1. Fresh Homemade Bread

2. Fresh Homemade Sauces

3. Homemade Desserts

4. Full Takeout service

5. Custom party co-coordinator on staff

6. Reservations accepted for parties for any size party

7. Large wine glasses and Ice Cold Beers

8. Service Guarantee, a great time every time

9. Healthy and Vegetarian choices on our menu every day

10. A fine selection of reading glasses for your convenience (one may even be yours!)

11. A selection of fresh vegetables daily

12. Linen napkins, not paper

13. Carafe service for water, and iced tea available

14. Fresh Ground Costa Rican Coffee, espresso and cappuccino

15. Extensive Collection of Non-alcoholic beverages

16. Unique food combinations, exciting daily specials, fresh seafood

17. Hot food Hot, Cold food Cold – Always

18. Chilled salad plates

19. Generous portions, guaranteed

20. House-made soups, fresh daily

21. Reasonable pricing

22. Member of Dare County Teacher Appreciation Discount Program

23. Smiling and Friendly staff

24. Fresh roses on every table and a fresh arrangement in the ladies room

photo credit: fRandi-Shooters

1. This restaurant is for the enjoyment and pleasure of our Guests, not the convenience of the staff or the owners. We guarantee:

a. That you will have a great experience every time you dine with us.

b. That we will earn your trust and enthusiastic endorsement

c. That we will never disappoint you or your friends

2. There is no smoking at the dining room tables. We realize this may be an inconvenience to some of our guests and we truly regret that, if you are reading this, you have already made the decision to give us a try and we believe your decision will be worth a few minutes of “cold turkey”, if not, the smoking light is always on outside.

3. Aside from smoking, at Flying Fish Cafe the answer is Yes, (…what’s the question?)

4. We will not greet you with a question “Two for dinner?” When you enter our restaurant, someone will actually smile at you and thank you for coming. We are truly glad that you are here.

5. We think it is fair to sell at a price higher than our cost in an effort to stay in business! However, we will never sacrifice quality to keep prices low. If we cannot do it right, we will not do it at all.

6. We use only the freshest of ingredients, our sauces and dressings are prepared daily in our kitchen. The breads are made fresh daily, without chemical preservatives.

7. Ask us for our recommendations; we will never tell you “everything is good here”. We do NOT consider that response, however accurate, to be particularly helpful as a recommendation.

8. We are proud of our recipes and their heritage. If you have any questions of how and item is prepared, ask, we can tell you.

9. We have a selection of reading glasses available if you forget yours, I know it’s rough when you pass 40.

10. Your server will at least stop by your table to say hello within two minutes, if not, dessert is on us tonight.

11. We use only premium Costa Rican coffee and we never let a pot sit longer than 30 minutes. You’ll never have to endure stale coffee here.

12. You will get all your necessary condiments with your meal. We will never make you wait while your food is getting cold while we get our act together.

13. We strive to be environmentally conscious. We minimize our use of environmentally hazardous chemicals, and our take out containers contain no CFC’s. It’s not complete, but it’s a good start. We recycle.

14. We serve hot food hot, cold food cold, period. How many restaurants can honestly make that statement?

15. We are proud of the cleanliness of our restrooms. We check them every half hour to be sure, but you know how quickly accidents can happen. If you find the restrooms need attention, please inform anyone on our staff, we will correct to problem at once.

16. We make a big deal out of birthdays, anniversaries, divorces and other cause for celebration. If you do not want some special attention, do not let us know you are celebrating a special occasion, if you do….do.

17. We will listen to you. We will find out what you want, how you want it, and we will deliver it to you that way. If for some strange reason we blow it, just stand up and yell “HELP!”. That’ll fix us.

18. George and the Staff firmly believe in providing an ample portion to each of their guests. If you do not feel that we have done this, we’ll fix more!

photo credit: cvanstane

Most times it is recommended that your wine choice should follow the same evolution that goes along with that of a sit-down dinner course, light to dark. As the intensity of the food flavors increase so should the wine in order to balance out the meal.

Since there are no real rules on the pairing of food and wine, assess each course separately then make a determination on which wine you think would best enhance each segment of your meal.

Appetizer

Most often, a dinner begins with a delicate and airy appetizer. The purpose of this first course is normally to wake up the palate, a somewhat dry flavor of wine being light and crisp would go very well. Riesling, a fruity flavored white wine usually complements most appetizers and Champagne is often the best choice for a light brunch.

Salad

Most salads being served at a sit-down dinner begin with a bed of mixed greens. The flavor is determined by the type of dressing you choose so consider that when choosing a wine to pair with the salad course. There is a little bite in the dressings of Caesar or Greek style salad so choosing the Sauvignon Blanc which is a little more acidic when it comes to white wines is a safe bet. The light and sweet qualities of White Zinfandel go well with the more creamy salad dressings like Ranch or Thousand Island.

