Dining a la Carteret
Driftwood Restaurant
by
Sherley Buckland
Located
along the beautiful
Owned
and operated by the Fulcher family, the Driftwood started as a pier,
concession stand and grill in 1953. At
that time, the pier was the longest fishing pier on the 
A
full-service restaurant, the Driftwood has something for everyone.
The lunch menu consists of sandwich baskets, salads, early-bird dinners
and even veggie burgers. The
dinner menu boasts the freshest local seafood from surrounding bays and
sounds.
June
Fulcher, our host for the evening, explained the importance of understanding
the appropriate preparation and presentation of the food being served.
“At
the Driftwood, we do everything ‘the hard way’, all of our sauces,
desserts and soups are homemade, Driftwood recipes,” she said.
“We
use the best quality beef, seafood and products we can locate, and our staff
is a family. Most of our employees
have been here for many years, and everyone here works all aspects of the
restaurant, from unloading trucks to waiting tables.”
Our
evening began with clam chowder and Mrs. Fulcher’s famous she crab soup.
The
clam chowder, made with chopped clams, diced potatoes and onion is clam
chowder in its purest form; tiny bits of potatoes and onion swimming in a sea
of clams. The coveted she crab
soup is Mrs. Fulcher’s famous secret recipe.
Believe me, she keeps it a secret.
I can tell you by taste and observation there is crabmeat and some type
of cream in the soup. There is
also something that gives the soup a little zest.
I’m not sure what it is, but I will tell you that Mrs. June’s she
crab soup is know by the locals as “a delight known to cure any ailment.”
Even
more interesting, as I walked through the dining room, I noticed there was at
least one cup of soup on every table being consumed by happy patrons.
Need I say more?
Next
we sampled one of the pasta dishes available at the Driftwood, shrimp alfredo.
Sautéed shrimp, broccoli and baby corn are tossed with fettuccini in a
creamy alfredo sauce and topped with fresh parmesan cheese.
This entrée, served with garlic toast and a salad, is wonderful.
Following
the shrimp alfredo was the prime rib. I
mentioned to my dinner companion on the way here, “If they serve us prime
rib, it will bring tears to your eyes, it’s just that good.”
Words
cannot describe the look on her face when she took the first bite.
“Our
prime rib has that melt-in-your-mouth factor,” Mrs. Fulcher said.
“We
only use the best grade of beef, and you cannot overcook it.
Again, preparation is everything.”
Friends
and readers, I must tell you, this prime rib is the best I have ever
experienced. It is so tender, cuts
with ease and literally melts in your mouth.
Even better, you cannot beat the price.
If
tender prime rib doesn’t tempt you, how do baby back ribs sound?
Served with salad and fries, the ribs come by the half rack or full
rack. The sauce is sweet and
tangy, and the meat falls right off the bone.
The
back fin crabmeat panned in butter is delicate and fresh, using only enough
butter to accentuate the flavor. All
seafood at the Driftwood is prepared at the customer’s request; fried,
broiled or panned in butter, and all are served with choice of potato,
coleslaw and hush puppies.
Just
before dessert, we sampled the combination fried seafood platter consisting of
shrimp, scallops, oysters and crab cake. Keep
in mind I am a picky eater. I do
not usually care for oysters and get very frustrated when scallops are
overdone. Nothing to worry about here. 
Mrs.
Fulcher and her staff know exactly how to lightly bread and lightly fry
seafood to perfection. All you
taste is what you are supposed to taste: moist and meaty crab cakes, delicious
shrimp, succulent scallops and the oysters were great, too. No sauces
required! Although, if you are a
sauce lover, you can have all the homemade cocktail and tarter sauce you like.
Homemade
desserts are served daily, and that day’s choice was lemon meringue pie.
My grandmother always made the best lemon meringue pies.
Every year for my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas she made one
just for me, because she knew how much I enjoyed them.
I have no idea if Mrs. Fulcher knew my grandmother, but I would be
willing to say they have compared notes in pie baking.
Lemon pie is the perfect way to wind down an absolutely delightful
evening at the Driftwood.
After
dinner, take a stroll on the beautiful beaches of
With
three separate dining rooms, the Driftwood can comfortably accommodate small
groups, private parties, class reunions and large family gatherings.
Mrs. Fulcher and her staff look forward to
seeing you at the Driftwood Restaurant in
Quick
Bites
Driftwood
Restaurant
Location: Highway 12,
Phone: (252) 225-4861.
Hours: Lunch menu available Mon. through Sat.
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner menu available Mon. through Sat. from 5-9 p.m.,
and all day Sunday.
Reservations: Not required.
Payment options: Cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, local check, and traveler’s checks.
5/19/06
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page
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