Giovanni's Inn

We used to live in the general area of Giovanni's Inn and I remember visiting quite a few years ago but leaving after reviewing the menu. At the time, the prices were more than we could pay for a young family of four.  When the Mr. and I have a chance to go out to dinner, 95% of the time we opt for a locally owned place rather than a chain and if the Mr. has a say, he wants Italian food. By Italian food he means either Chicken Marsala or Parmesan with a side of pasta smothered in a sweet tomato sauce. He likes his salad with bread and his coffee not too strong.  A simple man to please, right?  

The challenge is adding my palette and opinion. I am a bit more willing to take a risk but I do eat with my eyes and want to be impressed. I also judge the appearance, decor, staff, wait times, friendliness, cleanliness, atmosphere and overall likelihood of ever recommending a restaurant. Would I take an out of town visitor to this restaurant?

I'm not quite sure about Giovanni's Inn.  I will let you decide.

First impressions:

While nothing is glaringly wrong, it reminds me of something that has passed its prime; worn, not as cared for, a bit dull.

We are told we can sit anywhere and honestly, I walked in, looked around and if I didn't think the Mr. and our son would die of mortification, I probably would have left. I thought a table by the window may be best and this was our view into the restaurant.

If you look very carefully on the right hand side of the photo you may make out a lady with blonde hair in a black top sitting at a piano.  Marilyn was one of the evenings highlights (but more about her later). The wall behind me as well as the one to my right were covered in ribbons.  I believe they were for show dogs but I can't be sure. The mounted deer head in the left of the photo (not the various ones over the bar) was across from a lovely stuffed raccoon, and a number of "God's Eye" pieces hung on the walls. The feeling was cluttered and forlorn. I am still hopeful.

We order our drinks and I perk up a bit. The presentation is lovely and our son swears it is the best iced tea ever.

My Cosmopolitan tasted like the proportions were just a little bit off, but the glass was chilled. Fabulous.

Who can resist a classic or vintage vibe in glassware?

Marilyn Kennedy continues to play the piano and sing facing the wall.  Her voice is crystal clear and wonderful though my husband and song have yet to recognize her choices.  I decide to request, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and we chat for a few moments. Marilyn is absolutely lovely and nails my request.  In the meantime, a young couple are seated and asked their server if she could turn the music down. They never saw Marilyn and didn't realize they were being treated to a free and live performance.

First course was a clam appetizer that was not listed on the menu but a special told to us by our server.

The clams were amazing and though the Mr. picked out all of the chunks of garlic, the sauce was flavored beautifully.  However, what was the circle outline from on our dish? A price tag? I was going to edit the photo, but thought it best if readers see it the way we saw it.

Honestly, I want to like the restaurant and am a huge supporter of local businesses. I ask our server how long they have been in business - 22 years. Maybe the owners/managers no longer see their business through a new customer's eyes.

Salads were next. Crisp lettuce, red onions and cucumber were in our individual dishes. A bowl of "cucumber salad" was also placed on the table for us without any further explanation. None of us tried it. The ribbons of cucumber were swimming in something and since we weren't really clear about the contents of the dish we decided not to try it.

Time for our main courses. For the Mr....

I tasted it.  The sauce was little thin, but it was quite flavorful and I knew it was almost exactly what he would want in Chicken Marsala. He doesn't really like the wine to overpower the dish and it was a fairly healthy serving of chicken.

For our son...

The chicken looks too familiar. The serving size is generous, but it just looks a little sad doesn't it? Penne a la Vodka with Chicken.  

And here's mine...

One of the evening's specials, described as "Scallops and Shrimp Risotto."  Not quite what I pictured. BUT, it was good.  The seafood was a decent texture and the sauce hearty. Risotto? 

Marilyn continues her serenade, the young people are eating, the regulars are chatting and I overhear the dessert specials. I must try the cannoli.  They are described as, "a crispy shell that is filled with a fresh creamy ricotta filling when ordered."  Yum.

Cannoli deserve 2 views:

They were in fact, delicious.

See how hard it can be to review a restaurant.  In this case, a star system could have been useful as certain individual items would have scored at far ends of the spectrum. We had a wonderful time together and felt especially entertained by the star, Marilyn Kennedy.  I bought her CD so the memory of the evening can continue to be revisited and leave me feeling musically Fed Well.

Waterfront-ish Dining at Miller's

A vacation near the beach somehow indicates that at least one meal will be eaten "waterside."  Though the term could be further defined as either bayside or oceanside, but in this case I can appreciate the broader, "waterside."

We'd been past a row of restaurants which seemed to fit the bill and so I made a crude list using, yes - pen and paper then when we were back at our vacation house I dragged out the ever-faithful laptop and looked up menus.  The next generation would likely Google search on the fly with their smart phones or use the mobile app, "Urbanspoon" which I myself do contribute to and utilize but for some reason I went with the method I described.

