My Winter "To Dine" List

I did okay on my fall "to dine" list: we made it two of the four restaurants on the list - A Chef's Kitchen in Williamsburg, VA, and Union Square Cafe in Manhattan.

Here's where I'd like to eat this winter:

• I still haven't made it to the Boot (not for lack of trying!), so it stays on the list.
• Topher & I still haven't made it to One Fish Two Fish either (my fault on that one).
• I'll add Blue Talon Bistro and Fat Canary, both in Williamsburg. (I'm hoping for another weekend getaway!)
• Terrapin - New American cuisine near the Virginia Beach oceanfront (a recommendation from Lisa Has Chickens via her aunt, who's a good friend of mine)

Let's see how well we do this quarter!

Tapas for Two - Twice

I knew that Topher would be working late most nights this week, thanks to the end of federal fiscal year; so I scheduled a few dates with girlfriends (since cooking for one isn't much fun). Not intentionally, both meals ended up being at tapas restaurants in Norfolk - one at a place I'd never been before, and the other at an old favorite.

My friend Beth and I had planned to go to the Boot after work on Monday. But about halfway through the day, I remembered that the Boot is closed on Mondays, so we decided to meet at Pasha Mezze instead. Well, we both drove up about the same time and found out that, yep, it's closed on Mondays too.

So we went around the corner to Bardo Edibles + Elixirs, an Asian fusion tapas bar with a fun (and extensive) menu. We both ordered a few dishes to share, and while everything was good, my favorites were the cocktail and the dessert.

What We Ate:

• To drink: The Alchemist – spiced rum, Chambord, Citronge liquor, Honest Tea, and a splash of sour - very good but could be dangerous: the tea completely masks the liquor
• Eastern Shore edamame (sautéed in butter, Old Bay, green onions, garlic & lemon)
• Boursin fondue, served with crackers & bread
• Steamed lobster & potato dumplings, with Old Bay cream
• Three-Bean Tagine: green beans, black beans, & edamame cooked with tomatoes, chipotle, lemon & garlic, served over sticky rice - more spicy than you would expect! (not a bad thing)
• Potato-wrapped Salmon: maple B&B glazed salmon served over Bardo succotash
• Garlic and soy Brussels sprouts - more soy sauce than you would expect (not a good thing)
• “Dip Sum” donuts with milk chocolate & white chocolate chopsticks, served with three dipping sauces (chocolate, caramel, & raspberry) - as our waitress explained, you stick the chocolate chopsticks into the warm donuts and they "gooify" - yum!

The Scoop:

Bardo Edibles + Elixirs is located at 430 West 21st Street in the Ghent section of Norfolk, VA 23517. They're open Sun-Fri 11am-2am and Sat 5pm-2am. You can find them on Facebook. They're the sister restaurant of Still in Portsmouth, VA.

*****

On Tuesday after work, I met up with my friend Stacy at Crackers on Granby Street. I've been there twice before - once to celebrate Christmas with all of my cousins, and then again on September 30, 2009 to celebrate the end of FY09 with some coworkers. This time we celebrated Stacy's upcoming wedding and move to Charlottesville (I'll miss you, Stacy!).

Crackers doesn't look like much for the outside, and it's not exactly in the trendiest part of Norfolk, but it's a fun place with a cool atmosphere and good specials. Their cocktail menu is a two-page spread, and they offer both hot and cold tapas.

What We Ate:

• Prosciutto wrapped asparagus - not overcooked (a good thing)
• Butternut squash gnocchi with hazelnuts & sage brown butter
• Sesame noodles with bok choy & wild mushrooms - served room temp or slightly chilled, not hot
• Pork & ginger pot stickers with sweet chili sauce & ponzu - fried crispy but not greasy (also a good thing)
• Blackberry swirl cheesecake
• To drink: Magnolia - really wish I could remember exactly what was in this, but it was fantastic; it might become my regular drink there

The Scoop:

Crackers is located at 4226 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23504. They're open Sun-Sat 5pm-2am.

*****

P.S. As you might have noticed, I really tried to get in as many green veggies as possible while dining out this week: edamame, Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, and bok choy!

My Fall "To Dine" List

Here are a few places that I want to try this fall. Watch for reviews to come!

• The Chef's Kitchen - a restaurant in Williamsburg set up stadium-style, so you can watch the chefs prepare your meal and learn as you go; this one is leftover from my summer "to dine" list
• One Fish Two Fish - a seafood restaurant in northern Virginia Beach; also a leftover from my summer "to dine" list ... sort of ... to see what I mean, check out this post (it's a funny story)
• Boot - a "local kitchen & wine bar" in the Ghent area of Norfolk, specializing in locally grown foods
• Union Square Café - in NYC; uses meats & produce from the nearby Union Square Greenmarket; highly recommended by our good friend Jen

Actually, my "to dine" list is quite long, and it just keeps growing as I get recommendations from family & friends (which I love, by the way)!

