The Blue Parrot Cafe in Avon

Once we reached Hatteras, we stopped in a Lee Robinson's General Store, which had been written up in the Insider's Guide. It was a nice yellow building, with all kinds of interesting toys and snacks. I was tempted to get a large plastic toad for my office, for ten dollars, but I thankfully resisted. I did get a flexible pencil for fifty cents before I left.

Next, it was time for dinner. We weren't overly hungry, but we thought we might stop at the Blue Parrot, in Avon, if it looked good. My uncle, who likes to come to the area for windsurfing, recommended it. As we approached the restaurant, it was clear that the sunset was going to be worth watching, so I thought we should definitely eat there, if we could. We were not disappointed.

In fact, my dad thought that his meal was the best of the trip so far. He had fried shrimp with rice and vegetables. The rice had just a tinge of horseradish, so it was unusually good. The shrimp were spiced with herbs, so it wasn't your ordinary fried fare. I had Thai sesame shrimp marinated in a banana liquor and grilled with pineapple and vegetables. That was superb.

We were stuffed and declined dessert, but our waitress, who was from upstate New York, said my uncle must not have told us about their key lime pie. We had to try it and finished it off without a problem.

So, given the absolutely fantastic meal and the gorgeous view of the Pamlico Sound, why were we the only ones eating in the whole restaurant? I would recommend it highly to anyone who happens to be anywhere near there. I hope that business picks up soon, so it will be there the next time I'm passing through. As I was leaving, I was not surprised, given the delicious food, to see that two of their recipes have been in the R.S.V.P. section of Bon Appetit.