[piano intro] - Next on "North Carolina Weekend," join us from Carolina Beach as we celebrate the perfect beach trip.

We'll explore the Carolina Beach murals, sample two restaurants, and Visit Island Farm.

Coming up next.

- [Announcer] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, across the Piedmont, to 300 miles of barrier-island beaches.

You're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] - Welcome to "North Carolina Weekend."

everyone.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel, and this week, we are celebrating the perfect beach trip.

I'm on the boardwalk at Carolina Beach today, and I must say, it has been a while since I've been here.

But this beach town has really taken off, with new restaurants, music venues, shops, and a brand-new mural trail.

Of course, what trip to the beach would be complete without fresh local seafood?

And our producer, Jason Frye, who lives in Wilmington, recently visited a new restaurant there that's getting rave reviews.

[upbeat music] - In a town full of great restaurants, it can be hard to set yourself apart, but that's exactly what Three10 did when they opened in the fall of 2021.

With their focus on seafood dishes, traditional Southern cuisine and an inventive take on all of it, they've quickly become one of Wilmington's go-to restaurants.

- This particular restaurant had a lot of charm built into it in that it's a bungalow, a converted bungalow, that in partnership with Historic Wilmington Foundation, we rescued and moved to this lot.

So we already have all that Southern charm that's built in.

- [Jason] Chef Walker's menu isn't the only thing delighting diners at Three10, Jen Concklin, Walker's business partner and wife, has spent her career steeped in hospitality.

And she handles everything in the front of the house.

Her dining room is inviting, her porch charming, and service flows with an ease that makes diners feel at home.

It's a perfect match to the menu.

The selection of local beers and spirits, the lovely wine list and an offering of inventive mocktails makes it even better.

- I had a mocktail this evening, which I was super excited to be able to order, and I got the mojito.

- In the few years that we've been open, there's definitely been a big trend in people wanting to bypass alcohol but still have that full-rounded experience in the dining side.

And so we kind of just listened to our guests.

I have a fabulous bar manager, Keran, who I tasked her with making some very craft mocktails.

And she just took it and ran with it.

And I think every menu's been better than the one before it.

And we make sure that you're not missing anything at all when you have a mocktail.

It's still a well-balanced and crafted drink.

- The menu at Three10 changes every eight weeks, but one of the most reliable items happened to be one of my favorites, Oysters.

You can get these beautiful little babies on the half-shell raw, or you can get them with a Rockefeller-like twist.

But no matter what, you can count on them being on the menu at Three10.

- Lauren and I are splitting oysters and a salad, and then we're getting two small plates, and then we're gonna see what we have room for next.

- When I had a peek at the menu, I had high hopes for Three10.

And Chef Matt Walker has never let me down.

From the oysters on the half-shell, to the Carolina gold rice hush puppies, to the house spin on shrimp and grits, everything they serve here is outstanding.

- So creativity is very important in my kitchen.

It's really the reason that I do what I do.

It's a reason to come in every day, try out new things, push the boundaries of what we're able to do here.

We're always trying to do something that you wouldn't necessarily see somewhere else, using familiar ingredients, but presenting them in a slightly different way.

And I think people usually respond pretty well to that.

- This is my favorite because the grits are very creamy, and the scallops and the shrimp were cooked to perfection.

- And I ordered the grouper as my main dish.

- [Jason] How is it?

It looks fantastic.

- It's excellent.

It's really good, it's over dirty rice, and then it's got oysters all around it.

- Mm.

- It's great.

- I'd say a dish on our current menu that really sums up Three10 and one that I'm most excited about is our black bass crudo.

We're working with UNCW and their aquaculture and mariculture department to bring in some very fresh sea bass.

Usually they've been harvested the day of that they arrive.

And because they're farmed and their feed is controlled, we are able to serve them completely raw.

It's kinda like a blank canvas, and we rotate through some different accoutrement to go with that and just highlight the fish.

It's very nice.

- Seafood is the star of the show at Three 10, but when you come, be sure to save room for dessert.

This buttermilk panna cotta is one of my favorites in town.

And whether you come in for date night, one of their multi-course wine dinners, or just to wind down, you're really in for a treat.

[upbeat music] [customers faintly speaking] - Three10 is at 1022 North 4th Street in Wilmington, and they're open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. To make a reservation, visit their website at three10wilmington.com.

[upbeat music] I'm with Maureen Lewis, the president and founder of the Carolina Beach Mural Project.

And we're standing in front of a fantastic mural right now.

Maureen, tell me about this one.

- Well, Deb, this one is called "The Tribute to Carolina Shag."

And Carolina Beach has a really rich history of shag music and dancing on the island.

This mural depicts Chicken Hicks, who actually taught all the kids in Carolina Beach all the different moves.

And the artist Brian Lewis, also known as JEKS NC, who has painted murals all around the world.

