Rediscovering America_ Exploring the Small Towns of Virginia & Maryland - Bill Burnham [91]
Nick’s Seafood Pavilion has been a landmark in Yorktown for half a century. The late owners, Nick and Mary Mathews, opened the Greek-themed seafood restaurant in 1944. Even though its seafood and Greek specialties are extremely popular in the summer, you’ll rarely have trouble getting a table, as it seats 500. Choose a table under a crystal chandelier, or a booth lined in turquoise-colored vinyl. Statues and grapevines complete the Grecian atmosphere. In 2002 the county purchased the restaurant and land around it as part of ongoing Water Street revitalization. There is much speculation about what will happen to Nick’s, but county officials vow they’ll keep it open in some form. (Water Street near the Coleman Bridge, tel. 757-887-5269)
Water Street Landing could be called an upscale pizza shop, with a tantalizing list of gourmet toppings. But they also serve quiches, soups and sandwiches for lunch, and nightly dinner specials. Booths look out through large windows to the street and beach. (114 Water Street, tel. 757-886-5890)
The Yorktown Pub is very casual and, although basically a bar, it’s also suitable for families. You might sit next to out-of-towners taking a break from Colonial Williamsburg or middle-aged members of a Harley-Davidson biker club. No credit cards or checks are accepted; it’s strictly cash for your burgers, beer, shrimp and steaks. (540 Water Street, tel. 757-886-9964)
The River Room inside the Duke of York Motel serves breakfast and lunch in a diner-style atmosphere. (tel. 757-898-3232)
Lodging
York River Inn B&B is on a high bluff overlooking the river in a new, but Colonial-styled home. It has three rooms with private baths and is furnished with Virginia antiques. Breakfast might include items like flan, clam pudding or crème brûlée. (209 Ambler Street, tel. 757-887-8800 or 800-884-7003, www.yorkriverinn.com, $$)
The Duke of York Motel is opposite the town beach and has an outdoor pool (508 Water Street, tel. 757-898-3232, $$). The quaint one-bedroom Moss Guest Cottage is rented to vacationers (224 Nelson Street, tel. 757-229-5606, http://hometown.aol.com/mosscottage1, $$). Or choose the modern Courtyard Newport News Yorktown, about seven miles outside Yorktown village (105 Cybernetics Way, tel. 757-874-9000, www.courtyard.com, $$).
Pet-friendly: The Marl Inn B&B accepts well-behaved pets, no extra charge. This modern home in the historic district has three guest rooms with private baths and entrances (two are suites with laundry and kitchen facilities). The innkeepers provide bicycles to guests who want to cycle around town or into the nearby Yorktown Battlefield. The name “Marl” comes from the hard clay that was used as a building material by early Yorktown colonists. Children welcome. (220 Church Street, tel. 757-898-3859 or 800-799-6207, www.marlinnbandb.com, $$)
Information
York County Public Information Office, tel. 757-890-3300, www.yorkcounty.gov.
MYTH: Cornwallis Cave wasn’t really the headquarters of the English general during the siege of Yorktown.Most likely it was used by other English officers and civilians to hide and store provisions. The cave can be seen along south Water Street.
Williamsburg
Creamy peanut soup made from a recipe brought to English colonies by African slaves. Hot cider steaming over an outdoor fire on a cold winter day. Clipped, staccato rat-a-tat-tats of a fife-and-drum corps marching. In these and so many other ways, Colonial Williamsburg is a feast for the senses.
A tree-lined gravel path leading into this re-created 18th-century town sets the stage nicely. In early summer, honeysuckle entwined around tree trucks makes the air heavy with its sweet scent. Around a white windmill, farmers dressed in breeches and short jackets tend rows of corn. There’s a wheelwright barn where carriages are repaired. Up ahead is the Courthouse. Outside it are the public stocks, which visitors eagerly place head and hands into for an oft-repeated photo op