Discover Village Grocery
Foodie heaven in Avon features
high-quality meats, award-winning
wines and par-baked European breads

by Rick Kinnaird

Village Grocery is located at the first light in Avon at the intersection of Highway 12 and Harbor Road (biking distance from Penny Lane and Sound Mind & Body). For the foodie, this is a must stop. They have an excellent selection of meats, wines, breads, sauces, marinades, micro-brew beers and fresh produce. Many items are unique and not found anywhere else on the island.

That’s not to say they don’t have the essentials, too. But along
with Cheerios, hot dogs and Swiss cheese they also have muesli,
filet mignon and Gorgonzola.

Harry Beierlein, one of the owners, explained that they have tried to "go outside the basket” of the typical grocery store and, since the island's collective palette is evolving, they are trying to take it up a notch with a wide and varied selection of top quality products in all their departments. Many of the items they carry are based on customer suggestions.

For instance, Village Grocery carries Joseph Phelps wine, which was selected “wine of the year” by Wine Spectator. They also have Opus One. Harry went to the folks at Boar’s Head and got on board as one of their customers for prime deli meats, the first on the island. His meat department also offers certified Angus beef and Sterling Silver Pork.

Harry’s attitude is “if you're used to having hamburger at home, why not have filet when you come to the beach?” (As Emeril would say, “kick it up a notch.”)

Harry is also excited about his extensive microbrew collection. He carries Bud and Coors for traditionalists, but he also features North Carolina brews such as Duck Rabbit, Big Boss, and Joseph Phelps as well as beers from California and New England microbreweries. You might just have the the opportunity to try
some beers you may not be able to get back home when you visit Hatteras. This year North Carolina is allowing higher alcohol content beers and Village Grocery will host a whole display of those as well.

Then there’s the produce. Because the store isn't too big, it can get some unique items. “So no one is disappointed,” said Harry. “And don’t forget about my unique marinades and novelty hot sauces ...”

Okay, I won’t.

“... and the sushi, we have everything you need for sushi ...”

Okay, got it.

“... and our breads, we’ve got European style par-baked breads; you take them home, pop them in the oven for 10 minutes and it’s like home baked.”

Anything else?

“The sandwiches, we do heated sandwiches, paninis and wraps especially.”

Is that it?

“Oh no, we have the basics too like canned tuna, jarred herring and Vienna sausage.”

Okay.

“Oh and the salad and soup bars have been very popular this winter.”

Cool, is it possible for someone to call ahead and order a particular wine?

“Absolutely, we’ll do our best. Give us a call a week or two ahead of time and that goes for specialty meats like a crown roast or venison as well. Our emphasis is on customer service.”

You can contact Harry or Barbara Beierlein at Village Grocery 252 995-4402. Tell them Half Vast sent you.

RICK SAYS: I met Harry Beierlein last November when I was shopping for a Gewürztraminer to go with our Thanksgiving turkey. (Have I mentioned that late fall is a great time to visit Hatteras?) Anyway, as I was looking at the array of wine bottles at Village Grocery, Harry asked if he could help.

Now, I know a thing or two about wine. I can typically browse an aisle of wine without pausing because I recognize all of the labels. I typically walk down an aisle and say to myself, “Yeah, yup, okay,” and, by the time I get to the end of the aisle, I can tell you pretty much what kind of wines they have, who their clientele is and whether the prices are reasonable.

I couldn’t do that with Village Grocery because there were so many wines I had never seen before! I had to stop and look at them. There were a number of bottles with “cute” labels, which always makes me wonder about the quality of the wine. But I love the labels. There were bottles with fish painted on them ("Hum, I wonder what they suggest serving this with?"), minor works of art and humor. What struck me most was the wide variety of wines they had and the straightforward way in which they were displayed. They had all types of wine at various price points. Nothing shouted “Buy Me!” and nothing tried to make you feel stupid (or smart).

All of this was going through my mind when Harry approached me. I told him I was looking for a Gewürztraminer and he said he
didn’t have one, but he’d be glad to try and get it for me. I needed it
for the next day (I like to plan ahead) so there was nothing that could be done on that short a notice. But Harry and I ended up talking about the wine collection and life on Hatteras. It was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend a visit next time you're in Avon.