Belated Birthday Dinner at Press 626

This past Monday evening, my girlfriends Ally & Heather took me out to dinner for my birthday. As we were savoring olive tapenade on toast points and sipping Meritage, Heather suggested that I should blog about the fun places that I eat.

Now I'm not a food critic, or a foodie, or even a good cook. My husband, however, is a great cook (I'm so blessed!), and wherever we go, he finds the best restaurants. It started when I lived in DC for three months during our engagement and continued with our honeymoon in California wine country last spring. On all our trips now, I plan the "activities" and he plans the meals.

So I've decided to give the blog idea a try. I'll post about the restaurants we visit, the delicious meals we eat, and the things that I learn about food along the way (I've got a LOT to learn -- I'm pathetic in the kitchen!). I might even throw in a few recipes, or some of the amazing meals that my husband makes at home.

I'll start with the birthday dinner I mentioned before, at Press 626 in Norfolk, VA. This is one of my favorite spots in Ghent. I've eaten here 4-5 times already, and I'll definitely go back. If you're looking for the perfect classy/casual girls' night out in Hampton Roads, this is the place. And Monday is Ladies' Night, too!

What I ate:

• A trio of spreads (oven-roasted red pepper cheese spread, lemon & garlic hummus, and sun-dried tomato & olive tapenade) with toast points -- the tapenade is my favorite

• Gruyere cream angel hair pasta with shrimp, local asparagus, portabella mushrooms & fresh herbs -- a little rich towards the end, but very yummy! And the asparagus wasn't overcooked.

• Rock and Vine (Meritage) Three Ranches '06 (North Coast, California) -- wines by the glass are half off for ladies on Mondays, and I'm obsessed with Meritage right now!

• Champagne cupcake with blueberry filling & lemon cream icing -- free for my birthday :)

The Scoop:

Press 626 (www.press626.com) is located at 626 W. Olney Road, Norfolk, VA 23507. Their hours are M-F 11am-11pm, Sat 5-11pm, and Sun Brunch 10:30am-2:30pm. Reservations are available by calling 757-282-6234.

In future posts: highlights from weekend getaways in Philadelphia, Chicago, & New York City, plus the best (and most expensive) meal I've ever eaten!