[piano intro] - Next on "North Carolina Weekend", we're celebrating coastal vibes from Wilmington.

We'll spend the night in a luxury houseboat, learn some Outer Bank's history, and sample innovative Asian fair at Indochine.

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.

[vibrant vibey music] [vibrant vibey music] [vibrant vibey music] - Welcome to "North Carolina Weekend", everyone.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel.

And this week, we are celebrating coastal vibes with visits to Wilmington, New Bern, and Corolla.

I'm on the Wilmington Riverfront, one of my favorite places to visit, and it's expanded now with a new park and amphitheater.

We'll explore more throughout the show.

But first, I wanted to show you where I spent the night.

Check out these glamorous houseboats here at the Cove.

I had a wonderful experience and wanted to share with you a little bit of my weekend in Wilmington.

[bright vibrant music] For Coastal Vibes, Wilmington is a choice city, and recent developments helped me put together a first-class weekend escape.

At the center, overnight stay at The Cove Riverwalk Villas.

- It is a houseboat community.

We tend to refer to them as villas though, because as you can see it's a little bit different than what people usually think of when they think of a houseboat.

We think of it as luxury living on the water.

And when you enter into the houseboat, you'll find an open concept living space.

So there's dining space as well as a living space and the full kitchen.

Beyond that, there is the queen bedroom with an attached full bathroom, which does include washer and dryer as well in every unit.

And then up the stairs, you'll find another very nice spacious living space.

And off from that space there is the primary bedroom with the king bed and another full bathroom off from there.

- [Deborah] The interior design and decor are impeccable and they didn't forget the exteriors.

Designed for gathering with friends or taking in the sunset solo.

At the Cove, you're within walking distance to lots of Wilmington River walk attractions like the Convention Center and Live Oak Bank Pavilion Amphitheater, which has fantastic music concerts and shows.

And the Wilson Center of Cape Fear Community College, a technologically advanced performing arts center, featuring Broadway style theater and national touring acts.

The Wilmington River Walk is a paved 1.75 mile stretch, lined with eateries, shops and attractions.

About three blocks south of the houseboats, you'll find a gorgeously coastal venue for hot breakfast and more.

- Well, you know, we do a lot of the traditional Southern classics, but we updated a little bit.

When they're coming for breakfast, they want grits, and they want 'em to be good.

And so we do stone-ground grits that come from a mill right over the border in South Carolina.

And then they're gonna want things like, you know, bacon and sausage.

We have blueberry oatmeal pancakes, which are probably our most popular dish.

Comes with a little walnut butter, a little syrup in your choice of sides.

- [Deborah] And I have to say their hand-stirred sangria with the marinated fruits just bursts with flavor.

- We're not just a breakfast place, although we do a lot of breakfast, we do a lot of brunch on the weekends, which is really popular.

We do have a little bit of something for everybody.

- [Deborah] The Basics is located on Front Street in the Cotton Exchange.

So after breakfast, it was easy to do some exploring and window-shopping.

With charming 19th century style brick facades and open air courtyards, you can meander through this historic district and find handcrafted gifts, jewelry, treats and more.

[upbeat music] [vibrant music] I'm not sure if the purpose of my stroll was to burn off a few calories or work up an appetite for lunch.

Either way, on a visit to the coast, fresh catch is a must.

I ambled over to Anne Bonny's Bar & Grill, a long-standing favorite since 2017.

- We are a floating casual restaurant on a barge on the Cape Fear River.

We do, we're very family friendly.

We have a casual menu, everything from great burgers and wings to calabash seafood and crab cakes.

So plenty of variety.

- [Deborah] I tried their crab cake, and boy, did it deliver!

- We have a specialty frozen cocktail list that we are known for, which is definitely a big attraction here for us.

- This is their Mango sunrise, sweet, tangy, cool, refreshing, just right on a hot day.

Probably good on a cold day, too.

The view of the river from Anne Bonny's whet my appetite to see and learn more about the Cape Fear.

An afternoon cruise on Wilmington Water Tours was just the ticket.

