Kitchen Kuriosities: Where North Carolina Flavor, Kitchen Finds, and a Whole Lot of Personality Meet in Downtown Elizabeth City

By Tanya Wiker-Johnson, ECDI Board Member, Promotions Committee

In celebration of National North Carolina Day on September 28, we stopped by Kitchen Kuriosities to talk with owner Pam Dwyer about North Carolina-made products, the story behind the shop, its unusual treasures and why supporting downtown businesses matters.

There are stores you visit because you know exactly what you need. Then there are stores like Kitchen Kuriosities, where half the fun is discovering something you didn’t know you needed. Located in downtown Elizabeth City and owned by Pam and Michael Dwyer, Kitchen Kuriosities is part kitchen store, part specialty food shop, part gift destination and part conversation starter. Its shelves hold everything from practical cooking tools and quality cutlery to specialty foods, locally inspired gifts, sourdough supplies, teas and some items that may require Pam to explain exactly what they are. And that’s part of the charm.

For National North Carolina Day, Kitchen Kuriosities is also giving shoppers another reason to explore the store: Pam is highlighting the shop’s North Carolina-made products and offering a discount off those products during the celebration. But to understand Kitchen Kuriosities, you have to start with the story of how Pam and Michael found Elizabeth City.

Finding a New Home in Elizabeth City

When Pam and Michael began looking for a new place to call home, they weren’t simply searching for a house. They were looking for a community. In January 2021, they spent time scouting Elizabeth City and other North Carolina towns. Pam said they had visited places including New Bern and Edenton, but something about Elizabeth City kept pulling them back.

Downtown was beginning to emerge from the COVID era, new businesses were preparing to open, and Pam could see possibilities. It reminded her of a community near Columbus, Ohio, where she had previously owned a women’s consignment clothing boutique. She and Michael had lived only a few blocks from downtown, and she had watched restaurants and small shops help the area grow into a place where people wanted to walk, shop and spend time. They wanted something similar in their new life. Ironically, they don't live too far from downtown now and can be seen walking or biking to the shop. 

Pam knew she wanted another business, but she wasn't necessarily interested in returning to women's clothing. Then came an idea that could appeal to nearly everyone: a kitchen store. Her reasoning was refreshingly simple. Everybody cooks, and everybody eats. A kitchen store could serve different ages and generations. It could offer gifts, practical necessities, specialty products and fun discoveries.

Most importantly, Pam wanted to stock it the same way she personally shops. She describes herself as thrifty and practical. She doesn't want to spend money simply for the sake of spending it, so the products in her store needed to meet a similar standard: either unique enough to justify spending a little more or practical enough to be economical and useful. That philosophy is still visible throughout Kitchen Kuriosities today.

Not Your Typical Kitchen Store

Pam is quick to explain that Kitchen Kuriosities isn't trying to be the store with every kitchen gadget ever manufactured. Instead, it's a curated collection. You might find the everyday item you suddenly realize you need, such as a can opener, but you'll also encounter products you aren't likely to see in every big box kitchen aisle. There are baking supplies, stainless steel cookware, cast iron, specialty utensils and quality cutlery, including products from Messermeister, a German knife and cutlery brand.

Bread bakers can find sourdough-related supplies, including dough starters, specialty whisks designed for heavier batters and doughs, and organic cotton bread bags. Coffee drinkers, tea lovers and bread bakers can all find products that fit their interests, which also makes the store an interesting option when you're trying to shop for the person who already seems to have everything.

Pam can help customers put together gifts around a theme rather than grabbing another generic present. That might mean creating something for the coffee lover in your life, putting together items for someone obsessed with tea or finding useful tools for the friend who recently joined the sourdough craze.

Wait...What's a Spurtle?

Of all the products inside Kitchen Kuriosities, one of its most surprising best sellers has a name that might make you ask Pam to repeat herself: Spurtle. Yes, a spurtle. The traditional utensil has roots in Scotland and is designed for stirring. The versions Pam carries are made from hard olive wood, and their shape allows them to reach deeply into pots and mixtures while stirring and scraping. They're simple. They're useful. They're definitely a conversation starter. And apparently, once Kitchen Kuriosities customers discover them, they want one. Pam said the spurtle is an item she “can't keep in stock.” It's also a perfect example of what makes the store different. You can walk through the door having never heard the word spurtle and walk out wondering how your kitchen survived without one. 

The South's Largest Collection of Rolling Pins?

Then there are the rolling pins. Lots and lots of rolling pins. Pam has turned her personal collection into one of Kitchen Kuriosities' signature features, and she proudly, though somewhat playfully, claims to have “the South's largest collection of rolling pins.”

She's serious enough about the distinction that she's used the hashtag and even purchased the domain associated with the claim. The collection grew from Pam's love of vintage pieces. She finds rolling pins while traveling and sometimes searches online for particularly unusual examples. But what began as a collection has become something more. The rolling pins create connections. Customers will spot one and immediately remember a grandmother, mother or aunt who had one just like it. 

"My grandmother had that one."

"My mother used one like that."

Those memories come up frequently.

Technically, the rolling pins belong to Pam and aren't merchandise. But a few visitors have shared stories so meaningful, sometimes after searching for years for a particular kind of rolling pin that Pam has allowed a handful to leave her collection. That's difficult to duplicate with something ordered from a warehouse. The collection has become part of the experience of visiting Kitchen Kuriosities and gives the shop another feature people can talk about after they leave.

