DINING REVIEW

Grapevine Restaurant
and Lounge Stands Apart in Calabash

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

CALABASH, N.C. (Jan. 17, 2002) - After three days in the "Seafood Capital of the World," the sight of one more fried fish, shrimp, scallop or clam was going to send me over the edge. You see, "Calabash Style," is not to be confused with baked, broiled, grilled or blackened.

Breaded and battered is the name of the game in this quaint fishing village, and if you're after health food, you are simply in the wrong part of the country.

But sitting smack in the middle of this fry-fest is the Grapevine Restaurant and Lounge. Two parts Italian, one part American, and a dash of grilled seafood, makes this family-owned establishment a favorite among the locals.

"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and us together," reads the menu, and somehow, this old line captures the essence of the place. On this night - a chilly winter evening when you can count the tourists in town on one hand - everyone is gathered in the lounge portion of the Grapevine.

The barkeep's name is Joyce. That's easy to surmise since everyone in attendance calls her name as if they've know her for years. A couple of television's at either end of the bar feature the college basketball games of the night, and the Tar Heel natives cringe as their home team takes yet another licking.

My appetite for red meat is almost insatiable, and I let Joyce know this before the first long neck bottle even hits the bar.

"I bet I can change your mind," she says.

I ask her about the hamburger, and why she would recommend against it.

"There are a couple of pasta dishes on the menu I think you'll like better, so why don't you let me make a recommendation," she says.

Show me the man that defies the advice of an attractive, female bartender, and I'll show you an outright idiot.

I opted for the Santa Fe Pasta ($13.95), which was anchored by a succulent blackened chicken breast on top of spinach linguini, augmented by onions, red and green peppers served in a light tequila lime cream sauce. All dinners include a small loaf of piping hot bread served with hot olive oil, pesto and garlic.

The appetizers, like the entrees at the Grapevine, range from standard American fries, onion rings and chicken wings, to Italian Calamari, and fried provolone. A soup of the day is always available, and dinner salads are $2.00 extra.

The next day for lunch, I snuck into the restaurant side of the Grapevine to avoid the disapproving glare of Joyce while I ordered the Italian Hamburger. As far as I was concerned, it was the perfect marriage of Texas and Naples.

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If you need to go the salad route, Grapevine offers a Caesar, a Charbroiled Chicken, a Presidential and the standard Green and house salads, ranging from $4.95 to $7.95. But, after a couple of trips to this joint, its obvious the pasta dishes the house specialties.

El Pollo Loco (Crazy Chicken for you Gringos) ($13.95) features grilled chicken with sautéed zucchini, squash with a zesty red sauce served over penne pasta. Bowtie Shrimp, as you might guess, sports shrimp sautéed with garlic, basil and oregano served over bowtie pasta.

If you want to live a bit large, you can throw down for one of the house specialties, which include New York Strip, grilled Salmon, Mediterranean Chicken Kabob and grilled shrimp. Grapevine has a full bar, plenty of cold beer, and a pretty darn good wine list for a quasi-Italian restaurant stuck in the middle of the Seafood Capital of the World.

The Basics

Grapevine Restaurant and Lounge
Calabash, NC
Open for lunch and dinner, but closed Mondays
Phone: 910.575.6565

Ratings

Atmosphere: *** Food: *** Service: **** Value: **

TravelGolf.com Rating System

* Put your dog under the table
** Drink a lot, and it will be fine
*** Solid birdie effort
**** Qualifies for the Tour
***** Could easily win a major