Kincaid's

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.

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."

Really? Really?

That was how I ended up at Kincaid's located in the MacArthur Center mall in downtown Norfolk.

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.

We ordered cocktails, skipped the appetizers and decided to start with the entrees:

First up, the tableside seafood etoufee

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.

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.

Next up:

Oven baked catfish

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.

Finally, for dessert:

New York style cheesecake with fresh strawberries

The cheesecake was lovely. The slice was big enough to share and the texture was smooth and delicious.

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.




300 Monticello Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 622-8000
www.kincaids.com