Whiting sandwich with onion rings and slaw from Rocket Billy’s in White Stone. At least half the incentive to eat at Rocket Billy’s is the fun of the drive-up itself. This crackerbox stand in the parking lot next to the lumber yard has been serving excellent barbecue, crab cakes, burgers, and other breakfast and lunch fare for nine years. A bench and a couple of tables are available but most people seem to pick up their meals and leave or sit in their cars and eat in the parking lot. The slaw and onion rings were great, and the sandwich was pretty good, and plenty.
I’ve been in quest of the ultimate fish sandwich on this trip. Something about being on the coast, I guess. I’m afraid the best one yet remains the grouper sandwich with fries that I ate at the Bayside Inn in Florida, but that may have been because we were outside on the water. After an unfortunate couple of incidents with otherwise delicious oysters a decade ago, I have eschewed all mollusca. Trust me, if you’d been through what I went through, twice in a row, a week apart in two different states, oysters from hundreds of miles apart, one dish cooked one raw, you would also never eat another hard-shelled sea creature again. It’s too bad, because I loved oysters until that trip. We used to steam barrels of them when I lived in the quonset hut in swamp decades ago. It pains me to be in the presence of a fried oyster po’boy and not be able to eat it. So I content myself with the luxury of a good fried fish sandwich when I’m near coastal waters, and I’ve not been disappointed yet on this journey.
Rockfish sandwich at the Car Wash Café in Kilmarnock. Maybe it was the sweet potato fries, but this plate definitely took the fish sandwich prize for Virginia. If you ever find yourself near the tip of the Northern Neck Peninsula in southeastern Virginia, do not miss the opportunity to dine at the Car Wash. An old gas station/car wash has been converted into a great cafe/car wash. You park along side the vacant pump aisles or behind the building and the bonus is, after a delicious breakfast or lunch, you can still wash your car on the way out. One appealing feature of the Car Wash is the kitchen, right next to the tables; you know it has to be clean when it’s out in full view of the diners. Staff and owner could not be friendlier, too.
Flounder sandwich at Bentley’s Grille in White Stone. A very good fish sandwich with crispy enough homemade fries. The bread was lacking in character but not the waitress! Coquille St. Jacques and tomato soup with grilled cheese were the other specials the day we went, and the dining rooms were fairly quiet. A couple of other groups of ladies came in to dine, and the dining rooms provided a welcoming ambience.
Other meals of note will make their appearance in the next installment. Bon appétit!
That’s my girl! LOVE the foodie photos! Miss you, hope you come home soon. My iris are coming up!
Please make us a sandwich when you get home. Yuuuuuummmmmmmm! I miss you now especially that The Voice just started!