followed by Ibiza.—Bethany Turner

//Food & Beverage// SEAFOOD When visiting Hieronymus Seafood, diners shouldn’t expect frozen fish and canned goods to be slopped on a plate, and served with the proverbial hushpuppies and coleslaw. At Hieronymus, seafood only comes fresh and local, and the veggies come from the family farm. Yes, the farm! Whether ordering from their vast menu of fresh catches of the day, served one of numerous ways, like Greek-style or Italian-rubbed, or from their raw bar, where oyster-shucking is a necessity, anything ordered from Hieronymus will be a winner.

Taking Best Seafood in 2011, owners Skip

?

Are you stressed ? in Do you have pa

Call 910-262-1122

www.relaxwilmington.com

for new clients

Bridgers.

and Dawn Hames run this ship like two seasoned mateys. “We offer carefully prepared seafood, fair prices and homemade recipes,” the Hames say. Pair it with top-quality staff and why wouldn’t they be numero uno?

Sticking to a simple motto or two in running their business, including “Fresh is best and that’s what we do!” or “Make today better!” the husband-and-wife duo keep close ties to the community all around. “We use local products and we’re people-pleasers,” they remark. Thus, customers aren’t just numbers on a ticket; they’re neighbors, they’re family, they’re friends. Locals get more than they bargained for from Hieronymus, like cheddar-garlic biscuits served with a smile, daily specials on food and drink and careful attention.

landfall shopping Center 1319 Military Cutoff Road 910-256-6585

“BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST” Thank you Wilmington for putting your trust in us!

2011 with his crew from Pravda. Photo by Courtney

“BEsT BakErY”

Gretchen Rivas voted 1 hour massage

exits the stage after accepting Best Dance Club

Thank You WilmingTon for voTing us

Come to the Best and you won’t complain, once you visit us at Relax! Massage Therapy $20 off

DANCING WITH THE STARS: Tym Dvorak

www.appleanniesbakeshop.com

University sqUare Mall 837 South Kerr Avenue 910-799-9023 encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 13

Other seafood houses swimming in the bEst Of pool include Bluewater Grill and Michael’s Seafood.

THAI/VIETNAMESE Indochine has many elements working for it: delicious, authentic Asian cuisine, a super helpful staff, a jungle-like oasis, filled with tropical plants, flowers and oriental carpentry to adore. But owner Solange Thompson would like to see the restaurant become an educational spot, too.

“Wilmington is becoming a nice cultural center,” she says, “and I want Indochine to be an Asian Art Center for the schools.”

Every inch of the building is adorned with art work from Thaliand and Vietnam, along with sculptures and decor indigenous to the area. That it has taken Best Atmosphere numerous years running in encore’s Best Of poll is no surprise. And that it continues topping the categories Best Thai and Best Restaurant Overall isn’t only from the fresh ingredients used in delectable dishes, like panang curry or drunken noodles, it’s also because of Thompson’s number one philosophy in running a successful restaurant: “I always tell my staff, customer is king!”

Seemingly, the message has been conveyed loud and clear, too, especially when judging by the overflowing parking lot at Wayne Road and Market Street any given night of the week. Regulars are a dime a

dozen at Indochine, but not one is overlooked. “I remind myself and my staff to be grateful for the business we receive,” Thompson continues. “As long as you do the job with passion and sincerity, success will follow.”

Other restaurants taking Best Atmosphere are YoSake and Circa 1922. Best Restaurant Overall nods also go to Sweet

The Ivy Cottage THANKS WILMINGTON for making us your favorite

CONSIGNMENT & ANTIQUE STORE Everything for your home at a fraction of the original cost.

The largest consignment store in the southeast with over 25,000 square feet of Classic Furniture, Antiques, China, Crystal, Silver & Fine Jewelry

3020-3030-3100 Market Street • threecottageS.coM • 910-815-0907 oPeN 7 DaYS a Week 14 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

NO ‘THAI’ FOR THE BEST: Indochine racked up three awards: Best Restaurant Overall, Best Thai/ Vietnamese and Best Atmosphere. Marie Bartsch accepted the award from Brandy and Cullen on behalf of her mother, Solange Thompson, who runs the popular eatery. Photo by Justin Mitchener

and Savory Bake Shop and Cafe and Circa 1922, and Thai runners up are Big Thai and Thai Spice.

NEW RESTAURANT So many restaurants exist on Wilmington’s culinary scene, it’s really hard to resist the temptation of dining out daily and/or nightly.

2010 saw no shortage of new restaurant openings either, making 2011’s vote for Best New Restaurant a bit more difficult than normal. Yet, only one can win, and that one goes to the renovated spot on 9 S. Front Street: Crow Hill.

Known for their rustic cuisine, focused on fresh ingredients, prepared simply with maximized flavor, Crow Hill focuses on the seasonal goods offered from NC farms. Diners have responded favorably to their comfort-

ing menu, featuring items like NC trout, duck confit and mushroom risotto, fried chicken, meatloaf and braised short ribs. Their fish of the day always comes straight from the boat, and they even have a charcuterie plate, featuring handmade cured meats from Burgaw.

“Our concept struck a chord with the yearround locals of this town,” owner Derrick Cook says. “Keeping things local and seasonal helps us to really put everyone’s dollar back into the community.”

Having worked in the restaurant industry since he was 14, Cook’s dream has been to open his own restaurant. By focusing on consistent food, exceptional service and ambience that feels charmingly sexy—from the greyish beige walls to the dark wood, right down to the farming utensils made into beer draft handles—his dream is now reality. His commitment to continuing representing the best of downtown doesn’t flounder either.

“We want your business,” he iterates.

“More importantly, we want you to be safe.

If you come downtown, please drink and act responsible.”

Two other downtown hotspots round out second and third: Manna and Chop’s Deli.

BARBECUE There’s Tennessee, Texas, Kansas and Alabama; South Carolina, Georgia and Missouri. They all claim to do barbecue right.

North Carolinians do, too, and not without right. Vinegar-based, with tomatoes and seasonings, maybe some hot pepper flakes, it’s just the type of sour and sweet sauce we like over our pulled or chopped pork. Whether preferring the Western over the Eastern styles (the difference being added ketchup), in Wilmington people are continuously voting Jackson’s Big Oak the best.

Recently undergoing a management and ownership change, Sawmill restaurateurs Michael and Hunter Davis, as well as Seth Franklin, have taken over the Jackson’s family establishment. Die-hard Jackson fans can assured: The recipes haven’t changed.

“We use a secret recipe that’s been used consistently for over 25 years,” Hunter Davis says. “People know when they come to Jackson’s, they’re leaving happy.”

Having been a customer since he was a

THANK YOU WILMINGTON GOOD, FAST and FRIENDLY! Voted #1 Gas Station Every Year

Credit & Debit cards accepted 24 hrs a day at all 19 locations GOGAS is a Division of K.E. Austin Corporation

ON LY!

kid, Davis and his family frequented the establishment before taking over the business. Their dedication to the restaurant brims with sheer desire to continue the Jackson legacy.

“Customers come here to eat the same food and see the same faces,” Davis notes. “Keeping that criteria is my goal in this business.”

From pulled pork plates to ribs and hearty Brunswick stew, as well as BBQ chicken and sandwiches, the menu stays dedicated to the ‘cue. But for those who only want vegetables, well, they have a veggie plate, too. But why overlook what they do best? Their slow-cooked, hickory-smoked pork cannot be beat in town.

Other barbecue joints smoking out the category are Smithfield Chicken and BBQ and Casey’s Buffet.

SUSHI AND VEGETARIAN “If it weren’t for Nikki’s, who knows if we would have ever met,” a local customer says, referring to the first encounter he had with his now-wife. “She was the veggie. I was the meat-eater.” nikki’s Restaurant and sushi bar is one of Wilmington’s most eclectic eateries. It truly appeases all palates, from vegetarians to pescatarians to carnivores. No one will be able to walk away without finding a menu item suitable to their cravings.

“Who doesn’t like sitting down for sushi and burgers with their vegetarian friends?”

Daniel Roughan, area director, asks. “One world—circle of life.”

The sushi here is always appetizing and ever-changing. From rolls wrapped in cucumber (Rainbow Naruto) to traditional fish and rice (harumaki nigiri) to fanciful and innovative dishes like ... sushi pizza?

Trust us, it’s insane-good—a deep fried patty of sticky rice, topped with tuna, sweet and spicy sauce, avocado, roe and tempura fried crunchies. Yummo!

“We are continually trying to reinvent our product,” Roughan notes.

They also feature lots of meat-free products, like the hummus-falafel wrap, handmade tofu burger or avocado sandwich.

They make their hummus, falafel and baba ghanuuj from scratch, too.

Fish doesn’t get any fresher than here, either, which has kept them at the top of their game according to encore voters for many years in a row.

Other sushi establishments fishing into second and third are YoSake and Hiro, while vegetarian diners also enjoy going to Lovey’s Market and Tidal Creek.

FAST FOOD This category seems to never have any real contenders to take down perhaps the friendliest drive-through employees on the face of the earth. Chick-fil-A again tops encore’s Best Of poll.

Their customer service, consistent food

Thank you for voting us

“Best Veterinarian” Family owned and operated since 1999

best-of bonding: Ashley Dodson from Nikki’s Restaurant and Sushi Bar and Taylor Bailey from Hieronymus bond over this wins: Best Sushi and Vegetarian for Nikki’s and Best Seafood for Hieronymus. Photo by Courtney Bridgers

and clean restaurants remain memorable to all who dine with them. That they also focus on community makes them engaging, according to marketing director Valerie Watkins.

“We try to provide fun family events,” she says. They host Daddy-Daughter Date Nights, as well as fund-raisers for local schools, not to mention Family Game Nights on Monday and even a music seres on Tuesday. On the 22nd they’ll be welcoming the sounds of maracas from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mayfaire location.

“We love what we do,” Watkins continues, “and that keeps us focused on high standards.”

Compliments always run deep here, especially when it comes to customer service. “You have the friendliest employees!” often tops the list, making Chick-filA stay top-of-mind with our readers.

Other fast-food establishment on the poll include Cook-Out and Wendy’s.

NEIGHBORHOOD BAR “Who are the people in your neighborhood? In your neighborhood? In your neigh-bor-hooood?” It’s a song that has stuck with me since the ‘70s, after watching “Sesame Street” to no end. Even then, they had the idea of living local down pat.

For those who’ve yet to meet our newer neighbors in the renovated area of Greenfield and 3rd streets, allow me the introduction: Dustin Hicks, owner of satellite bar, which also happens to be 2011’s Best Neighborhood Bar. Hicks knows his way around the nightlife scene. His talented hands have crafted and sculpted the impressive decor of the now-defunct

Odessa, as well as Pravda when they first opened. Satellite can be added to his makeover list.

Its rustic wood feels much like a ski lodge tucked away in the mountains, with antiquated pictures hanging throughout, and vintage and leather furniture keeping customers cozy. The bar is really long and can house an extended family if need be.

Of course, leave the kids at home; this watering hole is for adults only.

We’ll treat your pet like one of our own!

Porters Neck Veterinary Hospital

A Full-Service Small Animal Hospital

www.portersneckvets.com 8129 Market St. 686-6297 Mon.-Fri 8aM-6pM Sat. 8aM-12pM

LARGEST TEQUILA SELECTION IN WILMINGTON!

Voted

BEST PIZZA and BEST LATENIGHT EATERY ANNOUNCING OUR NEW LOCATION Pine Valley Corner of 17th Extension and S. College Rd. 910-799-1399

All ABC Permits • Dine in or Take Out

Lunch • Dinner • Late Night 11:30a.m. until 3a.m.

Open 7 days a week 365 a year!

Sorry no delivery • All major credit cards accepted Downtown Wilmington On your way to Wrightsville Beach 122 Market St. 910-251-9444

1437 Military Cuttoff Rd. 256-2229

www.grabslice.com encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 15

“I feel our patrons and employees feel vested in our establishment,” Hicks says.

“We offer a come-as-you-are warm and welcoming environment.”

From hosting live music to cornhole tournaments to movie nights under the stars on their grassy outdoor patio, Satellite goes beyond any standard bar. In fact, one will not find pool tables or dart boards mucking up the space. This bar encourages interaction with patrons and building relationships.

Actually, living among a self-reliant community tops Hicks wishlist for Wilmington’s growing business-scape. “Customers need to support their neighborhood establishments—small grocers, neighborhood bars, churches, etc.” No matter what, though, his value always comes back to people. “Put family and friends first, business second.”

Triangle Lounge and Copper Penny host neighborly vibes, too, according to encore voters.—Shea Carver

WINGS The mere scent of a crispy, saucedripping chicken wing can cause hunger pangs, and Wilmington foodies believe Wild Wing Cafe is the best restaurant to indulge in when the cravings hit.

The restaurant was opened in 1990 by a couple who wanted a casual wing place

with great food, drinks and entertainment; only seven options for sauces were available then. Today, Wild Wing Cafe offers carnivores 32 tantalizing tastes, all of which are made fresh in their very own kitchen. The sauce list includes Flying Fajita, a Tex Mex flavor; Island Jerk, a light Jamaican temptation; and The General, a spin on the classic Chinese dish, General Tso’s.

On top of great wings, Wild Wing Cafe also features live music almost every night of the week. Wilmington’s location frequents encore’s music calendar, Soundboard, with listings of DJs and bands each week.

“Our food is our staple, but our band schedule has evolved to accommodate the ever-expanding crowd,” Courtney Motz, assistant manager, says.

Plus, the service is top-notch at Wild Wing.

With a friendly and knowledgeable staff, comments (and votes!) pour in from satisfied guests. “Someone told Courtney [Cella, the bar manager], that our morale is the best she has seen at any restaurant, and it’s obvious we love our jobs,” Motz reports.

Second place in the wing category goes to Buffalo Wild Wings, and Katy’s Great Eats takes third.

MARTINI BAR The Dirty Martini puts a twist on the idea of regular bar, dive, watering hole or THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Owner of Satellite, Dustin Hicks, humbly accepts Best Neighborhood Bar from Jef Pollock. This marks Satellite’s first Best Of win. Photo by Courtney Bridgers

Thank you Wilmington for voting us

“Best Indian Cuisine!”

Daily lunch buffet $7.99 BEST OF SPECIAL

even lounge. Wilmington’s Best Martini bar allows its patrons a more luxurious setting and a chance to sip on something a little stronger than the daily draft special.

“We offer a relaxing atmosphere to socialize with friends or network with business colleagues,” owner Mallory McCombs tells encore. “We believe the best compliments are from our customers [choosing] to spend their time and hard-[earned] money with us.”

This bar has gathered quite the follow-

ing, too. McCombs says there are a lot of regulars, but no matter how full the place gets, everyone receives a homey welcome. “We pride ourselves on superior and personal service,” she explains. “We remember you and we remember what you like to drink. We make each person feel special!”

But it’s not just for the regulars. Newcombers can stop by anytime, and there’s always something going on at The Dirty Martini. “We host various events throughout the year, keeping it fresh with networking socials, local charity functions and free private parties,” McCombs says.

Other swanky stops on the martini bar path include Caprice Bistro and Cameo 1900. —Bethany Turner

Buy One Get One 1/2 OFF Buy an entree at regular price and get one of the equal or less value 1/2 price!

Expires 5/31/2011

1620 South College Road (910) 794-4545 Mon-Fri 11:00 to 2:30/lunch & 5:00 to 10:00/dinner Sat & Sun 11:30 to 3:00/lunch & 5:00 to 10:00/dinner

www.tandooribites.net

16 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

EncoreRestaurantWeek.com

best-of recap:

Winners announced in last week’s edition

Gym

Indian Food

Golds

Tandoori Bites

Jeweler

Burrito

REEDS Jewelers

Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn

Book Store

Chinese

Pomegranate Books

Florist

Place to Buy Gas

Julia’s Florist

GOGAS

Gift Shop

Blue Moon Gift Shop

Tattoo Parlor Jade Monkey

Veterinarian

Porter’s Neck Veterinary Hospital

Alternative Medicine McKay Healing Arts

Antique Store and Consignment for Home Decor Ivy Cottage

Massage Therapist

Gretchen Rivas (Relax!)

Vintage Consignment (clothes)

Bowling Alley

Personal Trainer

Comedy Troupe

Place to Buy Musical Instruments

Blog

LaMaine Williams

Finkelsteins

Bluewater Waterfront Grille

Sports Bar

Carolina Ale House

Buffet and Soul Food/Country Cookin’

Changing Channels

Casey’s Buffet

Bo Dean’s bowilmington.blogspot.com

Car Wash

Hot Dog

Chiropractor

Bakery

Sito Chiropractic

Outdoor Dining

Ten Pin Alley

Moving Company

Cruisers

Olympia

Battleship NC

Radio Personality and Morning Show

Two Men and a Truck

New Car Dealership and Used Car Dealership Stevenson Honda

Tourist Attraction

Fairy Circle

Mediterranean

Penguin 98.3

Adult Store

Adam and Eve

Szechuan 132

Radio Station

Burgers and Fries

PT’s Old-Fashioned Grille

Waitstaff

Z107.5’s Foz in the Mornin’

Copper Penny

Pizza and late-Night Eatery

Trolly Stop

Slice of Life

Coffee

Apple Annie’s

Port City Java

Home & Business Moves

Wilmington’s Best Burrito • Packing and Unpacking Services

Thank you encore readers for your support!

• Climate Controlled Storage • Fully Insured and Bonded • FREE ESTIMATES • Office Relocation and Inter-office moves

4002 Oleander Dr. • (910) 799-2919 flamingamysburritobarn.com

Thank you for voting us “Best Moving Company” 2009, 2010 & 2011!

www.twomenandatruck.com • 3861 US Highway 421 N. • 910-763-7990 encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 17

hler

by Gwenyfar RoPromise of Peanuts...’ available

new & views|

18 LIVE LOCAL 20 NEWS OF THE WEIRD

Author of ‘The profits Front St., with at Old Books on t. ec oj Pr Full Belly benefitting the

live local. live small.

Bringing fair trade home

Owner Josh Woolgar makes a fair trade coffee drink for one of Folks Cafe’s many loyal patrons. Photo by Bethany Turner.

F

ive years ago, For most oF middle

class America, the idea of paying $1.60 for a cup of fair trade, organically grown coffee was laughable; McDonalds sold a cup of coffee for 60¢! Today, it is virtually impossible for a coffee shop to survive financially if they don’t offer a fair-trade blend. What changed?

I was sitting in Folks Café, our neighborhood coffee shop, last summe, sipping on a fair trade organic coffee when the inevitable conversation started.

Someone made a comment about shopping at Walmart. As any regular reader of this column can guess, that’s like lighting a Molotov cocktail around me. The ensuing discussion ended with her screaming that I couldn’t expect to change people’s habits!

No, I replied, I didn’t think that I, personally, would change anyone’s habits or the course of human history. But I also noted that it can’t be denied: Something is happening.

The Business Dictionary defines “fair trade”: “A movement which strives for fair treatment for farmers. In a fair trade agreement, farmers, who in other situations might be more susceptible to the will of the purchaser, will negotiate with the purchasers in order to receive a fair price for their products. Farmers who engage in fair trade also aim to pay their workers a fair price and engage in environmentally friendly practices.”

The idea of fair trade is not new. It started in the 1940s with handcrafts, and it spread during the second half of the 20th century to include agricultural products.

Really, it has gained traction in the last 10 years.

Still, the question lingers in many heads: “Why fair trade? Why pay a higher price?”

18 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

Fair trade is largely associated with the idea of supporting third-world farmers and rewarding farmers and co-operatives that do not employ child labor. The topic of modern-day child slavery in the chocolate industry alone could fill a dissertation.

But by the aforementioned definition, a farmers’ market would qualify as a market place committed to fair trade. Produce purchased in the traditional grocery-store setting pays farmers (if they are even in the US) 20 percent or less of the retail dollar.

Produce purchased at a Farmers’ Market pays the farmer directly, resulting in 100 percent of the retail dollar (minus any booth rental fee and transportation costs). Thus, it keeps monies here rather than filtering it away through middlemen.

As I drive around town, I am amazed at the number of restaurants with signs promoting their local menus. From the obvious (like Hieronymus Seafood, which serves local seafood), to the surprising (The Harp Irish Restaurant and Pub), obviously, there is a demand in the marketplace for local food.

Yet, when the farmers’ markets are closed in the off-season, where do people go? For starters, Tidal Creek Co-op actively purchases local produce (and dairy products from Hillsborough). Pine Valley Market is switching much of their retail to all-local. Local seafood markets give us another option.

The bottom line is If we want to see a greater demand on the retail side for local food, we must advocate. Why are we importing a head of lettuce that has traveled from California or even Argentina, when we have farmers producing it right here in New Hanover, Pender, Onslow, Brunswick and Columbus counties? More to the point, why are we

sending money there rather than spending it here?

With green houses, Canadian farmers are able to produce for 10 months of the year—in a country with regularly sub-zero temperatures.

When I lived on a farm outside of Asheville, we had greenhouses that produced food year-round. Of course, summers were more lush than January, but we were still eating out of the greenhouses in the dead of winter up there. Imagine the possibilities in our more temperate climate?

Oddly enough, that seems to be exactly what Fort Bragg is doing with an installation project of sustainable greenhouses associated with the base. Businesses and markets respond to demand. The more we demand to invest in our own economy, the more our economy will grow and stabilize. It’s time we ask for a little fair trade closer to home.

Recently, the first Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Regional Conference was held to bring attention to these issues and provide a forum for solutions. Down East Connect, a group seeking to connect farmers and restaurants directly with biand tri-weekly deliveries, is preparing for its inaugural season Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) exist locally, too (Progressive Gardens). Consumers purchase a share in the harvest of a farm at the beginning of the season, giving the farmer capital, and get fresh boxes of produce delivered weekly.

All of these are recent developments within the last few years.

Again, something is happening.

I am not sure if it is motivated by conscience or personal greed in the market place, and frankly I am not sure it matters which.

705&%

²#&45 (:.³ 1035&3µ4 /&$, 7979 Market St. • 910-686-1766 -0/(-&"' ."-4310 Shipyard Blvd. • 910-350-8289 3"$*/& (NEXT TO HOME DEPOT)

200 Racine Drive • 910-392-3999

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 19

newsoftheweird LEAD STORY Getting Old, Young: Jack Smeltzer broke a record in the tractor pull championships in Columbus, Ohio, in January doing a “full (track-length) pull” of 692 pounds. Jack is 7 years old. The National Kiddie Tractor Pullers Association (holding 80 events a year for ages 3 through 8) uses bicycles instead of motors. Ms. Brooke Wilker, 5, was the youngest champ, lugging 300 pounds 28 feet. Walmart announced in January that it would soon offer a full line of makeup especially for 8-year-olds (and up), by GeoGirl, including mascara, sheer lip gloss, pink blush and purple eye shadow, all supposedly designed for young skin. (An executive of Aspire cosmetics said her research revealed a potential market of 6-year-olds.)

Government in Action!

Everyone washes hair, but those who want a license to apply shampoo in Texas need 150 hours of training, with 100 hours in “theory and practice of shampooing,” including a study of “neck anatomy.” A February Wall Street Journal report on excessiveness of state regulation highlighted California’s year-long training to be a barber, Alabama’s 750-hour schooling standard for a manicurist’s license, and Michigan’s

500 practice hours for performing massages.

(By contrast, many less-tightly regulated states seem not to suffer. Connecticut, without licensing, fielded only six complaints last year against manicurists four of which involved disputes over gift cards.) Next up for licensing, perhaps: cat groomers in Ohio.

What Budget Crunch? The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported in January that despite an array of pressing problems, the Broward County public school system has paid about $100,000 per year since 2004 to build and maintain special gardens at selected schools in order to lure butterflies for pupils to study.

Government That Works: The 2009 federal stimulus program came through just in time with $34,000 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Kearneysville, W.Va., laboratory. Work on the recent dangerous increase in Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs was in jeopardy because money had run out for design of a workable air distribution system for the offices. The City Commission of San Antonio, Fla. (population 1,052), passed an ordinance in January restricting, to a tiny portion of town, where registered sex offenders could live.

However, San Antonio has only one sex of-

fender, and that man is exempt from the law because he already lives there.

Great Art! David Morice, of Iowa City, Iowa, a teacher at Kirkwood Community College, was best known for a series of “Poetry Comics” until he decided last year to write 100-page poems every day for 100 days, until he had a book totaling 10,000 pages (actually, 10,119). For some reason, the University of Iowa Libraries has published the finished poem, online and in a 2-foot-high hardcopy stack. (Strangely, in a 480-word article describing Morice’s feat, the Iowa City Press-Citizen included not even a hint about the poems’ subject matter.)

