Sunday Lunch Out.

Mr. Hawthorne, Middle Hawthorne, and I ventured off our little island today to try lunch at a fairly new place - Paradocks Grille - which is located right off the Wright Memorial Bridge in Point Harbor.

The parking lot was full, the menu was full, and the prices weren't bad considering this is the Outer Banks. We have had a bit of rain lately, but the parking lot was a muddy mess. They need to fix that. A few dump truck loads of gravel would help.

Mr. Hawthorne ordered the New England Clam Chowder which was very good. One could say it was thick, rich, and delicious.

I had the She-Crab Soup which, again, one could describe as thick, rich, and delicious, so I will since I'm feeling lazy today and I don't have my own cooking show. I noticed a hint of sherry flavoring and it had a topping of cheeses which was an unusual addition. Mr. Hawthorne ordered some mini-hamburgers and Middle Hawthorne ordered Chicken Quesadillas, but I didn't shoot pictures of any of that since who cares about hamburgers or the outside of a tortilla, plus this is my blog, so it's all about me.

I got the Fried Seafood Sampler for $11.95 which is not a bad price down here. I chose the Coconut Shrimp (5 on the plate) and the Scallops (6 on the plate). I had a choice of 2 sides and, as you can see, I chose the broccoli and green beans. It came with 6 hush puppies and an orange dipping sauce. The coconut shrimp were quite good, although just a tad overcooked. The scallops were a bit heavy on the breading and a bit overdone . The green beans were cooked perfectly, as was the broccoli. I was worried I was going to get them cooked Southern style in which they cook the crap out of the poor veggies until they turn a drab olive green and look dead, but I was happily surprised. When I bit into the beans, I encountered a nice crunch and juicy squirt. There was no way I could finish this, so I ended up bringing more than half home. I really should just order appetizers. Bottom line - the food was not bad, which is more than I can stay for a lot of places here, the prices were actually reasonable considering the area, and we'll probably go back, if only to try their fried oysters, which along with Caesar Salad, we consider the true test of a restaurant.