Mark’s Score 8.1
Drift is an eclectic mix of a store that is hard to categorize. It is a coffee shop, bakery, deli, and catering service. It is owned by Meridith and Joshua Ranck, the owners of AJ’s on the Creek, one of Chincoteague’s more popular restaurants and just down the street from Drift.
The first time I walked into this shop, I didn’t know what to make of it. I thought it was a coffee shop, which it is, but the coffee shop section is small. On the opposite wall of the coffee counter, they sell ground coffee and tea, certainly, but they also sell pasta, pasta sauce, oils, wine and (improbably) stuffed animals, blankets, Christmas ornaments, soaps, sun screen, and candles. They also sell breakfast pastries, which I have not yet tried.
The draw for me though, is their deli. I occasionally go for walks in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR) (see post). On my last excursion to the CNWR I decided I would pick up a sandwich and a drink and eat it at the Pony Overlook on the Woodland Trail. It was a beautiful clear autumn day and perfect weather for sitting on a bench, looking over the marshlands of Chincoteague Island and eating a picnic lunch. I like Drift’s deli counter menu so I stopped to get a sandwich for my hike. The upside is they have a very interesting menu, the downside is it is too interesting. It is hard to make a choice.
Being a beautiful autumn day, I was beginning to get into a seasonal frame of mind, so I decided to order their “Pilgrim,” a sundried cranberry panini stuffed with turkey stuffing, red onion, and cranberry mayo. It comes with a side of their homemade gravy. I hadn’t really thought my decision through. I put the sandwich in my knapsack, and then it occurred to me, “what am I going to do with the gravy?” I almost threw the gravy away; I had no place to store it and by the time I reached the Pony Outlook it would be cold. But fortunately, I decided to keep it and carry it in my hand. I nearly lost it in the car on the way to the CNWR, I hadn’t thought about that possibility either.
When I reached the Outlook I unwrapped the sandwich, opened the lid to the gravy container (it was thankfully still warm), dipped the sandwich into the gravy and took a bite. It was like eating a mouthful of a lifetime of Thanksgivings packed into a single sandwich. Life doesn’t get any better than sitting on a bench, with a great view, and eating a turkey sandwich with gravy, stuffing, and cranberries.
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