North Carolina

Cape Fear Foodie: Hot Dog Road Trip Part 4

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2024

Cape Fear Foodie: Hot Dog Road Trip Part 4

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – What better day to celebrate our local hot dogs, than on National Hot Dog Day? My thoughts exactly. Then again, how is that we are already through the middle of July and we’re just now going on our first Hot Dog Road Trip of the summer? It’s truly shameful on my end. But we’re all here now, the gas tank is full, the 100 CD holder is bursting at the seams, and the AC is struggling to keep up in this unrelenting heat…so let’s put rubber on the road.

Here’s a quick rundown of my entirely arbitrary rules for the Road Trip. For one, I try to stay away from chain restaurants at all costs (think Sonic or Cook Out). Secondly, I only order my hot dogs one way, with chili, slaw, onions, and mustard. To many here, that’s a Carolina Dog, for others it’s a West Virginia Dog. Either way it’s delicious and I highly recommend you give it a try if you haven’t before. Finally, I am judging these “scores” based on the hot dog itself, the bun, onions, chili, and slaw (sorry mustard).

Thank you to everyone who answered my Hot Dog Road Trip roll call, I received nearly 50 emails and comments about places I needed to check out. Some of them I have tried before, and you can read the previous three Road Trips here:

Hot Dog Road Trip Part 1

Hot Dog Road Trip Part 2

Hot Dog Road Trip Part 3

Many suggestions were of places I have never heard of before, or had on my list for a long time. I plan to make a trip to all of them, but here are a handful to satisfy your appetite.

Sweet D’s Cuisine

Some may find it strange our first stop is at a bakery known for it’s delicious sweet treats, including fresh croissants drizzled and filled with a variety of sugar-laden goodies. However, Sweet D’s Cuisine also offers plenty of savory items as well, including hot dogs. When it comes to this dog, the chili has a solid beef flavor (albeit a little dry), the slaw is fine cut and creamy, the onions freshly diced, and the bun was soft and perfectly enveloped its contents. The weakest link here was the hot dog itself (no pun intended), it seemed overcooked and tough, which is a real shame because the rest of the ingredients are top notch. This dog gets a respectable 3.25/5.

A hot dog that shines in nearly every way, except the hot dog itself. A rare breed.(WECT)

Monkey Junction Pit Stop

The next stop on our route takes us to a convenience store along Carolina Beach Road, the Monkey Junction Pit Stop. This place is a one stop shop for nearly everything you need on the way to the beach, they also have some killer hot dogs. You will have to ask the clerk to whip up your order, this isn’t a gas station where the hot dogs rack up more miles than your car while rolling under a heat lamp. The dog is quality, the chili is a meaty sauce, the slaw has a real creamy zing to it, the onions are fresh and finely diced, and the bun is firm but soft. A glamorous glizzy here, 4/5.

Truck’s Chicken ‘n Fish

When walking into Truck’s Chicken ‘n Fish on Red Cross St., you immediately smell the hunger-enducing aroma of fried chicken. Which makes sense, it’s in the name. Though some suggest they also make a hot dog worth stopping in for, so that’s exactly what I did. As you can see from the picture, Truck’s doesn’t skimp on the toppings (though mustard was accidentally forgotten). While this is a fork and knife hot dog, with each dog piled high, nothing particularly stands out. I will be back for some other menu items, and maybe give these dogs a shot at redemption. A lackluster showing, 2.5/5.

So many toppings, but not nearly enough flavor. (WECT)

Sea Level City Vegan Diner

I know what you’re thinking, a vegan hot dog? As they say, “all’s fair in love and hot dogs,” or something like that. This may seem like a detour on our road trip, but it’s a stop I’ve wanted to make for some time. The soy-based dog here tasted just fine, the toasted bun was a positive as well, in fact, the entire package was one of the prettiest hot dogs I’ve ever ate. Yet, something just wasn’t right. Maybe it was the black bean chili (beans typically aren’t in hot dog chili) or the red slaw that didn’t impart much flavor, but this dog was more bark than bite. This creation is in the dog house, 2.5/5.

