It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

This past week we had quite a bit of winter weather in the Hampton Roads area. The snow "storm" that came last Thursday only left 1-3 inches of powder, but it clogged up the highways and interstates for hours. My regular one-hour, 40-mile commute turned into a 3-hour saga. But when I got home, our neighborhood sure looked beautiful all covered in white.

On Saturday night, Topher & I went had dinner with a bunch of our friends to celebrate one of the guys' birthday.

Aren't we a festive-looking bunch? Even the lampshades got in on the color scheme. :)

What We Ate:

• tomato, mozzarella, basil leaf, & balsamic vinegar - I could have eaten 10 of these
• lobster risotto - creamy & delicious
• green beans with roasted walnuts & goat cheese - if this is the way I'd had green beans as a kid, there's no way I'd dislike them!
• steak with chimichurri sauce
• for dessert: chocolate swirl cheesecake

There's nothing better than sharing meals during the holidays, and I'm so thankful for our friends & their amazing skills in the kitchen!

A Morning on the Farm

My friend Kim invited me to ride with her this morning to pick up her order from Full Quiver Farm - a family farm in Suffolk, VA - and I took a few pictures to share. It was an absolutely perfect day to be outside too: sunny & 60°F!

Happy cows

Full Quiver Farm sells milk shares and grass-finished beef shares, as well as pork shares.

Happy baby cows

Chickens (for eating) in their portable coop - it's moved to a new patch of grass every day

Chickens (for laying eggs) in their portable coop

The yellow & white trailer has been gutted and now houses dozens of nest boxes. Every three days, the trailer and the white fence are moved to a new area of the pasture, so the chickens have fresh grass to eat.

Thanksgiving turkeys

They take reservations for turkeys for Thanksgiving, and apparently it's best to reserve by early October - they're already sold out for this year!

A cotton field nearby on Manning Road

WRPC Community Garden Update: Fall Crops

It's after Labor Day, so I feel like it's okay to talk about fall ... although I don't want to rush summer away! But whether you're looking at a calendar or not, it's easy to tell the change of seasons by walking through a garden and looking at what's still producing and what's not.

The WRPC Community Garden was incredibly successful this summer, and for that I'm truly grateful. It's been an awesome ministry to be a part of: through it I've met so many neighbors, fellow church members, and long-time Suffolk locals.

A couple of weeks ago, our director wrote to us: "The Community Garden has thrived in its first year thanks to volunteers and community participants. ... The goal of the garden is to give people an opportunity to work and earn money to provide for their families. Thanks to all of you who have made that goal possible!"

With the change of seasons comes the change of crops, and our garden is no different. A few weeks ago we pulled up the yellow squash, zucchini, & cucumber plants - they just weren't producing any more in the late summer heat. Thankfully, the tomatoes and bell peppers are still going strong (we've got more bell peppers than we'll ever be able to use, so we're making pepper jelly!). But soon we'll need to make room in the garden for our fall crops.

What are we growing this fall, you ask? Well, we've already planted broccoli, onions, butternut squash, pole beans, and collard greens, and we're hoping to grow potatoes, kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, 2-3 kinds of lettuce, leeks, beets, and radishes. And we'll still be selling both on Saturdays (at the Suffolk Farmers' Market) and Sundays (at WRPC between services).

Let the bounty continue!

Note: The photo above was found here.

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.

WRPC Community Garden Update

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I'm serving as the sales coordinator for our church's community garden, and I wanted to give a little update on how things are going.

The garden is doing really well. We're growing zucchini, yellow squash, English cucumbers, tomatoes (including Roma and Lemon Boys), okra, butter beans, green and red bell peppers, and green beans.

Sales are also going well. We're selling on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings at the Suffolk Farmers' Market, and on Sunday mornings after each service at a picnic stand by the garden. Both WRPC members and Mercy Ministry clients have been helping with sales. Come visit us!

Fresh tomatoes, anyone?

Suffolk Spotlight: Amici's Pizza Cafe

The second place on my summer "to-dine" list that I visited this week was Amici's Pizza Cafe, a locals' favorite in downtown Suffolk.

