The Bank

Those who know me are aware that I'm a retired banker.  After a career that spanned over forty years, banking is definitely in my blood, so a restaurant called The Bank is certainly one I had to try.  We've driven to Washington, NC, affectionately known as "Little Washington",  on many a Sunday, but the Bank is closed on Sundays, so when we decided to go boat shopping there on Saturday, lunch was surely to be a major part of the trip.  After a stop at Park Boat Company to look at pontoon boats, we drove downtown and found The Bank bistro and bar on Main Street.

It's in the old Bank of Washington building, and a painting of what the Bank must have looked like in its very early days hangs above the vault.

Yes, the original bank vault is still there, behind the bar, and it's used to store liquor, wines, glasses, and everything else needed to operate an excellent bar.  I'm going to have to get a phone with a better camera, or learn to do a better job with the one I have, because I'm afraid my photos just don't do this place justice.  I was fascinated by the vaults (the door to the second one provided entry into the rest room area);  they reminded me of an old bank where I had worked in Washington, D. C., in 1972.

When we entered, there was a keyboard player set up to the right of the door, and a large party was filling most of the front section of the restaurant.  We continued back to the bar area and found a high top table somewhat removed from the birthday party crowd.  We were prepared for a delay in service because of the large group, but our drinks were brought promptly.  We ordered the Parmesan-stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and perused the menu to decide on our mains.

The mushrooms were generously stuffed with a creamy and cheesy filling that was quite delicious, and went perfectly with a nicely chilled glass of Sav Blanc.

David decided on their burger, and I had the winter salad for my main course.  The burger was a little more done than medium; but was still juicy and tasty,  served on a sourdough bun with lettuce, tomato and red onion.  To this he added bacon and blue cheese, and a side of cole slaw.  I didn't taste the burger, but the slaw was quite interesting:  the dressing had a distinct orange flavor, and sure enough, we could see flecks of orange zest upon closer inspection.

My winter salad was comprised of spinach, mixed greens, goat cheese, green apples, candied pecans, and dried cranberries.  I chose the balsamic vinaigrette, and like an idiot, dumped the entire vial on the salad without even thinking.  It was definitely too much dressing for the salad.  Frankly, I prefer the chef to dress my salad for me;  I believe he or she knows better how that should be done;  but I can only blame myself for destroying what was surely delicious when it came out of the kitchen.

As usual, I forgot to take pictures of our main courses.

We shall return.