In January, Toronto sculptor-photographer Lisa Murphy added to her reputation for devising “porn for the blind” by producing four more hand-molded erotic figures generated by using clay to replicate photographic scenes of nude and lingerie-clad models (accompanied by descriptions in Braille). “The butt was the hardest to sculpt,” she said. “I wanted to get it nice and even, and give it a feminine softness so it would actually feel like a woman’s butt.” Her first book, “Tactile Mind,” with 17 such raised erotic works, sells for $225 (Cdn).

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum is already home to an artist’s rendition of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” made from burned toast, and now comes a recent version by Laura Bell of Roscommon, Mich.: da Vinci’s masterpiece made with clothes-dryer lint. Bell said she did about 800 hours of laundry of various-colored towels to obtain lint of the proper hues, and then worked 200 more hours to construct the 14-foot-long, 4-foot-high mural.

The Continuing Crisis Surprise! New Zealand traffic officer Andy Flitton cited an unnamed speeder recently for the second time in two years 11,000 miles from the spot of the first ticket. Flitton had moved from the U.K. to New Zealand, and unknown to him, the motorist himself had relocated to New Zealand last year. When Flitton stopped the man in Wellington in December 2010, the motorist recognized Flitton as the one who had ticketed him on the A5 highway

20 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

near London. Rap singer Trevell Coleman, trying to bring “closure” and “get right with God” for having shot a man in 1993 (since he was never caught), confessed the assault to New York City police in December, hoping that his humility might impress a judge. However, police checked and then booked Coleman for murder. Said Coleman, “(F)or some reason, I really didn’t think that (the victim had) died.”

“That Was Easy!”: Several students at Texas’ Carrizo Springs High School were suspended in December, and a teacher placed on leave, after a parent complained that her son had been grabbed by the shirt and stapled to a classroom wall. She said it was at least the second time that it had happened. Jodi Gilbert was arrested in Jamestown, N.Y., in January and charged with domestic violence stapling her boyfriend in the head several times with a Stanley Hammer Tacker.

In November, a Taiwanese factory owner accidentally dropped 200 $1,000 bills (worth about $6,600 in U.S. dollars) into an industrial shredder, turning them into confetti. Luckily, Taiwan’s Justice Ministry employs a forensic handwriting analyst who excels at jigsaw puzzles on the side. Ms. Liu Hui-fen worked almost around the clock for seven days to piece together the 75 percent of each bill sufficient to make them legally exchangeable.

Least Competent Criminals Laconic Perps: A female motorist in Kitsap County, Wash., reported in January being motioned by another driver to pull over, but she ignored him. The man then tried to ratchet up his credibility, motioning her over again but this time holding a hand-scrawled sign reading “sheriff.” (She remained unimpressed.) Seattle Weekly reported that a similar incident had occurred several months earlier. Robert Michelson was arrested in Farmington, Conn., in February, after calling a 911 operator to inquire about the lawfulness of the marijuana plant he was growing. The operator informed him that it was illegal. (All 911 calls are automatically traced, and Michelson was soon arrested.)

6 years in a row

Thank You Wilmington!

Voted “Best Print Shop 2011”

Making Good Impressions for You Since 1973 FREE OFF-STREET PARKING

Mon-Fri 8:30-5:00

PRINT • COPY • DESIGN SERVICES

MULTICOLOR & PROCESS COLOR • LASER COLOR COPIES PRINTED PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS

(910)763-8476 FAX (910) 763-6919

110 Dock Street • Wilmington, nc 28401 www.dockstreetprinting.com

“Julia’s Florist would like to thank both encore magazine and it’s readers for voting us

‘Best Florist, 2011’ We never take winning for granted and invite everyone to stop by and smell the flowers at the corner of Wilshire and Kerr Avenue!”

900 S Kerr Ave Wilmington, NC 28403 910-395-1868 Toll Free: 800-325-5743 Serving the Wilmington area for over 12 years

juliasflorist.com encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 21

artsysmartsy|

22-23 THEATER 24-25 ART 27-28 FILM 30-35 MUSIC

uncw’s time travel: ‘Arcadia’ takes a journey through academia and love

by Shea Carver Arcadia d

by Tom Stoppar rts Building UNCW Cultural A re Mainstage Theat m., Sun. -6 • 8 p.m.; 2 p.

2/24-27 & 3/3 m 2 • www.etix.co 1 -$ 0 $1 s: et ck Ti

T

haT Tom sToppard’s play

Maria Katsadouros and Jacob Keohane perform in UNCW’s latest production “Arcadia.” Courtesy photo.

“arcadia” e: Tell me the reasoning for choosing “Arcadia” as e: Tell me about ‘Arcadia’s’ characters and who’s

revels in mathematic, scientific and philosophical speak shouldn’t turn away audiences from its emotional depth and comedic enlightenment. Written in 1993, the production delves into order and disorder, all the while waxing poetic on life, love and human connection. Though the playwright himself dropped out of school, many critics praise “Arcadia” as not just his best work, but one of his most didactic, even winning the 1994 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.

With a plot involving the Coverly family estate and the people who live in the same house over a century apart from one another, time travel and broad-mindedness, academia and artistic fancy make up its guts.

Its key players consist of a teenager, her tutor, a professor, two academics, a Lady, a landscape architect and a famed literature icon, Lord Byron (though his presence is merely mentioned), among a mish mash of others. Set in an English country house, surrounded by lavish gardens, the play reveals the circumstances of two time periods, the household in 1809 and the academics living there 180 years later investigating its 19th century inhabitants. It uses many forms of study, such as determinism, the chaos theory, romanticism versus classicism, and the Newtonian universe, to delve into the innerworkings of relationships.

Director Renee Vincent, a professor in UNCW’s Theatre Department, is directing “Arcadia,” which opens this Friday at UNCW’s Mainstage in the Cultural Arts Building. Vincent kindly took time out last week to answer a few of our questions about the production.

22 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

part of the 2011 UNCW Department of Theatre lineup. What drew you to it?

RV: Stoppard’s “Arcadia” is a perfect gem to polish and present in a university setting. It has been hailed recently as one of the best plays of the 20th century and will soon enjoy another Broadway revival. Stoppard, by choice, did not attend university, even saying, “I hated schooling!” Yet, through his plays, we sense a rich career in self-education. In this play, he tackles the “life of the mind.” He cleverly utilizes brilliant young characters, spanning two centuries, who poke fun at all our egocentric and academic, attempts to explain all we learn at university, from the arts, to the sciences. In the end, it’s a hysterical tour-de-force of wits.

“Arcadia” is also a fantastical love story. A love affair not only of the mind and of intellectual curiosity, but also of the human heart, which drives the chaos of the world.

e: Its plot switches between past and present; what’s the most difficult aspect in directing this switch of timeline and conveying it clearly to the audience?

RV: This switch of time periods in front of a live audience, without set changes, is the very brilliance of the play. I am very lucky as a director to have a talented production team of designers, a resourceful dramaturge, and other imaginative affiliated artists who have been researching and in preproduction on this show since last summer. We enjoy the challenge of making the difficult seem easy. In this production, we invite your imagination to time travel.

playing them. How are they evolving into their roles; are the students bringing nuances to it that you didn’t suspect?

RV: Our cast is a very talented group of young actors. They have researched their roles like seasoned academics, yet brought the heart of joy and laughter of irrepressible school children to the stage. All the characters need this mix of sage and sweet. A young actor’s keen sense of competition and sport, coupled with their delight in the “thrill of victory and the agony” of defeat make for an unusually entertaining academic joust! e: Philosophically, the play could seem convoluted to viewers. How would you prepare them mentally for show? And will this show only appeal to academics?

RV: We have gone to great lengths to give dramturge notes in the program, and we have added visual “surprises” in the production, which will ensure everyone leaves the performance well-entertained and perhaps more informed. e: What are its underlying themes and how are they relevant to our current society?

RV: The philosopher Horace stated the best of theatre is “to teach but delight.” His thought was, we might learn something new, in an entertaining manner. “Arcadia” is just that: a democratic play for all tastes, and times and intelligences. Come, and laugh as you learn!

a romp of fun:

//THEATRE

‘Texas has a whorehouse in it!’

O

pera hOuse theatre cOmpany’s

Gwenyfar Rohler xas latest production, “The Best Little by horehouse in Te W le tt Li t es B Whorehouse in Texas,� is a fun show. The atre Company Its campy, zany, and tinge-of-naughty humor Opera House The comes with great songs and lots of dancing.

Based on the true story of a long-operating and much-loved brothel in La Grange, Texas, “The Best Little Whorehouse� is set in the fictional location of Gilbert, a very typical small town. The local residents include the part-time mayor and used car salesman (Dan Morris), local insurance agent and booster C. J. Scruggs (Anthony Lawson), the waitress at the diner (Cecily Anne Boyd) and Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd, an honest graft, used to getting his way come hell or high water (John “Perk� Perkinson). The Chicken Ranch, as the brothel is affectionately known due to a flexible payment scheme adopted during the Depression, is run by Miss Mona (Michelle Braxton) and her housekeeper/general factotum, Jewell (Joy Ducree Gregory). This “Lil’ Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place� has operated for over 100 years, serving the local population (including elected officials) with a team of ladies and a very strict set of rules. Everything has run smoothly for as long as anyone can remember until Melvin P. Thorpe (Tony Rivenbark), a TV watchdog reporter, looks to make a name for himself and breaks the story: “Texas Has a Whorehouse in It!� Things come to a head during the victory party for The Aggies of Texas A&M following the football championship.

Many people are familiar with the movie adaptation of the play and will remember Dolly Parton’s performance as Miss Mona. Michelle Braxton’s interpretation of the role is not Dolly Parton, but it is a very real creation of a woman who has worked herself up from nothing. She has strength, poise, class and leads not only a group of surprising women, but carries the show with a wonderful voice.

H H H H Hn Stage

Thalian Hall Mai .; Sun. 3pm 2/25-27, 8 p.m 5 Tickets: $23-$2 5 (910) 632-228

Speaking of voices, the principal performers are incredible. On the night I was in the audience, Joy Ducree Gregory as Jewell had people standing up to applaud her during the show. Tony Rivenbark’s Melvin P. Thorpe is too delightful for words. He is completely over the top. Coupled with his backup troupe, he almost steals the show. But that award must go to The Aggies. To agree with director Ray Kennedy, “What is not to love about clogging football-player cowboys?� Their big number brought the house down thanks to saucy choreography that combined elements of strip teases, football practices and square dances—it was positively inspired. In spite of their bragging, their counterparts, the Ladies of the Chicken Ranch, bring them down a notch when confronted by the beauties of the flesh.

Kennedy has assembled a very talented group of dancers and singers. This ensemble has fun and so does the audience, singing along with Carol Hall’s score. Hall has a real gift for catchy storytelling lyrics, with melodies that smack of the old west. Lorene Walsh and her onstage band make parts of the show feel like any ol’ night at a country and western bar. The excitement of live music as part of the theatre experience adds an extra garnish of specialty that can’t be replaced by a recording.

Like many shows dependent upon large casts and big production numbers, the job of costuming all the bodies repeatedly as they

Where do you go to lose weight?

change for each scene is underappreciated at best. Juli Harvey meets this challenge and includes some wonderful sight gags for the observant audience member. (Was that really a pair of bloomers on an Aggie?)

Though this is essentially a musical, the

Gwenyfar Rohler is the author of “The Promise of Peanuts. A real-life fairy tale about a man, a village, and the promise that bound them together.� All profits go to Full Belly Project.

• new and used digital and film cameras • camera bags and accessories • memory cards, film, tripods • digital printing and traditional darkroom supplies • lighting equipment, reflectors • used equipment of all types • discounts for darkroom students and instructors.

Carolina Physician Weight Loss

(910) 399-3656

Physician Monitored Weight Loss

Wilmington NCs local photographic source

Medication

southeastern camera

NO CONTRaCTS • NO OBLIGaTIONS • STUDENT/MILITaRy DISCOUNTS THE MILLENNIUM BUILDING • 3205 R a N D a L L P k w y ., S U I T E 111 • OPEN: 9 a M

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: John ‘Perk’ Perkinson plays Sheriff Ed Earl Dodson and Michelle Braxton plays Miss Mona in Opera House Theatre Company’s latest play. Courtesy photo.

scenes with Dan Morris as the mayor and Anthony Lawson as C.J. Scruggs are the welcome lulls of reflection to offset the highs of the big dance numbers. These two have an ease with each other on stage that is captivating in its simplicity and realism.

John “Perk� Perkinson portrays Sherriff Ed Earl Dodd as a tragic figure, a man whose time of greatness has passed.

When the Ladies of the Chicken Ranch line up to say goodbye, he shakes each of their hands like the pitcher of the losing team in the world series.

Melvin P. Thorpe triumphs and closes The Chicken Ranch.

Not unlike Sidney Biddle (the Mayflower Madam), the real life Miss Mona (Edna Milton) insisted upon decorum, hygiene, preventive medical care for her ladies and gave generously to local philanthropic causes.

The illegal and immoral activities of The Chicken Ranch are stopped, but did its operation or its closing cause more harm?

As a total script, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas� has it all: great music, shimmies and shakes, comedy, a little bit of skin and deeper moments of reflection on human motivations.

This production by Opera House hits the right notes, allowing the audience to sympathize with the characters and the hand each of them has been dealt by life—what a great way to tell their stories!

TO

5PM MON. - FRI.

7E ALSO OFFER REPAIRS

1351 S. Kerr Ave. • (910) 313-2999 • OPEN: 10-6 M-F 10-4 Sat. • Closed Sunday encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 23

//ART

playing dirty: Local artists put a new spin on the spin cycle

F

or decades, generations oF

tiny little girls were fed tiny little lies about housework. Led by a score of shiny Disney films to believe that it was easy, fun and didn’t make us sweat like pigs, house quickly became the most popular childhood game of our time. As we donned mini aprons and played with plastic household replicas, we looked forward to the days when we had our very own vacuums, ovens and ironing boards. Years later, as grown-ups, we realize that a spoonful of sugar doesn’t always make the medicine go down (unless you count the 5 p.m. cocktail), and Snow White only whistled while she worked because she had seven helpers. Local artists Sandra Ihly and Katherine Wolf Webb recently decided to not only accept that fact but have a little non-Disney related fun with those piles of laundry that show up week after week.

“Laundry is one of those necessary evils that must be acknowledged, and one can either laugh or cry in contemplation and completion,” Webb says. “We are choosing to laugh.”

s

by Lauren Hodge undry” “Laughing at La m.

Feb. 26 • 6-9 p. s ACME Art Studio et • 632-7442 711 N. 5th Stre The idea for the new show all began with one of Ihly’s sculptures: mannequin legs sticking out of the top of an early electric portable washing machine. “I called it ‘Esther Williams Does Laundry’,” Ihly says. “It is a favorite piece in my studio and always elicits a smile from people who come in. I suggested to Katherine that it might be fun to expand on that theme. She is amazingly talented and clever, and she took up the challenge.”

Calling her colleague’s collection “amazing and amusing,” Webb quickly admits that her work has a bit more angst and tears than Ihly’s. “The central theme is obviously dirty clothes versus clean clothes and all that pertains to them,” Webb says. “We are en-

CHORES GALORE: Two local artists make a satirical statement on daily housewive duties through sculptures such as “Esther Williams Does Laundry”.

Courtesy photo.

deavoring to look at the subject from every possibly ‘normal’ angle and perhaps every unthought-of angle, in hopes of eliciting a chuckle or a thought.”

So when it comes to an endless chore that we can’t escape, what exactly is there to laugh about? Ihly says not much—and that’s the whole idea behind their joined laundry-themed collections, which she is calling “feminist narrative pieces.” “Hardly anything about laundry is funny and that is part of the joke and the challenge,” she says. “[Webb and I] both remember when Betty Friedan’s ‘Feminine Mystique’ book came out and both being of a rebellious nature, we found art an acceptable way to run away from home without leaving.” Webb also credits their similar childhoods with the creative kismet in the show. “Sandra and I have a great deal in common,” she says.

“Our generation and our upbringing really help us stir the pot.”

Now all grown up, both women have been served well by their artistic endeavors. Webb studied studio art at Hollins University, going on to be represented in cities all over North Carolina. Ihly went to Chapel Hill and was reviewed in the New York Times as a “disturbing and sexually charged” artist. Bringing that experience to their new show is all about getting a reaction. All artists ever really want, say both women, is to start a conversation with their work.

“People who come to our show will see funny, crazy assemblages,” says Webb, who requires that all patrons of the show say “assemblages” in a French accent.

“They will include things that are recognizable but assembled in a unique fashion.

They will see paintings both realistic and abstract, funny and sad. The show will be amusing but also thought provoking.”

“I think this show will make people smile,” adds Ihly. “And after this winter, that is a good thing.”

Thank you Wilmintgton for voting us “Best Mediterranean Restaurant” OF BEST A !

SPECI L

$5 OFF Two Lunch Entrees $10 OFF Two Dinner Entrees

OLYMPIA RESTAURANT 5629 Oleander Dr # 116 • (910) 796-9636

24 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

galleryguide| Hampstead Art Gallery

Artfuel.inc

1701 Wrightsville Ave • 910 343 5233 Mon-Sat, 12-9pm; Sunday, 1-6pm www.artfuelinc.com www.myspace.com/artfuel_inc Artfuel.inc is located at the corner of Wrightsville Ave and 17th street. Housed in an old gas station, we offer resident artists working in studios alongside a gallery space used to exhibit other artists work. We hope to connect artists with each other and offer many styles of work to fuel the public’s interest. Vol. 26: Works by Zack Duff, Gabriel Lehman and Miranda Welborn.

Show hangs for eight weeks.

Caffe Phoenix

35 N. Front Street (910) 343-1395 Monday-Saturday: 11:30am - 10pm Sunday Brunch: 11:30am - 4pm Currently exhibiting oil painting by Sarah Rushing which feature colorful local landmarks and area observations. Join us for her Opening Reception Sunday February 27th, from 5-7 p.m. with musical guest Benny Hill. The show will run through April 3rd.

14712 Hwy. 17 N. • (910) 270-5180 Mon.-Sat. 11am-5pm, or by appt.

Hampstead, NC “Beautiful; lots of variety.” “Love the place.” “Beautiful art work.” “Very nice.”

“Art rocks your socks, and you know that.”

These are just what a few customers had to say about Hampstead Art Gallery. Come and tell us what you think.

Affordable prices on prints and originals. Local artists with various styles and taste are just excited about having the opportunity to share their work with all art lovers. Our artists offer different sizes from what we have on display and low rates on commissioned work.

Owner Charles Turner invites all artists and art lovers to just hang out in our new Artist Lounge any time. Look for our upcoming Expos and Open House. Hampstead Art Gallery is located in Hampstead on the corner of Factory Road next to CVS Pharmacy.

New Elements Gallery

216 N. Front St. • 919) 343-8997 Tues-Sat: 11am-5:30pm or by appointment www.newelementsgallery.com

“A Patch of Blue” opens Friday, February 25th at New Elements Gallery from 6 until 9 pm and will continue on display through March 19th. We will be showcasing the works of our gallery artists, including Jane Baldridge, Nancy Carter, Richard Garrison, J. Michael Kennedy and Catherine Lea. Enjoy imagery of sunny skies, balmy days and places you’d love to visit as we all anxiously await the arrival of Spring. It can’t be long now,and a dose of inspiring artwork is the perfect answer to winter doldrums!

Sunset River Marketplace

10283 Beach Dr., SW (NC 179) (910) 575-5999 Tues- Sat. 10am-5pm Closed Mon. in winter sunsetrivermarketplace.com myspace.comsunsetrivermarketplace This eclectic, spacious gallery, located in the historic fishing village of Calabash, N.C., features fine arts and crafts by some of North and South Carolina’s most creative, successful artists. Almost every genre is represented here—oil, pastel and watercolor, clay and glass art, fiber art, turned

98.7 Pearl Jam

Wilmington Art Association Gallery

616B Castle St. (910) 343-4370 www.wilmington-art.org The Wilmington Art Gallery will host the Laney High School “Student Art Competition” with an opening reception on Fourth Friday, Feb. 25th from 6 - 8 pm, and open to the public. Student entries will include both 2D art work, photography and pottery. Awards will be given to students in a variety of categories. Show will continue till March 24th.

Call for artists: Local artists are invited to enter the 29th annual Wilmington Art Association’s juried Spring Art Show and Sale from April 8 - 10. Deadline for registration is March 11th; the information and registration form may be downloaded from our website: www.wilmington-art.org.

13

modern rock Dave Matthews Band

wood, metal works, artisan-crafted jewelry and more. Classes, workshops, pottery studio, custom framing, Creative Exchange lecture series and Coffee With the Author series are also offered on-site.

Songs

every hour

Guaranteed .

Catch us playing

any less and we will give you

$1,000

Red Hot Chili Peppers encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 25

$ ! ! & "

! # ())

!

'

1. buy one

%& for $9999

After $80 mail-in rebate that comes as a Visa debit card. Applicable Smartphone Data Plan required. New 2-yr. agmt. and $30 act. fee may apply. ÂŽ

2. get up to five free

After $80 mail-in rebates that come as Visa debit cards. Applicable Smartphone Data Plans required. New 2-yr. agmts. and $30 act. fees may apply.

()) !

3.

()) !

()) ! ()) !

()) ! ()) !

GET $100 FOR EACH NEW SMARTPHONE LINE (UP TO $600 IN TOTAL CREDIT) WHEN SWITCHING TO U.S. CELLULAR.

# !

Things we want you to know: Two-year agreements (subject to early termination fees) required for new customers and current customers not on a Belief Plan. Current customers may change to a Belief Plan without a new agreement. Agreement terms apply as long as you are a customer. $30 activation fee and credit approval may apply. Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee applies; this is not a tax or government-required charge. Additional fees, taxes and terms apply and vary by service and equipment. Promotional phone subject to change. U.S. Cellular Visa Debit Cards issued by MetaBank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Allow 10–12 weeks for processing. Card does not have cash access and can be used at any merchant location that accepts Visa debit cards. Card valid for 120 days after issued. Smartphone Data Plans start at $30 per month or are included with certain Belief Plans. Application and data network usage charges may apply when accessing applications.

BOG5: Mail-in rebate and activation required on each handset. All handsets must be activated on the same account. Service credit requires new two-year agreement and Smartphone purchase. $100 credit will be applied to your account in $50 increments over two billing periods. Credits will start within 60 days after activation.

Account must remain active in order to receive credit. No cash value. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Android and the Android Robot are trademarks of Google, Inc. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. Other restrictions apply. See store or uscellular.com/project for details. Limited-time offer. Š2011 U.S. Cellular.

26 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

sword-wielding ‘epic’:

//FILM

‘The Eagle’ is a typical warrior movie

I

rarely pIck a movIe to revIew wIth

the intention of destroying it. It’s tempting—damn tempting. When I saw that one of the new releases was a documentary about Justin Bieber, my initial thought was my potential audience. How easy would it to be to write a scathing review of this pre-pubescent pop pulp and turn it into a venomfilled review? Too easy. Or what about the annual Adam Sandler comedy “Just Go With It”? Is there really any part of me that believes another generic Adam Sandler movie would be worth watching, much less reviewing?

To do what I do, I have to love movies. Sometimes I have to see a movie not because it would be the easiest to review, but because it is the film I think has the most potential to be good.

That was difficult last week. Other than “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” and “Just Go With It,” I had two choices: the animated “Gnomeo & Juliet” and the historical epic, “The Eagle.”

The film stars Channing Tatum—or is it Tanning Chatum? (Hold on, I need to check IMDB.com. I was right the first time.) Channing Tatum stars as Marcus Aquila, a member of the Roman Legion who heads to “End of the World,” which in 140 AD was the British Isles. It was there that his father and an entire regiment of Roman soldiers went missing. Marcus has returned to find out what happened to his father and try to recover the legion’s golden eagle.

The stakes are high. Marcus is willing to die to restore his family’s honor. Sure, it sounds hokey, but aren’t all these “ancient warrior” movies served with a cheese course?

“The Eagle” is no less ridiculous than most of its modern counterparts. I found it more involved than the glorified music video pornography of “300,” a movie whose success still confounds me. Like all sword-wielding epics, there’s plenty of grit, grime and grotesque violence. There’s a lot of sweaty, shirtless men yelling at one another, and, of course, long-winded speeches about honor and nobility. In a lot of ways, what I found endearing about “The Eagle” was how misguided the characters were. Their intentions and motivations are based on idiotic, antiquated principles.