I must admit that I wasn't too impressed with Amici's the first time I ate there, earlier this summer with two girlfriends: the food was delicious, but the service left a lot to be desired. Last night, though, my friend Meredith and I had a great time. We sat out front on the shaded patio, munched on bread with garlic butter, and sipped pinot grigio (well, I did at least; she's preggo) while we waited for our entrees. Thankfully, the wait wasn't nearly as long as last time.

What I Ate:

• The first time: Penne ala Vodka - spinach & andouille sausage over penna pasta in a tomato cream sauce
• The second time: Veal Piccata - veal cutlets with capers in a light lemon-white wine sauce over spaghetti

Amici's menu also includes a great selection of pizzas, a huge Greek salad (which my friend Kim got on my first visit), and salmon & artichokes over asparagus risotto (which I plan to try next time). Bottom line: Amici's is good, and I'll probably eat there again. But it's more casual than Primo 116, both in atmosphere and in cuisine; so for a special occasion or fancy night out, Primo 116 is still my favorite Italian in Suffolk.

The Scoop:
Amici's Pizza Cafe is located in downtown Suffolk at 157 E. Washington Street. You can reach them at (757)923-5300. They don't take reservations.

Suffolk Spotlight: The Plaid Turnip

The past few weeks have been hectic for me and Topher. Two & a half weeks ago he went to England for work, but only for four days/three nights. While he was gone, I took a quick weekend trip to New York City.

The next weekend we went to visit my in-laws in North Carolina for Father's Day. As soon as we got home, Topher left for Ohio for two days for work, then as soon as he got back from that, we went to Richmond (again with my in-laws) for a Wednesday night cooking class.

Last weekend was my first as the sales coordinator for my church's community garden, so I was busy with that on Saturday & Sunday mornings. And this week has brought some scary medical emergencies for a friend here in Virginia and for my cousin in Georgia.

Needless to say, the laundry was piling up and the refrigerator was looking bare. In the midst of all the frenzy, I'm very thankful that Topher & I had scheduled a date night for last Saturday. We got a little dressed up and went out for dinner at a new restaurant in Suffolk: The Plaid Turnip.

The Plaid Turnip took over the space that used to be Pisces, a seafood restaurant where we went for Father's Day brunch two years ago. The new eatery has a diner-ish feel to it, offering what I would call "upscale comfort food": dishes such as pasta primavera, fried, grilled or blackened flounder, and pork tenderloin in port mushroom gravy. Most entrees come with your choice of two sides (almost a meat & three!), and the list includes cole slaw, pasta salad, seasonal greens, baked apples, and french fries. The appetizer menu also had a few fun things, like fried olives and bacon-wrapped jalapenos, that we'd like to try on future visits (yes, we'll be coming back).

What We Ate:

• To start - fried chicken livers with spicy dipping sauce - when I was little, I loved getting fried chicken livers for lunch at Morrison's cafeteria after church on Sundays with my grandparents; you don't see them on restaurant menus much anymore, but man, these were good!
• Me - 7 oz. flatiron steak topped with melted crumbled bleu cheese, served with steamed broccoli and sweet potato fries - I hadn't had steak in a while, and this one really hit the spot
• Topher - rack of ribs, served with sweet potato fries - the ribs weren't spicy or smoky, but they were tender & flavorful; the chef explained to us that he uses a dry rub, cooks them, uses a dry rub again ahead of time, then adds tomato-based barbecue sauce and grills them when they're ordered

It wasn't a fancy meal, but it was well done and the prices were very reasonable. The staff was great too: we were waited on by our buddy Chris (formerly at Primo 116), and the chef Ed Beardsley (very friendly and approachable) came out to our table to chat and answer Topher's questions about the menu. Another perk: the walls feature pieces from local artists.

The Scoop:

The Plaid Turnip is located at 115 North Main Street, Suffolk, VA 23434. They're open M-R 7am-9am, F-Sat 7am-10pm, and Sun 7am-3pm.