Where are you dying to eat this fall? Do you have any suggestions for me?

Curry Cravings

If I could add one and only one restaurant to our offerings in downtown Suffolk, I would probably pick an Indian restaurant. It's easy to find good Indian in the DC area (Bombay Curry Company, anyone?), but not so much in Suffolk. We've got sushi, Italian, Mexican, and Chinese takeout, but no Indian. And sometimes a girl just needs a little curry, ya know?

So when Topher & I want to satisfy our cravings, we visit Rajput in Ghent. Topher first took me there a couple of years ago for my birthday. (It was the first birthday we'd celebrated together as a couple, and Topher set the bar for gifts very high: he gave me a first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird, my favorite book!)

We went back this past February for Valentine's Day, which fell on a Sunday, so we got to indulge in their amazing Sunday lunch buffet. All-you-can-eat paneer masala, chicken tandoori, lentils & chickpeas, basmati rice, naan, and kheer (rice pudding with raisins, nuts, and rosewater) - it was a perfect date for us.

Last week Topher's friend Matt and his new fiance Allison were in town for a visit, and we ate lunch with them at Nawab on Military Highway. (They have another location in VA Beach near Hilltop.) Nawab has a lunch buffet, so we gorged ourselves on vindaloo, curry, biryani, eggplant bhartha, and palak paneer, finished off once again with kheer.

A couple of nights ago I "cheated" on Topher and went to Rajput with my dear friend Stacy. It was delicious as always! But I felt kinda bad that Topher missed out. I was brave, though, and ordered my entree "medium-hot" (level 3 out of 5) - Topher would've been proud.

What We Ate:

• appetizer: vegetable samosas (stuffed with potato & peas)
• our entrees: chicken korma (mine) and chicken tikka masala (Stacy's), served with basmati rice and naan
• to drink: mango lassi (a sweet yogurt drink) - I would've liked this to be a little bit colder, but it was still very refreshing.

The Scoop:

Rajput Indian Cuisine is located at 742 W. 21st Street in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk, VA 23517. They serve lunch M-F 11:30am-2:30pm and Sat-Sun noon-3pm; they serve dinner Sun-R 5-10pm and F-Sat 5-10:30pm. You can make reservations online or by calling (757)625-4634. (I think their food is a little better than Nawab, and the decor is definitely nicer - it's better for an evening out.)

Note: The images above were found here.

Kincaid's and the Virginia Stage Company

Topher & I (okay, mainly me) are already looking ahead to fall and planning our calendar. Along with a few weekend getaways, we want to go to the Virginia Opera Company's production of Mozart's "Cosi fan Tutte" in November, and I'd like to see the Virginia Stage Company's "The Diary of Anne Frank" in September. (I already have in mind where I'd like to eat on our evenings out, too!)

Our first experience with VSC was last fall, when my aunt and uncle invited us to join them for a Sunday afternoon matinee at the historic Wells Theatre in downtown Norfolk.

We saw "Alive and Well," a romantic comedy about a heartbroken Civil War re-enactor and an emotionally desperate New York journalist searching for the legendary "lonesome soldier" Civil War veteran in rural central Virginia. The play itself was a little strange, but the theater was gorgeous! (The photo above is from HamptonRoads.com.)

Afterwards we walked to Kincaid's for dinner. Yes, Kincaid's is a chain restaurant, and yes, this location is in a mall. But don't be fooled! It's still a great restaurant with a solid menu and excellent service. The four of us sat and talked for almost three hours and never felt like we were being rushed out.

What I Ate:

• steak with crab-stuffed shrimp, steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes - it doesn't get much more basic than steak, potatoes, & broccoli, but man, was this good!
• a few bites each of pear bread pudding and crème bruleè cheesecake with strawberries

The Scoop:

Kincaid's Fish, Chop and Steak House is located on the first floor of the MacArthur Center at 300 Monticello Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23510. They're open for dinner M-Sat 5-10pm and Sun 4-8pm. They also serve a "first seating" three-course prix-fixe ($25) meal daily 5-6pm. Check their website for hours for lunch, Sunday brunch, and the lounge. You can reach them at (757)622-8000.

Celebrating Local & Regional Food

It seems that August is the month for celebrating local & regional food, both here in Virginia and across the country.