As a character, Marcus is the kind of impulsive type-A violent moron who believes all of life’s problems can be solved by swinging his sword. Sadly, most of the movie seems to justify his logic. After his first command ends in bloody massacre, Marcus is relegated to the role of observer. He meets a slave

by Anghus The Eagle

HH

1/2

HHH

and Channing Tatum

Starring Jamie Bell

either. Marcus is headstrong and a gifted fighter, but he’s kind of dense. Sometimes in acting, it’s about finding the right role. If I were Channing Tatum’s agent, I’d probably be looking for roles that read like “tough warrior who looks confused by his surroundings.” I don’t know if I’ll ever like Channing Tatum, but I found him to be a hair above average here.

“The Eagle” is nothing new. In fact, it’s

reel to reel this week in film Visitor Q

Subversive Film Series Juggling Gypsy •1612 Castle St. (910) 763-2223 • Sundays, 8pm Free The film’s plot is often compared to Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Teorema, in which a strange visitor to a wealthy family seduces the maid, the son, the mother, the daughter, and finally the father, before leaving a few days after, subsequently changing their lives.

Made in Dagenham LEGION OF HIGH STAKES: Channing Tatum plays the perfect role in ‘The Eagle’: a type-A violent moron. Courtesy photo

named Esca (Jamie Bell) who ends up in his service. Since he cannot lead an army into the north, he decides to venture off on his own to find out what really happened to the missing Ninth Legion. The villains are clans of mud-soaked savages who speak in a foreign tongue. Esca acts as a reluctant interpreter, living his life under the shadow of Roman rule and horrific landscapes that exist in this noman’s land of the Scottish Moors.

There are things to like about “The Eagle,” mostly Jamie Bell, who is far better than the majority of films he appears in these days. He is the heart and soul in a film that barely qualifies as alive. It’s murky and listless. Channing Tatum, whom in the past I have described as “useless,” “blank” and a “‘roided-out machine with only one setting” is really not that bad here. It’s the first movie where he didn’t seem so glaringly out of place. There’s not much to Channing Tatum as an actor, but there isn’t much to the character of Marcus

rather pedestrian in its goals. It fits right into the mold of old-world epics. The action scenes are perfectly functional. The performances are wonderfully adequate. The themes are radioactively redundant. The film fights hard to be something more than average but never really gets there. Certainly not the worst movie I’ve seen this year. It definitely has to be better than the other films from which I had to choose.

Cinematique Thalian Hall • 310 Chestnut Street Mon-Wed, 2/28 - 3/2, 7:30pm, $7 Based on a true story about a female workers strike in 1968 at Ford’s Dagenham, England car plant, the film follows Rita (Sally Hawkins). What she expects to be simply a day out of work turns into much more when she and her colleagues become outraged by the lack of respect shown in the meeting to the women employees. 113 Minutes. Rated: R for language and brief sexuality

All AreA movie listings And pArAgrAph synopses cAn be found At encorepub.com.

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 27

Cindy Hare Nail Design

Full Set Nail Special!

Acrylic $60................ FREE Gel $60 .................... FREE maniQ Color $30 ....... FREE 2 Weeks Fill $25 ......... $20

When you book & pay for one 2 week fill Choose one FREE service 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE SATISFACTION GUARANTEED The Work’s Design Group 112 N. Cardinal #101

910-508-2569

Available Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun

Thanks for voting us #1 Tanning Salon • Wilmington’s Most Popular Tanning Salon • Most Frequent Bulb Changes in Wilmington • Longest Operating Salon in Wilmington

2 Mystic Tanning Sessions ONE MONTH

30 $ 00 30 $

Unlimited Tanning

00

With coupon only

gussy up, ilm:

//FILM

Cucalorus hosts ‘An Evening at the Oscars’

I

n may of

1929,

the fIrst acad-

Awards took place—the Oscars.

At that time, guest tickets were $5, only 270 people attended the ceremony, and the public wasn’t invited. This was the only awards presentation that escaped the media audience, though. The next year, enthusiasm about the awards was so great that a radio station decided to put on a live, one-hour broadcast of the event. Ever since, the Oscars have had an audience.

On Sunday, February 27th, millions will help celebrate the 83rd year of the Academy Awards.

They will be tuning in with high anticipation to watch red-carpet interviews, see what Hollywood stars are wearing, and eagerly await each envelope’s revelation of winners. This year, instead of just lounging at home in pajamas with a bag of popcorn, Wilmingtonians will have a chance to dress to the nines and take part in the festivities on a local level. Thanks to Wilmington’s very own film darling at the Cucalorus Film Foundation, the second annual “Evening at the Oscars” will be held at the Hilton Riverside Wilmington.

Bo Webb, a camera operator by day, currently working on the “Cinderella Story,” which is filming locally, is a former board member and head chair of the foundation. He is also one of Cucalorus’ founding members and continues emceeing the festival’s screenings annually. When he’s emy

With coupon only

OPEN: M-F 7:30am-10pm Sat 9am-7pm • Sun 12pm-5pm TROPICAL TANS I 5003 Wrightsville Ave. • 392-3311 TROPICAL TANS II 402 Carl St., Stuite 101 • 790-0093 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

28 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

caddon

by Rachael Cars e Oscars An Evening at th e Hilton Riversid 7:30-11 p.m. , Februar y 27th Tickets: $125 org www.cucalorus.

FUND-RAISING WITH THE STARS: An Evening at the Oscars is the only public fund-raiser for the Cucalorus Film Festival. The event features catering by manna, open bar and a silent auction, along with the awards ceremony shown on the big screen.

Courtesy photo from last year’s event, featuring Jonathan Guggenheim. Photo by Dana Hawley.

not working the camera, he’s assisting in pulling together fund-raisers for Cucalorus and keeping it in the proverbial spotlight.

“We’ll be showing the Academy Awards on big screens to celebrate the Oscars in style,” Webb says. The evening will be catered by the fine American cuisine of manna, and there will be an open bar, a curated silent auction, an Oscar pool with cash prizes and a paparazzi-packed red carpet hosted by Style Girl Jess James.

Cucalorus primarily gets funding from private donations, ticket sales, sponsors, grants and memberships. “An Evening at the Oscars” acts as a public fund-raiser that allows the community to have a direct impact on keeping the independent film fest afloat.

“Comparable film festivals have three or

four times the budget we do,” Webb notes, “so we can’t actually afford to have more fund-raisers per year.”

Mostly operated by a tiny staff, the festival depends on the generosity of arts supporters to maintain its dedication toward hosting one of Wilmington’s most revered events each November. “The money we raise at the Oscars will first and foremost pay our staff, which will in turn make this year’s festival actually happen,” Webb assures.

To put it best, this film foundation makes a lot happen with very little. They have an international reputation and make top-ten lists on a regular basis, showcasing not just their contributions to film but highlighting Wilmington as well.

It’s also regarded as one of the coolest things about Wilmington and our film community.

Though not advertised as a black-tie event, tuxedos do make an appearance, and people are encouraged to dress as if they were accepting one of the Oscars themselves. “It’s a chance to get gussied up and have some fun, or go crazy if that’s your thing,” Webb says. “We get some wacky outfits for sure—very Cucalorus!”

“Evening at the Oscars” is open to anyone, but tickets are limited. They cost $125 and can be purchased at the Cucalorus website, www.cucalorus.org, or at Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street. Tables of eight are available, as well, for friends or coworkers. Cucalorus will put a logo on the program, as well as on the screens during commercial breaks, for those who purchase the tables.

“If you’ve never watched the Oscars on big screens with a dressed-up, enthusiastic crowd, enjoying excellent food and an open bar, this might just be the party for you,” Webb says. “It’s a fun night out and a great way to support Cucalorus.”

The Oscars air February 27th, and the Cucalorus party takes place from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. The Cucalorus Film Festival is slated for November 10th through 13th.

WEEKLY SPECIALS MonDay:

Pint and Burrito Night. $5 gets you any pint and a burrito

TueSDay:

Weekly Specials:

cials Weekly Spe

$2 Tuesday. Tacos, Tecate, and Tequila are all $2 each

WeDneSDay:

1/2 Price Bar Menu All Day • 1/2 Price Margaritas

ThurSDay:

Salsa Night...No Partner Required!

20% off food for all participants

FriDay:

Paco Strickland Live @ 6:30

Asian Tuesdays

Featuring Asian Firepots. 3 course meal and $5 glass pours on featured wine.

Wednesday

“Ladie’s night” $8 per lady for cheese and chocolate. Add grilled chicken and shrimp $6 portion recommended for two

Thursday

Try our $27 4-course prix fixe menu and $2.50 drafts along with $6 martinis!

Friday

1/2 PRICE SUSHI 5-7pm Now Every Night of the Week!

Monday

Select Sakes Half Price

Tuesday

Locals Night -Service Industry Employees 20% off Menu Items, 7-10pm. Beer & Drink Specials

Wednesday

Ladies Night $5 Glass of Wine

Thursday

All night 70’s menu Step back in time and enjoy the prices

Brunch starts at 11AM • $5 Shrimp and Grits $3 Bloody Marys, $3 Mimosas, $3 Sangria

Karaoke starting at 10:30pm

‘wine down’ with half-price bottles

1/2 Off Select Bottles of Wine

5 South Water Street Downtown Wilmington 910-399-4501

138 South Front Street 910.251.0433 www.littledipperfondue.com

33 S. Front St. 2nd Floor (910) 763-3172 www.yosake.com

SunDay:

Sunday

Sunday

Cruisers Car Wash and Detail Centers The Cruisers team sincerely thanks you, once again, for voting us the #1 Car Wash in Wilmington for the tenth year running. We promise to continue our daily commitment to excellence.

“Any Time” Car Wash Long Beach Road Southport

Cruisers Car Wash and Detail 3835 Oleander Drive 799-6511

The Cruisers Management Team JASON ANDERS and LENA HANSEN

Cruisers Car Wash and Detail 325 South College Road 799-0070 encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 29

the live music experience:

//MUSIC

Feel the groove with The Mantras

I

F

STRING

CHEESE

INCIDENT

AND

Umphrey’s McGee were morphed into one band that occasionally took funky cues from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it would sound like The Mantras. Bands formed in recent times with improvisational music aren’t common, as it is not an easy style to master. It would be near impossible for any Phish, Grateful Dead or jam band fan not to enjoy the groove and peaceful messages of The Mantras’ energetic anthems. A talented six-piece band from Greensboro, they will be performing at The Whiskey on February 25th, reminding fans what a live music experience is really about.

The band’s ability to combine jam rock with funk, jazz and blues, paired with their improvisational onstage style, sets them apart from other NC outfits. Their talent is easily showcased though their concerts and recordings. On “Magillacuddy” from their 2010 album “Dharma,” pulsating bass guitar riffs are matched with steady drumbeats while the main strums impressively speed up before softly slowing down the animated pace. It keeps listeners wondering what they might hear next.

From the same album, “Five Roads” is a catchy foot-tapper that starts out slow with light guitar strumming and drums before dipping into a rockin’ guitar solo. The vocals are right on key, and paired with the music, it maintains a Zappa-ish effect.

Like “Dharma,” The Mantras’ other two albums (with a live album compilation possibly in the works soon) manage to balance a smooth, coordinated and professional sound with sporadic instrumentations. The effect is laid-back, and the band never lets their music or live shows stagnate or dull.

“We like to experiment and keep things

all

by Sarah Crand The Mantras S Front St The Whiskey • 1 m.

Feb. 25th • 9 p.

Admission: $5 .com www.themantras fresh, and play all different kinds of styles,” frontman, guitarist and vocalist Keith Allen says. “If we were playing the same thing all the time, I think we all would have gotten bored with it a long time ago. We rarely ever play a song the same way twice. Stylistically, it will be the same, but where we go with it and what we do with it differs. We always want to try to keep people excited when they come to our shows.”

While comparisons to bands such as the Allman Brothers Band run deep, the driving force behind the Mantras is their upbeat sound and personal influences. Specifically, certain genres have been an integral part of Allen’s contributions to the band.

“I think that what connects us all is that the fact that we have such a broad range of influences. So, when all that comes together, it kind of has a similar type of sound,” he explains. “My influences change—like right now I’m listening to a lot of electronic music. But the first things that drew me to improvisational music were jazz recordings and the Grateful Dead. I like rock ‘n’ roll, but I never grasped the concept of improvising until I heard jazz, like Miles Davis.

Then I heard the Grateful Dead, and they combined rock music with improvisation, which was mind-blowing.”

The band also tries to stay open minded when listening to unfamiliar music. Allen ac-

Thank you to all of our residents who help to make The Reserve at Mayfaire the BEST apartment community in Wilmington!

Luxury Apartment Homes

910-256-4019

www.reserveatmayfaire.com 30 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

REPEAT AFTER ME: The Mantras won’t let music fans easily forget the magic in ad-libbing music and performing with gusto. Courtesy photo.

knowledges that musical tastes evolve, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to confine themselves. “There really isn’t anything that any of us won’t listen to, even if it’s something we think is really horrible,” he says with a laugh.

A lot has changed since the band’s inception nearly eight years ago. Most of the current members met while studying at UNC-Greensboro. When Allen was introduced to bass player Brian Tyndall and guitar player Marcus Horth, they had already formed a band called Marcus and the Mantras. After Allen began playing music with his new friends, they permanently established the trio that cemented their core sound.

In about 2005, after going through several drummers, Justin Loew became the perfect fit. Around that time, they shortened their name to the Mantras. “I started writing more and [our music] really became a bigger group effort, so we changed the name to reflect the unification of the band,” Allen says. The then-quartet wanted to add

The most delicious week of spring

EncoreRestaurantWeek.com

more instruments. In 2006, Brent Vaughn became the group’s percussionist. As of late, they have added keyboardist Justin Powell.

Together, the now-sextuplet have created a legendary style of fusions, and by blurring the genres of funk, blues, jazz and rock, their eclectic charm draws in a loyal fan base no matter where they tour. With over 2,870 fans on Facebook alone, Allen notes that the Mantras’ devotees live up to the notorious jam-band custom of following the band to each performance.

“Usually when we have a Facebook event in North Carolina, we get anywhere from 40 to 100 of the same people who R.S.V.P,” Allen says. “We work really hard, so it’s great to see fans return that energy because if they didn’t do that, we wouldn’t continue to play. The people who come to see our shows it what keeps inspiring us.

People spend a lot of money and take a lot of time out of their day to come see us.”

Some of the band’s most memorable performances been at the FloydFest music festival held annually in Floyd, Virginia, where they took home the award for the Under the Radar fan-voted contest, and performing on Halloween at Raleigh’s Pour House Music Hall, where they all dressed up as devils. To say you never know what you might get could very well be their mantra.

The Mantras’ music is available on iTunes. Check them out live this weekend at the Whiskey.

Yasmin Levy 8 p.m. Monday, February 28 Kenan Auditorium $22 Discounts for UNCW students and employees, non-UNCW students and senior citizens

STEP 1

Bring your gently used clothes to Return Passage and exchange them for a voucher for Island Passage credit.

STEP 2

Use your voucher to save 25% off any regularly-priced Island Passage item!

STEP 3

In her deep, spiritual and moving style of singing, Yasmin Levy preserves and revives the most beautiful and romantic songs from the Ladino/Judeo-Spanish heritage, mixing it with Andalusian Flamenco. Born in Jerusalem, Israel, London’s Guardian raves, “Here surely is the next

If you don’t have your Return Offender card yet be sure to ask for details next time you visit!

world music superstar.”

2010-2011 Season Arts in Action Performance Series

www.uncw.edu/presents Kenan Box Office 910.962.3500 www.etix.com

University of North Carolina Wilmington

.

Campus Life

.

Division of Student Affairs

An EEO/AA institution. Accommodations for disabilities may be requested by contacting 910.962.3285 three days prior to the event.

302 N. Front St., Downtown Wilmington 910-343-1627 Like our facebook page and as a fan you will get special access to fan only coupon! encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 31

soundboard| LIVE MUSIC Gabby’s Lounge Friday, February 25

LONG DRIVE 7-10PM

Saturday, February 26

JOHNNIE ACOUSTIC 7-10PM

Friday, March 4

OVERTYME 7-10PM

Saturday, March 5

JOAN BURTON 7-10PM

wrightsville.sunspreeresorts.com 877-330-5050 • 910-256-2231

Your Downtown Sports Pub! MONDAY $10 Bud/Light Buckets $4 Jack Daniels • $4 Capt. Morgan TUESDAY $1 Tacos 4-7, $3 DosXX Amber Pints, $3.50 Mexican Bottles, $4 Jose Cuervo Margaritas, $5 Premium tequila Shots WEDNESDAY $4 Select Bombs, $2 Wells, $3 Pints, $8 LIT pitchers THURSDAY $2 Domestic Pints w/ HK Mug, $4 Jack Daniels, Crown, Jim Beam, and Jager. $5 Bombs, $2 Coors Light Bottles FRIDAY & SATURDAY $4 Shooters, $5 Hell’s Cocktails, $6 house wine, $7 Martinis, $10 Party Pitchers SUNDAY Service industry night $2.50 Domestic Draft, $4 Bloody Mary’s, $4 Crown, Jack Daniels, and Jager. $5 Bombs, 1/2 price apps after 9pm dueling pianos EVERY THURS, FRI & SAT NIGHT 1/2 priced select appetizers m-th 4-7pm Check out all you favorite sports teams on 10 hdtvs and hd big screen. Now showing NFL sunday ticket, NCAA GamePlan, NhL Center ice as well as all the ACC action every Wednesday 118 Princess St • (910)763-4133

32 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

a preview of tunes all over town this week WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 THE GET DOWN JAM WITH THE CASSEROLE —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616 KERSTEN CAPRA —Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess Street; 362-9666 LIVE ACOUSTIC —Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 763-4133 DJ —Charley Brownz, 21 S Front St.; 254-9499 WILMINGTON ICON (SINGING CONTEST) —Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, 920 Town Centre Dr.; 509-0805 ACOUSTIC JAZZ PIANO WITH JAMES JARVIS —Circa 1922, 8 N. Front St.; 762-1922 OPEN MIC WITH SEAN GERARD (9PM) —Soapbox Lounge, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 BANGARANG W/ LORD WALRUS & SIR NICK BLAND —Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach; 256-2776 MARK HERBERT & GABRIELLE —Green Light Lounge; 21 N. Front St., Basement LIVE JAZZ —Cameo 1900; 1900 Eastwood Rd.,910509-2026 KARAOKE W/ DJBE EXTREME —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff; 256-3838 ROGER DAVIS & RON WILSON —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 JEREMY NORRIS —Buffalo Wild Wings, 206 Old Eastwood Rd.; 798-9464 KARAOKE —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 KARAOKE WITH MIKE —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 JIM ASHLEY OPEN MIC NIGHT —The Harp; 1423 South 3rd St.,763-1607 OPEN MIC NIGHT —Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223 SAI COLLINS —Sweet & Savory Cafe; 1611 Pavilion Plc.,256-0115

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24 DJ GREG —Green Light Lounge; 21 N. Front St., Basement

ON TOP OF THE WORLD: Enter the Haggis, a Celtic rock band from Toronto, will play the Soapbox Wednesday, March 2. Courtesty photo.

KARAOKE W/ DJ STEVE —The Toolbox, 2325 Burnette Blvd.; 343-6988 KARAOKE KONG —Orton Pool Room, 133 North Front St.; 343-8878 DJ BATTLE —Odessa, 23 N. Front St.; 251-8814 DJ —Charley Brownz, 21 S Front St.; 254-9499 FRIED LOT —Sweet & Savory Cafe; 1611 Pavilion Plc.,256-0115 ACOUSTIC JAZZ PIANO WITH JAMES JARVIS —Circa 1922, 8 N. Front St.; 762-1922 TRIVIA WITH PARTY GRAS DJ —Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, 920 Town Centre Dr.; 509-0805 KARAOKE W/ DJBE EXTREME —Banks Channel Bar & Grille, 530 Causeway Drive; 256-2269 DJ S T R E T C H —Trebenzio’s, 141 N. Front St.; 815-3301 LIVE JAZZ —Cameo 1900; 1900 Eastwood Rd.,910509-2026 KARAOKE —Yosake Sushi Lounge, 31 S. Front St.; 763-3172 OPEN MIC WITH JEREMY NORRIS —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 DIRTY MEGA DANCE PARTY —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

ANNA MALLARD, KIM DISCO AND TYLER MCKAIG —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616 DJ “MR LEE” —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595 FIREDANCE & DRUMS @ DARK, DJ MIT PSYTRANCE (11PM) —Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223 DUELING PIANOS —Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 763-4133 TOP 40 DJ —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 DJ RICHTERMEISTER —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff; 256-3838 JUSTIN LACY —Live on Grace, 121 N. Front St; 399-4390

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25 DJ DANE BRITT —Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.; 689-7219 DJ —Charley Brownz, 21 S Front St.; 254-9499 KARAOKE —Gilligan’s; N.C. Hwy. 50, Surf City 910-3284090 JAZZ WITH BENNY HILL —Caffe Phoenix, 9 S Front St.; 343-1395 LATINO NIGHT WITH DJ —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595

DJ —Cameo 1900; 1900 Eastwood Rd.,910509-2026 DJ P FUNK —Level 5/City Stage, 21 N. Front St.; 342-0872 DANCE DJ —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 DUELING PIANOS —Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 763-4133 DJ SCOOTER FRESH —Rox, 208 Market St.; 343-0402 KARAOKE WITH DJ VALERIE —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 DJ —Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach; 256-2776 DJ S T R E T C H —Trebenzio’s, 141 N. Front St.; 815-3301 DJ DUSTIN —Odessa, 23 N. Front St.; 251-8814 RON ETHERIDGE & JASON WOOLWINE —Barbary Coast; 116 S. Front St., 762-8996 MACHINE GUN —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff; 256-3838 BIG DOG/LITTLE DOG —Buffalo Wild Wings, 206 Old Eastwood Rd.; 798-9464 TOM NOONAN AND JANE HOUSEAL —Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess Street; 362-9666 JIM ASHLEY (9-CLOSE) —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737

BALLYHOO, IRATION, FICTION 20 DOWN —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 MIKE O’DONNELL —Reel Cafe, 100 S. Front St.; 251-1832 MEDUSA STONE —Playhouse 211, 4320 Southport Supply Rd. Ste 1, St. James; 200-7785 FULL DISH —Sweet & Savory Cafe; 1611 Pavilion Plc.,256-0115

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27

CULTURE BLEND: UNCW presents Yasmin Levy, a singer-songwriter of Judaeo-Spanish music, to Kenan Auditorium on Monday, March 1. Photo by Ali Taskiran.

