Outer Banks weekend Getaway!

Hey y'all, well, Michael and I are back, sadly enough, from the Banks. We agreed that we didn't want to leave... As background, my grandparents had a house down here from about 1989-2003, so I essentially grew up on the Banks part-time from when I was a baby to the summer I started college, so it is a huge part of my life. And I was ecstatic when Michael told me he got us a room at The Sanderling resort for our long weekend getaway!

Sunset on the Soundside (for those not in the know, Soundside means the side of the Outer Banks's barrier islands, which looks back towards the Mainland of Currituck County, NC, over the Currituck Sound) from the North Inn, where we stayed (quieter), from the 2nd floor balcony:


The North Inn is essentially an unconnected wing off of the Main Inn of the hotel, built around the same time the Main Inn was built, in 1988-1989. The North Inn has two floors and two wings, which meet in the middle on this community area, which includes a game table (with daily papers), fireplace, and often tea or coffee during certain points in the day. This is a picture of the community area...


We ate dinner at Ocean Boulevard and Blue Point. We ate at OB on the 13th, and had seats at the Chef's table. I chose the pre-Valentine's Day special tasting menu - it was amazing.

My first course was an amuse bouche - with a lovely wine pairing, and it had two items on it, a goat cheese and strawberry dallop of yumminess with creme fraiche on a yummy shortbread cookie... and a smoked salmon cheesecake square.

My salad course had baby greens, two toasted pieces of baguette, two chunks of baked brie cheese, a raspberry-balsamic vinaigrette, candied grapes, CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS (Muffy, I know at least will love that!!), and toasted almond slices. It was amazing. Here is a picture:


My entree was the sea scallops, which included a swirl of pesto around the plate, a large grilled portabello mushroom, a tomato-herb salsa (not spicy though, and they called it puree although it was chunky), a large folded piece of roasted garlic and ricotta jumbo ravioli, a dozen small fried calamari, and the sea scallops:


My desert was the dark chocolate pot de creme with some heart-shaped peppermint shortbread cookies - yummy!!:


After that, Michael and I went back to our hotel and relaxed in the room with the door propped open so we could listen to the waves break on the beach over the dunes from our room, which was amazing. The scent in the winter of the ocean is so intoxicating... isn't it?