THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505110198
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant Review
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KITTY HAWK LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
IF HE GOT to eat in the dining room instead of hanging out over the door, the giant moose at the Outer Banks' newest eatery would never be blue.
The aromatic Caribbean cuisine piled high on patrons' plates only wafts to his wide nostrils. The eight types of draft beer and daily drink specials are well below his outstretched antlers.
But when lights are dimmed for Cajun music - and waitresses bring out delectable homemade desserts for late-night diners - even the sapphire spray-painted big-game trophy above the Blue Moose Cafe's entryway seems to smile at the festive scene.
Opened this spring next to the Kitty Hawk Post Office - in a one-story, wooden building between the highways - the Blue Moose Cafe is in the former Smokehouse building. But no one would know that from inside the upscale restaurant.
Tall windows and whitewashed walls have opened the place up immensely. A new rectangular stage with built-in sound system - and a long bar - now occupy the back wall.
Two-person tables surround the perimeter of the open dining room. Many are adorned with games of chess, checkers, backgammon and other family favorites. Eclectic magazines are spread about for sporadic reading. Potted palm trees and Calla lilies fill almost every corner.
With high, steep ceilings lined by white, spinning fans - and photographs of local surfers catching waves - the interior is almost as enjoyable as the edible offerings.
But the food - and music - are the only things smoking in this establishment. The Blue Moose Cafe is the first smoke-free nightclub on the beach. Smokers have to go outside to a semi-enclosed deck area to light up.
Serving lunch and dinner daily, with live bands on the weekends, the cafe specializes in French and island food. Chef Bob Heck studied at the Prince Michel Winery in Culpeper, Va., then worked on St. Thomas and St. John islands in the Caribbean. From soup stocks to side sauces to salad dressings, everything he serves is made from scratch.
Some friends and I dining out last week started our meal with duck.
The appetizer portion ($5.50) was house-cured and smoked, served on a bed of legumes. Bean sprouts and black beans formed a thick matting beneath the dark drumstick. Although the flavor was fine, the meat was slightly tough. The generous portion was plenty for two.
Our second selection was superb. Six fat shrimp, steamed, split and served cold, were stuffed with creamy boursin cheese ($5.75). Proscuitto hugged the crustaceans and infused them with an unusual taste. Green apple wedges and balls of ripe cantaloupe adorned the plate. Strawberry slices sat atop a mound of sprouts in the center.
For dinner, we chose one evening special and a menu standard. Both entrees came with just-baked bread, salad and a single dressing choice: honey vinaigrette. Cucumbers, three types of lettuce, carrots, red onions and a host of fresh herbs - most organically grown in Wanchese - created a green, leafy course that would even appeal to rabbits.
Although most meals include meat, Chef Heck will make vegetarian plates and accommodate almost any special dietary request.
One of four specials that night, the salmon ($16.50) was succulent. A thick, single steak fell apart with the touch of a fork. Rolled in a tantalizing mixture of local basil, thyme, oregano, dill and edible flowers, the fresh fish melted in my mouth. On the side, two tasty potato cakes were sweet and steaming, surrounded in crisp, home-fried coverings.
The most extraordinary experience of the evening was the Caribbean stuffed chicken ($14.95). Two breast halves, perfectly prepared and elegantly arranged, were filled with sweet potatoes, peanuts and plump, golden raisins. A rich vanilla bean sauce poured over the combination added a slight sweetness that subtly offset the spicy sensations. Pea pods and long-grain rice also came with supper. Leftovers, served in a Styrofoam take-out container, also were delicious the next day.
For dessert, we tried bread pudding ($3.50). Airy, yet filling, the homemade bread was smothered with a rich Southern Comfort caramel sauce. It tasted like the world's best French toast with homemade syrup - only better. After the last bite of bread had been gobbled, we finished off the scrumptious sauce with spoons.
Alas, we were too full to dance after such a fantastic dinner.
But we couldn't help tapping our toes to the bayou beat that began just before 10 p.m. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
The Blue Moose's mascot stands guard in the dining room where Kim
Wyatt, 34, of Colington, serves patrons.
BLUE MOOSE CAFE
Where: Next to the Kitty Hawk Post office, between U.S. Route 158
bypass and N.C. Route 12 (Beach Road), Milepost 4 1/2.
Phone: 261-2299.
Prices: Entrees from $14.95 to $17.95, plus market seafood
specials; sandwiches from $4.95 to $7.95; children's menu and
half-orders available.
Drinks: Eight domestic and imported beers on tap, $1 drafts on
Fridays, extensive wine list, liquor, sodas, iced tea, coffee.
Credit cards: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
Handicapped accessible: Yes.
Reservations: Recommended for large parties.
by CNB