The restaurant closed two days early due to Sandy, and will re-open for the 2013 season in March. 

Owners Bob and Ruth Toth spent Tuesday preparing food for the crew, family and friends.   A guest who offered to help was told, by Bob, "We need help getting rid of some this remaining beer and wine."  It was done.

After months of preparing and serving the food, the staff was happy to tuck into appetizers from the restaurant's menu. 

Plates were piled with herbed chevre and fig preserves, pimiento cheese, and marinated shrimp.  There was a happy scramble as clams casino and crab puffs came out of the kitchen.

Kids made whole meals of cheesy french fries.  Most of us saved room for a gut-busting main course of ribs, mac and cheese, and spicy Thai noodles.

Cheli and Presvi presented Bob and Ruth with a framed photo of this year's crew, taken at a surprise party held on National Bosses' Day, to thank the Toths for being generous and supportive employers. 

As the party wound down, the crew without kids to put to bed committed themselves to putting the rest of the wine to bed.

Ruth said Bob deserved praise for perfect attendance.  Brad Yeatman, who missed over 6 months of work due to the grinding wheels of immigration, spent most of the season in his native South Africa.  He had the worst attendance. 

Beatle Haddad should have gotten an award for best dramatic performance by a waitress, said one colleague, remembering a slow evening when Beatle's attempts to be cut early led to a host of ailments, including a pronounced limp that mysteriously appeared and disappeared.

Cafe aficionados Kim and Reggie O'Neal admitted they saw the full parking lot and thought about crashing. 

I'm not washing the dishes tonight, said Bob, looking tired and happy.

Want your end of season party --or any party, for that matter-- covered by Ocracoke Current?  Invite Sundae or Jenny to attend!