THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611010236
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW
SOURCE: BY JEWEL BOND, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 98 lines
IN A MODEST sea-green building, in a nondescript setting, Tortugas Lie Restaurant might easily be overlooked were it not for its reputation for having some of the best, moderately priced food on the Outer Banks.
Once inside, it's more like one of those unique restaurants hidden among the palm trees on some south sea island. Lively reggae music and colorful batiks of fish and sea turtles set a Caribbean tone and mood.
My husband, Bill, and I sat at one of the rustic, wooden tables for two in a corner. Tables were filled with twosomes and foursomes in sweats, jeans and sneakers who had come for the food rather than to be seen.
Owners Bob Sanders and Will Thorp, who also own the Rundown Cafe in Kitty Hawk, and head chef and partner, Richard Welch, combine talents to provide food that is pleasing to the palates and wallets of their customers. There is an extensive menu, including vegetarian dishes. The chef's knowledge of spicy jerk seasoning and fruit-based sauces turns vegetable dishes and ordinary beef, chicken and seafood into a delight.
The menu items change once or twice a year, but the evening specials are changed daily to offer fresh local seafood entrees and appetizers.
``We don't put oysters on the menu unless we can get them fresh right here from the Outer Banks,'' Sanders said.
Oysters were not available this night, so I chose instead the salmon with a seaweed salad as a starter ($5.95). Bill had a bowl of clam chowder ($2.95); a rich, clear Hatteras-style broth with onions, carrots and potatoes flavored lightly with bacon.
Thinking my salad had a sea-cutesy name, I was quite surprised to find I actually was eating seaweed. The tangy marinated seaweed added a little excitement to the smoked salmon, but I found it a little difficult to eat. You have to wrap the farm-raised seaweed around the cracker like spaghetti and eat the whole thing because there is no way to bite into it without razor-sharp teeth.
``Our chef uses a lot of the seaweed on sushi night,'' Sanders said. ``It's fairly popular with the regulars. I guess you have to acquire a taste for it.''
Sanders said there was usually a high energy level on Wednesday night for the sushi bar. ``People come on sushi night to socialize,'' he said. ``It may be the only time during the week to be in a crowd of local people.''
The convivial ambiance was apparent on our visit also - precipitated somewhat by intimate seating. You're close enough to your dining neighbor to converse if you're feeling friendly, and you can sneak a peek at their entrees if you're having difficulty deciding on yours.
Making a selection from the evening specials was easy for me. The blackened tuna with grilled pineapple and roasted red peppers ($11.95) was the first item listed on a posted chalkboard. I rationalized since it was listed first, it must be the best bet for the night. I was right.
Two large tuna fillets were cooked to perfection and served over a bed of roasted peppers. Black beans and rice came on the side, and the chef pointed out that the dish is not cooked with the traditional chicken stock. I wondered, and later asked, how they always served the tuna so moist and flaky, yet cooked throughout.
``You have to think of it as a steak, Sanders said. ``You gotta take it up while it's still pink on the inside because it keeps cooking.''
Bill's order of sea scallops with fettucine ($11.95) was served with mushrooms, marinara sauce and fresh parmesan. Plump, tender sea scallops and fettucine spilling over the plate's rim was a man-pleasing portion. In fact, the portion was enough to have fed the two of us.
With the idea we had eaten a low-fat dinner (nothing fried), we felt justified to order one of the desserts so royally presented. Bill had the chocolate pecan pie ($2.75), which was as thick as a brownie and delightfully sweet and chewy.
I opted for the lightest dessert - key lime pie ($2.75). It's tart and creamy texture was enjoyed with a soothing cup of cappuccino ($1.95.)
A meal like this would make Tortugas Lie Restaurant easy for customers to find. It's word-of-mouth directions.
``We put an extra $2 worth of food on the plate and let it speak for us,'' Sanders said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Bob Sanders is co-owner of Tortugas Lie in Nags Head which offers an
extensive menu of Caribbean-inspired food.
Graphic
TORTUGAS LIE
Where: 3014 South Virginia Dare Trail, Milepost 11, Nags Head
Phone: 441-7299
Features: Caribbean-inspired beef, chicken, seafood, vegetarian
dishes
Prices: Dinner entrees range from $11.95 to $13.50
Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, noon to 5
p.m. Sunday; dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. daily
Drinks: Full service bar, specialty drinks, wine, beer, micros,
soda coffee, tea, cappuccino and espresso
Payment: Major credit cards
Reservations: No
Smoking: Yes. Have ventilation fans
Handicapped accessible: Yes, ramp from parking lot to deck,
single-story inside, no handicap restroom. by CNB