Chris and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary last weekend. He surprised me with dinner at Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC and an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast in nearby New Bern. It felt like a miniature vacation, which was absolutely blissful. I gave him a print by his favorite local artist in Knoxville.
For both of us, this was our first bed and breakfast experience. It was exactly what I imagined: antique furniture, a sweet older couple hosting, 1800s charm. Our room was the biggest with a queen bed, fireplace and sitting area.
In the morning, our host had warm spiced muffins, a breakfast burrito and fresh fruit waiting for us.
The night before, we ate dinner at Chef and the Farmer. It was much smaller than we imagined, but not crowded or crammed. We sat next to the bar and kitchen, which was actually nice since we could watch the chefs preparing the food. We’re nerds like that.
Chris insisted on ordering the Tom Thumb since it’s kind of Vivian’s signature dish. Pickled green strawberries topped the slice of “sausage,” which sat in broth with roasted peanuts and greens.
I ordered the rice crusted soft-shell crab. Chris had brisket with Southern-inspired Mexican street corn on the side. The wine came courtesy of Chris’s parents, who surprised us with a complimentary bottle of our choice. When the sommelier brought out a bottle from Médoc in Bordeaux, we smiled at each other knowingly. He couldn’t have picked a better wine for us to share on our anniversary.
For dessert, we had chocolate fudge pie with bourbon ice cream, salted caramel and pretzel crumble. I’ve never tasted such a perfect smear of caramel in my life.
Once we got to New Bern and checked in to Meadows Inn, we headed out for a drink. A restaurant called Persmmions was located a block from the B&B. The upstairs deck was empty save for a some plush outdoor chairs and couches.
With the breeze whipping through my hair (and the state flag,) we sipped our cocktails and watched the storm clouds roll in over the choppy waters. The perfect end to a memorable day.
