9.26- Seafood Chili

Mike's Seafood Chili

The annual Chili Cookoff was held today on the Tiki-Bar deck at the Oriental Marina & Inn. The cookoff is a fundraiser for Oriental's historic Old Theater, a really cool 1940's movie theater that has been converted into something of a performing arts venue... though old movies still occasionally grace the screen.

Tiki/Toucan cook and bartender Mike's entry was Seafood Chili made with local clams, crabs, mussels and shrimp from Oriental's own Fulcher Seafood Co.

I am sure my Texas friends and readers will cringe at this one... I myself could not muster the courage to sample the Seafood Chili, not being a big seafood fan (particularly concerning the clams and mussels.)

Once again this year, there was not a single example of "real" chili in the running... All of them included tomatoes/tomato sauce, various kinds of beans, and ground beef... two entries also included ground pork. After living 20+ years in South Texas, I am always surprised that other places in the South serve "Yankee-style chili" as the norm.

None of today's entries would've qualified as chili by Texas standards, but some of them tasted pretty good for whatever they were.

My favorite came from Eric Stickrath's "Broad Street Grill" ... Eric used Vidalia onions to give it a sweetness (but without refined sugar, which is often used in the cookoff chilis, cringe again) and contrasted that with chipotle flavor (although, alas, it came from a bottle of Tabasco-brand chipotle sauce rather than actual chipotle chiles.)

Eric got my vote for best, but failed to place in the contest.

This being a fishing village, Mike's Local Seafood Chili was a favorite, winning second place.

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7.09- Tiki-Bar x 2

A 60-foot sports-fisher named "Tiki Bar" out of Point Pleasant Beach, NJ stopped in Oriental NC today...
(click image to enlarge)

... And of course where else would the vessel dock but next to the 15' x 15' Tiki-Bar (background... it is surrounded by a much larger Tiki-Deck) at the Oriental Marina & Inn on Raccoon Creek, with the best view for your sunset happy/cocktail hour ?

The Tiki-Bar features Oriental's finest bartenders (I have to say that or they will have my hide) as well as live music many weekends during "the Season." (call or log-on for info)

Oriental Marina and Inn hosts boat slips for cruisers, sports-fishers etc., plus hotel (well, actually "Condo-tel," but it amounts to the same thing) accommodations for overnight visitors from land or sea, showers and laundry facilities (small fee for those not docking), on-site Tiki-Bar (Best Sunset Service, Drinks and Views, as voted unanimously by yours truly) as well as the indoor bar, restaurant (and occasional live music venue) the Toucan Bar and Fresh Grill. (Just don't display any fear towards Donna... she can smell it a league away, and then you're done-for!)

For overnight accommodations ashore (comfortable full service suites) or in a convenient slip (plus Fuel Dock) at the very heart of Oriental on Raccoon Creek see Oriental Marina & Inn

The Oriental Marina & Inn Monitors:

• Channel 16 (hailing) and
• Channel 71 (direct comm. with vessels coming into slips)

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12.09- Luminary assembly, Part One

Candles for luminaries are "pre-lighted" on the lawn of the Toucan Bar in preparation for the "Spirit of Christmas" parade

Oriental's annual "Spirit of Christmas" parade is coming up on December 13. That means it's time to assemble the 3000 luminaries (little paper bag lanterns) that will line Oriental's streets for the parade.


Parade Elf Lori Wagoner supervised the process, which this year took place at the Toucan Bar on the grounds of Oriental Marina & Inn.

The first step in the assembly process was to fold 3000 bags and "pre-light" 3000 candles.

The candles were each lit and allowed to burn a few minutes before being blown out and put back in their boxes.

This makes it easier to light the thousands of candles once they are in their bags and in place along the streets.

While the candle lighting took place out on the lawn, other volunteers folded the bags on the deck and inside the Toucan bar.

Parade Elf Lori Wagoner displays the "Bag Folding 101" instructional poster
(Click on picture or here for full size)

Folding the tops of the bags down provides some structural rigidity to the luminaries. The army of volunteer bag folders enjoyed some beverages and fun company during the arduous task:

The next steps will be performed another day... filling little sandbags, placing the sandbags in the paper bags, placing the candles in the bags, and lining up the finished luminaries for delivery.

You can follow the whole process right here over the next few days.

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9.20- "Celestial Nights" concert

Dave Collins & The Celestial Nights Singers perform at the Old Theater in Oriental
(click on picture or here to view full size)

Local troubadour Dave Collins, accompanied by the "Celestial Singers," performed last night in Oriental's historical theater on Broad Street on Friday and Saturday nights.

Dave Collins arrived in Oriental earlier this summer, and has become a popular draw as a one-man show with regular gigs at "Scoots" and the Tiki Bar at Oriental Marina & Inn.

Dave pulled together a group of other talented local singers and musicians for this weekend's show, "Celestial Nights," which proved to be a hot ticket in town, filling the theater both nights.

In addition to Dave on vocals, guitar, piano, keyboard, fiddle, flute and sitar, the show featured:

• Mellissa Stowe, vocals & percussion
• Lynn Speas, vocals & percussion
• Care Gerdeman, vocals & percussion
• Shelly Engelhardt, congas & chimes, and
• Leanna Shae Collins (Dave's daughter), flute, vocals & percussion

The first half of the show featured Dave's original compositions featured on his first CD and an upcoming CD, while the second half consisted of classic covers.

You can see a bunch of my other pictures from the show on today's posting at my other blog, "The Dinghy Dock."

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8.31- Chicken Dance and Ice Cream at the Tiki deck

As sunset approaches, an accordionist entertains some ice-cream-eating fans with the "Chicken Dance" on the Tiki Bar deck at Oriental Marina & Inn on Raccoon Creek.

These young ladies requested the "Chicken Dance," then danced about 5 seconds before returning to their ice cream (from "The Bean," across the street)... they kept moving to the beat, and seemed pleased with the song, but doing the Chicken Dance does require clapping one's hands too often to be compatible with eating ice-cream.

The Tiki Bar deck is a great place to watch the sun setting over Raccoon Creek and the commercial trawlers tied up at Garland Fulcher Seafood. I'll feature a sunset shot from the Tiki deck sometime soon.

Aliens staying in the hotel or on boats at the marina mix with a good crowd of local regulars, and on summer weekends there are usually a bunch of kids and dogs playing on the grass between the Tiki, the Toucan restaurant and the visiting sail and power pleasure boats tied up at the Oriental Marina & Inn slips.

Sometimes the older (MUCH older) kids play bocce on the lawn, and on most summer weekend nights there is a live band on the deck.

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