a la Carteret
Flipperz
by Sandy
Craft
The
menu at Flipperz in Emerald Isle describes itself as a “family bar and
grill,” which it certainly is in more ways than one.
Kris Shoffner and Randy Hanford are the creative, hard-working
brother-and-sister team who own and operate the restaurant.
Along with various other family members, they have turned their space
in the
Pulling
into the strip mall, I thought this would be just another little funky joint,
but what a surprise when we went in! We
were greeted by the affable, gregarious Randy who was quick to point out that
they made everything: tables, booths, the penny bar, life-ring light fixtures,
mosaic designs, menu boards and various decorative sea creatures that are
hanging above. I’m in such awe
of anyone who can take a nondescript space and completely transform it.
In this case, they have gone from your basic cinder block to a bright,
tropical bar and grill. Very cool.
Open
for both lunch and dinner daily (plus take-out) during the summer, the menu
reflects the breezy, casual motif. There
are lots of great looking salads and sandwiches, but served with their own
personal flair. And believe me the
folks at Flipperz have plenty of that!
As
we oohed and aahed over a plateful of grilled shrimp, Kris revealed that their
secret is George’s Mix. The
recipe is a deep secret, known only to Kris and, of course, to the mysterious
George. This particular concoction is used on just about everything they serve
to give it a distinctive and tasty flavor.
Yep, it was as great on the grilled mahi as on the beef filet and the
shrimp. And probably it would
really pep up a salad, as well.
You, too, can create your own island cuisine at home, because they have
jars of the mix for sale. They
make it up monthly in batches of over 50 pounds.
Being the creative folks that they are, they figured out a use for that
old exercise treadmill. Rig it so
that it turns the keg and mixes the ingredients perfectly.
No more treadmill-induced guilt either, because it’s found a higher
calling. That is real genius!
Now,
I’m not saying that George’s Mix can take all the credit.
Kris and Randy have taken some solid standards and aim to duplicate
them time and again so that every time you order that Sea Side Grilled Fish
Sandwich or the Louisiana Purchase Salad or Mamaw’s Tuna Salad it will be as
good as the last time. That means training a disciplined staff.
Judging from the food we were served and the crowd present when we
went, they are doing a great job of this.
However, I think I should probably return and check on that Seafood
Bisque and homemade bread, at least once more… and maybe the shrimp
quesadillas, too.
Speaking of crowds, demand seems to have exceeded their space, which is
an enviable dilemma. To help with
this problem, on the left side of the restaurant they have used their
creativity again and extended the tropical theme. This porch, complete with
tables and chairs, is a wonderful place to have a drink while you wait for
your take-out order or to be seated. Also,
there is a separate entry for Flipperz2Go to the right of the restaurant
entrance. If you are lucky enough
to live in the delivery area, just have them bring it over.
How easy is that?
If
you’re eating in or getting your order to go (i.e. you live outside the
delivery area), you really should check out the bar.
They offer domestic and imported beers, wines by the glass, frozen
drinks, as well as standard mixed drinks.
But, what is really cool is the bar itself.
They made the counter top from 4,200 perfectly aligned, shiny new
pennies. All are turned in the
same direction, except for one. So
if you have a short wait, enjoy the atmosphere and see if you can find that
one penny!
QUICK
BITES
Phone:
(252) 354-7775
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday
Friday & Saturday until
10
Delivery:
Winter hours: Closed Monday
Tuesday –Sunday closes one hour earlier
Dinner $6.99 to $18.99
Payment:
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
Reservations:
No
Other:
The menu and the personnel are kid-friendly.
Smoking on the porch only.
Crabcakes
2 lb. Backfin lump crab meat
1/4 cup green peppers
1/4 cup onion
1 tbs. celery seed
2 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbs. Tabasco Sauce
2 tbs. spicy mustard
1 cup bread cups
Combine ingredients, shape into 4 oz. patties and cook to 140 F in center.
Sandy
Craft owned and operated a catering company in Atlanta
for 17 years.
She is one of the few people who actually still cooks, but she finds
following
a recipe goes against her nature. When traveling she likes to visit local
grocery
stores and farm stands, and she thoroughly enjoys good food.
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page
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