tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9908816847003760712024-02-01T23:54:38.497-05:00Delicious!Reviewing restaurants in the seven cities and beyond.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-70398769483396251442014-10-06T10:52:00.000-04:002014-10-06T10:52:43.631-04:00Garrison's Bar and Grill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This was not my first visit to Garrison’s Bar and
Grill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last time I was there however,
it was for brunch – and they don’t serve brunch anymore – so it’s been quite a
few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do remember that I enjoyed
my last experience very much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Garrison’s is a quaint little restaurant tucked away in
the Renaissance Place shopping center in the Great Neck area of Virginia
Beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant is tastefully
decorated and offers outdoor seating as well as indoor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I made reservations and arrived at the determined time
and was seated immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our drink
orders were also taken immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Garrison’s boasts an extensive wine list as well as several specialty
cocktails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began the evening with an
apple martini.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was so good that I had to order a second one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For appetizers we ordered the warm crab dip and the sautéed
shrimp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The dip was served with warm pita bread and had a
smooth and creamy texture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a bit
salty but overall palatable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shrimp
were sautéed with chiles and were just the right amount of spicy and were
prepared perfectly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We chose to get the dinner specials for the evening:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>salmon in a creamy caper sauce with spinach
over pasta and grilled mahi topped with a mango salsa and seasoned rice and
veggies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">First of all, the portion sizes were perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often shy away from pasta/seafood dishes
because the plates are usually overflowing with pasta and I have to search for
the seafood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This dish was perfectly
balanced and the flavor was delicate and delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The mahi was light and seasoned very well and the mango
salsa was a lovely compliment to the fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The only drawback was the amount of time we waited for
the entrees to be served.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The appetizers
were finished and we were on our second round of drinks before the meals were
served.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the food arrived our
server asked if it was worth the wait, and we had to agree that it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was outstanding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The atmosphere was quiet and in my opinion perfect for a
romantic date night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Our reservations were for 6:30 pm and the restaurant had a few patrons but not too crowded. However, when we were preparing to leave it seemed to be starting to fill up and I'm assuming it gets quite busy on a Friday night.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The prices are very
reasonable and the service is friendly and inviting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would definitely return to Garrison’s for
an evening out and would recommend it my friends/family.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/391329/restaurant/Hampton-Roads/Oceana-Great-Neck-Hilltop/Garrisons-Bar-and-Grill-Virginia-Beach"><img alt="Garrison's Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/391329/biglink.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-15871490210038225852013-08-18T20:15:00.001-04:002013-08-20T14:32:53.109-04:00Red Robin Gourmet Burgers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’ve visited Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
countless numbers of times but this is my first review. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Why?</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I
have no idea.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Today probably wasn’t the
best time to visit because I’m dieting. However, my daughter is leaving in two days
to go back to school and this is where she wanted to go.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So, I pushed the diet aside and agreed to
oblige her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Many people may think that it could be
difficult to find healthy options at a burger joint. And those people are probably right but I
counted this as a treat meal and promised myself that I would get back on my
plan first thing Monday. No, seriously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I started out the meal with the hummus
plate (355 calories, 23g fat). It came
with baby carrots, cucumbers and chips.
Chips? Why chips? The veggies were crispy and delicious and the
hummus was smooth and creamy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">For my entrée I ordered the southwest
grilled chicken salad with the dressing on the side. I love this salad because of the avocado,
black beans and fried jalapenos. Even
though it’s a salad, it’s a pretty big one and without the dressing comes in at
711 calories and 35g fat. In a
salad. That’s more fat grams than I normally
consume in an entire day. I’m not
knocking the salad – I loved it and left nothing on the plate – except the
dressing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The kids, who are not dieting indulged
in the gourmet burgers. Why else would
you go to a burger joint if you weren’t getting burgers? My son ordered the banzai burger (973
calories, 55g fat). The burger is marinated in teriyaki & topped with
grilled pineapple, cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce, tomatoes and mayo. It looked great and he loved it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span font-family:="" imes="" new="" roman="" serif=""><span style="font-size: large;">My
daughter, who is not that adventurous ordered her usual bacon cheeseburger
without mayo (782 calories, 42g fat).</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span font-family:="" imes="" new="" roman="" serif=""><span style="font-size: large;">Both
burgers came with steak fries and they both ordered the freckled strawberry
lemonade.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span font-family:="" imes="" new="" roman="" serif="">I like Red
Robin. There are no surprises. We were seated immediately and the server
(Elizabeth) was great. It was early on a
Sunday evening and there was a pretty good crowd but that didn’t hinder our
service at all. When I go to Red Robin,
this is the one that I turn to. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/392772/restaurant/Hampton-Roads/Red-Robin-Gourmet-Burgers-Chesapeake"><img alt="Red Robin Gourmet Burgers on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/392772/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
<a href="http://foodio54.com/restaurant/Chesapeake-VA/eebaf/Red-Robin-Gourmet-Burgers"><img src="http://foodio54.com/images/badge-2-eebaf.jpg" alt="Red Robin Gourmet Burgers on Foodio54" style="width:104px;height:34px;padding:0;border:none;" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-44413831261457747562012-08-26T14:40:00.000-04:002012-08-26T14:40:40.226-04:00757 Crave<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IoMp4AC0jXHmp6fiQNwSDL53DcKch3CJyqZzK48aQpbR2h-t7h3PCQ5V4WssY60XOPs5MsXqUrONUypK_fja-lt7v0ilABpmrdJc0pYG41CL3NSUkBVOMODwKRlXp7xHZzH-H-KdBZZn/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IoMp4AC0jXHmp6fiQNwSDL53DcKch3CJyqZzK48aQpbR2h-t7h3PCQ5V4WssY60XOPs5MsXqUrONUypK_fja-lt7v0ilABpmrdJc0pYG41CL3NSUkBVOMODwKRlXp7xHZzH-H-KdBZZn/s320/005.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>
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If you are in the Virginia Beach area and in search of a relaxing place to have breakfast with beautiful views and great food, 757 Crave is definitely worth checking out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Mu_J_8fjmSxqOwDxuZpN19JLuuJPwEvOu3w-k7j6VqVcC9wGFNN8coWmUFattdHHd6Lu7WzS5VgUoy7l8_KhkcBNIGBye-uOYg3J1Pc56rNBPL5-vg5Fz7XaI6lD-CtZArLu6KI04sSv/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Mu_J_8fjmSxqOwDxuZpN19JLuuJPwEvOu3w-k7j6VqVcC9wGFNN8coWmUFattdHHd6Lu7WzS5VgUoy7l8_KhkcBNIGBye-uOYg3J1Pc56rNBPL5-vg5Fz7XaI6lD-CtZArLu6KI04sSv/s320/002.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>
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757 Crave is a seasonal eatery that initially opened at the Marina Shores marina in 2011 and continues to be a popular spot among the Great Neck neighborhood and Virginia Beach at large. And for good reason. <br />
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I arrived Sunday morning just after 9:00 and the dining area was already half full, within thirty minutes, it was completely full. I was seated immediately and placed my order. The menu has many options and includes omelettes, eggs benedict , Belgian waffles and breakfast burritos. I decided on the Crave-licious Eggs Benny <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D2GDDQUSiwC2NQ7LRXj9htzqkk7uGIuwA70J1bhyKOIo-d_0u4pFRtkQkAAXVTu1tINuDWF80YmmJngbani33v-Xg2IBg5O1Lwt8K5fdmedI_IQGmToJdWZy0tOToiQ_GP0hhx1TzYNH/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D2GDDQUSiwC2NQ7LRXj9htzqkk7uGIuwA70J1bhyKOIo-d_0u4pFRtkQkAAXVTu1tINuDWF80YmmJngbani33v-Xg2IBg5O1Lwt8K5fdmedI_IQGmToJdWZy0tOToiQ_GP0hhx1TzYNH/s320/003.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>
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It is described as two eggs over a baked savory creation of spinach, applewood bacon, onion, garlic and rustic cheese bread and topped with hollandaise. There was an option to add crabmeat for an additional $4 and I took advantage of it. Everything is better with crabmeat.<br />
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It didn’t take very long for my order to arrive. I was perfectly content to read my book and enjoy the beautiful day and the magnificent views. I think I got through two pages before my meal arrived.<br />
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The eggs were prepared perfectly and I thought the dish was delicious. The potatoes were tasty and naturally complimented the eggs benedict. It was a great meal. I was a little disappointed in the amount of crabmeat I received for the $4 upcharge – but I suppose it should be expected for fresh crabmeat. <br />
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According to the owner, the season will be coming to a close in October but there are plans to open a second location in Portsmouth that will be a year-round eatery. Which is good news for Crave fans, of which I am now one. Check them out on Facebook or better yet, just head on down there. Crave is open for breakfast and lunch six days a week and also serves dinner on Wednesday and Thursday. Check out the menu online.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">2100 Marina Shores Drive</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Virginia Beach, VA 23451 </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(757) 376-4361</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1659116/restaurant/Hampton-Roads/Shore-Drive/757-Crave-Breakfast-Lunch-On-The-Water-Virginia-Beach"><img alt="757 Crave Breakfast & Lunch On The Water on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1659116/minilink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 36px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-64363019725154059102012-03-25T11:09:00.007-04:002012-03-25T12:30:19.456-04:00The Art of Chocolate - Virginia Chocolate Festival<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi-oWzVlKYvUnSHes9Ae8rgLlhZ-sGdr46m3gvOfjBwNMckPLZzaqthMqU-y2-zbCuXm1vIKXuOqUrXOdgvI1TtwtV_pPrY8hGoNd85On6iUmT6ubexGAUCN_1NeGCwUQZhDTkJ1WFDxg/s1600/frontlogo.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 98px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723852192133730914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi-oWzVlKYvUnSHes9Ae8rgLlhZ-sGdr46m3gvOfjBwNMckPLZzaqthMqU-y2-zbCuXm1vIKXuOqUrXOdgvI1TtwtV_pPrY8hGoNd85On6iUmT6ubexGAUCN_1NeGCwUQZhDTkJ1WFDxg/s400/frontlogo.gif" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>This weekend I had the pleasure of attending <a href="http://www.vafest.org/chocolate/"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Norfolk's first chocolate festival.</span></strong></a> There were many events including a Chocolate 101 class put on by the Culinary Institute of Virginia, a chocolate beer challenge and a bartender's challenge all featuring concoctions created with chocolate.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>I spent my time at the main event -- The Chocoholic's Dream -- at the Scope Exhibition Hall on March 24, 2012. It is said that good chocolate gives a woman the exact same feeling that she has when she's in love. If that's true, well, I think I fell in love several times at the festival.</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHbRiF5-I0vfLBZHiZwTEP0MZmz3k_iP4zi3_BUtWNxXo6BvUctReaRLKmTaDojxC2cJeSiBnheTUzcUTqdSJ0wM09_ykRFAxcQ3wgGZfWlKTY5JjBdegfDwKce6AgmViNhba1SBLhvrk/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723863957351061250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHbRiF5-I0vfLBZHiZwTEP0MZmz3k_iP4zi3_BUtWNxXo6BvUctReaRLKmTaDojxC2cJeSiBnheTUzcUTqdSJ0wM09_ykRFAxcQ3wgGZfWlKTY5JjBdegfDwKce6AgmViNhba1SBLhvrk/s400/001.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The event was well organized and entertaining. There were a variety of vendors, exhibits and demonstrations. Who knew you could do so many things with chocolate?</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The first vendor I visited was <span style="color:#ffcc66;">The Royal Chocolate</span>. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNhqQOewQIMEHNFANN8_lALDnH_vlkhDN85LtGjzqamBK3VRgI_iUkyZcsEYfmQmtSOcSeFlzNKr8uQ3p8ODV8H6XiOq35Jx951k97jtGgjxTWHN4n4ZUl2vparVPHn-h1h05ilNqboPE/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723863964778484514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNhqQOewQIMEHNFANN8_lALDnH_vlkhDN85LtGjzqamBK3VRgI_iUkyZcsEYfmQmtSOcSeFlzNKr8uQ3p8ODV8H6XiOq35Jx951k97jtGgjxTWHN4n4ZUl2vparVPHn-h1h05ilNqboPE/s400/002.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>They were strategically situated close to the entrance which, in my opinion, was a good thing because my impression of their chocolate sort of set the stage for my entire experience. The first thing I tasted was a chocolate called Spicy Maya. The first bite was this delicious dark chocolate but the finish or the aftertaste was spicy. Very spicy. Deliciously spicy. I had never had anything like it. The dark chocolate is infused with pasilla chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. It was amazing and the woman who sold it to me suggested that it would pair perfectly with cabernet. I also purchased another bar called Firecracker which is dark chocolate with chipolte, salt and pop rocks. The Royal Chocolate is located in the Virginia Beach Town Center.</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6j2yFwoNRopvHdsCCi-iyzhyEE7tYTA7wQ4BcY4zIShfv1KM1eqOwY9yX4QGBioI9jgigI2Pum3gYJcjLrC3pBCAvPAOb_wv7n37BZ6B5tHsiiU4idTdJOqx7wFQX3KWe0xgP4xyWw-p/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723863987816712226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6j2yFwoNRopvHdsCCi-iyzhyEE7tYTA7wQ4BcY4zIShfv1KM1eqOwY9yX4QGBioI9jgigI2Pum3gYJcjLrC3pBCAvPAOb_wv7n37BZ6B5tHsiiU4idTdJOqx7wFQX3KWe0xgP4xyWw-p/s400/012.