As admitted Merroir junkies, where we often take our pup Hankdog along and sit riverfront to nosh oysters, crab cakes and clams, we weren't going to miss this one. With Prosecco on tap (yes, you heard that correctly), a stellar chef, Dylan Fultineer (of Hungry Cat and Hollister Brewing Co. in Santa Barbara) and Mixologist Katie Nelson (of The Columbia Room and Passenger in D.C.), we set out to stuff ourselves silly and that we did.
Rappahannock's menu boasts a solid raw bar with RR Oysters' signature bivalves as well as various caviars and cured seafood. The "From the Kitchen" section of the menu has an array of small and larger plates (good for sharing) and there are a few desserts along with a Virginia cheese plate for snacking. To drink, there's a solid draft beer list, plenty of tasty cocktails from Ms. Nelson and a wine list (priced by the glass as well as the bottle) that's built for seafood.
So, here's a taste of what you're in for if you plan to hit up Rappahannock and I highly suggest you do.
Rockfish and Barcat oyster Bourride with garlic, fennel, potatoes topped with grilled bread and a poached egg
Oysters and Pearls: 6 Rappahannock oysters topped with nori granita and trout caviar
Appalachian Heritage Farm's grilled pork belly with braised shell beans, apples and salsa verde
Grilled Virginia sea scallops over braised oxtail with roasted curried cauliflower
Northern Lights caviar with creme fraich egg salad and house-made cracker.
...
...which we shared with a certain Modern Gentleman and his beautiful fam to celebrate his birthday.
The open-air kitchen with chefs at work and a cameo (bottom left) of Merroir's Chef Peter!
Sucking down a platter of Stingrays with a side of blue crabs
It's rare that I stumble upon a gem of a spot so exceptional that I honestly don't want to share its whereabouts. Such is the case with Merroir by Rappahannock River Oysters, a virtually undiscovered restaurant/tasting room/picnic tables-meet-a-spectacular-view spot right on Virginia's Rappahannock River.
Located at Locklies Marina in Topping, Virginia (just before you cross the bridge into Irvington and Kilmarnock) Merrior Tasting Room is the latest oysterrific incarnation compliments of the Croxton Cousins (Travis and Ryan) whose simple mission of "putting the Chesapeake Bay oyster back on the map" is without a doubt coming to full-on fruition. Whether these briny goodies are being featured on CNN or being served up by famed Chef, Eric Ripert at DC's West End Bistro, one thing's for certain, RROC's Stingrays, Olde Salts and Barcats are turning up all over the map.
And the best news is that now you can get your hands on these fruits of the sea for pennies on the dollar by hitting their new tasting room, Merroir. Open Wednesday-Sunday (hours vary, so check their Facebook page), the tasting room features a small yet mighty menu of oysters (steamed or raw) with a lovely trio of homemade sauces designed by Executive Chef Pete Woods. Piquant tomatillo, zesty homemade cocktail and a subtle classic mignonette are served up alongside Rappahannock River's famous Olde Salts, Stingrays and signature Rappahannock oysters ($15 per dozen or $1.50 each). Clams are $10 a dozen and $1.00 each respectively.
If you're lucky, Chef Woods still has a couple of his jumbo lump laden crab cakes left or a few overstuffed clams casino still available, perhaps even a platter or two of smoked/grilled lamb shanks with Gorgonzola butter and walnuts. When we were there, we were lucky enough to score the last of this season's bumper crop of blue crabs served steamed with the chef's homemade spicy crab seasoning.
Chef Woods at work in the"kitchen"
Merroir is definitely all about what's fresh and now. There's no deep fryer (so don't go asking for hush puppies and french fries) and no appetizer, entree, dessert menu. In fact, most if not all of the cooking is done on the outdoor grill (see above). This is a tasting room, so what you see is what you get, and the focus here is all about seasonal raw and steamed, so plan accordingly. In the meantime, there are plenty of beverage options to keep you satiated, including a nice offering of craft brews ($5 a pint/$4 bottle and up) and local Virginia wines (think Barboursville Pinot Grigio $23 a bottle) with each beverage carefully selected to accompany RROC's award winning oysters.
Stand and suck down your oysters at one of the outdoor oyster tables or grab one of several outdoor picnic tables overlooking the water. No worries if it's too cold, just pull up a chair at the cozy bar inside. Also, word is that Chef Woods plans to add outdoor heaters to help stave off those chilly Rappahannock breezes.
This is relaxed dining at its finest, so don't come here if you're in a hurry. Place your order inside, grab a table and enjoy the view because it is truly spectacular, especially on a sunny fall afternoon.
