Tag Archives: Food

OBX Eats: The Kill Devil Grill

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OBX Eats: The Kill Devil Grill

OBX Eats: The Kill Devil Grill

Ready for another installment of OBX Eats?! Let’s do this.

Ask any local where they like to eat, and The Kill Devil Grill is sure to be in the top 3. I have been meaning to meet my friend, Sara, from the OBX Chamber of Commerce, for sometime. When she suggested lunch, and she suggested THE KDG (as we call it), I was ready to go!

You can’t miss the 1939 Kullman dining car on the Beach Road. You’ll hear it’s subtle whisper, “PST! You can’t find parking because everyone is eating here!” if your windows are down.

FUN FACT: The KDG has one of only 6 diners in the national registry of historic buildings. (Who knew?)

Anyway, Sara and I agreed that we had THE BEST SERVICE we have ever had. Our waiter was SO patient and courteous. You know how women get, “Blaghgedy blagh blagh” instead of looking at the menu? We had to do the, “Oh, we need a few more minutes” a few times, and he smiled the whole time. One of the waitresses grabbed the paper from our straws as she walked by. Huh, really? Yes! She did! Who does that?!

I told Sara that I am now writing a food blog and begged her to remind me to take a picture of my plate before I dug in. Here it is, the salad I always get, Southern Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Dressing. If you know me (and you may get to know me more than you care to) you know that I’m not typically a salad girl. I can eat leaves anytime. But THIS salad is so good its borderline sinful. It’s loaded with all kinds of yumminess… mixed greens, roasted corn, tomatoes, bacon, fresh fried potato sticks, fried chicken that’s crispy and hot, but manages to not wilt the salad… Uh…. YUM!

Take it from this “foodie,” The Kill Devil Grill has some of the freshest fish in town and my friends always try the savory Cheese Steak Eggrolls. Sounds crazy? Yes. Get them anyway, they’re delish. I’ve also heard that they have awesome Key Lime Pie, but I’m always too full to get it. Next time, I’ll ask a stranger and see what they say.

And, although this will get me in trouble with my OBX neighbors, I’d be remiss to tell you that they have a fried chicken special for lunch on Fridays that will sell out in mere minutes. Get there early, or have a Plan B in the hopper.

Need more? You got it! Every Wednesday they have 1/2 price bottles of wine and Thursdays the draft beer is just $1. You can’t beat it.

Let me sum it up:

  • Outstanding service
  • Great food made with many local ingredients
  • Inexpensive bevies
  • Super fun people like Sara … and me

I think this is what we call in the biz, a “winner, winner, chicken dinner.”

Eat Local. Always.

Colleen

OBX Eats: The Black Pelican

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OBX Eats: Black Pelican

OBX Eats: Black Pelican

Welcome to the first installment of our new blog series, OBX Eats!

In addition to loving the role that I play at Seaside Vacations, I am closet foodie. OK, maybe not in the closet, since everyone knows how much I enjoy a yummy meal. You know how they say that you can’t trust a skinny chef? Yeah, well…

This weekend my husband and I joined a  few friends at The Black Pelican in Kitty Hawk, so I thought I’d share our experience. If you haven’t been there, you need to go. Really. You could go now if you wanted. Heck, I may be back there right now!

The Black Pelican is one of the more popular restaurants on Outer Banks. It’s one of the few places that allow you to enjoy panoramic ocean views from the upstairs dining room and outside deck.

Here are some fun Black Pelican facts:

  • The building was constructed in 1874 and used as a United States Lifesaving Station #6.
  • Back in the day, the building also served as an active weather bureau!
  • The Wright Brothers used this information to plan their experimental flights.
  • In 1903, after their successful First Flight, the Wright Brothers sent the telegraph announcement from Station # 6.

Awesome, right?!  

Ah-hem, the FOOD?!

The Black Pelican has ample parking and lots of space inside. If you get there at the right time, they can accommodate larger parties. They serve lunch & dinner, and they cater. The menu is large and diverse. Choices include fresh seafood, salads, steaks, vegetarian choices, options for kids, and they have a wood oven for delicious pizza. They have a great raw bar, too!

I know, you’re thinking, “Yeah, yeah. Get to It, girlie. What about the FOOD?!

For appetizers, we enjoyed 2 orders of Drunken Crab, the Spicy Cajun Fish Bites (tuna), and Tuna Tatake’.

