March 1, 2008 – Wilmington Magazine
By Allison Ballard
When Shawn Wellersdick left the popular downtown Under Currant in 1999, he and wife Anne set out for Oregon, figuring the time was right for a move. But during their two weeks in Portland, they received so many phone calls from home, they decided they were on the wrong coast. By the time they got back, they already had a name for the new restaurant they would open. Nearly eight years later, Port Land Grille is the oldest local fine-dining eatery that has not changed chefs or owners. And along the way, Wellersdick has helped set the standard for what local fine dining should be. His talents have been celebrated with a Food Network gig representing the state in the Great American Seafood Cookoff, Sante Magazine Award for Best Fine Dining in the Southeast and awards from Dirona, Wine Enthusiant and Wine Spectator. “But you can’t rest on your laurels; we know that,” he says. “Once you’ve built that reputation, you have to work even harder to keep it.”