<p>From seafood along the coast to Southern barbecue, North Carolina serves up some of the country’s tastiest delicacies. Planners can infuse any meeting with one or more of the following surefire crowd-pleasers.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.frontstreetgrillatstillwater.com" target="_blank">Front Street Grill at Stillwater</a>, Crystal Coast</strong><br>
Along the Crystal Coast is Beaufort, N.C., voted one of America’s Coolest Small Towns by Budget Travel magazine.</p><p>If cool means relaxed, you can’t get any more laid-back than Front Street Grill at Stillwater, which boasts the best waterfront dining in the state. From blackened tuna tacos to crispy cornmeal shrimp, the Front Street Grill is sure to please with fresh seafood and palate-pleasing tastes.</p><p>Many locals don’t bother with the car, they just pull up to the restaurant while in their boat, since it has waterfront parking as well.</p><div style="clear: both; float: right;"><div id="callout_style_0" class="sidebar_related_article"><h2>More Coverage</h2><ul><li><a href="/ArticleDetails/tabid/162/ArticleID/24545/Default.aspx" target="">‘Spirited’ sojourns in North Carolina</a></li><li><a href="/ArticleDetails/tabid/162/ArticleID/24550/Default.aspx" target="">Charlotte is chock-full of tasty treats</a></li><li><a href="/ArticleDetails/tabid/162/ArticleID/24526/Default.aspx" target="">North Carolina CVB Information (2014)</a></li><li><a href="/ArticleDetails/tabid/162/ArticleID/24552/Default.aspx" target="">North Carolina gives groups a taste of pop culture</a></li></ul></div></div><p>While waiting for lunch or dinner, kick back at the Rhum Bar and enjoy the view of Taylor’s Creek. If your group wants things a bit more formal, they can move from the deck to the indoor dining area.</p><p>No matter how you get there or where you sit, it’s all good.</p><p><strong><a href="http://visitwinstonsalem.com/moraviancookietrail" target="_blank">Moravian Cookie Trail</a>, Winston-Salem</strong><br>
In Winston-Salem, the Moravian cookie is a legend, a thin, light and crispy symbol of devout European settlers who came to the area in the mid-1700s. More than a million pounds of Moravian cookies are baked in the area’s commercial ovens every year, and the rich taste is instantly addictive.</p><p>Several bakeries are open to the public, including Winkler Bakery in Old Salem and Dewey’s Bakery, but at Mrs. Hane’s Moravian Cookies, attendees can take tours and pick up a few (or a lot) of several flavors. The original ginger-flavored cookie was selected as one of Oprah Winfrey’s favorites in 2010.</p><p>After everyone has had a taste of the cookie by itself, plan an event incorporating them with other flavors. Planners can set up a simple reception with cheese-and-cookie pairings, or go all out with a dinner of Moravian cookie and pecan-crusted salmon at Milner’s American Southern restaurant.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.thepit-raleigh.com" target="_blank">The Pit</a>, Raleigh</strong><br>
At the upscale eatery The Pit in downtown Raleigh, groups can enjoy some of the best North Carolina barbecue and get a history lesson in the process. Bob Garner, the “Minister of Barbecue Culture,” can come in and educate attendees about the art and science of barbecue, and the difference between styles. It’s a complete Barbecue 101, where graduation is a full belly.</p><p>They must be doing something right, because this restaurant has been featured on Food Network and NBC’s The Today Show, as well as in Bon Appetit magazine.</p><p>The Pit also makes a difference by using free-range, humanely treated pork, and there’s even a barbecued tofu option for the hardcore vegetarians in the group.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.angusbarn.com" target="_blank">Angus Barn</a>, Raleigh</strong><br>
Iron Chef America winner Walter Royal presides over the Angus Barn, a famed steakhouse known for its Angus beef aged in-house until it’s perfect for the plate. While that’s enough for most folks, Royal also goes the extra mile and offers hands-on culinary classes, so groups can learn the secrets of preparing a multicourse meal from the master and his team.</p><p>The Angus Barn also has one of the largest wine cellars in the country, and a cigar lounge for those who want to top off their exquisite meal with a puff or two.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com" target="_blank">Food Truck Rodeo</a>, Raleigh-Durham</strong><br>
Usually a group goes to a restaurant, but with this event, the food comes to the group. The food truck scene has become an incredibly popular way to try different flavors without the hassle of reservations, and Durham takes it a step further with the Food Truck Rodeo.</p><p>For the ultimate outdoor event, schedule a rodeo for your group and indulge in dumplings, Korean BBQ, Asian fusion, even Cheerwine Bulgogi Sloppy Joes made with North Carolina’s own Cheerwine soda. Of course, there’s regular BBQ as well, along with meatballs, cupcakes, pizza and more, all made with fresh, local ingredients.</p><p><span class="page-break">PageBreak</span></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.feastfoodtours.com" target="_blank">Soul of the South Tour</a>, Charlotte</strong><br>