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Some of the other vendors I visited were <span style="color:#ffcc66;">Trafton's Chocolates</span>, where I purchased a box of truffles, <span style="color:#ffcc66;">Schakolad</span> where I was able to dip a strawberry into a dark chocolate fountain for $2, and <span style="color:#ffcc66;">Harry and David</span> where I got to taste milk chocolate truffles. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkz8I0Mcxfm08Qz7nOdvdt6DbPlpAxg8fCOEyvhDds6MSrdHuK8KcdiyMbKA4UdpdB3bZ7l3kl8WgaDFavNNxe_FbJAXZS4Y4pUMVYFcwtK0Vdj7pS7q5AtZQfz-mVU8bK8h09Nez3Jt49/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723863969036505042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkz8I0Mcxfm08Qz7nOdvdt6DbPlpAxg8fCOEyvhDds6MSrdHuK8KcdiyMbKA4UdpdB3bZ7l3kl8WgaDFavNNxe_FbJAXZS4Y4pUMVYFcwtK0Vdj7pS7q5AtZQfz-mVU8bK8h09Nez3Jt49/s400/005.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsYdA_R9DT7MbXYVi3rej3behd1lYqP2F_NTAtyPHTnW0RLzUNf4hE16pYMSqXOLgIuMKQ5zRMx7fhg64d2snEN-xqVdmgU-UNNFO4UOSnaSje_oONLhY7IhYDgQjwV0l-IRDhTx57e2e/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723864493827280994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsYdA_R9DT7MbXYVi3rej3behd1lYqP2F_NTAtyPHTnW0RLzUNf4hE16pYMSqXOLgIuMKQ5zRMx7fhg64d2snEN-xqVdmgU-UNNFO4UOSnaSje_oONLhY7IhYDgQjwV0l-IRDhTx57e2e/s400/014.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>There were also several wine vendors participating at the festival. I found it fascinating that the lines were much longer at the wine tables than the chocolate tables. I enjoyed the wine that was infused with chocolate more than the actual chocolate wine. The chocolate wine looked like a YooHoo. Not my thing. <span style="color:#ffcc66;">Three Olives Vodka</span> also provided samples of a chocolate vodka and cherry coke cocktail. Very tasty.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>The <span style="color:#ffcc66;">Prince Michel Winery</span> was also onsite and I tasted the Rapidian River Chocolate wine. This was a red blend infused with chocolate and it was something that I could actually see myself purchasing. Wine was not sold at the festival but it is available at Harris Teeter, Farm Fresh and Total Wine. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLr5rxMcSdkRmQgMOsCToW2YG76OEnf5BbpegcFf35Z_IUgIyPdFXrLFBn_a1A6SyIiRRNzyqSACmipJLygbBM5AxsVtcUcGl_KXNhGJBM_CK-3igR25eVuJvJejy49XPARSoAsfYDHQOO/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723864489088497874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLr5rxMcSdkRmQgMOsCToW2YG76OEnf5BbpegcFf35Z_IUgIyPdFXrLFBn_a1A6SyIiRRNzyqSACmipJLygbBM5AxsVtcUcGl_KXNhGJBM_CK-3igR25eVuJvJejy49XPARSoAsfYDHQOO/s400/010.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Overall, I believe that the first Chocolate Festival was a success. There was such a variety of vendors many of which you wouldn't expect to see: <span style="color:#ffcc66;">Barnes & Noble, Just Cupcakes and Twisted Sister and Planet Chiropractic</span> (I thought that was weird). I had a great time and I look forward to next year's event.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSbLxQsd-qY-EMysXuTn8uTzhI6kjmhraUyhvbiCMWWZ214KplHQwW4x9GoSMDN1MA7hB27psREdMyNP_RODBIB3TSJdZimsaM_cf5gYdqcxI_85FtnIzdJFUzKmunmte8bH9xtHYMgdD/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723864480655938370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSbLxQsd-qY-EMysXuTn8uTzhI6kjmhraUyhvbiCMWWZ214KplHQwW4x9GoSMDN1MA7hB27psREdMyNP_RODBIB3TSJdZimsaM_cf5gYdqcxI_85FtnIzdJFUzKmunmte8bH9xtHYMgdD/s400/008.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jYnIxJ9inLYKxOUIQvdDZc4STrWJtPzj48mIFMRB6tAB0j21fxnD0PdbhhcHvrVzw1pggLiuA3WyWJqix7pxgUZxseAsjG4KT_KeSaSDJPoEZ2zO_kFm03HgOFOCyYGW7elYlr22vrND/s1600/007.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_w0Hf3DL27uwLDDxVa3Tu7fKJTzKpuTjVf6V6Txz-ncf9ZpJpHNKBDbyLcv2BdfkFPmJU89stEqZtw9hCFcuJ7WYABn_hXpVqe-nFMitsbKlyOWjNX-1_UxrlTKAPm7_Kwvoh3PkQv1L/s1600/006.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-86898920090830545972012-02-13T09:45:00.003-05:002013-08-20T14:31:27.724-04:00Woody McGees Barstro<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzsRbvvmVeDo-TJ3Y6xaUPkocf_flH_VWRsSPhO553BEeB2H2folu4pKpKp0xoA5N0BrGr1GYnxGtFDk89vTMULXg75pVfZBNZzG2FitHYR32TxJJim1NbvwqK7SUw-srA63LbIG_hBJo/s1600/003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708631690716442770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzsRbvvmVeDo-TJ3Y6xaUPkocf_flH_VWRsSPhO553BEeB2H2folu4pKpKp0xoA5N0BrGr1GYnxGtFDk89vTMULXg75pVfZBNZzG2FitHYR32TxJJim1NbvwqK7SUw-srA63LbIG_hBJo/s400/003.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Woody McGees Barstro is located in the Holland Plaza Shopping Center on Holland Road in Virginia Beach. I discovered it on Urbanspoon when I was looking for a place to have brunch on the weekend. I read the reviews and every single one of them was positive. So I had to check it out.<br />
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Woody McGees is open seven days a week and serves breakfast/brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. We arrived at 10:30 but when we got there the sign on the door said “Open Daily 11:00 am - 2:00 am”. While waiting in the parking lot I saw a few people coming and going and then the “Open” light came on. So I was a little confused as to when the store actually opened and I couldn’t find anything on the website. Nonetheless, we went in and were seated immediately. The restaurant appears to be separated into two sections, smoking and non-smoking and can be accessed by two different entrances. The bar and televisions are located on the smoking side. We were seated in the non-smoking section.<br />
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I had previewed the menu beforehand so I knew exactly what I was going to order. The brunch menu features benedicts, omelets and classic favorites like breakfast burritos and Woody’s French toast. The French toast caught my eye immediately.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZQEWEsje_rY3lradQDwAsiiAifMUsX8HXabmJ38skSkrEPjJVGja6eV1VOyB4PhqJ2kOiuVg7B9L651ifOX8MzBkFECMVvC5duFXpUQ6DJ_gs93pj94wQHip1D-nwb5LDEsYj6PC3oyW/s1600/001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708631672077750786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZQEWEsje_rY3lradQDwAsiiAifMUsX8HXabmJ38skSkrEPjJVGja6eV1VOyB4PhqJ2kOiuVg7B9L651ifOX8MzBkFECMVvC5duFXpUQ6DJ_gs93pj94wQHip1D-nwb5LDEsYj6PC3oyW/s400/001.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <br />
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The three slices of Texas toast are topped with vanilla bean butter and are served with two scrambled eggs and maple smoked bacon. It was a lot of food but I felt the portion size was perfect. Probably because I had run five miles that morning and was starving. The meal was delicious.<br />
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We also ordered a classic ham and cheese omelet which was served with a large bowl of grits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0dSRFTkp6qv18RC2CneiTghBgjtS5grWyRt434-poQRX88TO9LSmmD5My8QDTvbcO3i1wxJtSzQ7-6i0kWXA4jXE3m9XiNP6rTUvq0NjrxmxGsvuUWBP5gFmNHUQyuc5ZcYnAwC-CSRc/s1600/002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708631676278062482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0dSRFTkp6qv18RC2CneiTghBgjtS5grWyRt434-poQRX88TO9LSmmD5My8QDTvbcO3i1wxJtSzQ7-6i0kWXA4jXE3m9XiNP6rTUvq0NjrxmxGsvuUWBP5gFmNHUQyuc5ZcYnAwC-CSRc/s400/002.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <br />
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Also very filling and very tasty.<br />
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The atmosphere in Woody McGees was comfortable and the server was attentive. There weren’t many patrons in the restaurant that morning but for me, that was a plus. I enjoy eating a good meal in a peaceful environment where I don’t have to fight to have a conversation and I don’t have to wait for a table.<br />
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Overall, I felt the experience was a good one. Woody’s is easy to find on Holland Road, good parking, reasonable prices for brunch, great food and good service.<br />
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I would like to go back for dinner because the menu is so varied with sandwiches, burgers, steaks and seafood and an extensive wine list. But for now, I think I found the place where I’ll go for my Mother’s Day brunch.<br />
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Check out the website for their complete menu.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">4356 Holland Road<br />Virginia Beach, VA 23452<br />(757) 222-6775</span><a href="http://www.woodymcgees.com/"><span style="font-size: 85%;">www.woodymcgees.com</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1624648/restaurant/Hampton-Roads/Lynnhaven/Woody-McGees-Barstro-Virginia-Beach"><img alt="Woody McGees Barstro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1624648/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://foodio54.com/restaurant/Virginia-Beach-VA/eec67/Woody-McGees-Barstro"><img alt="Woody McGees Barstro on Foodio54" src="http://foodio54.com/images/badge-2-eec67.jpg" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0; width: 104px;" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-18645630081138657722011-10-18T09:02:00.004-04:002011-10-18T11:44:17.446-04:00Cotton Southern Bistro<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtSREi1ksECrzizbSTPjzPwQZ2PYMk0bPoku_hQHBCwlTDDjeZ10RSNhDoj9x5o-WbUz6YxNxxgXWXokgsDv72AIFoPVS8sUwitFxSUY3j7scw_odolfJXCeuPRSE6oKQB_mZW7tFNi66/s1600/cotton1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664817176511625890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtSREi1ksECrzizbSTPjzPwQZ2PYMk0bPoku_hQHBCwlTDDjeZ10RSNhDoj9x5o-WbUz6YxNxxgXWXokgsDv72AIFoPVS8sUwitFxSUY3j7scw_odolfJXCeuPRSE6oKQB_mZW7tFNi66/s400/cotton1.jpg" /></a> It was my 47th birthday and I was in desperate need of comfort food and I wasn't going to cook it for myself. After a little bit of research I found the Cotton Southern Bistro in Chesapeake. The reviews were mixed but one thing that really impressed me was that with every negative review on Urbanspoon, the owner responded and offered to make the situation right. He seemed to really care about his customer's satisfaction.<br /><br />Cotton is located in a shopping center on Grassfield Parkway and the ride from Kempsville at dinner time was traffic filled but not unbearable. When we walked in I was surprised at how large the dining area was. There was plenty of seating and I noticed that there was also a separate bar area. We were seated immediately and our drink and appetizer order was taken.<br /><br />The menu is filled with so many options but I was able to decide on the fried pickles as a starter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p_6X8zGrSA0qgFE9ts2OCuwjtt51YC5lopn5UXYYnlmvaTKd60r1QgpnZd9PrxUCAQO8ZmHx2XXA5abFGHUOheWIIjoGgaxneUP-UQIGftkxayL_ESnEHySMsOzJobf605GtU4bmre9y/s1600/cotton5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664819385405902050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p_6X8zGrSA0qgFE9ts2OCuwjtt51YC5lopn5UXYYnlmvaTKd60r1QgpnZd9PrxUCAQO8ZmHx2XXA5abFGHUOheWIIjoGgaxneUP-UQIGftkxayL_ESnEHySMsOzJobf605GtU4bmre9y/s400/cotton5.jpg" /></a> The picture is deceving because there were twice as many pickles in the platter when it was brought to the table. I didn't think to snap the shot until we were almost finished. That's because they were so good. The pickle chips were lightly dusted and fried. Not at all heavy and the creole dipping sauce was a nice compliment but I could have eaten them by themselves.</p><br /><p>Cotton serves nightly specials and on Monday we were treated to a pound of steamed shrimp for $7.99.<br /><br /><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrl7BJnJElcJM7vCHeh7bnJKN7_eUit2nBmnyslusmWnI6xFmdf1ElyvaKzgC4z58a7n4oQCk3Ja0XZCZV1T4Lf4go6299BVB0V20_rBz-iP5kRLzRTorjLFx5M9JHIQQ5ZiAzTqOMnCW/s1600/cotton2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664817163459869362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrl7BJnJElcJM7vCHeh7bnJKN7_eUit2nBmnyslusmWnI6xFmdf1ElyvaKzgC4z58a7n4oQCk3Ja0XZCZV1T4Lf4go6299BVB0V20_rBz-iP5kRLzRTorjLFx5M9JHIQQ5ZiAzTqOMnCW/s400/cotton2.jpg" /></a><br />Seasoned with a generous amount of Old Bay and served with drawn butter and cocktail sauce. <br /><br />As I said at the beginning of the review, I was in search of comfort food. What is more comforting than fried chicken and macaroni and cheese?<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGWxjLzIIWcYggyOXzlCMqMwoy0w6qDRy8lQddJ-fUnQghLvvebwqLYH8O8KcB1OpkE7-fBGLWrTCIE5t_ovuWZiNrulWW1rtYUJGR8kKfPDEAMIcT6ht8K7WtRcAhZj-YGO9zHDYrl43/s1600/cotton3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664817162370912930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGWxjLzIIWcYggyOXzlCMqMwoy0w6qDRy8lQddJ-fUnQghLvvebwqLYH8O8KcB1OpkE7-fBGLWrTCIE5t_ovuWZiNrulWW1rtYUJGR8kKfPDEAMIcT6ht8K7WtRcAhZj-YGO9zHDYrl43/s400/cotton3.jpg" /></a><br />The chicken fried chicken is a breast fried perfectly and topped with country gravy. The chicken was so tender and so juicy and for me, it was the perfect portion size. The mac and cheese was also very good. Not as good as mine ... but still delicious.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The third entree for the evening was the Cotton signature dish, the Kentucky Hot Brown<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zQ7qicMOsxNwWRkTYUUto26rfMD30nE34FK3_pZQjXa7RymcS1eL5HHXVWqQ_JdcFObVkgSIkpszzgLl7inxc0cUjuv3LEYPhx4m3Mil4IZd_BmSAYLXCl-nxwmfKv37yI7wKJL9eo_e/s1600/cotton4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664817158294371634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zQ7qicMOsxNwWRkTYUUto26rfMD30nE34FK3_pZQjXa7RymcS1eL5HHXVWqQ_JdcFObVkgSIkpszzgLl7inxc0cUjuv3LEYPhx4m3Mil4IZd_BmSAYLXCl-nxwmfKv37yI7wKJL9eo_e/s400/cotton4.jpg" /></a><br />This is an open-faced grilled turkey sandwich served with fries and smothered with brown gravy. And they aren't kidding when they say "smothered". The turkey was tender and the gravy was tasty but there was just so much of it, that it made the fries soggy and inedible.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The service at Cotton Southern Bistro was friendly. I was a little confused by the uniforms which were black and white striped shirts which made all the waitresses look like referees. I didn't get it but I suppose it's not for me to get. The unform had no bearing on the level of service which I thought was superb and the prices are reasonable as well with the average entree being about $15. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Check Cotton's website for nightly specials and they also advertise live entertainment.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I enjoyed our visit to Cotton Southern Bistro. I love to eat local and the next time I'm craving good comfort food I'll be sure to head back.</div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">648 Grassfield Parkway<br />Suite 12<br />Chesapeake, VA 23322<br />(757) 609-3156<br />www.cottonsouthernbistro.com<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1598614/restaurant/Norfolk/Cotton-Southern-Bistro-Chesapeake"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Cotton Southern Bistro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1598614/minilink.gif" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-90847078532543871402011-10-09T20:11:00.004-04:002011-10-10T06:47:56.104-04:00Pulcinella<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-24Xc3Sciqb1HbPARZzWnL1-Utg3ABVP9FP55VzmVEb82PqNESkkzHSj-dxomOYTBTHQPfZ6r9YGkoYxGsdgMJt9cZvdw-g3IQBVzlMY4oFTaCeZuv8oJs0E7zAX4llxAvFODxLVmAP-/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661650519335474626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-24Xc3Sciqb1HbPARZzWnL1-Utg3ABVP9FP55VzmVEb82PqNESkkzHSj-dxomOYTBTHQPfZ6r9YGkoYxGsdgMJt9cZvdw-g3IQBVzlMY4oFTaCeZuv8oJs0E7zAX4llxAvFODxLVmAP-/s400/011.JPG" /></a><br />What's better than authentic Italian food? Authentic Italian food in my neighborhood!<br /><br />I was so very excited to have discovered Pulcinella in the Kempsville neighborhood of Virginia Beach. I've been a resident for several years and I'm not sure why I didn't stumble upon this place sooner.