JINNY DASHER (6-9PM) —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 BEAR BONES —Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223 THE MOOD —Live on Grace, 121 N. Front St; 399-4390 ANDREW KANE DUO —Firebelly Lounge, 265 N. Front St.; 763-0141 L SHAPE LOT —Goat and Compass, 710 N. 4th St.; 772-1400 THAT 1 GUY —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 THE MANTRAS —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 SONGS OF WATER, MIKE BLAIR AND THE STONEWALLS —Soapbox Lounge, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 ROB RONNER —Reel Cafe, 100 S. Front St.; 251-1832 LONG DRIVE —Holiday Inn Resort (Gabby’s Lounge), 1706 N. Lumina Ave.; 256-2231 LJ JOHNSON —Jamaica’s Comfort Zone, 417 S. College Rd.; 399-2867 MASONBORO SOUND —Sweet & Savory Cafe; 1611 Pavilion Plc.,256-0115

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 DJ —Cameo 1900; 1900 Eastwood Rd.,910509-2026 DJ P MONEY —Rox, 208 Market St.; 343-0402 DJ —Level 5/City Stage, 21 N. Front St.; 342-0872

DANCE DJ —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 DJ S T R E T C H —Trebenzio’s, 141 N. Front St.; 815-3301 DJ KEVIN —The Dive, 6 N. Lake Park Blvd.; 458-8282 DUELING PIANOS —Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 763-4133 DJ —Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach; 256-2776 KARAOKE WITH FREDDIE —Remedies, Market Street; 392-8001 SALSA W/ DJ LALO —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595 BENJY TEMPLETON —Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess Street; 362-9666 TRAVIS SHALLOW & FRIENDS —Firebelly Lounge, 265 N. Front St.; 763-0141 JASON ROSS —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 PHANTOM PLAYBOYS, ANDREW KANE AND THE ALIBIS —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616 HOT ROD —Live on Grace, 121 N. Front St; 399-4390 BLIVET —Grand Union Pub, 1125 Military Cutoff;2569133 JOHNNIE ACOUSTIC —Holiday Inn Resort (Gabby’s Lounge), 1706 N. Lumina Ave.; 256-2231 SUPER CONTRA BAND —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 CRASHBOX —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff; 256-3838

DJ P MONEY —Rox, 208 Market St.; 343-0402 PERRY SMITH (BRUNCH 12-2) —Aubriana’s; 115 S. Front St., 763-7773 KARAOKE —Green Light Lounge; 21 N. Front St., Basement MICAH PHELPS KENNEDY —The River Rat, 1 S. Front St.; 763-1680 FREE METAL SUNDAYS —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 GALEN ON GUITAR —The Coastal Roaster, 5954 Carolina Beach Rd.; 399-4701 MECANIKILL —Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28 OPEN MIC NIGHT —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616 PENGO WITH BEAU GUNN —Mellow Mushroom, 4311 Oleander Drive; 452-3773 BRETT JOHNSON’S JAM —Rusty Nail, 1310 S. 5th Ave.; 251-1888 DJ TIME —Trebenzio’s, 141 N. Front St.; 815-3301 THE SELEKT —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 DJ RICHTERMEISTER —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff; 256-3838 YASMIN LEVY —Kenan Auditorium UNCW Campus; 313-2584

TUESDAY, MARCH 1 INDIE MUSIC NIGHT —Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223 KARAOKE WITH PARTY GRAS DJ —Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, 920 Town Centre Dr.; 509-0805 ACOUSTIC JAZZ PIANO WITH JAMES JARVIS —Circa 1922, 8 N. Front St.; 762-1922 OPEN MIC NIGHT —Surf’s Bar & Grill; 5500 Market St., 791-9021 KARAOKE —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616

TRIVIA WITH DUTCH FROM 94.5 THE HAWK —The Coastal Roaster, 5954 Carolina Beach Rd.; 399-4701 WILMINGTON UNPLUGGED —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 DJ “MR LEE” —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595 DJ EYECON —SideBar; 18 S. Front St., 763-1401 COLLEGE NIGHT KARAOKE —Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess Street; 362-9666 AS I LAY DYING, WINDS OF PLAGUE, AFTER THE BURIAL, MELEE —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

100 S. Front St. Downtown 251-1832 .0/%":

Tuesday $2.50 All Drafts $4.50 Absolut Lemonade ½ Priced Select Appetizers from 4 until 7

1/2 PRICE APPS. 4-6pm $ 2 White Wolf $250 Redstripe $ 50 3 Wells 35¢ Wings at 8pm

Wednesday $2.50 Yuengling Draft $2.50 Domestic Bottles ½ Priced Select Appetizers from 4 until 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 THE GET DOWN JAM WITH THE CASSEROLE —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616 KERSTEN CAPRA —Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess Street; 362-9666 LIVE ACOUSTIC —Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 763-4133 DJ —Charley Brownz, 21 S Front St.; 254-9499 WILMINGTON ICON (SINGING CONTEST) —Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, 920 Town Centre Dr.; 509-0805 ACOUSTIC JAZZ PIANO WITH JAMES JARVIS —Circa 1922, 8 N. Front St.; 762-1922 OPEN MIC WITH SEAN GERARD (9PM) —Soapbox Lounge, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 BANGARANG W/ LORD WALRUS & SIR NICK BLAND —Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach; 256-2776 MARK HERBERT & GABRIELLE —Green Light Lounge; 21 N. Front St., Basement LIVE JAZZ —Cameo 1900; 1900 Eastwood Rd.,910-5092026 KARAOKE W/ DJBE EXTREME —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff; 256-3838 E.S.S. —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 JEREMY NORRIS —Buffalo Wild Wings, 206 Old Eastwood Rd.; 798-9464 KARAOKE —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 KARAOKE WITH MIKE —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 JIM ASHLEY OPEN MIC NIGHT —The Harp; 1423 South 3rd St.,763-1607 OPEN MIC NIGHT —Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223 ENTER THE HAGGIS, CHANNING & QUINN —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

Monday $2.50 Budweiser Draft •$4 Wells ½ Priced Select Appetizers from 4- 7

1/2 PRICE APPS. 4-6pm $ 2 Budweiser • $225 Heineken $ 3 Gin & Tonic Add Personal Pizza and a Beer $5

Thursday $3 Coronas • $4 Margaritas ½ Priced Select Appetizers from 4 until 7 Friday $3 Pint of The Day Saturday $5 Sangria

56&4%":

8&%/&4%":

1/2 PRICE APPS. 4-6pm $ 50 2 Blue Moons • $250 Corona/Corona Light 1/2 Priced Wine Bottles Date Night 1 app, 2 entrees, 1 desert, and a bottle of wine for $45 5)634%":

2 Domestic Bottles, • $275 Import Bottles, $ 3 Rum and Coke

$

'3*%":

Sunday $5 Bloody Marys *Drink Specials Run All Day, But Food Specials Shown Are From 4 Until 7 Only.

LIVE MUSIC IN THE COURTYARD DJ Sir Charles 2nd floor $ 3 Landshark • $3 Kamikaze $ 5 Bombs

Certain Appetizers are Excluded from Special.

4"563%":

DJ Sir Charles on 2nd floor floor open by 10pm $ 2 Coors Light • $3 Fruit Punch shots 46/%":

2 Corona $350 Bloody Mary’s • $3 Mimosas

$ 75

visit our website www.ruckerJohns.com for daily specials, music & upcoming events

monday 5 pizzas, and half price Nachos and Wings ( in the Bar starting at 6:00) 22oz Domestic Draft all Day

$

tuesday live Jazz in the Bar • Half Price Bottles of Wine absolut Dream $5 • Pacifico $2.50 wednesday Corona\Corona light $250 Margarita\Peach Margaritas $4 Miller light Bottles $150 thursday Gran Martinis $7 • Red Stripe $250 friday Cosmos $4 • 007 $350 Harps bottles $250 • Island Sunsets $5

wed 2.23

karaoke night

with dj be! thurs 2.24

trivia night fri 2.25

machine gun sat 2.26

live music with

crashbox

saturday Baybreeze\Seabreeze $4 22oz Blue Moon Draft $3 Select domestic bottles $150 sunday Domestic Draft Pints $150 Bloody Marys $4 • White Russians $4 1:00 - Moo and Brew Special $7 5564 CaRolINa BeaCH RD 452-1212

Photo...

Scott Sain of Plane jane

,ANDFALL #ENTER s 1331 Military Cutoff Rd

910-256-3838 w i l d w i n g c a f e. c o m

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 33

LIMITEDly: TIME onOR JOIN F

$1

Come join us for our weekend brunch featuring q Ă nnĂŠ b†t 8ÂŒ Ăˆ8nq b´ ÂźÂ?œœbY Ăˆ Âź| |Â?‰b´ŸÊ†b nÂą bY O| OÂ…bÂŒ ? OÂąb8‰Ê ´8à ´8tb tÂą8ÇÊ or ‰8Ϡb Â´ĂŠÂąĂ Âœ nÂ?Âą Âź|b Ÿ¹à †Ê ´Â?Ă Âź|bÂąÂŒl Âą ĂŠÂ?Ă O8ÂŒ 8Â†Ăˆ8Ê´ Fbt ÂŒ Âź|b Y8ĂŠ Ăˆ Âź| Â?Ă Âą ´OÂą8‰F†bY btt ´… ††bŸ´ Âź|8Âź ´Ÿ8¹Ÿ Ăˆ Âź| OÂą Â´ÂœĂŠ ÂœÂ?Âź8ÂźÂ? O8Â…b´ ? bÂŒY Ăˆ Âź| 8†† Â… ÂŒY´ Â?n ÂźÂ?œœ ÂŒt´¥ (†à ´ 8 Â?ÂŒÂźb Âą ´ŸÂ? ´8ÂŒYĂˆ O| Â?ÂŒ ÂźbÉ8´ ÂźÂ?8´Ÿ Âź|8Âź Ăˆ †† ‰8Â…b ĂŠÂ?Ă Âą Âź8´ŸbFĂ Y´ ´ ÂŒtl SATURDAY AND SUNDAYS FROM 11AM - 3PM

Wilmington mayfaire town center 980 Town Center Dr. 910.239.1202

Visit us online for a free 7-day pass: o2fitnessclubs.com

34 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

Live Music this week Thursday Trivia Night w/ DJ Richtermeister Friday Night Rocks

MACHINE GUN

IS BACK! Saturday Night Live with CRASHBOX

&9F<>9DD =FL=J c 'ADAL9JQ MLG>> ,< c O O O O A D < O A F ? ; 9 > = ; G E

ShowStoppers:

Concerts around the region

Mixology Monday $5 Specialty Cocktails

Tues. - Thurs.

Selected Wine Specials

Friday

Live Jazz!

Sunday

TV Sports Beer Specials and free bar snacks!

35 North Front Street Downtown Wilmington (910) 343-1395

ORANGE IS THE COLOR OF YOUR ENERGY: 311 crashes The Orange Peel in Asheville on Monday, February 28. Courtesy photo.

CAT’S CRADLE 300 E. MAIN ST., CARRBORO, NC • (919) 967-9053 2/24: The Pietasters, Archbishops of Blount Street, Petrojvic Blasting Company 2/25: Los Amigos Invisibles 2/26: If Not For You: Tribute to George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” 2/27: Get Up Kids, Miniature Tigers, Brian Bonz THE ORANGE PEEL 101 BILTMORE AVENUE, ASHEVILLE, NC • (828) 225-5851 2/23: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Los Amigos Invisibles 2/24: Old 97’s, Those Darlins 2/25: Telic, Burnstitch, Lifecurse 2/26: Big Gigantic, Zoogma, Bookworms 2/28: 311, The Movement GREENSBORO COLISEUM 1921 W. LEE ST., GREENSBORO, NC • (336) 373-7400 2/25: Rhythyms of Triumph, ft. Mint Condition 2/27: Loretta Lynn LINCOLN THEATRE 126 E. CABARRUS ST., RALEIGH, NC • (919) 821-4111 2/23: That 1 Guy 2/24: Perpetual Groove 2/25: Who’s Bad, Mosadi Music

2/26: Step Canyon Rangers 2/27: As I Lay Dying, Winds of Plague, After the Burial 3/2: Leon Russell NORTH CHARLESTON COLISEUM 5001 COLISEUM DR., NORTH CHARLESTON, SC • (843) 529-5000 2/25: Celtic Woman 2/26: Ron White AMOS’ SOUTHEND 1423 SOUTH TRYON ST. , CHARLOTTE, NC • (704) 377-6874 2/23: Underoath, Thursday, Animals as Leaders, A Skylit Drive 2/25: Campbell the Band, Little Bull Lee, Jess Ray and the Rag Tag Army 2/26: Dead Prez 2/27: Slightly Stoopid, Fishbone, Simeon of Outlaw Nation ALABAMA THEATRE 4750 HWY 17 S. , N. MYRTLE BEACH, SC • (843) 272-1111 2/28: Daniel O’Donnell, Mary Duff

TOWNSHIP AUDITORIUM 1703 TAYLOR ST., COLUMBIA, SC • (803) 576-2356 2/26: John Mellencamp

OVENS AUDITORIUM 2700 E. INDEPENDENCE BLVD., CHARLOTTE, NC • (704) 372-3600 3/1: John Mellencamp 3/2: Daniel O’Donnell

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 35

what’s for dinner?

grub&guzzle|

36-39 DINING GUIDE 40 DINING FEATURE

Find it in the premier dining guide for the Port City iC KiTCHen m S O C ’ S i CHr d rd # 109 o o w t s a e 0 42 6720 (910) 792-

Mushroom Swiss burger, now hand-pattied, with fresh cut fruit and homemade shrimp bisque.

ameriCan

CHRIS’ COSMIC KITCHEN

A shortdrive from the beach, Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Mayfaire Town Center is a fun, friendly neighborhood restaurant. Serving the best brick-oven pizzas around, Brixx also offers a fine selection of signature focaccia sandwiches, pastas, fresh salads and desserts. Stop in for a quick lunch, or kick back on the patio with one of 24 beers on tap or 14 wines by the glass. 6801 Main Street, Wilmington, NC 28405. (910) 256-9677.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.-Sat. 11am–1am; Sun. 11am – 11pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: 2-for-1 pizzas and apps after 10pm ■ WEBSITE: www.brixxpizza.com

Serving breakfast all day as well as lunch and handmade cheesecake, Chef and Owner Chris Lubben loves to make many of his menu items from scratch. Whether you’re in the mood for a fluffy 3-egg Omelet, Shrimp & Grits, Prime Rib Sandwich or Andes Mint Cheesecake, Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen is your “Out of this World” Breakfast/Lunch Destination. Evening restaurant rental is available, as well as a Personal Chef service. Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen is located at 420 Eastwood Rd, Unit 109, on the corner of Racine Dr. and Eastwood Rd. (910) 792-6720. Follow us on Twitter @ CosmicKitchen.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH: 8am-4pm Tues-Sat.; Sun. Brunch 9am-2pm. Closed Mon. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Take out, call (910) 792-6720 ■ WEBSITE: www.CosmicKitchenOnline.com.

BLUEWATER

C.G. DAWGS

BRIXX WOOD FIRED PIZZA

Enjoy spectacular panoramic views of sailing ships and the Intracoastal Waterway while dining at this popular casual American restaurant in Wrightsville Beach. Lunch and dinner are served daily. Favorites include jumbo lump crab cakes, succulent seafood lasagna, crispy coconut shrimp and an incredible Caribbean fudge pie. Dine inside or at their award-winning outdoor patio and bar, which is the location for their lively Waterfront Music Series every Sun. during the summer months. Large parties welcome. Private event space available. BluewaterDining.com. 4 Marina Street, Wrightsville Beach, NC. (910) 256.8500.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon-Fri 10am-11pm; Sat & Sun 10am - 11pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Waterfront dining ■ MUSIC: Music every Sun. in Summer ■ WEBSITE: bluewaterdining.com.

36 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

For great traditional New York style eats with Southern charm look no further than C.G. Dawgs. You will be drawn in by the aroma of fine beef franks served with witty banter and good natured delivery from the cleanest hot dog carts in Wilmington. Sabrett famous hot dogs and Italian sausages are the primary fare offered, with a myriad of condiments for all of your mid-day or late night cravings.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: 11am - 5pm.

Sat. at the farmers market. Thurs.- Sat. nights on Market St. between Front and 2nd St. from 10pm - 3:00am. Fibbers on Sun. nights until 3am.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Lunch time delivery downtown

THE GEORGE ON THE RIVERWALK

Drop your anchor at The George on the RiverWalk,

your destination for complete sense indulgence.

Watch the historic Cape Fear River unfold before you while you enjoy the best in Southern Coastal Cuisine. The menu combines elegance, creativity and diverse selection of steak, pasta, salad and fresh seafood, including the best Shrimp n’ Grits in town. Warm in the sun on the expansive outdoor deck sipping an exotic, colorful martini, or unwind at the spacious bar inside boasting extensive wine and martini lists along with weekday appetizer specials from 4:00pm-6:30pm. Don’t forget to try downtown’s best kept secret for Sunday Brunch from 11am-3pm. You are welcome to dock your boat at the only dock’n’dine restaurant downtown, grab a trolley, or enjoy our free, front door parking (ask for pass!) Why satisfy when you can indulge? Find the George on the RiverWalk at 128 South Water Street, 910-763-2052.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tues. - Sat. 11am - 9 pm. Enjoy Sunday Lunch and Brunch 11am - 3pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Sunday Brunch / Wilmington’s only dock’n’dine restaurant.

■ WEBSITE: www.thegeorgerestaurant.com

HENRY’S

A local favorite, Henry’s is the ‘place to be’ for great food, a lively bar and awesome patio dining. Henry’s serves up American cuisine at its finest that include entrees with fresh, local ingredients. Come early for lunch, because its going to be packed. Dinner too! Henry’s Pine Room is ideal for private functions up to 30 people.

Henry’s is home to live music, wine & beer dinners and other special events. Check out their calendar of events at HenrysRestaurant.com for details. 2508 Independence Boulevard, Wilmington, NC. (910) 793.2929.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun. - Mon.11am-10pm; Tues.- Fri.: 11am - 11pm; Sat.: 10am - 11pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Daily blackboard specials.

■ MUSIC: Live Music beginning at 5:30pm ■ WEBSITE: www.henrysrestaurant.com.

HOLIDAy INN RESORT

The Verandah Café Restaurant located in this oceanfront resort is a wonderful find. This is the perfect place to enjoy a fresh Seafood & Steak dinner while dinning outside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Chef Eric invites you to experience his daily specials in this magnificent setting. (910) 256-2231. 1706 N Lumina Ave, Wrightsville Beach.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: Sun.-Sat..

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Waterfront dining ■ WEBSITE: www.holidayinn.com.

KEFI

founded in 1981 by a group of friends, has a long-standing tradition as a favorite local watering hole. This Wrightsville-Beach eatery is open at 6am for breakfast, offering everything from omelets and pancakes, to shrimp and grits. Take a break from the beach and visit Kefi’s, where their menu features a variety of salads and sandwiches. At night Kefi comes alive by serving dinner with a Southern flare.

From the fried pickles appetizer to their the shrimp or oyster Po’boy to their nightly dinner and drink specials, there is something that will make your taste buds sing. Full ABC permits. Located at 2012 Eastwood Road, (910) 256-3558.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: 6am-2am, seven days a week.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Working Man’s Lunch for under $6 Mon.-Fri.. Lunch deliveries available in the Wrightsville Beach area.

■ MUSIC: Fri., Sat. and Sun. nights.

■ WEBSITE: www.kefilive.com

THE LITTLE DIPPER

Wilmington’s favorite fondue restaurant! The Little Dipper specializes in unique fondue dishes with a global variety of cheeses, meats, seafood, vegetables, chocolates and fine wines. The warm and intimate dining room is a great place to enjoy a four-course meal, or indulge in appetizers and desserts outside on the back deck or in the bar while watching luminescent jellyfish. Reservations are appreciated for parties of any size. Located at the corner of Front and Orange in Downtown Wilmington.

138 South Front Street. (910) 251-0433.

■ SERVING DINNER: Tues.- Sun. 5pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: 70s menu every Friday ■ MUSIC: Fri. & Sat. in summer ■ WEBSITE: www.littledipperfondue.com

PINE VALLEy MARKET

Pine Valley Market has reigned supreme in servicing the Wilmington community for years, securing encore’s Best-Of awards in catering, gourmet shop and butcher. Now, Kathy Webb and Christi Ferretti are expanding their talents

into serving lunch in-house, so folks can enjoy their hearty, homemade meals in the quaint and cozy ambience of the market. Using the freshest ingredients of highest quality, diners can enjoy the best Philly Cheesesteak in Wilmington, along with numerous other sandwich varieties, from their Angus burger to classic Reuben, Italian sub to a grown-up banana and peanut butter sandwich that will take all diners back to childhood. Served among a soup du jour and salads, there is something for all palates. Take advantage of their take-home frozen meals for nights that are too hectic to cook, and don’t forget to pick up a great bottle of wine to go with it. 3520 S. College Road, (910) 350-FOOD. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.-Fri. 10am-7pm; Sat. 9am-6pm.

Closed Sun. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington South ■ FEATURING: Daily specials and takehome frozen meals ■ WEBSITE: www.pinevalleymarket.com

MELLOW MUSHROOM

Mellow out and relax in the comfortable atmosphere that Mellow Mushroom offers. From the giant psychadelic ‘shroom located in the bar area to the Cadillac hanging on the wall, this restaurant is far from ordinary. The open kitchen brings live entertainment as pizza dough flies in the air. Their hand-tossed, spring-water dough brings new meaning to pizzas and calzones—healthy!! With 20 drafts and an array of microbrews, domestic and import bottles, Mellow Mushroom has an extensive beer list and full bar. 4311 Oleander Drive, (910) 4523773.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: MonSat, 11am-10pm; Sun., 12pm-9pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: lunch specials, a variety of sandwiches and vegetarian items.

■ MUSIC: Live jazz on Wednesdays.

■ WEBSITE: www.mellowmushroom.com

TROLLy STOP

Trolly Stop Hot Dogs is a family owned franchise with six locations. Since 1976 they specialize in homemade chili, slaw and sauces, and as of more recent - a variety of gourmet sausages and burgers (at participating locations).

The types of hot dogs include Beef & Pork, All Beef, Smoked Sausage, 98% Turkey, and Soy. Sausages include Bratwurst, Mild Italian, Spicy Beef and Polish Kielbasi. Locations are: 126 N. Front Street Open seven days from 11am-4pm, late night hours are Thurs., Fri., and Sat. night from 10pm-3am; (910) 3432999, 94 S. Lumina Ave, Wrightsville Beach 11-5pm 7days a week, 6pm-9pm Sun-Wed, and 6pm-3am Th-Sat. (910) 256-1421; 4502 Fountain Dr., 452-3952. 11am-7pm Mon-Sun; South Howe St. in Southport, (910) 457-7017 (CLOSED FOR THE SEASON UNTIL EASTER WEEKEND); 103A Cape Fear Blvd in Carolina Beach, (910) 458-5778; 1250 Western Blvd., Unit L-4 Jacksonville, (910) 228-0952, opened Mon-Sun 11am-9pm. Catering cart available all year from $300. (910) 297-8416.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Throughout the Port City

■ FEATURING: Dog friendly locations at Wrightsville Beach and Downtown Wilmington. Buy a hot dog, we’ll throw in an extra for your pooch. (Without bun.)

■ WEBSITE: www.trollystophotdogs.com

asian BIG THAI AND BIG THAI TWO

Now with two convenient locations to serve you, Big Thai features authentic Thai cuisine in a fun, relaxing atmosphere. Their delectable menu includes items such as Pineapple Fried Rice with Cashews, Roasted Duck in Red Curry, and several options for vegetarians and vegans. And don’t forget to try their famous Coconut Cake, made fresh in-house. You won’t regret it. Big Thai One (1001 N. 4th St. in the Brooklyn Arts District; 763-3035): Lunch M-F, 11-2. Dinner M-Th 5-9, F-Sa 5-10, Closed Sun.. Big Thai Two (1319 Military Cutoff Rd. inside Landfall Center; 256-6588) ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Open for Lunch M-F 11-2:30; Dinner M-Th 5-9; F-Sa 5-10; Sun. 5-9.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown and North Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Vegetarian/vegan options.

SZECHUAN 132

Craving expertly prepared Chinese food in an elegant atmosphere? Szechuan 132 Chinese Restaurant is your destination! Szechuan 132 has earned the reputation as one of the finest contemporary Chinese restaurants in the Port City. Tastefully decorated with an elegant atmosphere, with an exceptional ingenious menu has deemed Szechuan 132 the best Chinese restaurant for years, hands down. 419 South College Road (in University Landing), (910) 799-1426.

■ SERVING: LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Lunch Specials

HIRO jAPANESE STEAKHOUSE

INDOCHINE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

If you’re ready to experience the wonders of the Orient without having to leave Wilmington, join us at Indochine for a truly unique experience. Indochine brings the flavors of the Far East to the Port City, combining the best of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine in an atmosphere that will transport you and your taste buds. Relax in our elegantly decorated dining room, complete with antique Asian decor as well as contemporary artwork and music. Our diverse, friendly and efficient staff will serve you beautifully presented dishes full of enticing aromas and flavors.

Be sure to try such signature items as the spicy and savory Roasted Duck with Red Curry, or the beautifully presented and delicious Shrimp and Scallops in a Nest. Be sure to save room for our world famous desert, the banana egg roll! We take pride in using only the freshest ingredients, and our extensive menu suits any taste. After dinner, enjoy specialty drinks by the koi pond in our Asian garden. Located at 7 Wayne Drive (beside the Ivy Cottage), (910) 251-9229.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tues.- Fri. 11am- 2pm; Sat. 12pm - 3pm for lunch. Mon.- Sun. 5pm - 10pm for dinner.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Balinese dancer every Fri. night.

■ WEBSITE: www.indochinewilmington.com

CaRiBBEan jAMAICA’S COMFORT ZONE

Wilmington’s Authentic Caribbean Restaurant conveniently located at 417 S. College Road in University Landing. We offer exquisite Caribbean cuisine to satisfy your taste buds, whether they are for spicy Jamaican jerk chicken, mellow flavors of our curry chicken, curry goat or our ox tail skillfully flavored by our Jamaican chefs. Come in and enjoy our many menu selections, our warm décor, smoke-free atmosphere, excellent service and our smooth reggae music. Jamaica’s Comfort Zone is family owned and operated. Call us 910-399-2867.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: Sun., 3pm.– 8pm; Tues.