For normal people, that would have been enough for dinner. Thankfully, we aren’t normal.

The Drunken Crab is unreal. If you like crab, get it and thank me later. It comes in a huge martini glass, rimmed with Old Bay seasoning. It is ALL lump crab, none of that stringy stuff, and it’s tossed in a softly spiced Bloody Mary mix. Yum-o!

The tuna bites were cooked to perfection and were served with the house-made Ranch dressing. If you put good Ranch on a flip flop, I’d probably eat it, but I digress.

The tuna tar-tar was ICE cold, the wasabi was sinus busting, and the seaweed salad was to die for.  It’s a huge portion – enough to share if you aren’t selfish. Which I am. So I ate it all when everyone was busy chatting.

Dinner was just as delish. We all had the seafood special: Artichoke and Parmasan Encrusted Tilefish with Spinach, Wild Rice, and crisps of fried sweet potato strings.

Tilefish, if you’ve never had it, is a white, tender, flaky fish, much like Rockfish/Striped Bass, but I think it’s a little sweeter. It was cooked perfectly and just flaked up. I should not, in any stretch of the imagination, have eaten the whole thing. I did, though. Scraped the remaining sauce with my toasted pita wedge, and everything. It was a spectacle, I admit. Try it for yourself and see if YOU can hold back!

If you’ll be in town the week of March 17-20, 2012, The Black Pelican is participating the OBX Restaurant Association’s Taste of the Beach. Maybe you’ll see me there!

Eat Local. Always.

Colleen - Director of Owner & Guest Services

Have you been to the Black Pelican? Do you have a place that’d you’d like me to review? Post a comment and let me know! 

Kitty Hawk Skate Competition: Proceeds to Benefit Irene Victims

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Awesome event for a great cause set to take place Saturday, October 9th at the Kitty Hawk Skatepark, with proceeds benefiting Hurricane Irene victims through the Outer Banks Relief Foundation. Honorable, in conjunction with LACED Clothing, proudly presents the “LACED & FLOODED” benefit Skate Jam. The weekend will kick off Saturday, October 8th at Moms Sweet Shop in KDH for a meet and greet with Jake Brown and Peter Smolik from 12-2pm. They will be premiering LACED clothing as it hits the racks at Moms and make sure to stop by and pre-register for the Skate Jam.

On Sunday registration for the days event will  be from 11am-12:30pm and the contest will begin at 1:00pm sharp.  There is a $10 entry fee, and two age brackets of 16 & under/16 & up for the game of SK8, and a street-league style best run contest.  There will be tons of awesome prizes donated by 158 Surf & Skate, and other great vendors. Lucky 12 Tavern donated a cooker, pig and sides for a good old fashioned pig pickin’ with plates being sold to raise funds for OBRF.  The Bad Bean Baja Grill will also be around with a fresh juice bar, and treats.

If youre in town make sure to stop in and check this out. Should be a fun time and is for a great cause! If you have any questions regarding the weekends events please feel free to contact MomsSweetShop@gmail.com or call 252.441.MOMS (6667).

Outer Banks: 2011 Currituck Fall Food & Wine Festival

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Outer Banks: 2011 Currituck Food & Wine Festival

Outer Banks: 2011 Currituck Food & Wine Festival

The 2011 Currituck Fall Food & Wine Festival is upon us…it must be fall! And what better way to welcome fall than with food, wine, music, great scenery, and fun times for all?!

The festival is held at the fabulous Sanctuary Vineyards (Cotton Gin anyone?) in Currituck…a few miles north of the bridge leading to the Outer Banks.

Admission includes signature wine glass, wine tastings and entertainment (food not included). $20 advance tickets / $25 day of event

  • September 24 from noon to 6pm
  • Live music all afternoon
  • Great Currituck Grape Stomp
  • Pork & Cork BBQ competition
  • Local Wines and Beers to sample
  • Local Food Vendors
  • Hay rides through the vineyards
  • Rain or Shine
  • Tickets sold at all Cotton Gin locations- Jarvisburg, Nags Head MP 14.5 and Corolla or visit us at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com
  • 252-491-2387 / 1-800-637-2446 for more info

Breaking News: The New Seaside Shindig Starts this Weekend

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Outer Banks - Seaside Vacations Shindig

