Good Times in Greensboro

Our next stop in North Carolina, after the beach, was to Greensboro and nearby Sea Grove to visit my Aunt Nancy and cousin Karen.  During our stay in Greensboro, Karen and Aunt Nancy took Amanda and I to a popular downtown brewpub and to my aunt’s beautiful community dining room to eat.  Karen also took us on a side trip to Sea Grove where we toured world-renowned pottery studios and had lunch at a favorite local Cafe.

After arriving sun burnt and sandy from our recent beach camping trip, we cleaned ourselves up and headed to downtown Greensboro  to eat at  the popular local restaurant and brewery called Natty Green’s Pub where they serve great hot sandwiches, burgers, and great local brews.

One beer we drank here was named after a famous American Revolution general, Swamp Fox Belgian Blonde, this beer has a refreshing and wily malty flavor and some green and hoppy notes as well. Full Moon Ale has a golden color with a smooth, creamy flavor and has the celestial twist of being brewed in accordance with the cycles of the moon!

In Sea Grove, North Carolina, there are families who have been making ceramics since the 1700’s; it is currently home to hundreds of local potters as well as several that are world renowned.

Phil Morgan is one of these potters, whose work is displayed in the museums around the world, including the Smithsonian Museum.  He specializes in a rare form of glaze called crystalline glaze currently being produced by fewer than sixty artists worldwide.

The crystalline glaze method is accomplished by applying a special glaze to hand-thrown porcelain ceramics which are then fired in the kiln much hotter and for a longer period of time than for normal glazes.  Creating this environment in the kiln allows crystals to form and grow within the molten glaze.  These crystals appear as richly textured,  three-dimensional, colorful bursts on the pottery.

Phil is a fun person to meet and he loves to share his unique take on life with anyone who comes into his store.  For example, when asked how he markets his work he replies “I never sell anything to anyone.  If someone would like to purchase something from me, they are welcome to do that!”  Or, “As a chef, have you ever put a cake in the oven?  No, you put cake batter in the oven and if you have done it right, it comes out as a cake!”

For lunch that day we ate at the nearby Jug Town Café where they serve locals from a menu of classic hometown favorites.  I had a great burger and fries, and Amanda ordered a freshly breaded chicken cutlet sandwich which was served with mayo and pickles (hold the pickles) and of course, more of that deliciously sweet southern iced tea.

For our final meal in Greensboro, we ate in the dining room at our Aunt Nancy’s lovely residential village.  The menu included fried green tomatoes, blackened salmon with rice and steamed broccoli, and a Reese’s peanut butter cake which the waitress accurately described as “bangin.”

It was great to share great times with family in Greensboro and to enjoy some of the best food and culture the area has to offer.  From world class pottery to old-time favorite restaurants, we really got a feel for how people live down near Greensboro.  It is just as Phil Morgan told us as we left his pottery studio “All the stress gets left on the freeway!”