Tag Archives: New Bern

Cow Cafe

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Travel & Restaurants and tagged with , , , , ,

We had just parked the car along the street and were getting out when a woman walking by on the sidewalk said “have the Caramel Nut Pie a-la mode with Udder Pecan ice-cream,  it’s to die for.”  We looked at each other wondering what she was talking about, when we suddenly noticed we were standing in front of a window with a large black and white cow in it. A black and white Holstein awning shaded the window and the sign above the door said COW CAFE.

Holstein Cow in the window of Cow Cafe.

Realizing we were in front if an ice-cream shop, we held a mini-conference, took a vote, and unanimously decided to go inside for some ice cream.  I have to tell you that was one of the best decisions  we have ever made.

The overwhelming variety of flavors of ice-cream was mind-boggling, so I was very glad for the suggestion of the “woman on the street”, otherwise I might still be there trying to decide what to order.  Do you know how it is when you know you will only have one chance at something, and so you want desperately to get it right, and not be disappointed;  that it be the very best choice you could make?  That’s how it was.  So I took the woman’s advice, and ordered the “Caramel Nut Pie a-la Moo, with Udder Pecan Ice-cream.  My daughter ordered the same flavor of pie with Pumpkin Pie ice-cream.   We couldn’t have been more satisfied with our choices; it was indeed “to die for”.  Oh, and to the woman on the street, if you happen to be reading this, “thank-you, m’am”.

The pie was an apple pie with hugh chunks of nuts coated with crunchy caramel coating in a crust so flaky it fell apart on the fork. Caramel syrup was drizzled across the top.  The ice creams, both flavors, were  perfect accompaniments.

Caramel Nut Pie a-la Moo with Udder Pecan Ice-cream.

Caramel Nut Pie a-la Moo with Pumpkin Pie Ice-cream

As I sit here writing about it, my mouth is watering at the rememberance of it.  Reason enough to go back for another visit.   If I lived there I would want to go to this wonderful little spot, as often as possible, so its probably a good thing that I live so far away.

My husband, I don’t know how he can do this, but he ordered his usual  Hot Fudge Sundae with Vanilla Ice-cream.  He’s a “play-it-safe” kind of guy…however, he did request a taste of mine.:)

His Hot Fudge Sundae on the way to being devoured.

Our assessment of this little gem of an ice-cream shop?  It was an “utterly” unique experience.  Nestled in the cow country of New Bern, North Carolina ( or Moo Bern, as they say) Cow Cafe is the only “four-hoof restaurant ” in the world.  You will find it to be  a “mooving” experience.  They also serve sandwiches, wraps, salads and other light lunch items.  In addition, it includes a small gift boutique that features many bovine-inspired gifts.   You need not speak cow-language to enjoy a visit.

 

THE PLACE:       COW CAFE,  319 Middle Street, New Bern, N.C.

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New Bern, North Carolina

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Travel & Restaurants and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

During our trip to North Carolina we spent some time in the town of New Bern, a charming, historic town located on North Carolina’s central coast.  It is situated between the Neuse and the Trent rivers.  Because it is surrounded on two sides by water there are a number of marinas where boats of all kinds are docked.  The beautiful waterfront area is also where large hotels and the convention center are located.

Boats of every kind line the waterfront marinas.

Lovely buildings line the waterfront. Some are hotels, others include a visitor’s center, and convention center.

A fairly recent addition to the waterfront area is a sculpture of a Licoris Lily, a gift to the city by a pediatric dentist, well-known in the area for his love of art.

The beautiful and unusual sculpture, Licoris Lily.

The downtown area consists of a grid of only a few streets, so it is very walkable.   All the shops are unique and interesting and invite you to browse.  There is a street on the outskirts of New Bern where you will find the large recognizable stores and chain restaurants.

New Bern was first settled in the 1700’s by a group of Swiss and German settlers.  Bern is the Germanic word for bear, and since the settlers came from a city named Bern, their new home was named New Bern.  There are bears in many shapes and sizes located all over the town center as New Bern has adopted the bear as its symbol.

One of many bear statues located throughout the city

Tryon Palace

Located just a few streets outside this area  is Tryon Palace, the first permanent colonial and state capitol.  It was refurbished and redecorated in 1952-1959.  It is open for tours on given days.  The city of New Bern was celebrating Mum Fest while we were there, and the gardens of the Palace were open for viewing and a plant sale was taking place on the grounds.

Beautiful, healthy plants waiting for someone to take them home to their garden.

A turret in the wall surrounding the palace.

The color schemes used in the planting beds were breathtaking.

A view of the stately Latham Garden, blooming with white chrysanthemums.

Framed against the sky was a chestnut tree with unripe fruit hanging from its branches.

Mum Fest is a two-day event in October that attracts thousands of people to the downtown area where the streets are closed to traffic but the sidewalks are lined with vendors, live entertainment, food, amusements and more.

New to Mum Fest this year was SeaFair, a 228 foot mega yacht, one of the 10 largest, privately owned yachts in the U.S.  The vessel has three decks of 28 galleries filled with art, jewelry, and sculpture from artists all over the world.  The yacht was docked at the Hilton Marina for Mum Fest Weekend and open to the public by paid admission.

SEAFAIR, a mega-yacht, filled with many galleries of art treasures.

There are quite a number of “fun facts” relating to this town two of which I list here:  it is the  birthplace of Pepsi Cola, having been invented by a pharmacist who lived there.  Currently there is a small Pepsi museum where you can go in to look around and sample the beverage.  Another interesting fact is that New Bern was the first city to celebrate George Washington’s birthday, and George W. danced at Tryon Palace. I’ve read that George was quite a good dancer and many young ladies were anxious to be his partner.

We had a delightful visit to this very interesting city.  The weather threatened rain at times, thus the clouds you see in some of my photos, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying many sights, shops and restaurants while we were there .  The city offers many very good restaurants, a few of which I’ll be telling you about in the next week or so.