Nectar, The New Wave of Food on the Outer Banks
There's a certain type of mentality that drives many of the restaurants on the beach. Offer burgers and seafood and you're halfway there. There are certainly notable exceptions, but they tend to be ethnic restaurants. And god forbid you're a vegetarian on the Outer Banks. Your only choices then are the Seaside Gourmet, which is take out only, or reconciling yourself to a lifetime of salad eating. That is, until Nectar opened it's doors.
A Blast From the Past
Yes, Nectar. And I admit, I was initially hesitant about walking through those doors. Their sign promises books, music and an arcade in some sort of New Age-y script that doesn't normally set well with me. However, I had been taking my mother shopping, and we were pretty hungry and everywhere else we had tried was closed. Plus the sign did say books.
Nectar is located in the same spot that was so recently Krave. Before that it was a pool hall, Shuckers, my old high school stomping grounds. However, this is no longer a pool hall. The first two rooms are an eccentric blend of color and contrasts the like of which I've seen only in some of the trendier restaurants and cafes in large cities, and a very unique contrast to the typical Outer Banks fare. The third and final room is the arcade, and therein lies it's only tie to my youth. A single pool table sits surrounded by modern arcade machines, but the light over top of it still says Shuckers.
Vegetarian Delights
I was pleasantly surprised by the menu. It's almost entirely vegetarian, with only a couple of fish dishes sprinkled throughout. I'm not a vegetarian by nature, but I certainly don't require meat with every meal. The offerings are simple, but generous. Black bean tacos, a variety of salads, and other more unique ways of fruit and vegetable preparation awaited my perusal. I was starting to get over the hippie-dippie layout of the place and more into tasting their wares.
After some deliberation, I settled on the fish tacos. The owner, who was also the chef, came out and expressed her concern that the marinade had too much lemon, but I was not deterred. I enjoy a strong citrus flavor, and I was not disappointed. The plate came out with three well made fish tacos and a serving of rice. The tacos certainly had a strong citrus flavor, but it was a good flavor. The fish was tender, and not overcooked even a little. And the rice was possibly some of the best I've ever had in a restaurant. I also had the chance to sample their tomato alphabet soup, and that didn't disappoint either though it could have been warmer. An excellent freshly made chocolate chip cookie ended the meal quite nicely.
Not Perfect, But Still Great
The only flaw I can see is they don't serve alcohol. While I'm not suggesting they serve liquor, I feel they would be well served by offering wine at least. Nectar would be an excellent place to relax and spend an evening with friends, but in those OBX entertainment situations, a bottle of wine is often called for. I realize they are targeting a younger audience and tying to offer a health place people of all ages will enjoy, but I can't help but feel a simple choice of white wines would do them wonders.
However, if you've been looking for a healthy place to spend your nights on the Outer Banks, or at least a place to detox afterward, Nectar is just what you want. The owner is friendly and quite pleasurable to talk with, and the atmosphere certainly encourages intellectual conversation. And if your a vegan, hurrah! it's somewhere you can eat. It's about damn time we got a vegetarian restaurant to spice up the Outer Banks Nightlife!
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