THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 5, 1994 TAG: 9406020182
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEWEL BOND
DATELINE: 940605 LENGTH: Medium
Mulligan's is a cozy little restaurant with bright floral tablecloths and fresh cut flowers on each table. Your dining neighbors are close enough to get acquainted if you're feeling especially sociable, but yet far enough away so you can share an intimate dinner with that special someone. Subliminal music piped over the sound system is soothing for dining conversation or adds that special romantic touch.
{REST} The 38-seat restaurant opened almost a year ago and has grown in popularity.
The menu offers single and double portions at affordable prices which makes it popular with the tourists.
The decor, featuring framed photos of Outer Banks sports fishing fleets and a billfish at a weighing station, hammers home the idea of dining on fresh seafood. Photos of fishing trips with familiar faces is one of the attractions for locals.
Chuck Powell, owner and chef, says year-around residents have been very warm to him since he opened a year ago. ``This past year has been a growing experience for me,'' he says. ``I've experimented with new dishes and I feel I offer dishes that no one else on the Outer Banks offers. Plus, I'm big on presentation.''
It shows in the two specials dishes that are his creations.
Shrimp St. Mulligan's, at $5.95, a mouthwatering delight with shrimp, gorganzola cheese, fresh herbs, garlic, shallots, and a special ``secret'' sauce. If you're a breadlover, use the delicious breadsticks for dipping the sauce. You won't want to waste a drop.
Powell's signature dish, Oysters Christopher, is a 30-second flambe, that at $6.95, is so good, it calls for repeat orders. But he won't share the recipe - so don't bother to ask.
Last week my husband and I had dinner at Mulligans, arriving about 8:30 p.m. David, our ``waiter for the evening'' was attentive and very friendly and remained so after considerable time spent on menu selection, and two recitations of the ``specials of the day.''
All entrees on the menu come with fresh-baked soft breadsticks, a garden salad and a choice of baked potato or rice pilaf.
A surf and turf entree is available for $16.95 that includes a filet mignon with a choice of fried shrimp, shrimp scampi, scallops roumaki or crab cakes.
In addition, sandwiches, burgers, soup and salads are available. These items also can be purchased at the 16-seat bar adjacent to the dining area.
I finally chose for my entree the fried shrimp, a double portion, for $11.95. My husband's choice was one of the specials of the day, blackened tuna with sauteed scallops at $14.95.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the shrimp, about 16 of them, were lightly battered, golden fried to perfection and needed neither tartar or cocktail sauce, though both were served.
My husband was very pleased with his selection. He's a great tuna lover and knows just how it should be cooked. I sampled a taste and found it quite delicious.
The salads were fresh and crisp. The house dressing is peppercorn/parmesan and quite tasty. Powell says he makes a special gorganzola cheese vinegarette ``to die for.'' I'll look forward to trying that soon.
Desserts are all homemade and prices vary according to the day's selection. My choice was an orange sherbert, so creamy and orange-sweet they need to serve it in double portions.
So, it isn't necessarily true what they say about us ``locals.'' Sometimes we can learn a thing or two from the tourist.
by CNB