- The boat's name is the Wilmington and we named her in honor of Captain John Harper, who ran a steamship to Wilmington.

We run trips basically on the hour, every hour all week long.

We run north up behind the island, Eagles Island here on the even hours and south by the ports on the odd hours.

And we have Sunset Cruises with live music, specialty cruises tomorrow we have a wine tasting, so we just really try to mix it up.

- [Deborah] Our trip really gave different views of Wilmington's River Walk, the amphitheater and marina.

So impressive.

Captain Doug also shared interesting insights on the Cape Fair River itself.

- So this is the Cape Fear River, and it's the largest river in North Carolina.

It covers 9,000 square miles in North Carolina.

From here downstream, it's about 25 miles to the ocean, like Southport, Bald Head.

And then as you go up river, it goes all the way to Raleigh and Greensboro and Fayetteville.

[upbeat music] - [Deborah] After the boat tour, I found the perfect spot to cap the night.

Social Casa de Tequila is right on the riverwalk and features a covered balcony overlooking the water - Being a lover of tequila.

It was something that was missing downtown.

There was a lot of whiskey bars and bourbon bars, but there wasn't an actual, just a tequila bar you could go and find some nice high-end tequilas, Tequila's made with a blue agave, so that makes people happy.

People have a good time when they're drinking it.

It brings people together, it's a lot of fun.

- The vibrant murals and theme are a tribute to Lindsay's Cuban roots and her father who recently passed.

If you're lucky like me, you'll stop by on a night when she's opened the bar to a Latin dance meet-up.

Whether you're dancing the night away or exploring the many offerings along the river walk, you'll discover Wilmington's just the place to catch those coastal vibes.

To reserve your luxury living on the water at The Cove Riverwalk Villas, go to covewilmington.com for information and links to the basics and Bonny's Bar & Grill, Wilmington Riverboat Tours and Social Casa de Tequila, or the other places we featured in and around the Wilmington Riverwalk.

Go to wilmingtonandbeaches.com or find the links on our website.

The Riverwalk here along the banks of the Cape Fair.

So fun to explore with its restaurants and shops.

Now another river town, New Bern also has great restaurants.

So when culinary artists, Seraphim Smith was there exploring the town, he kept meeting people who were talking about the same great breakfast spot.

So, he decided to check it out.

[flute whistling] [parents cheering] - Beautiful New Bern has a fascinating history.

It also has intriguing architecture and gorgeous waterfronts.

It's the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola and its known statewide for Mum Fest.

Although it's a small city, there's still plenty to do.

You've got great places to walk, see art, shop, eat and drink.

However, today I thought I would start at the very beginning with breakfast of course.

My friend said that if I was going to make the trip to New Bern, I simply must go eat at Baker's Kitchen.

I couldn't wait to try their goods and talk with owner Buddy Bengel.

- When we look at Baker's Kitchen and I look at where we have built this place, we want you to feel like I'm going to grandma's house, you know, one o'clock on a Sunday afternoon.

She's been cooking all day long and you're sitting around with your families.

We want to take you back to those days where you come here and it's like Grandma's been cooking all day long to make sure she's made everything homemade and stir every pot with a little bit of love.

That's what we try to put on the table every single day.

- If you love coffee like I do, you're going to want to grab a cup.

You're also going to want one of these decadent cinnamon rolls, - Our staples, our cinnamon rolls, our french toast, and our chicken and waffles.

We try to have something that fits everyone and gives everyone something that they are going, man, this was fantastic.

Something that I find a little bit different from my grandma's table is that you have this concoction here.

- So butter syrup, it's something very different.

Now, how do we take something as simple as french toast, pancakes, chicken and waffles, and make it a little bit better?

We add a different element to it that gets you going.

Man, that's really good.

Never had that before.

It lets people take a little bit of Eastern North Carolina with them anywhere in the world.

- [Seraphim] In addition to their famous butter syrup, you can buy a French toast kit, which includes everything you need to make your very own at home.

The kit includes a loaf of thick sliced house-made bread.

