Outerbanks, North Carolina - Dinner in Nags Head

Hours and hours of driving, two of it stuck in traffic, a quick stop at the realtor's office to pick up the keys to the rental house, throw the bags in our bedrooms and we are ready for dinner.  Our vacation home is off the main road and we talk it over for a few minutes. Each of us noticed a few different restaurants in the area and when the Mr. gave the name, "Firefly," I just thought it sounded promising.

We thought about simply driving until we found something that looked good.  I know, we shouldn't judge a book by the cover and we shouldn't judge a restaurant by it's facade, but we hadn't had a chance to look through our tourist guides or get a feel for the area and so we hoped the Firefly would provide us with a great first night memory.

Looking for the restaurant also gave us our first lesson in paying attention to the mile post markers.  It is those posts which allow the tourists to determine how much further they have to drive and find their destination.

My older son's girlfriend called to make a reservation since we are a group of 6 and it is a Saturday night after all, and when she was told they do not accept reservations I was hesitant.  After spending most of the day in the car I could hardly stand the idea of spending time waiting for a table in a crowded restaurant with crying and frustrated children or arguing adults.  When we pulled in to the parking lot and I saw the over sized Adirondack chair for photo-ops, I was sold.  Nothing to do with food, but I just wanted it to work out.

After a few minutes of posing and photographing, the group walked in and were immediately seated.  The dinner crowd had not yet formed and I ordered a margarita on the rocks with a huge smile! A few orders for iced tea were placed.

Once we ordered, our lovely server brought us this:

A large, salty and crispy dish of "cracklins."  Well, it was received with mixed reviews, but I think we all appreciated the thoughtfulness of the gesture and the ability to have a new culinary experience right away.

I was the only one to order a first course and it was the most luxurious and silky cup of soup.  Shrimp and corn chowder I will not soon forget.  It was sweet with just the right amount of texture to puree blend.  The temperature of the soup was comfortably hot and I could feel the road weariness begin to slip away and my shoulders fell down from my ears.

I continued my new and flavorful journey by ordering the lobster macaroni and cheese for my main course. Main dishes are customizable with a list of side dishes so I try the spicy deep fried green beans with a remoulade dipping sauce.

The crumble on the casserole, I believe were smashed crackers, but the entire dish was warm in seasonings and quite a few steps away from those "back home."

Here's a glance at the other options at the table:

Pulled Pork with Waffle Fries - 2 were ordered in the group

Prime Rib Sandwich with Waffle Fries

Firefly Signature Chopped Summer Salad

Steak with cole slaw and potatoes

The tired travelers thoroughly enjoyed their meals.  We left full and happy, ready to unpack (well, maybe it can wait until morning) and talked about our plans for the following day.  The one thing we agreed to do was go to the beach and so our vacation truly began at the Firefly and we were Fed Well.

Link to Firefly