The Bank

Those who know me are aware that I'm a retired banker.  After a career that spanned over forty years, banking is definitely in my blood, so a restaurant called The Bank is certainly one I had to try.  We've driven to Washington, NC, affectionately known as "Little Washington",  on many a Sunday, but the Bank is closed on Sundays, so when we decided to go boat shopping there on Saturday, lunch was surely to be a major part of the trip.  After a stop at Park Boat Company to look at pontoon boats, we drove downtown and found The Bank bistro and bar on Main Street.

It's in the old Bank of Washington building, and a painting of what the Bank must have looked like in its very early days hangs above the vault.

Yes, the original bank vault is still there, behind the bar, and it's used to store liquor, wines, glasses, and everything else needed to operate an excellent bar.  I'm going to have to get a phone with a better camera, or learn to do a better job with the one I have, because I'm afraid my photos just don't do this place justice.  I was fascinated by the vaults (the door to the second one provided entry into the rest room area);  they reminded me of an old bank where I had worked in Washington, D. C., in 1972.

When we entered, there was a keyboard player set up to the right of the door, and a large party was filling most of the front section of the restaurant.  We continued back to the bar area and found a high top table somewhat removed from the birthday party crowd.  We were prepared for a delay in service because of the large group, but our drinks were brought promptly.  We ordered the Parmesan-stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and perused the menu to decide on our mains.

The mushrooms were generously stuffed with a creamy and cheesy filling that was quite delicious, and went perfectly with a nicely chilled glass of Sav Blanc.

David decided on their burger, and I had the winter salad for my main course.  The burger was a little more done than medium; but was still juicy and tasty,  served on a sourdough bun with lettuce, tomato and red onion.  To this he added bacon and blue cheese, and a side of cole slaw.  I didn't taste the burger, but the slaw was quite interesting:  the dressing had a distinct orange flavor, and sure enough, we could see flecks of orange zest upon closer inspection.

My winter salad was comprised of spinach, mixed greens, goat cheese, green apples, candied pecans, and dried cranberries.  I chose the balsamic vinaigrette, and like an idiot, dumped the entire vial on the salad without even thinking.  It was definitely too much dressing for the salad.  Frankly, I prefer the chef to dress my salad for me;  I believe he or she knows better how that should be done;  but I can only blame myself for destroying what was surely delicious when it came out of the kitchen.

As usual, I forgot to take pictures of our main courses.

We shall return.

A Weekend in Wilmington

David Autocrosses.  For those who don't know what that is, it's an SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) sponsored competition also known as Solo, which involves competing on a closed course marked out with pylons.  Cars are classed with comparable cars, each car runs individually, and at the end of the day awards are given for the fastest time in each class, the fastest time overall, and the fastest PAX time.  PAX is a factor that is designed to equalize the different cars.

The car David drives is a Formula 500 car.  Most of the cars that compete are production cars that may or may not have been modified to compete in Solo events.  David's car is pretty much a racecar and nothing else.  Since it's very difficult for him to get in and out of the car, my job is to be his pit crew between runs.  And since I'm the only member of the pit crew, I am the Pit Chief.  And I am important.

For that reason, when we go to an out of town Solo event, I am to be spoiled.  Royally.

A couple of weeks ago, there was an event in Wilmington, NC, which involved competition on Saturday and Sunday.  Since Wilmington is about two hours from home, this definitely qualified as a spoil Georgia event.  We left home around noon on Friday, and stopped at Hardees for lunch.  Nothing spoil-worthy there, although their chicken tenders are pretty tasty.  Around three we arrived at our home for the weekend, the Hilton Wilmington Riverfront.  Now we're talking.

After we settled in, we walked up the street to explore the area a bit.  There's a main road lined with bars and restaurants, and the perfect place to stop for a cold beer.  The waitress recommended an IPA, which we both enjoyed.

 I had made dinner reservations at RX Restaurant and Bar, which got great reviews from just about every site I visited.  We decided to take the hotel shuttle to get there, even though it was only about a mile.  I just wasn't comfortable walking back to the hotel after dark, and we were unsure of the parking situation.  After a short wait for another group going to the same restaurant, the shuttle whisked us off, and stopped at what was obviously the wrong place.

 But everyone got out, so we did too.  Then we found the door, on the corner of the building, and realized we were at the right place.

RX is definitely a popular place;  the bar was bustling at 7 PM, and I didn't see any empty tables other than the one where we were seated.  I started with a Dirty Bombay Sapphire Martini, and David had a Belvedere Martini with a twist.  Both were perfect.

For our appetizer, we shared the Herbie's Beets, Blueberries, Mixed Greens, Blue Chevre, Pecans, Grilled Peaches, Gastrique.  This was fresh and delicious, and the perfect size for two to share.

RX changes their menu daily, and it's been a while since we dined, so I'm not positive about the details of our entrees. But wait!  Google can find even older menus if I remember some of the details!  So:  I had the Golden Tilefish, Sweet Corn Risotto, Red Russian Kale, Sunflower Seed Gremolata.  And Oh My!  It was probably the best fish I have ever eaten in my life.  Every single item was perfectly cooked, and each of the flavors complemented the others.  The sunflower seeds were toasted to perfection and provided such a nice, nutty crunch to the dish.  With my fish, I had a glass of Pinot Grigio which was the perfect choice.

David's choice was the NC Sheepshead, Grilled Squash, Charred Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, Poblano Vinaigrette. 

I'm always grateful when we taste each other's entrees and are both happy with what we ordered.  While his was delicious, I would have hated to have had to do the "half-and-half" routine that we do when one or the other of us is not thrilled with our choice.  More often than not, we're both happy.

For dessert we shared the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Homemade Bourbon ice cream.  What can I say?

As far as the AutoX event is concerned, David took FTD (fastest time of the day) both Saturday and Sunday.  It was insanely hot and humid (the event was appropriately named the July Fry), but we still had a great time.  On Sunday we were treated to visits by family who live in the Wilmington area, which definitely enhanced the fun.