This past week I had the privilege of spending some time in Avon, North Carolina. It is located about half way down Hatteras Island, and in my opinion it is worth the extra hour of drive time to reach it. I would certainly never turn my nose up at living in Nags Head, for example, but I do not want to vacation where there is a giant Staples and an outlet mall.
Since it is mainly a vacation area, restaurants are quite plentiful. With that in mind, I offer you my impressions of my 2010 vacation dining.
Saturday
If you are a seafood fan you should not pass up the opportunity to buy some shrimp and steam them up, either for eating warm with butter or chilled with cocktail sauce. I like to flash chill the shrimp in a giant vat of ice water. You don’t have to wait for them to cool down, and I find that the texture is much better than the slow cooling process. Shrimp are available for anywhere from seven dollars a pound to just over ten. I purchased mine from Risky Business Seafood Company (http://www.riskybseafood.com/) and was quite pleased with the product. The shrimp had almost no smell, with only the very slightest hint of the sea. You know you are in for good eatin’ if that is the case!
Sunday
Breakfast: Orange Blossom Café
http://orangeblossombakery.com/
This place makes fantastic pastries, but it sells out VERY VERY QUICKLY. You have to be an early riser to make it worth the trip. We purchased raspberry and cream cheese Danishes, double dipped donuts (glaze and chocolate topping), cinnamon twists, and plain glazed donuts. All were fresh and very yummy. It is clear why this bakery is an island favorite!
Of course we would return, you need some indulgent breakfasts on vacation!
Sandbar & Grille
http://www.sandbarandgrille.com/ordereze/default.aspx
After a quick look at the reviews Google brought up, I was surprised that in general the comments were middle of the road to downright negative. My experience was quite good, actually. The seafood (clams, shrimp, and flounder were all ordered) was fresh and the service was not a problem. I started my meal with French onion soup, which was fairly standard. The cheese was browned nicely, and the broth was not overly salty. If it did come from a package, it certainly did not taste like it. For around 16 dollars I received a dinner of 14 large fried shrimp, baked potato, and vegetables. I must note now that for whatever reason the baked potatoes on Hattaras are almost always delicious. I don’t know if it is the salt air, but they all just taste better. The shrimp had a light coating, nearing a tempura like consistency. The vegetable mix was a little over cooked, but still edible. I tend to prefer most of my vegetables al dente, so I know my expectations are slightly different.
I would certainly visit again, especially in the less hectic off season.
Monday
Dirty Dick’s Crab House
http://www.dirtydickscrabs.com/ordereze/intro1.html0
and
The Mad Crabber
http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Avon/Restaurants/SteakSeafoodRestaurants/TheMadCrabber/
After a day of running back and forth between the beach and house (rain was a frequent visitor for this year’s trip) my family decided that the indulgence of a crab feast was in order. After calling around we found out that Dirty Dick’s was the only local restaurant serving blue crabs. Those are my husband’s favorite, so we decided to go there so he could indulge in an Old Bay and crab cracking festival. As soon as we arrived, though, the atmosphere was less than welcoming. Imagine a seating area that looks like a warehouse with kitschy pictures and such on the walls. It was soulless, it was cold, and the tables were really small for a crab house. Also to my dismay, I noted that an order of steamed blue crabs would be 60 dollars. We were seated quickly, and then a very unfriendly waitress promptly arrived to take our drink orders. Three iced teas and 1 beer. And then we waited, and waited, and waited. I noticed her buzzing around to other tables, taking orders, and supplying drinks to the other “lucky” customers. After around 10 minutes of this, we left. Leaving a restaurant is not something that I do a lot, but everything combined lead me to believe that the dining experience would be less than stellar.
I will not visit again. You really can’t screw up steamed crab, but I would rather not give these fools my money.
After leaving the Suck House, we drove down the road to the Mad Crabber. First off, the place is a thousand times more welcoming and looks like a crab house should; large tables, and a more rustic surrounding. They also have paper on the tables and that is always fun to draw on while you wait. The happy hour special that evening was 10 cent steamed shrimp. Of course the shrimp were not that large, but they were delicious. Slightly sweet and nicely coated with Old Bay or other related spice. Twenty-six dollars will buy you a pound and a half of Dungeness crab with two sides. It had to have been frozen for the trip across the country it had to take, but it was still very good. There was also an order of the seafood platter for two that came to my table. It included steamed crab, shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, mussels, and four sides. That was fifty dollars but worth it for two people that like a variety of offerings from the sea.
Of course I will visit again. I have been there a good number of times previous to this most recent trip, and I have always been pleased.
Tuesday
Lunch: The Froggy Dog
http://www.froggydog.com
The Froggy Dog has been open as long as I can remember. To be honest it has gone downhill in recent years, so I would personally not make it a dinner stop. For lunch, though, it is a good option. I had a sandwich and soup, which was fine. The soup was French Onion, but there was just not enough melted cheese on the top. You can also tell it was rushed through the broiler because the server forgot to put it into the kitchen. My husband had a crab cake sandwich and fries which was apparently agreeable.
It is an old dog, with few new tricks, but it was pleasant. I may return in the future, especially if the daytime dining options still stay low.
Nino’s Pizza
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ninos-pizza-avon
The one evening break from seafood! Nino’s is your standard pizza parlor with a thinner crusted pizza and your standard Italian red sauce fare. The pizza prices are a little high (19 dollars bought a large with 3 or 4 toppings) but the pasta meals were a nice price. Around ten dollars purchased spaghetti and meatballs with a salad and garlic bread. The sauce is a good basic sauce recipe, not too acidic or too sweet, and the portions of pasta were a nice size.