- Sat. 11:45am – 9pm. Closed Mon. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown

What better way to celebrate a special occasion or liven up a dinner out than to dine in a place where every meal is an exciting presentation. Knowing that a meal should be more than just great food, Hiro adds a taste of theatre and a amazing atmosphere to everyone’s dinning experience. Also serving sushi, Hiro surprises its guests with a new special roll every week and nightly drink specials to complement it. From 4-7pm enjoy half-priced nigiri and half-priced regular makimono. Nigiri makimono combos are only $7.50, while early-bird specials last from 4-6pm, where diners can choose two: shrimp, chicken or steak. Located at 222 Old Eastwood Road (910) 794-1570. Please visit the Web site at hirojapanesesteakhouse. com.

■ SERVING: DINNER. Open Mon. thru Thurs. 4pm-10pm; Fri. and Sat. 4pm10:30pm; and Sun. 11am-10pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Hibachi style dining.

■ WEBSITE: www.hirojapanese.net encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 37

■ FEATURING: Breakfast served all day.

■ MUSIC: Live Music every First Fri. ■WEBSITE: www.jamaicascomfortzone.net

FRENch

EURO FUSION

Wilmington’s finest French cuisine can be found at Caprice Bistro, a small informal neighborhood restaurant, serving hearty food in generous portions at affordable prices. Simple is the atmosphere in the bistro, as plain white plates and tables dressed in white paper make up the decor. However, the food is far from simple, as a combination of fresh ingredients and innovative preparation delight the taste buds with a plethora of unique appetizers, entrées and desserts. The service is fast, efficient and non-intrusive, and the ambience is friendly and unpretentious. After dinner, be sure to venture upstairs into their cozy and relaxing sofa bar for an after-dinner martini, or enjoy your meal there, as a light-fare and full menus are served.

Art is always on display in the sofa bar, so be sure to inquire frequently about their artist show receptions. Voted “Best French Restaurant” three years in a row! 10 Market Street, downtown Wilmington, (910) 815-0810.

■ SERVING DINNER: Sun.- Thurs. 5:00 - 10pm.; Fri. and Sat., 5pm - Midnight.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Upstairs sofa bar serving cocktails and lighter fare.

■ WEBSITE: www.capricebistro.com

pRESS 102

Espresso. Panini. Martini. Rome and Paris meet Manhattan and San Francisco in this new Euro-American eatery and martini bar in the heart of historic downtown Wilmington.

Nestled inside the Hotel Tarrymore on the corner of Second and Dock streets, Press 102 offers the finest espresso and French press coffee made exclusively from locally roasted beans and more Panini creations this side of Tuscany. Boasting more than a hundred different wine labels and an endless variety of freshly pressed fruit and herb inspired martini cocktails foodies also enjoy a sophisticated evening menu that includes shrimp and grits made with red-eye gravy and a perfectly grilled New York strip bathed in a basil caramel and white balsamic reduction. Glass tile and eclectic mirrors make for a cozy bar and bistro seating at Press 102 and up to 60 guests can also enjoy outdoor patio seating surrounded by flowers and passersby. Large parties of up to 120 are welcome in the Veranda Room overlooking Dock Street. (910) 399-4438.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: Tues. - Sat. 7am – close and Sun. brunch from 10am til 2pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Takeout ■ WEBSITE: www.Press102.com

Offering TreaTmenTs fOr: Relaxation • Unstable Sleep Emotional Effects • Head • Wry Neck Hands • Back and Low Back Pain • Hip Shoulders • Pain • Legs ... and more!

Body Massage

starting @ $30/30 min. or $55/60 min.

Reflexology, Foot

starting @ $25/30 min. or $40/60 min.

CApRICE BISTRO

ItalIaN EDDIE ROMANELLI’S

is a family-friendly, casual Italian American restaurant that’s been a favorite of Wilmington locals for over 16 years. Its diverse menu includes Italian favorites such as Mama Romanelli’s Lasagna, Baked Ziti, Rigatoni a la Vodka and, of course, madefrom-scratch pizzas. Its American influences include tasty burgers, the U.S.A. Salad and a 16oz. Marinated Rib Eye Steak. Romanelli’s offers patio dining and flat screen TVs in its bar area. Dine in or take out, Romanelli’s is always a crowd favorite. Large parties welcome. 503 Olde Waterford Way, Leland.

(910) 383.1885.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun.- Thurs. 11am - 10pm.; Fri. & Sat. 11am - 11pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington South.

■ FEATURING: Weekly Specials ■ WEBSITE: RomanellisRestaurant.com.

GIORGIO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Giorgio’s is a locally owned, one-of-a-kind restaurant. Offering age-old traditions and timeless recipes, perfection is accomplished by starting @ $30/30 min. or $35/40 min. combining the perfect cuisine and atmosphere for a dining experience that is not soon forgotten. With over 50 years of cooking experience under one roof, the smells of old-fashioned home cooking float through the air creating starting @ $30/30 min. that comforting feeling of home-away-fromhome! From old world style dishes to modern day creations, the menu showcases multiple flavors that will tempt the palate of the most 10am-10pm • 7 days a week! • Gift Certificates! discriminating connoisseurs. A Monkey Junction landmark for over 12 years! 5226 S Col38 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

Chair Massage

Hand, Head or Belly Massage

260 Racine Drive, Unit 5 • (910) 799-7188

lege Rd.,Wilmington (910) 790-9954.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.Thurs. 11am. - 9:30am; Fri. 11am-10:30pm; Sat. 12pm-10:30pm Sun. 11:30am - 9:30pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington South ■ FEATURING: Daily specials, kids menu and online coupons.

■ WEBSITE: www.giorgios-restaurant.com.

SLICE OF LIFE

“Slice” has become a home away from home for tourists and locals alike. Our menu includes salads, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, homemade soups, subs and, of course, pizza.

We only serve the freshest and highest-quality ingredients in all of our food, and our dough is made daily with purified water. Voted “Best Pizza” and “Best Late Night Eatery.”All ABC permits. Visit us downtown at 122 Market Street, (910) 251-9444, in Wrightsville Beach at 1437 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 101, (910) 256-2229 and our newest location in Pine Valley on the corner of 17th and College Road, (910) 799-1399.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: 11:30am-3am, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, Downtown and Wilmington South.

■ FEATURING: The largest tequila selection in Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.grabslice.com

latIN amERIcaN SAN jUAN CAFE

Offering the most authentic, gourmet Latin American cuisine in Wilmington. With dishes from countries such as Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Cuba you’ll be able to savor a variety of flavors from all over Latin America. Located at 3314 Wrightsville Avenue. 910.790.8661 Follow us on Facebook/Twitter for live music updates! www.sanjuancafenc.com ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon-Sat. 11am-2:30pm and from 5-10pm.

Open Sun from 5pm-10pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Nightly specials ■ WEBSITE: www.sanjuancafenc.com

ORgaNIc LOVEY’S MARKET

Lovey’s Market is a true blessing for shoppers looking for natural and organic groceries, or just a great place to meet friends for a quick, delicious, and totally fresh snack. Whether they are in the mood for a veggie burger, a bean burrito or a chicken Caesar wrap, shoppers will find a large selection of nutritious meals on the a la carte café menu at Lovey’s.

The food bar—which has cold salads and hot selections that can be eaten in the café seating or boxed for take-out—can be enjoyed all day long, while the juice bar offers a wide variety of juices and smoothies made with organic fruits and vegetables. Specializing in bulk sales of produce, grains, flours, beans and spices at affordable prices, Lovey‘s also carries grass-fed and free-range meats and poultry. Wheat-free,

gluten-free, products are in stock regularly, as are vegan and vegetarian groceries and wholesome pet foods. For anything shoppers want that is not in stock, Lovey‘s will be happy to find it. Stop by Lovey’s Market Mon. through Fri., 9am to 7pm; Sat., 9am to 6pm; and on Sun., 10am to 6pm. Located at 1319 Military Cutoff Road; (910) 509-0331.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Café open: Mon.-Fri., 11am–6pm; Sat. & Sun., 10am-6pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Food bar featuring hot and cold selections.

■ WEBSITE: www.loveysmarket.com.

TIDAL CREEK CO-Op Tidal Creek Co-op Kitchen offers a wide array of exceptional and unusual organic foods, all of which taste as good as they are for you. The salad bar and hot bar incorporate flavors from around the world. Each item is prepared by hand, using fresh and local ingredients. The chefs are constantly experimenting to create new and exciting dishes, with many vegan and gluten-free selections available. Choose from made-to-order smoothies with ingredients like almond butter and hemp milk, salads with locally grown greens, and special event cakes made from scratch to your specifications. Dining in is always welcomed, but you will also find freshly prepared entrees, salads, and sandwiches in the grab and go case. Whatever your tastes, The Co-op Kitchen is a place to rejuvenate the mind and body, while enjoying the company of a friendly and relaxed organic community. Located at 5329 Oleander across from Jungle Rapids, (910)799-2667, indoor and outdoor seating is available. Like Tidal Creek on Facebook for a daily post of “What’s for Lunch!”

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 9am-8pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Hot Bar 11am-3pm, Salad Bar & Smoothie/Juice/Coffee Bar all day ■ WEBSITE: www.tidalcreek.coop.

SEaFOOd DOCK STREET OYSTER BAR

Voted Best Oysters for over 10 years by encore readers, you know what you can find at Dock Street Oyster Bar. But we have a lot more than oysters! Featuring a full menu of seafood, pasta, and chicken dishes from $4.95-$25.95, there’s something for everyone at Dock Street. You’ll have a great time eating in our “Bohemian-Chic” atmosphere, where you’ll feel just as comfortable in flip flops as you would in a business suit. Located at 12 Dock St in downtown Wilmington. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. (910) 7622827.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: 7 days a week.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Fresh daily steamed oysters.

■ WEBSITE: www.dockstreetoysterbar.net

EAST

The Blockade Runner offers an array of seasonal seafood specials, certified Angus beef, lobster menu on Fri. evening plus a spectacular Sun. brunch. Romantic al fresco dining is available on our dinner deck located in the center of a lush garden overlooking the ocean far away from the traffic and noise. Our lounge is eco-friendly and offers light fare nightly. 275 Waynick Blvd.

Wrightsville Beach. (910) 256-2251.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & SUNDAY BRUNCH ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach.

■ FEATURING: Lobster menu on Fri. ■ MUSIC: Live music on Sat. evening and Sun. brunch.

■ WEBSITE: www.blockade-runner.com

HIERONYMUS

Proving that excellent seafood isn’t just for the eateries at Wrightsville Beach, Hieronymus Seafood is the stop for midtown Wilmington seafood lovers. In business for 27 years strong, Hieronymus has made a name for itself by consistently providing excellent service and the freshest of the fresh in oceanic cuisine. It’s the place to be if you are seeking top-quality attributes in atmosphere, presentation, flavor and ingenuity.

Signature dishes include Oysters Hieronymus and the Scallops Fra Diavlo. Hieronymus has all ABC permits and also provides catering. Voted “Best Seafood” in 2007.

5035 Market Street; (910) 392-6313.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Fireside oyster bar.

■ WEBSITE: www.hieronymusseafood.com

OCEANIC

Voted best seafood restaurant in Wilmington, Oceanic provides oceanfront dining at its best. Located in Wrightsville Beach, Oceanic is one of the most visited restaurants on the beach. Choose from a selection of seafood platters, combination plates and daily fresh fish. For land lovers, try their steaks, chicken or pasta dishes. Relax on the pier or dine inside. Oceanic is also the perfect location for memorable wedding receptions, birthday gatherings, anniversary parties and more. Large groups welcome.

Private event space available. Family-style to go menu available. 703 S. Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach. (910) 256.555.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Dining on the Crystal Pier.

■ WEBSITE: OceanicRestaurant.com

sPORTs BAR

! n w o t n Best i

CAROLINA ALE HOUSE

Voted best new restaurant AND best sports bar of 2010 in Wilmington, Carolina Ale House is the place to be for award-winning food, sports and fun. Located on College Rd. near UNCW, this lively sports-themed restaurant.

Covered and open outdoor seating is available.

Lunch and dinner specials are offered daily, as well as the coldest $2 and $3 drafts in town.

317 South College Road, Wilmington, NC. (910) 791.9393.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: 11am-2am daily.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: 40 HD TVs and the biggest HD projector TVs in Wilmington.

■ WEBSITE: CarolinaAleHouse.com

HELL’S KITCHEN

This is downtown Wilmington’s Sports Pub! With every major sporting package on ten HDTVs and our huge HD projection screen, there is no better place to catch every game in every sport. Our extensive menu ranges from classics, like thick Angus burgers or NY-style reubens, to lighter fare, such as homemade soups, fresh salads and vegetarian options. Whether meeting for a business lunch, lingering over dinner and drinks, or watching the game, the atmosphere and friendly service will turn you into a regular. Open late 7 days a week, with free WiFi, darts, and did we mention sports? Free lunchtime delivery on weekdays; we can accommodate large parties. (910) 763-4133.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: 11am - late. Sun. at noon.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Dueling pianos every Thurs., Fri., and Sat. nights. and 1/2 priced select appetizers m-th 4-7pm ■ WEBSITE: www.hellskitchenbar.com

Tuesdays 1/2 lb. cheese burger & fries $5.99 All pints $2.50

Open for Lunch and Dinner steaks

wings

ribs

salads

In the Cotton Exchange Downtown Wilmington

762-4354 FREE PARKING www.paddyshollow.com

Use what you have to get what you want!

Stop in and see why everyone is choosing us to buy, sell, and consign their precious metals and jewelry!

We Buy: Diamonds • Estate Jewelry Rings • Bracelets • Gold Necklaces Bangles • Dental Gold • Gold Coins Silver Flatware and more...

3030 MARKET STREET • 815-3455 MON-FRI 10-5 • SAT 10-6

our Bring in y gold for a free ! evaluation

No appointment necessary!

encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 39

Â&#x2039; 6FRWW 3LQHUV 3KRWRJUDSK\

6ZHHW YLHZ 6ZHHWHU 5HFHSWLRQ

7PUFE #FTU 0VUEPPS %JOJOH

0DULQD 6WUHHW :ULJKWVYLOOH %HDFK Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021; 0 6X DP SP (YHQW ,QIRUPDWLRQ Â&#x2021; .ULVW\ +ROW Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021; %OXHZDWHU'LQLQJ FRP 40 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

Something to smile about!

Dental services for the whole family. â&#x20AC;˘ Cleanings â&#x20AC;˘ Cavities â&#x20AC;˘ Extractions â&#x20AC;˘ Dentures â&#x20AC;˘ Bridges & Partials Emergencies and Walk-Ins

Dental Center at Waterford Dr. Clark and Associates

NEW PATIENT SPECIAL

RECESSION BUSTER

Free Philips Sonicare Toothbrush ($189 value) With the completion of comprehensive exam, x-rays and cleaning

Porcelain Crowns $595 (originally $850)

CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

(910) 383-0100

509 Olde Waterford Way, Suite 300 â&#x20AC;˘ Leland, NC 28451 (across from Walmart) Habla Espanol

We accept all major insurance â&#x20AC;˘ Financing Available â&#x20AC;˘ Medicaid â&#x20AC;˘ NC Health Choice

Downtown Wilmingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newest Attraction Best of Both Worlds Cruises â&#x20AC;˘ Full Moon Cruises â&#x20AC;˘ Historic and Eco-Tours of the Cape Fear River Sunday, February 27th 1pm - 3pm

Best of Both Worlds Tour This cruise is a combination of our 2 favorite crusies....The Black Water cruise & the Sunset Cruise.

Family Day!

You leave the dock and venture up the Cape Fear River past the Historic River Front, then continue cruising either the northeast or northwest Cape Fear River. It is narrated with a bit of history and eco info. Then you arrive back at the dock as the sun is setting. With this cruise you receive 1 drink from our full bar(all ABC pemits) and some snacks.

Introduce your family to the wonders of the mysterious Cape Fear River.

Narrated 2 hour cruise with light lunch included.

Adults $30 Children $15

Eagle Island Cruise

Visit us on the Riverwalk!

212 S. Water St. Downtown Wilmington

A Relaxing Recipe

J U S T A D D WA T E R !

1 hour narrated cruise of the downtown Sit back and enjoy the scenery & our Historic River Front and of Eagles Island amazing sunsets. We are fully enclosed( then down to the state port. if needed) and heated (if needed). We Friday and Saturday 1pm-2pm are handicap accessible and have an Adults $10, Children $5 unusually large bathroom due to that.

For a complete list of scheduled Tours, Excursions, and Fees, visit XXX XJMNJOHUPOXBUFSUPVST DPN

Friday and Saturday 3pm-5pm Adults $30, Children $20

.03& */'0 encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 41

extra!extra!|

42 NONPROFIT 43 CROSSWORD 44 BOOK 48-54 CALENDAR 55CORKBOARD

by Patti Wilson Full Belly Feast 10 p.m.

2/26, 6 p.m. tion Center Coastline Conven 501 Nutt Street 0 at door $50 before or $6 5 (910) 452-097 Courtesy graphic

I

T’S NOT JUST ABOUT BEING CHARITABLE;

it’s about understanding the situation and constructing a practical solution. The Full Belly Project gives the opportunity for those who need help to help themselves, making areas and villages across the world sustainable. Their mission statement says it best, as the nonprofit organization cares about communities by building economy through agriculture that puts the value back into their local crops.

Jock Brandis, encore’s 2011 winner of Best Humanitarian is the idea man behind all the innovations that Full Belly produces. A trip to Africa influenced Brandis to make the Universal Nut Sheller in order to help the women of Mali shell peanuts at a faster rate without continually injuring their hands.

The Universal Nut Sheller is the first of many inventions. It has more variations like the sheller with a bike attachment and an electrical powered sheller. There have been other adaptations of the sheller to accommodate more than just peanuts, like shea, jatropha and even coffee. The Rocking Water Pump, another helpful creation, can deliver upwards of five gallons of water per minute with just the ease of rocking back and forth. Currently, Brandis has been visiting the mountains of Ruth-

42 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

erford County to partner with Cape Fear Rotary in the development of the Gravity Water Pump. The idea of this pump is to bring water to the cattle instead of the cattle gathering around the water source sullying its quality. All of these inventions are created to solve real-world problems.

It is important for the public to come out and support the hard work and dedication that Full Belly has put into improving the economic potential in global communities. As in previous years, the feast will be imaginatively catered with globally inspired cuisine from South East Asia through West Africa. Of course there will be no shortage of peanuts, but rumor has it that the other featured protein will be goat (maybe the possibility of an African influenced goat stew). Either way we crack this menu, the food will bring a unique taste that’s unfamiliar to a Wilmington palate.

Executive director of Full Belly, Daniel Ling, gave me a peek at some of the artwork that will be up for both silent and live auction throughout the night.

Handcrafted and carved, with amazing detail from a rich brown wood, the culture of West Africa comes to life thanks to the donation of several tribal masks.

Another surprise item includes a Rivini couture wedding dress. Guests will also have a chance to

vie for original artwork by Wilmington’s own young art prodigy George Pocheptsov. His artwork has sold for thousands and has enchanted millions. Pocheptsov has been artistically gifted since he was merely 17 months old and sold his first painting at the age of three. He has been compared to the likes of Picasso and Chagall. His artwork is a testament to his vivid imagination and naturally developed talent. Other donations have been supplied from individuals and businesses all over the Wilmington area for attendees to bid on in the auctions.

The many inventions and creations that have been fabricated in the Full Belly workshop will be on display for guests to view and explore. Prototypes of these low-cost technologies, like the Universal Nut Sheller and the Rocking Water Pump, will give guests the chance to witness firsthand how these products continually invigorate communities worldwide. Alongside the demonstrations, live entertainment will be provided from Tanstrum. The band, also featured performers at UNCW’s Intercultural week, blends African music with the use of modern instruments.

Ling explained that the Full Belly Feast is their single greatest source of funds for the organization. Basically, the work that the they do is funded through grants, but the support from the public helps make ends meet. There isn’t a lot of funding for small organizations and Full Belly has relied heavily on volunteers from the Peace Corps. Ling also expressed how the annual fund-raiser is meant to spread awareness about the organization, with hopes of getting people involved. This type of awareness brings in more volunteers, which Fully Belly is more than happy to receive.

CREATORS SYNDICATE © 2011 STANLEY NEWMAN

WWW.STANXWORDS.COM

2/27/11

THE NEWSDAY CROSSWORD Edited by Stanley Newman (www.StanXwords.com)

MEET THE BEETLES: Not the crawly kind

by Fred Piscop ACROSS 1 New Testament king 6 Heroic tale 10 Falling-out 14 Charged toward 19 Cara of Fame 20 Zhivago’s love 21 Part of Ohio’s border 22 Money-saving prefix 23 Subject of ’60s-’70s protests 25 Wheel of Fortune regular 27 Bits of punctuation 28 Prime time, informally 29 In layers 30 Nectar source 31 Footloose one 32 Football position 33 Contributed 36 Flora and fauna 38 Brake part 39 Solemn promise 42 Kimono closer 43 2008 Wimbledon champ 48 Santa __, CA 49 Captured 50 Fends off 51 Wayside stops 52 Course of action 53 Acorn. e.g.

54 “Get your mitts off me!”

55 White-hat wearers 57 Enthusiastic 58 Prominence 60 Foolish talk 61 The voice of Shrek 62 “No kidding!”

63 Fad addition to the language 67 Archery-bow wood

68 Pay out 70 Does a 10K 71 Some Sunday-paper ads 75 Rob of The West Wing 76 Trimmed down 77 Endowment recipient 79 Notable time 80 Keep __ (persist) 81 Ark. neighbor 82 With 93 Down, zoo beast 83 Slangy denial 84 Whole bunch 85 A Room of One’s Own author 88 Op. __ (footnote notation) 89 Supplement, with “out” 90 Publicity, so to speak 91 Nineveh’s land: Abbr.

92 “Not that!”

93 Male turkey 94 Reacts in horror 96 “Semper Fi” org.

99 5th-century conqueror 102 Almay alternative 103 Explode 107 Sweater material 109 Carbonated beverage 111 Not yet trained 112 Fan-mail recipient 113 Biblical twin 114 Online party notice 115 Tea-leaves readers 116 Sanctuary channel 117 Ancient invader 118 Zero out DOWN 1 Drone’s home 2 Leprechaun land 3 Woodwind need

The Verandah Cafe

LOCATED IN THE HOLIDAY INN RESORT ON WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, OFFERING FRESH SEAFOOD AND MUCH MORE!

4 Recorded earlier 5 Slow on the uptake 6 “Wabbit Twouble” character 7 Handles clumsily 8 401(k) alternative 9 Airport rental 10 Second-run staging 11 Sore 12 More delicate 13 Top of some scales 14 Goes back to the start 15 Felt sore 16 Roulette bet 17 Prelude to a deal 18 __ the line (behaved) 24 Sleuth’s shout 26 Starting lineups 28 Words of denial 31 Theater lineups 33 Some formal wear 34 In the neighborhood 35 Prized bottle 36 Small town 37 Ratio words 38 Reviews badly 39 Plumber’s tool 40 TV studio sign 41 Mascara applicators 43 Highly regarded 44 Even once 45 Mideast desert 46 Deceive 47 Reason out 52 Name on a check 55 Core belief 56 Hems’ partners 59 Core belief 60 Purple hue 61 Yours truly 64 Great ape, for short 65 Decorated, on a French menu

66 68 69 72 73 74 76 77 78

Outback canine Pool-table material The Chosen author Country singer McCoy Learn the ropes Looked after On-the-job extra Like a morning meadow __ close to schedule

81 82 85 86 87 92 93 94 95 96 97

Cowardly Lion pal Choir member Orchestra section With a twang Kids’ game C to C, say See 82 Across “Oh boy!”

Disinterested “You bet!”

Tofu base

98 99 100 101 103 104 105 106 108 109 110

Golf-course machine Some stock-mkt. stats Wear out Source of sap “Beat it!”

Elevator pioneer Big bash Be worried The Badger St. Relax, with “out” Relative of equi-

Best restaurant overlooking the Ocean on Wrightsville Beach

Offering indoor and outdoor dinning.

