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January 31, 2003 - Capturing the Spirit of the Carolinas Magazine
Port Land Grille, The Ultimate Dinner Party
By Billy Cone
As you enter the dining rooms of Port Land Grille you immediately notice the
simplicity of décor and the black and white memories of Wilmington and
Wrightsville Beach hanging on the walls. An attractive bar looks upon the
open kitchen where chefs prepare sumptuous cuisine. Anne Steketee and her
husband, Shawn Wellersdick, have done a wonderful job creating a restaurant
that has become a favorite in Wilmington for locals and visitors alike.
Anne manages the restaurant while her husband is the executive chef. They
met in Greensboro at Jimmy Noble’s restaurant and have been happy together
ever since.
During our visit, Billy Mellon was our waiter. After being served by
him, we felt he should be “Waiter of the Year” in Wilmington. He was cordial
and unfailingly professional. We were thrilled when he brought us sweet and
succulent oysters on the half shell with Pinot Grigio, jalapeno mignonette
and Worcestershire cocktail sauce. Shawn’s Beef Tartar was a first for us,
made from Black Angus beef. Tasty steamed little neck clams would have been
the encore had the flash-fried, cornmeal-dusted, local soft shell crabs
stayed in the salty wetlands. We loved them with just the right amount of
crunch.
But my very favorite was the Pan Seared French Foie Gras over buttermilk
10-spice “French toast,” candied macadamia nuts, sake poached fresh peaches
and a dark cherry, pomegranate glaze. This delight burst with flavor. I call
an entrée of this caliber over-the-top delicious. Then we tried the pork BBQ
& pimento cheese “Red Neck” Crostinis, the Carpaccio of Lamb (another first
for us), the “Red Neck” Egg Roll filled with smoked shrimp, andouille
sausage and collard greens with a papaya dipping sauce. We were impressed
and amazed at the diversity of offerings and variety of flavors in each and
every starter.
Port Land Grille has many savory salads, including a Grilled Spring
Asparagus, a Crab Meat, an Old Bay Dusted Local Shrimp & Baby Spinach Salad,
an Oyster Salad, and many more. There is something for every lover of
greens here, but save room for the main course and certainly a special
dessert.
Billy Mellon prepared us for what was to come: seared, farm-raised
Hawaiian Sun Fish over lemon grass, coconut “fried rice,” ginger seared snow
peas and a roasted sweet corn, mango Thai relish. This dish was cooked to
perfection and reminded us of Trigger Fish. The creative combinations in the
Alaskan King Salmon were right in line with the philosophy of Port Land
Grille: bring out all the best flavors of the main ingredient with other
complementary flavors.
The Organic Poussin and Veal Porterhouse were both tender and juicy,
obviously cooked with care and great love. The presentation of each plate
was colorful and made our mouths water. There is an artistic flair at Port
Land Grille for food presentation. As Anne says, “The restaurant is a
beautiful reflection of who we are.”
We cannot forget to mention the wonderful wine selection which we
enjoyed throughout the night. The care in choosing their All-American wine
list is evident by their achievement of receiving Wine Spectator’s “Award of
Excellence” two years in a row.
Believe it or not, we had somehow saved a little room for dessert. We
were blessed with two offerings which we thoroughly enjoyed. My all-time
favorite has to be the multi-layered coconut cake. But since I had already
tried this incredible sweet, I tasted the creamy Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
with Viogner Poached Fresh Apricots and the Summer-Time Lemon Tarte with
Fresh Local Lewis Farms’ Blueberries and Chantilly Cream.
For any city in America, Port Land Grille would be impressive. For
Wilmington, North Carolina we are in awe.
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