<br /><br />Pulcinella is conveniently located in the Kemps River shopping center in between Tropical Smoothie and Outback. It's a cozy, little place and very comfortable. I arrived shortly before 6:00 pm and almost every one of the twelve tables was occupied. Since I was dining alone I had to wait until one of the smaller tables became available. They provide outdoor seating but I was willing to wait for an indoor table. The wait was no more than fifteen minutes.<br /><br />Once seated I ordered a glass of pinot noir and perused the menu. The menu contains a huge variety of pasta, chicken and veal dishes as well as many appetizers and salads. For such a small place I was surprised at how many different items were on the menu.<br /><br />I decided on the veal sorrento.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS71Qb7COjY18JZtIW7rqoa79HZT5bCgARyrRTp9w6b-DAur7UIKD-XRY_qO2FriGoMPNdwDIq8iDH_NTqZit3g6iR8yjo26lnEPUwMvi4hsJlZkr9F5C5SzkZBmm40KkzACHHuJRA9Qk/s1600/veal.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661650517710792322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS71Qb7COjY18JZtIW7rqoa79HZT5bCgARyrRTp9w6b-DAur7UIKD-XRY_qO2FriGoMPNdwDIq8iDH_NTqZit3g6iR8yjo26lnEPUwMvi4hsJlZkr9F5C5SzkZBmm40KkzACHHuJRA9Qk/s400/veal.jpg" /></a><br />The veal was thinly sliced and extremely tender and prepared with roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. For me, the portion size was perfect and the flavor was light and delicate. The side dish that I ordered was spinach which was sauteed in olive oil and garlic and dusted with grated parmesan cheese. It complimented the veal perfectly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxRQ9BToBPMIcymchABKJLH0Y4IAuOPmMyEIkynpq1JvyIo2Ao8QoTVNKWAAbWSrHH_5fDZZ-oIw9YR3lzdHoNhwuwhxRYZUm6iT2LinYpiEsjYWa6SpNTyz596JBGolnxt7bgTXn4Mc7/s1600/spinach.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661650514504406866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxRQ9BToBPMIcymchABKJLH0Y4IAuOPmMyEIkynpq1JvyIo2Ao8QoTVNKWAAbWSrHH_5fDZZ-oIw9YR3lzdHoNhwuwhxRYZUm6iT2LinYpiEsjYWa6SpNTyz596JBGolnxt7bgTXn4Mc7/s400/spinach.jpg" /></a> </p><br />Of course, I had to have dessert so I ordered the chocolate mousse.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRI2qpZ_7FlGid1SaV5rrNhhHTUFqmoe4D6ed9f_R3nRKkC4zKNBvFKFi5lxtKVC3fqqEJFlm6HnJKGa9Pwsq2fJejzyzhLKoD9TF_Fd_Osr64D3bn_lkzggjvr3_SkSRiVfcCYjFpHuP/s1600/chocolate+mousse.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661650510914761698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRI2qpZ_7FlGid1SaV5rrNhhHTUFqmoe4D6ed9f_R3nRKkC4zKNBvFKFi5lxtKVC3fqqEJFlm6HnJKGa9Pwsq2fJejzyzhLKoD9TF_Fd_Osr64D3bn_lkzggjvr3_SkSRiVfcCYjFpHuP/s400/chocolate+mousse.jpg" /></a><br />It was smooth and creamy and the perfect ending to a perfect meal.</p>The service was outstanding. When I received the check there was a note to leave the tip in cash. I'd never seen that before and it could have been awkward for someone who doesn't normally carry cash. Like myself. However, that day I did have cash with me so it all worked out. <br /><p></p>Finding Pulcinella was the highlight of my week. The food was fantastic. I overheard the man at the next table say that he lived in Naples for thirteen years ... in my mind he knows good Italian food and the fact that he was sitting in Pulcinella's speaks volumes.<br /><br />If you're in the neighborhood you should definitely check it out. Pulcinella is open seven days a week and you can view their entire menu on their website. <br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1255 Fordham Drive<br />Virginia Beach, VA 23464<br />(757) 222-0081 </span><br /><a href="http://www.pulcinellavb.strategicmarketsites.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.pulcinellavb.strategicmarketsites.com/</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1502559/restaurant/Norfolk/Kempsville/Pulcinella-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Pulcinella on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1502559/minilink.gif" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-7488263299556352892011-10-02T15:22:00.003-04:002011-10-02T15:45:15.509-04:00Classic Diner<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKifoJS6QMxQxVe-GQj6bmDNZXLN5B6lWqWkTtePPeXU1b7mcH9lESDoHbxRW9MhkZoga4SH_JedB30ZfLnqqYr7ADxCTlFjgq-6hct1pBVbAKUZK7gobEnbdwxzs4Rb1EGSGoWVn7K15w/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658977888964535154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKifoJS6QMxQxVe-GQj6bmDNZXLN5B6lWqWkTtePPeXU1b7mcH9lESDoHbxRW9MhkZoga4SH_JedB30ZfLnqqYr7ADxCTlFjgq-6hct1pBVbAKUZK7gobEnbdwxzs4Rb1EGSGoWVn7K15w/s400/002.JPG" /></a><br />You ever wake up craving something specific? That happens to me sometimes too. This morning I got up and ran almost five miles and after showering and shampooing all I wanted was eggs and homefries. I could have easily gone into my kitchen and prepared them and I usually do but today I really wanted to hold a menu and have someone else do the cooking and serving.<br /><br />My desination was the Broken Egg on Kempsville Road but when I pulled up the line was out the door. If I didn't have another appointment I probably would have waited because their food is really good. But I was starving and not in the mood to wait. I considered a few other places that I knew of but I didn't want to drive all the way to Great Neck for eggs and homefries. There had to be a place in Kempsville that wasn't a chain, where I could get a good breakfast and not wait half an hour to be seated.<br /><br />Classic Diner.<br /><br />Classic Diner is conveniently located in the Providence Square Shopping Center and I like the place. The service is always friendly and quick and the owners are just really nice people. This place is nothing fancy. Don't wait to be seated and don't look for a cloth napkin. It's a diner for goodness sake. <br /><br />When I walked in all the booths were taken and all but two of the tables were filled and there were a few seats at the counter. They were extremely busy so I was glad to get a seat. I looked at the menu briefly even though I knew exactly what I wanted. I ordered a veggie omelette and homefries with wheat toast. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgBDfOwJrs3wRkQiOv20Dvcg7qBwYokKPREP7xghbmrMAje3Z4fcoqZWGmS7O6bEjiKe0O_VaUkRETxym1nYBCF8xA_ACX0bHO-hE4vDcQt5LFxl7cbivdcVHaLj1Y8qizpHi8XAtdMmV/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658977886884144466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgBDfOwJrs3wRkQiOv20Dvcg7qBwYokKPREP7xghbmrMAje3Z4fcoqZWGmS7O6bEjiKe0O_VaUkRETxym1nYBCF8xA_ACX0bHO-hE4vDcQt5LFxl7cbivdcVHaLj1Y8qizpHi8XAtdMmV/s400/001.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The omelette was loaded with spinach, onion, green pepper, tomato, mushroom and swiss cheese and the potatoes were perfect. It was so good just to come to an unassuming little place and get a good meal at a good price.</p><br />The customers never stopped coming in and by the time I left there was a wait to get a table. </p><br /><br />Classic Diner is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch.<br /><br /><br />1021 Providence Square Shopping Center<br />Virginia Beach, VA 23464<br />(757) 467-3000<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1423726/restaurant/Norfolk/Kempsville/Classic-Diner-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Classic Diner on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1423726/minilink.gif" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-74837893719262110972011-09-05T17:03:00.002-04:002011-09-05T17:49:02.805-04:00Cobalt Grille - Monthly Wine DinnerI have been to many wine tastings over the years. I've visited various vineyards, festivals and tastings hosted by different restaurants. There are generally no real surprises. You go, you taste, you buy. Simple.<br /><br />What attracted me to the Cobalt Grille wine dinner was that the tasting was centered around a specific wine region and the wines were carefully paired with food. The spotlight is definitely on the wine, but the meal that accompanies is well thought out and executed quite nicely.<br /><br />The August wine dinner took us to the Napa Valley where I got to sample Sauvingon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvingon and Zinfandel.<br /><br />The first course was a plate of seared scallops with roasted silver queen corn and tomato salad with a sun dried tomato aioli. This course was served with the 2008 Sawyers Cellars Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite white wine and I was delighted when it hit the table. It was light and fruity but not sweet. <br /><br />The second course was pan fried branzini over spinach salad with a saffron broth. It was served with the 2008 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay. I never order Chardonnay. It is just too acidic for my tastes. I sipped it alone and as expected, I didn't like it. However, when I took a bite of the branzini and then sipped the wine ... perfection! It really was amazing to me how palatable the wine was with the fish. <br /><br />The third course was a wild mushroom and goat cheese tart, served with an arugula balsamic reduction. It was served with the 2009 Novy Family Winery Syrah. For me, this wine was the star of the evening. It was full and rich and delicious and I enjoyed it with the tart but could also sip it alone. <br /><br />The main course was a roasted beef filet, apple wood smoked bacon braised cabbage, Provence roasted potatoes, red wine bordelaise sauce. The meal was absolutely fantastic. The filet was cooked to a perfect medium temperature and the cabbage was like nothing I had ever tasted. It was served with the 2004 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon. Typically, I am not a fan of cabernet and the Smith-Madrone did nothing to change my mind. It was a huge, robust wine that was just too much for me. <br /><br />For dessert we were presented with a lovely chocolate cheesecake with local figs and pistachios. It was paired perfectly with the 2009 August Briggs "Old Vines" Zinfandel. The zin was my second favorite of the evening. It was rich and aromatic and not too sweet but was lovely with the dessert.<br /><br />The Cobalt Grille monthly wine dinner was a delight. The service was wonderful and each course was brought out professionally and efficiently. There was not a lot of waiting and I was lucky enough to be seated with the wine host, so I got plenty of details about the event and about what I was drinking. He was an excellent host.<br /><br />The price for the dinner is $90 per person and for my money, it was well worth it. You also have the opportunity to purchase any of the wines served that evening. The next dinner is scheduled for September 29th and I would highly recommend it.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1624 Laskin Road</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23451</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 333-3334</span><br /><a href="http://www.cobaltgrille.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.cobaltgrille.com</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/390808/restaurant/Norfolk/Oceana-Great-Neck-Hilltop/Cobalt-Grille-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Cobalt Grille on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/390808/minilink.gif" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-80207791761316988532011-09-04T13:13:00.003-04:002013-08-20T14:34:30.762-04:00Burtons Grill<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoa0KB8rR23Oaj_VUHO2yODJ21lShR71V8Kw8YTIEFnBOjCdJPXiRU4fVzXPy6wdu5s1V64uh9yYEC3enDC6SVg8m7WXsfQulbLOkzVH87CFWo9IckQGdl_r5t01GarXZ6lHUp0SQ2tft/s1600/010.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648555637207307554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoa0KB8rR23Oaj_VUHO2yODJ21lShR71V8Kw8YTIEFnBOjCdJPXiRU4fVzXPy6wdu5s1V64uh9yYEC3enDC6SVg8m7WXsfQulbLOkzVH87CFWo9IckQGdl_r5t01GarXZ6lHUp0SQ2tft/s400/010.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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I love Burtons Grill so I thought it was about time to update my 2009 review.
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After a few hours of shopping on Friday I was in the mood for seafood and I thought Burtons would be a good choice. Their menu is quite varied and I'm sure that Burtons can accommodate whatever it is that you are looking for, whether it be a sandwich, burger, steak or seafood.
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The atmosphere in Burtons is comfortable and family friendly but it would also be perfect for a special date night. When we arrived without a reservation we were greeted with a smile and seated immediately. One of the things that I love about Burtons' menu is that the specials are listed right inside the menu and they consist of an appetizer, entree, drink and their special 100th wine. I don't have to wait for the server to explain the specials but they are on hand in the event that I have any questions.
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I started the meal with the drink special which was an apple martini. The rim was sugar coated and the drink smelled like apple pie. It was wonderful.
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As an appetizer I ordered the she-crab soup.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8AsOd7IoZexq5soR6vWxgP-FnLJh9LeTIFsEhB1FptxxVwGRFVqEI8sl_Lk0VQD5F_lOrjCQB-j7GI8PjN_VB6fod9zqSUofdSyFC-kqvTU2M35v4lZ0TiumoAM6MwYfT5IMtPzSvGu7/s1600/011.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648555630400942258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8AsOd7IoZexq5soR6vWxgP-FnLJh9LeTIFsEhB1FptxxVwGRFVqEI8sl_Lk0VQD5F_lOrjCQB-j7GI8PjN_VB6fod9zqSUofdSyFC-kqvTU2M35v4lZ0TiumoAM6MwYfT5IMtPzSvGu7/s400/011.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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It was warm and delicious and filled with big lumps of crab. It was not overly seasoned and the flavors of the crab and sherry really came through. </div>
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As an entree I ordered the shrimp and lobster pasta
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhnjeVBkoxyGhsg2aJ20Q2IiquFL_xGgLkMPKoOEShQXhPPetec0sPofz_TjPDgjB0ot-iPF1qkIYXSzKTD85GTi57_xo5OU0YdfsW0GJOARtjaJIQCUVNFOX-FV3HJSbtbJkOXOiIYJI/s1600/012.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648555626185346322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhnjeVBkoxyGhsg2aJ20Q2IiquFL_xGgLkMPKoOEShQXhPPetec0sPofz_TjPDgjB0ot-iPF1qkIYXSzKTD85GTi57_xo5OU0YdfsW0GJOARtjaJIQCUVNFOX-FV3HJSbtbJkOXOiIYJI/s400/012.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>
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Burtons is not stingy when it comes to portion sizes. The shrimp in this dish were huge and they were cooked perfectly. The lobster was plentiful, sweet and tender. The dish also had tomatoes, snap peas -- which added a beautiful pop of color and a very mild sauce. </div>
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We also ordered the shrimp and grits
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zECfvIA9bEVuTBHNLGKWCsCdGiHQrAS9Fz0dW0anZl25_1I76aBEeCMqGucDikzFzsZv49vs-MxtvU3QtzDYNNF1iDSgTOTFm52VHWjv50OpZDZ-ddc7mpVQIcVvWsVcpAJEi3OP4Cj7/s1600/013.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648555624331828114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zECfvIA9bEVuTBHNLGKWCsCdGiHQrAS9Fz0dW0anZl25_1I76aBEeCMqGucDikzFzsZv49vs-MxtvU3QtzDYNNF1iDSgTOTFm52VHWjv50OpZDZ-ddc7mpVQIcVvWsVcpAJEi3OP4Cj7/s400/013.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> I've had shrimp and grits in quite a few places around town but never like this. There were five jumbo shrimp served atop a grit cake. The sauce included andouille sausage, corn and green peppers. All those flavors combined were fabulous. The grit cake tasted good but it was a little heavy. Next time I'll know not to order an app if I want to finish this dish.</div>
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Our server, Adam was very helpful and attentive. He knew the menu and made many good suggestions. The service was great.