This week (August 1-7) is National Farmers' Market Week, and the Suffolk Farmers' Market is celebrating today 10am-1pm with live banjo music, a rug weaving demonstration, special discounts and food samples, and a farm animal petting zoo.

The Virginia Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Services is sponsoring a Farmers' Market Photo Contest: "Submit your favorite digital photograph taken at a Virginia farmers' market between July 8, 2010 and August 18, 2010. The winners will receive a Virginia Grown/Virginia's Finest prize package worth $100 each."

So if you head out to the farmers' market today, don't forget to bring your camera!

Next week (August 8-14) is Farm to Feast Week, and 11 restaurants in the Hampton Roads area - including Stove, Tautog's, Todd Jurich's Bistro, the Boot, and Croc's Eco Bistro - will be offering 3-course meals that feature local meat, fish, wine, cheese, & produce for $20/$30.

And finally, the American Farmland Trust is sponsoring the America's Favorite Farmers' Markets contest - vote online now for your favorite market!

For some ideas on what to do with all the yummy produce you pick up at the market, check out this post from Whole Foods.

If you're on Twitter, you might like to follow ...

@VirginiaGrown

@BuyLocalHR

@saveourfood (from Richmond, VA)

@VAWineEvent

Note: Photo at top was found online here.

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.

Second Time's the Charm

Earlier this year Topher & I ate at Todd Jurich's Bistro with our friends Bonnie & Andy during Norfolk Restaurant Week, and although we had a wonderful evening, the meal just wasn't all we had hoped for. (I have a personal theory about Restaurant Weeks: the restaurants might be less expensive than usual, but the food won't be nearly as good.)

But we kept hearing such great things about it, so we wanted to give it a second chance. Our opportunity came when Topher was given a gift certificate as a thank-you present. We finally used the gift certificate this past Saturday night, for dinner before my cousin Heidi's modern dance ensemble's performance. And I must admit, this meal totally redeemed Todd Jurich's in our estimation: it was fantastic!

What We Ate:

• amuse-bouche: thin-sliced cucumber topped with mint & melon salsa
• my starter: "Chef's Garden" iced gazpacho with lump crab meat - a perfect summer soup
• Topher's starter: Five spice seared foie gras, served atop a Peking duck roll, with damsum plum - this was the best foie gras I've ever tasted (great smoky flavor), and the plum sauce was unusual but very tasty
• my entrée: Pepper seared tuna, served over a warm quinoa salad (chick peas, cherry tomatoes, carrots), topped with eggplant "caviar" (paired with Hendry "Unoaked" Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2007) - the tuna was seared medium-rare, and as you know, I'm a sucker for a yummy quinoa salad - this whole dish was delicious! I'm not a huge fan of chardonnays, but the Hendry was quite good: still a little buttery but, as the name suggests, without the huge oaky flavor - a nice pairing for the tuna
• Topher's entrée: summer lamb grille served on a naan "pizza" with cucumber tahini sauce (paired with Vino con Brio "Matzin" Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, 2005)
• dessert: Southern bourbon pecan pie topped with brown sugar cinnamon ice cream - the ice cream was amazing! the perfect consistency with the right blend of sweet & spicy

The Scoop:

Todd Jurich's Bistro is located at 150 W. Main Street, Suite 100 (the entrance is on Boush Street between Main & Plume Streets) in downtown Norfolk, VA 23510. Reservations are available online or by calling (757)622-3210. Dinner is served M-Sat 5:30-10pm; lunch is available M-F 11:30am-2pm.

A Blonde Moment at 456 Fish

Topher and I stayed in Norfolk after work this afternoon to do some shopping, and afterwards we decided to use a gift card that my aunt and uncle gave me for birthday for dinner at 456 Fish, another place that's on my summer "to dine" list.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, knowing that we had a gift card for half the bill. The check came, we gave the waitress the gift card and our credit card, and away she went. She returned to the table less than a minute later and said very apologetically, "I'm sorry, but this gift card is for a different restaurant."

Sure enough, the gift card is for One Fish Two Fish, a nice seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach near my aunt & uncle's house. OOPS! Needless to say, I was mortified, but Topher thought it was hilarious. I think his exact words were, "Baby, you're the smartest dumb blonde I've ever met."