Everything is made to order and when your oysters arrive, you'll find that they are truly worth the wait. Shucked to perfection with plenty of remaining liquor, like the entire Merroir experience, they are meant to be savored slowly.
When it's time to head home, if you've still got a hankering for a few more Stingrays, you can always get a couple dozen to go along with a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer.
According Merroir's Facebook page, future events will include live music from time-to-time, and there was more than one mention of a raucous post Reedville Oyster Roast after-party happening in November.
So now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, let me offer a few final words of wisdom before you make the hour and half drive to this secret spot. I can't reiterate enough that this is very casual dining, so put aside any preconceived notions you might have about a sit-down restaurant. It's a tasting room with food.
Instead, put on a pair of jeans, a warm jacket and bring your oyster appetite. Be prepared to chill out with the locals and take in the water view. There is only one chef (and he's a super nice, hardworking guy), no actual kitchen per se, and when we were there, only one server for a whole host of tables both inside and out. Remember these tidbits and we'll all get along just fine.
Grouper Bites with Spicy Remoulade Hatteras Island, N.C.
Hatteras Island, North Carolina is its own kinda vacation spot. If you've got a big-ass truck, are addicted to saltwater fishing, divey food joints, spectacular sunsets, and prefer to spend the majority of your time sans shoes, shirt or make-up, you need to come here. If you're looking for crowded beaches with lots of nightlife, frozen seafood buffets, dolphin watch tours, water parks and high rise hotels, this ain't your place.
To give this proper perspective, nightlife in Hatteras pretty much consists of the moon-- staring at the moon, commenting on the tides, and watching out for shooting stars, all while imbibing whatever adult beverages you've got stashed in the fridge. While there are a few spots for late-night evening activities, there's not a single high-rise hotel on the entire island, and you can dolphin-watch for free from any nearby beach, which also doubles as its own natural water park, where fishing, kayaking or sleeping the day away is a must. It's quiet here, blissfully so, and it's the kind of place where the sounds of lapping waves, calling gulls and crickets lull you off to sleep instead of honking horns, drunken street brawls or worse, some teenagers' radio blasting The Jonas Brothers off in the distance.
All of this Hatteras magic takes place, of course, after you've spent the last hour or two staring at one of these:
Evening sunset on Canadian Hole, Hatteras Island
When it comes to eats, stash your shoes, slip on your flip flops and head to the nearest hole-in-the-wall such as Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant in Buxton, where vacationers and locals happily mix. Pop's is a no-frills kinda joint where locally caught seafood is served up unadulterated on paper plates alongside plenty of ice cold beer. The bar is nearly always full here and is the perfect spot to share a tall fish tale or a bit of local gossip.
While the fact that Pop's defines what is so appealing about Hatteras Island (i.e. the kick off your shoes and stay a while roadhouse vibe) this joint also offers up some seriously good food. Since Pop's is a haven for the hardcore angler, you can bet they serve only the freshest catch. During the summer months, you're looking at steamed, spiced shrimp with drawn butter (the best we had on the island), grouper bites with an array of dipping sauces (from homemade tartar to cocktail) fried clam, oyster and crab cake sandwiches, all served with a big pile of freshly grated slaw, French fries and oniony hush puppies. Oh yeah, and really, really cold beer.
If you're not catching anything yourself and are craving a mess of fresh seafood, grab some to go and head back at your rental. For super-fresh local-caught fish, shrimp, clams etc...I must recommend Risky Business Seafood at Oden's Dock in Hatteras where you can get your shrimp steamed and spiced to order, a couple of their hand pressed crab cakes, or if you come after 4pm, perhaps some tuna, Wahoo, Red Drum or Mahi straight off the boats.
Guys cleaning Mahi
When it comes to enjoying a little taste of Hatteras at home, try your hand at making a batch of fish bites with tartar or spicy remoulade. Feel free to use my recipe for cornmeal dusted flounder and instead of frying up your fish as a large filet cut it into smaller bite-size chunks and shallow fry those. Add a homemade tartar or remoulade dipping sauce (see recipe below) along with a couple squeezes if lemon and you are good to go. Finally, grab a cold one, kick back and share your latest tall fish tale while starting at the moon, the stars or if you're lucky enough, a peaceful orange sunset.
Kickin’ Remoulade Dipping Sauce
Serve this sassy dipping sauce with a big pile of fish bites. While most any chunky, flaky white fish will do, I recommend using either Rockfish, Mahi, Grouper or Flounder.
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
3 tablespoons minced sweet pickle
1 tablespoon minced parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 minced green onion, both white and green parts
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and Pepper
Cayenne pepper, to taste
OldBay, to taste Tabasco sauce, to taste
Mix all of your ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Top with additional minced parsley. Best made a day ahead. Serve with fish bites or any fried seafood.
