Dining a la Carteret

The Island Grille

The Island Grille in Atlantic Beach , a long-time favorite dining spot for many locals, recently reopened under the new ownership of David Bradley. 

In the same quaint location on Money Island Drive in Atlantic Beach, visitors will be happy to see a few renovations and menu additions have improved the overall feel of the Island Grille, while the staff continues to prepare and serve top-notch appetizers, entrees, cocktails and desserts that have made the Island Grille a preferred dining destination in Atlantic Beach for many years. 

Kelly Cooke returns to the Island Grille as manager.  Having been with the restaurant more than nine years, Kelly knows her customer base well, and enjoys meeting every new guest. 

Her warm and lively personality enables her to go to great lengths to make one feel welcome, learn every customer’s preferences and ensure each customer has a wonderful dining experience. 

Kelly is also the “mom” to all of her staff, taking a vested interest in each employee.  You can truly sense the family feel, and everyone is right at home. 

Meghann Sledge continues to bartend and mix the best Cosmopolitans on the island — very smooth, with no bite. Meghann’s signature drink, the green apple martini, is in a class by itself.  Crisp and fruity, this green cocktail will put a smile on anyone’s face.

Bryan Denehy has been the chef at the Island Grille for the last two years.  Judging by his appearance, he could possible be the youngest chef I have ever interviewed, but don’t let his age fool you. 

Bryan prepares amazing food that will delight even the pickiest consumer.  Locally trained, Bryan is very excited to be back in the kitchen at the Island Grille.  Bryan credits his mentors Dan Hatch, Charles Park and Mike Mahoney for his success and influences in his cooking style.

“I have been cooking since I was 16 years old, and I have been fortunate to work in some of the best restaurants with some of the finest chefs in our trade,” he said.

During my visit, Bryan prepared several menu selections for our review. 

We started with the sesame tuna, a new addition to the menu.  Seared rare, the tuna is encrusted with sesame seeds, sliced thin and served over a bed of field greens, topped with pickled ginger and served with a Wasabi drizzle and soy dipping sauce.

This tuna is so good you can eat it plain; however, I really enjoy the shaved pickled ginger as an accompaniment.  Wasabi normally comes in paste form and can be used in many different preparations.  Bryan has used this to prepare a Wasabi drizzle that appears watery.  One might think watery would mean mild, but watch out!  It packs a punch.  

The shrimp cocktail, another new menu selection, followed the tuna. Five jumbo shrimp are dusted in Caribbean spices and placed around a martini glass containing a homemade pineapple salsa and topped with a slice of star fruit. 

Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits and Bryan has used it to make an incredible treat. This could be the best thing that has happened to shrimp. 

Not only does this appetizer arouse your palate, it is an incredible visual stimulus as well.  A nice Sauvignon Blanc such as the New Zealand Kim Crawford would pair nicely with the shrimp cocktail.

Our entrée selection, the stuffed filet, is the most popular dinner selection at the Island Grille.  Customers don’t mind standing in line for a chance to enjoy this meat and potatoes meal. 

The filet is sliced horizontally, and stuffed with smoked bacon, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil, served on a mound of homemade mashed potatoes, topped with a roasted red pepper cream sauce and garnished with sautéed asparagus. 

The filet is tender, and the roasted red pepper cream sauce brings all the flavors of the stuffing ingredients together, as well as enhances the homemade mashed potatoes.  The asparagus is crisp and peppery providing the meal an appropriate green balance.

I recommend a glass of either the Jed Steele’s Shooting Star California Merlot or the Australian Ghost Gum Shiraz to pair with the filet (or the tuna).  Both reds are delicately balanced with hints of berry and smooth finishes.  The Shooting Star is a more masculine red with hints of pepper.  The Ghost Gum is a softer red worth sharing over those most romantic dinners.

The wine list at Island Grille is diner-friendly.  An extensive and diverse list of wines all available by the glass or bottle. 

The staff tastes all of the wines for approval before being placed on the wine list at Island Grille. 

Kelly and her staff keep customer favorites readily available.

For dessert, we shared the famous Island Grill Homemade Key Lime Pie, and it was mmmm good. Cool, creamy, sweet and tangy all rolled into one.

The Island Grille also does catering for private parties and numerous charity events throughout the county. 

With their casual atmosphere, take out service available every night, and two for one select specials on Monday and Tuesday nights, the Island Grille is hard to beat. 

Reservations are highly recommended, so call today. Kelly, Bryan and the Staff are looking forward to seeing you.

Quick Bites

Island Grille

Address: 401 Money Island Dr. , Atlantic Beach .

Phone: (252) 240-0000 

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 5 p.m. until

Price Range : Appetizers start at $8, and entrees start at $17.

Payment Options: Cash, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Traveler’s checks.

Reservations: Highly recommended.

   (Dylan Ray  photos)

6/09/06

See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page

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