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Photo:
JoEllen
Willis
Food:
Austin
Creek
Grill |
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RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Austin Creek Grill
The swankiest place on the island
by Rick Kinnaird
Austin
Creek Grill is located at the southern tip of Hatteras
Island; it’s in the shopping center to the right of where you catch
the ferry to Ocracoke. It’s the most expensive restaurant on the
island and has fantastic food. You’d think such a place wouldn't
do well on Hatteras, but it’s been packed every time we've been
there. We suggest you make a reservation if you want to go.
There are actually three parts to Austin Creek: the restaurant, the bakery
(Austin Creek Baking Company) and the catering business. They catered
our wedding reception in June 2004 and got rave reviews from our guests
for both food and service.
They can be, like a lot of folks on Hatteras, devilishly hard to reach
by telephone. Don't be discouraged. They will call you
back eventually and they will do a good job with your
event.
Here's what they served buffet-style at our rehearsal dinner, just to
give you a feel for their menu:
Crab Salad on Belgian Endive Leaves
Tomato Basil Bruschetta
Andouille Sausage in Puff Pastry
Austin Creek Spinach Salad – Baby Spinach, Crisp Apples, Poached
Pears, Caramelized Pecans, Red Onion & Warm Bacon Dressing
Char-grilled NY Strip au Poivre
Crab Stuffed Flounder with Chili Béarnaise
All this was served on family style platters on the kitchen
bar at Sound
Mind and Body. The cost was $35 per person plus 8% tax plus 18% gratuity
plus a delivery charge of $100 plus the cost of one server ($175). They
aren't cheap.
How was the food? Well, my father-in-law put it best when he said, “I
think that was the best steak I've ever had.”
We’ve also eaten at the restaurant a few times and it’s fabulous
too. One New Year's Eve we were having trouble finding somewhere to go.
Austin Creek Grill had two dinner seatings that evening and we managed
to snag a last-minute table for a truly memorable night out.
And, what about the bakery? You’ll find many of the other places
on the island use Austin Creek’s bakery products; in fact, they
often feature them.
My quest in the bakery arena is to find whoever made that coconut cream
pie that I had at the restaurant at the dock on Ocracoke Island on our
honeymoon. I’m not sure who made it, but the waitress said it had
just come in, so I know they didn’t make it themselves. I suspect
it was made at Austin Creek Baking Company, but I have not been able to
confirm this. If I can ever get anyone to pick up the phone at Austin
Creek, I'll ask them.
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