a la Carteret
Sharpies Grill
and Bar
by
Sandy Craft
The newest restaurant to open in
Beaufort, Sharpies Grill and Bar is a one-of-a-kind original, much like the
boats from which it derives its name.
Joyce and Larry Gross, the very gracious owners, have created a
restaurant that is, in a word, elegant. The
beautifully appointed, yet understated interior in soft, soothing hues
includes an interesting sculptured metal backdrop in the bar, plantation
shutters and models of sharpies, the speedy workboat that evolved into the
Core Sounder.
The Grosses moved to Beaufort from
Manager Robin Deffenbaugh, previously
of Windansea, welcomed us at the door. Seating
us at the table, she gave us a beautifully scripted menu and wine list to look
over, but told us not to worry about making decisions, that had been taken
care of for us.
One
of my Companions-in-Eating (CiE) could hardly get his nose out of the
well-thought-out wine list, which features lots of unusual boutique wines,
both by the glass as well as by the bottle.
Robin assured us that if we needed any assistance with our wine
selection, our waiter, George, would be delighted to help.
Our first course was a sort of
variation on a theme. The fois gras “BLT” was a wonderful study in
contrasts. The crispy toasted
brioche and applewood smoked bacon with a buttery slice of seared fois gras
and fresh tomato confit was a dazzling combination. Our second appetizer was
liver with a Tuscan twist, a seasoned chopped chicken liver with roasted red
peppers and fennel topped a grilled bruschetta.
OK, I can hear you. Liver?
No thank you. Not on your
life. But I promise this is liver
all dressed up and fabulous. Try it. It
was delicious.
We were discussing the nice touch that
the roasted tomatoes added to the crisp organic romaine salad, when chef Zac
Durham came out to say hello. He
has worked in restaurants in both
Words cannot do justice to the homemade
butternut squash ravioli with a touch of orange zest and sprig of fried sage
(yep, you heard me). Again, there
was such a wonderful contrast of the soft, melt-on-your-tongue ravioli and the
crispness of the sage and the subtle sweetness of the squash. It was almost as
wonderful as the tender veal cheek ravioli topped with a rich, chewy, woodsy
chanterelle mushroom. This is one
of those times when “yummy” just doesn’t quite fill the bill.
If you’d like to personalize your
entrée, you may choose between beef tenderloin, a rib eye, a veal chop or
fresh local catch and then pick from a variety of sauces such as red wine jus,
fois gras butter or arugula pesto. I
am still thinking about the black grouper with a beurre blanc sauce.
Every bite was cooked to perfection and the sauce simply enhanced the
flavor without overwhelming it.
I was so relieved that we each had our
very own vanilla bean crème caramel for dessert, because I’ve been having a
bit of a problem with my CiEs and sharing.
This had been such a lovely evening I did not want things to take an
ugly turn. My guess is that the
other dessert offerings are just as delectable.
George, our waiter, said he likes the lemon cake with the lemon curd
and I thought the trio of chocolate mousse or the pecan torte with Chianti
gelato might be good for next time!
If you’d like to host your own dinner
party, there is a small private room available.
On Wednesday nights from
Sharpies Grill and Bar is closed on
Sunday nights during the winter. But any other night you really should treat
yourself and your CiE to a very special evening at Sharpies. I think you’ll
agree that Larry and Joyce know how to put on one memorable dinner party.
Cheers!
Quick
Bites
Sharpies
Grill and Bar
Address:
Phone:
(252)
838-0101
Hours:
Dinner
daily except Sunday from
Payment:
MasterCard,
Visa, American Express, Discover
Reservations:
Recommended
Other:
This
is a nonsmoking restaurant. Outside
they do provide two lovely benches (and ashtrays) and even a view for smokers.
A Taste of ....
Sharpies' Pumpkin Flan
1
lb.
Roasted pumpkin
½
c
Parmesan
1/8
c
Balsamic vinegar
1/8
c
Honey
5
Whole eggs
2
Egg yolks
1
c
Heavy cream
1
T
Nutmeg
2
t
Kosher salt
1
t
White pepper
Lightly
salt and pepper the pumpkin from the inside and coat entirely with extra
virgin olive oil.
Place
cut side down on a baking sheet and cook at 325 F for about an hour or until
pumpkin is significantly reduced in volume and has developed a bright, rich
color. Allow to cool and remove the skin. Transfer flesh to a food processor
and puree until smooth.
Combine
the puree with other ingredients thoroughly and distribute evenly among foil
cupcake tins. Set the tins into a pan and add enough warm water to the pan so
that it rises halfway up the tins.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 325 F for an hour until the center of each flan bounces to the touch and will release from the sides when gently tilted. Allow to cool and serve with peanut brittle, grilled onions or anything imagination dictates.
11/04/05
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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