And being a bread baker myself, I just had to see how their bread is made.

- I love this machine.

I mean it has all these, it's so good.

- [Seraphim] Ingredients are scaled and added along with high gluten flour and instant yeast to warm water.

- And Seraphim, that's what it should look like.

- [Seraphim] The dough is portioned by weight and then rounded.

- Bottom and you take it and you just kind of knead it in in a ball.

Make sure it's all tucked up under.

[playful music] You want to flip it over 'cause you always want the smooth side on the outside.

- [Seraphim] Depending on the day, Julie will routinely make between 54 to 120 loaves of white, wheat and my new favorite, onion rye.

[upbeat music] If breakfast and fresh bread weren't enough, you'll flip when you see the pastry case.

Sweetness abounds at Baker's Kitchen.

And it's not just for your taste buds, it's also for your ears and heart.

♪ You know, you got a little piece of my heart ♪ ♪ Now baby ♪ [upbeat guitar music] ♪ You know you got it ♪ ♪ If it makes you feel good ♪ - Oh my god girl!

Man, you got a star on your hands, oh boy.

[laughs] You guys- - Baker's Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery is at 227 Middle Street in New Bern and they're open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every day except Tuesday.

For more information, give them a call at [252] 637-0304 or go online to bakers kitchen mb.com.

Did you know that Wilmington is a World War II Heritage city?

Well, right now I'm here with Captain Wilbur Jones, a native of Wilmington who started the project.

Captain, can you tell me how did this all get started?

- It was a 12 and a half year project in 2007 and went to the city council, the county commissioners to get us started with the resolutions and we proclaimed ourselves as America's World War II City, but no one was really around to give that authorization from a national standpoint.

So I am connected with our Congressman Mike McIntyre, and we began a long process through legislation in the US Congress, which led to eventual legislation signed by President Trump in 2019, 12 and a half years later.

And then it was really concluded in 13 years when we put the entry panel sign of the "Welcome to Wilmington" and a little entry panel sign that said, 'Welcome to Wilmington, America's first World War II Heritage City."

And I went home that night and enjoyed a good bottle of French wine.

- [laughs] Sounds like a great way to do that.

What are the things about Wilmington that make it a World War II heritage city?

- Well, there were two criteria that we proposed in the legislation and which became part of the qualification process.

And the first criterion was, what did you do during the war for the war effort?

Did you build ships, planes, tanks?

And we had that pretty well covered for all of the contributions we made during the war.

And the second criterion, which to me was just as important, how did you preserve that history?

And you're standing in the hub of our World War II activities.

Now we're standing in the Hannah Block, Historic USO/Community Arts Center.

It was built in 1941 by the federal government and the local governments for recreation purposes as all USOs were during World War II for the service men and service women to come and enjoy a night off and dancing and music and snacks and making phone calls back home.

And the building was preserved, fortunately due to a very concentrated effort by the public.

And it's now one of the, oh, less than handful World War II USO buildings still standing in the United States.

- Can you share with me some other sites around town that are historic in nature?

- Well, yes, certainly.

Wilmington High School had two Medal of Honor recipients, as far as we know, the only high school in the country that had multiple Medal of Honor recipients.

And we have honored them with a beautiful masonry memorial at New Anaba High School and also at a middle school and a beautiful nature park called Halliburton Park.

We've had three German prisoner of war camps here, and we put up markers to two of them.

- How about the battleship?

- Well, I don't want to forget the battleship because that's our crown jewel.

And it was one of the big reasons why we were able to move Wilmington up to the head of the list when it was being considered as the first American World War II Heritage City.

We've got our battleship.

- Well, now that Wilmington has been declared a World War II heritage city, what's next?

- To keep plugging it to capitalize on, take advantage of this national, even global recognition for Wilmington.

I hope that we'll be able to do that.

- The Hanna Block historic USO is at 120 South 2nd Street in Wilmington, and it's open every day except Sunday.

And for more information about other World War II sites in Wilmington, go to Wilmington and beaches.com.