Outer Banks - Seaside Vacations Shindig

JOIN US EVERY SATURDAY FOR THE SEASIDE VACATIONS SHINDIG!
Check-in day can be crazy in the summer. So…get off the street and check out the Seaside Shindig!While you’re waiting to check-in, join us for the family-friendly Seaside Vacations Welcome Party at Chilli Peppers Coastal Grille! Located right down the road at mile post 5.5 in Kitty Hawk, Chilli Peppers is a favorite with Outer Banks locals and visitors.From 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm every Saturday, Seaside Vacations guests will be treated to an exclusive “backyard party” featuring:

  • Special afternoon specials (3-5pm) including:
    • $1.00 PBR and Busch Lite cans
    • $.35 wings
    • $.20 shrimp
    • $5.00 off 1lb. of jumbo steamed shrimp or 1 lb. of steamed crab legs
    • $7.00 for queso dip, salsa, and guacamole with basket of chips
    • $1.00 off kids’ drinks and smoothies
  • Corn hole
  • Music
  • And more…including a full menu to choose from!

While you’re there, enjoy fun giveaways from Seaside Vacations and also be sure to mingle with our official Seaside Shindig Ambassador. She’s there to answer any questions you may have about your vacation or the Outer Banks…or to just chat and hang out with!

So, rather than hang out at the check-in office or fight the traffic on the bypass, get outside, eat some delicious food, have some drinks, listen to music, and get your Outer Banks vacation started right!

And be sure to come back and check out Chilli Peppers Coastal Grille later during your vacation! With Music Night (featuring bands from around the area), Tapas Night, fun events, award-winning food and a friendly staff, you’ll discover a great local restaurant.

If You Cant Handle the Heat…Get Out of the Kitchen

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OBX cooking extraordinaire Outer Banks Epicurean announces their 2011 summer cooking class schedule. Not only are they a Club Seaside partner and offer Seaside guests a rare opportunity to prepare local food, but their food is amazing!! They also often provide neat events along with the cooking class, for example their Colington Crab, Kayak and Cook class on Wednesdays, offering you the chance to take the kayaks out around Blount Bay then head back for some wine and blue crab! Sounds relaxing huh? :) Here is the weekly schedule with everything you need to know to plan your one of a kind vacation event!

SUMMER 2011 Cooking Classes
Call 252.480.0005 to register

Mondays

11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Cookin’ Outer Banks Style
Subject: Seafood and Seasonal Veggies Ravioli
Class Type: Demonstration, Discussion, Tasting, Hands-on
Menu: Learn how to make homemade pasta. The freshest local seafood and seasonal harvests will be
the filling when you make your fresh pasta into raviolis
Fee: $49 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

Tuesdays and Thursdays

9:00 am (offered only when crabs are molting)
Colington Crab Shedder Tour and Cooking Class
Learn why Colington is soft shell capital of the world. Tour a local shedder operation, then walk back
to Epicurean and learn how to cook and eat softshell crabs!
Fee: $59 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

Wednesdays

9:00 am ** Colington Crab Kayak and Cook
** Meet at Wayback Kayak on Little Colington Island at 9:00 am
Start the morning with coffee and scones at Wayback Kayak then paddle thru the natural beauty of
Blount Bay. See crab shedders from the water. Next, step inside the kitchen of Outer Banks Epicurean
and begin a private cooking lesson focused on Cookin’ Outer Banks Style – featuring Blue Crabs!
Fee: $89 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays

6:00 pm
Cookin’ Outer Banks Style
Subject: Learn to Cook Local Outer Banks Catch
Class Type: Demonstration, Discussion, Tasting, Some Hands-on
Menu: The freshest local seafood and seasonal harvests will be used to make easily recreated recipes.
Fee: $49 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

More About the Classes: •Registration for all classes is required by noon the day prior to the class.
•Epicurean cooking classes are relaxed, fun ways to learn new culinary tricks and taste fresh local harvests, catches
and specialty items. •Participants will be offered generous tastes and samples of all recipes in all classes. Unless the
description of the event states otherwise, please do not plan for a cooking class to be a dinner substitute if you are a big
eater. •Classes usually last an hour to an hour and a half to two hours depending on participation. Some classes are
three hour cooking lessons and do cost a bit more… and you eat a bit more, too! •We would love to plan a lesson for
your group. Girlfriends, office mates, new moms, people with diabetes, families… we can help you learn to cook new
recipes while you have fun and enjoy each other and new tastes and flavors.