Specializing in Seafood Wrightsville Beach, NC • 910-256-2231 • wrightsville.holidayinnresorts.com encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 43

the worst of 2010:

//BOOKS

Friends don’t let friends read bad books

E

vEry yEar whEn thE prEviEw for

the Oscars appears on TV, my mother flips out with absolute annoyance.

“Who cares!” she yells. This year we were sealing her famous gravy (or spaghetti sauce), and on our way to my aunt and uncle‘s, when the conversation carried itself, as it often does, from our kitchen to their dinning room.

Somewhere between passing the bread and the wine, I made the mistake of confessing I really enjoy watching the Oscars.

Holy hell broke loose. Banter carried on in Sicilian, opinions about movies not being what they use to be flung into the air and hands flailed about as if everyone was swatting flies. For a passing moment, I felt like I was sitting at a table filled with Italian equivalents to encore’s own Anghus after he watched “Narnia.” In a voice that reminds me of Robert De Niro, my uncle demanded, “Tiff, fix the situation so everyone can eat before their pasta gets cold!”

“Wait a minute!” I shrieked. Silence fell over the table. “I meant, I’m doing something similar to the Oscars in my next column. Instead of discussing 2010’s best movies, I’m detailing 2010’s worst books.”

Alright. I was reaching, but this on-the-fly idea wasn’t a bad one. Out of my family’s comical madness came a damn good topic that, to my knowledge, hasn’t been done in encore until now. Without listing Nicholas Sparks (that’s just too easy), I present my nominees for the top five worst novels among popular reads of 2010:

“Blockade Billy”

by Stephen King I know, I’m stunned to have Stephen King on this list, too. Despite King’s infamous writing, and his supernatural ability to capture and perfect so many different character voices, this story really is, well, boring as hell. Sadly it’s not worth the amount it commands at the register.

“Blockade Billy” isn’t so much a novel as it is a short story. I bought it for my husband, because it promised to combine two of his most cherished genres: sports and horror. Within,

rielse

by Tiffanie Gab

George Granny Grantham, retired thirdbase coach of the New Jersey Titans, takes readers down memory lane as he recalls the spring of 1957. Billy Blakely, a catcher called up from the Titans’ Iowa farm system, helps boost the team out of their losing streak.

As the narrative goes on, readers learn that there’s something not quite real about Billy. Sure, he’s responsible for the team’s countless wins, and it’s only minor that he endlessly refers to himself in third person, but players who meet him at the plate end up dead. Though hard to put a finger on it, something’s just not right and the same can be said about this novella.

It feels rushed, and it didn’t leave the same ominous chill down my spine (or my husband’s) that I’m accustomed to from King.

Therein lies the problem. King’s work is so memorable and impacting that readers expect everything to meet his usual standard. When it fails, even if just by a tiny bit, it fails miserably.

“Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever (100% Official)”

by Justin Bieber This one clocks in at number two. First of all, I doubt he really wrote this on his own. Second, there’s hardly a word with more than four consonants, so maybe I’m wrong. Third, he’s only 16!

What could he possibly have to write about within a memoir? He’s a rags-to-riches tale. That’s great, but live out more of your life before you declare your version of Chris Gardner‘s “Pursuit of Happiness.”

I don’t know what’s worse: the fact I found his memoir in my cousin’s bookbag or that I had the curiosity to open it. Admittedly, my original thoughts were :“As long as teens and tweens alike are reading, it’s a great thing.”

Oh how wrong I was.

“Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever (100% Official)” consists of 240 pages of pictures, Twitter posts, obsessions for Chuck Norris and other random unimportant crap printed in big type. Upon reading, my brain tried to make sense of it all but failed, and I was left with an uncontrollable headache. I felt like Louis Black as he sat in IHOP and pondered heavily over a stranger’s comment, “If it weren’t for my horse, I wouldn’t have spent that year in college.“ All that was missing was an aneurism.

What ever happened to, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” or “Blubber” by Judy Bloom? These were substantial reads with unique, original tones and educational undercurrents that one could hang on to forever. Today, we have Bieber and his attempt to give a sense of himself in a book that outlines his gratitude.

Are you there, God? It’s me, Tiffanie. If I get “the fever.” I’ll be seeing you very, very soon!

“Eat. Pray. Love.”

“Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage”

Check out the Dining Guide pages 36-39 44 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

by Elizabeth Gilbert My good friend Charisma talked me into seeing the movie “Eat, Pray, Love.” In short, I hated it. Not even Julia Roberts could save the film, but for the sake of friendship I thought I’d give the originating author, Eliza-

beth Gilbert, a second chance.

Days after viewing the film I embarked on a journey and read both her novels, “Eat, Pray, Love.“ and her second memoir titled, “Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.” I had high hopes of redemption, but sadly both titles only succeeded in becoming numbers three and four on my list of 2010’s worst (even though “Eat. Pray Love.” came out in ‘06). Throughout each body of work, I felt like I was back in college studying ideology. There was too much emphasis and analysis on society’s ideas of marriage rather than depicting an engaging heartfelt story centered around that which makes marriage possible: true love.

I wanted a woman’s perspective through an uplifting, insightful and soul-speaking tale.

Instead, I received a woman’s list of incredulousness. I found her literary voice shallow, her soul unappreciative and her thoughts contradicting and annoying. I kept wondering, Did I miss the mention of her degree in sociology somewhere, because she sure dishes a lot of awful self-indulgent advice? Contrary to the beliefs of other women, there is no way in hell I would ever consider Gilbert or her work to be the best guide on love, marriage or spirituality.

Then again, I’m not your typical discontented, insatiable, insensible woman and that could be the problem--not the book.

“Here’s the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades and Getting in Your GTL on the Jersey Shore”

by Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino co-authored by Chris Millis C’mon, is it really any surprise that I selected this one? It’s beyond me how a selfcentered, egotistical, womanizing spotlightmonger could bank approximately $5 million for a “how-to Guido guide.” I shutter to think this is the material young men are filling their heads with. I rather they read Justin Bieber’s memoir! It’s a bundle of illustrations and hyperbolic fonts to mask his diminutive thoughts.

Think I’m being unfair? Think his work must have a shred of respectability, else he wouldn‘t have such a strong fan base?

Here’s a sample sure to leave a bad taste in readers mouths: “Another misconception is that the better sex is always to be had with the hotter chick, but it can be argued that indeed the best sex is often with the grenade—because she’s so grateful.”

Now, imagine 133 pages of this. I rest my case.

Thank you encore readers for voting us â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clothingâ&#x20AC;?

You live in the land of the free. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.â&#x20AC;?

!% $ % ! " ! % "! " % ! & ! " ! ! "% % ! ! ! ! $ ! $ ! $ ! % ! ! % ! " !% ! ! " ! ! "% ! ! ! " " !% ! " " !% ! " ! ! " $ % ! ! # ! # % " !% ! ! $ ! " $ ! ! " #

Working For You

1427 Military Cutoff Road â&#x20AC;˘ 910-679-4137 www.BlokeApparel.com encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 45

BASEBALL SEASON HAS ARRIVED!

40'5#"--

Wednesday, February 23 vs UNC (DH) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3:00pm #"4,&5#"--

Wednesday, February 23

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball vs Hofstra â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:00pm

Sunday, February 27 Consolation Game â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Game 1 Loser vs Game 2 Loser â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:00am, Championship Game â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Game 1 Winner vs Game 2 Winner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:15pm )6()&4 #304 $)"--&/(& #"4&#"--

(Sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings and Stevenson Automotive)

Friday, February 25

80.&/Âľ4 5&//*4

$2.00 ticket with 2 cans of food for the Wilmington Food Bank.

vs Cornell â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2:00pm

vs Miami (OH) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:00pm

$5.00 ticket with 2 cans of food for the Wilmington Food Bank.

Thursday, February 24 .&/Âľ4 5&//*4

Friday, February 25 vs UT Pan American â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:00pm )6()&4 #304 $)"--&/(& 40'5#"--

Friday, February 25

vs Appalachian State â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2:30pm vs Gardner Webb â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:45pm

Saturday, February 26 vs Dayton â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:15pm Pool Play Game 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 vs 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2:30pm, Game 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 vs 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:45pm

46 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

vs Marist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:00pm

Saturday, February 26 Sunday, February 27 vs West Virginia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:30pm .&/Âľ4 5&//*4

Saturday, February 26 vs UNCG â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:00pm 80.&/Âľ4 #"4,&5#"--

Sunday, February 27 vs George Mason â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2:00pm (Sponsored by Atlantic Marine)

$3.00 ticket with 2 cans of food for the Wilmington Food Bank

costcutters| 3606 MARKET STREET • WILMINGTON HOME OF THE MILE LONG BUFFET! OVER 100 ITEMS!

WEEKEND SPECIAL Buffet with Snowcrab Legs $2399 Buffet withouth Snowcrab Legs $999 Monday - Sunday Nights Only

2

910-762-9868

$ 00

3

Buy 1 Dinner $ 2nd00 Get Dinner OFF

OFF

⁄

WEEKLY DEALS FROM AREA MERCHANTS

DRINK MORE WATER! for good health! SIGN UP FOR 6 MONTHS

GET 3 FREE

1 adult dinner any 2 PRICE buffet for two

Any Adult Lunch Buffet For Two Of equal or lesser value. Adults Excludes snowcrab legs. excludes snowcrab Only. Excludes snowcrablegs. legs.

CHINA BUFFET CHINA BUFFET Dine-In One coupon, per purchase.

Not valid with any other offer.

Expires 2/28/11

Dine-In Hibachi Grill One coupon, per purchase.

Included Not valid with any other offer. with Buffet Expires 2/28/11

5 GALLON BOTTLES OF

Spring Distilled Or Premium Water* Sodium Free.

Bottled At The Source.

Delivered To Your Home Or Business • Offer Good With Coupon & 6 Month Cooler Rental Agreement. Expires 2/28/11

762-0617

*New Customers Only

DAILY SPECIALS

• Monday-Friday 9am-6pm Just $14.95 Per Lane Per hour (good for up to 6 persons per lane) • Monday Rock~n~Bowl 9pm till Midnight • Tuesday 9pm-11:30pm All you can bowl $5 • Wednesday After 8:30pm $1.50 Per Game • sunday 3907 Shipyard Blvd. • 799-3023 After 6:30pm $1.50 Per Game

seafood • steak • sushi • chinese buffet

bar & grill with over 100 items Ask about our special room for private parties!

2541 CAROLINA BEACH ROAD • 763-8808

Hibachi Grill Included W ith Th e buffet!

Open Daily Lunch and Dinner • Mon - Thurs. 11am-10pm • Fri.-Sat. 11am-11pm • Sun. 11am-10pm

300 OFF

$

Any 3 Adult Lunch or 2 Dinner Buffets

asian buffet

$

DINE-IN ONLY One Coupon Per Purchase.

Not valid with any other.

Excludes Crab Legs Offer Expires 2/28/11

200 OFF

Any 2 Adult Lunch or Dinner Buffets

asian buffet DINE-IN ONLY One Coupon Per Purchase.

Not valid with any other.

Excludes Crab Legs Offer Expires 2/28/11

Plumbing Discount Coupon Toilet Unclogging Special • • • • • •

Toilet constantly running Low flushing power Slow filling toilet Leaking toilets Odors coming from your toilet Toilets that are loose or rocking

$34.99 Complete plumbing repair service available.

Call for a free inspection and quote.

Come see how Clayton makes it Easy!

5202 Oleander Dr., Wilmington

AARP discounts.

All of these problems will be fixed to one low price of $65 parts and labor included.

Call Kent at 910-431-8205

Dental Center

of Waterford

New Patient Special FREE Philips Sonicare Toothbrush

910-799-1119

Mon.-Fri. 8am-6pm • Sat. 9am-5pm

of Wilmington

DRYER VENT CLEANING

There’s a FIRE HAZARD in every home just waiting to happen...

It’s the dryer!

Don’t wait until it’s too late!

(Retail value of $189.00)

with Completion of Comprehensive Exam, X-Rays & Cleaning

Call for appointment 910-383-0100

Rates Starting

509 Old Waterford Way (across from Wal-Mart) • Leland Habla Español • Must Present Coupon

$49

16 • AdPak Weekly • February 23, 2011 • www.adpakweekly.com

Shop Online at

www.claytonhomeswilmingtonnc.com

As Low As

• Fire Prevention • Reduced Energy Costs/Utility Bills • Increased Life of your Dryer and Increaed Dryer Efficiency • Reduced Maintenance Calls • Less Wear On Clothes From Overheating and Excessive Tumbling • Peace of Mind

Call today for a FREE estimate! 10% Senior Discounts!

Duane’s Dryer Vent Service 910-431-0163 encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 47

weekly calendar| Events THALIAN HALL Thur., 2/24: Danny Ellis: 800 Voices—Narrative musical concert spans days of loneliness to the revelatory joy that music brought to a young lad, w/shades of Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen and James Taylor blending w/ a singularly unique Celtic voice from Dublin. • Sat., 3/5: In the Mood, the WWII Musical Revue—two hours of two-dozen swinging big-band musicians, singers, dancers, almost every hit song from the 1040s, jitterbugging that stops your breathing. Matinee and evening performances; main stage. www.thalianhall.org 910-632-2285. 310 Chestnut St. STYLE GIRL SPRING FASHION PREVIEW Style Girl’s Spring Fashion Preview: Thurs., 2/24, 7-9pm, at Blue Hand Home / The Forum. Fashion, beauty and design w/live models. Hosted by Style Girl Jess James, celebrity hair stylist Steven Ward, Amy Kennison of MAC Cosmetics, Blue Hand Home’s design team and your favorite boutique owners and designers.

Also taking place: mini-makeovers, massages by Hannah Simmons, feather hair extensions by Cheryl Kent Hair, and sweet treats from The Dessert Divas, with wine and bubbly courtesy of Feel Better Now. $17: www. stylegirljessjames.com!. First 25 guests to purchase

tickets will be entered to win the “Spring in Style” grand prize!

2/24: SPRING FASHION PREVIEW

Style Girl Jess James is preparing once again for her spring round-up, showcasing the hottest fashions for the new season. With the help of local boutiques like Edge of Urge, Beanie + Cecil and Lula Balou, among others, with MAC Cosmetics and Steven Ward Hair, a day of runway shows and goodies are in store for all fashionistas. Tickets are $17, available at stylegirljessjames.com; event held at Blue Hand Home.

STATEWIDE NC QSO PARTY Statewide NC QSO Party: An Azalea Coast Amateur Radio Club Event at Battleship NC, Sun., 2/27, noon10pm. Purpose of this annual Ham radio event is to allow amateur radio operators worldwide to contact

as many of NC’s 100 counties as possible. This year, the Battleship is one of four stations worth “extra points” if contacted. HWY 17/74/76/421 on the Cape Fear River. www.battleshipnc.com UNCW PRESENTS UNCW Presents proudly announces its 2010/11 season of performances and lectures, Sept-Apr., at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium.

Subscriptions/tickets on sale now through Kenan Box Office (962-3500) and online at www.etix.com. Mon., 2/28: Israeli singer Yasmin Levy presents an exciting world music concert, performing beautiful and romantic songs from the Ladino/Judeo-Spanish heritage, mixing it Andalusian Flamenco and Middle Eastern influences. www.uncw. edu/presents.

COLLEGE MAZE College Maze is for students, grades 8-12 and their families. Gain insight into the financial aid and college application process by attending the workshop series “College Maze,” 9amnoon, Sat., 3/5 in Bear Hall on the UNCW campus. Topics include: financial impact of living at home as opposed to on-campus or off-campus away from home;differences between attending a four-year institution and a community college; applying for student loans and seeking scholarships, federal grants and work study funding; information

about N.C. state grants and the role of the FAFSA in seeking financial aid. Judy Carter: 910-962-3177 or carterj@uncw.edu.

WILMINGTON GARDEN SHOW Five of the region’s leading horticultural and garden professionals will share information and expertise at the 18th annual Wilmington Garden Show, 3/5 (9am5pm) and 6 (11am-4pm), Schwartz Center of Cape Fear Community College, 610 N. Front St. Event helps support the New Hanover County Arboretum’s wide range of horticultural, educational and publicservice programs, as well as contribute to plantings and improvements to the Arboretum’s campus.

Saturday’s presenters will include Todd Lengyeltoti, owner of Rock ‘N’ Bloom; Mark Weathington, assistant director and curator of collections, J.C. Raulston Arboretum; Horticulture Agent Charlotte Glen of the Pender County Cooperative Extension; and Susan Hart, Star-News garden columnist. Al Hight, director of the New Hanover County Extension Service and Arboretum, and Blaine Daugherty, president of the Cape Fear Bonsai Society, will speak on Sunday. Interested vendors: 910-798-7670 or email glevesque@nhcgov.com for application info. Admission is $7; free for children under 12.

Arboretum members: free tickets.

COASTAL CONSUMER SHOWCASE 1st annual Coastal Consumer Showcase: Highlighting the Best in Local Products and Services, Tues., 3/8, 4-8pm, St. James Community Center on Highway 211. Over 50 local businesses will be selling, sampling and displaying their products and services, encouraging residents to “spend their sand dollars locally.” Free, every attendee eligible to register for one free ticket and purchase additional tickets in the Chinese auction, which has almost 50 prizes. Feat. accountants, airplane and airport services and rentals, appraisal services, attorneys, bakeries, building and home improvement materials, outdoor living, car rentals, chiropractors, and more!

Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by BEMC: 910-457-6964.

Charity/Fund-raisers FULL BELLY FEAST 9th annual fund-raiser feat. an evening of globally inspired cuisine, live music from “Tanstrum,” silent and live auctions featuring original art by George Pocheptsov, and much more. See our award-winning inventions, and learn more about our expanding mission to benefit farmers and entrepreneurs in rural communities around the world. 2/26, 6-10pm. Coastline Conference & Event Center, 501 Nutt St. $50. www.thefullbellyproject. org or 910-452-0975 . $60 at the door

48 encore | february 23-march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

EVENING AT THE OSCARS Get dressed to the nines and hit the red carpet!

Cucalorus Film Foundation’s second ever “An Evening at the Oscars” takes place 2/27, 7:3011pm, at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside. Food and cocktails by manna, a Red Carpet paparazzi gauntlet hosted by Style Girl Jess James, a cashprize Oscar pool, a curated silent auction, and other fun surprises. The Oscar pool is a perfect way to show support for Cucalorus, test your penchant for film and win some extra cash. Red Carpet coverage

by Jess James and Best Dressed declared by Edge of Urge. Cucalorus is proud to announce that two festival alumni have been nominated for Academy Awards this year: “God of Love” for Best Short Film (Live Action), by Luke Matheny, and “Dogtooth, directed by Giorgos Lanthimos, for Best Foreign Film: Greece. Fundraiser to support the foundation’s annual film festival (11/10-13), w/proceeds helping to pay for technical fees, filmmaker travel and other costs associated with producing the festival. www. cucalorus.org or (910) 343-5995.

KLASSY KONSIGNMENT 2/24, 6:30-9:30pm, Klassy Konsignment. Fighting With Style, Klassy Divas Fashion Show. Southport Community Center. Proceeds benefit The American Cancer Society; silent auction raffles, 50/50, door prizes. Tickets: $20/advance or $25/door.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT Jr Achievement of the Cape Fear Region is rolling out the red carpet and inviting company employees, schools, friends, and family members to participate in Hollywood Bowl-a-Vard, Sat., 2/26, at Ten Pin Alley. Great team builder and provides employers an opportunity to make a significant impact on the community while building staff morale. Associates from organizations and groups of all kinds form teams, set the personal fund-raising goal of raising $100 ($500 per team) and have a great time enjoying bowling, prizes, networking, crazy contests and having fun. To sponsor: Erin McNally at 910-7623690.

HOLLY TREE CARDINAL STRUT The 2nd annual Holly Tree Elementary Cardinal Strut, Sat., 3/5, 8am. Includes 5k, 10k & 1.2 mile fun run.

Proceeds go to benefit Holly Tree Elementary PTA and Jake Hatton Field project (Jake was student who died last year from cancer). Sydney Jones: 910-619-7119 90 DAYS TO EARTH DAY Attention Grades K-12: 3rd Annual 90 Days to Earth Day challenge is underway. Idea is to pick up as much litter as possible until Earth Day, April 22, focusing on trash that is closest to making its way into our life support system—the ocean. Streams, creeks, rivers, the Intracoastal Waterway and beaches are the target of Ocean Cure’s annual 90 Days to Earth Day challenge. Participating grades will have the opportunity to win prizes donated by local area businesses, with those completing a photo or video essay of their trash collection efforts being eligible to win the grand prize, a week-long surf camp and Engrain surfboard. www.engrainsurfboards.com.

Rules and registration forms: www.OceanCureInc. org. To donate prizes: Kevin Murphy—910-431-0594 or kmurphsbu@gmail.com RELAY WEDNESDAYS Eat out and support New Hanover County Relay for Life! Area restaurants have committed to participate in Relay Wednesdays, with each restaurant donating 10 percent of its proceeds for the Wednesday that their restaurant is featured to New Hanover County Relay For Life. Schedule: 3/2 – Hooter’s, 5112 Market St • 3/9 – Halligan’s Public House, 3317 Masonboro Loop Rd • 3/16 – P.T.’s Grille, Beau Rivage Marketplace location • 3/30 – Slice of Life, 17th St Ext and College Rd • 4/6 – Chick-Fil-A at Mayfaire. Donations from Relay Wednesdays will benefit New Hanover County Relay For Life, which begins at 6:30pm, 4/15, and ends at 1pm, 4/16, at Ashley High School Stadium. An overnight event honoring those living with cancer, remembering those who have died from cancer, and raising money for the American Cancer Society. www. newhanoverrelay.org.

GATSBY GALA Cape Fear Literacy Council presents the 26th anniversary Gatsby Gala, ILM Intn’l Airport, 3/5, 6:30-midnight. Attire is 1920’s Costume or Black Tie. Buffet, open bar, dancing to Blivet, antique cars on display, photo booth and Casino-like games.

Gala: $100 ea. and $175. Reserved tables of 8 are also available for $700. Rachel Forman: rforman@ cfliteracy.org or 910-251-0911.

BOWLING FOR DREAMS Bowling for DREAMS: Local Youth Arts Organization Holds Fundraiser, Sun., 3/13, 1-3pm. DREAMS of Wilmington, Inc. will be holding a Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser at Ten Pin Alley in Marketplace Mall.

Form a team of 4, or we will place you on a team.

Minimum pledges are $50/team and $12/individual.

Up to three games of bowling and shoes provided.

All contributions benefit programming at DREAMS, a youth development organization that keeps our community’s most vulnerable youth off the streets, in school, and on the path to becoming creative, committed citizens through high-quality, free-of-charge programming in the literary, visual and performing arts. Carol Crate: 772-1501 or dreamscenter@ec.rr.com.

Theatre/Auditions ARCADIA See page 22.

CITY STAGE THEATER City Stage Announces it’s 2010-11 season as well as changes within the company! We have a new box office number for ticket reservations: (910) 264-2602. citystagenc.com. Three Penny Opera: 2/25-27. • The Little Dog Laughed: 3/10-13, 1820, 25-27. All shows at City Stage, downtown Wilmington. (910)264-2602. citystagetheatre@ gmail.com.

BRUNSWICK LITTLE THEATRE 2010-11 The Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad from ‘The Wind in the Willows,’ presented by Stagestruck players, youth theatre. 7:30 pm, 2/25-27, 3/4-6, and Sun. matinees, 3pm. Both theatre productions at Odell Williamson Auditorium Event Center, BCC, Thom Clemmons: 910-524-4869

to our wonderful customers For voting us

“BEST THAI/VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT” “BEST ATMOSPHERE” and “BEST RESTAURANT (OVERALL)”

BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS See page 23.

HIS GIRL FRIDAY Guerilla Theatre presents its 50th production, His Girl Friday, at the Browncoat Pub & Theatre. Directed

by Nick Smith (A Piece of My Heart, Frankenstein is Dead) from his adaptation of the 1940 Howard Hawks-directed film, written by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, His Girl Friday is the story of Walter Burns, the hard-boiled editor of The Morning Post. When he discovers his best reporter—and ex-wife—Hildegard “Hildy” Johnson is about to quit the paper and get remarried, he springs into action, conspiring to get her on the biggest story of the year—all so he can buy time to win her back. Stars Susan Auten, Tony Moore, Shane Bates, Charles Auten (Catastropolis) and others. 2/24-26. 7:30pm; show at 8pm. Sun shows at 5pm. $10 at door. www.browncoattheatre.com.