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Dining at Burtons is always a good choice. Their menu always includes fresh and local items prepared to perfection. The prices are on the high end, but it is so worth it. If you haven't been to Burtons lately you really need to check it out.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">741 First Colonial Road</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23451</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">(757) 422-8970</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.burtonsgrill.com/"><span style="font-size: 85%;">www.burtonsgrill.com</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1421504/restaurant/Norfolk/Oceana-Great-Neck-Hilltop/Burtons-Grill-Virginia-Beach"><img alt="Burtons Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1421504/minilink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>
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<a href="http://foodio54.com/restaurant/Virginia-Beach-VA/eec4c/Burtons-Grill-LLC"><img alt="Burtons Grill LLC on Foodio54" src="http://foodio54.com/images/badge-2-eec4c.jpg" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0; width: 104px;" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-34872415560208311022011-07-29T09:18:00.005-04:002011-07-29T18:44:36.064-04:00Terra Restaurant and Bar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XoOmacgUderRdUmjyOJEvr1FndsvKJWm_oOM9A8yE6XASlQNehUz_jHfmQz1uZQimkxzd-XniM1x-EwQ9FhSsHvvy_qAe4p4ngMWwrB-E4IDM2fUVyFenwAMYWtgMnItL4_wdy4c_qjT/s1600/terra.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 377px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 282px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634765574583496530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XoOmacgUderRdUmjyOJEvr1FndsvKJWm_oOM9A8yE6XASlQNehUz_jHfmQz1uZQimkxzd-XniM1x-EwQ9FhSsHvvy_qAe4p4ngMWwrB-E4IDM2fUVyFenwAMYWtgMnItL4_wdy4c_qjT/s400/terra.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Hold on to your hats.<br /><br />I actually left the Southside and went to the Peninsula for a meal. Imagine that. It's still a big deal for me to leave the beach and go to Norfolk, so going through the HRBT is a huge deal for me. Why did I do it? My running group scheduled an event and Terra Restaurant and Bar in the new Peninsula Town Center was the location. This was my first visit to the new shopping center and I was looking forward to the visit. Even if it meant stepping out of my comfort zone.<br /><br />The visit took place on a Thursday evening and I was surprised at the amount of activity that was taking place in the town center. There were people everywhere. Doesn't anyone have to go to work in the morning? Guess not. I did have to go to work the next morning so I planned on making it an early evening.<br /><br />I arrived at Terra at 7:30 pm and the room was already pretty filled up. Apparently, there were a few private parties going on as well as my small group of nine, not to mention almost all the seats at the bar were filled. Terra also provides outdoor seating which would be perfect if most of our evenings weren't bordering on 90 degrees.<br /><br />I was the last of my group to arrive and once I was seated the waitress came around to take our dinner orders. Terra touts itself as a tappas and wine bar. It seemed to me that some of the menu items did not scream "tappas" but I decided to go with it anyway. I reviewed the wine list and there were several choices by the glass and the bottle, either white or red. The menu also provided wine recommendations with certain entrees.<br /><br />Our server was sure to let us know that there may be a bit of a wait because of how backed up they were. I appreciated the head's up. Since we were in such a large group we stayed occupied with conversation and didn't really notice the wait. At least I didn't.<br /><br />Once the food began to hit the table, my feeling that this wasn't really tappas was reinforced. I saw a lobster roll, a huge plate of oysters<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4mOYeqeGbq6nqcWqRh_M-2WoB2IvOuLiPaOHE2cQ4S3763lMiJ6bIeIEpifsdVl9PM1nmHMO2MUQpNC_KQ99W-tZeOngEGSqBJ6nQkx579A2BOwhriX-LSOLGYcvD-aLK6YGYWRE7eKK/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634905786477076242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4mOYeqeGbq6nqcWqRh_M-2WoB2IvOuLiPaOHE2cQ4S3763lMiJ6bIeIEpifsdVl9PM1nmHMO2MUQpNC_KQ99W-tZeOngEGSqBJ6nQkx579A2BOwhriX-LSOLGYcvD-aLK6YGYWRE7eKK/s400/001.JPG" /></a><br /><br />and some regular sized salads. I'm not really complaining because I (unfortunately) enjoy large portions but for someone who is expecting a true small plate, they may be disappointed.<br /><br />I ordered the crabcakes and the lobster macaroni and cheese.<br /><br />The mini crabcakes were served over sweet corn and topped with a touch of creole remoulade. I was given the choice of ordering a half order (2), full order (4) or large order (6). I chose the half order for $6.75. The crabcakes were flavorful with very little filler and I had to resist the urge to pop them in my mouth like little crab nuggets.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj539UdDph5ulWPzxqjvpOR7LrWMD6CtHvf8boB5WkT8dDVsz7zLh9L2BwYuDSrCeR2R2L7oG-s8jLayqCQyrR1SZKl7WOZIhDe7SmuGbXFdSBaHP-WZVY1RCB3ttl3XJZTWooLK7oK32-r/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634905782639586642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj539UdDph5ulWPzxqjvpOR7LrWMD6CtHvf8boB5WkT8dDVsz7zLh9L2BwYuDSrCeR2R2L7oG-s8jLayqCQyrR1SZKl7WOZIhDe7SmuGbXFdSBaHP-WZVY1RCB3ttl3XJZTWooLK7oK32-r/s400/002.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />The lobster macaroni and cheese contained chunks of lobster and was blended with several different cheeses. It came to the table steaming hot and I had to wait for it to cool off before I could enjoy it. This plate comes in half and full sizes as well. I thought I ordered the half size but now when I think about the bill and the size of the bowl and the fact that I couldn't finish it, I believe I had the full size for $18.00. The macaroni and cheese was very rich and creamy and the chunks of lobster were plentiful, but paying $18 for a bowl of mac and cheese just doesn't sit well with me.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPUon_N1ae21z8ZU81boDkzxOjuco4TesV6Y7Oiee7kkr4RI3bVFU1-WhwXOnpcYqlCNMKNQbjlvgBIggDm8ZniCSmmXS4GWAKg7KcopgDLypotXik5dBIIupuVifINrkc9DsKHDr_Sna/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634905792991388050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPUon_N1ae21z8ZU81boDkzxOjuco4TesV6Y7Oiee7kkr4RI3bVFU1-WhwXOnpcYqlCNMKNQbjlvgBIggDm8ZniCSmmXS4GWAKg7KcopgDLypotXik5dBIIupuVifINrkc9DsKHDr_Sna/s400/003.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I really enjoyed the atmosphere in Terra. While we were there a band was setting up to play for the evening and I believe they often have live entertainment.<br /><br />I was not put off by the service at all. Our server was courteous and helpful with meal suggestions. She may or may not have gotten my mac and cheese order wrong. I can't remember and it's really not an issue. Overall it was a good experience and if someone suggests an outing to the Peninsula Town Center again, I'll probably take them up on it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">2330 McMenamin Street<br />Hampton, VA 23666<br />(757) 838-WINE (9463)<br />www.terrarestaurantandbar.com<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1569451/restaurant/Norfolk/Terra-Restaurant-Bar-Hampton"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Terra Restaurant & Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1569451/minilink.gif" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-80091608288713042052011-06-26T10:20:00.004-04:002011-06-26T11:01:27.115-04:00Tautog's<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-u_C1OK04j4AS-R5VJIxZs7qjsb9LEAA480-eoATfqOrBhOj7-88RGoMGat12kw5r9SQt8vspwROVu6sZKa4K_tNBiarMCAk2UmxAVl8mGfTn139MqvlTpsS3WAttRCR5MMgpf2yNaDK/s1600/020.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622534360572700386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-u_C1OK04j4AS-R5VJIxZs7qjsb9LEAA480-eoATfqOrBhOj7-88RGoMGat12kw5r9SQt8vspwROVu6sZKa4K_tNBiarMCAk2UmxAVl8mGfTn139MqvlTpsS3WAttRCR5MMgpf2yNaDK/s400/020.JPG" /></a><br />The last time I craved seafood, I took some random advice from someone that I didn't know and I ended up extremely disappointed. This time when the craving hit again I did a little more research and found myself at Tautog's on a Saturday night.<br /><br />As you can see in the above photo, Tautog's is a very unassuming place on 23rd Street at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. You have to know where you're going in order to find it. I didn't know where I was going so it took me a little while.<br /><br />I don't want to spend a lot of time discussing parking or wait time because I live in a tourist area and it's tourist season, plus it was a beautiful Saturday night at the beach ... so use your imagination.<br /><br />Once seated, our server, Jessie appeared almost immediately with a smile and prepared to take our drink orders and to let us know the specials for the evening. Tautog's wine list contains many choices of various varietals which are available either by the bottle or the glass.<br /><br />As an appetizer I decided on 1/2 dozen oysters rockefeller. Jessie suggested that I split the order and try Benny's oysters just to mix things up.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_07O1gNruC_wMVsDfOD_jKaZEkPuJ2bQdRTeJwYNz9ip-qLOpa_3bkeOpLdf3sIn2omoq5hvdVGOh0AXQHeMX3K-jOTrhyvmXxFyE3r2Npkz6_OpEx8pwDM5PNoFWlYq9XDnvBS71XJV/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622534109759892306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_07O1gNruC_wMVsDfOD_jKaZEkPuJ2bQdRTeJwYNz9ip-qLOpa_3bkeOpLdf3sIn2omoq5hvdVGOh0AXQHeMX3K-jOTrhyvmXxFyE3r2Npkz6_OpEx8pwDM5PNoFWlYq9XDnvBS71XJV/s400/023.JPG" /></a> I took her advice. Benny's oysters are oven roasted with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and melted havarti cheese. The flavor was mild and slightly different than the bacony flavor that comes with the regular oysters rockefeller. Both choices were very tasty.</p><br />Next up we ordered a pound of crab legs. <br /><p></p><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDqas6-T6t3TFhgnrusFJyfAkFDpN8UMK0gtSJ6VLB1vrsG7IV1gdwOoePDZkTKYjQyu9v-nrsZgH-416gdAzKfJu2-u2u9Ahu4cNBYTfvtlcdfJDQiA-8o422WrOBfIkVis4mpM3Qz8q/s1600/024.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622534101208370370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDqas6-T6t3TFhgnrusFJyfAkFDpN8UMK0gtSJ6VLB1vrsG7IV1gdwOoePDZkTKYjQyu9v-nrsZgH-416gdAzKfJu2-u2u9Ahu4cNBYTfvtlcdfJDQiA-8o422WrOBfIkVis4mpM3Qz8q/s400/024.JPG" /></a><br /><br />and an order of Tautog's wings.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9Fr17htEvwGU1rxSU3nEW4hP4twzinrWPb2B2XsuAlimilHWjSUpyE5cBdAVFwEzkob2eosdAMNrhK791Opzes4O0WPwycF1AeVniZQbyyNdfRqO2mUmR-lMwiLoTnwl2VvDY2dtlfm9/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622534095215008370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9Fr17htEvwGU1rxSU3nEW4hP4twzinrWPb2B2XsuAlimilHWjSUpyE5cBdAVFwEzkob2eosdAMNrhK791Opzes4O0WPwycF1AeVniZQbyyNdfRqO2mUmR-lMwiLoTnwl2VvDY2dtlfm9/s400/025.JPG" /></a><br />The portion size of the wings was more than enough and could have been a meal instead of an appetizer. The wings were plump and juicy and mildly seasoned. If you prefer your wings hot, you may want to ask for additional hot sauce. </p><br /><br />As an entree, I ordered the stuffed flounder in a bag.</p><br /><br /></p><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPsBCpF7VAfQZ8JNIYD5pBbCpc3CaKQ15iY8WT0HQwn8KJ8DyYFJkzg6deMNLxR3DU4rqAtASdJoNO7kYb8Ac94Kod9R0u2KtGPWIp0KYZgcuh7N8W1Juber9uPDMUcvqflxZiAftv_R-/s1600/027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622534089128671954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPsBCpF7VAfQZ8JNIYD5pBbCpc3CaKQ15iY8WT0HQwn8KJ8DyYFJkzg6deMNLxR3DU4rqAtASdJoNO7kYb8Ac94Kod9R0u2KtGPWIp0KYZgcuh7N8W1Juber9uPDMUcvqflxZiAftv_R-/s400/027.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><br />Jessie really helped me out with this dish by reminding me that it is actually served in a bag. She mentioned that some patrons forget that and accidentally eat the bag. I don't know if she was joking or not, but I could see how that would be possible. Especially, after a few cocktails. In any case, I tore open the bag and enjoyed a nice size filet of flounder, generously stuffed with crab meat and shrimp. The fish was moist and flaky with a mild flavor. The dish was served with seasoned potatoes.</p><br /><br />I was full and satisfied at the end of the meal but I couldn't leave without having something sweet to end the meal. I decided to try the warm brownie sundae which is dubbed the Chocolate Tautog.</p><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy38Sk7Zhecdhe6bRnCV_LSPNA8U4KfbkvfoSkmGj4MxvV4vVbUXICPut1uzoR10em5YSsuRefiQNkzWsWILQQSxg_bEwBJKqQfQAsvyMeHzg5QGKT_l-S0J87YfmFA1mGdUOZthNft9Zz/s1600/028.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622534082263986418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy38Sk7Zhecdhe6bRnCV_LSPNA8U4KfbkvfoSkmGj4MxvV4vVbUXICPut1uzoR10em5YSsuRefiQNkzWsWILQQSxg_bEwBJKqQfQAsvyMeHzg5QGKT_l-S0J87YfmFA1mGdUOZthNft9Zz/s400/028.JPG" /></a><br />I could only eat a few bites but it was so good. The combination of the warm brownie and the cold ice cream was just what I was looking for.</p><br /><br /><p>I enjoyed my meal at Tautog's. The place is extremely busy but they have a really good handle on what's going on. When the hostess told me that it would be a 45 minute wait, she wasn't kidding. It was 45 minutes. Again, this is to be expected on the oceanfront on a Saturday evening. The service was friendly and efficient. Dinner is served on Saturdays until 11:00. I would recommend it.</p><br /><br /><p><br /><br /><br /></p><span style="font-size:85%;">205 23rd Street</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23451</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 422-0081</span><br /><a href="http://www.tautogs.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.tautogs.com</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/393360/restaurant/Norfolk/Oceanfront/Tautogs-Restaurant-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Tautog's Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/393360/minilink.gif" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-27916300136046613462011-05-14T07:21:00.003-04:002011-05-14T08:33:44.587-04:00Pirate's Cove<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkcA2zcYuKE86JNqvZPEXzmEWEiJd4eTrslDXUV6qSJP4Oi4EgYp1ocUIrnEckvxrNLW42_BOr289ecCIOzttTM9RxGsPpti7ZENySay6MdsPxrJl7WTREpngj9GXlmx-gu9XPMPcLWV6/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606531277690427554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkcA2zcYuKE86JNqvZPEXzmEWEiJd4eTrslDXUV6qSJP4Oi4EgYp1ocUIrnEckvxrNLW42_BOr289ecCIOzttTM9RxGsPpti7ZENySay6MdsPxrJl7WTREpngj9GXlmx-gu9XPMPcLWV6/s400/001.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Friday night and I'm starving and I find myself at the Pirate's Cove in Chesapeake. I decided to try it based on a random recommendation. When we arrived I could see that the restaurant was packed and there was a steady stream of patrons coming in. We put our names on the list and were told to expect a 10-15 minute wait. No big deal. It was Friday night and any wait time should be expected.<br /><br />Once we were seated, our server Jody greeted us and took our drink orders immediately. She came back and explained the specials and to start I decided to try a cup of she-crab soup.<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrXdycybcwJfTyYqppDzCAly_73s1lh2iR3ioTRSLzo2_uJoVe09LDCWch4NHnAnGhGzB-Lk2UQbEdO4JJjyp3dsaIYgr37BwdSNETp6zT-7uGIXOZu2iUodNLl4rnzfBSwjyD5EbJiVm/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606531284219683554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrXdycybcwJfTyYqppDzCAly_73s1lh2iR3ioTRSLzo2_uJoVe09LDCWch4NHnAnGhGzB-Lk2UQbEdO4JJjyp3dsaIYgr37BwdSNETp6zT-7uGIXOZu2iUodNLl4rnzfBSwjyD5EbJiVm/s400/002.