This soy-based hot dog has many things going for it, but ultimately some ingredients kept it... — This soy-based hot dog has many things going for it, but ultimately some ingredients kept it from reaching full potential.(WECT)

Sam’s Hot Dog Stand

I’m technically breaking the first rule of the Hot Dog Road Trip here…no, you can still talk about the Road Trip, it’s not that kind of rule. I visited a chain (of sorts). Sam’s Hot Dog Stand started in my native West Virginia, and has dozens of locations spread out through the Mountain State, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina. However, I have received plenty of suggestions through the years for me to pay Sam’s a visit, so I finally obliged. The ladies here could not have been any nicer, and the hot dog they provided is about as good as you can get. A perfectly steamed bun cradles a beef hot dog, then its lathered in your choice of mild or spicy chili (I went with the latter) and topped with onions, mustard, and fresh, finely chopped, and creamy coleslaw. Others take note, this is how slaw should be on every hot dog. A blue ribbon frankfurter worth telling people about, 4.8/5.

Nearly perfect in every way, even if it's not exactly a "mom-and-pop" restaurant. — Nearly perfect in every way, even if it’s not exactly a “mom-and-pop” restaurant.(WECT)

Stay tuned this summer, as I visit many more locations, and as always, I am always seeking new suggestions. Have a favorite hot dog? Send me a note at corey.preece@gray.tv

IF YOU GO:

Sweet D’s Cuisine is located at 2321 S 17th St, Wilmington, NC 28401

Monkey Junction Pit Stop is located at 4902 Carolina Beach Rd, Wilmington, NC 28412

Truck’s Chicken ‘n Fish is located at 604 Red Cross St, Wilmington, NC 28401

Sea Level City Vegan Diner is located at 1015 S Kerr Ave Unit A & B, Wilmington, NC 28403

Sam’s Hot Dog Stand is located at 5917 Oleander Dr STE 110, Wilmington, NC 28403

Do you recommend a restaurant? Or know of a best-kept secret that you want the rest of the Cape Fear to know about? Shoot me an email at corey.preece@gray.tv and I would love to feature your selection. Cheers!

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North Carolina

How much do you need to retire in North Carolina?

Published

10 hours ago

July 17, 2024

Press Room

How much do you need to retire in North Carolina?

(WGHP) — Retirement seems like a distant goal for many people as costs steadily rise across the board in almost all aspects of life.

GoBankingRates broke down just how much someone in each state needs to retire based on the cost of living. The lowest cost of retirement is in West Virginia, where someone could retire with around $678,095.40, with the highest being in Hawaii, clocking in at over $2 million.

North Carolina ranks in at the middle of the pack at #27 with a cost of living of around $55,158.37 a year before social security. Factoring in social security payments, it comes down to around $33,483.00.

GoBankingRates says that a comfortable retirement nest egg would be around $837,094.90 for someone retiring around 65 in the Tar Heel State.

SoFi, using numbers from 2021, puts the cost of living in North Carolina at around $43,000 per year with a breakdown into the following individual categories:

Housing and Utilities: $7,350 annually
Health Care: $7,179 annually
Food and Beverages (non-restaurant): $3,630 annually
Gas and Energy Goods: $1,139 annually
All Other Personal Expenditures: $24,661 annually

Comparing the SoFi numbers to the GoBankingRate numbers, 2024’s cost of living in North Carolina does appear to have increased, which means anyone looking to retire in North Carolina can reasonably expect to pay more than the averages listed above but they do provide a baseline look at the areas retirees need to account for.

According to The Calculator Site, it would take around 43 years to save up to $840,000 if you saved $1,500 a month with a minimal interest rate.

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North Carolina

North Carolina approves party seeking to put RFK Jr. on the ballot, rejects effort for Cornel West – The Boston Globe

Published

17 hours ago

July 17, 2024

Press Room

North Carolina approves party seeking to put RFK Jr. on the ballot, rejects effort for Cornel West – The Boston Globe

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s election board voted Tuesday to certify a political party that wants to put Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the state’s presidential ballot this fall. The panel rejected a similar petition effort by a group backing Cornel West, citing questions about how signatures were collected.