We're very happy to have him in our portfolio of mural artists in town.

- [Deborah] Maureen, how did the project get started and how many murals are there now?

- Well, Deb, I moved from a town that was very rich in public art.

When I came here, I saw the potential and I asked around, and there was a lot of will, but no one really knew how to do it.

And so I created this organization with a lot of like-minded people.

And we started in March of 2020, and we have 19 murals installed since then, with another one, number 20 is gonna come in fall.

- [Deborah] What role would you say the mural project has in town?

- This town is in a lot of transition right now, and so I think it gives everyone a little understanding of our history and culture as it transitions from an old sleepy beach town to something that's a little bit more new.

It also encourages and inspires people, whether they are visitors or residents, just to take a look at a wall and see how it's been transformed.

The biggest challenge for us is getting wall space, but once we have negotiated with the landlord, then we look at the location and say, "What is the best theme for this particular wall?"

And we send out an RFP to artists and they give us proposals and we choose the one that speaks to us in that space.

And we're very proud to say that all our murals are done by North Carolina artists.

- Oh, that's wonderful.

- Yeah.

- Fantastic, can you show me some more murals?

- Sure, come on.

[upbeat music] Deb, this mural is called "Beach Breeze," by artist Jenna Rice outta Greensboro.

And it's the first mural that we had done that's trompe-loeil, which means trick of the eye.

And it's 3D, so the further away you stand from it, the more it looks like it's actually happening on that wall.

- Oh, I think I can see a little bit of that happening right now.

- [Maureen] Yeah, you can see the clouds blowing in the wind.

This mural celebrates the annual kite festival that's always at Fort Fisher.

We are very proud that all of our murals celebrate either the culture or the history of Carolina Beach.

[waves crashing] - Maureen, this one looks really different.

Tell me about this mural.

- Well, this is called asphalt art, and basically what we do is we take a mural and we put it down on a sidewalk.

And the kids love it, it's very engaging.

- Ah.

It is, so bold and beautiful.

And what are locals and visitors saying about these murals?

- Well, actually we thought we would do well if we could install two murals a year, but the reception has been so phenomenal that we actually are able to fund five murals every year.

- Wow.

So how do people find out more about the murals and where they are?

- [Maureen] They can come and visit us on carolinabeachmurals.org, or visit us on our Facebook or Instagram page.

And we do have a downloadable map on our website that people can download and then follow the trail.

- Fantastic.

Well, I can't wait to do that.

Thank you so much for showing me around the murals.

- Well, thanks for the opportunity to share this with your audience.

- To find out about all the murals at Carolina Beach, visit their website at carolinabeachmurals.org, and you can also follow them on Instagram.

Did you know there used to be a steamboat that would carry people to Carolina Beach from Wilmington, and the last leg of the journey was a ride on a small train?

This mural celebrates the steamer that brought tourists to Carolina Beach from Wilmington and the Shoo Fly Train that connected the steamer to the Carolina Beach boardwalk in the late 1800s, early 1900s.

Another historic coastal destination is Harkers Island.

And our producer, Seraphim Smith, learned a lot on his last visit there.

- I'm an artist and a culinarian, and I'm seeking to find out more about the history and culture of Harkers Island and Cape Lookout.

[bright music] My journey to Harkers Island actually began with this book.

It's a fascinating overview on their history and culinary traditions.

[upbeat music] Harkers Island is known for their waterfowl festival and for the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center, which details the history and culture of the people down east.

If you're an avid reader, you'll find yourself in an ocean of literary joy at the book and gift shop.

While duck hunting has a long history on the island, there's been a resurgence in the craft of decoy carving.

[wood scratching] I wanted to see how the decoys are made, and I spoke with master decoy carver, Corey Lawrence, in his wood shop.

- You can see when you do that, you're starting to round that bird up.

And there's no such thing as anything square in nature.

So this is just one step in the process of getting it rounded up.

[machinery whirring] - [Seraphim] Corey's father, David, co-founded the Core Sound Decoy Festival and the Decoy Carvers Guild.

[wood scratching] [wood knocking] [wood scratching] - There's not many people these days taking the time to make wooden decoys to hunt over, but they're almost like heirlooms.

And one of these days, maybe 50 years from now, someone will look back and be glad that I made these to actually hunt over.

[upbeat music] When you really hunt over 'em as they were intended it, it makes 'em a real thing.

This is some bufflehead decoys that I'm working on for my son, my oldest son.

He's really into hunting now, but he's decided he wants to collect bufflehead decoys.

Those decoys over in the corner, that's some little dipper or bufflehead decoys that my dad made for me.

And he and I used to hunt over those.

And when I look at those dippers, those buffleheads over there that Daddy carved, they mean the world to me.

