Chef Q&A: There is a secret to the chowder at this popular Carolina Beach restaurant
When it opened in 1998, Michael’s Seafood restaurant was an immediate favorite with Carolina Beach locals. Now, as they celebrate 25 years in business, a chef who has been on the local food scene even longer is leading the kitchen. Chef Larry Fuller has been in the business three decades, working at some of the most well-known restaurants in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. This latest collaboration has been ideal, he said, in more ways than one.
How did you get started in the restaurant industry?
“My mother was a cook. I always helped her at home. I was always interested in how it was made and was always asking questions,” he said.
Fuller’s first job in the industry was as a dishwasher at David’s Deli when he was a teenager.
“One day, one of the older line cooks was ‘Hey man, want to learn how to cook burgers?’” he said. “I got the buzz right then, when I cooked that burger."
One of his first posts was at Crooks by the River, a shrimp-and-grits hotspot and a sister restaurant to Bill Neal’s Crooks Corner in Chapel Hill. From there, Fuller also worked at Cape Fear Country Club, The George on the Riverwalk, Henry’s, Bluewater Waterfront Grill and 141 North Restaurant & Lounge.
What brought you to Michael’s?
More recently, Fuller was running his own One More Bite food truck, but it was hit or miss, he said. He then connected with Shelly McGowan, owner of Michael’s. That was a year ago, and it's been a great experience, he said, working with the owners and at the restaurant.
“I love seafood and most of the restaurants I worked in have focused on seafood," he said. "And one of the things I love most about this restaurant is there is no fryer. They don’t fry anything, and they never have. That’s one reason we have so many gluten-free options.”
Working at Michael’s has also allowed him to be creative. Specials from Fuller and the kitchen staff are often the highlights of dinner service. He’s also been able to offer special events, like one in February that was a six-course culinary tour of North Carolina, with dishes made with local ingredients paired with wines from the Biltmore Estate. This year, he’s planning at least three wine dinners for the off season.
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Speaking of the off season...
Fuller said it’s been a busy summer but knows that locals love specials that begin after Labor Day.
“On Mondays, it’s half-priced shrimp,” he said. And then the same discount on crab legs on Tuesdays and oysters on Wednesdays. On Thursdays, look for half-priced appetizers and Fridays are Prime Rib Day. Saturday has been lobster day, but Fuller said he’s been disappointed in the pricing and supply.
“I’m thinking of making a change to Soul Food Saturday,” he said. "I think people will like it."
You can also see Fuller’s touch in the regular menu, too. He tweaked the crabcake recipe and added a seafood lasagna.
“And the alligator, we can barely keep it in stock,” he said. It’s a blackened, with a sriracha aioli and chipotle slaw.
Is there a secret to the chowder?
Of course, Fuller is also staying true to the Michael’s classics like the award-winning seafood chowder, which was created by founder Michael McGowan who died in 2012.
“Michael was a genius, the way he put that together,” Fuller said. "I can give you a list of everything that’s in it and you probably couldn’t make it.”
What’s ahead for you and Michael’s?
Another thing that Fuller enjoys about Michael's is that there is so much going on. The owners already ship their chowder all over the country and are in the process of getting it into grocery stores. Michael's also recently added a food truck and is in the process of getting a second one.
"It’s being built right now, as we speak” he said.
Plus, Fuller said he started offering brunch 11-2 Saturday and Sunday, with a menu that includes Pound Cake French toast, a crabcake Benedict and a classic breakfast place.
“We’ve got a lot of irons in the fire," he said. “I think I’ll be around for a while. I see a future here."
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Michael's Seafood Chef Larry Fuller talks about the restaurant, chowder