MID-WINTER’S EVE ‘Fractured Faery Tales for a Mid-Winter’s Eve,’ written by Zach Hanner and directed by Cherri McKay. Remember the sly wit of those ridiculous fairy tale send-ups that were sandwiched between episodes of “Bullwinkle and Rocky” and “Tennessee Tuxedo”? Journey Productions presents “Fraktured Faery Tales for A Mid-Winter’s Eve,” the latest selection celebrating its 10 year anniversary. Classic tales, such as “Emperor’s New Clothes” are given a contemporary update a la “Project Runway,” while “Hansel and Gretel” devolves in to a cooking contest where the secret ingredient is—children! Thurs at 7:30pm, Fri/Sat at 8pm and Sat/Sun at 3pm. 2/25-27. $11. Also: a special family night showing, 2/23, $7, 7:30pm.

Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, 310 Chestnut St. 910-362-2285. ThalianHall.org RED BARN STUDIO Red Barn Studio Theatre presents “Lobby Hero,”

by Kenneth Lonergan, a dark comedy about the consequences of telling and not telling the truth.

Directed by Steve Bakunas, featuring Cullen Moss, Mackenzie Wicker, Hank Toler and Darius Bridges.

Through 2/27. Wed-Sat, 8pm, Sun. 3pm. Tickets: $27 for adults, $25 for seniors and $15 for students.

Box Office: Tues-Sat, 2-5pm. 1122 S. 3rd St. 7620955.

SUNDAY FUNNIES Kathryn Martin’s Sunday Funnies, feat. three oneact comedies about romance, 3 and 7pm. Sun, through 2/27, Playhouse 211, Southport. Tickets $19 orchestra, $15 general admission, online at playhouse211.com, 910-200-7785. Playhouse 211 is at 4320 Southport-Supply Road (Hwy. 211), Ste 100, St. James Plaza, St. James.

HOLLYWOOD DREAMS Thalian Association Children’s Theater (TACT) presents the world premiere of the musical revue “Hollywood Dreams: Songs from the Silver Screen,” 3/4-13. Performances are Fri-Sat, 7pm; Sun, 3pm, at the Hannah Block 2nd Street Stage, 120 S. 2nd Street in downtown Wilmington. $10 general admission. Tickets: 251-1788. The production, featuring a cast of 70 of Wilmington’s finest young performers, is conceived and directed by Tom Briggs with staging by Carson Capps, Mary Beth Henderson and Michelle Reiff, and music direction by Jonathan Barber. Over 75 songs written for movies ranging

“When you enter our restaurant, something magical happens, this is our wish. It is a tribute to our family, my mother’s extraordinary childhood and journey in French Colonial Vietnam and a time that celebrated the beauty of women, food and fine wine... when dining was part of a lifestyle.”

—Solange Thompson, owner

7 Wayne Drive (Market Street at Forest Hills)

251-9229

www.indochinewilmington.com

Tues. - Sat.: Lunch 11am - 2pm NOW OPEN MONDAY EVENINGS! Mon. - Sun.: Dinner 5pm - 10pm

encore | february 23-march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com 49

UNCW has partnered with the National Theatre in London to bring high-definition broadcasts of National Theatre Live to Wilmington. Performances are filmed live in HD onstage in London and broadcast via satellite to more than 300 cinemas around the world, including the new OLLI building on S. College Rd. Schedule: FELA!: King Lear: Frankenstein: 3/30, directed by Danny Boyle; The Cherry Orchard: 3/30, Chekhov’s masterpiece (shown live). All shows are at 2pm. $18 for OLLI members, $28 for non-members and $10 for students. OLLI membership: 910-962-3195 or www.uncw.edu/olli.

PORCH THEATRE CO. DINNER THEATRE Mulligan’s Wake Comedy Dinner Theatre: 3/3, 10, 17, 6:30pm. Dining audience members are treated like friends and family and are encouraged to be part of the show. Dress up or down for the funeral and be prepared upon arrival to meet a crazy Irish-Catholic family who has all gathered for a final, over-the-top farewell celebration. Traditional dinner and a wake to honor the memory of dear ole’ Rory Mulligan. This Irish celebration is full of drinking, toasting, dancing and singing. All shows presented while audiences eat a 3-course meal at Front Street Brewery, 9 N. Front St. Reservations req., (910)232-6611. www.porchtheatre.com.

Comedy

from “Singing in the Rain” and “The Band Wagon” to “Saturday Night Fever,” “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” and the James Bond franchise. The cast of 70 are ages six to eighteen, showcasing the immense breadth of talent and diversity within TACT. BRUNSWICK LITTLE THEATRE Brunswick Little Theatre will be holding auditions for the upcoming musical revue, “Songs from the Great American Songbook,” featuring works of composers Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. Auditions are open to experienced adult male and female vocalists capable of reading and learning music independently. Estimated cast size is six-10 singers. Auditions will begin at 3 p.m.

Sun, 3/6, Building F on the BCC campus. Those auditioning will be asked to select and sing a song from the musical revue upon arrival. “Songs from the Great American Songbook” performances will be at 8 p.m. 5/20-22 and May 27-29 at Franklin Square Park in Southport. Katie Jacewicz: bltauditions@ gmail.com.

THE LITTLE DOG THAT LAUGHED 3/10-27, 8pm. City Stage presents “The Little Dog Laughed” by Douglas Carter Beane, directed by Mike O’Neil. Mitchell is on track to become the next big movie star, if only his agent can keep him in the closet long enough. But when a rent boy arrives for the evening and leaves with Mitchell’s heart, even the

sharpest agent might be overmatched. Barbara Weetman, Adam Poole, Morganna Bridgers and Henry Philip Blanton star in this smart, funny look at the price of discovering what you really want.

For mature audiences. Contains adult language/ situations and nudity. Thurs-Sun shows only. 21 North Front St. Tickets: www.citystagenc.com.

AMADEUS AUDITIONS 3/12, 11am, 2011 Carolina Beach Rd. Auditions for Opera House Theatre Company’s production of Amadeus. Roles are available for men and women of a wide range of ages. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Performance Dates: Wednesday, April 27 - Sunday, May 1; Friday, May 6 - Sunday, May 8. Directed by Lou Criscuolo Rehearsals begin Monday, March 28th.

(910)762-4234 BIG DAWG PRODUCTIONS Big Dawg Productions: 3/24-27, Mar. 31-4/3, 7-10, 14-17—Neil Simon’s “Rumors,” a modern farce about a high-profile New York dinner party that begins with a gunshot and ends in a comedy of errors and miscommunications. Tickets: $18 general admission. $10 Thurs performances) $15 seniors/students. 910-341-7228 or www. bigdawgproductions.org. Cape Fear Playhouse, downtown Wilmington. 613 Castle St. NAIONAL THEATRE LIVE The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at

8*/5&3 (bad) 4"-& (good)

T-shirts, Hoodies and most Sandals 20% OFF Betrtreyr ! Bathing Suits, S/S Button Downs, Hu and Shorts 50% OFF 3-PC Wetsuit Package still $99.85 5740 Oleander Dr. • 392-4501 • Hwy 421 & Winner Ave. Carolina Beach & Hwy 210, Surf City

www.bertsurfshop.com

50 encore | february 23-march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

NUTT ST. COMEDY ROOM Schedule: 2/25-26: Rory Scovel (Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon), show 8pm, $8 advance/ $10 door • 3/4-5: Andy Hendrickson (NY comedian) 8pm show, $8 advance/ $10 door • Every Wed. Nutt House Improv Troupe, doors 8pm, showtime 9pm, no cover charge. • Every Thursday Open Mic Stand Up, doors 8pm, showtime 9pm, no cover charge. 255 N. Front St, basement of Soapbox. www.nuttstreet.com. 910-520-5520

Music/Concerts MUSIC ON MARKET Music on Market Fine Art Series offers free concert w/ Keyboard Kapers, pianists Stephen Field and Sharon Miller. Sat., 3/5, at 7:30pm, Sanctuary at St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1416 Market St. 762-9693 ext. 212 or smiller@sacpc.org, HOUGHTON COLLEGE CHOIR The Houghton College Choir will perform at the Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Presbyterian Church (USA) in Wrightsville Beach (2 West Fayetteville St) on Fri., 2/25, 7:30PM. This concert is a part of their 2011 Mid-Atlantic Tour. Dr. Brandon Johnson, Director of Choral Activities at the college, will conduct. This concert will feature choral music of all varieties and will be enjoyable for all ages. free and a free-will offering for the choir will be accepted.

ACOUSTIC SOUP 2/26, 6pm: Acoustic Soup: an evening of music, art and beer, hosted by Art Soup and Satellite Lounge, 120 Greenfield St. Music featuring Upstarts & Rogues, Kyle Lindley, Anthony Garguilo, Michaela Basilio and The Blarney Broughs. Musical showcase is creatively coupled with craft beer

sampling, raffles, auctions, live painting and an artist area where local artists will sell their creative wares. $2 suggested donation appreciated. 910620-2047 or www.art-soup.org PILLAR MUSIC GROUP 2/26, 6pm, Pillar Recording artists Paula Green, Sherry Watkins, Willing Heart, Angie Payne and Mike Kelly, directed by Joey Gore. Admission is free. A love offering taken to support the choir’s mission trip to South Africa. Wesley Memorial United Methodist , 1401 S. College Rd. A love offering will be taken to support the choir’s mission trip to South Africa STAN JAM 2/26, 5pm-midnight: The second STAN Jam Concert & Art Auction will be hosted at Projekte Art Gallery. 3rd St. and Castle St , downtown Wilmington. $5 donation at the door. 30 percent of art sales go to the Stop Titan Action Network. Local artists still needed! Bonnie England at theprojekte@ gmail.com or 910-352-0236 or Sarah Gilliam at sarah@stoptitan.org / 910-777-9834. Tentative Musical Line-up: 7pm: Mike O’Donnell (acoustic folk); 7:45 DJBe (rock); 8pm Karl Metzger (classical piano); 8:45 Jim Ashley (Rock Acoustic); 9pm Kim Disco (Folk Rock); 9:45 Politics of Confession (Experimental); 10pm Goodbye Babylon (special acoustic set); 10:45 Blind Lemon Pledge (rock/ blues). Contributing artists: Sherri Criminger, Susan Kranyik, Abby Spangel Perry, Veronica Plankers, Heather McClelland, Louise Girodano, Cammeron Batanides, and Annie Bennett.

WILMINGTON CELEBRATION CHOIR 2/26, 6pm. The Wilmington Celebration Choir, a professional Christian music choir with more than 70 voices representing 19 area churches ,will performunder the direction of Pillar Recording Artist Joey Gore at 6pm at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church. Feat. music from the choir’s latest CD “WorshipOne” and songs from South Africa, with accompaniment by the Williston African Drummers and Cheick Sissoko, Ivory Coast Master Drummer.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Chamber Music Wilmington presents “Phantom of the Opera’ on 2/27, 5pm, at First Presbyterian Church, 3rd St. Advance tickets at Kenan Box Office: 910-962-3500; $10-$35. See legendary film star Lon Chaney in the newly restored 1929 horror classic w/international organist Dorothy Papadakos, who improvises the score on the famous E.M. Skinner pipe organ.

THE PEASANTS FEAST The Peasants Feast Sat, 3/5, 8pm, Projekte Gallery.

Free! On-the-spot renegade musical collaborations between local/regional musicians. Not an open mic! An improv gathering; spots open! Contact: Stephdigit@gmail.com. http://www.peasantsfeast. moonfruit.com 128 SOUTH FRONT STREET 3/9, 7:30pm: Sol Roots and Tim Smith bring their soulful music and dynamic vocals to 128 South Front Street . Think peace, love, sunshine and funk all wrapped up in groove. Room for dancing, swaying and toe tapping. Local Perry Smith will add percussion for the evening. $15 GA; $10 for students; kids under 10, free. www. stonesoupconcerts.com or 910-541-1274.

Warwick Building at 254 N. Front St. NEW BLOOD FOR THE OLD BODY “New Blood for the Old Body: Photographs from the New Agrarian Movement. “ Photography Exhibition

by Trace Ramsey. Hangs at Tidal Creek Coop, 7213 Market St. through 4/2011. Presented by Art Soup , Trace is an artist, activist, and farmer living in Silk Hope, NC. His highly skilled photographs tell the story of the craftsmanship and joy of farming.

He has an amazing eye for composition, balance, and contrast. His artistry connects us to the hard work and wonder of working with the earth. www. cricketbread.com CALL FOR ARTISTS W.A.A. Juried Spring Art and Sale, sponsored annually by the Wilmington Art Association during the Azalea Festival, is open to both amateur and professional artists. At St. James Episcopal Church on Dock Street, 4/8-10. Anyone 18 and over may compete, and any two-dimensional artwork may be submitted with the exception of computer-generated works and stained glass. Non-refundable entry fees: $30 for W.A.A. members and $40 for non-members.

Official “Prospectus,” including detailed guidelines is available on the W.A.A. website: www.wilmingtonart.org. Judges by noted painter and workshop instructor Mike Rooney and photographer Brownie Harris COLLECTED WORKS OF ABIGAIL BLACKERBY Art Soup presents The collected works of Abigail Blackerby: an art exhibition at Marc’s on Market.

Hangs through summer 2011 and features a variety of abstract work—bright, vibrant and utilizes an intelligent use of color and composition to create intense, abstract forms and cityscapes. Art Soup is an arts education and event organization whose mission is to provide, educate and promote the performance and appreciation of the arts in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina.

IVEY HAYES UNCW is the first college in the state to host the artwork of native son Ivey Hayes, as the result of a

campus effort headed by the Ann Flack Boseman Gallery. 16 pieces will hang in the Azalea Coast Room of the Fisher University Union. The work will be on permanent exhibition, with new pieces rotating in each academic semester through 6/30/2012.

PORT CITY POTTERY & FINE CRAFTS “The World of Miniatures” will be featured at Port City Pottery & Fine Crafts in The Cotton Exchange through January. Our Co-operative of 18 local artists have woven large baskets, thrown large pots, created huge quilts, embellished large gourds, turned wooden bowls, created silver jewelry, fiber art and more. Now they have produced replicas of their work in miniatures! Our winter hours are Mon-Sat, 10am-5:30pm and closed Sundays during Feb. 910-763-7111, portcitypottery.com BOTTEGA EVENTS EXHIBITS: Continuing the Form: An Exquisite Corps Exhibition, feat. Benjamin Billingsley, Drew Craven, Todd Carignan, Rachel Kastner, Colleen Ringrose.

The work featured in this show consists entirely of what is known as ‘Exquisite Corpses’ works of art created through a collaborative process where each artist only sees a fragment of the preceding artist’s work and has to use that as the starting point for their own contribution, thus continuing the form in their own vision. • EVENTS: Tues: Openmic night • Wed.free weekly wine tastings, 7pm • Call to artists: Submissions for our Spring 2011 exhibition—recent or new works created by people with developmental and physical disabilities. All styles, medium and creative processes welcome. 2 jpeg images by 3/1. 208 N. Front St. 910-7633737, www.bottegagallery.com. www.myspace. com/bottegagallery.

Museums CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF ILM EXHIBITS: Magnetic Minds Science Exhibit combines the elements of schoene with a host of

new hands-on activities, feat. creation of ramps and slides, magnetic pulleys, building and racing cars, and more. • Cape Fear Cotillion is coming to the Museum—A fun and interactive way to have good attitudes, respect and consideration for others.

Taught by Tracee Meyer. 5-wks, 3-7 yrs old. Thurs, 4-4:45pm, through 3/3. • Jr League of Wilmington presents Read to Me Festival, Sat., 3/5, 10am-3pm.

Free, geared toward children ages 3-8 and their families. To promote and celebrate literacy and learning. Feat. appearances by No Sleeves Magic and Growing Readers, among others. Free pizza; each child receives free book. www.capefearcotillion.webs. com. 910-262-7447. Mon-Sat, 9-5pm; Sun,1-5pm. (910)2543534, info@playwilmington.org. 116 Orange St HOBBY GREENHOUSE TOUR 3/12: Free self-guided tour of local greenhouses. Begins at New Hanover County Arboretum. 9am5pm. Download tour pamphlet and driving directions at www. hobbygreenhouseclub.org or e-mail hobbygreenhouse@aol.com.

The Children’s Museum of Wilmington hosts the Jr. League’s Read to Me Festival on the 5th of March, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To help promote literacy, the event is free, with free pizza, and geared toward children ages 3 to 8, as well as their families. No Sleeves Magic and Growing Readers will also be on hand to entertain. www.playwilmington.org.

BURGWIN WRIGHT HOUSE 18th century Burgwin-Wright House Museum in the heart of Wilmington’s Historic District, is the oldest museum house in NC, restored with 18th and 19th century decor and gardens.

Colonial life is experienced through historical interpretations in kitchen-building and courtyard. 3rd and Market St. Tues-Sat, 10am4pm. Last tour, 3pm. Admission rqd. (910) 762-0570. burgwinwrighthouse.com.

NC AQUARIUM EXHIBITS: Thank the ocean through a breathtaking new exhibit. The Aquarium installed its “Thank You Ocean” exhibit showcasing photography of sting rays, waves, fishermen and such by world-famous photographers Scott Marshall, Logan Mock-Bunting and DJ Struntz. Admission: $8 ages 13-61; $7 ages 62 and up; $6 ages 3-12. Free admission for: children under 2; registered groups of N.C. school children, and NC Aquarium Society members. EVENTS: • Behind the Scenes Tour, Wed., 2/23, 11:30am; 2/20, 27, 2pm. Space for animal holding, husbandry, life support systems, and access to exhibits is hidden behind the aquarium walls. Fee: $15/ages 13 and up, $13/ages 8-12. Admission included. • Extended Behind the Scenes Tour, Fri., 2/25 and 28, 2pm. Visit top of our largest exhibit, the Cape Fear Shoals during expanded tour behind the scenes. $20/ages 13 and up, $18/ages 8-12. Admission included. • Children’s Discovery Time: 2/23, 10am (Crabs). Creatures come alive in this story-telling and critter-creating program.

Ages 3-5. $11 child. Admission included. Daddy and Me, Sat., 2/26, 9am. Afterwards, you can enjoy free playtime in our Freshwater Wonders Room, which will be reserved just for program participants. Different animal topics will be offered each date. For adults and kids ages 1-2. Fee: $13/one adult and one child ($1/add. child) Admission included. 910-458-8257 ext 218 or 202.

Thank you Wilmington for voting us best place for AlternAtive Medicine

Cosmetic Acupuncture • Organic Massage Therapy Craniosacral Therapy • Manual Lymphatic Drainage • Reiki & Reiki Instruction • Integrated Treatments • Hypnotherapy • Gift Certificates 4916 Wrightsville Avenue • 910-791-1981 www.MckayAcupuncture.com

52 encore | february 23-march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

WILMINGTON RAILROAD MUSEUM Explore railroad history and heritage, especially of the Atlantic Coast Line, headquartered in Wilmington for more than 130 years. Interests and activities for all ages including historical exhibits, full-size steam

3/5: JR LEAGUE’S READ TO ME FEST

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH MUSEUM The Wrightsville Beach Museum of History, housed in the turn of the century Myers Cottage, exists to preserve and to share the history of Wrightsville

Acupuncture • Herbal Pharmacy • Fertility & Pregnancy

Beach. Visitors to the cottage will find a scale model of Wrightsville Beach circa 1910, exhibits featuring the early days of the beach including Lumina Pavilion, our hurricane history and information about the interaction between the people and our natural environment which have shaped the 100 year history of Wrightsville Beach. 303 West Salisbury St. wbmuseum.com. (910)256-2569

engine and rolling stock, lively children’s area, and spectacular scale models. Housed in an original 1882 freight warehouse, facilities are fully accessible and on one level. Groups receive special guided tours. Facilities can also be booked for meetings or mixers, accommodating groups of up to 150. • Story Times designed for younger visitors first and third Mon, 10:30am. $4 per family is charged to cover program costs and includes access to the rest of the Museum. • Museum admission only $6 for adults, $5 for seniors/military, $3 for children 2-12, and free under age 2. Located at the north end of downtown at 505 Nutt St. 910-763-2634 or www. wrrm.org.

LATIMER HOUSE Victorian Italiante style home built in 1852, the restored home features period furnishings, artwork and family portraits. Tours offered Mon-Fri, 10am4pm, and Sat, 12-5pm. Walking tours are Wed and Sat. at 10am. 126 S. Third St. Adults $8, children $4. 762-0492. www.latimerhouse.org CAPE FEAR SERPENTARIUM Cool down in front of “Anaconda Splash” exhibit in the indoor tropical jungle. See, photograph and even touch rare animals assembled from all over the planet in beautiful simulations of their natural environments.

Meet colorful jungle birds, crocodiles, king cobras, black mambas and many more. Open from 11am5pm, Sat. from 11am-6pm. 20 Orange Street at Front Street on historic downtown riverwalk. (910) 762-1669 or www.capefearserpentarium.com.

BELLAMY MANSION One of NC’s most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture, built on the eve of the

Discount Mulch & Garden Soil

Loads Delivered for $150 (in New Hanover County)

For more info call 910-742-5003 Dump Truck & Bobcat Services

Concrete Services

the Jr. March, acy, the

be on

Civil War by free and enslaved black artisans, for John Dillard Bellamy (1817-1896) physician, planter and business leader; and his wife, Eliza McIlhenny Harriss (1821-1907) and their nine children. After the fall of Fort Fisher in 1865, Federal troops commandeered the house as their headquarters during the occupation of Wilmington. Now a museum, itfocuses on history and the design arts and offers tours, changing exhibitions and an informative look at historic preservation in action. • Premiere event: Thurs., 3/10, 6-10:30pm, Bellamy Mansion Art of the Table, celebrating the mansion’s 150th anniversary celebration. Begins with elegant dinners at selected homes and inns throughout Wilmington’s Historic District, and dinner will followed by an Art of the Table preview cocktail party and tour at the Bellamy. $75/person. Runs 3/11-12, noon-5pm, and 13, noon-4pm. Showcases the talents of local artists, designers, florists and hotels and event planners, who create unique themed tablescapes throughout the mansion’s 12 spectacular rooms. GA $15/person. 910-251-3700. www.bellamymansion. org. 503 Market St CAPE FEAR MUSEUM EXHIBITS: Grooming (closes 1/16): Glimpse a selection of personal grooming items, as you explore treasures from Cape Fear Museum’s collection. From wooden hair curlers to strawberry lip gloss, discover objects that help tell the stories of grooming through time. • Cape Fear Treasures: Seeing opens 1/18.

Peruse a selection of items related to vision as you explore treasures from the Museum’s collection.

From sunglasses to opera glasses to magnifying glasses, discover objects that help tell stories of seeing through time.Exhibit is free with paid Museum admission.• Photography in Focus. Explore the evolution of photography, from the daguerreotype to the digital camera. Discover how picture-taking technologies have changed, bringing cameras and photographs out of the studio and into the mainstream. • EVENTS: Volunteer Open House held first Wed. of mo. Opportunities are available in museum store, working with the historic collection, and as an education docent. • New Hanover County Resident’s Day: Residents admitted free first Sun. ea. mo. • Learning Center: Astronomy Adventures Sat, 2/26: Explore planets, stars, the moon and other celestial bodies. Create your own constellation, build and use a star map. • Picture the Past, Sat., 3/5, 12, 19, 26. 1-4pm. Try on clothing from decades and centuries past. Create your own picture portrait, or “daguerreotype,” to take home as a keepsake.

Examine historic photographs and imagine the stories they tell. Make and test out a pinhole scope.

Activities are free with paid Museum admission.

Appropriate for children ages 5 to 12. Parental participation. Free w/admission. • Cape Fear 101: Colonial Stories, Tues., 3/8, 20. 7pm. • Pi Day, Tues., 3/15, 9am-2pm. High-energy, hands-on, facilitated mathematics activities will excite and motivate learners of all ages. Discover the Meaning of Pi. Sort through the Puzzle Playground. Build towers with Shape Makers. Become an origami master when you Fold It! Children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Pre-reg. req for school groups. • History Day, Tues., 3/29, 9am-3pm. Regional History Day competition provides students an opportunity to develop their interest in history into a unique investigation of the past. Middle and high schoolers select a topic related to the theme “Debate and Diplomacy:

Successes, Failures, Consequences” and create an exhibit, documentary, performance, website, or paper to present for judging.Prereg. required.