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><br /><br /><p>The soup, at first taste, reminded me more of clam chowder instead of she-crab. The taste was a little bland but once I added salt and pepper it seemed to improve.</p><br /><br /><p>Jody came back and took our dinner orders, each came with two sides.<br /></p><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhdTDUlAXNIZrVQUxDo3-rFI-WAdJzqhFgwrgFBbjU_QACzuhvU5m7XteNDe_yM3h5r-u0EbUOayvQy8R8wreGbtZk2dJjzcyl-SrtwV64cf5UCkEtHPiysBH80dK8qyIb1ELX_JaxnIr/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606531292009192402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhdTDUlAXNIZrVQUxDo3-rFI-WAdJzqhFgwrgFBbjU_QACzuhvU5m7XteNDe_yM3h5r-u0EbUOayvQy8R8wreGbtZk2dJjzcyl-SrtwV64cf5UCkEtHPiysBH80dK8qyIb1ELX_JaxnIr/s400/003.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><br /><p>This is the galley salad which served as one of my sides. The vegetables were crisp and fresh. I ordered the raspberry vinaigrette and it was light and very tasty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZca-WpvgMOLOdE0CceDIEJoQ1h2aYEkMdVg87-k4TDtDqbMGvycdJq57d6QbaqeUlX6n_0Lyn8bwdbHuFwTH5XBHnJzz63Llg21cFGN78DT3FhURuE0-BiRbyFJ7-KZlj93sHJq_C2K22/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606531301843927698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZca-WpvgMOLOdE0CceDIEJoQ1h2aYEkMdVg87-k4TDtDqbMGvycdJq57d6QbaqeUlX6n_0Lyn8bwdbHuFwTH5XBHnJzz63Llg21cFGN78DT3FhURuE0-BiRbyFJ7-KZlj93sHJq_C2K22/s400/005.JPG" /></a><br />As an entree I had the rockfish special stuffed with lump crab meat. As you can see from the picture, the entree is served with three golf ball sized hushpuppies. And tarter sauce. I don't think I have ever received tarter sauce with rockfish. The fish itself was broiled and overdone. It was very dry and I actually felt I had to use the tarter sauce. </p><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO01XiWZwbcMnsrYp54K8piAF-M-Wh18v3G3O75ulsDnrkC5CMOGPo-1Bra3Hjn_G5WpeOWxpwvnqCGtyZ_-NP1HmOXfcP7z2dwvB2-sSscxPh0j6bu2j8la36btXiBcuJyIM9PluaJN4Y/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606531293075226818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO01XiWZwbcMnsrYp54K8piAF-M-Wh18v3G3O75ulsDnrkC5CMOGPo-1Bra3Hjn_G5WpeOWxpwvnqCGtyZ_-NP1HmOXfcP7z2dwvB2-sSscxPh0j6bu2j8la36btXiBcuJyIM9PluaJN4Y/s400/004.JPG" /></a><br />We also ordered the half pound of steamed peel-and-eat shrimp. Good portion size. Not a lot of flavor.</p><br /><br /><p>The Pirate's Cove appears to be a local's favorite. Like I said, the restaurant was packed and the customers kept coming. I think I may have expected too much from this neighborhood spot. It's a no-frills place and I guess I was looking for the frill. Especially because of the prices. </p><br /><br /><p>The service was excellent and that alone is enough to try The Pirate's Cove again. My daughter wants to try the Thursday night special: 1 pound of crab legs for $12.95. </p><br /><br /><p>Who knows? </p><br /><br /><p></p>109 J/K Gainsborough Square<br />Chesapeake, VA 23320<br />(757) 549-7272<br /><a href="http://www.piratescoveva.com/">http://www.piratescoveva.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/392601/restaurant/Norfolk/Pirates-Cove-Chesapeake"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Pirate's Cove on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/392601/minilink.gif" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-26932479159265749052011-04-09T20:40:00.005-04:002011-04-09T22:26:54.125-04:00Terebinth - A Sweet Retreat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFh8lgy44L1sjGynBSmZBXvynrpCWfloYbEr2aftSYQw173GgKeb-69dax3C_hOaYGAC6hyphenhyphenfVbyoHAjPlSZT5dH37yPTyCVxpVGkXon6JoeNQuLpAxLbBFHLUE8hE1lrl59TUSZyPdEK5y/s1600/IMG00136-20110409-1240.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593749974133616866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFh8lgy44L1sjGynBSmZBXvynrpCWfloYbEr2aftSYQw173GgKeb-69dax3C_hOaYGAC6hyphenhyphenfVbyoHAjPlSZT5dH37yPTyCVxpVGkXon6JoeNQuLpAxLbBFHLUE8hE1lrl59TUSZyPdEK5y/s400/IMG00136-20110409-1240.jpg" /></a> It all began with a picture of an incredible dessert taken on a camera phone. And it ends with a picture of more incredible desserts taken on a camera phone. <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mTkIRe1q6w4D2pR-zIg3lNu21EsKCRhAuv21KxUbgVNCT56PeWFcHaHq5Kxh2_1B6dTzF-OoVM087I5EEyKweye4yNzwn_YcyL1X4qjZkUNr3I6CDOYKPe9XcGcVU4MghKEOPb4nhEeo/s1600/IMG00139-20110409-1355.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593749967909623458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mTkIRe1q6w4D2pR-zIg3lNu21EsKCRhAuv21KxUbgVNCT56PeWFcHaHq5Kxh2_1B6dTzF-OoVM087I5EEyKweye4yNzwn_YcyL1X4qjZkUNr3I6CDOYKPe9XcGcVU4MghKEOPb4nhEeo/s400/IMG00139-20110409-1355.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><div>A few months ago a friend of mine showed me a picture on her phone of a dessert that she could not stop raving about. She said it was so delicious she had to take a picture of it. I don't recall what the dessert was but I did remember where she had purchased it: Terebinth.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Terebinth is a high end coffee shop in the Towne Place Center of Chesapeake and what you see above are the desserts that I purchased during a recent visit. We have a lemon meringue tart, a chocolate coconut cake topped with a chocolate truffle and two chocolate cannolis. Yes, two chocolate cannolis. I was fortunate enough to have a buy-one-get-one coupon for the desserts so I decided to splurge.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The shop seems very large with plenty of comfortable seating and the decoration is subtle with sporadic pops of color. Upon entering we were greeted cheerfully by the owner. The menu includes sandwiches, salads and soup in addition to the desserts and various coffee drinks.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We ordered two sandwiches which each came with a side salad, we had a choice of either a house salad, ceasar or pasta:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXrC52a-i9_tNCooOTeeQDqSnGsVmdL99vd4QeNGoJPs4x-n-Jvpkz7VkPeRp1Zod2w2sJsF5z8zG2l7PXiLBdQQNl0YMOk_DXt0KElZQYs8FzMBARfp0CwcdXG-Fyfq88p_ZOpMXBD3P/s1600/IMG00137-20110409-1303.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593749963061696706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXrC52a-i9_tNCooOTeeQDqSnGsVmdL99vd4QeNGoJPs4x-n-Jvpkz7VkPeRp1Zod2w2sJsF5z8zG2l7PXiLBdQQNl0YMOk_DXt0KElZQYs8FzMBARfp0CwcdXG-Fyfq88p_ZOpMXBD3P/s400/IMG00137-20110409-1303.jpg" /></a> This is the turkey wild panino. It is filled with smoked turkey, smoked gouda, bacon, an apple reduction and sun dried tomato mayo. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYcaR_M4kXbAKAKl_2zjKMyHV1V1P1fmLpGsEFvYxA4AdeQ-rXv4eH3pSQIJnTAy0X61E8x2yCipwbthd0mm1iF02iQgMj_QqQIjVI1fj0bDMVRo9jctUKiBAbmzOwjrNXxW_0COm8vya/s1600/IMG00138-20110409-1304.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593749955703209330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYcaR_M4kXbAKAKl_2zjKMyHV1V1P1fmLpGsEFvYxA4AdeQ-rXv4eH3pSQIJnTAy0X61E8x2yCipwbthd0mm1iF02iQgMj_QqQIjVI1fj0bDMVRo9jctUKiBAbmzOwjrNXxW_0COm8vya/s400/IMG00138-20110409-1304.jpg" /></a> <br /><div></div>I had the caprese and prosciutto sandwich. This one was prepared with lettuce, tomato, baby spinach, fresh mozzarella and basil drizzled with sundried tomato vinaigrette. The sandwich was delicious and I always love the combination of tomato and mozzarella. The addition of the prosciutto and the vinaigrette just pushed it over the edge. It was fantastic. And it may appear to be a "regular" sized sandwich but it was very filling. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The service was very good and the owner did a great job of twisting my arm in order to get me to buy all those desserts. It was well worth it.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Terebinth is elegant. Smooth jazz fills the room and they offer free wi-fi. Food can be eaten in or taken out. Either way you'll be in for a treat. It is a little pricey so it probably won't be my weekly lunch spot but every time I feel like I deserve a "sweet retreat" I'll know exactly where to go.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Terebinth is open Tuesday thru Saturday. Check their website for other services. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">717 Eden Way N</span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Suite 610</span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Chesapeake, VA 23320</span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 410-0900</span> </div><br /><div><a href="http://www.theterebinth.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.theterebinth.com</span></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1553153/restaurant/Norfolk/Terebinth-Chesapeake"><img alt="Terebinth on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1553153/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-9355238355560296562011-04-03T16:06:00.004-04:002011-04-03T17:05:43.385-04:00El Gavilan Pupuseria<span style="font-size:85%;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmoOU3eGsag6Yr56muaEfF0oImmQ3eRYgvel_sSqYqGRBaH_cbtxbOsEnLgo37u74SXqvdgLEff29NwTg9misOnXPjHimdQdjV88yaV9QwSLp8NG_4Ayg_fYmxg8RjCbxxlZ1yZLUX5ja/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591451913365918546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmoOU3eGsag6Yr56muaEfF0oImmQ3eRYgvel_sSqYqGRBaH_cbtxbOsEnLgo37u74SXqvdgLEff29NwTg9misOnXPjHimdQdjV88yaV9QwSLp8NG_4Ayg_fYmxg8RjCbxxlZ1yZLUX5ja/s400/003.JPG" /></a> I decided to try El Gavilan in Norfolk because of the reviews that I had read. For the most part, the reviews were all positive and the word "authentic" seemed to keep creeping up. I generally do not enjoy Mexican restaurants because the menus are all the same and the food is all the same -- boring. <p>So on a Sunday afternoon I made the trip to have lunch at El Gavilan. This is not the usual Mexican restaurant that I've been to in the past. It's not a chain and it's definitely not fast food. I'll say this now ... the service is comparitively slow but that is because it takes time to actually cook a meal. Not just throw something in the microwave and splash some unidentifiable sauce over it. I believe that El Gavilan's food is the real deal. <p>The menu is in Spanish and contains all sorts of Mexican and El Salvadorian dishes. They also throw in a few American dishes for the less adventurous. These items include: wings, burgers and steak and cheese. <p>The restaurant is very modestly decorated and over the front counter hung several signs that said "Welcome to Norfolk". For some reason this made me laugh. Probably because when you're in the restaurant you kind of forget that you are even in Norfolk. The music that played sounded like Spanish hip hop and I couldn't help but move to the beat and try to pick up a few words. One television was tuned to a Spanish-speaking station and the other television had on a soccer game. <p>The menu is filled with different options but I came for one thing: the pupusa. <br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6-g6CkHPyGo3t4oJ3Sn5eTzO3upNX57pyvstguXZ_FHyZw5ICwE5z7a1GESdDnJx4kZQk0BW4qfm0DeI-H8-myy20sHGCR5dCc8F0Jf51sWRkZvnvO8fI-ValqXZl6vbvkKzODUG8TPJ/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591451904347421570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6-g6CkHPyGo3t4oJ3Sn5eTzO3upNX57pyvstguXZ_FHyZw5ICwE5z7a1GESdDnJx4kZQk0BW4qfm0DeI-H8-myy20sHGCR5dCc8F0Jf51sWRkZvnvO8fI-ValqXZl6vbvkKzODUG8TPJ/s400/002.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><p>The pupusa is the El Salvadorian version of the tortilla only thicker. It's usually stuffed with cheese, beans and/or meat. I ordered the Pupusa Loca (Crazy Pupusa) which is made with cheese, herbs, pork, chicken, shrimp, beans and squash. Initially, I thought the squash sounded weird but it worked out well. The portion size was huge and as you can see it more than covered the plate. It was really delicious. The pupusa does not contain big chunks of ingredients but everything is blended perfectly. It is served with a side of cole slaw which is nothing like I've ever tasted. It was vinegar-based and I believe it was made with oregano. Also very good.</p><br /><p>We also ordered the chicken and cheese quesadillas: </p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCHmJxUTy2K5Y_pUgCfYLVeZC1O8Goup6PiiIgb5y4WdCBf6bW-wZlTOAQxD4KEm048P3o0mbNRSpP9qf1km3H6dINX5oS_RGt0tKlRdfsVoOVPwx_ve49AivRiss9_Ca8L63HFyDsmHl/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591451895417126306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCHmJxUTy2K5Y_pUgCfYLVeZC1O8Goup6PiiIgb5y4WdCBf6bW-wZlTOAQxD4KEm048P3o0mbNRSpP9qf1km3H6dINX5oS_RGt0tKlRdfsVoOVPwx_ve49AivRiss9_Ca8L63HFyDsmHl/s400/001.JPG" /></a> </p><br /><p>Again, huge portions that fill the plate. They were served with guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce an sour cream. Yummy.</p>El Gavilan is open seven days a week and seems to be a favorite among the local Hispanic community. Which, by the way, is not something I usually see in the "other" Mexican restaurants. <br /><p>For me, someone who rarely ventures out of the beach, El Gavilan is well worth the drive and deserving of a second trip. </p><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">7920 Chesapeake Blvd.<p> Norfolk, VA 23518<p> (757) 587-9200 </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/391113/restaurant/Central-Norfolk/El-Gavilan-Restaurant-Pupuseria-Norfolk"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="El Gavilan Restaurant & Pupuseria on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/391113/minilink.gif" /></a> <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-8204490916174676932011-02-13T15:35:00.004-05:002011-02-16T11:51:27.436-05:00Kincaid's<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmZqFO0cAyGrsFQN6Zdlr7x2jIoPtmKl6l8YJXEbsuS2CuMrEnrsasa6f_meKXN-bdTteXQWqPW5xJ4tsCLJHx-Sgh4PfN_hCsl6pEbhnI9kKdeSV4z6xj_A-TIljZkAlkLH2MV_XgN1A/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573276975338526146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmZqFO0cAyGrsFQN6Zdlr7x2jIoPtmKl6l8YJXEbsuS2CuMrEnrsasa6f_meKXN-bdTteXQWqPW5xJ4tsCLJHx-Sgh4PfN_hCsl6pEbhnI9kKdeSV4z6xj_A-TIljZkAlkLH2MV_XgN1A/s400/004.JPG" /></a><br />Okay, so here's the thing: I'm finding more and more that when I end up someplace on a whim, it turns to out to be a better choice than my original plan. Such was the case on Friday night.<br /><br />It was a long week and I planned to have dinner and drinks at another place in Norfolk (which shall remain nameless) but when we arrived there seemed to be a shortage of premium spirits because of the Thursday night College Night. I was told, "Those kids wiped us out."<br /><br />Really? Really?<br /><br />That was how I ended up at Kincaid's located in the MacArthur Center mall in downtown Norfolk.<br /><br />We walked in the mall entrance door and my heart immediately sunk. The place was packed and there were people waiting to be seated. After the week I had I was not in the mood for this. Luckily, I saw two empty seats at the bar and we grabbed them. If you've been reading me for a while you'll know that in some cases I prefer sitting at the bar because the service is better. I'm never out of the server's line of vision. It's perfect for me.