Situated within the Tranquil House in Manteo, 1587 Restaurant has a lot to offer. Nikki* and I had talked numerous times about heading over to Manteo to have dinner. We are in the Outer Banks quite often and for a while, we only ate at a few select restaurants because as I have said before, there is a lot of mediocre (fried) food in the area. Manteo is about a 20-25 minute drive from our house and with the summertime traffic, one can easily opt to stay closer to home. Finally, we decided it was time and made a reservation. We had to take a slightly earlier time because the 7-7:30 slot was filled. They obviously did not know who was coming....me.
The Tranquil House Inn is a quaint bed and breakfast that sits on the water in the downtown area of Manteo. Downtown translates into a few blocks, so you will not get lost trying to find the inn. Parking was easy, as a front spot awaited us. We were seated as soon as we arrived and the restaurant only had two other tables dining and a couple having drinks at the bar. The restaurant was pretty quiet until about 8-8:30, but it did fill up then, so that is potentially why they did not have a 7-7:30 time...overlapping risk.
I researched 1587 online prior to visiting and when the waitress handed us the menus, a lot of the vegetarian dishes were missing. I was distraught because quite a few things looked delicious and very different from your average vegetarian fare. After fretting, I finally thought I would ask if they would make a vegetarian version of the pasta du jour. Apparently, my anxiety was in vain, as there is a separate vegetarian menu upon request. A great weight lifted off my shoulders immediately, upon seeing all of the wonderfully described selections I had found online. Always good to ask if restaurants have a separate vegetarian menu and especially with 1587’s options, even those who are not vegetarians might find something they want to try. With all of these resurrected choices, I had a hard time deciding, but finally settled on the vegetarian version of the chef’s pasta selection. My rationale was that this was a dish they might not have the next time I journey over to 1587. A tomato cream sauce and a plethora of vegetables, broccoli, squash, peppers, onions and green beans, were served over penne pasta and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. The vegetables were fresh and cooked to perfection. This was certainly a dish that was made to order. Nikki had the same dish, simply carnivore style, with beef tenderloin cooked impeccably. We began out meal with the soup of the day, chilled yellow heirloom tomato, and the black and white truffle mac n’ cheese. The soup was average, not thrilling, but the mac n’ cheese definitely made up for the soup and then some. Very rich, but a manageable portion, a side that can be very boring in some restaurants was turned into an exquisite burst of flavor. Truffle oil makes a dish. Finally for dessert, I chose the seasonal fruit cobbler. Fresh blackberries, raspberries and blueberries were topped with a homemade granola and served over homemade vanilla ice cream. The waitress said there was no sugar added to the mixture and she was right on when she said that makes the dish so unique. You taste the full flavor of the berries, rather than added sugar.
Other interesting menu selections include roasted butternut squash and Parmesan stuffed homemade ravioli, local tuna steak over udon noodles and white bean ragout. Tranquil House also serves Filet Mignon, braised pork "Osso Bucco" and a boneless half of chicken on their chop menu. Desserts change with the season but there are usually five to six to choose from and you cannot go wrong with any of them.
Our table was by the window and with Tranquil House being on the water, we watched other diners and inn visitors mingle with the residents who keep their boats at the small neighboring marina. It was very pleasant, as is the town Manteo in general. Make a reservation and then arrive an hour beforehand or take some time after the meal, to stroll through Manteo.
~Alex
The Tranquil House Inn and 1587 Restaurant are located at 405 Queen Elizabeth Avenue
Roanoke Island, NC 27954. For reservations, call (252) 473-1587.
www.1587.com
No comments:
Post a Comment