Dining a la Carteret
Capt. Bill's Waterfront Restaurant
by Sherley Buckland
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From
1936 to 1941, Capt. Bill Ballou operated a small restaurant on
Owned
and operated for the last 25 years by Diane and John Poag, Capt. Bill’s
remains a local landmark as well as being the oldest established restaurant in
During
my visit at Capt. Bill’s, the Poag family made me feel right at home.
It was like having dinner in Diane’s kitchen, sharing memories and
enjoying the comforts of good food and great conversation.
This is exactly the way Mrs. Poag wants all of her guests to feel;
Capt. Bill’s is an extension of their home, and everyone is welcome.
Many
of the recipes used at Capt. Bill’s are family recipes, and most of the
recipes have great stories behind them. I’ll allow the Poag family to share
the stories with you on your next visit. I’ll
just tell you about the food.
A new
menu item, the crab dip is a recipe from Diane’s mother, Rosella
Strawbridge. Fresh lump crabmeat
is combined with an assortment of secret spices and cream cheese.
Served with my favorite, butterfly crackers, this crab dip is just
enough to share, but believe me, you may not want to.
I am
still craving the chicken salad and shrimp salad cold plate.
The homemade all white meat chicken salad is absolutely delicious and
the shrimp salad is the freshest I’ve had in a long time, mild and creamy,
just like my mom makes it.
A
scoop of each served over a bed of lettuce with crackers makes an excellent
lunch or light evening meal.
There
are several soups to choose from. They have Core Sound clam chowder (that
would be the correct version) and New England clam chowder.
I finally know why Capt. Bill’s clam chowder tastes different than
any other clam chowder: they use two different types of clams to blend their
unique Capt. Bill’s flavor.
The
conch stew has large tender pieces of conch and is available all day Wednesday
and Saturday. The she crab soup is
my favorite to date, a perfect blend of crabmeat, sherry and pure cream.
This soup was not too rich, and not too thick, but just right.
Most notable of the soups was the seafood gumbo, also a new menu
addition, created by Tirana Karachi (‘Ti’ for short), the new executive
chef at Capt. Bill’s.
The
gumbo is a moderately spicy tomato base full of shrimp, scallops, crabmeat and
sausage. According to Mrs. Pong,
they had to ask Ti to cut the heat back in the gumbo after the first batch was
prepared.
Spicier
versions are available upon request, and I can’t wait to try the extra heat
on my next visit.
Of
course the perfect accompaniment to each soup and every entrée at Capt.
Bill’s is their fresh hot hush puppies.
You can’t dine at Capt. Bill’s without trying at least one, or two
or three.
I’m
not sure if this is a regular menu item or not, but I was served a combination
plate of fried and cold boiled shrimp, which is delicious with the homemade
cocktail sauce.
Nine
varieties of fish are available when “in season,” each requiring a
different preparation. The
grouper, a deep-sea fish, is broiled using only a little corn oil to keep the
fish moist.
This
beautiful fillet is fork tender, fresh tasting and served with your choice of
two side items.
The
broiled flounder is served two ways: by itself or stuffed with lump crabmeat.
The
Greek seasoned grilled tuna is a slightly different variation of a popular
seafood entrée. The zesty
seasoning provides a nice complement to a naturally dense fish that is
difficult to cook without drying out.
If you
are not in the mood for seafood, Capt. Bill’s offers several non-seafood
selections on their menu; golden fried or grilled chicken breast, beef tips,
ground beef steak and 
The
With
seven different homemade pies and 14 flavors of homemade fudge, dessert
options at Capt. Bill’s are more than tempting.
You must try the cheesecake with sour cream icing. One bite and you
will be hooked.
If you
are a chocolate lover, the chocolate chess or chocolate almond pie should
satisfy your chocolate cravings.
There
is so much to choose from at Capt. Bill’s, a menu built around family
recipes with an extensive vegetable/side item list, daily lunch and dinner
specials, private party and catering options, and special buffets during every
holiday or special event. This
Sunday, don’t miss the Mother’s Day Buffet.
It
will be set up in the Marlin Room overlooking beautiful Bogue Sound.
The Poag family and staff of Capt.
Bill’s Waterfront Restaurant welcome you and are eager to provide you with a
memorable dining experience on the Morehead City Waterfront.
Quick
Bites
Capt.
Bill’s Waterfront Restaurant
Address:
Phone: (252) 726-2166
Hours: Open Year Round, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(Special winter hours Nov. through March.)
Reservations: Not required.
Payment:
Cash, MasterCard, Visa.
5/12/06
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page
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