New (Part-Time, Volunteer) Job

I'm so excited about an opportunity that I have to help out with a new ministry at our church: a community garden!

The garden was started this spring as part of WRPC's Hope for Suffolk mercy ministries. People from the church or the Suffolk community can volunteer to help weed, plant, and harvest; tools & seeds are provided/donated. The food grown in the garden will supplement WRPC's Food Bank. Folks that are unable to afford groceries will be able to come to the church, get a bag of non-perishable foods, and pick up some fresh veggies.

We'll also sell produce from the garden at the Suffolk Farmers' Market on Saturdays and at the church on Sundays throughout the summer, and my job is to serve as a sales coordinator.

Check out WRPC and the Community Garden on Facebook.

Disappointing

I've been reluctant to write negative reviews on this blog. Each time I start an entry, I hear that little voice in my head saying, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." But finally a friend made the point that my positive reviews will be more meaningful if people know that I don't think all meals are great. So, here goes:

I'm not impressed with Vintage Tavern.

There, I've said it. I've admitted that I don't like the restaurant that most people consider to be the best in Suffolk. It's not that the food is bad; it's just that, for the price, the food should be better. The service, the presentation, and the ambience (dark wood, lush seating) are all great, but the food doesn't live up to the hype IMHO.

I wish I could say that I've only been there once and that since I didn't have a great experience, I'll give it another try sometime. But no, I've been there twice, and I don't want to pay that much again, just to find out that third time's not the charm. Perhaps I should, but why, when our favorite Italian place is right around the corner?

The most recent meal I've eaten there was back in March, the Saturday evening of Suffolk Restaurant Week. My parents were visiting from Savannah, and we wanted to take them out for a nice dinner.

What I Ate:

• Tasting of American Bacons – one regular, one spicy, & one maple syrup – these were actually pretty good, but then again, it's hard to mess up bacon
• Carolina Shrimp and Stone-Ground Grits – If shrimp & grits are on the menu, I order them, and these simply weren't the best I've ever tasted. The grits were too firm, like they'd been sitting under a heat lamp for too long, and there weren't very many shrimp (only 3-4 small ones). No spice, either.
• Crème Brûlèe – bland, not a good consistency; Topher's crème brulèe is much better!

In general, all the dishes were bland. They didn't need more salt; they just needed more flavor. The only really bad dish was my mom's Chesapeake Bay Flounder, which was overcooked to the point of being mushy. For a place that's gotten rave reviews from so many people, it was disappointing.

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!

Suffolk Spotlight: Sushi Aka

Suffolk, VA isn't exactly in the middle of Hampton Roads, so people sometimes miss out on the great restaurants we have here. Fortunately, Suffolk had its own Restaurant Week in March, and one of the featured restaurants was Sushi Aka, an amazing Japanese fusion restaurant in downtown Suffolk.

My husband was hanging out with the boys that Monday night, so my friend Michelle and I decided to check out Sushi Aka's 3-course prix fixe Restaurant Week menu.

What I Ate:

• 1st course: scallops over edamame & ham risotto - a small portion, so it wasn't overly filling
• 2nd course: 6 pieces of sushi & 6 pieces of sashimi - I tried eel for the first time!
• 3rd course: green tea creme brulee - refreshing and not overly sweet

A few weeks later, my husband took me back for dinner on my birthday (since our favorite Italian place in Suffolk was closed for renovations). We ordered four rolls to split, and I got two cosmos (with Belvedere vodka) - my favorite!

What We Ate:

• Cowboy Crisp: seared beef tenderloin, avocado, cream cheese, & scallions, topped with crispy onion straws - not exactly sushi, but definitely delicious
• Fried Rockfish: crispy rockfish, greens, avocado, mayo, & fresh lemon
• Special Roll: crabmeat, asparagus, & beets - interesting combo, but not exactly my thing
• Rainbow Roll: a California roll topped with sashimi (salmon, tuna, halibut, etc.) - basic but yummy
• Tempura Cheesecake: lightly fried and served with creme Anglaise & strawberry slices - amazing! not nearly as heavy as it sounds

The Scoop:

Sushi Aka (www.sushiaka.com) is located at 239 W. Washington Street, Suffolk VA 23434. Their hours are T-R 5-9:30pm, F-Sat 5-10pm. They're closed on Sundays & Mondays. The waitresses here are terrific: prompt, not overbearing, knowledgeable about the menu, and very friendly.

