Nibbling at North Carolina Seafood Restaurant – Raleigh

When I heard that the most creative creators of NC Seafood Restaurant (three guesses on what kind of food they serve) erected a calabash-style joint right in the famed farmer’s market of Raleigh, I was confused about the definition of calabash. So like a good med student, I looked it up.

Googling things like “what to do when you have no idea what is wrong with your patient” is immensely helpful, and I got plenty of answers for “what the heck is calabash style seafood” as well. Answer: A style of seafood which includes a barrage of cornmeal battering and a draught of deep frying. The term originates in the modest fishing town of Calabash, North Carolina, the self-proclaimed seafood capital of the world. Calabash is traditionally accompanied by hush puppies, which sounds suspiciously like something they cooked up in an effort to get rid of leftover batter. But while we’re on hush puppies, the only thing I wanted hushed was this little town’s ego.

Now back to NC Seafood. In line with the calabash tradition, anything you order is deep-fried clear to Durham. Word from the wise, everything might be fried in the same oil so if you have an allergy, speak now or forever hold your anaphylactic throat.

The seafood isn’t the only thing that’s small-town style here. Things seem to move at that pace as well. I got pretty crabby waiting for my combo of Deviled Crab, Oysters, and Trout to go. They said 15-20 minutes over the phone, but when I arrived 40 minutes later, they hadn’t even started making my box. Then again, the food was fresh out of the fryer so the trout was flaky and crisp, the oysters were soft and warm, and the deviled crab was better than any stuffing Thanksgiving could come up with.

I’ve never had Crawfish calabash, but I found no reason to bash it. They give you enough to feed a family of four, and as much I prefer the flavor of good ole crawfish boil, there’s something to be said about not having to dig out the tail yourself.

The thing I love most about NC Seafood is that the food is just okay. The seafood is fresh enough, the home fries are whatever, and the hush puppies and cole slaw are hardly memorable southern staples. But all these things speak to the sweet simplicity of the surrounding farmer’s market, and NC Seafood fits right in with its unpretentious picnic benches and come-to-the-counter-when-called wait staff. You won’t get a gourmet meal here but good luck finding this many types of seafood served in such a laid-setting. So sit down when you stop by or grab some seafood on your way out the door. Either way, don’t let my Styrofoam take-home box seat you. The china doesn’t get finer just because you’re dining in.