THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505180370
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WALNUT ISLAND LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
At least two features at Walnut Island Restaurant let you know this place is a little different.
Some days you don't get served a menu. And when you leave, you pay through an old-fashioned, wooden teller slot.
In between, you can take in a resplendent view of the Currituck Sound and sample some of the finest cuisine this side of the Outer Banks.
Located a half-mile off U.S. 158 in Grandy, the Walnut Island Restaurant and adjoining motel sit on the sound and are surrounded by a neighborhood of mostly manufactured homes.
Barry Nelms, who has owned Walnut Island Restaurant and Lodge since 1986, acknowledges that the somewhat isolated location of the 39-year-old establishment can be a drawback.
But the wooden-shingled restaurant, with its teal trim and blue entrance awning, is also a welcomed respite for road-weary travelers seeking something besides fast-food fare, or for locals looking for a different atmosphere.
``It's just the opposite of what the food industry is going to,'' the owner said. ``It's super-relaxed.''
Last year Nelms built a large deck around two live oaks and alongside the single-story building to better identify the place.
``People would drive by and just keep going. They didn't know this is a restaurant,'' he said.
Food may be the main reason people venture out to Walnut Island, but it isn't the only thing the place has going for it.
Sports enthusiasts will feel right at home inside the small bar at one end of the dining area. The autographed photographs and Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bears memorabilia lining the walls declare the owner's loyalties.
The padded-leather bar is itself an icon, having been salvaged from the Diamond Club at the former Tides Ball Park in Norfolk.
``Grandy doesn't have a big sports crowd,'' Nelms said with a chuckle. ``I'm it.''
Personal touches like the photos, arranged in different frames and extending into the foyer, help set Walnut Island apart from a lot of other beach-area restaurants.
This is a come-as-you-are kind of place, where appropriate dress can be anything from shorts to Sunday best. For some Currituck residents, a visit is a part of their daily ritual; for others, it's a treat to be savored on special occasions.
Dozens of conversations in the three main rooms, including a non-smoking section, create a melodious buzz that would overpower background music, if there were any.
Restless children who finish meals before their parents can follow fish swimming in one of three large aquariums or play outdoors in the yard that also serves nesting geese, purple martins and a pair of osprey just offshore.
``It's real nice to see the water, the action of the boats and all the birds,'' an elderly man, nursing a steaming cup of coffee, said of the panaramic view of the sound and Dowdy's Bay.
Walnut Island began as a fishing camp and hunting lodge in the 1950s, where folks would fly in to bass fish or duck hunt.
Nelms pays homage to the building's heritage with framed prints of waterfowl and stuffed ducks mounted along wood-paneled walls.
The restaurant does have a menu of appetizers, seafood, steaks, chicken, desserts and ``Carolina Favorites,'' like homemade barbecue and baby back ribs.
But on buffet days, only a short list of items from the booklet may be available. Guests rarely make a fuss about the lack of a full menu, since most cravings can be accommodated by the salads, meats, vegetables and confections from the buffet.
Friday evenings feature a seafood buffet of local fish grilled, broiled, steamed and batter-fried. Beef, chicken and pork are provided during the Saturday and Sunday setup.
Every restaurant around here has to have its own hush puppy recipe. For the Walnut Island cooks, it's crushed pineapple to give the cornmeal treats a tangy taste.
If there's one day of the year that the Walnut Island Restaurant pulls out all the stops, it's Mother's Day.
That was the day my family and I decided to drive down for a visit and see what the place had to offer.
After ordering our drinks of water and soda, we began our feast with a garden salad, seafood-pasta salad and coleslaw. There wasn't a wilted leaf or mushy vegetable among the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and cucumbers in the salad, which could be topped with generic Thousand Island or ranch dressing.
My favorite, as well as my family's, was the coleslaw, which I later learned drew its distinct sweetness from part-time cook Mary Orr's new recipe. She took out the mustard and added celery seed. The same seeds were used in the pasta salad, and it also was pleasing.
The broiled trout fillets were wonderful - seasoned just right and flaky without being overly dry. Other guests must have thought the same, because the restaurant ran out of the trout within three hours of opening.
The pork chow mein, which was served over plump white rice, contained a surprise: shrimp. That drew criticism from my daughter, who thought she'd escaped the little critters when she made her selection.
I especially enjoyed the gulf shrimp fettucine coated in a mixture of half-and-half cream, shrimp stock, a smidgen of scallop and fresh basil from the restaurant's herb garden. Tiny broccoli flowerets made the dish even more delectable.
Deviled crab bursting from an actual crab shell was perfect for those of us who are easily overwhelmed by the taste of the shellfish. Its presentation also thrilled the kids.
I overindulged on the entrees and failed to save room for dessert. My husband and daughters, however, assured me the homemade blueberry cobbler and strawberry shortcake were as good as it gets.
The service was superb. Two hostesses continually worked the rooms to ensure everyone was content. Our waitress, Heather, refilled our drinks and continually cleared dirty plates while also serving a party of 12.
In the wintertime, the restaurant burns a hickory log in the fireplace. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Walnut Island Restaurant in Grandy offers a resplendent view of the
Currituck Sound and the opportunity to sample some of the finest
cuisine this side of the Outer Banks.
by CNB