USS North Carolina and Copper Penny

Wow!  Life has really been showing up to play lately, and that has given me a little reason to not be so present here on the site.  I did want to find the time to tell you about the most recent adventure.  We took a trip with the neighbors to Wilmington, NC.  The neighbor called and suggested to go to Wilmington and see the USS North Carolina.  Of course I jumped at the chance.  I hadn’t seen the Battleship since I was little.  At least I think I did see it at one point?  I don’t know that I would remember seeing it when I was young after seeing everything this last time.  It would be for the simple reason that as an adult I would take different things from seeing the memorial.  

Because this is what it’s about….

Do you see the reflection?

World War II era was a completely different time than now.  This was the way to connect to it.  The men were so young in the photographs posted.  The memories that were posted around the memorial from the various crewmembers were haunting at times.  You could picture their memories as if they were your own.  Maybe that’s how it was supposed to be, and if it was, perfection.  Even down to the current crew cleaning on the ship.  The one’s I spoke to were ex-military, and had a connection to their duties.  Now I won’t claim to know a ton about the military.  I’m not the type to go through life BSing around a subject to sound knowledgeable.  What I do know…I have a magnificent love and respect for our military.  That’s something I’ve developed in my adulthood, and I owe a lot of that to my Stepfather.  He’s USN through and through, and I am thankful everyday for his service.  Go Navy!

All of the old GE products on board were fantastic to see!

I can’t help but look at this photo and think about food….Do you see all the food relations?

Now being a food blog, you have to know something else was coming on this trip….

The food!  The other deal about going to see the memorial was that we had to eat at Copper Penny in Wilmington.  The hub and I had already been to Copper Penny a couple years ago, and we couldn’t wait to go back.  However, once again, life had happened, and we hadn’t made it back yet.  

You know that one place that you just can’t stay away from in your memories?  Think about going to that place in your mind.  Walk through the door, sit at the same table, find that one menu item you just must have again on the menu, and order it.  It gets delivered to your table, you take your first bite, and it hits you.  It’s just like you remembered it.  Isn’t that the sweetest experience?  Those moments are when you know you’re at a good place.  Consistency is the key. 

I ordered the same thing I got last time, with the same sides.  The “DW” Burger, sub a Black Bean Patty.  For the record here, I have YET to find a Black Bean Patty that is as good as this one.  The burger comes topped with bacon, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato, and fried onion straws.  I leave the tomato off and add guacamole.  There is something to be said about piling on delicious toppings.  This is where it comes in handy that I have a big mouth.  *smiles*  The sides were homemade chips and Asian Slaw.  I love the addition of the Ramen in the slaw – always unexpected and always tasty.

DW Burger

The hub got the Ridiculously Good Pub Burger, which is a ½ lb. chopped shortrib and chuck burger topped with cheese of choice, bacon, mushrooms, and he added fried onion straws.  Also at our table was the Black Bean Burger topped with cheese, Lettuce, tomato, onion and a Lemon Dill Aioli, and the Grilled Steak and Bacon Sandwich.  This sandwich is a NY Strip topped with bacon, white American cheese, and chipotle mayo.  It looked amazing!  To start the table off, there was a big appetizer of Cheese Steak Nachos.  You read that right…sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream all piled high on a bed of tri-color tortilla chips with a side of jalapenos.  YUM!!! 

Sometimes you just feel safer eating a burger of this magnitude with a tattooed gentleman beside you.

Cheese Steak Nachos

When it comes to dessert at Copper Penny there is one option only.  The “Soon to be Famous Bread Pudding” is the sole option, as it should be.  When something is this good, you don’t need another option.  After all of the food consumed at the table, this topping on the meal is worth being miserable over.  It satisfies every bit of your sweet tooth with each sweet and chocolaty caramel bite.

We finished off the day with a short walk on the beach, and then a 3.5 hour drive back home where we had begun just 16 hours ago.  Between the stellar history lesson, the delicious food, serene beach walk, great company, and a perfect Sunset most of the way home, it was a glorious and satisfying way to spend a Saturday.  

We determined this was a real mermaid, but she dried out in the sun…