a la Carteret
Windansea
by
Sandy Craft
When Windansea opened in 1997, it set a
new benchmark for dining out in 
David Greenleaf, Ian Wainwright and
Kyle Swain proved that the population would wholeheartedly support this kind
of restaurant, paving the way for the amazing number of great eateries we
enjoy today. Take a bow, guys!
The partnership changed when Kyle left
to open Blue Moon Bistro in Beaufort; however, the original standard has not
altered. The current partnership consists of David, long a fixture in the
culinary scene from the Triangle to the coast, and Ian, whose impressive résumé
includes working at Crook’s Corner in
Kyle Schoden is the behind-the-scenes
man, otherwise known as the chef, who is a wiz at preparing the food.
He says he could not ask for better teachers than his two bosses.
I think you’ll agree that this trio works very well.
What better way to start our dinner
than with some fresh local triggerfish, perfectly sautéed, and served with a
delicate butternut squash ravioli and crisp asparagus sautéed with shallots
and sun-dried tomatoes? Later we
tried an oven-roasted grouper, also local, as is all the fish except the
salmon. Kyle has obviously learned
there’s more than one way to cook fish, and he’s learned it very well.
The grouper was tender and not at all dry or tough, which happens when
it is even slightly over cooked. We
had an impressive menu to sample so my Companions-in-Eating (CiE) and I were
trying not to clean our plates — with varying degrees of success, I might
add.
The
wood oven pizza, a favorite since the beginning, is a must for any first
timers. Ours was delicious topped
with Ian’s homemade Italian sausage and freshly roasted red peppers.
This is a wonderful shared appetizer. If you don’t want to worry
about sharing, pair it with one of their salads, or even with the beautifully
textured and flavorful crabmeat risotto, or how about with a bowl of seafood
gumbo, full of chunks of andouille sausage, shrimp and crab. What a lovely
light supper!
The shrimp and grits are true to the
original recipe made famous by Bill Neal at Crook’s Corner.
Ian must have decided not to try to improve upon the authentic recipe.
I must agree — it is wonderful just the way it is.
Although our palates were sublimely
happy, a fresh grapefruit sorbet was a great little break in our feast.
Ian has quite a reputation when it comes to ice cream and sorbet.
The roasted peach ice cream (in season) and Jack Daniel’s chocolate
(any season will do) has quite a following with good reason.
Who needs Ben and Jerry when we have Ian?
Windansea crab cakes definitely set the
mark for what a crab cake should be: freshly flaked crabmeat with a little
seasoning, sautéed until crisp. Sounds
simple, but few can carry it off. These
are great!
Always searching for something new and
distinctively American, our tender filet of beef was served topped with a
homemade pimento cheese. Your
ultimate cheese steak, proclaimed David! Truly,
it was. Tender, juicy and the
pimento cheese was a fabulous little addition. 
Dessert was definitely a toss-up.
We could not decide which we liked the most: the key lime pie or the
chocolate cobbler. Of course, we finished every crumb.
What I do know is that David whipped up something incredible called Mr.
Mack’s Tumbleweed. You’ll be sorry if you don’t try one.
During the off-season, they have
two-for-ones on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Also during the off-season you can have the entire place at lunch for
groups of up to 50. Also, there is
a private room for groups of up to 24 for dinner.
Call David about any catering needs you may have from the most elegant
reception to a casual gathering or a wine dinner.
He will make you look like the “hostess with the mostest.”
New Year’s Eve is going to be a great
time, with a very special pris fixe menu, so make reservations now for your
group or you and your special CiE. Let
David, Ian and Kyle do the work, and you’ll be off the hook.
So, you get the picture.
Dinner is fabulous. The
atmosphere is very snazzy. I
haven’t talked about the wine list, but it is constantly changing, always
looking for “the next great bottle of wine.” You can sit at the bar if you
like and either be entertained by what’s going on in the open kitchen or if
David’s there, just leave the entertainment to him.
In either case, you’re in good hands, so enjoy!
Quick
Bites
Windansea
Address:
Phone:
(252)
247-3000
Hours:
Wednesday
– Sunday at
Entrees
start at $20.95
Payment:
All
major credit cards
Reservations:
Recommended,
on weekends especially. On New Year’s, definitely.
Other: They have vegetarian items. You may get your order to go. Two-for-one entrees featured on Wednesday and Thursday. If you need to have a cigarette, David suggests you just come on by in the afternoon and have one with him!
A Taste of ....Windansea Honey Lavender Dressing
¾
cup diced red onion
¼
cup dry lavender
1
cup honey
1½
cup rice vinegar
Puree
all these together in a processor or blender.
Whisk
pureed ingredients into 4 cups extra virgin olive oil. Adjust
to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, shake or rewhisk to serve. Great
on greens of any type and goes well as a fruit salad garnish, too.
12/16/05
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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