[table for two]

A Reviving Taste of Water:
Water Street revises menu, decor and ups the ante on live music

By: Shea Carver

There’s always Wednesday—even in the midst of rushed deadlines and long Mondays, the staff of encore loves Wednesdays. It’s our day to take off from the office and enjoy a nice lunch with our coworkers in new, revamped or rejuvenated digs. It’s a noon-time vacation from weekly critiques, writer requests, reader complaints or advertiser needs. Don’t get me wrong, I mind not one iota answering to such needs; I love my job. I love it even more when I can escape from it for pure indulgence.

A few weeks back, the encore Lunch Bunch was swept off its feet by the newly restored Water Street restaurant—a place that’s been a Wilmington staple at least since I have lived here (circa 1995). I have frequented the restaurant for live music; for many Cucalorus Film Festival brunches; for cocktails with friends; for lunch on the outdoor waterfront with family; for any reason, actually. Strewn with kitschy knick-knacks, backed by a menu of delicacies, from fried catfish to pasta, steak to chicken dishes, Water Street was always a go-to spot lingering in the back of diners’ minds. Yet, over the years, through the redesign of many downtown eateries and shops, it became lost on the map, not because it was bad but because, like most areas that see revitalization, it needed an update.

Enter Barbara Weetman and Adrian Varnam.

Owned by former mayor Harper Peterson, Water Street needed a few new hands in its mix to make it more than just a lingering go-to establishment; it needed to be a must-go eatery, offering the same amenities, like live music and great drinks, but with more oomph. By partnering up with Peterson, Weetman came in and hired general manager Adrian Varnam to help in its preparations.

“I think immediately most returning customers notice the physical changes,” Varnam assured during our Lunch Bunch visit, as he spoke of “the extended bar, the open foyer, the white tablecloths ... It still looks undeniably like the old Water Street with its quirky charm, but now it’s a little less cluttered and feels more inviting.”

The space still houses dark wooden tables, a stage for live music and a few items of decor that make it feel less like an attic rummage sale and more shabby-chic and cozy, including the beautiful stained-glass window that always uplifted diners’ spirits like a Sunday revival.

What hasn’t changed is the man behind the pan. Kevin Winebar has been the chef at Water Street for the past five years and continues bringing his flair for Southern cuisine with a fresh twist to everyone’s order.

As we were greeted with all smiles, despite the steamy May afternoon that felt more like mid-August, me, Emily, Sue, John and our two interns, Tiffanie and Andrew, were taken to a six-top beside the stage. Galen Hunsucker, half of the local Lisa-and-Galen duo, who often play all over town, was strumming a light set of blues. It was a perfect backdrop to the hot sweat that dripped off the passers-by outside. All we needed were tall glasses of ice tea to top off the occasion, which were delivered within seconds to quench our thirsts.

Adrian approached the table to welcome us. “Hi everyone,” he noted, reaching down for a quick hug, a true testament to Southern hospitality. After a few introductions to the rest of the table, he told us Chef Winebar had prepared a smorgasbord of excellent eats to share family-style. The first course arrived, containing cups of Water Street’s famed homemade seafood chowder. The consistency was near perfection, thick but not clumpy, and chunky with bits of shrimp, crab and whitefish matching the light flavor of onion, pepper and with a slightly sweetened broth (perhaps including a hint of Brandy).

“OK, I’m from Massachusetts, and not even our seafood chowder is this good,” Tiffanie proclaimed after the first bite. “And we’re known for our chowder!” (Chowder pronounced “chaa-dah,” of course, with the “r” dropping off ever-so-lightly.)

Before we could finish off the last drop, two huge salads were delivered to lighten our palates. One was a perfectly cooked sirloin salad, served medium rare, tossed with crumbles of goat cheese, tomatoes and red onion, doused in one of the most refreshing, light vinaigrettes which harbored a lemon taste in the finish. “Jason was right,” I noted of the Blue Post bartender who had forewarned a few nights earlier that Water Street’s steak salad is the best in town.
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorite menu items, too” Adrian responded of the praise. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback on it.”