What We Ate:

• appetizer: fried calamari with plum tomato sauce and basil aioli - the basil aioli was amazing: it tasted like a pesto cream sauce, only not as spicy - yum!
• Topher's entrée: Pan roasted red snapper over spaghetti squash, topped with herb malted pomme frits and applewood bacon crumbles
• my entrée: Catch of the Day (red snapper) pan roasted in olive oil, salt & pepper, with sautéed garlic spinach, over coconut risotto (to drink: Lagaria pinot grigio)

The Scoop:
456 Fish is located in downtown Norfolk near Waterside, at 456 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. They serve dinner on Sun-R 5-10pm, F-Sat 5-11pm; brunch is served on Sun 11am-3pm. Reservations are available by calling (757)625-4444. Find them on Facebook here.

Dinner Inside a Cantaloupe

There are several Mexican eateries in the Ghent area of Norfolk, but (in my humble opinion) they're all topped by the South American restaurant Luna Maya. Topher & I checked it out last fall with our friends Naaman & Amber.

Situated in the middle of a non-descript strip of shops, it doesn't look like much from the outside. But the interior is a different story: the walls are so orange that you feel like you're sitting inside a cantaloupe! The warm yellow glow from the overhead lamps only enhances the effect.

What I Ate:

• Pastel De Choclo Con Chorizo: sweet & savory Bolivian corn casserole filled with spicy chicken chorizo, topped with cheese, and served with rice - a hearty, delicious dish, creamy with just the right amount of spice
• Margatini: Sauza Gold, triple sec, and a splash of sour mix, served in margarita glass rimmed with chipotle salt - so much fun for your taste buds!

The Scoop:
Luna Maya is located at 2000 Colonial Avenue (at 21 St.), Norfolk, VA 23517. They don't take reservations. They're open T-R 5:30-9:30pm, F-Sat 5:30-10pm.

Note: The photo of Pastel De Choclo above is from HamptonRoads.com.

My Summer "To Dine" List

This summer I have a "to dine" (rather than a "to do") list. Here are a few places in Hampton Roads that I want to try:

• 465 Fish - a seafood restaurant in downtown Norfolk with a great reputation (we have a gift card from my Aunt Kay & Uncle David -- thanks so much!)
• Still - an allegedly chic tapas spot in Portsmouth (girls' night out, anyone?)
• The Chef's Kitchen - a restaurant in Williamsburg set up stadium-style, so you can watch the chefs prepare your meal and learn as you go (another gift card from my Aunt Kay & Uncle David - thanks!)
• Todd Jurich's Bistro - we went for restaurant week in February and were slightly underwhelmed (the food was good, but not great), but we have a gift certificate, and I'm looking forward to giving it another chance
• Amici's Pizza Cafe - a Suffolk favorite; I've been there only once, with some girlfriends; the food was good, but the service was less than impressive (our supposed 20-minute wait for a table turned into a 45-minute wait; once seated, we waited another 20 minutes for the waitress to even take our order); I'm hoping Topher & I will have a better experience next time

Here's to happy summer eating!

Veggies for Breakfast

This morning, my friend Heather & I met for breakfast at the delightful D'Egg Diner in downtown Norfolk. I usually don't eat breakfast (I know, I know, "it's the most important meal of the day"), so this morning was a treat. Plus, I've been trying to find ways to eat more veggies for breakfast, and this morning's meal fit the bill perfectly.

What I Ate:

• a three-egg omelet with spinach, feta, mushrooms, & tomato, with orange juice and coffee

The Scoop:

D'Egg Diner is located at 206 E. Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. They're open for breakfast & lunch, 7 days a week, 7am-3pm. You can reach them at (757)626-EGGS.

I recently found another yummy recipe to help incorporate veggies into my breakfast: Eggs Baked with Spinach & Feta in a Tomato Shell from NPR's Kitchen Window. Doesn't it look yummy? I can't wait to try it!

37th & Zen and Enviro Jen

I like trying new restaurants in Hampton Roads, and my husband's cousin's wife Jenna introduced me to a great one in the most unexpected place: 37th & Zen, at the corner of Hampton Blvd. and 37th St. across from the ODU campus.

Since Jenna and I both work on the Norfolk naval base (in different offices), a restaurant on Hampton Blvd. is a convenient place for us to have lunch together. And 37th & Zen has a great menu, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, including yummy sesame garlic edamame.

What I Ate:

• lunch #1: BLT with avocado & chutney mayo - simple, but delicious
• lunch #2: Thai Chicken Cobb salad - Thai spiced chicken, bacon, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and Gorgonzola with balsamic vinegar dressing

The Scoop:

37th & Zen (www.37nzen.com) is located at the corner of 37th St. and Hampton Blvd. Their hours are T-F 11am-2am, Sat 5pm-2am, and Sun 5pm until. They're closed on Mondays.

P.S. Check out Jenna's blog about raising a "green" baby!

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!