Caffeine Culture

Stimulating Creations from Local Hot Spots

By Jes Gray | Photography by Meredith K. Snider

Most of the time you just want a plain cup of coffee. Hot, iced, maybe cream, maybe sugar, or maybe that go-to menu item they start making when you walk in the door. You probably also have a favorite neighborhood spot, or maybe it’s your kitchen. But if you’re anything like me, or my customers when I was a barista, you rarely stray from the routine. We at Outer Banks Coastal Life hope to invite a bit of variety into that daily grind (pun intended). So, we asked a few local spots to showcase one of their signature caffeinated creations-and maybe a snack to match- that might surprise even the most experienced coffee-or tea-connoisseur. We’re not just featuring coffee shops however: a bakery, wine bar, and ramen shop featuring bubble tea accompany.

First up, Proof Bakery, known for impeccable baked goods along with breakfast and lunch fare. Then we’ll head up to the new ramen spot called Hokkaido opened by our friends at Sanya Sushi for some delicious Bubble Teas. With takeout menu in hand, next is Ashley’s Espresso to try their Java Chip Cold Brew Shake, an espresso milkshake that will have you shaking if you’re not prepared. For another sweet option we then head to Lili’s- a new cafe and coffee shop in Kitty Hawk, extending the Italian influence beside Josephines and Vinny’s. We’ll finish at Trio, as it’s open the latest of the group, and sip on their superb Espresso Martini, while shopping for late night snacks, as I might be up for a while.

Proof Bakery’s Brown Butter Latte, here featured with two seasonal offerings: Poached Pear w/Mascarpone Cream Danish & Cranberry Orange Berliner.

Proof Bakery

Located in Kill Devil Hills at a smaller flat topped business duplex on the west side of the bypass, Proof Bakery is owned and operated by Dean Anderson, a professional baker with years of experience, starting as a chef in high-end restaurants in New York after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. Returning to the Outer Banks, he shifted to mastering commercial baking where he fine-tuned his process, starting his own bakery, where for years, he supplied bread to dozens of local restaurants. Wanting to break out of that grind, he chose an only slightly less arduous endeavor, revamping the bakery as a retail operation and adding made to order breakfast and lunch sandwich options, with bread, pastries, and coffee, of course.

About the coffee: the Brown Butter Latte perfectly achieves a warm, nutty depth from caramelized butter that harmonizes beautifully with the rich, bold espresso. This comforting drink offered a silky smooth texture with a subtle, toasty note, which was great for the chilly weather. Paired for us with a beautiful poached pear with mascarpone cream Danish and cranberry orange Berliner—you’ll have to make up your mind when you get there, as the selections change daily. The Danish’s mascarpone cream had just the right touch of sweetness with the slightly spiced pear and buttery crisp crust. The Berliner’s glaze and filling of bright citrus flavors cut through the crisp fried dough, and both accompanied the latte well. If you can’t decide, get a croissant of some sort—they’re always amazing.

TRiO Restaurant & Market

TRiO Restaurant & Market in Kitty Hawk, open since 2011, is owned by Kenny and Melissa Hyman. It functions as both a casual bistro and a gourmet retail shop, specializing in an extensive selection of wine, craft beer, and artisanal cheese. The menu has “casually inventive” food with local influences for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, and also offers live music and regular tasting events. The perfect place to shop after an evening with a bit of alcohol and caffeine. Speaking of caffeine, let’s talk about TRiO’s Espresso Martini.

This signature cocktail is made with simple ingredients, including Tito’s vodka, Coffee syrup, and Kahlua. Their house-made coffee syrup is made from local roaster Front Porch Cafe’s popular Waterman’s Blend, also available in their store. Frequently recommended in highly rated reviews, it is well balanced and refreshing, a great end to a meal or a reason to stop in all together. Be on the lookout for seasonal versions as well, people are still talking about the pumpkin spice version from last fall.

Ashley’s Espresso Parlour’s Java Chip Cold Brew Shake, paired with Spanish style quesarito puff pastry.