When I'm sitting here carving these decoys, I'm thinking about the kind of hunts that my dad and I shared using those and the kind of hunts that hopefully me and my son will share hunting over these.

And I love that, pretty soon, these will be in the water and I'll be making those same kinda memories with my son.

[bright music] One of the things that I love about the Core Sound Waterfowl and Heritage Museum is the fact that we're trying to save who and what we are.

What we are is decoy carvers, we're boat builders and fishermen, we are gardeners, we're quilt makers and crab pot makers and net hangers, and a group of community that just really loves not only the area where we live, but we love each other and we love who and what we are.

[upbeat music] [boat engine faintly roaring] - [Seraphim] A trip to Harkers Island just isn't complete without a ferry ride to Cape Lookout.

- Gonna be a real pretty day today.

Anybody getting off of at Shackleford Banks?

- [Seraphim] Shackleford Banks once hosted a community of over 500 people.

However, devastating hurricanes in 1899 forced them to abandon their homes.

The banks are now only home to wild horses.

Oh, they're right there.

[laughing] Incredibly, we were escorted to the lighthouse by a pod of friendly dolphins.

No way.

I went to speak with a local historian at the lighthouse about the people who once lived at the banks.

- It was a fishing community.

And actually about 1706, whalers from New England came down here.

So they introduced whaling to these people.

And it was a very popular thing to whale, especially during the spring time when they were moving back and forth, migration.

[upbeat music] - [Seraphim] It has been said that the islanders' ability to bear the torrential storms, coupled with their love for one another, is what makes this community so remarkable.

There is so much to learn at Cape Lookout that, like me, you might get hooked on its unique history.

There is treasure to be found here, and I can't wait to return.

- The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center is at 1785 Island Road in Harkers Island.

And they're open daily.

For more information, give them a call at 252-728-1500, or visit coresound.com.

This cute mural is called "Formative Flora," and it celebrates the native flowers and pollinators in the region.

Another fun area on the coast to explore is the outer banks.

And if your kids wanna see what life was like 100 years ago, take them on a journey to Island Farm in Manteo.

[upbeat music] - It's a game of catch.

You toss the hoop back and forth, using your sticks to throw and catch the hoop.

And just by crossing and sliding apart.

- [Rick] More than a century and a half ago, this farm on Roanoke Island, owned then by the Etheridge family, might've had a game of catch, or graces, being played in the yard, but the family also had crops to tend and livestock.

- [Guide] His name is Charlie.

- Hey, Charlie.

[onlookers laughing] Don't you mess up my lens.

And there are always chores to do.

Pretty much the same things that still go on here every day.

- This is a type of rug called a toothbrush rug.

That's one of the names for it.

And it would be from a toothbrush where the bristles had come down, or come off, and then you would file it down and make the hole a little bigger, and that becomes your needle, and you make a rug.

[anvil dinging] - There's always something you have to repair, always something that breaks, always something that you just have to make.

It's like, "Oh, we need that."

- [Rick] Back in 1847, there was no local hardware store.

So in this historic working farm, they continue to do things in the old-fashioned ways.

- This is a hand-sewn doll, and it's called a Topsy-Turvy.

They were popular in the 19th century.

And it was so an African American child could play with a Caucasian child just by flipping the skirt around.

- [Rick] Gene and Charlene Staples are the site managers for Island Farm.

And they are totally immersed into the 19th century mindset, in a region where the prominent history occurred centuries earlier when the lost colonists arrived and perished without a trace.

- And when the early colonists came, they had not too much interaction with Native Americans, so they weren't introduced to corn.

They couldn't even grow a carb.

You could live off of bread and water, but if you can't grow wheat to have flour to make bread.

But by this time, these families had figured out how to make it here in this harsh environment.

- [Rick] Gene and Charlene still work the farm successfully, just like the Ethridges who prospered.

- And so we're portraying daily life here as it was in the late 1840s, 1850s.

We have all the outbuildings they would've had have been reproduced.

We grow a lot of the same crops.

We have all the same livestock represented that were recorded here by the 1850 census of the United States.

- There's nothing roped off, you can pick up things and touch things.

And you don't get that too often at a lot of living history sites.

So it almost feels like you're visiting family or visiting a grandparent's farm.

And that's what we want, we want people to feel like that they have just come and stepped back in time, but yet can interact with it.

- [Rick] North Carolina has a rich history, and much of it happened within a few miles of this location.

It's possible to see and learn quite a bit about the outer banks without traveling far from here.

But Island Farm is a worthwhile visit to link it all together.

[Charlene laughing] - We have a live oak tree that's estimated to be over 400 years old.

We're kind of a connecting rod between the Lost Colony and the Wright brothers, the things that the outer banks are known for.

We have that tree that may have been alive here when the Lost Colony was here.

And one of the grandsons buried in the family graveyard was a witness to the Wright brothers' flight.