This walking tour through uptown Charlotte is just one of the outings offered by Feast Food Tours, but there’s something special about each bite.</p><p>The tour takes attendees not only through different businesses (including a historic home from the 1800s) but also through their family cookbooks as chefs share stories about the dishes they prepare. Menus change depending on locally available food and the season, but you’ll likely have a bit of sweet, a bit of savory and a taste of locally brewed craft beer.</p><p>When all’s said and done, it’s a great meal interspersed with history and some fresh air.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.southernseason.com" target="_blank">Southern Season</a>, Chapel Hill</strong><br>
If there’s a foodie heaven, it has to be Southern Season. Since 60,000 square feet of space featuring 70,000 unique products can overwhelm even the most enthusiastic gourmet lover, it’s much better to set up a guided walking tour, and then treat attendees with a teambuilding session at Southern Season’s professional cooking school. Each team will learn not only how to prepare a signature North Carolina dish, but also coordinate wine pairings for their menu like a pro. Sometimes the best souvenir is knowing how to make a killer loaf of sourdough bread or irresistible pot of farmer’s market stew.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.exploreasheville.com/foodtopia" target="_blank">WNC Cheese Trail</a>, Asheville</strong><br>
When the Asheville CVB lists this as the Tour Most Likely to be Led by a Goat, you know you have to check it out. The Asheville region is home to a number of small farms, creameries and cheese-making operations, and nine of them are open by appointment for tours and samples of cheesy delicacies made with local cow and goat milk. Hickory Nut Gap Farm even allows visitors to meet and pet the animals, so you can thank them for your creamy, spreadable snack in person.</p><p>Most tours are self-guided, but the CVB can help in acquiring a guide for the group and arranging tour times.</p><p>Any trip down the Cheese Trail should also include a stop at <a href="http://www.csasheville.com" target="_blank">The Cheese Store</a> of Asheville, which carries several brands of cheeses and other locally made products as well as offers a tap room so visitors can enjoy pairings of wine and beer with their plates.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.notastelikehome.org" target="_blank">No Taste Like Home</a>, Asheville</strong><br>
Feeling like the farm-to-table movement is so last year? Sign a group up with local wild food expert Alan Muskat of No Taste Like Home for a foraging adventure to discover mushrooms and leeks, and they can chow down on their catch later at a nearby restaurant.</p><p>This new forage-to-table experience is just one of the programs Muskat offers to groups, along with “Show and Smell” presentations, where attendees can learn the difference between edible and non-edible plants in the wild; “wildcrafting” excursions; and even cooking demonstrations so they know how to find and cook foraged delicacies when they get back home.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.visitfayettevillenc.com/culturalheritagetrails/international-cuisine.html" target="_blank">International Cuisine Trail</a>, Fayetteville</strong><br>
Many communities claim a specialty on the cuisine front, but in Fayetteville, the world is their dining table. The city and surrounding Cumberland County have a very diverse population with dozens of locally owned and operated restaurants serving up traditional and new dishes.</p><p>There are 33 eateries on Fayetteville’s International Cuisine Trail, from German bakeries to Spanish cafes, and influences of Greek, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Korean and much more. The home-smoked salmon linguini of the Mediterranean/Turkish fusion restaurant Sherefe will light up your taste buds, along with the calamari at Luigi’s.</p><p>Can’t decide? The Fayetteville CVB is glad to match up a group to a great local restaurant.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.lexbbq.com" target="_blank">Lexington Barbecue</a>, Lexington</strong><br>
Another barbecue place? Of course. This is North Carolina, after all, and it doesn’t get more traditional or down-home than Lexington Barbecue. This local eatery has been going strong for just over 50 years, and has received top accolades from USA Today, the Huffington Post and Southern Living magazine.</p><p>The formula and the menu are simple: salted meat, never basted, and cooked over hickory oak coals for nine hours. Add in the slaw, hush puppies, and maybe some peach cobbler if you have room.</p><p>Catering is available for groups, although it’s tempting to just drive over and get that famous curbside service.</p>