Ashley’s Espresso Parlour

Ashley’s Espresso Parlour, located at 100 E. Helga Street in Kill Devil Hills has been owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Ashley and Erik Linnekin since 2019. They’ve been learning the craft a few decades longer than that, however, and it shows in their carefully sourced organic house roasted coffee. The space is surprisingly ‘lived-in” for a six year old space. Each nook has its own personality, comfy chairs tucked in a corner, kids drawings tacked on a post, an artist’s easel displays an adept work in progress, unique local products and art pieces adorn room dividers and walls. Most customers are greeted by name and respond in kind. Neighbors check in, ask about upcoming events.

I’m sucked into the atmosphere when the drink is ready, and it quickly zaps me back to the present. Per Erik, we feature the Java Chip Cold Brew Shake. Multiple scoops of premium chocolate ice cream, with hand-grated dark chocolate are blended with supercharged cold brewed Ashley’s espresso and topped with whipped cream. This beauty is paired with quesaritos, a Spanish style snack made of puff pastry twisted with a cheese filling, these contained homemade fig jam and manchego, and were the perfect slightly savory accompaniment.

Lili’s Café’s Pistachio Affogato, an authentic Italian blend of ice-cold gelato and espresso, topped with pistachios. We chose to pair it with their banana nut bread, the pastry of the day.

Lili’s Cafe

A new coffee shop and cafe in the former location of the Outer Bean Cafe. Not trying to maintain the status quo, however, the new owner is putting down roots based in her own. Liliana Sarago is from Calabria in the south of Italy, and that may seem quite the unusual jumping off point for a coffee shop venture in Kitty Hawk , NC, but don’t worry, she’s got family right next door at Josephines and Vinny’s. A cousin of the Caggese family, she’s been helping out this past summer at the family restaurants while working hard to make Lili’s her own. While admitting her hard work is just beginning, she hopes to add even more to the menu, including daily pastry specials. The coffee is Italian, Lavazza to be specific, and of course there’s cannoli.

For her non-classic coffee beverage, I am presented with a Pistachio Affogato. It, ironically, is quite classic if you are Italian. “The only gelato served in the winter in Italy”, she says. A coffee cup of gelato filled with, in this case pistachio, but often fior de latte or vanilla, “drowned” with hot espresso, poured into it. Topped with crushed pistachios and toasted espresso beans it was delicious, and a great afternoon pick me up. Other flavors and options are available including Nutella, but this version is pretty hard to beat.

Hokkaido Ramen Noodles and Bubble Tea

The owners of longstanding business Sanya Sushi (14 years!) in Kitty Hawk have a new venture with Hokkaido, serving “Noodles and Bubble Tea” in the Kill Devil Hills’ Dare Shopping Center. The renovated space showcases the high tech equipment used to make quality from scratch ramen and bubble tea. An animatronic bowl of noodles greets you accompanied with a few lucky cats (Maneki-neko), while small tables line the wall in the elongated room. In short: it feels authentic. While I marveled at the space and found myself slightly mesmerized by the ramen robot, I was given a Brown Sugar Milk Tea and Bay Drive Sunset, one of the fruit teas. Ones thing’s for sure, they are pretty! The brown sugar melts down the inside of the cup swirling with the milky tea and landing on the nest of dark tapioca pearls at the base. The Sunset fits its description ranging from a warm orange fruit and jasmine tea blend to magenta popping strawberry boba.

What exactly is it though? Bubble tea, or Boba tea, is a popular Taiwanese beverage that combines a tea base, milk or fruit flavored, with unique, chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. This customizable drink is served cold or iced with an oversized straw and a sipping option, allowing you to enjoy both the refreshing liquid and/or the edible pearls in every sip. Both were equally delicious but very different. The milk tea was comforting, and the brown sugar made it sweet but not cloying as the tapioca pearls are not overtly sweetened. The Sunset contains orange, orange jam, passionfruit jam, lemon honey and Jasmine tea. It’s as bright, tropical, and refreshing as it sounds. Shown the tea leaves used to brew each base, I was assured this was not a powdered product, and you can tell.

The Outer Banks’ caffeine scene is far richer than a simple cup to-go. The next time you reach for your usual order, consider venturing a little outside your comfort zone. You might find a new favorite drink, a new favorite hangout, or at the very least, a delicious reminder that there’s always something different brewing along our sandbar.

Author: Jes Gray