Suffolk Spotlight: Primo 116

Remember Cheers, "where everybody knows your name"? Our Cheers is Primo 116, although it's a cozy, hole-in-the-wall Italian place instead of a sports bar (thankfully). Our waiter Chris greets us by name when we walk in and brings our drinks to the table without us having to order them.

This is all started on Valentine's Day, 2009. The day before - Friday the 13th - I moved back to Hampton Roads after living in DC and Cleveland for work for nine months. Needless to say, my husband (then-fiancée) was very glad for me to be back, and I was pretty excited to be home. We wanted to do something special to celebrate, so we decided to try the new Italian restaurant that had recently opened downtown. (Are you sensing a theme? Celebrating, for us, almost always involves a great meal.)

We were shown to our table by the very friendly head waiter, Chris. Thankfully we had reservations: that night, their 15 or so tables were all full. After skimming the menu, I quickly made my selection: veal saltimbocca.

My husband, however, likes to talk to the waiter about the menu, find out what his recommendations are, etc. and that night was no exception. He introduced himself to Chris, and they immediately started talking sauces, spices, and cuts of meat, all of which went right over my head. I don't remember what my husband finally ordered -- it might have been the osso bucco -- but his conversation with Chris assured Primo 116's status as our favorite local place.

Plus, at the end of the meal Chris presented me with a single red rose (it was Valentine's Day after all) for being "the most beautiful woman in the restaurant" that evening -- a slightly unfair contest, since I was the youngest female there by several decades. ;)

Since then we've been back many times: for a fancy dinner with my in-laws; for a relaxed meal with friends; and for just a quick bite after work when we didn't feel like cooking. We've never been disappointed.

Valentine's Day 2009:

• Vitello Saltimbocca: Scallopini of veal topped with prosciutto and mozzarella over a bed of spinach in a sage demi-glace, served with a side of polenta
• Belgian chocolate gelato

Dinner with My In-Laws:

• Funghi Farciti Cotti: Baked mushroom caps stuffed with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, pignoli nuts, parsley and herbs - stuffed mushrooms done right
• Rockfish with onions & tomatoes over orzo pasta
• A limoncello

Dinner with Friends:

• Bruschetta with basil, red peppers and pignoli nuts
• Halibut with saffron citrus sauce over orzo pasta
• Tiramisu

Dinner with Friends Again:

• Cioppino: Jumbo shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and fish, simmered in a light fish fumet, seasoned with basil, fennel seed, garlic and a touch of tomato
• Ravioli dell' Aragosta: Ravioli stuffed with lobster meat and ricotta with a roasted red pepper cream sauce

A Night We Didn't Feel Like Cooking:

• Rockfish with capers in a tomato cream sauce
• Braised short ribs over risotto with gravy

When We Wanted a Light Dinner:

• Antipasti Freddo: An assortment of imported Italian meats and cheeses, peppers, ripe olives and artichoke hearts - this butcher's plate plus a glass of red wine makes a great light dinner for two

• Pasta e Fagioli Napolitano: a classic Neapolitan soup of white beans and pasta in a light tomato sauce
• Insalata della Casa: Mesculin mix of greens, imported goat cheese, toasted pignoli nuts and a balsamic glaze - this salad plus the soup above is a light, healthy meal

What I'll Order the Next Time We Go:

• Farfalle alla Vodka: Bow tie pasta in a pink vodka cream sauce with baby peas, pancetta and mushrooms

The Scoop:

Primo 116 Bistro Italiano (www.primo116.com) is located at 116 W. Washington Street, Suffolk, VA 23434. Their hours are T-R 5-10pm, F-Sat 5-11pm (closed on Sun-M). Reservations are available by calling (757)923-0116.