A Gastronomic Mecca, Belhaven Is

Belhaven turned out to be a surprise for me; got a lot of info that it was a very nice place to stop on the way down the ICW.  But when we got there, it really didn't look like much at all.  We anchored out and dinghied into shore.  What we found was a town that had fallen on hard times, except for the industry gained from cruisers and fishing boats.  It definitely had a subtle charm, though, and we didn't give up all hope.  Thankfully, that hope was answered in the culinary choices available in town. 

Our first night there, we stopped into The Tavern at Jack's Neck for a nibble or two.  As we walked in, a couple at a table near the door said, "Hey, aren't you the sailboaters we saw earlier today?"  Steve and Marianne had been in a power boat that very nicely radioed us and asked to pass us in one of the narrower portions of the canal we'd been traversing that day.  We waved big and were sure they must have seen our crazy getup for getting under that Wilkerson bridge.  We chatted with them a while and then retired to our own table for some pizza and salad.  The pizza was over garlicky, but the sweet tea was delicious and my salad was just what I needed. 

The next day, we decided to try out the Spoon River Artworks and Market, which, we've come to learn is not really an art gallery nor a market.  They do have a side shop where they sometimes sell wine, but to me, a market brings the hope of edibles, not just drinkables, especially when you don't have a car and may need to walk a few miles to get to a grocery store.

I walked into the wide-open, high-ceilinged space and just said, "Wow."  White and off-white was the main decorative theme in a shabby chic sort of way.  It felt immediately like my kind of place.  Shelves of white soup tureens and other serving dishes lined some of the walls, white curtains hung, white Japanese-style lanterns hung from the ceiling swaying gently when the door was opened; even the electrical cords were wrapped in white material.  It all lent to a very calming space.

The food was out of this world; I would go there again in a heartbeat and we would have, too, if we didn't have to leave the next morning on our way down the coast.  Last-minute chores like getting our propane tank filled, and getting things stowed on board were all that kept us from heading out.  

Getting the propane tank filled required a hike, on land, to a service station; the guys took care of that while I waited at the dock guarding the dinghy from the hordes of people lingering about -- not!  The free dock was very unused, but I think it's because of the fact that at the end of the dock is a large grass field with railroad tracks running through it.  It looked quite desolate.  The other marina options emptied out directly into the "town," as it were.  I am hopeful for Belhaven; hopeful that the high-quality restaurants and decent marinas will help to bring it back up to something similar to its glory days.