Celebrating Products Made in North Carolina

National North Carolina Day offers an opportunity to look beyond the store's unusual gadgets and focus on another part of Kitchen Kuriosities: products connected to makers and producers across North Carolina. Tucked throughout the store are North Carolina finds worth discovering. One is Cloister Honey, including honey sticks that can be enjoyed straight from the package or added to a hot or cold drink. There are also North Carolina teas, biscuit and gravy mixes, beer bread mixes, preserves and other specialty foods sourced from producers within the state. Pam also carries embroidered products created by a North Carolina maker, along with other locally connected merchandise. And for National North Carolina Day, she plans to gather those products together and give them some extra attention.

North Carolina Day Special 

During the celebration week (September 28-October 3, 2026) North Carolina-made products at Kitchen Kuriosities will be discounted. That means shoppers can celebrate the state while supporting a locally owned Elizabeth City business and, in many cases, supporting another North Carolina small business or maker at the same time. That's a lot of local stuff packed into one purchase. 

Taking a Little Elizabeth City Home

Kitchen Kuriosities isn't only a stop for residents. Pam has also built a collection of Elizabeth City-themed merchandise for visitors or locals who simply love representing their hometown. Among the finds are Elizabeth City towels and other souvenir-style products, including oyster knives, wine and beer bottle openers, magnets and potato peelers. Yes, Elizabeth City potato peelers. Considering the city's connection to the North Carolina Potato Festival, that's one souvenir that feels particularly appropriate. Pam said she has promoted the peelers around festival time, and they provide another example of her ability to find items that are both practical and a little unexpected. The store also carries an item featuring a downtown Elizabeth City map, offering visitors another way to take a reminder of downtown home with them.

There's Something for the Sourdough Crowd, Too

Kitchen trends change, and Pam pays attention to what people are actually using. That includes the renewed popularity of homemade bread and sourdough. The store carries tools that appeal to bread makers, including specialty whisks for thick doughs and batters, dough scrapers and organic cotton bread bags. Elsewhere, customers might discover scented trivets that release aromas such as cardamom, clove and cinnamon when warmed by a hot dish or mug. There are popcorn seasonings, olive-wood utensils, fair-trade products and other practical-but-different items scattered throughout the shop. The common thread isn't necessarily where every product comes from. It's that Pam and Michael want their merchandise to have a purpose. Something can be fun and still be useful.

Shopping Local Is About More Than Shopping

Talk to Pam for very long and the conversation eventually moves beyond Kitchen Kuriosities. It becomes a conversation about downtown Elizabeth City. Pam and Michael don't simply operate a business downtown, they have made downtown part of their lives. They walk it. They bike it. They patronize its restaurants and businesses. Pam spoke about deliberately spending money downtown because she and Michael want to help keep the district alive and see it flourish. She is enthusiastic about continued downtown development, particularly opportunities connected to Elizabeth City's waterfront. For Pam, further beautification and development of the waterfront could become a catalyst that brings more people toward the water and, in turn, encourages them to explore more of downtown. She would also like to see residents take greater advantage of downtown activities such as free concerts and other community events.

First Friday ArtWalk and the Power of Foot Traffic

One of Pam's simplest requests to the community is also one of the most important: Come downtown. That includes participating in events such as First Friday ArtWalk. Pam said she tries to have something special happening at Kitchen Kuriosities during First Friday events, such as product sampling or a local artist. Why does showing up matter? Because foot traffic matters enormously to independent retailers. Pam noted during our conversation that traffic had been slow during the summer, even though customers who do discover the shop frequently compliment its selection and atmosphere. For a locally owned business, community support doesn't always have to mean making a huge purchase. Sometimes it begins with walking through the door. Browse. Ask questions. Tell someone else what you found. Attend a downtown event. And when you need something, consider whether a local business might have it before automatically ordering online.

The Perfect Place for the “I Don't Know What to Buy” Shopper

There's another person who may especially appreciate Kitchen Kuriosities: The shopper who

has absolutely no idea what to buy someone.  Rather than walking around a giant store hoping inspiration strikes, customers can talk with Pam or Michael about the recipient. Does she love tea? Is he serious about coffee? Did they recently start baking bread? Do they love to cook? Are they an Elizabeth City enthusiast? Do they appreciate unusual kitchen gadgets?

From practical tools to specialty foods and themed products, Pam can help customers identify items that work together as a thoughtful gift. And sometimes the best gifts aren't the biggest or most expensive ones. They're the things that make someone say: “Where did you find this?” At Kitchen Kuriosities, that's kind of the point.

A Store Built on Kuriosity

Kitchen Kuriosities isn't trying to compete with a massive kitchen retailer aisle for aisle. Its appeal is almost the opposite. It's personal. It's selective. It's a little quirky. And there is usually a story somewhere nearby. Maybe you'll discover a North Carolina-made food product. Maybe you'll find an Elizabeth City souvenir. Maybe you'll finally understand why someone needs a spurtle. Maybe one of Pam's vintage rolling pins will remind you of standing in your grandmother's kitchen. Or maybe you'll simply find a gift you couldn't find anywhere else. Pam and Michael came to Elizabeth City looking for the kind of downtown community they had experienced before, one filled with restaurants, independent shops, walkability and people invested in seeing their community succeed. Now they're helping build exactly that.

Celebrate National North Carolina Day at Kitchen Kuriosities

If you haven't explored Kitchen Kuriosities yet, National North Carolina Day on September 28 is a particularly good excuse to stop in. Look for Pam's collection of North Carolina-made products, take advantage of the discount during the celebration, browse the Elizabeth City merchandise and give yourself enough time to explore. And definitely ask to see the rolling pins. While you're there, ask Pam about the spurtle, too. Just don't be surprised if you leave with one.

Want to keep up with Kitchen Kuriosities? Pam recommends following the store on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kitchenkuriosities/) and Instagram (@kitchenkuriosities) for new products, First Friday ArtWalk activities, special events and other updates.