OBX Eats: Trio

I have to be honest. I got a little flak from my good friend (Karen R., if you are wondering) for turning you all on to The KDG. Her fear is that you will all rush to grab a delicious sammy or salad, and she won’t be able to eat there ever again. Although that may happen, I figured I needed to give you another option. So now I bring you TRIO!

Trio is a place that’s a little hard to explain.

It’s a wine shop. They have a vast retail area and 24 bottles of wine are available at any time in the self-service tasting machines. You can purchase a taste, a half glass, or full. Ever want to taste a $100 bottle of wine, but not willing to spend the money? Here you can get a taste for just a few smackers. It’s like being in Vegas – slide your card in the machine, hit a button, and wine pours out… you’re always a winner!

It’s also an artisanal cheese shop with a… wait for it… CHEESE MONGER! (Yep! I said it! CHEESE MONGER!) This is my favorite part of this eating experience. You order a cheese platter, and the CHEESE MONGER gives you a great sampling, mild to off-the-chart smelly if that's what you like, and crackers. You can try new things and find what you love. Then, if you're like me, you forget what you love and have to go back and start all over.

It’s also a 24-beer-on-tap shop. If you can’t find a beer that you like here, you need to stop drinking beer.

It’s even a charcuterie shop. (I’ll let you Google that one).

They have a great pool table upstairs in the mezzanine, and free WiFi. It's a perfect space for a rehearsal, group meeting, shower, girls/guys night out, or "leave me alone I want to drink and read my Facebook updates in peace." If you do that, don't forget to "check-in!'

But I’m not here to tell you about that. I’m here to tell you about the food. Brittany, our Assistant Property Manager, and I went to Trio for lunch this week. If I had my way, I would have ordered one of everything for her to try. They have sandwiches and salads, and the best nibblers on the East coast. We sampled the olives that were salty and briny, and the Trio Toasted Nut mix that has a certain sweetness, and a sneak-up-on-you heat that makes you want to eat more olives.

I had the aged gouda, rare roast beef, baby arugula and roasted tomato Panini. It’s warmed and tender and ooey-gooey deliciousness. Brittney had the mozzarella, roasted tomato, baby arugula and pesto Panini that looked ah-mazing. (Frankly, I could eat a flip-flop with pesto, but that’s a whole other thing.) Well, you can see it for yourself. Looks at those beauties! Don’t you want to eat that? You do. I know you do.

Drop in on Trio during your stay. If nothing else, your significant other can drown their sorrows while you are shopping at Diamonds and Dunes and spending your tax refund.

Eat (and shop) Local. Always