A Locals' Favorite in Ghent

Since my husband Topher and I switched churches a few months ago, there are some good friends who live in Norfolk that we don't get to see as often as we used to. So I make a point of scheduling "dates" with those friends every few weeks or so, to make sure we stay in touch. Plus, it gives me a great excuse to sample (and review) fun restaurants, like Press 626 and No Frill Grill.

No Frill Grill in Ghent is one of those places that you can always count on for a good meal and enjoyable dining experience. Their menu has something for everyone, and the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The dining room isn't huge, so if you show up with a large party right at dinnertime, you might have to wait a while, but it's worth it. They also have a covered outdoor patio.

What I Ate:

• Grilled Chicken, Portabella and Andouille with wilted baby spinach, provolone, and sundried tomato garlic pesto over penne pasta, tossed with roasted red peppers, onions and tomatoes, served with herbed pita points - plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day!
• peach pie with vanilla ice cream - yeah, I know I just talked about leftovers, but there's always room for dessert

Other menu highlights include ...

• Spotswood Salad: baby spinach, granny smith apples, bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, Bermuda onions, radishes, cucumbers, red peppers, mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, caramelized almonds and raisins (add your choice of grilled chicken, grilled tuna, shrimp, or London broil for a few bucks more) - my cousins' wives LOVE this dish
• Crab cakes served with corn and black bean salsa, remoulade, cornbread and your choice of two sides - from a girl who tries everybody's crab cakes, these are pretty good
• New York Deli Style "Special": Medium rare roast beef (or oven roasted turkey or pastrami) piled high on thick Jewish rye bread with Swiss cheese, 1000 Island, coleslaw, tomatoes, onions, and spicy brown mustard

The Scoop:

No Frill Bar & Grill is located in Ghent at 806 Spotswood Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517. They're open Sun-R 11am-10pm and F-Sat 11am-11pm. Their brunch menu is available on Sun 11am-3pm. You can reach them at (757)627-4262. They also have a location at Hilltop in Virginia Beach.

Note: The photo above of the Spotswood Salad is from HamptonRoads.com.