[upbeat music] We make it as close as possible to stepping back into that time, seeing, feeling and smelling, tasting in some cases, exactly what it was really like to live on a farm on Roanoke Island in the 1840s and '50s.

- Island Farm is at 1140 US-64 in Manteo, and it's open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, give them a call at 252-473-6500, or go online to obcinc.org and search for Island Farm.

I just love the psychedelic colors in this venus flytrap mural behind me.

You know, for some, the perfect beach trip has to include fresh local seafood, but this Emerald Isle dining destination drew so much attention that a famous food network star had to make the drive down to check it out for himself.

[upbeat music] - [Brandon] My family's grown up in the Swansboro area.

My grandfather, he was outside and he was building a sign that said, "Shepard," on it, which is our last name.

My grandmother, she goes outside and she said, [laughing] "Why are you doing that?

Why are you putting this up?"

And he told her, he said, "I don't know how, I don't know when, but," he was like, "I promise you that last name will be in lights."

[tape whirring] - Are you hungry?

- I'm always hungry.

- This is Shepard Barbecue.

How long's this gonna smoke?

- [Brandon] About 10 hours or so.

- Okay.

- Add salt and pepper and the Carolina vinegar to get it ready for service.

[upbeat music] - That's on point, love that vinegar, I love the heat, I love the simplicity.

You call it gold, you're right.

- We are located in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, literally probably five-minute walk from the beach.

[laughing] We have Texas-style brisket.

We have Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue.

We do carved smoked turkey, which is actually a kinda hidden gem [laughing] in barbecue.

A lot of people are starting to realize how good it is.

It's not just something for Thanksgiving.

We also do a house-made smoked sausage, we do smoked ribs.

And then, of course, our side to where we get a little more untraditional with a minnow mac and cheese, and my grandmother's collards, Helen's collards.

[laughing] And it's kind of our homage to whether it's either the past or just things we like to do to kinda splice things up.

- They've kind of put themselves on the map as far as North Carolina barbecue goes.

And it's definitely a place that's worth driving outta your way.

- The staff is super friendly, they make you feel like part of their family.

- I've spoken to tourists that have been here, and they've said, "This is my third day going back to Shepard's.

We're getting some to take home with us because it's amazing."

- You will enjoy the food and bring somebody back with you.

- If you want the full experience and a full menu available, definitely come out early.

People start lining up typically around 10:15, 10:30, we open at 11.

Once something runs out, it is out for the day.

So if you've got your heart set on something, come early.

My husband Brandon and I do all of the cooking.

Brandon does all of the trimming, handles all of the proteins, right down from putting on the smoker, to cutting it to put on your plate.

I focus on sides.

They're all his recipes.

And he's taught me to prepare all of those items.

And then for service day, while he's cutting and preparing orders, I handle the register.

Order for Mary Ellen.

So as mom and papa as it gets.

We are hands on every step of the way.

[dynamic music] - Whether it was family barbecues or whether it was friends, it was always barbecue that kind of brought us together.

In Eastern North Carolina, it's said that there's only nine barbecue spots left that are doing whole hog.

It's actually a dying culture.

If we let that die out, I think we're doing a huge disservice to the people that actually came before us.

This wasn't something they did because it was cool to do barbecue and the rock stars for barbecue.

They did it because it was a way to feed their families and it was something that they loved to do.

People ask, "What do you normally use on your smoker?"

I always tell 'em, "We use hard oak, we use pecan, and it also runs on sleep deprivation."

[laughing] It's something that it takes day-in, day-out, constant attention.

Our smoker now, every 30 to 45 minutes, you have to load it up with hardwoods.

It can take upwards from 12 to 16 hours to give you a plate that you might finish in 10 minutes.

- Yeah, you wanna come for the food, but get to know them, too.

The people that run the place are more important than the food itself.

- Brandon looks out from behind the kitchen and he'll wave or he'll give you that quick smile because he's always super busy.

They both are always super busy.

But they never take that busyness for granted.

And that's what you want for people that are as genuine and as sincere as Brandon and Elizabeth, you want that type of success for them.

And that's what keeps so many of us coming back.

- Shepard Barbecue is at 7801 Emerald Drive in Emerald Isle.

And they're open for lunch only, Wednesday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To place your order, give them a call at 252-764-2387, or visit their website at shepherdbbq.com.

Well, that's it for tonight's show.

We have had a great time exploring all of the murals here at Carolina Beach.

Just one of the many fun things that you can do when you come.

And I'm definitely coming back.

And if you've missed anything in tonight's show, just remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org, or you can find us on our YouTube channel.

Have a great "North Carolina Weekend" everyone.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] [bright music] - [Announcer] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, across the Piedmont, to 300 miles of barrier-island beaches.

You're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[piano outro]