<br /><br />We ordered cocktails, skipped the appetizers and decided to start with the entrees:<br /><br />First up, the tableside seafood etoufee<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaxv2AEWwiScasj3mwLUt9EpIaiGJCgnfXEwAf84XzbGhXBNrIL26HAxhtUQKAUKf_ahp3Qt2ww64QumC7nxw8MxqRlea7cpN-8JPNz3k3fPlP46haI5QGffTNHpJDigjQp1a_W4GoP3a/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573276957560988386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaxv2AEWwiScasj3mwLUt9EpIaiGJCgnfXEwAf84XzbGhXBNrIL26HAxhtUQKAUKf_ahp3Qt2ww64QumC7nxw8MxqRlea7cpN-8JPNz3k3fPlP46haI5QGffTNHpJDigjQp1a_W4GoP3a/s400/002.JPG" /></a><br />This dish is prepared with jumbo sea scallops, black tiger prawns, fresh mussels, clams and andouille sausage. It includes braised greens and is served atop a serving of cheese grits. </p><p>When my plate arrived, the man next to me commented, "I don't know what that is, but it certainly smells good!" I had to agree with him and it tasted even better. It was just spicy enough and the savory sauce that was poured on top was the perfect compliment to the seafood. The only thing that could have made the dish better was if there was more of it. For the price, they could have spared a few more scallops.</p><p>Next up: </p><p>Oven baked catfish</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6vsRlJICIaagP4VBJtGmjgY9VwS1fI6_oJJW95HleQS4vcDILOiKTgk-nNemcI80q6dukRsyRIUZOcUKTTIF7iFXlT8WjFQMqH8YfN6Dz8LvikgW-vZFIPqBxUI6s3_WlCFMtd1bDP2t/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573276951533827218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6vsRlJICIaagP4VBJtGmjgY9VwS1fI6_oJJW95HleQS4vcDILOiKTgk-nNemcI80q6dukRsyRIUZOcUKTTIF7iFXlT8WjFQMqH8YfN6Dz8LvikgW-vZFIPqBxUI6s3_WlCFMtd1bDP2t/s400/001.JPG" /></a> I am a huge fan of catfish but I normally only eat it fried. For me, it's just more flavorful when it's fried as opposed to baked. The size of the fish was huge and when I tasted it, I thought it was okay. More than okay. It was flaky and seasoned very well and almost had me changing my opinion about my beloved fried catfish. Almost.</p><p>Finally, for dessert:</p><p>New York style cheesecake with fresh strawberries<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRUKIsj8pKGZJLbCvJJ9p6tO5o_JS6enMBXkQwfCXuX7gw3acbrwz2hzzK5bkGMYtS9cXNFtoQiMzlndoW5U7ytwJ-HmLAXBcE-0xr6c2kIO0FQ8W_S-QMWgtYNQb-NJEuut6LUTJxFyO/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573276967970683586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRUKIsj8pKGZJLbCvJJ9p6tO5o_JS6enMBXkQwfCXuX7gw3acbrwz2hzzK5bkGMYtS9cXNFtoQiMzlndoW5U7ytwJ-HmLAXBcE-0xr6c2kIO0FQ8W_S-QMWgtYNQb-NJEuut6LUTJxFyO/s400/003.JPG" /></a><br />The cheesecake was lovely. The slice was big enough to share and the texture was smooth and delicious. </p><p>Kincaid's is a cool place to dine. But be forewarned: MacArthur Center is prime real estate and you are paying for that real estate. The meal was delicious but definitely overpriced. Our service was very good. I can't speak for the folks that had to wait for tables but I believe they were waiting for a quite a while. There's quite a bit of activity in the bar area so if you're looking for something a little more intimate than you might prefer waiting for one of the tables. I like the activity. Overall, it was a good experience. I would recommend it and I'll more than likely return.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">300 Monticello Avenue<br />Norfolk, VA 23510<br />(757) 622-8000<br /><a href="http://www.kincaids.com/">www.kincaids.com</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/391824/restaurant/Downtown-Norfolk/Kincaids-Fish-Chop-and-Steak-House-Norfolk"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Kincaid's Fish, Chop and Steak House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/391824/minilink.gif" /></a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-17268760238684570862011-01-08T13:45:00.005-05:002013-08-20T14:39:25.619-04:00Cobalt Grille<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI__f3W8ZezbsimKkdnhASdDkP_VFKeKg7UAZ8vt1f06YhWCT7TBVsf5xcTFjg-_k38Ecpf7k8-fEk1EAv2-Iue9u5csI4kmcNzMxdsXV9MVgy2T43Y3XUF1IwCPUKYlfbyPUgxmLgl73V/s1600/007.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559890087657441682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI__f3W8ZezbsimKkdnhASdDkP_VFKeKg7UAZ8vt1f06YhWCT7TBVsf5xcTFjg-_k38Ecpf7k8-fEk1EAv2-Iue9u5csI4kmcNzMxdsXV9MVgy2T43Y3XUF1IwCPUKYlfbyPUgxmLgl73V/s400/007.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Friday night found me at the Cobalt Grille in the Hilltop Shopping Center in Virginia Beach.<br />
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It's a very pretty place. The restaurant opens up to a beautiful, dimly lit, cozy lounge and bar area. The menu includes a tapas selection which is only served in the bar. I think my next visit will be in the bar but on Friday night I planned for a full dinner in the dining room.<br />
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The dining room is also cozy and dimly lit and would be perfect for a romantic evening. Or so I thought, until a family with two small children were seated next to me. Okay, it's a family place as well.<br />
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The meal began with an appetizer of beef and vegetable spring rolls<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBry-Ic2CSMwLWMpFyxv4EQrJSizq2YnhkgRUywqB1IseAUKDUIQoayvrFKF2ScfqRJzaChB7D6hQqRsUuJjVCfIFJ-6rkoi3kXSge_i3GFJosY9Io336vrrAf0yMqJpE6zyOdXT9RpSZL/s1600/001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559890077038083474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBry-Ic2CSMwLWMpFyxv4EQrJSizq2YnhkgRUywqB1IseAUKDUIQoayvrFKF2ScfqRJzaChB7D6hQqRsUuJjVCfIFJ-6rkoi3kXSge_i3GFJosY9Io336vrrAf0yMqJpE6zyOdXT9RpSZL/s400/001.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
the rolls were fried and served with a sweet plum dipping sauce and mixed greens.<br />
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Although fried, they were not heavy and I thought it was a good way to begin the meal.</div>
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The first entree we ordered was the shrimp and scallops over fettucine</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkr2RObbzPGQIPSrfULT9vs8YpRBkfytW2Jj46ybmjHzwW_cmuu3U9N5IJ6DiFwCSjftPoSaCc4EC4IxCI3nFSZIuYzF9bzd0jIjQQUbBtl7s2uLn9Z90j89pEuWRBEEPT9of54cGm2jf9/s1600/002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559890072398402882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkr2RObbzPGQIPSrfULT9vs8YpRBkfytW2Jj46ybmjHzwW_cmuu3U9N5IJ6DiFwCSjftPoSaCc4EC4IxCI3nFSZIuYzF9bzd0jIjQQUbBtl7s2uLn9Z90j89pEuWRBEEPT9of54cGm2jf9/s400/002.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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This dish was so colorful and festive. Almost too pretty to eat. The bowl was filled with three different types of tomatoes and garden peas along with the fettucine and topped with shaved romano cheese. The seafood was cooked perfectly and there were so many great flavors in this dish.</div>
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The second entree was the herb crusted salmon filet<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNt68CiogbInIvRUyuuN7CfjctU3sKhaJI4CdKZb3RdMIPGUJs5dwrAQhu03I9vNR-hELnHUXe9ac35g7XychIfdkZvKABJ4acR-tf3nb_SjCX9dHw0I88O81jvYB9ekH6LB46yzgs0r5/s1600/003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559890066986310370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNt68CiogbInIvRUyuuN7CfjctU3sKhaJI4CdKZb3RdMIPGUJs5dwrAQhu03I9vNR-hELnHUXe9ac35g7XychIfdkZvKABJ4acR-tf3nb_SjCX9dHw0I88O81jvYB9ekH6LB46yzgs0r5/s400/003.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> the salmon was pan roasted and served over a bed of baby spinach and roma tomatoes, with a roasted tomato vinaigrette. The portion size was very generous and the fish tasted fresh and perfectly seasoned.</div>
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For dessert we shared a slice of espresso cheese cake<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKSP4s96XIubdY0KOf2iz2e7z90gEga0hgo_X8upx-SZp5xEl3qLgA3NicwBcwX5DwzbJ2VIZK2fQIyMJPv9458eBKiR3XJDPK0n7YG8f0WBMaZVmlo1wDMNRORO5LbnrbPBm3w9eYziT/s1600/004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559890062198116354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKSP4s96XIubdY0KOf2iz2e7z90gEga0hgo_X8upx-SZp5xEl3qLgA3NicwBcwX5DwzbJ2VIZK2fQIyMJPv9458eBKiR3XJDPK0n7YG8f0WBMaZVmlo1wDMNRORO5LbnrbPBm3w9eYziT/s400/004.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
this was a little slice of heaven. The texture was smooth and velvety and before I knew it I had eaten more than my half. </div>
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Everything was good at the Cobalt Grille: food, service, location, atmoshere. However, for the price, I think I was expecting "great". Don't get me wrong, it definitely warrants a second visit but I'll probably try the tapas at the bar next time.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">1624 Laskin Road</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23451</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">(757) 333-3334</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.cobaltgrille.com/"><span style="font-size: 85%;">www.cobaltgrille.com</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/390808/restaurant/Norfolk/Oceana-Great-Neck-Hilltop/Cobalt-Grille-Virginia-Beach"><img alt="Cobalt Grille on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/390808/minilink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://foodio54.com/restaurant/Virginia-Beach-VA/76b97/Cobalt-Grille"><img alt="Cobalt Grille on Foodio54" src="http://foodio54.com/images/badge-2-76b97.jpg" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0; width: 104px;" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-16119308575244408732011-01-02T13:14:00.005-05:002011-01-02T13:57:05.760-05:00Savor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Oivgn1fk2YN3awDrQBiXa4gortqbBqm3vmat7PJ9t_5jKja49q-tOI67R11uQUggfCfnqmjSi_3U8vdyIBRPfCrEoNkMPni87ZAW5ZBHjBG5LSl_wYnOJh5tvYd7Y-gc0Xq3GLOhiPLu/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557654322059728210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Oivgn1fk2YN3awDrQBiXa4gortqbBqm3vmat7PJ9t_5jKja49q-tOI67R11uQUggfCfnqmjSi_3U8vdyIBRPfCrEoNkMPni87ZAW5ZBHjBG5LSl_wYnOJh5tvYd7Y-gc0Xq3GLOhiPLu/s400/006.JPG" /></a> <p></p><br /><br />The holidays are over and it’s the end of the weekend. But before it was all said and done and I trudged back to the grind of daily living, I wanted to unwind with a nice, relaxing Sunday brunch.<br /><br />I decided to try out a relatively new restaurant called Savor located conveniently in the Great Neck Village shopping center in Virginia Beach.<br /><br />Savor is small and intimate, only holding eleven tables and a few seats at the bar. If you plan to go for dinner I would definitely recommend that you make a reservation.<br /><br />We were seated immediately upon arrival and it wasn’t long before our server brought water to the table and told us about the available specials then she gave us time to peruse the menu which had many different dishes to choose from.<br /><br />Once our order was placed our server returned with these mini blueberry muffins<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4il2vqYvXTancQaZXme0yHfHcRNfH1CMwhFpVpkhld0qBXU-Kdr76NUzJ8QE5B5WfYFyh4O8LY8qAxu2be-h687IBpatlon5FxYM27OoQ2S1b2z9Unpdme6DdlIItOOv2JoezmktNyV_/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557654332323080786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4il2vqYvXTancQaZXme0yHfHcRNfH1CMwhFpVpkhld0qBXU-Kdr76NUzJ8QE5B5WfYFyh4O8LY8qAxu2be-h687IBpatlon5FxYM27OoQ2S1b2z9Unpdme6DdlIItOOv2JoezmktNyV_/s400/001.JPG" /></a> <p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><br /><br />After the muffins, she came back again with a tiny fruit cup which included melon, pineapple and grapes. I have to say that I like the idea of these little brunch appetizers. I was starving and I like having something to nibble on while I’m waiting for the main course to arrive.<br /><br />We ordered the bananas foster French toast<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeej5DSARM7i5-26D01tsgE3gorwR2jx75a_eL8c8n5t1UsVRCBr6W3JaU_Uv1I2tgNK4MTkAyVVgdW37lGoYZwRNxQwzhFgpH_b2cASRiu6nP7mWep58_nW9mE-xNaqAk0ThAHPd-ZDS/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557654350832461554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeej5DSARM7i5-26D01tsgE3gorwR2jx75a_eL8c8n5t1UsVRCBr6W3JaU_Uv1I2tgNK4MTkAyVVgdW37lGoYZwRNxQwzhFgpH_b2cASRiu6nP7mWep58_nW9mE-xNaqAk0ThAHPd-ZDS/s400/004.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The French toast was light and the bananas were warm and sweet. The dish was served with just enough syrup not to overwhelm the flavor of the toast or make it soggy and sticky. I thought it was perfect.<br /><br />Belgian waffle<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHm_TM2Fiquj9mMoA_v99ybWcvhcExaMu3P6AD1HxsOR7cUp0JyzeyuUjDSZ3SqHYdZkW7A4uP6cq_W0OQqmvpFep26a_zXgN-nEICAEY-ZxK2MIp1zXgB9KhNbluBpPCiEwBSV1DBxEf/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557654347036990434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHm_TM2Fiquj9mMoA_v99ybWcvhcExaMu3P6AD1HxsOR7cUp0JyzeyuUjDSZ3SqHYdZkW7A4uP6cq_W0OQqmvpFep26a_zXgN-nEICAEY-ZxK2MIp1zXgB9KhNbluBpPCiEwBSV1DBxEf/s400/003.JPG" /></a> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /><br />This waffle was cooked perfectly. It was light and fluffy with a very smooth texture. Some waffles can land in your stomach like a brick. Not this one.<br /><br />I had the seafood omelette which was one of the featured specials<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YGY8bD5DfpAbD6Hl5_GuPQEHon9JNE4wm8sv-k2iulEp3jI8VPbp0jVocwcFlLZLDqdANOVoEjqQJwP1xT5hwdhpfTDCcqVAeCbeE0XizXBd2zSOD5jOkdH0ciMbVZZDTOgoA6tYCCKo/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557654338345422130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YGY8bD5DfpAbD6Hl5_GuPQEHon9JNE4wm8sv-k2iulEp3jI8VPbp0jVocwcFlLZLDqdANOVoEjqQJwP1xT5hwdhpfTDCcqVAeCbeE0XizXBd2zSOD5jOkdH0ciMbVZZDTOgoA6tYCCKo/s400/002.JPG" /></a> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It was stuffed with shrimp, scallops and crabmeat. The scallops were so tender. I admire anyone that can perfectly prepare a scallop, because I mess them up every time. The omelette was a little salty but that didn’t stop me from finishing it and enjoying it.<br /><br />The Savor experience is one that I’m sure I will repeat. I like the neighborhood and parking is not an issue. I didn’t catch my server’s name but she was very friendly and attentive. The brunch dishes averaged at about $10 each which I thought was reasonable and well worth it.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1340 N. Great Neck Road, Suite 1232</span></p><span style="font-size:85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23454 </span><p></p><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 963-1641 </span><p></p><a href="http://www.savorva.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.savorva.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1545320/restaurant/Norfolk/Oceana-Great-Neck-Hilltop/Savor-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Savor on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1545320/minilink.gif" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-81864737046256136242010-10-20T06:48:00.002-04:002010-10-20T07:49:01.275-04:00EAT an American Bistro<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeFq3deZvQvm7UuG6XkdAsy73o6I4N4Q4HAgjKF7UXJ-RmeNRb-krtcgTI5MZL7BoqUjQuCxW-0U4C1ZcJJZG4P7qZlO9LxkF-wTDfbvMQzOCLb9rsWmN36lzS2oPB5x2v1d8l2lW8zIo/s1600/018.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530078866723307634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeFq3deZvQvm7UuG6XkdAsy73o6I4N4Q4HAgjKF7UXJ-RmeNRb-krtcgTI5MZL7BoqUjQuCxW-0U4C1ZcJJZG4P7qZlO9LxkF-wTDfbvMQzOCLb9rsWmN36lzS2oPB5x2v1d8l2lW8zIo/s400/018.JPG" /></a><br />Recently, I celebrated another birthday and I decided to do that at EAT, located on Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach. Last year I made an attempt to visit EAT but was unsuccessful. You can read about that <a href="http://michelematthews.blogspot.com/2009/08/isle-of-capri.html"><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">here</span></strong></a>. This time I was quite successful.