I shall return, and likely order the same exact meal. It is just one of those things.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Oceana’s Bistro
http://www.oceanasbistro.com/
First off, this place has an awesome mimosa. They give you a giant goblet of orange juice, and a whole pony bottle of sparkling wine. Yum! We both ordered omelettes, mine a traditional bacon and cheese, my husband’s a crab and parmesan creation. Both were very nice. He also added a biscuit and sausage gravy as the menu proclaims it to be homemade. That was also enjoyed. The portions were not huge, but everything tasted great. We walked out spending 30 dollars plus tip on breakfast, and this is including a 7.50 mimosa.
I would return, but I hope to spend most of my days grabbing a quick bite for breakfast then heading out to the beach all day.
Wednesday brought one heck of a tropical storm remnant blowing in, so we decided to stay in. We made Fettuccini Alfredo with shrimp, mushrooms, and bacon. Stay tuned and I will share this recipe with you, which is made at home with mushrooms and chicken.
Thursday
Mack Daddy’s Seafood Grill & Raw Bar
http://www.mackdaddysobx.com/contact.html
I find the name of this establishment misleading. Mack Daddy’s makes you picture heaps of fried seafood, but in reality this place has much more to offer. First off there is an impressive wine and beer selection. Four dollars and fifty cents bought 20 ounces of some local brew, Weeping Radish Corolla Gold, that was refreshing. Thirty dollars bought us a bottle of Cloud Line Pinot Noir, which is most excellent as well. Gluttony won and for two people we ended up ordering 3 appetizers. East coast raw oysters, tempura fried shrimp dressed with a Thai sauce, and a crab dip which was actually sautéed lump crab meat with capers, white wine, and butter. The shrimp were fantastic, sweet with a lovely spicy kick that was not overwhelming. The star to me, though, was the crab dip served with toast points. First off, the portion was huge, easily being the size of a standard order of a broiled lump crab meat entrée. It was fresh and with the capers slightly reminiscent of the Pittsburgh classic appetizer of Crab Hoelzel (lump crab in a light tarragon vinaigrette). I also had to try the crab and tomato soup which was nothing short of fantastic. The base was tomato bisque which seemed to have the slightest amount of vodka added to round out the flavor. The crab was plentiful and the broth only helped to enhance its inherent sweetness.
For our entrees my husband opted for a trio from the sea which looked excellent, and I ordered the Mahi -mahi pan seared and that came with a whole grain mustard risotto and roasted fall vegetables. The fish was pleasant, not overcooked with a well seasoned crispy skin. The risotto was a little underdone but the mustard flavor was not too pungent. I feel a nice saffron or even butternut squash risotto would have been a better companion to the fish. The dessert selection was sizeable, and we settled on a chocolate cake (perhaps it had a molten center) and bourbon vanilla bean crème brulee. I particularly enjoyed the crème brulee as it was a somewhat lighter custard that what I am accustomed to, which was quite welcome after such a large meal.
This was easily the best meal I had all week, and I will return again, again, and again!
Friday
Lunch: Oceana’s Bistro
http://www.oceanasbistro.com/
We returned as many establishments only open for dinner. My husband enjoyed a crab cake sandwich with a red pepper aioli and fries, and I the unconventional pairing of sliced rare tuna appetizer and a baked potato. The tuna was amazing, wonderfully fresh and perfectly seared. Also the portion was quite large for costing less than 11 dollars. It was easily the size of most restaurant entrée portions.
Again, I would return. Hopefully for dinner and not lunch, though!
The Quarterdeck Restaurant
http://www.ncbeaches.com/Outerbanks/Frisco/Restaurants/SteakSeafoodRestaurants/QuarterdeckRestaurant/
On our final night I really wanted the traditional beach dinner. Fried seafood, baked potato, and southern sides like green beans hushpuppies, and pickled beets. Enter the Quarterdeck Restaurant. It was quite full when we went arrived with a lot of the parking being taken up by a large party. Even with the gathering of at least 20 people, our service was prompt, with only one longer wait for a glass of water. We started with cups of soup. For myself I selected crab bisque, and my husband ordered the Hatteras style clam chowder. Both were most definitely homemade and a next time an entire bowl would be most welcome. I ordered the fried shrimp dinner and it was plentiful and rather tasty. I did prefer the shrimp I had on Sunday night, but the sides were better. My husband ordered a combo platter with fried shrimp, clam strips, and Spanish Mackerel. The clam strips were actual clams and not an extruded product and the plate was also bountiful. The hushpuppies were the best I’ve had in a while, and I’m sure I ate an embarrassing amount. If you’re looking for a traditional salty sea dog feel in a restaurant you cannot go wrong here.
I would return. It reminded me of the Fish House restaurant in Buxton, NC, which used to be awesome. It has fallen off by a lot in the past five years, and we no longer go there. Too bad, really. I will probably opt for a different entrée, as the shrimp were good, but I know I can get better elsewhere.
If you are ever lucky enough to visit the Outer Banks and find yourself down Hatteras way, please keep some of these places in mind. Even if you don’t get as far south as Hatteras Island, pass up the chain restaurants (I’m looking at you Applebee’s in Nags Head), and patronize the local establishments!
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