Parrott’s on 11th, Morehead City, North Carolina

Nancy and I marked 47 years of wedded bliss while we were at the beach with Liza and Michael and the girls, also lots of cousins. We celebrated with an early dinner out at one of our favorites, Parrott’s on 11th. We’d been there several times before, having learned of Parrott’s from my nephew, Jimbo, and his wife, Michelle, our primary guides to the coastal Carolinas. Indeed, that’s where Liza told us she was expecting our first grandchild, Ella.

Parrott’s is in an historic building with a front porch shaded by floor to ceiling curtains.

It doesn’t show in that photo but the beaded board ceiling was painted Haint Blue, as all porch ceilings should be painted. And as you can see, the building juts out on the right front of the building (your left), leaving a truncated porch with only enough room for a table for two. That’s where we sat. Perfect for an anniversary.

We had a glass of wine and ordered. On Michelle’s recommendation, we started with the scallop BLT, large scallops cut horizontally, with bacon, spinach, and cherry tomatoes in between the two “slices” of scallop.

The whole was toped by a drizzle of a tamarind-soy sauce. What a tasty combination, a fun mixture of flavors and texture. Pay attention if Michelle recommends something.

Nancy ordered the Parrott’s salad.

That’s quite a house salad, with local micro greens, apple, dried figs, gorgonzola, and pecans. Nancy enjoyed it immensely.

Meanwhile, I was very impressed by my Caesar salad. The greens were fresh, and the parmesan was good quality. It was graced by toasted croutons, some pretty anchovies, and a good dressing marked by a little more lemon than usual.

For her main course, Nancy ordered the crab-stuffed flounder over mashed potatoes and broccolini with a lemon butter sauce..

The flounder and the accompaniments were a delight, but Nancy was disappointed with the crab stuffing. It was a Southern-style crab stuffing, deviled crab, actually, with a good bit of filler. Nancy is used to Chesapeake crab, that is jumbo or lump crab piled or stuffed on the fish, most gloriously at Courtney’s. The Southern style hearkens back to the general poverty of the South, where there used to be filler in all sorts of things, notably hamburgers, to stretch scarce dollars. I enjoy the deviled crab, but then I’m used to it.

I ordered the blackened mahi-mahi. It came served over grits with mushrooms and topped with a pineapple relish.

Those were very good grits, and the mushroom and sauce were a great pairing for the grits and the fish. The real star here was the chef. The fish wasn’t just dusted with blackening spices, as per 99 percent of all blackened fish in the world. It was actually blackened a la Paul Prudhomme. What a flavorful crust! And the center of the fish was nice and moist, not a bit dry. The pineapple relish balanced the spice of the fish. This may be best piece of mahi-mahi I’ve ever had.

It was a grand evening, sitting together in our little nest with a caressing breeze and plate after plate of delicious food, a fine way to celebrate an anniversary. I happily signed up for 47 more years. Don’t miss a chance to dine at Parrott’s.

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