Summer favorite comes back

AS MANY longtime visitors can attest, the charm of North Carolina's Outer Banks doesn't lie in its McSeaMansions or its tony restaurants. The region's greatest allures, beyond its natural beauty, are the time-worn and time-honored establishments that give the barrier islands such a distinctive sense of place and sense of continuity.

For decades, those treasures included the family-owned Fisherman's Wharf restaurant in the village of Wanchese. The Daniels family - with 11 sons and four daughters - served up local seafood, hush puppies, chocolate pie and more to islanders and tourists.

When the restaurant closed a few years ago, it left a gaping hole in the region's menu of attractions. As The Pilot's Catherine Kozak reported Monday, summertime regulars would return as they always did to the restaurant - only to learn that it was, like so many other traditions, gone.

But this summer, those visitors won't drive away disappointed. Some members of the Daniels family have revived the restaurant and, to their credit, pledged their profits to benefit the needy, drug-treatment programs and similar charities. The familiar old restaurant is alive again - and so is a vibrant part of the heritage of the Outer Banks.