After weeks of reviewing the signature drives, the board voted 4-1 to recognize the We The People party that supporters of Kennedy, an author and environmental lawyer, are using as a vehicle for him to run in a handful of states. The election board decision means the party can place Kennedy on statewide ballots.

But the board’s Democratic majority voted 3-2 along party lines to block the Justice for All Party of North Carolina from ballots. That group supports West, a professor and progressive activist.

Board staff said We The People and Justice for All each collected enough valid signatures from registered and qualified voters. The 13,865 required are a small fraction of those needed to run as an independent candidate in North Carolina, which Kennedy initially attempted.

Board Chair Alan Hirsch, a Democrat, said that while he believed thousands of signatures turned in by Justice for All were credible, he had serious misgivings about the purpose of signature collectors unrelated to the group that also turned in petitions.

In a video presented to the board, a pro-Donald Trump activist collected signatures for West outside a Trump rally in North Carolina and said getting West on the ballot would take votes away from presumptive Democratic nominee and President Joe Biden.

Separately, Hirsch pointed to the group People Over Party collecting signatures to support West’s candidacy. He said its attorney refused to provide information sought in a board subpoena. A People Over Party lawyer called the subpoena requests overly broad and subject to attorney-client privilege.

“I have no confidence that this was done legitimately,” Hirsch said of the petition drive.

Board staff also said that of nearly 50 people contacted at random from the Justice For All petition list, many said they didn’t sign the petition or didn’t know what it was for.

The election board’s two Republican members said both groups should have been recognized as official parties.

“Justice for All has submitted well over the number of petitions required. And if we don’t approve them as a new party in the state of North Carolina based on talking to 49 people, I think that would be injustice for all,” GOP member Kevin Lewis said.

Republicans and their allies have said the board’s Democratic majority was trying to deny ballot access to candidates who would take away votes from Biden in the battleground state won by Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Justice for All Party of North Carolina Chair Italo Medelius said he expected the party would soon ask a federal judge to order its candidates be placed on the ballot. The Kennedy campaign didn’t immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment on We The People’s recognition.

Not including North Carolina, Kennedy’s campaign has said he is officially on the ballot in nine states and that signatures have been submitted in 14 more. The West campaign said it has secured ballot access in 10 other states, but acknowledged some certifications must still be finalized.

In some states, the drives to get West and Kennedy on ballot have been backed by secretive groups and Republican donors.

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North Carolina

North Carolina House Democratic deputy leader Clemmons to resign from Legislature

Published

24 hours ago

July 16, 2024

Press Room

North Carolina House Democratic deputy leader Clemmons to resign from Legislature

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — The No. 2 leader of North Carolina House Democrats announced Tuesday she is stepping down from the General Assembly next month because she’s taking a new job within the University of North Carolina system.

Three-term Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons of Guilford County, a former elementary school teacher and school system administrator, joined the House in 2019 and became a leading voice for the chamber’s minority party on education issues. She later became deputy leader of the House Democratic Caucus. She was also involved in legislation to raise the minimum age for marriage and improve conditions for prisoners who are pregnant or give birth.

Clemmons “came to the General Assembly for the right reason – she wanted to help the people of our state,” House Minority Leader Robert Reives said in a statement. “She has authentically stayed true to that calling and leaves our caucus and state stronger.”

She will become an UNC system associate vice president for strategy and policy on education from preschool through high school.

Clemmons is currently the Democratic nominee in the 57th House District against Republican Janice Davis. Guilford County Democratic activists need to choose a replacement nominee and someone to fill out the remainder of Clemmons’ term through year’s end.

Clemmons didn’t reveal a specific August resignation date. She said Tuesday she would wait until her successor is selected to do so.

House Appropriations Committer senior co-chairman Jason Saine, a Lincoln County Republican, announced Monday that he would resign from his legislative seat on Aug. 12.

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