COMMENTS (11)
Hot Dish

Ham's closes two restaurants

By Jane Welborn Hudson
The Daily Reflector

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The News & Record of Greensboro reports that Ham's Restaurants Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was closing shops in Burlington and Kinston.

Marketing coordinator Amanda Jones told the paper there are no plans to close any more restaurants.

Calls to Chelda Inc. in Greensboro, which owns and operates Ham's, requesting information of Ham's Restaurant and Brew House, 701 S. Evans St., were not returned by Tuesday afternoon. No one at the location would comment.

A corporation that files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy usually remains in possession of its assets while operating to pay off its debt to creditors under the supervision of the court.

Ham's, which began with one Greensboro deli with curb service in the early 1930s, recently had expanded under the ownership of Charlie Erwin to 14 company-owned locations and seven franchised locations in North Carolina and Virginia.

Greenville's restaurant is owned by the company. "It's been the recession," the News & Record quotes Jones as saying. "We're just down in sales."

Here's what else is happening in area restaurant news.

Plaza Azteca

The Greenville location of Plaza Azteca Mexican Restaurant, 400 S.W. Greenville Blvd., is slated to open within two weeks, according to general manager Francisco Araizaga.

There are 17 associated Plaza Azteca Mexican restaurants in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Slow Food

The new Slow Food Down East advocacy group will sponsor a Harvest Market and Dinner featuring locally produced foods, crafts and beverages on Nov. 14 at Chef & the Farmer restaurant, 120 W. Gordon St. in downtown Kinston.

The market, free to visitors from noon-4 p.m., will showcase premium foods from more than 18 local food producers and small farms in the parking lot at Chef & the Farmer. The market will feature seasonal foods to taste, kids' activities and an apple tasting. Merchants will offer seasonal local produce and artisan cheese as well as locally produced proteins such as beef, chicken, pork, lamb, prawns and fish. Visitors will be able to meet the local producers and purchase their products.

The dinner will feature a beer tasting and food pairing combining the talents of Mother Earth Brewing and Chef Vivian Howard, owner of Chef & the Farmer. Tickets for the dinner are $50 each and all proceeds will benefit Slow Food Down East.

Slow Food Down East is an organization specifically devoted to the promotion of local and sustainable foods. This new chapter is affiliated with Slow Food USA, a national organization promoting environmental stewardship, sound farming practices, food education and local sustainable agriculture. Slow Food Down East represents Greenville, New Bern, Kinston, Goldsboro, Snow Hill, Farmville, Wilson, Rocky Mount, Tarboro and Washington, N.C.

For more information, contact SFDE Chairman Ben Knight at (252) 208-2433, ext. 24, or e-mail bk@chefandthefarmer.com.

Plum Tree

Greenville's Plum Tree Bistro, 731 Red Banks Road, has added a Kobe beef burger ($14.99) to the menu that's served only in the bistro's bar area. The half-pound burger of American Kobe Beef is topped with gorgonzola butter compound and served on a grilled bun with lettuce, tomato, dill pickle and crispy deep-fried tater tots.

On Thursday, Plum Tree will open at 4:30 p.m. to accommodate early diners who will be going to the East Carolina University-Virginia Tech football game.

Call (252) 353-9988.

CPW's benefit

CPW's, 2422 Stantonsburg Road, will hold its second annual "Christmas for Canines" fundraiser for the Humane Society beginning at 8 p.m. Nov. 12.

The event will include a silent auction, a raffle with a used red pickup truck as a grand prize, and live entertainment by Beatles cover band The Back Beat. Raffle tickets are $10.

Call (252) 757-7756.

Wine tastings

Dolce Vita will celebrate East Carolina University's Football Thursday with a pig pickin' beginning at 5:30 p.m. at its tailgating spot at C.M. Eppes Middle School, 1100 S. Elm St. Barbecue and sides from Pete's Wycked Grill will be served. Stop by the Dolce Vita retail store, 3110-F S. Evans St., to pick up beer or a bottle of wine at a special discount to bring to the party.

Call (252) 714-9578 for directions to the tailgate.

Because of the Thursday night East Carolina University football game, CPW's will hold its free monthly wine tasting social from 6-8 p.m. today. Jilliana with Ararat will be pouring a sparkling Brut, a chardonnay and three red varieties. CPW's is at 2422 Stantonsburg Road. Call (252) 756-7756 or visit www.cpws.biz.

Hot Dish is a weekly column of restaurant and food news. To submit items for consideration, call Jane Hudson at (252) 329-9577, fax (252) 754-8140 or e-mail jhudson@reflector.com. Deadline is Mondays at noon.