<br /><br />EAT is a tiny little bistro which serves some really great American classics in a very special way. The menu lists several small dishes, salads, appetizers and entrees as well as various weekly specials.<br /><br />We decided to sit out on the patio to take advantage of the beautiful weather. We didn't take into consideration the jet noise, but it wasn't too much of a distraction. The server took our drink orders immediately and told us about the specials.<br /><br />I decided on EAT's version of the tomato stack for an appetizer:<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr-f0HbrDksjZlEJ-3e8NPAQkAlvhl1QcF-mDIyss4Fd_J6TKfDmJDaV34fFtCTEgyaRFpC1oUvTXe-0Z94TBHUGA9KQnAU6MR2oBtWhBBJUZxCRLnqUiggXpHmOWjVlECqaZ3SEfnQZV/s1600/016.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530078859494193858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr-f0HbrDksjZlEJ-3e8NPAQkAlvhl1QcF-mDIyss4Fd_J6TKfDmJDaV34fFtCTEgyaRFpC1oUvTXe-0Z94TBHUGA9KQnAU6MR2oBtWhBBJUZxCRLnqUiggXpHmOWjVlECqaZ3SEfnQZV/s400/016.JPG" /></a> </div><div></div><div>this creation included yellow heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grilled beets and was toppped with bean sprouts. The beets added some color and flavor that I hadn't expected and surprisingly enjoyed.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />As an entree I decided on the rockfish special which was served over a bed of macaroni and cheese and topped with collard greens:<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH-UqERopF9MSj1pml16D_Uku4XxJzQhK_xnvxGO6RbfwUdADr4xvaLZem67Fn3CNhM68NLJXwZnb2Fd6h3HCWFeaCnUIyg2gr-IbPt_M57QHY_lUmbsMo101t40uyOfa9_Sm1RGKVlOJ/s1600/017.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530078858126312754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH-UqERopF9MSj1pml16D_Uku4XxJzQhK_xnvxGO6RbfwUdADr4xvaLZem67Fn3CNhM68NLJXwZnb2Fd6h3HCWFeaCnUIyg2gr-IbPt_M57QHY_lUmbsMo101t40uyOfa9_Sm1RGKVlOJ/s400/017.JPG" /></a><br />the fish was cooked perfectly, as was the macaroni and cheese. The too-large collard green leaves had a tart taste and were a little too chewy for my taste.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Overall, the experience was very good. The service was wonderful and the prices were reasonable. The only downside was the parking situation. Finding parking close by on the street is definitely a challenge. EAT's management posts signs everywhere alterting customers that they will be towed if they park in another establishment's parking lot. We parked at 31st street and walked nine blocks. It was a beautiful evening and I really wanted to try this restaurant. Not sure if I would do it again.</div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">4005 Atlantic Avenue</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23451</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 965-2472</span><br /><a href="http://www.eatbistro.net/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.eatbistro.net</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/391089/restaurant/Norfolk/Oceanfront/Eat-An-American-Bistro-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Eat: An American Bistro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/391089/minilink.gif" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-8049123036713682502010-09-26T12:45:00.003-04:002010-09-26T13:30:21.141-04:00Pasha Mezze<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhuqBxKFe0dfNzlv4h2d0kRVu-GXwpLEngZcxjPluVD_SyLO2GVjNY4yutxfbcXNZ1llY6eC0y5qvmuuVpS6puWDa-PUXSai-JRLxcHLi-FM7Y5N071ezmVgaNg9ualSoaPsnOUiM9WUE/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521265499145382994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhuqBxKFe0dfNzlv4h2d0kRVu-GXwpLEngZcxjPluVD_SyLO2GVjNY4yutxfbcXNZ1llY6eC0y5qvmuuVpS6puWDa-PUXSai-JRLxcHLi-FM7Y5N071ezmVgaNg9ualSoaPsnOUiM9WUE/s400/006.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Pasha Mezze opened its doors in 2003 and is a family owned, Turkish restaurant. It is conveniently tucked away on West 22nd Street in the Palace Station shopping Center in Norfolk.<br /><br />The decor is very chic but not pretentious in any way. It felt very comfortable and inviting. The layout consists of a main dining area in the front of the restaurant which looks out onto the open kitchen and bar, a separate area in the rear which boasted exposed brick, hardwood floors and comfortable lounge seating, and outdoor seating is also available. We did not have to wait to be seated and were led to the quieter area in the rear of the restaurant.<br /><br />There were many options on the brunch menu including omelettes, soups, salads and many Pasha signature dishes.<br /><br />We chose the Turkish style french toast<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Bo2MSFD4jCsD8_8bbd9OzKMZbCUZNpaPP05tIZJhKpfgekeZ8L0eEAHRjtTAIGrDM8UdFVIV-UOSPScvNzjzbJxqXd8-U3Rsif_4pbVzYHLHm9nb95F5446uFamzsj3SkfuHohassiyV/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521265494227352050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Bo2MSFD4jCsD8_8bbd9OzKMZbCUZNpaPP05tIZJhKpfgekeZ8L0eEAHRjtTAIGrDM8UdFVIV-UOSPScvNzjzbJxqXd8-U3Rsif_4pbVzYHLHm9nb95F5446uFamzsj3SkfuHohassiyV/s400/007.JPG" /></a><br />which was served with whipped cream and strawberry preserves. I read a review that said they were served cold, but they were actually room temperature. They were a bit sweeter than regular french toast but still rather good.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>I ordered a cup of the organic red lentil soup which was served with their homemade artisan bread. The soup was hearty and very filling. I've never had red lentil soup and I was interested in trying it and I found the taste to be creamy and very tasty.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6rIqfP9rvgALnONbxcsO66Kd9ukU1l9_c91SFCVc-_CFce3bIDk2Ee3fao2PQCgfk1MShHKlnPol4tXashxnq1aQq-nuzlf3RwhM313sXy_EbuO7R_mTr0pWQMcBc1yY-dWOe4kH4yrJ/s1600/008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521265483100322290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6rIqfP9rvgALnONbxcsO66Kd9ukU1l9_c91SFCVc-_CFce3bIDk2Ee3fao2PQCgfk1MShHKlnPol4tXashxnq1aQq-nuzlf3RwhM313sXy_EbuO7R_mTr0pWQMcBc1yY-dWOe4kH4yrJ/s400/008.JPG" /></a><br />I also ordered one of the Pasha signature dishes, the grilled chicken and poached eggs on potato cakes<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUul1ax8Ijc5TDBRQwbGbQPfFzZ3lL5NB5_YxwoBb8iP8DwBUBbd9e2WGqzBnRS3rYZEV-4SiB-KKWWBRgHLKY-rp3JrxmKLBuSzZ1ptP8qgkJjIGRMx54EboTh80W8RZZdeMaxg4dYBK4/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521265479214809058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUul1ax8Ijc5TDBRQwbGbQPfFzZ3lL5NB5_YxwoBb8iP8DwBUBbd9e2WGqzBnRS3rYZEV-4SiB-KKWWBRgHLKY-rp3JrxmKLBuSzZ1ptP8qgkJjIGRMx54EboTh80W8RZZdeMaxg4dYBK4/s400/010.JPG" /></a><br />this is a combination of marinated chicken strips, sauteed baby spinach and onions and mozzarella cheese layered on two potato cakes and topped with two poached eggs and a cream sauce. It may seem like there's a lot going on there but it seemed to all work together in a nice way. It had a very mild flavor and I felt it was seasoned very well. The portion size was extremely generous and as much as I wanted to finish the whole thing, I couldn't.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Pasha is such a cozy and comfortable restaurant. I loved the atmosphere and the service was excellent. Parking is very convenient in the shopping center.<br /><br />Pasha's entire menu and operating hours can be found on their website.<br /></div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">340 W 22nd Street</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Norfolk, VA 23517</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 627-1318</span><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.pashamezze.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.pashamezze.com</span></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/723425/restaurant/Ghent/Pasha-Mezze-Norfolk"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Pasha Mezze on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/723425/minilink.gif" /></a> </div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-12120784361878795562010-09-06T17:07:00.003-04:002010-09-06T17:30:39.805-04:00yNot Pizza<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AYAuruZ3BBTcrMSlCz9cJsykIh-AqSus-RlmJAdgmAYdrhPu6HktK3MezwKYqyZIwv8Y62E8ugMgBvtPjOlkoeXI9ZyuFg49XL-tWONVONvl_PvBMOTx9SwnlpuShA3tLYf6nTBGtNht/s1600/ynot.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513911381414265778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AYAuruZ3BBTcrMSlCz9cJsykIh-AqSus-RlmJAdgmAYdrhPu6HktK3MezwKYqyZIwv8Y62E8ugMgBvtPjOlkoeXI9ZyuFg49XL-tWONVONvl_PvBMOTx9SwnlpuShA3tLYf6nTBGtNht/s400/ynot.JPG" /></a><br />After a morning full of running errands all I wanted to do was sit down and have a nice lunch with my daughter. Instead of the usual takeout I decided to take her to yNot Pizza. yNot is locally owned and one of the better choices for pizza in town.<br /><br />The Kempsville location is roomy and very comfortable. Once you enter the restaurant you are free to seat yourself at one of the many tables or booths. Since I'm dieting, I had to quiet my conscience by ordering a small garden salad.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZrvpb5adjBtHep2-ZrzjHPLbGdjMatdOR-zDzWxYCrF5eqF3VE_XLgesubSOf86R6LwB94xliSkULgEPDB14v1pzRkfNQm4mxSK9w86JkrZnH9Mxh_3aFSI9oKp8TzNRadC_nNkcxMBr/s1600/salad.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513911372554237314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZrvpb5adjBtHep2-ZrzjHPLbGdjMatdOR-zDzWxYCrF5eqF3VE_XLgesubSOf86R6LwB94xliSkULgEPDB14v1pzRkfNQm4mxSK9w86JkrZnH9Mxh_3aFSI9oKp8TzNRadC_nNkcxMBr/s400/salad.JPG" /></a> Now that my conscience is quiet. I was free to order the pizza! </div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6S6VdQSaz5gcfs4GcY4RGY82xxOq1jlLQvCq_khCDK_OElXvn4RF_61D1zDQpGt-im1BE6dHyyr2xqRAmMMYR5qPKMVI_4pKs3eD-yi085_lWItpogqIATNdjqIi-cJcxrEseaj9DE8g/s1600/pizza.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513911363301370178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6S6VdQSaz5gcfs4GcY4RGY82xxOq1jlLQvCq_khCDK_OElXvn4RF_61D1zDQpGt-im1BE6dHyyr2xqRAmMMYR5qPKMVI_4pKs3eD-yi085_lWItpogqIATNdjqIi-cJcxrEseaj9DE8g/s400/pizza.JPG" /></a>I ordered a 14" pie with mushrooms, bacon and chicken. The bacon was for my daughter and the chicken was for me. The thin-crust New York style pizza was so fresh tasting and delicious. The chicken was not dry at all but tender and so yummy. Each ingredient complimented the others. It was just a really good pie.</div><div></div><div>Of course we didn't finish it because we had to order dessert. </div><div></div><div><br /><br />yNot has a huge selection of homemade desserts. Cakes, gelato, cookies ... but I come for the chocolate cannoli:<br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNcsvP_FT3GZ-ktgSkodgF3FPg0o-302YkM3_sP2_olLuUx0PFFQAEETXVmmcYjrP9N2Vqbqu_wF4y9Q_Pr8HAQg5rh7S4d1PwoKH-FqsiQ2fV2KK8u6ChZYMAL9cp_VjZV3n5E_262o-/s1600/cannoli.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513911355310830898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNcsvP_FT3GZ-ktgSkodgF3FPg0o-302YkM3_sP2_olLuUx0PFFQAEETXVmmcYjrP9N2Vqbqu_wF4y9Q_Pr8HAQg5rh7S4d1PwoKH-FqsiQ2fV2KK8u6ChZYMAL9cp_VjZV3n5E_262o-/s400/cannoli.JPG" /></a><br />Yes, I'm dieting but I couldn't resist. I have only had one cannoil better and that was in Boston's Little Italy. </div><div></div><div><br /><br />My daughter had to have the four-layer carrot cake.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaGWim5IV0-GbfesHYufsN8ak6NzB5xQPsto5uUTM7TnfwGF8XpNBN5OiT-WQV1n2hXSGSUe3QKB3kJAhE2FVKwXfQHWIM7hicG05IYu53aPy5p5dr35BSPyKm7lULrxRjTWlw_r1HGMq/s1600/cake.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513911347029547170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaGWim5IV0-GbfesHYufsN8ak6NzB5xQPsto5uUTM7TnfwGF8XpNBN5OiT-WQV1n2hXSGSUe3QKB3kJAhE2FVKwXfQHWIM7hicG05IYu53aPy5p5dr35BSPyKm7lULrxRjTWlw_r1HGMq/s400/cake.JPG" /></a><br />Everything about yNot is fantastic. The people are always friendly. The prices are more than reasonable. yNot offers the following dining options: order online, delivery, carryout and dine-in. I always prefer to dine in. The menu is loaded with Italian specialties and I'm sure one day I'll get around to trying each of them. However, today I was quite satisfied with the pizza.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">5257 Providence Road</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23464</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 474-6000</span><br /><a href="http://www.ynotpizza.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.ynotpizza.com</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/393655/restaurant/Norfolk/Kempsville/YNot-Pizza-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="YNot Pizza on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/393655/minilink.gif" /></a></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-18413789289683769582010-09-05T13:20:00.004-04:002010-09-05T13:56:53.102-04:00Finn McCool's Fish House and Tavern<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIN5Q17lr_x3t4qEYYKMXfJ3ljLLltJpoZtiZhcDRQMTVH1d_DTH2GLwboBv6CJqPt_EWoznRENE9LAixS3teHkdQvEL6UzzAUDWMxH3ZBZt0bMQNHwQMQM7KBVpLIMEOj2fgv-udvfgG/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513482485797156418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIN5Q17lr_x3t4qEYYKMXfJ3ljLLltJpoZtiZhcDRQMTVH1d_DTH2GLwboBv6CJqPt_EWoznRENE9LAixS3teHkdQvEL6UzzAUDWMxH3ZBZt0bMQNHwQMQM7KBVpLIMEOj2fgv-udvfgG/s400/001.JPG" /></a><br />This will have been my second visit to Finn McCool's on Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach. The first time I went was right around the time that it opened. I was very impressed with the decor, the service, staff and food. It was definitely a homerun. I would probably classify my second visit as a triple.<br /><br />The restaurant itself is beautiful. The furnishings and the decoration make for a very comfortable dining exerience. We were sitting close to the bar so it was a little loud but that is to be expected and it wasn't a big deal. It was early Saturday evening and there was no wait to be seated which I really appreciated. Our drink orders were taken immediately.<br /><br />After the drinks came out we ordered an appetizer:<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfnzXPsT8ovesXqtDO_JPuNCnObUY9IfrKzbi9-vaYInRFp_SjXaWgpOpEUm5IQGvungXvHzamPk8T7zwqhvhkV8m0mbItg4divsqp_oFrcx-4wb4ukQQYcGLhzroRTf8Sg1tiD2Apt4D/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513482475220621394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfnzXPsT8ovesXqtDO_JPuNCnObUY9IfrKzbi9-vaYInRFp_SjXaWgpOpEUm5IQGvungXvHzamPk8T7zwqhvhkV8m0mbItg4divsqp_oFrcx-4wb4ukQQYcGLhzroRTf8Sg1tiD2Apt4D/s400/002.JPG" /></a> The crab dip came out and I thought it tasted okay. It is a blend of crab, artichokes, spinach and creamy cheese and served with the house flat bread. It wasn't bad but probably could have used a little more seasoning and a little more actual crab.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />As an entree we ordered the crab-topped rockfish and the jumbo shrimp:</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMPlEzWDG9IawIAE0920ahwjoTiDOpdAiRJ8BQwxQ_rutwYjrZdhlJk3tu3vSl3ltnXVhAAR3jRwk8ztJVDuNFbpuuSXWZdg_NqHjV98fXg_eHE-fnF0Wx_sh7SauTmZzEhkmZuiv0yxM/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513482468612491538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMPlEzWDG9IawIAE0920ahwjoTiDOpdAiRJ8BQwxQ_rutwYjrZdhlJk3tu3vSl3ltnXVhAAR3jRwk8ztJVDuNFbpuuSXWZdg_NqHjV98fXg_eHE-fnF0Wx_sh7SauTmZzEhkmZuiv0yxM/s400/003.JPG" /></a><br />The rockfish was fine but I expected to see chunks of crabmeat on top of the fish. Instead I see the same crab dip that I had earlier spread on top of it. That was a little disappointing. I should be clear and state that the menu described it exactly as it came out. I just didn't read it carefully. My fault. I found the potatoes that accompanied the meal to be perfectly seasoned and very tasty.