
DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709120256

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 10   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: EATING OUT 

TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW 

SOURCE: BY MARSHA BACENKO, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: KITTY HAWK                        LENGTH:   80 lines

FILL 'EM UP AT PHIL'S FAMILY RESTAURANT OFFERS STEAK AND SEAFOOD, SIMPLY COOKED AND GENEROUSLY SERVED

ON AN UNCROWDED stretch of the bypass, bright red hurricane shutters stand out from the sides of an old restaurant that's recently gotten a new face.

The owner's face smiles from a sign above.

Phil's Family Restaurant is aptly named. The eatery caters to hungry families - the larger the better. At least a third of the well-spaced tables are set up for groups of six or more.

The interior is utilitarian, with plain tables and wooden booths. Bright green plants and pretty valances on all the windows frame the softly lit interior. Framed photos of aircraft line the room. And a wooden airplane floats from the ceiling in one corner.

On a recent weekday evening, our waiter, Dave, was efficient and friendly. I ordered a glass of Oak Ridge Chardonnay ($2). My friend had iced tea ($.99) - offered sweetened or unsweetened.

The kitchen was out of my first appetizer choice, crab cocktail. So I settled for shrimp cocktail ($4.25). My companion ordered onion rings ($2.95). The six large shrimp were a tad underdone. Barbara's onion rings were crispy and battered just right.

If you're looking for gourmet food, you won't find it at Phil's.

What you will find are a variety of steaks and seafood, prepared simply. The special of the night was a T-bone with all the trimmings for $10.99. But we both were in the mood for seafood. So we ordered crab cakes ($11.95) and broiled scallops ($11.95). Both entrees included a hot vegetable, potato or rice and hush puppies.

The salad bar also is available for an additional $1.69. The offerings were fresh. And an array of fat-free salad dressings was displayed at the end of the bar.

The ample meals were served on oversized china plates. Barbara's two crab cakes were the size of hockey pucks. They were a little dry, but were filled with crab meat and not too much filler.

My scallops filled half the plate. Broiled in butter, dusted with oregano, they were tender and tasty. Hush puppies, string beans and a mound of french fries competed for the rest of the space on the crowded plates.

For dessert, we shared a slice of cheesecake ($2.59). The waiter offered toppings, but we opted for it plain.

Phil's also offers a children's dinner menu, with items such as grilled cheese ($3.95) and fried shrimp ($4.25).

Owner Phil Zarate is a constant presence in the restaurant, greeting people and overseeing the action. It's second nature for him. He's been in the business for more than 20 years, most recently as bar manager for Golden Corral.

``I've wanted to have my own restaurant for years. I saw this opportunity and took it,'' Phil told us.

He caters to families, but ``also working people, seniors, both locals and tourists.''

Phil plans to keep his restaurant open year-round. He is planning a new home-style special menu for locals who eat out during the off-season.

You won't find arugula in the salad bar or portabello mushrooms on the menu.

You will find ample portions, reasonable prices and a family-friendly atmosphere at Phil's. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW WILSON

Family dining is the emphasis at Phil Zarate's restaurant on the

bypass in Kitty Hawk.

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HOW TO EAT THERE

What: Phil's Family Restaurant

Where: Milepost 3.5 on the bypass in Kitty Hawk

When: Breakfast, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.;