The list narrowed by price (too expensive) and menus with limited non-seafood items (I'd felt enough guilt about my mom eating chicken tenders) and so the choices were down to three.  Although I hate to admit, I also judged the restaurants by their website layout/design and names.  Yes, I know I shouldn't base my culinary choices on an owners inability to approve or create a decent web presence, but in all fairness, wouldn't you?  

If I were a restaurant owner, I would want every detail about the business from the name and decor to menu offerings to be inviting and welcoming to potential patrons.  I would want it to scream with clear personality.  I would insist the website and Facebook page be current, updated, etc.  And so, yes, I do rule out the boring, old, and tired because I do assume the dishes will be as well.  Whew.  I said it and I feel better for admitting it.

The ironic part is, my first choice on the list, well, we passed it in the car and so I said the next one would be fine and that is the real back-story to how we ended up at Miller's.

A line of waiting beach folks stretched a mile ahead of us and included at least two crying little girls. My mind raced, "Should we leave?"

I spoke with the hostess and said we were a group of 6 and she felt the wait would be minimal and smiled when I asked if I had to sit next to Little Miss Sunshine?  I also wanted to sit by a window. It seemed my Genie could only grant 2 wishes that night.  We were seated within minutes, not near the lovely lil miss meltdown, but were quite a distance from "waterside."  I put on my brave big girl face and took what I could get.

A crisp cool Cosmopolitan smooths everything over.  I barely notice the lack of lime wedge.

Hush puppies.  These are I have to admit the sweetest and crispest outer edge version we have had to date.  They can almost be compared to a donut hole or munchkin.

Another lesson learned when dining out with more than 2 opinions, it can be a challenge to please everyone, every time.  I opt for a simple lobster roll with fries and honestly, it was a good choice for the restaurant.  It was not overly dressed, it was flavorful and I chose to eat the filling with a fork rather than as a traditional sandwich which allowed me to cast the roll to the side though it was toasty and I'm sure tasted just fine.

Crab seemed to be on the mind of my men.  For younger son, the crab legs.  He thoroughly enjoyed the flavor and the cavemanish behavior attached to his food.  He broke apart each limb with patience and rejected his father's offer of help in pulling the meat from the shell.  This was his experience and he would not be denied, coddled or interfered with during his meal.

The Mr. has few food fantasies, but I can assure you one might involve him being able to have soft- shelled crab anytime he has the urge.  His eyes light up as he orders 3 (yes, the regular order is two but just $4 more he can have a third) and I smile at his sincere excitement with both the choice and the bargain.

Our older son opts for a surf and turf choice of steak with soft-shelled crab.  If Dad loves it that much, he must reason it is something he should try.

I am able to taste the crab legs as well as soft-shell and though I was initially upset the entire experience wasn't PERFECT (what is), the meal turned out well.  When we are done I ask the waiter if we can walk out on the pier at the rear of the restaurant and he responds with the most serious face, "No, we just want you to get the hell out," then smiles.  Ah, he won us over with sarcasm.  We walk out to the gazebo at the end of the pier and listen to the singer/guitarist perform for a few minutes, take some touristy pictures and head out.  Another child is crying and one lost a beloved sippy cup into the water.  I remember how hard it is to travel with young children as a take the only photo of my sons on the trip then I have one taken with just me and my mommy.

The evening provided more than a meal as many gatherings with food are about more than nourishment.  We are three generations, traveling together, with and without levels of understanding about technology, but together we are always Fed Well.

Everybody Snacks Sometimes - Duck Donuts

I used to have a problem.  Hello, my name is Fed Well and I used to need a cup of Dunkin' Donuts French Vanilla EVERY DAY.  I have since cut back to maybe one or two cups on the weekends only. Thing is, many folks thought that since I had coffee, I was also enjoying donuts or other baked goods.  Truth was,  I wasn't.  Ever. I was however quite addicted to the coffee.

While on vacation we do allow ourselves a bit of room for indulgence and at the recommendations of both a neighbor and friend, I remembered we had to try Duck Donuts while in the Outerbanks, North Carolina. A small chain of 4 locations, I thought it was pretty easy to fit in.

Once inside, the store not only offers donuts made to offer, but a variety of merchandise with Duck Donuts' logo and humor as well.  

Since we are fairly light sweet snackers I only ordered one donut for each of us in the group and an order of 6 may have seemed a surprising, but we enjoyed a fresh, made-to-order and delicious product.

It all begins with dough dropped when the order is placed that deep fries in a golden bath of hot oil.

Employees work in an smoothly coordinated assembly line to frost, top, sprinkle and package the orders relatively quickly.  A plexi-glass wall allows patrons to watch their order as it goes through the process and a low and wide step is in place so the smallest of visitors can enjoy the process as well.