910-798-4358.• Hours: 9am-5pm Tues-Sat. and 1-5pm, Sun. Museum closed Mon. until Memorial Day 2011. Winter hrs: Tues-Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, 1-5pm. Admission is $6 for adults; $5 for students with valid ID and senior citizens; $5 special military rate with valid military ID; $3 for children 3-17; and free for children under 3. Museum members are always free. 814 Market St. CAMERON ART MUSEUM EXHIBITS: From Heart to Hand: African-American Quilts from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, through 4/10. Exhibition includes select quilts from Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and features the work of Yvonne Wells and Nora Ezell, whose quilts showcase the variety of styles in the MMFA’s permanent collection. Accompanied by a 2006 publication, Just How I Picture It in My Mind: Contemporary African-American Quilts from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts by Mary Elizabeth Johnson Huff. Published 2006, 109 pages with color illustrations. Copies available for purchase in gift shop.• Remembering BIG, Through 4/30: Inexhaustible creativity, expressive color and power of art created by this larger-than-life artist, “Big” Allen D. Carter, a.k.a. Big Al or Big (1947 – 2008), a celebrated artist, teacher and mentor to at-risk youth in the Arlington County Public Schools. Drawings and paintings on paper, canvas, household objects, prints, sculpture and constructions on loan from the Artist’s Estate.

EVENTS: Jazz @ the CAM w/ Liz Pina, Thurs., 3/3, 6:30-8pm. Admission: $7/members; $10, non-members. Liz Pina brings vocal jazz to the evening and a musical collaboration with the FROG Project performing the standards that have inspired her through the work of great jazz singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday Cleo Laine and many more. T • Writers’ Salon: Thurs., 3/3, 6-7pm. Writers of all genres are invited to join us in the café space to discuss their craft, ideas, and the art of the writing life. • ONE4$1, Mask of Warka, 3100 BCE2/28, 6-6:30pm. $1. New minilecture illustrated series begins with Anne Brennan, assistant director, offers succinct takes on one great work of art. These brief lectures address socio-economic influences as well as technical and aesthetic. • 3/5, 3pm; 3/10, 6:30pm: Anne Brennan and Daphne Holmes. CAM’s staff discusses the art work on view. • CLASSES: Life Drawing every Tues., 6-9pm. Group meets in Reception Hall.

Participants provide own dry drawing materials and watercolors. • Now open: The Museum School will steadily expand course offerings to include beginning and master classes in drawing, painting, book arts, textiles, new media, photography and printmaking, all earning CEU credit through New Hanover County Schools. Providing new adult and youth art education and employment opportunity for area artists and instructors. Listing of Spring 2011 classes: www.cameronartmuseum.com. • Corner of South 17th St. and Independence Blvd.

Tues-Wed and Fri-Sun., 11am-5pm; Thurs: 11am9pm. Museum members free, $8 non-members, $5 students with valid ID, $3 children age 2 -12. www. cameronartmuseum.com or 910-395-5999.

Sports/Recreation CAPE FEAR RUGBY The Cape Fear Rugby Club begins its 37th spring campaign, playing Division II North League, of the South Rugby Union. We take anyone who might like to learn the sport of rugby football, as well as veteran ruggers. Practice Tues/Thurs, 6:30pm at NW District Park, Leland. Home matches, Cape Fear’s home ground, on 21st N, just off Chestnut St., across from Annie Snipes Academy of Arts & Design. Schedule of games: www.fearrugby.com.

John Metzger: 910-228-9848 WILMINGTON WATER TOURS Wed.-Sat. “Eagles Island Adventure,” 1-2pm; $10.

A narrated cruise around Eagle’s Island featuring the state port and the battleship! • Wed.-Sat. “Best of Both Worlds,” 3-5pm, $30. Feature the history and ecology of the Cape Fear while allowing you to enjoy the sunset on the river. • Sun, 2/27, 1-3pm, “Family Sunday.” $15-$30. Children half price! Narrated cruise includes a boxed lunch for the whole family.

910-338-3134. 212 S. Water Street.

EMPIE TENNIS Programs for kids: Little Faces, ages 4-6. 3/7, 9, 14, 16, 21 and 23, 3:45-4:30pm. $40/six clinics that focus on the introduction of basic strokes (forehands, backhands, volleys and overheads) • Super Aces, ages 7-9. 3/7, 9, 14, 16, 21 and 23.

4:30-5:15pm. $40 for six clinics. General stroke mechanics will be reinforced with an introduction to Quick Start score keeping , games and some match play. • Hot Shots Match Play for Jrs, 4:306pm. 10 weeks, Tues., 3/8-5/10. $20. Jrs (ages 12 and up). Play two sets of doubles or singles every Tues. afternoon and work your way up the Empie Junior rankings. Boy’s and girl’s singles/doubles winners receive free entry to the Wilmington Fall Junior Classic, 9/23-25, at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex at Empie Park. Balls provided for each match day! www.empiepark.com SELF-GUIDED GREENHOUSE TOUR Free self-guided tour of local greenhouses, including member and non-member greenhouses and commercial and institutional greenhouses.Starts at the New Hanover County Arboretum, 3/12, 9am-5pm. Download the tour pamphlet and driving directions: www.hobbygreenhouseclub.org or email hobbygreenhouse@aol.com.

MARATHONS, TRIATHALONS, ETC. 3/5: Cardinal Strut. 5k, 10k & 1.2 mile kids marathon.

Holly Tree Elementary School, Wilmington.

910-790-2250; www.wilmingtonroadrunners.org/ racecalendar.asp • 3/6: Wilmington Roadrunners Club River-to-the-Sea Run. 8:30am. Entry: 1 canned good. CFCC Water Street parking lot, Downtown Wilmington.www.wilmingtonroadrunners.org/ raceforms/RiverToTheSea11.pdf • 3/12-13: Azalea Triathlon. 8am. UNCW Natatorium and campus, Wilmington. www.setupevents.com FITNESS CLASSES Fitness classes at Halyburton Park, 4099 S. 17th St. Pre-reg rqd. • Pilates: $65/person for 10 weeks: Wed., 3/16-5/18, or Thurs (intermediate/ adv), 3/17-5/19, 6pm, w/Ellen Longenecker. Fri., 3/18-5/20 (Yogalates), 10am, w/Jamie Annette. • Yoga, $65/person for10 weeks: Tues., 3/15-5/17,

6pm, or Thurs (intermediate/adv), 3/17-5/19, 7pm, w/Yuna Shin. Wed., 3/16-5/18, 9am or 7pm, w/Ellen Longenecker. Fri., 3/19-5/20, Yoga in Nature, 9am w/Jamie Annette. 341-0075 or www. halyburtonpark.com WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH REC CLASSES Bridge lessons and workshops, shag lessons, flag football, coed softball, tennis lessons for youth and adults, yoga, pilates, boot camp, tone & stretch, and low impact aerobic classes. For more information call 910-256-7925 or www. townofwrightsvillebeach.com.

Films CINEMATIQUE Plays weekly at Thalian Hall main stage, 7:30pm, $7 (unless otherwise noted) • 2/28-3/2: Made in Dagenham—Based on a true story about a female workers strike in 1968 at Ford’s Dagenham, England car plant. Rita (Sally Hawkins), who primarily sees herself as a wife and mother, is coerced into attending a meeting with shop steward Connie, sympathetic union representative Albert (Bob Hoskins) and Peter Hopkins (Rupert Graves), Ford’s Head of Industrial Relations. What she expects to be simply a day out of work turns into much more when she and her colleagues become outraged by the lack of respect shown in the meeting to the women employees.

113 Minutes. Rated: R for language and brief sexuality.

SUBVERSIVE FILM SERIES 2/27: Visitor Q the film’s plot is often compared to Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Teorema, in which a strange visitor to a wealthy family seduces the maid, the son, the mother, the daughter, and finally the father, before leaving a few days after, subsequently changing their lives. Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St. (910) 763-2223

Kids Stuff KIDS’ BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION 2/26, 2pm-4pm. Craft activities and story time.

A read-in features the book “Of Thee I Sing” by President Barack Obama. Free child’s admission with library card and a paying adult; otherwise regular admission charges apply. Sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Children’s Museum of ILM. 910-254-3534; www.playwilmington.org FIT FOR FUN Fit For Fun Center, 302 10th St. 341-4630. www. fitforfuncenter.com • Make it Mondays arts and crafts classes on first Mon. of the month, starting in Feb; 11-11:30am or 2-2:30pm. $5 to play and participate in class. Age for participants: 2-5 years (may be some small parts) • Big Kids Too-Day, for ages 6-10! There have been many inquiries about having a day for older children to play with the younger children. Regular programming and set up for children 0-5. Special activities for the big kids will be added. First/third Thurs.of month, 1-4pm in February. $4/child, ages 6 mo.-10 yrs.

YOUTH BASKETBALL Registration for Mighty Pints Youth Basketball at the

791-6221

BUY or RENT-to-OWN

(Call for a Free Estimate)

We Are A Progress Energy Certified Contractor.

Ask About Progress Energy’s Rebate Program.

Is Your Money ($$$) Flying Out Of Your Leaky Windows? t& Custom builatch m painted to e your hom

910-642-0404 • 1-888-774-0404

Let Us Show You How To Put Those Dollars ($$$) Back In Your Pocket With Our Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows.

As low as...

$189 Installed S-100

Standard Removal Wood Sashes.

Additional charge for metal removal

www.clearchoice-wilmington.com encore | february 23-march 1, 20110 | www.encorepub.com 53

Martin Luther King Jr. Center, 401 S. 8th St., through 3/1. Girls: Ages 5-7; Boys: Ages 5-7 (participants must be 5, 6 or 7 on 4/30/11), $20/child. Practices begin March 2011. Games will be played at Martin Luther King Jr. Center.Ryan Tunstall: 341- 0057.

YMCA PRESENTS Wilmington Family YMCA presents a new 10wk running program for boys. Beginning 2/28, grades 3-5 focus on fun, fitness and character development. Boys are also given the opportunity to talk with each other and their coaches about issues they are facing at school, in sports, in the community and at home. Sites that anticipate having STRIDE will be Clyde Erwin, Forest Hills, MC Williams, North Topsail, Topsail Elementary, and the Wilmington Family YMCA (several additional sites are pending). The STRIDE season will run concurrently with the Girls on the Run season in February and practice times depend on the location (contact site for more information about practice times). Spring Races: 5/7 Marine Chevy Shuffle 5k at Jacksonville Commons Rec Center 9am; 5/21 Wilmington Orthopaedic Group 5kat 8am. Amber.rogers@wilmingtonfamilyymca.org

Lectures/Readings PETER MAKUCK Award-winning poet and visiting professor Peter Makuck will read from his poetry, 7pm, Thurs.

2/24, Kenan Hall 1111; UNCW. Peter Makuck is the author of seven books and chapbooks of poetry and founded the national poetry journal Tar River Poetry in 1978 and served as editor of the journal until 2006.

• Other upcoming events: Lookout Books Launch Event, feat. a reading by author Edith Pearlman, 7pm, Thurs, 3/3, Morton Hall Auditorium • Reading by fiction visiting writer Paul Lisicky, 7pm, Mon., 4/4, Kenan Hall 1111. Events free and open to the public. Receptions sponsored by the department and book signings sponsored by Pomegranate Books will follow readings. Department of Creative Writing: 910-962-7063.

LIBRARY CARD DRIVE 2/26, 12noon-1:30pm. AKA Sorority will give prizes to children who sign up for a library card.

Parent/legal guardian must show a photo ID and proof of residence in New Hanover County to apply for child’s card. African-American Read In follows at the Children’s Museum. New Hanover County Public Library, 1st floor Main Branch, 201 Chestnut St. 910-798-6303; www.nhclibrary.org MRS. BERTHA TODD 2/26, 2pm-4pm. Wilmington leader/teacher Mrs. Bertha Todd’s memoirs (“My Restless Journey”) provide insight into school integration and race relations in Wilmington. Retired from the New Hanover County Schools, Mrs. Todd is a civic leader in human relations and human services. Her book will be available for sale and autographing. Proceeds benefit Elderhaus and Dreams of Wilmington. New Hanover County Public Library, 2nd floor Main Branch, 201 Chestnut St., 910-798-6305; www. nhclibrary.org OLD BOOKS ON FRONT STREET 10 percent discount to anyone who arrives by bicycle! • “Knit Wits, the crafting group open to all,”

Wed nights, 6:30pm. • Story Teller’s Open Mic on Sunday evenings ,starting in February • Monthly art shows starting this spring. Our first show will be with Alice Brock, the real Alice behind Arlo Guthrie’s hit song “Alice’s Restaurant.” (Last Friday in March) • Also feat. Wilmington’s First Vend-a-Quote Machine—each quote comes with a $1 off coupon toward purchases • Literary Jukebox will be fully functional by 1/10 - that’s the goal. Old Books on Front St: 249 N. Front St. (910) 76-BOOKS DR LEIGH ANNE WHEELER 3/4, 3:30pm. Discussion with Dr.Leigh Ann Wheeler about “Love Lust and the Birth of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Sexual Rights Agenda, 1920-32.”

Free. UNCW Randall Library Auditorium, 601 S. College Rd.

5543-100 Carolina Beach Rd. 910-799-3223. www. techniquesinmotion.com.

WELLNESS WORKSHOP Freedom of the Sugar Blues Workshop! Change your relationship with food and get your diet on track for spring. Learn to free yourself of carb/sugar cravings by joining us for a workshop on Tues, 3/1, 7pm, Hampstead. Advance reg; seating limited. $12.

Lynne Young: 910-270-2307 or lyoungwellness@ charter.net

FROM WIVES TO STUDENTS 3/9, 5pm. Discussion with Dr. Mary Ombonga about “Opportunities and Challenges of Educating Girls Rescued from Early and Pre-arranged Marriages in Kenya.” Free. UNCW Kenan Hall Auditorium. 601 S.College Rd.

ARTS NC ADVOCACY WORKSHOP Free advocacy workshop presented by Arts North Carolina, hosted by the Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum, 5:30pm, Wed., 3/2. Purpose is to train and receive updates about the upcoming legislative session in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Arts supporters encouraged to attend this event to learn more about how you can help the effort to support and maintain arts funding during these difficult economic times. Free! RSVP: assistant@ artsnc.org . Richard Sceiford: rsceiford@ec.rr.com or Anne Brennan, 910-395-5999 Ext. 106.

Classes/Workshops

Clubs/Notices

SOUTHEASTERN CAMERA SUPPLY Every Wed, 6:30-8pm, Wilmington photographer Gary Allen offers classes on digital photography at the Southeastern Camera in Wilmington.

Different topics every week, small classes, a great learning experience. 313-2999 or Gary at gary@ garyallenphoto.com. $30. 1351 S. Kerr Ave.

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF GREATER ILM Thurs., 2/24, 12:30-4pm: The Assistance League of Greater Wilmington’s fund-raiser: afternoon of games —bridge, pinocle or any other game for your table.Shell Island Resort, 2700 N. Lumina Ave, Wrightsville Beach. $25/person includes light refreshments, dessert, coffee and prizes and a fabulous view of the ocean. Proceeds support

DRUM LESSON Weekly Drum classes held Sun., 3pm, Juggling Gypsy Cafe1612 Castle St. Focusing on Middle Eastern and Arabic rhythms, Matt W. instructor. Lessons come with handout sheets, and instructional CD. Matt :(910) 620-8291 or email info@ jugglinggypsy.com. Weekly drum jams Thursday night at 7:30pm.

The YWCA’s annual Women of Achievement nominations are now being held across New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick and Columbus counties. Nine categories are recognized, such as arts, media, business, environmental and educational, as well as a Youth Leader category geared toward high-school seniors who can win a $1,00 scholarship. Send nomination by 5 p.m. on the 15th. www.ywca-lowercapefear.org.

PERFORMANCE CLUB Performance Club Studio Theater announces weekly ongoing classes for young performers ages 5-Teen. Learn all aspects of performance including improv, voice, movement, scene study, audition skills, Glee, musical theater and more! Join in February and be a part of our Hollywood “Oscar” Showcase.

• Film Biz workshops for adult and child actors interested in getting into the business. Join Agent Jackie Pressley of Capital Artists Agency and Director LJ Woodard to learn the ins-outs including information on resumes, headshots, auditions, representation and more! $55 for Adults, $95 Adults w/Child. February 5th, 1-4:30pm 6624 Gordon Rd. Studio B.338-3378 or www.PerformanceClubKids. com to register.

DANCE CLASSES Techniques in Motion School of Dance begins new adult classes: Morning workout, Tues, 1011am, $45/mo. or $115/clas card (10 classes, receive 11 free!). $10 reg. fee. • Yoga, Sun, 3-4pm w/Jennifer Robancho. Techniques in Motion:

Need Keys? Our Keys Work!

LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED Locally Owned & Operated Since 1985 COMMERCIAL • AUTO • RESIDENTIAL SAFE SHOWROOM • KEYS

• Deadbolts & Locks Sales & Installation Five N.C. Licensed • Safes Opened & Repaired Locksmiths • Auto High Security Auto Chip Keys & Remotes #0508 • Get By Box Store Pricing from a local expert 799-0131 • 2803 CAROLINA BEACH ROAD ( O N E

54 encore | february 23-march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

NOW! yWca WOmeN Of achievemeNt

B L O C k s . O f s H I p yA R D B L v D .)

philantrhopic programs in the community.Advance reg. rqd. Nancy Tillett,: 686-3902.

FACE TO FACE WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS 2/27: The League of Women Voters of the Lower Cape Fear will hold the 5th annual “Face to Face with Your Legislators” at Government Center, 230 Government Center Dr. An opportunity to meet with your N.C. senators and representatives and U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre. Invite open to public officials or community leaders to make a special effort to be there. It’s a unique opportunity for you

to talk one-on-one with your elected officials to let them know your concerns..Direct constituent involvement, 3-5pm.

WILMINGTON STONEWALL DEMOCRATS The Wilmington Stonewall Democrats, a group of lgbtq Democrats and their straight allies, meet the first Thursday of every month at Old Books, 249 N. Front Street, Wilmington, 5:30pm. We are an official auxiliary of the New Hanover County Democratic Party. Gayle Keresey: 763-7149 or Ryan Burris at 262-7787.

RANDALL JARRELL POETRY COMPETITION Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition: Postmark, 3/1.

Eligibility and Guidelines: Open to any writer who is a legal resident of NC or member of the NCNN; submissions should be one-poem only (40-line limit); must be typed (single-spaced) and stapled in the left-hand corner; names should not appear on the poem but on a separate cover sheet along with address, phone number and poem title; poem will not be returned. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a list of winners; entry fee must accompany the poem. Multiple submissions accepted, one poem per entry fee: $10 for NCWN members, $15 for nonmembers. Checks: North Carolina Writers’ Network. Terry Kennedy, MFA Writing Program, 3302 MHRA Building, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170.

YWCA WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT Nominations are now being accepted for the 27th annual YWCA Cape Fear Women of Achievement Awards, which honor women and youth who demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities, as well as excellence, accomplishments and commitment in their careers, schools and communities. Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender county may be nominated in nine categories: arts, business, communications, education, environmental, health & wellness, public service, volunteer and the Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero Award. Seniors in high school are nominated in the Youth Leader Category (awards include a $1,000 scholarship). Deadline: 3/15, 5pm. www. ywca-lowercapefear.org or 799-6820.

ORATORICAL CONTEST 1st Annual Optimist International Oratorical Contest—a speech contest, designed to inspire today’s youth, to motivate and inform others through the art of public speaking. It provides young people the opportunity to compete for college scholarships and express their views on a pre-assigned topic.

Sat. 3/19, 10am-4pm, on the UNCW Campus at the Wrightsville Beach Room in the Fisher Student Center. Youth between ages of 10-19, from public schools, home schools, youth groups, church groups, and boys and girls clubs, etc.Contestants must prepare a speech no less than 4 minutes and no more than 5 minutes on the topic: “If I were leader of the free world, the first issue I would address would be…” 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will receive cash prizes and medallions. First place goes to NC East District-Zone 1 contest. The winner of the NC East District-Zone 1 contest will go to the District Oratorical Contest in the Research Triangle Park on 5/21. At District one young man and one young lady will be eligible to win a $2500 scholarship. Lillianne Kepley: 910-279-0087 or lme@ec.rr.com. All details: www.optimist.org/e/member/scholarships4.cfm.

CORKBOARD

Videotape to DVD or Hard Drive

KAREN KANE MUSIC PRODUCTIONS

escort service Wilmington • Surrounding Areas Batchelor Parties, Dinner Engagements, Daily Specials

Available for your next CD or Demo 33 year veteran Producer/Engineer

200 album credits

Dreaming Of A Career In The Music Industry?

AUDIO ENGINEERING CLASSES Music Recording, Mixing, Pro Tools, Studio Production Classes offered in Jan., Apr. and Sept.

(910) 681-0220 or mixmama.com want to Get the word out about your business...

AdVeRtiSe ON the

CORKBOARD

4weeKS - ONlY $50 cAll 791-0688 FOR detAilS

Bring your precious memories to life in the digital age.

ESCORT

Happy Hour acupuncture $10

The Best Feel Good Treatment Going Every Wednesday, 5-6:30pm Center for Spiritual Living • 5725 Oleander Dr., F1-1

$15 per tape for up to 2 Hours Reel Video Transfer

3417 Wrightsville Ave. • 796-8181 Mon-Fri 9-5:30 • Sat 10-1

BLACK TIE AFFAIRS

Karen Vaughn, L.Ac • (910) 392-0870

your date to the brewery

Proceeds Benefit The Wounded Warriors

dinner for 2 just 14.99

A Night ON the tOwN For Executives and Refined Gents Brunette Model/Social Companion 5’5”, 36DDD, Very Assertive

Call For Rates & Availability

Front Street Brewery 910.251.1935 9 North Front Street, Downtown Wilmington FrontStreetBrewery.com

910-616-8301 tAtiANA36ddd@AOl.cOm

are you ready to take it to tHe next LeveL?

ceRAmic-mARble-StONe experienced tile installer

For Anyone Who’s Feeling The Pinch, I’ll Help You Out For The Whole Year (ask for details)

910-398-7600 www.blacktieaffairs.net

• ADULT MARTIAL ARTS • GRAPPLING - No Contracts - Drop In Rates Available

910-386-6846 www.dynamicmartialarts.webs.com

the hAiR StudiO $20•PedicuRe•$20 45 Minute Pedicure All Day Everyday • Tues.-Sat.

cAll 262-8887

tO Set uP YOuR APPOiNtmeNt tOdAY

Bathrooms, Kitchens, Fireplaces, Foyers, Shower Bottom Repairs, Etc.

Call 616-0470 for free estimate

Hair Special

50% Off Any Service Of Your Choice

By One Of Wilmington’s Greats

Chris Day 910-232-7623 New clients or old clients

Need SOme eXtRA cASh?

sell your unwanted items

in

adpak weekly

Your LocaL Source For cLaSSiFiedS For over 30 YearS

15 words, 4 issues, $10~in Print & onLine www.adpakweekly.com • Call AdPak @ 791-0688

pet of the week My name is Ted and I was lucky enough to be taken into the rescue Sunburst Foundation, just as my time was up at a local shelter. Unfortunately I have heartworm disease and will need to go through expensive treatment to help heal my heart. Any donations toward that treatment can be made via the new Sunburst website, www. sunburstfoundationofwilmington.org.

Now that I got that part out of the way, I can talk about me, Ted. I am around 2 years old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, crate training and house breaking well and I love people. I am new to the rescue so they are introducing me slowly to other dogs but seem to do ok with them. I will not be ready for adoption until I have completed my course of heartworm treatment. Thanks for any help that you can give for my medical needs.

Also my rescue is one of the recipients of the First Annual Cape Fear Dragon Boat Race and Festival along with Step Up For Soldiers.

Please check out this quick reference link for more information http://www.capefeardragonboat.com/index.htm Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of a first of its kind event in our area and help out homeless animals at the same time. encore | february 23 - march 1 | www.encorepub.com 55

3 years open, 3 years won!

Thank you Wilmington for voting us â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Place to Board Your Petâ&#x20AC;?

Drop your dog off in the morning on your way to work, and your dog will be busy romping and playing with his dog friends!

Your dog will enjoy playing with other dogs, playing with people, inside or outside.

Whatever he enjoys, he will find fun at the Dog Club.

ven e t h g i m He ch, u m o s t i love nt to a w d l u o he w ght! i n r e v o y sta â&#x20AC;˘ 1940 North County Dr. Conveniently located 1 mile from GE by the Airport 56 encore | february 23 - march 1, 2011 | www.encorepub.com

XXX EPHDMVCXJMNJOHUPO DPN