THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509140174
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
IN A QUIET CAFE on the main route through this quaint island village, local chefs serve some of the best seafood that swims along the Outer Banks.
Cafe Atlantic is an unassuming, two-story wooden restaurant surrounded by a winding walkway and open-air porch. Eclectic Ocracoke artwork - colorful and thought-provoking - adorns pale interior walls. A glass display case in the eatery's front foyer tempts patrons with creative cakes and pastries, foreshadowing culinary treasures yet to be discovered.
My husband and I enjoyed an evening at Cafe Atlantic last weekend. As a sunset shower sent rainbowed rivulets dripping down the wall-sized windows, we sipped Berringer blush wine ($12) over flickering oil lamps and perused the extensive menu on our linen tablecloth.
The offerings themselves were not unusual for a barrier island bistro: Shrimp, crab, fresh fish, beef and chicken seem to be staples of most restaurants from Corolla through Cape Hatteras. But the preparation and myriad combinations available at Bob and Ruth Toth's restaurant were wonderfully refreshing.
We began our meal with Clams Casino ($5.95). Fresh from the mud flats surrounding Ocracoke Island, six jumbo clams sat inside their salt-speckled half shells, steaming with scrumptious smells. A cape of Swiss cheese was draped across the succulent shellfish, with two thick strips of crispy bacon nestled around the edges. A glaze of garlic butter drizzled through the one-bite wonders.
Entrees at Cafe Atlantic are served with garden salads, fresh vegetables, a baked potato or wild rice and rolls. Covering an entire dinner plate - and plentiful enough for a small meal in itself - my salad included cherry tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, curls of red onions, carrot slivers, red cabbage and sliced mushrooms. Homemade blue cheese dressing topped off the crisp garden offerings.
Fluffy, light and still steaming, our basket of rye rolls came with soft, whipped butter - and had to be refilled twice during dinner because the fresh baked bread was so good. Vegetables were just-picked green beans steamed with carrot slices and sprinkled with herbs and sesame seeds.
For main courses, my husband ordered shrimp stuffed with crab imperial ($14.95) and I sampled seafood fettuccine ($13.95). Both meals were marvelous, with plentiful portions. I had to take half of mine back to the hotel.
Seven jumbo shrimp - steamed, slit down the middle and stripped of the back vein - were bursting with creamy crab meat on my husband's colorful plate. The lump crab was blended with a mayonnaise and mustard stuffing, rich, lightly seasoned, sprinkled with paprika and, overall, delectable. A wedge of lemon and fresh parsley also adorned the plate.
The pasta was perfect. Thick spinach fettuccine twirled around dozens of fat scallops, fresh shrimp and gobs of crab meat. A creamy garlic and dill sauce spilled across the seafood, accenting the flavors and adding a slightly sweet tang to the filling food. The sauce itself was spectacular. When poured over the pasta, the combination was irresistible.
Dessert - usually a necessity with my meals - was almost impossible to select. Besides the pastries and pies filling the front display case, Cafe Atlantic serves ice cream sundaes, flan, mousse, cannoli and several flavors of cheesecake.
We finally landed on an oversized slice of Humming Bird cake ($3.25), which we shared. A triple layer concoction capped with gooey cream cheese frosting, the dessert was a subtle, cinnamon-infused mixture of carrot, spice, banana and pineapple cakes. It was rich in flavor, airy in texture and as light as its flittering namesake. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAN DEGREGORY
The preparation and myriad combinations of seafood that are
available at Bob and Ruth Toth's Cafe Atlantic are wonderfully
refreshing.
CAFE ATLANTIC
Where: N.C. 12 on Ocracoke Island.
Hours: Lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m.;
open seven days a week through the last Sunday in October.
Phone: 928-4861.
Reservations: Recommended for parties of 5 or more.
Features: Seafood, pasta, beef, chicken, salad entrees.
Prices: Dinner entrees from $8.95 to $17.95; children's menu from
$4.95 to $6.95.
Beverages: Soft drinks, tea, coffee, milk, beer, wine,
non-alcoholic beers and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Smoking: Separate smoking section downstairs, upstairs
non-smoking.
Payment: Visa, MasterCard, Discovery, personal checks.
Handicapped Access: Yes
by CNB