Glazed, chocolate, maple, vanilla, strawberry and some with rainbow sprinkles are our completed order. The donut has a nice density and a bit of a crusty skin which sets it apart from certain chain goods or grocery store pastries.  Six thumbs up from Fed Well vacationers.  I'm running out now for a cup of French Vanilla, need anything?

Happy Hour - what is that again?

The Mr. and I have been parents for almost 25 years.  It has been a journey like all others, filled with smooth and rough road, pleasant scenery and stormy weather.  A moment of reflection came at an unlikely time during vacation.  We had just spent a hot afternoon at the beach with our younger son who will be starting his Junior year at college in just a few short weeks, the sand burned the bottoms of our feet and we were feeling just a little droopy.

"Let's get a little something," I suggested.

"We can go to Goombay's," said our younger son.

I knew what I wanted.  Yes, another vacation Margarita on the rocks with a salted rim.  No, I don't need an intervention.  In fact, when the glass was placed in front of me at the bar I said, "This is my first happy hour in about 20 years."

To which my son said, "Geeez, thanks Mom."

It wasn't meant as a point of guilt, but more of a mile marker on the road.  By no means do I think I will suddenly be planting myself at the local bar and have a stool with my name on it.  However, the Mr. and I are now in that place with a bit of freedom, extra choices and no need to hurry home, rush through dinner and head out to a game/practice/activity or whatever.  

A happy hour of appreciation and in fact, one we shared with our son.  It is not an empty nest.  It is a Fed Well nest in which occupants can now relax and kick back every now and then.

Link to Goombays

Is it about Seafood or Barbecue?

When renting a vacation house for the week, part of the attraction is to have our own kitchen and offset food costs by preparing some meals at home (mostly breakfast and lunch as well as heavy snacking).  Vacation spent in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina means of course a few trips to the beach.  The beach inherently means seafood. Doesn't it?  Well, no. My mother does NOT eat anything that was raised in water. Ever. Also, we are in the culinary south, aren't we?  Regardless, someone spotted Pigman's Bar-B-Que and it was put on our to-do list.

I thought it had a fairly good chance of pleasing everyone in the group.  As you may have noticed on the first night, pulled pork was ordered by 1/3 of us.  We then had dinner in one night and were ready to try Pigman's.

The atmosphere was a bit more chaotic, and the dining was far more casual.  Orders are placed at the cash register, the meal is paid for and then a server brings trays to the table.  We had a bit of confusion - one order was forgotten and one wasn't sure they received the right order.  However, this is what it looked like:

Beef with hush puppies, sweet potato fries and cole slaw.

A trio of sides

The ribs!

I had the beef which was soft and tender as well as flavorful.  The smoke was in the background rather than the first recognizable flavor which is exactly how I prefer it. The sweet potato fries were crisp and the cole slaw was flawlessly prepared. I sampled a bit of the ribs and the meat easily yielded and could be pulled or broken apart with fingers or fork.  Although this experience was not entirely crowd pleasing, the majority enjoyed themselves.

A quick tour through the crowded retail area also resulted in our purchase of 2 souvenir t-shirts.  One with a nod to Mr. Marley included an illustration of a pig's face with the caption, "We be hammin..."  Fun.  Vacation.  Fed Well.

Link to Pigman

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

Perkins in Virginia - On the Way to an Outerbanks Vacation

Vacation.  For us in 2013 the definition involved 6 adults, one 6 year old yellow lab female, one pick up truck, one car and many hours on the road.  We began on a Friday afternoon and stayed overnight in Virginia on our way to North Carolina.  The theory was that half the miles or more would be behind us so on Saturday we would be able to kick off our week with some immediate beach time.

We found a motel that accepted our canine family member, Maddy, had a reasonable rate and was modern and mostly clean.  (It was a motel after all - nothing is perfect)  We started our day with a meal in the motel's Perkins.  Maddy was able to rest comfortably in our room since we planned to check out after breakfast. Here are our orders.

A country omelet 

French Toast with bacon

Poached eggs with potatoes

The photos above and below were part of one meal.  A pepper and onion omelet with pancakes.

 Two eggs over easy with pigs in a blanket and hash browns.

Steak and eggs

Classic choices, right?  Everyone was happy and filled with anticipation.  What activities will we be able to accomplish?  We talked about what we hoped to see and do;  para-sailing, tea with the queen at an Elizabethan Garden, and of course simply planting ourselves at the beach.  I hoped the rental house was as good as it looked online and said a silent prayer to the vacation God(s) to allow everything to go smoothly and for everyone to have a good time.  Future posts will reveal how it all played out.

On a Saturday morning in July, one group of vacationers was happy to start their vacation feeling Fed Well.