<br /><br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Vx3PoKQSl5OROMmFQmpxaRgnUAjxUyJbt988wAYNxEwF-9ZVMS7BnV8ApI92a_WvzyPZBtYpnxI8slGldGJDtzDgBH4cz33lvRaXDj60tLCFRtCAiZhASBEazbcipDn4Ab7L7gXgJJp3/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513482463921634322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Vx3PoKQSl5OROMmFQmpxaRgnUAjxUyJbt988wAYNxEwF-9ZVMS7BnV8ApI92a_WvzyPZBtYpnxI8slGldGJDtzDgBH4cz33lvRaXDj60tLCFRtCAiZhASBEazbcipDn4Ab7L7gXgJJp3/s400/004.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div>The jumbo shrimp were okay as well. The rice on the side was bland and slightly overcooked.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Finn McCool's is a nice place in a great location. The servers were friendly, attentive and accomodating. I thought the prices were reasonable and I enjoyed my time there. It wasn't a spectacular dining experience but I would probably go back for drinks and appetizers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">3388 Princess Anne Road</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23456</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 689-0829</span><br /><a href="http://www.finnmccoolsvb.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.finnmccoolsvb.com</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/777155/restaurant/Norfolk/Lynnhaven/Finn-McCools-Fish-House-and-Tavern-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Finn McCool's Fish House and Tavern on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/777155/minilink.gif" /></a> </div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-92189262666406676982010-07-31T19:40:00.003-04:002010-08-01T11:35:53.140-04:00The Broken Egg Bistro<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiXB9or6zbI9Qk2txjzKHg2kia4RDtUakFtoeLGjHM8yOIqz3yRaejXcNOvrUG-4gjnme3nF0VXvPeYJ7aMMUQWgCMQkHa4khqUVeIbIekBspjTvc_1S-y-5VkPdHKru1Dud0UENF_hSm/s1600/DSCN0026.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500220071470094466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiXB9or6zbI9Qk2txjzKHg2kia4RDtUakFtoeLGjHM8yOIqz3yRaejXcNOvrUG-4gjnme3nF0VXvPeYJ7aMMUQWgCMQkHa4khqUVeIbIekBspjTvc_1S-y-5VkPdHKru1Dud0UENF_hSm/s400/DSCN0026.JPG" /></a><br />The Broken Egg Bistro on Kempsville Road in Chesapeake is pretty well known for their breakfasts and lunches. I was pleased to discover that they also have a pretty tempting dinner menu as well. </p><p>The Broken Egg Bistro is located in a tiny shopping center on Kempsville Road and I first discovered it while attending Chesapeake Hot Yoga classes, which is located in the same shopping center. I wasn't interested in visiting for breakfast but I was curious about their dinner menu so I checked it out online and then went in for myself on Saturday evening.</p><p>Fair warning: Broken Egg Bistro is not a cozy, intimate dinner spot. It's loud and there is a lot of activity. When we arrived I noticed that there appeared to be a wait to be seated, unless we sat at the counter, which is what we did. I always enjoy sitting at the bar because I never leave my server's line of vision. For me, the service at the bar is always good. And this visit was no exception. As soon as we were seated the specials were explained and our drink orders were taken. I had already spied the menu online so I had a really good idea of what I was going to order.</p><p>To start, we had the oysters rockefeller ($8)<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKjrXLwiaKronuXbkhDtgItuodraUqtLI2oYVDQxtU7nOJPItvlutZsjG2eSquaFbU0Z9KEU7JXx384NHU2woR8S_9ZRnZogNHOvnv9VBujrkDY4UzoahfqBKDGrK_UcPWxO0Lz4YuHii/s1600/DSCN0021.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500220063631449266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKjrXLwiaKronuXbkhDtgItuodraUqtLI2oYVDQxtU7nOJPItvlutZsjG2eSquaFbU0Z9KEU7JXx384NHU2woR8S_9ZRnZogNHOvnv9VBujrkDY4UzoahfqBKDGrK_UcPWxO0Lz4YuHii/s400/DSCN0021.JPG" /></a> Six plump oysters served on the 1/2 shell and topped with spinach, garlic and real bacon and then broiled. The oysters tasted really fresh and they weren't at all overwhelmed by the flavor of the toppings. They were prepared perfectly. <p>In addition to burgers, various chicken, beef and pasta dishes there are also a few house specialties. The etouffee ($14) being one of them: </p><p><br /> </p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog085h6kZt_mPIRLKSyJYZpK0ZeP0RArno6hauBkFkkYixv3eFu3fHgsjLkGxbzD9OoPQ6gcNFcyu1j1_Op4JjCr_gfzgD84GlpdpNv5gb8c97JOcUgA8l6vytt12Y_s56BEEjro1_vo6/s1600/DSCN0024.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500220054512178530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog085h6kZt_mPIRLKSyJYZpK0ZeP0RArno6hauBkFkkYixv3eFu3fHgsjLkGxbzD9OoPQ6gcNFcyu1j1_Op4JjCr_gfzgD84GlpdpNv5gb8c97JOcUgA8l6vytt12Y_s56BEEjro1_vo6/s400/DSCN0024.JPG" /></a> </div><div>this big bowl of goodness came out and I suspected that I was in for a treat. It was filled with fresh chicken, jumbo shrimp and smoked surry sausage in a spicy, gumbo style sauce and served over black beans and rice. The dish was just spicy enough to give it a little heat but allowed all the flavors to come through. The shrimp may have been a little overdone but it didn't ruin the dish at all. The portion size was more than adequate, in fact, I had to take it home with me in order to save room for dessert.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />I ordered the mini hot apple crumble ($5). I love the fact that this dessert came in a "mini" portion size:<br /><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYExLRq4oBtc1mPvpL2qI-PBdRS-aKRVtpyrOQ95h60t807ywOVOldWrQ9JvhfKHIvvtQgnfnqDcUeUPiwtscOnGhMCSYgtQHpsyKK_CnbtUMC3ghjLkGs_7FWuAX33j62YyzLGFf4DRBk/s1600/DSCN0025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500220045569388370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYExLRq4oBtc1mPvpL2qI-PBdRS-aKRVtpyrOQ95h60t807ywOVOldWrQ9JvhfKHIvvtQgnfnqDcUeUPiwtscOnGhMCSYgtQHpsyKK_CnbtUMC3ghjLkGs_7FWuAX33j62YyzLGFf4DRBk/s400/DSCN0025.JPG" /></a><br /><br />it was served with vanilla ice cream and topped with caramel. It tasted so good and it was the perfect size.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Overall, our experience at the Broken Egg Bistro was a positive one. From what I've seen, it is always busy and the customer's around me seemed to be enjoying themselves. I checked out other dinner plates and large portion sizes seem to be the theme of this restaurant. The prices are very reasonable and our server took very good care of us.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />If you haven't tried the Bistro for dinner, I'd certainly give it a shot.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">501 Kempsville Road</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Chesapeake, VA 23320</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 410-8515</span></div><div><a href="http://www.thebrokeneggbistro.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.thebrokeneggbistro.com</span></a></div></div><br /><p><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/1421052/restaurant/Norfolk/The-Broken-Egg-Bistro-Chesapeake"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="The Broken Egg Bistro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1421052/minilink.gif" /></a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-59778866631583607642010-06-13T18:30:00.008-04:002010-06-13T19:10:34.974-04:00Paradocks Grille<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaPKPxhcCkVs6O5oBdwVq7Dy0PYOG7iVKgQFhMukn_PoEMctvT1B_wwUfBD7Msr8yftGHqRSCWhdD9WS0aDuVBiERjYkzIaEDeILEfYRxzHbNO19ylmL3MYZVmlN3rKu0sN6yJYl1Mfx5/s1600/DSCI0836%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482395354087860738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaPKPxhcCkVs6O5oBdwVq7Dy0PYOG7iVKgQFhMukn_PoEMctvT1B_wwUfBD7Msr8yftGHqRSCWhdD9WS0aDuVBiERjYkzIaEDeILEfYRxzHbNO19ylmL3MYZVmlN3rKu0sN6yJYl1Mfx5/s400/DSCI0836%5B1%5D.JPG" /></a><br />Did you know that Paradocks Grille had a brunch on Sundays? I didn't either.<br /><br />Paradocks Grille is a casual eatery on Eden Way North in the Greenbrier section of Chesapeake. I've been there several times. Usually when I want something quick and simple . Paradocks' menu is as varied as it is simple. You can get just about anything there: sandwiches, various types of wings<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7xe-gHRPaN0qUlY7cFGkLlAxy6dnT1Vn-cpF_SxpDOivEqTT0xxTzzodTIXtnL2kkt8WFsB7Gk7XVX2HG5PRweJHA8TJu6eseb3Wr1jHuaixNjIXrL0Myjis7jQHt6yZV2cGKUTgW9u2/s1600/DSCI0834%5B2%5D.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482395345901501330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7xe-gHRPaN0qUlY7cFGkLlAxy6dnT1Vn-cpF_SxpDOivEqTT0xxTzzodTIXtnL2kkt8WFsB7Gk7XVX2HG5PRweJHA8TJu6eseb3Wr1jHuaixNjIXrL0Myjis7jQHt6yZV2cGKUTgW9u2/s400/DSCI0834%5B2%5D.JPG" /></a><br />seafood<br /><div><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtQr3WNkFdDbfiNiAXRn80DdSK7jEvshyXSYOz_tsWinD3j4LggJ6NPPMgvGE8eBl5GqQSa4ycuwP6-qLEizsQ31LojgPCV3gRlBqcXtNTIHJq-f7qc5bukAjO0eqVkIlrq75bgGQgNZm/s1600/DSCI0835%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482392778837162530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtQr3WNkFdDbfiNiAXRn80DdSK7jEvshyXSYOz_tsWinD3j4LggJ6NPPMgvGE8eBl5GqQSa4ycuwP6-qLEizsQ31LojgPCV3gRlBqcXtNTIHJq-f7qc5bukAjO0eqVkIlrq75bgGQgNZm/s400/DSCI0835%5B1%5D.JPG" /></a><br />and salads<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQb1Imhy01V0_h0eueQHo4f0MDI87jkWcXjx5j7ewHMeq_wFdFbCkpoZTuFIRHoGTkwOh6AsMR1_GGxInReZKq-k-rpIcsKZ8XfURrweduUevAdIRX6U5jrKNIHd3NyqQbVI0GM3V-wY9/s1600/DSCI0833%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482392765355202290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQb1Imhy01V0_h0eueQHo4f0MDI87jkWcXjx5j7ewHMeq_wFdFbCkpoZTuFIRHoGTkwOh6AsMR1_GGxInReZKq-k-rpIcsKZ8XfURrweduUevAdIRX6U5jrKNIHd3NyqQbVI0GM3V-wY9/s400/DSCI0833%5B1%5D.JPG" /></a><br />this is the Santa Fe chicken salad which contains thin strips of chicken breast served over cool greens, tomatoes, shredded cheese and tri-color tortilla strips. It is served with chipotle ranch dressing and garlic cheese toast. I thought it was pretty good.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>Paradocks provides plenty of seating in the main dining room, the bar area or outside on the deck. We decided to sit outside and take advantage of the beautiful day. There are flat screens and music from the 80s and 90s is playing on the sound system. It was fun and since we visited on Sunday during brunch I was able to take advantage of the $1.99 mimosas.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>The service is always friendly and quick. It's simple, it's casual and a fun place to visit on a Sunday afternoon.<br /></div><div><div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">801 Eden Way North</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Chesapeake, VA 23320</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 321-2202</span></div><div><a href="http://www.paradocksgrille.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.paradocksgrille.com/</span></a></div><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/392505/restaurant/Norfolk/Paradocks-East-Coast-Grille-Chesapeake"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; HEIGHT: 36px; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" alt="Paradocks East Coast Grille on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/392505/minilink.gif" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990881684700376071.post-62109710096955899152010-06-06T10:55:00.004-04:002010-06-07T09:22:49.303-04:00Sonoma Wine Bar and BistroI've heard plenty of things about Sonoma so I put it on my list of places to visit this summer. I had the opportunity to try it out last night. It's located in the heart of Town Center in Virginia Beach on Central Park Avenue. I showed up at 7:00 p.m. without a reservation and was seated immediately.<br /><br />The atmosphere in Sonoma is very cozy and exactly what I would expect from a wine bar and bistro except that the noise level was pretty high.<br /><br /><p>The menu is a combination of steak, seafood and pasta and entrees average about $27. Check the website for brunch and holiday specials.</p><p>I ordered the caprese salad to start and as you can tell from the picture it really is a beautifully simple dish. Just tomatoes, mozzarella and basil with a balsamic reduction. The tomatoes were room temperature, which for me makes the salad perfect.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXT618LDA9k3EPY5qs4idzHSlZltgQK39xuqvtr1fQUMbF_Yk6iKyTx5s9HlbvXoK3s3j3HaTUrfx28rwEzT5o0LE5LjkjOCBv7AB15-kp5OZRwM1vI1YXM-Trmt3vI0U_rJ3-tG9ZTMjj/s1600/DSCI0819[1].JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479682094621182418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXT618LDA9k3EPY5qs4idzHSlZltgQK39xuqvtr1fQUMbF_Yk6iKyTx5s9HlbvXoK3s3j3HaTUrfx28rwEzT5o0LE5LjkjOCBv7AB15-kp5OZRwM1vI1YXM-Trmt3vI0U_rJ3-tG9ZTMjj/s400/DSCI0819%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I followed the salad with the "Spring" Salmon.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfsSaGRnIpexmrKN6Ig7Fol7HNCsGnu0co-0XWzbpXFLh0g8bW2_v0wfqxCR3fM95YFKFSxydsTZfqYWMeULr4MAXLgqtCvnSkJu6Eordbw02NQzVHx3W6STevUbfTTuOeDsRteFQ96Js/s1600/DSCI0820[1].JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479682087635592338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfsSaGRnIpexmrKN6Ig7Fol7HNCsGnu0co-0XWzbpXFLh0g8bW2_v0wfqxCR3fM95YFKFSxydsTZfqYWMeULr4MAXLgqtCvnSkJu6Eordbw02NQzVHx3W6STevUbfTTuOeDsRteFQ96Js/s400/DSCI0820%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The fresh Atlantic salmon was served over shitake mushrooms, asparagus and Yukon gold hash. The portion was more than enough and the salmon was cookd perfectly. I really loved it.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />My sister ordered the pasta sonoma<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALmvUUWOmeggyBsqtw1Q-tRUKHTDeyJkSkYhVq-zg-9z9bIE4jniO1wC4niocbYbTeY0Y_PQ-zBOABeE-ykmO6oSYjXD7eYBM-vqASlDWID2W8Yp54h0j2OVsa_6OiR9xtMpb12j4pD6E/s1600/DSCI0822[1].JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479682073280699858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALmvUUWOmeggyBsqtw1Q-tRUKHTDeyJkSkYhVq-zg-9z9bIE4jniO1wC4niocbYbTeY0Y_PQ-zBOABeE-ykmO6oSYjXD7eYBM-vqASlDWID2W8Yp54h0j2OVsa_6OiR9xtMpb12j4pD6E/s400/DSCI0822%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></a>Which was prepared with shrimp and scallops sauteed with fire roasted red peppers, zucchini, olives, tomatoes and tossed with feta cheese. She said it was delicious.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Sonoma has a pretty varied wine list with many choices by the glass or bottle. They also feature wine tastings on Wednesdays for $30.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />I enjoyed dinner at Sonoma and would recommend it based on the quality of food and the service. It is a bit pricey but I felt that it was worth it. They also provide outdoor seating which I believe would be lovely for a Sunday brunch. Check their website to view the full menu and hours of operation.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">189 Central Park Avenue</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Virginia Beach, VA 23462</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(757) 490-9463</span><br /><a href="http://www.sonomatowncenter.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">www.sonomatowncenter.com</span></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/35/393149/restaurant/Norfolk/Pembroke/Sonoma-Wine-Bar-Bistro-Virginia-Beach"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 130px; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; HEIGHT: 36px" alt="Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/393149/minilink.gif" /></a> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0