We could all taste why. In fact, while some may think it’s hard to mess up a salad, it should be noted just how hard it is to make one that stands out so decadently, it’s what drives customers back for more. Water Street’s Greek salad is another variety to revisit for seconds. Piled high with aged feta, kalamata olives, red onion, pepperocinis and cherry tomatoes, the vinaigrette is, again, very light and perfectly dressed for a refreshing lunch, which is something Wilmingtonians are always on the search for during summertime months.

Appetizers arrived in perfect succinctness thereafter, consisting of a Lunch Bunch favorite: crab dip. “Yay!” Sue stated, even with a slight clap. Being from Maryland, she naturally has a fondness toward anything crab.

“Yes,” Emily agreed, “pass it down here.”
While the two ladies were noshing on the rich and creamy dip, spread on massive croutons, lightly buttered with garlic, I dug into a bowl of clams that were floating in a broth I literally could have drank from a straw. Chunks of smoky Tasso ham were dispersed throughout the dish, as were long baguette slices soaking up the juices.

“Oh, holy hell!” I am pretty sure were my exact words after the first bite. I even had to be asked a few times to share the wealth. This seafood dish remains one of my favorites, and who would have thunk clams could be so frou-frou, yet comforting. “I love how down-home this tastes!” I noted aloud, to no one in particular.

“Pass them over,” Andrew demanded with a light laugh, not wanting to steal what could have been my main course. Reluctantly, I passed them over and dug into the homemade sausage with grits and Tabasco butter. The patties were perfectly seasoned with the right amount of sage and pepper, and the Tabasco butter gave me a eureka moment of inspiration for one of my own recipes at home.
“I could eat this all day long,” John shared.

“Well, if we have any left, take it home for dinner,” I suggested.
“Yeah, it’ll help Susan to not have to cook,” he laughed of his finacé’s culinary skills.

We were starting to slow down a little bit, fork skipping between salads and clams, crab dip and sausage and grits. Just as the waitress came by to clear a few dishes for the main course, she almost had her hands bitten off when she attempted to take the last of the crab dip.

“Oh, no!” Emily and Sue said unanimously. “We’re not done!”
The table laughed at their addiction, while the waitress shared a similar reaction, only followed by a look of complete understanding. “I know, it’s my favorite appetizer on our menu,” she responded, winning over Emily’s and Sue’s hearts immediately.
“We need a Best Waitress category for next year’s Best-Of,” Sue suggested. “And she needs to win.”

As we were trying to digest our food quickly to make more room for the pork loin and mashed potatoes, as well as the chicken pesto panini (with shoestring fries), portobello mushroom sandwich (with fried zucchini fries that won over all of our stomachs in seconds flat), and a huge grilled vegetable platter, we all realized how defeated we may be at finishing the meals before us. Adrian came by to make sure everything was OK and noticed our too-stuffed faces.

“So I guess that means no dessert?” he asked. All we could do was shake our heads. But it was all the same because Water Street serves Chee-ze Plea-se desserts, which is located right behind encore offices. Our staff frequents the coffee shop, so we know how great everything is—which made us feel better for having to skip it.

However, it’s worth it for Water Street customers to save room. Even better, the staff at Water Street is continuously working toward making improvements all the time to keep the restaurant top-of-mind to downtown dining masses.

“We’ve created a late-night menu,” Adrian informed, “and we hope to bring downtown Wilmington another option for food after the traditional dinnertime hours, along with another venue for great live music up until last call.”

Every first Tuesday Water Street hosts Wilmington Unplugged, where local musicians come together to play and share stage time all acoustically. The sets often hail the créme de la créme of our music haven, which Adrian Varnam, along with Wilmington Unplugged founder Kevin Rhodes, boast pride for, as well as a heaping dose of passion. Both being musicians means that each have a greater understanding of what it takes to build a community of great sound and keep it evolving.

Folks can stop in any time for a filling meal and a phenomenal string of talent. “Given a chance, I think Wilmington will be happy with what we’re doing here at Water Street,” Adrian continued during our visit. “It’s a comfortable place, with good, honest food, and a beautiful location with a lot of history. I’m excited to be a part of the present and its future.” As for the future, well, it’s tasting good—real good.