Dining a la Carteret
Cool Fish Restaurant, Beaufort
by Sherley Buckland
The next time you are
driving through Beaufort looking for a place to eat, slow down! Otherwise,
you’ll miss Cool Fish Restaurant near the intersection of
Operating as Rose Seafood
since 1993, the Rose family decided in August of last year to close
temporarily for renovations and re-opened in September 2005 with a new back
dining room, full-service bar and expanded menu. 
Mary Rose, owner; her
daughter, Becky, manager; and the staff of Cool Fish are all on board with the
changes at the restaurant. If my experience was indicative, they are headed in
the right direction.
On my visit, I was
fortunate to have a dining companion. We
were both pleased and excited about our experience at Cool Fish, as well as
impressed with Becky’s knowledge of food preparation and customer service at
such a young age.
The first thing we sampled
was the Cool Fish Clam Chowder. A
Rose family recipe, this water-based chowder is made with ocean clams for a
milder flavor. Other ingredients
included red skinned potatoes, carrots, celery and a touch of thyme.
The chowder was followed by
a classic crab dip. This appetizer
is made with lump crabmeat, cream cheese, hints of green onion and a
paprika/parmesan topping. Both
delicious and filling, the crab dip comes in two sizes, small and large.
Next to tempt our taste
buds was the sautéed homemade crab cakes and the Tuscan shrimp.
The crab cakes are a specialty item, not on the regular menu.
Two crab cakes are served with sautéed tomatoes, portabellas and
scallion. They were scrumptious
and full of crabmeat. When you
dine at Cool Fish, if the crab cakes are the special of the evening, go for
it! You won’t be disappointed.
The Tuscan shrimp captured
my taste buds, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Just imagine fresh shrimp sautéed with chopped portabella mushrooms,
green onion and sun dried tomatoes, tossed with penne pasta and creamy bacon
and sun dried tomato sauce. The
flavors dance on your palate. It
was difficult for me to move past this entrée, but move along I did.
(I just kept sneaking bites of the Tuscan shrimp in between the other
courses.)
The citrus mahi (locally
caught) is beautiful and made with care. Mahi
is a deep-sea white fish that is mild in flavor.
This mahi is brushed with citrus butter, char-grilled and served with
red potatoes, steamed broccoli and Cool Fish’s own creamy citrus dipping
sauce. The citrus butter is made
with the juices and zest of fresh fruit, capturing aromas you can smell when
the plate touches the table.
If
you or someone your dining with is not in the mood for fresh local seafood or
pasta, perhaps a good ribeye steak would be of tempting.
Not just a ribeye, you can choose from one of five varieties of steaks.
We sampled the Jack’s ribeye. Sweet
flavors filled my mouth coming from a marinade of reduced Tennessee Whiskey,
pineapple juice, orange juice, soy sauce and brown sugar.
All ribeyes at Cool Fish are grilled to the diner’s specifications,
and served with vegetable, salad and Texas Toast.
As if there were any more
room, Becky insisted we try one more entrée before dessert, the sweet and
spicy scallops. Fresh local sea
scallops (the big kind for those not familiar with scallops) wrapped in bacon
and brushed with a sweet and spicy plum sauce.
For dessert we sampled the
crème brulee cheesecake with whipped topping, brown sugar sprinkles and a
graham cracker crust. This
heavenly dessert is served in a tall martini glass.
I suggested they rename this dessert the crème brulee dessert martini.
Our dining experience
concluded with sampling two house cocktails; the Toasted Coconut Martini made
with Malibu Rum, pineapple juice and Frangelico, and the Cool Fish Cosmo made
with Stoli Orange Vodka, fresh lime, Countreau and a splash of cranberry.
I highly recommend the
Toasted Coconut Martini as a complement to the Tuscan shrimp, sweet and spicy
scallops or the Jack’s ribeye.
Cool Fish Restaurant has
something for everyone in a very clean, family friendly environment.
Their menu is diverse,
including a kid’s menu and variety of side-item choices for each entrée.
Keep an eye out this summer for the new outdoor deck and charcoal pit
to include outdoor seating, full menu, bar, dance floor and music.
Upcoming events at Cool
Fish include oyster eating contests, oyster shuck off, karaoke contests,
talent shows, and a
When looking for great food, reasonable prices, attentive service and a clean, fun, comfortable atmosphere visit Cool Fish Restaurant in Beaufort.
Quick Bites
Cool Fish Restaurant
Location:
Phone: (252) 728-3335
Hours: Dinner Tuesday–Saturday 5-10 p.m.;
After Hours menu and bar is open Tuesday–Saturday 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
Prices: Appetizers start at $3.99, entrees
run from $6.99 to $17.99.
Reservations: Not required.
Payment: Cash, local check, debit card,
MasterCard, Visa.
4/07/06
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page
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