The Balons Head to the North Carolina Coast

We’re literally eating our way through a myriad of locally-owned seafood restaurants on the North Carolina coast around Emerald Isle and Beaufort. And our journey has been rewarding.

We just tore through a whole red snapper (above) at a place called The Fish Hut Grill along with some perfectly cooked soft shell crabs.

The night before we had perhaps the best crab cakes ever at Caribsea along with virtually perfect sea scallops encircling a succotash of corn, leeks cumber, and pancetta (pictured above). As the sun set the view over the ocean was at least equal to the food.

Seafood aside, a surprise was the iconic Yana’s Restaurant where we had an amazing breakfast featuring their fruit fritters (above). Imagine a platter of peach fritters made from fresh-off-the-tree peaches and envisioned by an extremely creative cook. The taste was extraordinary. Crispy gooey goodness is what comes to mind!