Yes, there are so much great history here on our coast, but let's step away from Wilmington for a moment and head to the Outer Banks where we join Rob Holiday and three historic sites that have been gathered together to create the Corolla historic park.

- [Rob] In addition to their beaches, Corolla and Currituck County are perhaps best known for wild horse tours, But the area has many other attractions, and four of them are located within steps of each other at Historic Corolla Park.

- [Meghan] They can climb the Lighthouse, they can see Whalehead, they can go to the Wildlife Center in the Currituck Maritime Museum.

- [Rob] Let's start with the most prominent, which also happens to be the tallest and the oldest.

- The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was first illuminated in 1875.

It illuminated the last dark space on the Atlantic Ocean.

It's 162 feet to the top of the building and it has 220 steps to the top.

- [Rob] Even if you're completely outta shape, you can still come up here 'cause there's plenty of places to stop.

You can stop at each landing, learn a little bit about the lighthouse, catch your breath.

Then when you get up here, it's a million dollar view Between 80 and 100,000 people visit the Currituck Beach Lighthouse each year and when they're finished, many of those folks stroll over to another historic attraction just a few hundred feet away.

- The Whalehead Club is a 1920s era house museum.

It's a a lot larger than it looks from the outside.

It's a five-story building, 21,000 square feet.

People do compare us to Biltmore and they say Biltmore of Outer Bank.

- [Rob] And like the Biltmore Estate, the Whalehead Club was the creation of a wealthy family from the northeast.

Edward Knight Jr. and his wife, Mary Louise, envisioned the Whalehead Club as a coastal retreat and Hunting Lodge.

Construction was completed in 1925 with full restoration coming about 20 years ago.

- It's just in a beautiful setting.

I mean all around us with the sound.

What we're known for is our Art Noveau style.

There's very bright colors in the rooms, like the kitchen is candy pink.

It's just a happy place.

- [Rob] The waterfall and other wildlife in the area were a huge draw to the Whalehead and other hunt clubs in the early part of the 20th century.

That heritage is still on full display just across from the Whalehead at the Outer Bank Center for Wildlife Education.

- Most people that come in look around and go, what is this place?

And they come to find out that we have an outstanding gallery.

It'll take you through all the parts of the county, people, places, and of course, one of the most outstanding Mid-Atlantic decoy collections around.

- [Rob] The community's focus on its coastal heritage and culture is front and center at the newest attraction at Historic Corolla Park, the Currituck Maritime Museum, which opened in the summer of 2021.

- We're gonna be showcasing in the museum right around a dozen historical boats that were all built here in Currituck, different styles that were used here.

We have a series of AB screens around the museum that tell different stories about boat building, about hunting, fishing, decoy carving.

Those stories have really been captured, you know, through some historical perspective, but then also through continuing traditions that we're still doing.

- [Rob] Giving modern day visitors and perhaps even some full-time residents, a more complete history of Corolla and a greater appreciation for how the coastal community has evolved over the decades.

- Historic Corolla Park is at 1160 Village Lane in Corolla.

For more information about the sites there, go to visitcurrituck.com.

We're here at Indochine, a very popular restaurant in Wilmington, and I want you to meet Jason Fry, a new contributor to "North Carolina Weekend", but no stranger to the state.

I'm gonna brag on you for just a second.

- Oh, go ahead.

- He has written five travel books about North Carolina as well as magazine articles, blogs, you name it.

And Jason, you're gonna be at Indochine tonight, right?

- Yes, Deb, I'm so excited to join the NNC weekend team and get to tell stories about our amazing coast and search this state for the best sips and bites I can find.

Indochine is one of these restaurants that transports you.

Here in my hometown, it doesn't feel like southeastern North Carolina.

It feels like Southeast Asia when you come here.

- Wow!

Well, I can't wait.

Jason, take it away.

[gentle music] - Wilmington is packed with great restaurants, but Indochine stands out because this is the type of place that transports you.

The moment you walk through the door, you step out of southeastern North Carolina and step into Southeast Asia.

