IT'S A LONG WAY FROM THE BIG EASY TO THE OUTER BANKS,
BUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO THE SCHRAMEL FAMILY SOLD
A SUCCESSFUL FOOD BUSINESS IN NEW ORLEANS
AND MOVED TO THE ISLAND OF OCRACOKE,
WHERE THEY EVENTUALLY BUILT THE RESTAURANT OF THEIR DREAMS.
JOIN US ON A VISIT TO THE FLYING MELON.
- [REPORTER] YOU'LL WANNA GET IN LINE EARLY
AT THE FLYING MELON.
THE RESTAURANT'S OFFERING OF CREOLE AND SOUTHERN CUISINE,
FRESH LOCAL SEAFOOD, AND A UNIQUELY BEAUTIFUL SPACE
IN WHICH TO ENJOY IT, IS A BIG HIT WITH LOCAL ISLANDERS
AND VACATIONERS ALIKE.
- THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST RESTAURANTS ON THE ISLAND
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
I'M HAVING THE SPECIAL,
THE TILEFISH WITH THAT SHRIMP ETOUFFEE
AND IT'S WONDERFUL.
- I HAD TWO LUMP CRAB CAKES.
THE SERVICE IS FANTASTIC AND THE FOOD IS SUPERB
AND THE PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL.
- I COME TO THIS RESTAURANT MULTIPLE TIMES
WHEN I COME OUT HERE, SO WE LOVE IT.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE KIND OF PLACES
YOU CAN KIND OF FEEL AT HOME.
IT'S A REALLY COOL BUILDING, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS
IT'S JUST CRAZY HOW COOL THEY BUILT THIS PLACE.
IT'S JUST VERY PRETTY AND COMFORTABLE AND RELAXING.
- THE FUN PART WAS DECORATING.
SOME OF THE ART WE BROUGHT FROM NEW ORLEANS,
HUNG IN OUR RESTAURANT DOWN THERE,
AND SOME OF IT IS LOCAL ARTISTS.
I'M REALLY CHEAP AND SO I WAS LOOKING
FOR A LARGE CHANDELIER.
WE WERE TRYING TO REPLICATE THE WAY
LIGHT SAVING STATIONS LOOK, SOMETIMES THEY HAVE A TALL TOWER
WITH SMALL WINDOWS UP TOP.
AND EVERYTHING I LOOKED AT THAT WAS BIG ENOUGH
WAS TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE, AND FINALLY ON CRAIGSLIST
I FOUND THIS CHANDELIER AND IT HAPPENED TO BE
IN A GARAGE IN NORFOLK.
IT'S FROM ITALY AND IT'S BLOWN GLASS AND COPPER
AND IT WAS PRETTY EXCITING TO FIND,
ESPECIALLY FOR $400. [LAUGHS]
SO THAT WAS FUN.
MICHAEL'S BEEN COOKING FOR A LIVING
SINCE HE WAS 17 YEARS OLD.
WHEN I MET HIM, HE WAS WORKING AT A COUPLE
OF DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS IN NEW ORLEANS.
AND I WOULD GO AND WASH DISHES AT THE RESTAURANT AT NIGHT
SO I COULD SEE HIM.
- MY MOM, HER MAIDEN NAME WAS MARIE LANGWA,
AND HER FAMILY WERE ORIGINAL SETTLERS IN LOUISIANA.
SO MY HERITAGE IN LOUISIANA FOOD GOES WAY BACK
AND I'VE ALWAYS LIKED NEW ORLEANS COOKING.
AND SOME OF THAT DIFFERENT INFLUENCE IS LA PERBLANC'S,
THE FIRST PLACE I WORKED, THAT WAS A FRENCH RESTAURANT.
IT WASN'T CREOLE OR LOUISIANA COOKING AT ALL.
I ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE EVERYTHING THE BEST THAT I CAN.
YOU MIGHT WANNA DO AN APPETIZER
AND THAT WOULD BE OUR FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
WITH OUR SHRIMP REMOULADE.
I HAVE A MAHI THAT'S SEARED AND THEN BAKED
IN THE OVEN TO FINISH IT.
IT'S GONNA BE ON A BED OF WILTED SPINACH,
IT'LL BE WITH OUR RICE PILAF, IT WILL ALSO HAVE A
SHRIMP ETOUFFEE SAUCE.
AND I DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF MEATS,
WE DO LAMB RACKS AND WE PRESENT IT
WITH A RED WINE BORDELAISE SAUCE,
WHICH I ALSO MAKE A PLUM REDUCTION
TO SWEETEN IT A LITTLE BIT.
AND IT'S A REAL NICE SAUCE.
WELL THE MAIN THING THAT I ALWAYS WANT THE CUSTOMER
TO WALK AWAY WITH IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT THEY ENCOUNTER
IS DONE RIGHT.
WE HAVE, I THINK BY FAR, THE BEST COCKTAILS ON THE ISLAND,
WHICH MY SON DOES.
AND I'M VERY VERY PLEASED WITH HOW FAR HE'S BROUGHT THAT
IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
- THEY KIND OF HAD ME AROUND THE RESTAURANT
EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID,
SO GENERALLY I WAS JUST KIND OF HANGING AROUND
THE RESTAURANT, EATING FOOD AND HARASSING THE EMPLOYEES.
FAST FORWARD TO NOW, I'M DOING THE BEVERAGE PROGRAM.
I ALWAYS WANT PEOPLE TO GET MORE THAN THEY EXPECT,
MAKE PEOPLE SURPRISED THAT THEY CAN GET SUCH GOOD FOOD,
GOOD SERVICE OR COCKTAILS ON OCRACOKE ISLAND.
- OCRACOKE'S THAT KIND OF ISLAND,
PEOPLE GET TOGETHER FOR COFFEE IN THE MORNING
AND THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DID THE NIGHT BEFORE.
CHEERS.
YOU CAN'T GO WRONG IF YOU COME HERE.
THIS PLACE IS REALLY, I THINK, THE NUMBER ONE SPOT.
- [DEBORAH] THE FLYING MELON IS LOCATED
AT 181 BACK ROAD IN OCRACOKE.
AFTER MEMORIAL DAY THEY WILL BE OPEN
TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FOR DINNER AT 5:00 P.M.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GIVE THEM A CALL AT [252]928-2533
OR CHECK THEM OUT ON FACEBOOK.