18th Annual Surfrider Paddle Race July 23rd in KDH

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Nothing is better than giving back to your community, so why not help raise some money for local scholarships and educational programs while enjoying a fun day out on the beach with great prizes, food and paddle battles! The Surfrider Foundation, Outer Banks Chapter raised over $5,000 last year and want to do it even bigger this year.

With more than 50 competitors, there’s a division for everyone (groms to grown-ups, short boards to SUP’s).  Raffle tickets will also go on sale for this event with great prizes that include: Stand-up Skate/Stick and a custom surfboard shaped by Mike Rowe from Hooked Surfboards! If you’re up for the challenge or just want to come hang out be at Ocean Bay Blvd (aka the KDH Bath House) in Kill Devil Hills on July 23.

Don’t miss this event and if you can’t attend but would still like to purchase raffle tickets, please contact brent@obxsurfinfo.com or call 252-256-0423. For more information about the Surfrider Foundation, Outer Banks Chapter, or if you are interested in donating to this great organization, please visit their website at http://outerbanks.surfrider.org/

Outer Banks Treasures: Chilli Peppers Coastal Grill

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Outer Banks - Chilli Peppers Coastal Grill

Outer Banks - Chilli Peppers Coastal Grill

I don’t know about you guys but going out to eat is  really risky business. You have to consider all your options…like is the food good?, is it expensive?, how big are the portions?, will I have to wait forever?, the list goes on. If you are tight on money like me you want to make sure that if you are going to go out to eat it better be worth it! When we say Outer Banks Treasure, we mean it, and Chilli Peppers is honestly one of the best restaurants I have ever been too.

If you are in the mood for a quick and easy lunch, their sandwiches are great. The BBQ sandwich is my favorite and the cucumber salad is amazing. If its dinner time, you have to try their fresh fish. No matter what the type of fish it is always a great meal. The coolest part is they grow many of the spices they use right in the back so it is fresh in every sense of the word. No one can resist a good margarita right? The first time i went to Chilli Peppers I got a watermelon margarita and I haven’t gone with a different flavor since, but they have many flavors to choose from and you can pick what shelf alcohol you want it it as well.

Out in the back they have cornhole and a new addition of a sliding walk-up window where you can order a beer outside and don’t have to go in. Or if you have been on the beach all day and look like a hot mess you don’t have to go sit inside, you can order what you want and sit out at the picnic tables. The atmosphere is relaxed, the beach music plays in the background and the drink specials rock, what more could you ask for on a vacation, or even just a night out to eat?

The restaurant is run by a great guy named Jim Douglas who was nice enough to let us come get some pictures and video to share with you guys. We really hope you enjoy the video and make sure that when you’re in the OBX you check out Chilli Peppers at MP 5.5 in Kill Devil Hills. Tell them Seaside sent you ;)

Corolla Hosts 8th Annual Wild Horse Days

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One of the many great things that makes the Outer Banks so amazing, is the opportunity to see wild horses roaming the beach in Corolla. I remember the first time I visited the Outer Banks- We were spending our college Spring Break at a friends house in Carova. My first concern was that my AWD Honda Ridgeline wasn’t going to make the cut in the 4X4 area. Lucky enough I made it there, and was so amazed to see a group of wild horses grazing right near our house! It truly is a unique experience especially for former city girls like me.

For the 8th year in a row the Corolla Wild Horse Fund will be offering Wild Horse Days from July 5th through the 7th. Wild Horse days is an opportunity to take part in fun events and exhibits the whole family can enjoy. You will get a chance to learn the history behind the wild horses, take a ride on a Spanish Mustang, play children’s games and activities, take part in a horse training clinic and more! There will also be a huge silent auction, live music, beer and wine tasting, food and artwork will also be featured.

If you are visiting the area this would be a wonderful event to take part in. There is something for everyone and is a unique opportunity to learn the rich heritage that is behind the wild horses. If you cant make it, I hope you get the opportunity to see at least one wild horse on your trip, because it is definitely a beautiful sight to see at least once.

If you want to learn more about Wild Horse Days or about the Corolla Wild Horse Fund please visit their website. If you are a Seaside Vacations guest don’t forget to reserve your spot on your complimentary wild horse tour with Corolla Outback Adventures through Club Seaside.

Directions: 16 miles north of Duck on RT 12 North. One block north of the Lighthouse, watch for sign.