Niki Thompson, owner and culinary mind behind Indochine, she wouldn't have it any other way.

- When I first came here, there was a lot of Chinese restaurant with no ambiance and no art.

I collected a lot of art from Vietnam and I thought, well, I wanna open a restaurant where people would feel comfortable and happy when they came to my restaurant, and that the people from North Carolina could be proud to bring their friends from other state.

They see all this so they know it's a global community of art.

That was my purpose.

It's more like a exchange of culture.

- [Jason] When you can pull your gaze from the colorful art and artifacts hanging from the walls and the ceiling, you'll find the journey continues on the menu.

Loaded with dishes and flavors from Niki's native Vietnam and from Thailand, Japan and India, this place is a delight for foodies.

- It's not a five-star cuisine, but it's a comfort food that you know, it's like something your mother would cook and then you go home and you have extra food for the next day and be happy.

- Indochine opened in 2001 just a few months before I arrived in Wilmington.

The first time I came here, I took my place in line and listened to the locals chatting about the food.

From the way they described the dishes, I knew this place was gonna be something special.

- I've been coming to Indochine probably for about 12 years, 13 years.

Of course, the food is delicious.

We always get the curry and the mango sticky rice, but it's just this patio.

I feel like I'm on vacation.

It's beautiful.

Just the ambiance is just phenomenal.

- Well, the first time we sat here, we made the mistake of sitting inside.

And then on my way to the bathroom, I decided to look around and I stumbled out here into this magical garden and we decided right away we had to come back and get the full experience.

I had the red curry roasted duck, It was..

I've never had duck before.

I figured here is the place to try it.

And it is so good - Today, more than 20 years after they opened, Indochine has grown and expanded, adding an incredible garden, a quartet of Indochine Express restaurants, which serve a condensed menu and a sister site, Cafe Chinois.

But this place remains special.

What's the secret?

It's in the sauce.

Niki, the sauces make the dish.

Tell me a little bit about how those get created.

- We try to use fresh, natural product, just like my tamarind.

We take the fresh tamarind that is already peeled and then we cook it slowly and we make the sauce, we strain it.

I mean, it's a pretty difficult concept, but it makes a big difference when you cook the food.

- I see you have one of your hot sauces beside you.

- Yes.

This is very organic, it's very basic.

We have hot pepper, garlic and lemon grass and that's it.

You know, not anything difficult but I don't know what I put in there.

Maybe a secret touch, a special Niki love.

So it makes it good.

- Every meal here is a feast and you can enjoy yours in this art field dining room, or you can discover another layer of Indochine's appeal and dine in the garden.

There are dozens of tables, several of these pagodas and all of these gorgeous tropical plants.

It makes it feel all that much more like it's not southeastern North Carolina, and it is southeast Asia.

- [Niki] I have one of my carpenters to build these little huts that remind me of Thailand.

You know, in Vietnam, when you go to the beach, they have this little huts.

So you sit down and you eat and and enjoy the weather.

And so I call each one of these huts by a Thai name of places in Thailand.

- All of this is thanks to Nikki's audacious spirit.

When she arrived here as a young bride in the late '70s, there was no Asian cuisine to speak of in New Hanover County.

With a little encouragement from locals, she began offering cooking classes and that grew into a series of restaurants before she settled on the concept and location for Indochine.

Now she sits atop a delicious empire that continues to expand and impress.

This delicious spread, the Hokkien noodles, the Pad Thai, this curry, and of course, this gorgeous coconut cake to finish, all this and more is waiting on the menu at Indochine.

The best part about it?

You can leave your passport at home.

Just remember to wear your stretchiest pants.

- Indochine is at 7 Wayne Drive in Wilmington, and they're open daily for lunch and dinner.

For more information, you can call them at 910-251-9229.

And remember, they have other cafes and takeout locations as well.

So check them out online at indochinewilmington.com.

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

We've had a wonderful time showing you around Wilmington and some of our other coastal towns.

Terrific places to visit any time of the year.

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

Have a great North Carolina weekend everyone.

[vibrant music] [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.

[bright music]