Main Course

As with the salad, a creamy wine should accompany a creamy entree while a wine more on the acidic side should accompany an acidic entree. For example beef or lamb, like most meat dishes, pair well with a wine of big flavor like Cabernet or Red Zinfandel. Pasta entrees with creamy sauces tend to be better suited with a Chardonnay-like wine.

Most fish entrees are prepared with some sort of citrus flavor while going through the cooking process so a crisp white wine will help bring out the flavors in a well prepared fish entree.

Dessert

The dessert course is most often a time to spoil yourself with creamy chocolates and maybe some sweet red berries of somekind. These flavors are so deep and rich that you would most likely want to pair them with a deep red wine like Port. Enjoying a complex red wine will not hide any of the flavors in the dessert it will only harmonize with its richness.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to pairing wines with food, only suggestions or recommendations. My general rule of thumb is to drink what you like. You’re not going to commit any crimes by pairing your favorite steak with white wine, if you like white, or choosing to have a dark red wine with your salad.

Wine pairing is a matter of taste and not an exact science. The best part is you can sample different wines with your friends and uncover your own unique wine pairing faves!

What’s in a label? Most times they are fun to look at but did you know that most times the label gets explored more closely than what is actually inside the bottle?

It is required that each bottle contain two informational labels, one on the back and one on the front. What should they mean to you?

Label #1 : The Front

There are no statutes about which label should be which size so most times wine makers will make the Front Label, the one with all of the US Government requirements small and make the Back Label extremely large so they can show off their pretty logo designs.

Confused? Isn’t the large pretty label the one we see when we enter a wine shop or grocery store? Yes, well this is just a great tactic for the sellers to get you to see what they want you to see.

Even though wine is produced all over the world the US actually has the most rigid rules when it comes to labeling, so many of the wine makers have stuck to the US requirements when bottling their wines. What exactly is required on the Front Label?

• Type of wine
• Name of the bottler
• The amount of wine in the bottle (usually expressed in milliliters)
• The phrase ‘Contains Sulfites’
• The alcohol content
• The US govt warning about possible health risks related to the consumption of alcohol

Label #2 – The Back

The label on the back is  mostly for presentation and is often used for selling points the wine makers would like to stress to the consumer. There are really no requirements for this label however most use it to display the name of the wine and their captivating logo or graphics. Some can include if the wine is award winning, if there is a limited amount of cases that can be purchased, if the grapes were crushed by foot and even the different combinations that went into making the wine.

The word “Reserve” is added to the back label if there was extra aging time at the factory before bottling and the word “Estate” usually means the grapes were grown at the same winery where it was bottled.

Researching Can Be Fun

Next time you are shopping for wine take a few extra minutes to see if you can identify the different parts of information. Educate yourself by looking for different wineries, the location where the wine was bottled or even dive deeper by researching the different types of grapes and to what percentage make up certain classifications of wine. Then enjoy the fruits of your labor with a group of friends by sampling and trying the labels that interested you most.

photo credit: biké

Whites

Chardonnay and Pinot Gris are positively the two most popular grape families when it comes to white wines. Most white wine drinkers will usually stick to these two varieties when given the chance. Chardonnay has a soft citrus flavor, Pinot Gris is a bit more acidic while young and lighter in body.

Riesling is originally from the regions of Germany. Known for being the most versatile grape because when it’s picked early it produces a super dry wine and when picked late it produces a super sweet wine. With Riesling being dry yet sweet and everything in between it is usually a “crowd pleaser”.

Semillon is an appealing white wine with more of a fig like character. Semillon is usually blended with Sauvignon Blanc to help increase it’s fullness.

It is a good idea to experiment with different wines to cultivate your palate and explore new wines. Although this is a short list of the wide variety of wines our desire is that you are able to find a wine that you love and can always enjoy. Flying Fish Cafe is known for having 40 wines by the glass available to order at all times. Our staff is very knowledgeable and can assist you in your decision to experiment with something new.

photo credit: Jenny Lee Silver

When we think of different types of wine we usually think of Red or White. That is only the beginning of the types of different wines. Obviously the color of the wine is the basis for this initial classification, however it has nothing to do with the types of grapes used to make the wines. Also, it has nothing to do with the various vintage years, the quality of the wine, the amount of time the wine is aged or even the different combinations of ingredients.

In this series of blog posts we’ll take a look at several of the different types of wines you may be familiar with, and some you may not have been introduced to yet.

