
DATE: Sunday, October 5, 1997               TAG: 9710030282

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: EATING OUT 

TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW 

SOURCE: LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NAGS HEAD                         LENGTH:   94 lines

JENNETTE'S PIER HOUSE RESTAURANT IS PURE BEACH THANKFULLY, DECOR AND FOOD DRAW FROM THE SURF

SURFCASTERS, SURFERS and late-season swimmers form a fluid backdrop behind long, thin windows that line two walls of Jennette's Pier House Restaurant.

It's easy to forget you're near the ocean at many Outer Banks eateries.

At this unpretentious, upbeat establishment, diners sit just above the swells. They can see salt spray splashing against the outside of the whitewashed wooden walls. They can watch seagulls swooping into the breaking waves.

And, when they've had their fill of food, they can stroll to the end of the 539-foot pier and ask anglers what's been biting - or drop their own lines into the Atlantic.

The oldest pier still operating on the barrier island beaches, Jennette's was built in 1932. The owners rebuilt and upgraded it in 1993 and added a new restaurant this spring.

The pier - and pier house - sit in the heart of Whalebone Junction where the roads to South Nags Head, Hatteras Island and Manteo branch off.

Today, the longtime attraction includes a gift shop, game room with pool tables and air hockey and snack bar/pub/tackle supply area. The 100-seat restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Decor in the eatery, like the fare, is beachy.

Rows of white ceiling fans, 18 in all, spin overhead, stirring up a slight breeze. Walls are covered with photos of fishermen, brass porthole lids off old ships and antique clam rakes hung at an array of angles. Oil lamps illuminate some of the scores of windows. And a hand-painted mural of Nags Head's Old Cottage Row adorns the western wall.

Food here is not fancy. It's filling and hearty - and not all fried. My husband and I ate lunch there last week and were amazed to find everything from softshell crabs to open-faced turkey sandwiches flanked by real mashed potatoes.

Both of us began our meals with iced tea ($.95). Strong and dark, the way I make it at home, it was a welcome change to some of the watered-down versions plenty of other restaurants serve. Refills were free - and quick in coming.

Dan, a huge flounder fan, found his favorite fish was the featured ``catch of the day.'' He ordered fish and chips ($4.50) and was surprised to see a 10-inch-long fillet blanketing his plate.

The breading, he said, was light and mild - so the flounder's true flavor came through. I had to help him finish the mound of fat french fries which, like the fried fish, were perfectly cooked and not greasy. Creamy cole slaw and tartar sauce were served on the side.

My favorite luncheon treat is she crab soup. And Jennette's Pier House Restaurant offers it as a regular item - not just on special days. It's served two ways - in a cup or ``boule.'' I chose the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf style, which comes soaked into its own bowl of thick, crusty bread ($4.50). A pickle spear was served on the side.

The soup itself was wonderful - among the best on the Outer Banks (and I think I've tasted almost every version). Not as creamy as some, it contained more sherry, which gave a better flavor overall and accented the crabmeat - of which there was plenty. A light peppery taste prevailed. And although I was glad I'd ordered the larger size and enjoyed scooping some of the bread up from the inside of the boule with my spoon, I was almost disappointed that any of the sumptous soup had seeped into the bread instead of my stomach (especially because the bread bowl wasn't fresh).

When I remarked on that to our waitress, she took the cost of that entire entree off our bill without being asked.

Desserts at Jennette's Pier are citation-sized. Dan finished his enormous helping of lemon pie ($2.95) - including the 3/4-inch thick mound of meringue on top.

I had to carry most of mine home. I asked for a slice of french silk pie - and got a quarter of the pie instead. It was huge! The filling was rich and creamy and oh, so chocolatey. The whipped cream was piled almost as high as Dan's meringue and thin shavings of dark chocolate curled across the waves of cream.

We left full - and ready to walk off our lunch by taking a slow stroll down the pier and watching others work to catch the seafood we'd just enjoyed. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW WILSON

Jennette's Pier House Restaurant, added this spring to the Outer

Banks' oldest pier, plays to its strength with big windows, beachy

decor and tasty seafood.

Graphic

HOW TO EAT THERE

What: Jennette's Pier House Restaurant

Where: Milepost 17 on the beach road at Whalebone Junction

When: Daily, breakfast from 6 a.m. to noon; lunch from 11 a.m. to

2 p.m.; dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. daily

Cost: Breakfast from $1.50 to $6.95; lunch from $1.95 to $6.95;

dinner from $9.95 to $17.95

Call: 480-6600