A Speakeasy in Old Towne Portsmouth

This week I checked two places off my summer "to-dine" list, and I can happily report that I enjoyed both.

On Tuesday evening, I met my friend Stacy in Old Towne Portsmouth for dinner at Still. This place definitely gives off a 1930's speakeasy vibe: You enter at a street-level door located on a side street with almost no signage and then immediately walk down a half flight of stairs to the dimly lit bar and lounge, which features leather arm chairs, low tables, and exposed brick walls. The only windows are small ones near the ceiling. All dishes are served in small, tapas-sized portions, and the cocktail menu is extensive.

What We Ate:

• House bread with bacon jalapeno cheddar butter
• Fresh spinach salad with poached egg, bacon, and tangy tomato dressing
• Panko encrusted oysters with New Orleans remoulade
• Spicy chicken vindaloo over saffron rice, with mango chutney & naan bread - definitely has a kick!
• Shrimp and andouille sausage tossed with penne in a spicy tomato cream sauce
• "Melt in your mouth" bread pudding with whiskey hard sauce - amazing! the bread was much lighter than a typical bread pudding, so the dish overall wasn't as heavy
• To drink: a vodka martini with a lemon twist (me) and a whiskey sour (Stacy)

We also considered the arugula salad with roasted pears, the curry chick peas, the sauteed gnocchi, and the glazed pork over polenta, and we almost ordered a second dessert: peach blackberry cobbler. I'll definitely be back to Still!

The Scoop:

Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas is located at 450 Court Street (at the corner of Queen St.), Portsmouth, VA 23704. Find them on Facebook.

Note: The image above is from the Still website.