Reds

A red grape or black grape variety is what goes into making a red wine. Grapes have a wide variety of taste and color. A good analogy would be the different types of citrus fruits like naval oranges, grapefruit, tangerines or clementines all of which have very different properties. The grapes are crushed or some even mixed into different combinations in order to produce the various types of red wines.

Zinfandel is a grape that is native to America. It produces the greatest variety of wines while still having robust up front fruit and being big bodied.

Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the best known variety and while still young in age it brims with black currant flavors, but being a most complex grape it is also very age worthy.

Merlot is a good introduction to red wines. It tends to be very soft, fruity and easy to drink.

Shiraz (Syrah by European Vinters) is spicy, full bodied with red and purple fruits and has lasting flavors.

Some reds that you may not have heard of are the Barbara, usually used for the production of cooking wines and tomato sauces. The Brunello which is only used in making a rare Tuscan wine called Brunello di Montaleino. Tempranillo is a full bodied red wine most often blended with Grenache to enhance the flavor. And Gamay which is meant to be drunk shortly after being bottled to keep the crisp and fruity taste.

Come back tomorrow when we’ll explore the different varieties of grapes that go into making White wines….

photo credit: John-Morgan

With only 6 bar seats, we believe we have the world’s tiniest full service bar and that’s the way we like it! Come enjoy an intimate night out with a few friends at our solid walnut bar. Our entire menu is available to you at the bar at Flying Fish Cafe as well as our great wine selections, often said to be some of the best food & wine on the Outer Banks. You can even call ahead 252-441-6894 and reserve your spot there.

photo credit: chascow

Notes from the Phantom Wine-O

I have always liked the stories and legends I hear that are related to wine.  Here’s one from the ancient Persians.  According to their legend, their King Jemsheed loved grapes.  He hid them in his cellar in jars marked  “poison” so that
he could enjoy them all year long.  Of course, the grapes began to ferment within the jars.  One day a concubine, distraught over falling out of the king’s favor, tried to commit suicide by drinking out of the jars.  She fell into a deep sleep (passed out?), and when she awoke she began to tell of the wonderful dreams she had.  Thus, according to the Persians, the magical properties of wine were discovered.-With thanks to Thomas Conkllin

photo credit: dynamosquito

Notes From The Phantom Wine-O                               

The time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, the “holidays”, are known as a time of joy and celebration. Nothing better epitomizes the holidays than sparkling wine or champagne. But not all sparkling wine is created equal. Or, as George Orwell put it, “All sparkling wine is equal, but some are more equal than others.” So when someone thrusts a glass of bubbles into your hand this season there are some things you can do to determine just how equal your sparkling wine is.

First of all, look at the bubbles. They should be small and plentiful, rising in a steady bead from the bottom of the glass. The French have a term, “oieul de crapot” (sic) which means “toad’s eyes.” Those are the very large, ugly bubbles encountered in cheap sparkling wines. (I won’t mention any names)

As a final point, sparkling wine should always be drunk in a tall tapered glass called a flute. Obviously, the charm of sparkling wine is the sparkle, and the less surface area, the longer the bubbles will last. All of us have probably seen the old movies, or been to a wedding, where the toast was done with the wide- bottomed coupe glasses. The legend is that that shape was modeled after the breast of Marie Antoinette. (A romantic notion, but a Frenchman once told me that the flute was actually the gass modeled after it.) Salud.

photo credit: vmiramontesl

Notes from the Phantom Wine-O

Since I spoke about soils in the last installment, let’s talk about the
phenomenon of the 45th parallel.  While it is true that grapes are grown
in many disparate areas, if you follow the 45th parallel in both the
northern and southern hemispheres you will find that they basically
bisect the great wine-growing areas of the world.



In the northern hemisphere, if you begin in western North America,
it goes through Portland, Oregon and so lies amid the Washington, Oregon,
and California wine-making areas. Follow it to the east and you will pass
through the Finger Lake region of New York State. Cross the Atlantic and
find yourself in Bordeaux. Traveling further east and you pass through the
Piedmont region of Italy. Much further east will put you in northern China
where there are rumors that some Australian growers, with the new political
openness and the vast potential for new customers, are exploring possibilities.
In the southern hemisphere in South America the 45th passes through Chile and
Argentina.  Cross the Atlantic and it lies just below South Africa. Then cross
the Indian and it passes just below southern Australia. 

What does this prove? Nothing really, except that those temperate climates,
and especially in areas close to large bodies of water which further moderate
temperature fluctuations, have proven most hospitable to the viniferous grape.
Could it be that some wily wine-grower or maker is exploring the western
edges of the Caspian or Black Seas with the hopes of finding cheap lands and
pleasant climes?

 photo credit: sara~

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