Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1962-07-11
(Rcprinted From the Raleigh
News and Obseryer)
by DAVID COOPER

IL
the streets with their mouths
watering.
:. Any four of the cafes here
fwlll scat all the people (who
llve) within a mile square of
here says w. b. Parker. own
CT of Parker ScafoodS, one Of
The eight.
This statement alone must
make CalabaSh the greatest
restaurant town in America.
Tor its size.
Too Little To Count
And speaking of population.
. there's no way of knowing the
: little community'S exact size
without taking a head count.
CalabaSh is too small To be in
Cludcd on the census books.
1T wouldn't take me too
long To count 'cm up" said
Mrs. Lucy Coleman Curtis.
owner of the Calabash Rest
aurant.
Calabdth lies in the southern
end of Brunswick County. lust
a huShruppy throw from the
South Carolina border.
Ii isn't even listed on North
Carolina highway maps SO the
folks who find it must have
pretty good appctitcS and a
Will 10 get there.
Any one of the eight owners,
like Parker. will tell you that
I'D have 10 say that all of
ems good, but mines the best"
The Scafood is good in Gala
bash? Good?-TtS delicious.
And its always fresh.
Right On River
Tho little community is To-
Gated smack of the Calabash
River and the ScafOud goes di-
rCCtly from the boats that ga
thCrCd II into the restaurants.
During the summer months
the specially is shrimp. During
the months with Il its oyctcrs.
Fish served in CalabaSh change
with the seasons and include
founder. SpcCkicd trout. null
let. spot and CrOakCrS.
Most people come for the
Scaf"od." Mrs. Curtis said.
"Oncc in a while we get an
order for steak" she admitted
with a rather diStaStcGul glance.
The town is clean and neat,
Just like the restaurants, which
ar" spread out all through il.
"That'S all there is. is cafes"
Parker noted.
Moss hangs from the trees,
the tide rises and falls in the
river and you can set your
Wr'gh on ,hc opening and clos
ing of the cafes.
And Six More.
TIN" other six restaurants in
CIlrbaSh arc Simmons Sea-
food. Bcck'S Cafe, john Beck
Scafrod, Elias Oyster Roast,
Tn" DuCksIGC Restaurant and
Thomas Scafood, the only one
not owned locally.
Il was the first one here and
CyCrybudy followed me-" Mrs.
Curtis said, She started in bus
ncaS 10 years ago and has had
tr rebuild her cafe twice since.
II vas destroyed by fire once
and Hurricane Hazel the othC.
time. Il didn't save 4 spoon. "
Sh" laid.
Most Of tho town. Cltius
busIu"s, comes painting r'un j:
tho highways from either tho
Myrtle Igrch-Chcrry Grove
area, of South Carolina or the
Wilmington area of North Car
dina.
And tn" eaters. most tourists
staying in one Of these iwU
areas. hail from such PARKWAY
spots rs Maine. California, New
York and Ohio.
Need Motel.
It's a mystery as To how Cal
abIsn got It's reputation.
There's no motel q, Csiaba:H
irr tourists to- stay at. although
Mrs. Curtis says we sure d.
need one" The tiny Commuu-
iIy doesn't even have q Cham
Der Of Commerce, so apparent
~ its name for SClfOOd has
just spread on the old adaLc
that news about something
people want will get around
without much urging.
The community was first set
tied IN 1880 and It's name some.
how derived from the West In
dian name for a special gourd
called a calabash.
Other than the cafes, there,
small Baptist Church. a gen.
cral store and fishing center
Sport fishing boats used 10 Op-
crate out Of the little harbuI
and private vessels put int
the town frequently, 50 Their
passengers can load up on sea-
food.
Visitors have been known 4
take on unbelievable Cargoc.
OF food in CalabaSh a typica
platter of fried and boilcC
Shrimp.-price. sl.50-may in
clude close 10 100 succulen